thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-19--Government 'Pick For Britain' Website Crashes As Minister Issues Call For Harvest Help

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
The government’s ‘Pick For Britain’ website - designed to recruit UK workers to pick fruit and veg during the Covid-19 crisis - crashed within moments of a minister urging people to sign up.
Advertisement
Environment secretary George Eustice made a plea for help on behalf of farmers at Tuesday’s Downing Street press conference.
Curbs on international travel have left farmers worried crops may be lost as they are desperately short of staff to help with harvesting
Eustice said furloughed workers could take a second job to supplement their income and encouraged people to sign up online.
But moments later, the official website had crashed, returning the error message ‘the service is unavailable’ and leaving government officials scrambling to get it back online.
Advertisement
A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs told HuffPost UK: “There is an issue with the website and we are working with our partners to get it sorted.”
Pick For Britain website crashes straightaway HuffPost UK
Luke Pollard, Labour’s shadow environment secretary, added: “Not the best start to the government’s flagship farming campaign. We have been pushing ministers for weeks to launch this initiative and a broken website isn’t the best start.
“Crops will rot in the fields if we don’t get enough workers signed up. We know only a third of the usual trained European farm workers have come to the UK this year.”
It is the second IT bungle of the coronavirus crisis after the Department of Health website crashed when thousands of people flocked to sign up for a test.
Advertisement
Speaking at the conference, Eustice said: “Every year large numbers of people come from countries such as Romania or Bulgaria to take part in the harvest, harvesting crops such as strawberries and salads and vegetable.
“We estimate that probably only about a third of the people that would normally come are already here, and small numbers may continue to travel.
“But one thing is clear and that is that this year we will need to rely on British workers to lend a hand to help bring that harvest home.”
He said that furloughed workers “may be getting to the point that they want to lend a hand and play their part, they may be wanting to get out and they may be wanting to supplement their income”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-19--Lockdown Should Only Be Eased With Tracing System In Place, Says Government's Scientific Adviser

HuffPost is part of Verizon Media .
Click ' I agree ' to allow Verizon Media and our partners to @ @ @ @ @ to access your device and use your data ( including location ) to understand your @ @ @ @ @ measure personalised ads .
We will also provide you with personalised ads on partner products @ @ @ @ @ we use your data in our Privacy Centre .
Once you confirm your privacy choices @ @ @ @ @ changes at any time by visiting your Privacy dashboard .
Click 'Learn more ' to @ @ @ @ @ Media and our partners collect and use data .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
The coronavirus lockdown should not be eased unless the government puts in place a system to test, trace and isolate the infected, the deputy chief scientific adviser has said.
Advertisement
In an apparent break with the government’s position, Dame Angela McLean said easing restrictions and social distancing measures must be based on having a test and trace system in place, and on local infection levels.
It comes with teaching unions and councils at loggerheads with ministers over plans to reopen schools as early as June 1, and amid delays to the NHSX contact tracing app previously slated to play an important role in any test and trace system.
Downing Street has insisted that its plan has only been to reopen schools on June 1 “at the earliest”, that the government has recruited 21,000 contact tracers, and that the app is not crucial for any testing operation.
But asked whether it is too early to conclude, as ministers have, that the science says it is safe to return to schools on June 1, McLean told the Downing Street daily briefing: “Scientists have been very clear in our advice that changes to lockdown as we modelled them need a highly effective ‘track, trace and isolate’ system to be in place.
Advertisement
“And we’re also very clear that any change to the social distancing measures should be based upon observed levels of incidence in places that those are going to be changed, not on a fixed date.”
McLean revealed that government scientists would be getting a full update on Thursday of when the contact tracing system is going to be in place.
The deputy chief scientific adviser also expressed frustration when she was told of Portsmouth residents facing two-week waits for Covid-19 test results, only to be eventually told they were unclear.
McLean said it was “clearly” possible to have a 48-hour turnaround for test results.
Deputy chief scientific adviser Angela McLean PA
“I think really having a rapid and reliable testing system is entirely an operational issue,” she said.
Advertisement
“So the science advice would be: you need to have a rapid and reliable testing system.”
Asked if the UK had such a system, she added: “I think it’s getting better.
“One of the things we have looked at a lot today is evidence from other countries and it clearly is possible to set up testing systems with a 48 hour turnaround.”
The deputy chief scientific adviser praised the testing and tracing models of countries like South Korea and Germany.
And she said the government’s scientists only advised ministers to scale back contact tracing to NHS patients on March 12 because capacity was not available for a wider programme. It was a decision that has provoked fierce criticism.
“The advice that we gave certainly took account of what testing was available,” McLean said.
“It was the best thing to do with the tests that we had.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-19--Caitlyn Jenner And Bobby Berk Have A Message For Young Queer People Struggling In Lockdown

Karwai Tang via Getty Images Caitlyn Jenner is one of a host of celebrities to have recorded messages of solidarity for young queer people
We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus lockdown. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
A host of queer celebrities and LGBTQ+ allies have recorded messages of solidarity and support for young people in lockdown.
Advertisement
The campaign, which launched on Tuesday, is a collaboration between the British LGBT Awards and It Gets Better UK, an LGBTQ+ charity, and aims to provide a sense of digital community to individuals that may be struggling with their mental health due to limitations on their movement due to the virus.
LGBTQ+ people and those from minority backgrounds are often the most disproportionately affected in times of strife, as the LGBT Foundation illustrates in its Coronavirus Briefing.
Advertisement
The celebrities have recorded messages from their places of isolation around the world for the campaign, with Caitlyn sending hers from her Malibu home and Stephen Fry from his library in London.
“"I just want to say to everybody: stay positive, there is going to be brighter days ahead - I promise you that” - Caitlyn Jenner
In her video, Jenner says: “This is a difficult time for everyone, but especially young LGBT+ kids who are locked down right now. I just want to say to everybody: stay positive, there is going to be brighter days ahead – I promise you that… this is Caitlyn Jenner from Malibu, California, sending you all, a lot of love.”
Stephen Fry says: “We will get through this. We have to stay positive, if we can, and look towards brighter days ahead. And there will be brighter days ahead… I’m sending love to you all: stay safe, and snug and comfy and cosy, and confident. Lots of love.”
PA - PA Images via Getty Images Stephen Fry is another of the celebrities that have recorded video messages of support to the LGBT+ community
Advertisement
The campaign features a list of charity resources accessible to young people in need during the pandemic and can be accessed via Twitter, Instagram or the British LGBT Awards Website. A list of the charities available for young people seeking help can also be found on the campaign page here.
“Even though lockdown measures have eased a little in England, young LGBT+ people are still facing extreme challenges at home,” says British LGBT Awards founder Sarah Garrett MBE.
“Many are trapped with families who don’t accept who they are, and others feel isolated because they no longer have a network of support around them because of social distancing measures. #InThisTogether is our way of letting young LGBT+ people know that they are not alone and there are people and organisations available for them to talk to.”
Members of the public are also encouraged to film their own messages by visiting the It Gets Better UK website.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-19--Labour Cancels Its Annual Party Conference In Liverpool Over Covid-19 Fears

Empics Entertainment
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Labour has decided to scrap its usual annual party conference because of safety fears caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Advertisement
The party’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) agreed that the full-scale gathering that had been planned for Liverpool in September should not go ahead because of continuing uncertainty over Covid-19.
Moves towards a slimmed down virtual event are being considered as alternatives, sources said. One NEC source said an online policy event was likely to go ahead but the actual conference was “cancelled”.
“It [the online policy event] will be more of a members’ event rather than formal decision making,” another NEC member told HuffPost UK.
Although the conference will be technically only postponed, the logistical effort of booking a venue for 14,000 people and the demands of the parliamentary calendar make it uncertain whether any event could go ahead before next spring at the earliest.
Advertisement
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Our priority is the safety of members, staff and visitors to our events and the need to protect the public’s health.
“In light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we have therefore decided to postpone this year’s annual and women’s conferences.”
Labour’s decision means that the traditional party conference season will be radically different in 2020.
The Liberal Democrats are expected on Tuesday night to also cancel their own Brighton conference, which was already on hold, and replace it with some online elements.
The Conservative party told HuffPost UK it was still “planning” to hold its own gathering in Birmingham but the decision was currently under review.
Advertisement
Labour’s decision will cost the party a large chunk of its annual income, but it has a cushion of funds caused by the big rise in party membership seen since the party lost the last general election.
The key consideration was safety of delegates and party workers, with social distancing felt to be impossible within the conference hall as well as the highly social nature of the event.
Some insiders believe that leader Keir Starmer could do a virtual speech and that some party decisions could be carried out with online voting, but others believe that with local parties not having met for months that even that could prove too difficult.
The Lib Dems said their Federal Board would meet tonight consider the party’s options, in line with public health advice. “We are considering digital options,” a spokesperson said.
A Tory spokesperson said: “At present, planning for the party conference is continuing. We will keep this under review in light of the outbreak of Coronavirus.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-19--UK Facing 'Severe Recession' And May Not 'Bounce Back' Quickly, Chancellor Warns

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
The UK is likely to be hit by a “severe recession, the likes of which we have not seen” and there may not be an immediate recovery, chancellor Rishi Sunak has warned.
Advertisement
Sunak appeared to dash hopes of a so-called “V-shaped” recovery with the economy going into a deep, but short, recession before bouncing back to pre-coronavirus crisis levels quickly.
And he warned that the “jury is out” on the degree of economic “scarring” the crisis will cause, suggesting that the longer the lockdown is in place, the bigger the impact on unemployment.
“It is not obvious that there will be an immediate bounceback,” the chancellor told the Lords economic affairs committee.
“There will be more hardship to come.
“This lockdown is having a very significant impact on our economy. We are likely to face a severe recession, the likes of which we haven’t seen – and, of course, that will have an impact on unemployment.”
Advertisement
Sunak spoke after benefit claims in the UK soared by more than 69% in April as the coronavirus lockdown gripped the labour market.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said claims under Universal Credit by the unemployed and those on low incomes surged by a record 856,000 to 2.1m in April, compared with the previous month.
Sunak said: “The question that occupies my mind, and long-term is more relevant, is: what degree of long-term scarring is there on the economy as a result of this recession?
“What is the loss in productive capacity?
“Because ultimately once we recover from this crisis – by nature I believe it will be temporary, of course: we will suppress the virus, we will progressively now lift the restrictions – the question is what do we return to?
“The jury is out.”
Chancellor Rishi Sunak MATT DUNHAM via Getty Images
Advertisement
Even as restrictions are lifted it will take time for the economy to recover, the chancellor said.
"Even if we can reopen retail, which we would very much like to be able to do on June 1, there will still be restrictions on how people can shop which will have an impact likely on how much they can spend and how many people go out.
“And all those things will all take time.
“In all cases it will take a little bit of time for things to get back to normal.”
Sunak also said the government spending deficit would be “significant by historic standards” and warned it was currently “unknowable” how much the public purse was losing in tax receipts.
But pointing to the government’s furlough scheme and tens of billions of pounds' worth of other business support measures, he said: “I genuinely believe the situation [...] would have been considerably worse had we not taken this action.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-19--Watch Live: Environment Secretary George Eustice Gives Daily Coronavirus Briefing

Watch Live: Environment Secretary George Eustice Gives Daily Coronavirus Briefing
Environment secretary George Eustice leads Downing Street press conference alongside deputy chief scientific adviser Professor Dame Angela McLean. It comes after UK death toll rises by 227 in 24 hours bringing the total number of people who died of coronavirus to over 35,000.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-19--UK And EU Will Fail To Strike Brexit Trade Deal By 2020, Experts Warn

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
The UK and EU will fail to agree a Brexit trade deal before the end of the current transition period on December 31, a majority of experts believe.
Advertisement
Nearly three quarters (71%) of 100 leading social scientists do not expect a deal to be struck in 2020, a Brexit policy panel survey by the UK In A Changing Europe think-tank showed.
And they were almost equally split on whether the transition period, during which there has been little to no serious change in the UK-EU trade relationship, would be extended to allow more time for negotiations.
More than half (53%) of the academics believed it will be extended to allow more time for negotiations despite Boris Johnson ruling out a longer transition period.
But if there is no extension an overwhelming majority (80%) thought leaving the transition without a trade agreement would be equally or more damaging than a no-deal Brexit, which the prime minister avoided by striking a limited withdrawal agreement with the EU last year.
Advertisement
Professor Anand Menon, director of The UK in a Changing Europe, said: “Our survey shows that the majority of our experts simply do not think there will be enough time to agree a deal with the EU by the end of this year.
“It’s worth reminding ourselves that leaving without a deal will inflict further damage on an economy already reeling under the impact of the pandemic.”
The experts last summer correctly predicted that Brexit would not happen on October 31 and that UK would have to ask for a delay.
European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and the British prime minister's Europe adviser David Frost at start of the first round of post-Brexit trade deal talks OLIVIER HOSLET via Getty Images
The survey came as the government published a 291-page draft comprehensive free trade agreement in a bid to unblock the negotiations which have been at an impasse since the UK left the EU on January 31.
Advertisement
The two sides are far apart, with the UK rejecting EU demands to agree to a “level playing field” of minimum standards in areas including workers’ rights and the environment.
A poll shared with HuffPost UK on Monday however showed that younger Leave voters favour maintaining or increasing EU standards after Brexit.
The UK is meanwhile rejecting EU demands for fishing rights in British waters.
At the same time, the UK has kicked off trade negotiations with the United States in an attempt to mitigate the impact of lost EU trade and put pressure on Brussels to come to an agreement.
But the experts were split on whether a UK-US deal would be completed within the next five years, with 42% doubting an agreement by 2025 and 38% believing it can be done.
Furthermore, more than half (55%) of the panel thought leaving the EU had hampered the UK’s ability to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
Advertisement
The UK has been criticised for failing to join an EU scheme to procure ventilators and other medical equipment to help deal with the outbreak.
Despite EU disunity over coronavirus, more than three quarters (76%) of experts thought it was unlikely that any other member state would leave the bloc in the next ten years, against 24% who thought it likely.
The survey came as Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove told the Commons that the EU wanted the UK to continue to follow its rules while Brussels refused to row back on fishing rights.
Minister Michael Gove tells MPs the U.K. government "remains committed" to striking a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU, after both sides said little progress was made in the latest round of negotiations
More: https://t.co/DYGT4ahUOU pic.twitter.com/wlLHm6GakL — Bloomberg Brexit (@Brexit) May 19, 2020
“The EU essentially wants us to obey the rules of their club even though we’re no longer members and they want the same access to our fishing grounds as they currently enjoy, while restricting our access to their markets,” the Cabinet Office minister told MPs when answering an urgent question about the third round of negotiations.
Advertisement
Gove said success in the fourth round of the talks, due to start on June 1, “depends on the EU recognising that the UK is sovereign”.
It came as trade secretary Liz Truss published the tariff schedule the government would operate at the end of the transition period for countries with whom the UK does not have a free trade agreement.
She confirmed that post-Brexit tariffs will see duties axed on around £62bn worth of imports, while tariffs will also be protected for industries such as agriculture, automotive and fishing.
Items such as dishwashers, freezers and even Christmas trees will see zero tariffs under the regime, while the government said cooking products such as cocoa and baking powder will also be levy-free.
The UK will also see thousands of tariff variations on products scrapped – including more than 13,000 tariff variations on products including biscuits, waffles, pizzas, quiches, confectionery and spreads.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-19--Tory-led Solihull Council Announces Its Schools May Not Be Ready To Reopen On June 1

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
Conservative-led Solihull Council has announced its schools may not be ready in time for the government’s proposed phased reopening date of June 1.
Advertisement
It is believed to be the first Tory council to question the proposed start date.
Leader of the council, Ian Courts, said: “The government has the ambition of a June 1 return, but the reality in Solihull is that schools will need to use that first week in June to ensure they are completely ready for more pupils to attend.
“So places may only be available from the week beginning June 8.”
Students wearing face masks and social distancing, at a primary school in Brussels on Monday ASSOCIATED PRESS
Meanwhile, Labour-run Calderdale Council in West Yorkshire has also advised its schools against reopening on June 1 amid safety concerns, following the lead of Liverpool, Hartlepool and Bury.
Calderdale leader councillor Tim Swift said: “Education plays a crucial role in making sure children have a good start in life, laying the foundations so that they are able to enjoy a long, healthy and fulfilling future.
Advertisement
“However, the council has major concerns that the government’s tests are not currently being met within Calderdale, and for this reason we are advising our schools against opening more widely on June 1.”
Deborah Harkins, director of public health at Calderdale Council, said: “More children should only return to school when we are confident that it is safe, we should not put them, their families and our communities at risk.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-19--Donald Trump's Coronavirus Beef With The WHO Explained For Brits

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
Donald Trump has threatened to permanently halt funding for the World Health Organisation in an extraordinary letter insisting it makes major changes within the next 30 days.
Advertisement
The typically bombastic move could put the very agency charged with leading the fight against coronavirus at risk even as the pandemic continues to rage around the world.
This is the letter sent to Dr. Tedros of the World Health Organization. It is self-explanatory! pic.twitter.com/pF2kzPUpDv — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 19, 2020
But, as with most things Trump, all is not quite as it seems.
What does the letter say?
Trump accused the WHO of failing to act quickly and aggressively enough against the virus in its early days...
Wait, hang on – that sounds familiar
That’s because it’s exactly the same accusations levelled against the president – and with good reason.
Advertisement
Trump’s comments in the early days of the outbreak repeatedly played down the threat. On February 24 he said it was “very much under control in the USA”...
The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA. We are in contact with everyone and all relevant countries. CDC & World Health have been working hard and very smart. Stock Market starting to look very good to me! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2020
And three days later at a press conference, he said: “It’s going to disappear. One day it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.”
In the following days, Trump continued to make out the threat from coronavirus was nothing to worry about with a series of comparisons to other diseases which, in hindsight, were misguided to say the least (a reminder that the current US death toll from coronavirus stands at around 92,000).
Gallup just gave us the highest rating ever for the way we are handling the CoronaVirus situation. The April 2009-10 Swine Flu, where nearly 13,000 people died in the U.S., was poorly handled. Ask MSDNC & lightweight Washington failure @RonaldKlain, who the President was then? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 5, 2020
Advertisement
So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus, with 22 deaths. Think about that! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 9, 2020
The letter also says the WHO “consistently ignored credible reports of the virus spreading in Wuhan in early December 2019... including reports from the Lancet medical journal”.
This is simply not true and the Lancet itself tweeted on Tuesday to reiterate that its first reports on coronavirus in China weren’t published until January 24.
Statement from The Lancet in response to President Donald Trump’s May 18 letter to Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization pic.twitter.com/JX8orfpMPB — The Lancet (@TheLancet) May 19, 2020
Hmm, what else did the letter say? In the letter, the president said that the WHO “belatedly declared the outbreak of a Public Health Emergency of International concern on January 30,” which was more than a month after the virus was first detected in China. So he must have been really on the ball with this, right? Nope. Trump didn’t declare a national emergency until March 13, by which point there were around 1,300 infections in the US and 39 Americans had died. Right. Is there more?
Of course there is – Trump also criticised the WHO because it “praised the Chinese government for its ‘transparency’ with respect to the coronavirus” on January 28.
Thing is, Trump did exactly the same just four days earlier.
China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2020
So what’s the actual point of all this?
There is no escaping the fact that the US has by far the highest official death toll from the coronavirus pandemic and during an election year, that is not good news for a president hoping for reelection.
Trump’s usual *ahem* trump card, the US economy, is also out of play as the stock markets reel from the global economic impact of coronavirus.
So it appears the president has adopted a tactic of deflection, blaming everyone but himself for the woes currently facing the US.
Advertisement
The WHO has not been the only target – China itself has been a frequent target with the president even suggesting coronavirus was created in a Chinese laboratory and deliberately unleashed upon the world.
There is no evidence to support the theory and even Trump’s own intelligence agencies have rubbished the idea.
Who else has been a target?
Barack Obama of course. One of Trump’s favourite pastimes lately has been simply tweeting “OBAMAGATE!!!” – eleven times in the last nine days.
OBAMAGATE! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 16, 2020
What is OBAMAGATE?
No one is quite sure, not even Trump.
Earlier this month in response to a question from a Washington Post reporter about the specifics of his claim, Trump replied: “Obamagate. It’s been going on for a long time. It’s been going on from before I even got elected. And it’s a disgrace that it happened.”
Advertisement
When pressed by the reporter to name a criminal offence, Trump said: “You know what the crime is. The crime is very obvious to everybody. All you have to do is read the newspapers, except yours.”
Can we just dismiss this as another tantrum then?
Not really. If Trump does follow through and stop funding for the WHO it would be a major blow for the very agency tasked with leading the global initiative to develop safe and effective vaccines, tests and drugs to prevent, diagnose and treat Covid-19.
The US contributed more than $400 million (£326 million) to the WHO in 2019, or about 15% of its budget.
It also traditionally provides several hundred million dollars annually in voluntary funding tied to specific WHO programmes like polio eradication, vaccine-preventable disease, HIV and hepatitis, tuberculosis, and maternal and child and health.
Is there a way out of the crisis?
Trump said in the letter the only way forward for the WHO was for it to demonstrate independence from China, adding that his administration had started discussing reform with WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-19--Celebrate Meghan Markle And Prince Harry's 2nd Wedding Anniversary With These Magical Moments

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The American actress and the British royal tied the knot at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018, in front of 600 of their closest family and friends.
Meghan donned a gorgeous Givenchy dress, designed by Claire Wight Kelly, and a 16-foot veil, which included designs of the “distinctive flora” of all 53 countries of the Commonwealth.
Advertisement
The ceremony itself was incredibly modern, unlike anything the royal family had ever held before. Reverend Michael Curry delivered an energetic sermon before the royal family, speaking about slavery and quoting Martin Luther King Jr. while he preached a message of love. Afterward, the Kingdom Choir delivered a stirring rendition of “Stand By Me.”
On Tuesday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex celebrate two years of marriage. To say that a lot has changed in the two years since their wedding day would be the understatement of the century.
After tying the knot, the two welcomed a son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, to their family on May 6, 2019. Earlier this year, they officially stepped back as working members of the royal family and relocated to their new home of Los Angeles.
Up next for the Sussexes, the two will launch a nonprofit organisation called Archewell, which stems from ”‘arche’ — the Greek word meaning ‘source of action.’”
Advertisement
Until then, relive all the wondrous moments at Windsor and your favourite images below:


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-19--545 More Coronavirus Deaths Recorded Across UK In 24 Hours

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
The number of people who have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus has risen to 35,341 – an increase of 545 over 24 hours.
Advertisement
Since the end of April, the government’s daily announcement has included people in care homes and the community, rather than just in hospital, who have died.
But only those who had tested positive for Covid-19 are included, meaning anyone who died with a suspected case won’t be recorded.
The figures cover the period up to 5pm on Monday.
It comes after the number of people who have died in hospitals across the UK, as well as care homes in Wales, after contracting the virus rose by 227 in 24 hours.
That increase consisted of 174 in England, 29 in Scotland, 17 in Wales and seven in Northern Ireland.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-19--Trump Retweeted One Of His Biggest Critics, Who Replied Exactly How You’d Expect

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Donald Trump went on a spree of retweets Monday night, and one of the messages he shared was from a persistent critic who quickly used the newfound attention to slam the president.
Trump’s retweets were largely focused on his announcement that he was taking the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to protect himself from coronavirus despite a lack of evidence. However, some of the messages shared by Trump also attacked Fox News host Neil Cavuto, who had criticised him and warned viewers not to follow the president’s example.
Advertisement
“If you are in a risky population here, and you are taking this as a preventative treatment to ward off the virus ... it will kill you,” Cavuto said. “I cannot stress this enough: This will kill you.”
Trump wasn’t happy. He not only ripped the host but also the entire Fox News network, claiming he was “looking for a new outlet.”
The president’s retweets included this one:
Fox News on hydroxychloroquine in the last two days:
Neil Cavuto: It’ll kill you!!!
Laura Ingraham: Take it! Take it! Take it!
pic.twitter.com/CrmnmXKKrI — The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) May 18, 2020
Just one problem: This account, which goes by the handle of “The Hoarse Whisperer,” is a pretty constant thorn in Trump’s social media side. And after the Trump retweet, the account fired back with a few messages the president was not likely to share:
Advertisement
The man who just retweeted me is a complete fuckopotamus.
He is also the President. — The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) May 19, 2020
Others were puzzled about why Trump would retweet the account in the first place, given its long history of posting messages hostile to the president and his agenda:
How did trump accidentally retweet @HoarseWisperer? — Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) May 19, 2020
Advertisement
I love that Trump RT’d this. 😂 — ⚜Rob Anderson for Louisiana (@RobAnderson2018) May 19, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-19--Fleabag's Hot Priest Is Here With A Reassuring Poem To Remind Us That 'It'll Pass'

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Make the most of your time in lockdown with a daily dose of celebrity news and guides to the best shows. Sign up to the entertainment newsletter.
Fleabag’s Hot Priest once famously told Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s character that “it’ll pass”, and now here’s here to impart some similar wisdom about the current situation we’re all in.
Advertisement
Actor Andrew Scott has shared a hopeful poem reminding us all that “everything is going to be alright”.
Game Of Thrones star Emilia Clarke posted a video of him reading the words of Irish poet Derek Mahon in the latest of her series of celebrity poetry readings for charity.
“How should I not be glad to contemplate/ the clouds clearing beyond the dormer window/ and a high tide reflected on the ceiling?” Andrew begins.
Advertisement
“The sun rises in spite of everything And the far cities are beautiful and bright.
“I lie here in a riot of sunlight/ watching the day break and the clouds flying/ Everything is going to be all right.”
We don’t know about you, but we really needed to hear those reassuring words from Hot Priest today.
Andrew Scott as Fleabag's Hot Priest BBC
Andrew joined the cast of Fleabag in the second series as a love interest for Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s titular character.
In October, he teased that he and Phoebe were working together on a future project, insisting we haven’t seen the last of them on screen together.
Last month, Phoebe also teamed up with the National Theatre to make her one-woman theatre show of Fleabag – which she reprised last year after it spawned the Bafta-winning BBC TV series – available to audiences across the globe online to raise money for coronavirus funds.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-19--Shower Curtains And Scary Mannequins: Is This The Future Of Dining Out?

LOADING ERROR LOADING
We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus lockdown. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
Restaurants and cafes in the UK are not expected to reopen until July at the earliest, but businesses across the country are already preparing with social distancing in mind. So what might your dining experience look like?
Advertisement
Francini Osorio, who owns Francini Cafe De Colombia, in Worcester, has already spent £2,000 investing in 35 shower curtains and an air purifier. Osorio purchased the purifier from Germany, where the model is used in hospitals to curb the spread of viruses in the air.
“I can’t guarantee its effectiveness, I didn’t make the machine, I only bought it, but it is designed to do that,” says the cafe owner. “I thought that maybe having two options will get people to feel more confident in coming into our cafe.”
Francini Osorio / SWNS.COM
Osorio plans to introduce a rota when the cafe reopens, with a 15-minute break between someone leaving a table and someone else taking it, to allow for thorough cleaning. Staff will also wear gloves and masks.
Advertisement
“It’s going to be difficult, it’s gonna be uncomfortable for us as a staff to serve people that way, but we don’t have many other options,” he says.
Francini Osorio / SWNS.COM
Elsewhere in the UK, restaurant and cafe owners will also be considering how to operate post-lockdown while keeping their staff and diners safe – and looking to eateries around the world for inspiration.
Here are some of the ways dining out may change.
Perspex Screens
Screen dividers have become commonplace in restaurants around the world since the Covid-19 outbreak, with many businesses using Perspex/plastic or glass screens to separate customers.
Shaiml Thakrar, co-founder of the UK restaurant chain Dishoom, has already said the chain is considering buying screens when the business reopens.
Advertisement
Photos below show different screen methods in use in Bangkok, Milan, Hong Kong and California.
ASSOCIATED PRESS Thailand.
MIGUEL MEDINA via Getty Images Italy.
SIPA USA/PA Images Hong Kong.
ASSOCIATED PRESS California.
Mannequins And Monsters
Managers at the Inn at Little Washington, in Virginia in the US have placed mannequins on every other table so the space doesn’t feel empty while diners social distance. The restaurant is planning to reopen on May 29.
Advertisement
ASSOCIATED PRESS The Inn at Little Washington.
Shoppers eating in the food court at this mall in Bangkok, Thailand, now sit alongside cartoon dragon dolls. Thai authorities allowed department stores, shopping malls and other businesses to reopen from May 17, with some restrictions, so the dragons are intended to prevent overcrowding.
ASSOCIATED PRESS Bangkok.
Distancing Hats
The owner of Cafe Rothe in Schwerin, Germany asked customers to wear hats with swimming noddles attached when it reopened doors last week.
Jaqueline Rothe, told the Independent the move was intended to put a smile on people’s faces (rather than actually enforce social distancing).
Advertisement
She also hopes the image will make people realise how difficult it is to run a business under the new German regulations. The cafe usually has 36 tables inside and 20 outside, but has reduced to 12 tables inside and eight outside.
Quarantine Greenhouses
Restaurant and bar Mediamatic ETEN in the Netherlands hopes to reopen later this week with ‘chambres séparées’ or “separate rooms” – which have been also been dubbed “quarantine greenhouses”.
The greenhouses seat a maximum of three people. Perhaps the winter pop-up dining igloos seen in various UK locations will make a year-round return, too.
ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN via Getty Images Mediamatic ETEN.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-19--Ministers Not Scientists Will Decide When To Open Schools, Points Out Coronavirus Adviser

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Any decision to reopen schools will be a “political” one for ministers, not a “scientific” one, a leading expert who advises the government on coronavirus has said.
Advertisement
John Edmunds, professor of infectious disease modelling at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said on Tuesday said it appeared that the “risk to children is low”.
But he added more will be known in the coming weeks about whether children can pass the virus on to teachers as data from countries that have already opened schools becomes available.
It comes after Therese Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, said if the government had made mistakes in tackling the virus it was because it had received the “wrong” scientific advice.
The government is engaged in a row with unions and some local authorities over when schools in England should reopen to more primary school pupils.
Advertisement
Boris Johnson has set an expectation that reception, Year 1 and Year 6 children in England will return to the classroom on June 1.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Speaking to the House of Lords science and technology committee today, Edmunds said: “Clearly the decision to open primary schools or not, is a political one, it’s not a scientific decision. Scientists can offer some advice.
“It looks like the risk to children is low, and that the vast majority don’t have significant symptoms.”
Edmunds sits on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) committee of experts that advises the government.
Advertisement
He said: “So the risk to others may be relatively low, but overall you have to weigh up those risks with other things – risks to community, clearly we can’t keep children off school forever, and so on and so forth.
“The actual decision, and weighing all of those things, needs to be done by politicians.”
Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, has said that children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds will lose out if they are unable to return to school.
“Teachers know that there are children out there that have not spoken or played with another child their own age for the last two months,” he told the Downing Street press conference on Sunday.
“They know there are children from difficult or very unhappy homes for whom school is the happiest moment in their week, and it’s also the safest place for them to be.”
An alliance of education unions has urged the government to “step back” from the June 1 date and demanded to see the scientific and medical modelling used to justify the move.
Advertisement
And Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson has said he would not allow his local schools to readmit pupils if he felt the safety of staff and youngsters would be put at risk.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-20--Jason Derulo's 'Tooth-Breaking' TikTok Video Wasn't Quite What It Seemed

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Make the most of your time in lockdown with a daily dose of celebrity news and guides to the best shows. Sign up to the entertainment newsletter.
Jason Derulo left his fans concerned on Tuesday, after sharing a TikTok video of himself seemingly breaking his two front teeth.
Advertisement
The chart-topping singer shared a video of himself performing what he described as a “life hack”, chowing down on a corn cob stuck on the end of a handheld drill.
During the video, Jason is then heard yelping in pain, as he reveals that his teeth have been broken by the stunt, warning in the caption: “Don’t try this.”
Don’t worry, though, his teeth are actually fine, and the video – only slightly less distressing than his turn in Cats – was actually just a prank.
Advertisement
The following day, he confirmed his pearly whites were fully intact in a second upload, showing off his full set of dominos before, naturally, breaking into an impromptu dance routine.
Jason is one of the many big-name stars that have turned to TikTok to keep us all entertained during lockdown.
In the last few weeks we’ve seen him trying his hand at dance challenges…
...prank videos…
Advertisement
...and yes, even whatever this is supposed to be...
But he isn’t the only star whose TikTok has game has improved drastically during this stay-at-home period.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-20--Here Are The New Routines The UK Could Use To Get Back To Work Safely

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
Until a vaccine is readily available, countries around the world will have to adopt ways of managing Covid-19 as they attempt to re-accommodate workforces and restart their economies. There are currently no effective treatments for coronavirus and a vaccine that is widely available is likely to be at least a year away.
Advertisement
Various different scientific models for doing this have been suggested – with the common thread that the return to work is going to be anything but typical. Here are some of them that could be instated in the UK.
50 days’ strict lockdown, 30 days’ eased restrictions, and repeat
An 18-month rolling cycle of 50 days of strict lockdown measures followed by 30 days of easing of restrictions could be an “effective” approach that would keep intensive care demand within capacity and “may allow populations and their national economies to ‘breathe’ at intervals”, according to a study published in the European Journal of Epidemiology.
That’s in contrast to a continuous, three-month strategy of suppression measures, such as strict physical distancing and lockdown, which would reduce new coronavirus cases to near zero in most countries, the study suggested.
Looser mitigation strategies such as hygiene rules and shielding of vulnerable groups might require approximately six-and-a-half months to reach the same point, according to the research.
Advertisement
PA
But the study suggested that such prolonged lockdowns would be unsustainable in most countries due to the potential knock-on effects on the economy and livelihoods.
An international team of researchers from the Global Dynamic Interventions Strategies for Covid-19 Collaborative Group modelled three alternative scenarios across 16 countries, from Belgium to India, that vary in setting and income.
They did not model the scenarios in the UK but said they expect the situation to be “very similar to that in other high-income countries”.
Dr Rajiv Chowdhury, a global health epidemiologist at Cambridge University and the paper’s lead author, said: “Our models predict that dynamic cycles of 50-day suppression followed by a 30-day relaxation are effective at lowering the number of deaths significantly for all countries throughout the 18-month period.”
Advertisement
He said the intermittent relaxation of measures “might make this solution more sustainable, especially in resource-poor regions”.
This 18-month period of 50 days on and 30 days off could still see 130,000 deaths across the 16 countries, it is forecast.
Professor Oscar Franco, from the University of Bern in Switzerland, said: “Our study provides a strategic option that countries can use to help control Covid-19 and delay the peak rate of infections.
“This should allow them to buy valuable time to shore up their health systems and increase efforts to develop new treatments or vaccines.
“There’s no simple answer to the question of which strategy to choose.
“Countries – particularly low-income countries – will have to weigh up the dilemma of preventing Covid-19-related deaths and public health system failure with the long-term economic collapse and hardship.”
Advertisement
The study indicated that two other scenarios which were modelled would result in intensive care units being overwhelmed.
A road in north London is narrowed to aid social distancing while shoppers queue for a supermarket Barcroft Media via Getty Images
No lockdown restrictions
The first scenario modelled the impact of imposing no measures.
It indicated a total of 7.8m deaths across the 16 countries with the epidemic lasting nearly 200 days in most countries.
50 days’ ‘loose’ lockdown and 30 days without restrictions
The second scenario modelled a rolling cycle of looser 50-day mitigation measures followed by a 30-day relaxing.
It indicated 3.5m deaths and a longer pandemic of around 12 months in high-income countries and 18 months or longer in other settings.
Advertisement
Four days on, 10 days off
A further model by Imperial College London chemical biologist Professor Keith Willison for the Adam Smith Institute suggests a four days on, 10 days off cyclical strategy be implemented for both workers and school-goers.
It would see populations divided into two groups, with one group working or attending school for four days from, say, Monday to Thursday, and then entering a 10-day isolation period where individuals work from home in lockdown. This would see the workforce divided into distinct groups who do not overlap when in the office.
. .
. .
The model – devised by the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel – would see an end to the standard seven-day week and two-day weekend structure as we know it, with workers taking their time off at varying times during their lockdown periods.
Advertisement
While the initial group is in lockdown, the second group would attend work and school. Since the number of people going to work and school would be much smaller than usual, physical distancing would be more easily observed and fewer people would be using public transport.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-20--Boris Johnson Promises Coronavirus Test, Track And Trace System By June 1

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Boris Johnson has promised a coronavirus test, track and trace programme will be in place by June 1.
Speaking during PMQs on Wednesday, the prime minister said the government will have recruited 25,000 staff capable of tracing the contacts of up to 10,000 new Covid-19 cases a day.
Advertisement
The pledge came after Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, said the absence of an “effective” system for the last ten weeks had left a “huge hole in our defences” against the disease.
Contact tracing was effectively abandoned on 12 March when the government moved from its strategy of trying to contain the virus to delaying its spread.
Angela McLean, the deputy chief scientific adviser, yesterday warned the lockdown should not be eased until the new system was in place.
Johnson told MPs: “We have growing confidence that we will have a test, track and trace operation that will be world-beating and yes, it will be in place, it will be in place by June 1.
Advertisement
“There will be 25,000 trackers, they will be able to cope with 10,000 new cases a day.”
The PM added: “And to understand the importance of that statistic, I should just remind him that today the new cases stand at 2,400.”
Johnson also accused Starmer of adopting a “negative tone” in his questions.
But Starmer hit back: “34,000 deaths is negative. Of course I am going to ask about that. And quite right too.
“For ten weeks there has has been no tracing. Unlike Germany and South Korea, and tracing is critical.”
Test, track and trace means testing people for coronavirus, tracking the spread of the virus, then tracing the people an infected person has come into contact with.
People on the Isle of Wight are at the forefront of part of the new UK operation, after being involved in a pilot scheme to download a contact tracing app developed by NHSx, the health service’s digital technology arm.
Advertisement
Separate contact tracing will run alongside the app. While the app works automatically, an army of human contact tracers is being recruited to manually gather information about the places infected people have visited and others they have been in contact with to get a detailed picture of who might be at risk of infection.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-20--Exclusive: Vulnerable Homeless Migrants Left On Street Despite Government's Order To House Them

Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
When lockdown shuttered the UK on March 23, “Yonas”, a 36-year-old with underlying health conditions that have hospitalised him three times, spent almost a month sleeping on night buses, in parks and in deserted parts of Heathrow Airport despite repeatedly approaching two local authorities, the police and the Home Office for support.
Advertisement
“Nina”, a 56-year-old HIV-positive woman whose GP ordered her to “shield” herself during the coronavirus pandemic, spent almost four weeks sofa-surfing and bedding down in shop doorways as the death toll soared.
“Tariq”, a 46-year-old asylum seeker who was kicked out of his friends’ flat after falling ill with a high fever and a cough, spent weeks wandering the streets recovering from what he fears was Covid-19.
These are just three stories of undocumented migrants in Britain who are barred from accessing welfare support because of their immigration status. Between 800,000 and 1.2m people are estimated to live undocumented in Britain, with tens of thousands more legally resident but subject to visa restrictions that bar them from accessing most forms of benefits.
Charities have told HuffPost UK that “inadequate guidance” from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), punitive restrictions imposed by the Home Office and “inconsistent” decision making by some local authorities have put the lives of their clients at risk during a time of national crisis.
Advertisement
Shadow housing secretary Thangam Debbonaire, pictured in 2015 PA
“The government has pushed the responsibility for people with no recourse to public funds onto local authorities, but without any attention to the cost,” said shadow housing secretary Thangam Debbonaire. “This has led to confusion across the country and to people being left in destitution. Ministers urgently need to fix this.
“In this crisis, we have learnt that if someone is at risk or unable to protect themselves from the virus, that affects us all. At a time when we are all looking out for each other, the government must make sure councils have what they need to support some of the most vulnerable people in our country.”
Many councils have dramatically expanded their capacity during the crisis and taken in thousands of street homeless individuals, regardless of immigration status. MHCLG claims 90% of known rough sleepers have been made offers of housing since the pandemic began.
But since housing minister Luke Hall told councils on March 26 to house all street homeless people – including those usually barred from mainstream services because of their immigration status – HuffPost UK has learned of local authorities using immigration status as an excuse to turn away women fleeing domestic violence, street homeless families, pregnant women in unsafe accommodation, and people with underlying health conditions who have been told to shield.
Advertisement
Charities say those who have received shelter are often placed in shared accommodation where they cannot adequately self-isolate, and many have not been granted any financial support to afford food or other essentials.
A homeless person's tent in a walkway in the City of London more than a week after the government asked councils to house all rough sleepers – including those with no recourse to public funds Ollie Millington via Getty Images
“The response of local authorities to migrants with no recourse to public funds has been inconsistent and unpredictable,” said Benjamin Morgan, the homelessness lead at the Public Interest Law Centre. “Many are still not getting the support they need. Under the current circumstances, having no recourse to public funds will amount to a death sentence for some, with medically vulnerable individuals left unable to shield or self-isolate.”
Yonas first approached the Home Office on March 20 after being evicted by friends he was staying with who needed to self-isolate. The government refused to help.
After almost three weeks on the streets, he approached Hillingdon Council in west London. It too refused him accommodation on account of his immigration status.
Advertisement
He was told to sleep rough and refer himself to Streetlink, but repeated calls to the homelessness charity came to nothing: outreach workers couldn’t find him. Under pressure from his caseworkers, a sympathetic councillor in a neighbouring borough helped get him into a B&B, but that council refused to fund more than three nights, forcing him back onto the streets.
Only after the threat of legal action by the Public Interest Law Centre did Hillingdon Council eventually provide accommodation.
In the 36 days that had passed since Yonas first petitioned the Home Office for support, over 22,000 people died from Covid-19 in the UK, and England recorded over 107,000 lab-confirmed cases of Covid-19.
“It’s like because I don’t have papers I am not human. I thought I was going to die on the street.” - Yonas
“It’s like because I don’t have papers I am not human,” he said. “I thought I was going to die on the street.”
Advertisement
Hillingdon Council said it could not comment on individual cases, but a spokesperson added: “We have been working with our partners to accommodate all rough sleepers in the borough, regardless of their status.”
Abi Brunswick, director of migrants’ rights charity Project 17, said there had been a “resurgence of gatekeeping” – councils discouraging people from accessing support.
“Some local authorities seem to be putting up additional barriers to support, including threatening to take children into care and denying that support is available,” she said.
Others raised fears that some local authorities believed lockdown would release them from obligations to people with insecure immigration status.
“We have seen some local authorities attempting to use the coronavirus as a way to avoid fulfilling their statutory obligations,” said Olivia Halse of Matthew Gold Solicitors.
Advertisement
Charities and lawyers suggest the failings of some local authorities stem from inadequate guidance from government.
“The new guidance has not been accompanied by any new legal powers, leaving local authorities unclear how they are supposed to help those the law otherwise prohibits them from accommodating,” said Jamie Burton. “The letter from Luke Hall talks of a ‘joint responsibility’ to safeguard the homeless, but central government doesn’t appear to be performing its part.
Morgan explained: “Local authorities cannot provide shelter and support to people with no recourse to public funds unless they are properly empowered and funded to do so.”
A spokesperson from MHCLG said the department had given councils £3.2bn to deal with “immediate pressures, including supporting rough sleepers”.
They added: “Our new rough sleeping taskforce [...] will work hand-in-hand with councils across the country on plans to ensure as many rough sleepers as possible can move into long-term, safe accommodation once the immediate crisis is over.”
Advertisement
Others trace local authority failings back to Home Office rules that bar undocumented people and many with temporary visas from accessing mainstream support.
“The ‘no recourse to public funds’ policy is abhorrent. It causes homelessness and extreme poverty.” - Abi Brunswick, Project 17
Brunswick said: “We believe that the ‘no recourse to public funds’ policy, which excludes people from accessing mainstream welfare benefits and social housing, is abhorrent. It causes homelessness and extreme poverty by removing safety nets and creating structural inequality that disproportionately impacts people from ethnic minorities and women. Ultimately, the suffering experienced by people with no recourse to public funds is a result of central government policy.”
The Home Office has refused calls from MPs and charities to amend or suspend the restriction during the Covid-19 crisis.
Jessie Seal, Policy and Campaigns Coordinator at migrants’ housing charity Naccom said: “This system is unable to respond effectively to the huge challenges that Covid-19 brings and that people are therefore placed in grave danger. It is time to lift no recourse to public funds conditions for all. Until everybody is safe, no one is.”
Advertisement
The Home Office did not respond to HuffPost UK’s request for comment.
Tariq, Nina and Yonas were each provided temporary accommodation only following the threat of legal action by pro-bono solicitors. They are all liable to be evicted with only 24 hours’ notice. Easing restrictions on lockdown has raised their fears that this could come any day.
“Every place you go starts with ‘papers, papers, papers’, which I don’t have. They should take health as priority, especially in this situation we’re in,” said Nina. “I have gone through a lot. I was expecting I would be helped. It’s not what I have had.”
Yet again, it took the threat of legal action for a local authority to agree to house Nina, and it has since attempted to evict her. She is living in limbo and, while glad to be off the streets temporarily, is unsure how much longer she will be safe.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-20--How Coronavirus Has Made Period Poverty Worse

LOADING ERROR LOADING
We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus lockdown. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
Thousands of women and girls are struggling to access period products during lockdown, charities have warned, with period poverty affecting some people for the first time due to the economic strain of coronavirus.
Advertisement
Tina Leslie, founder of Leeds-based charity Freedom4girls, tells HuffPost UK the charity has given out more than 4,500 packs of period products in the past two months. They would usually expect to deliver around 500 packs per month.
And Gabby Edlin, founder of the London-based charity Bloody Good Period, says demand in the capital has “at least doubled, if not tripled”. The charity was giving out around 5,000 packs per month before lockdown, but has distributed more than 20,000 packs since lockdown began, equating to more than 200,000 individual products.
“It’s a massive issue,” says Leslie. “The problem of period poverty has not gone away during lockdown. In fact, Covid-19 has exacerbated the issue.”
Advertisement
Isabel Pavia via Getty Images
There are several reasons why demand has increased. Firstly, families across the UK are more likely to be struggling financially during lockdown – some women have told Leslie and Edlin they’re experiencing period poverty for the first time.
But also, many charities, drop-in centres and food banks that usually provide period products have closed, so women who rely on them may be contacting the few charities still operating. Or, with the current government advice to avoid public transport, some may not to be able to travel to access period supplies.
“We spoke to one woman with endometriosis, which causes very heavy bleeding, who normally accesses all her period products from a food bank but she isn’t able to access that now,” says Edlin.
At the same time, period poverty charities are struggling with supplies, too. “Donation stations” in supermarkets, pharmacies and workplaces have largely closed over hygiene concerns related to the virus, and these are a major source of stock for them. “We had a couple of big donations from Bodyform and Hey Girls to keep us going, but at one point we were thinking ‘oh my gosh, we’re going to run out because we’re giving out so many,’” says Leslie.
Andrew Milligan - PA Images via Getty Images
Advertisement
Schools are also closed and since January, they’ve become a major access point for girls who need free period products. Schools can still order menstruation products via the government scheme to support vulnerable pupils, and girls are allowed to go into schools to pick them up. But there seems to be a communication breakdown around this process, says Amika George, founder of the Free Periods movement, which campaigned for the initiative.
“Many girls tell me they weren’t aware they could do this,” she tells HuffPost UK. “Free Periods are publicising as much as we can but we need the government to shout about it much, much more. Children are going without, and at a time of stress and anxiety, not having access to pads or tampons when they need them will only make their situation far, far worse.”
Leslie says schools seem to be equally confused about the scheme; several have contacted her asking for pad donations from the charity, instead of ordering government-funded products. She has facilitated donations for those in immediate need where possible, but instructed schools how to access the government scheme, so the charity’s stock can be used elsewhere.
Being unable to access period products can have “a long-lasting impact on the trajectory of a girl’s life”, says George. “It affects their ability to learn and have an equal footing in education as their male counterparts, it affects their ability to pass exams, to secure their first job, it affects their confidence and sense of self-worth,” she says.
And because of the taboo surrounding menstruation, George is concerned girls simply will not ask teachers for support during this time.
Advertisement
Victoria Jones - PA Images via Getty Images
But teens aren’t the only ones affected. Leslie points out that the majority of people adversely impacted by period poverty – and the people who need support – are adults. “The government did their thing for girls, but there’s a lot more people who menstruate from the ages of 18-50 than there is from 11-18,” she says.
Freedom4girls is working alongside homelessness charities to provide pads for rough sleepers housed in hotels. But it’s the “hidden vulnerable” in society Leslie is most concerned about.
“It’s communities with English as a second language, or refugees and asylum seekers who maybe haven’t got any recourse to funds who were struggling anyway,” she says. “Also, newly unemployed people who have lost their jobs, who were perhaps on zero hours contracts before lockdown.”
Universal credit applications skyrocketed when lockdown began, but Leslie says it usually takes around five weeks for money to come through, leaving many families without funds for food, let alone period products. “I support one of the local food banks where we give out period products and we usually have 20-25 people coming to us a week,” she says. “Now, it’s 100 a week.”
Advertisement
“People were buying period products like they were buying toilet paper.” - Tina Leslie
Women on tight budgets may have also been impacted by stockpiling at the start of lockdown. “People were buying period products like they were buying toilet paper,” says Leslie, “so at one point there was hardly any product on the shelves. When people were going to buy them, there were only the expensive ones left.”
With drop-in centres largely closed, Leslie and Edlin have had to change the way they distribute period products. Bloody Good Period’s storage facility in Alexandra Palace is still open, but women need to book an appointment to visit and use the “take what you need” scheme to prevent overcrowding.
Edlin has also been working alongside The Refugee Council, who provide the addresses of people who need products, so they can be delivered an individual parcel. Leslie has teamed up with other third sector groups to identify women in need in Leeds and arrange socially distanced pick-ups and deliveries.
Some local schools have established their own food banks for vulnerable families, adds Leslie, creating “essentials parcels” including period products for both parents and pupils. But without visible locations to access free products in the community, Leslie is concerned those most in need may be unaware of how to access help.
Advertisement
Jacob King - PA Images via Getty Images
So, what can we do to help? If you’re unable to physically donate products to a local food bank, Leslie and Edlin say donating funds will help small charities like theirs continue to operate.
Leslie also wants to encourage community volunteers to lead conversations around menstruation, as some people may not feel comfortable asking for products. “If someone says ‘I need food’ or you think they need food, ask them what else they need,” she says. “People need to be asking that question.”
Edlin wants the government to do more to help women impacted by period poverty. Post-lockdown, it should become the norm to see free pads and tampons readily available, she says. “It has to be available to people who need it at any point, in the way condoms are in GP surgeries and sexual health clinics – or even the way toilet paper is in any business or any public place.
“Period products need to be considered in the same vain, because it’s impossible to go about your life if you’re on your period and you don’t have the products that you need.”
Advertisement
“It’s not about kindness or generosity... it’s about what women and people who menstruate need.” - Gabby Edlin
One silver lining, Edlin believes, is that the empty shelves and stories of supply shortages in hospitals may have made the public more aware of how essential these products are – and how devastating period poverty can be.
She hopes lockdown “has made people feel more human to each other”, meaning we’ll not only be quicker to provide help, but also more open to asking for it if we’re in need.
But, she points out, the burden shouldn’t be on small charities or individuals to pay for access to essential health items.
“It’s not about kindness or generosity, it’s about the absolute very basic of what women and people who menstruate need,” she says, “and it’s been ignored for so, so long.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-20--Trump Hopes You Forget How He Praised China And The WHO Before Blaming Them

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Donald Trump’s stepped-up efforts to blame China and the World Health Organization for the coronavirus pandemic’s toll may require collective amnesia of his recent lavish praise of both to work.
“The World Health Organization failed to independently investigate credible reports that conflicted directly with the Chinese government’s official accounts,” Trump wrote in a new letter to the WHO threatening to end U.S. funding permanently. “The World Health Organization has been curiously insistent on praising China for its alleged ‘transparency.’”
Advertisement
What the five-page letter, dated Monday, fails to note is his own repeated praise of both China and its dictator, Xi Jinping ― including for that same “alleged transparency.”
“China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus,” Trump wrote in a January 24 Twitter post. “The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!”
It was neither the first nor the last such tribute. On January 22, the first day Trump spoke publicly about the coronavirus, he told Fox News there was nothing to worry about. “It’s all taken care of. And China is working very hard on the problem. We spoke about it and China is working very hard on it.”
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands after a bilateral meeting at Mar-a-Lago on April 7, 2017, in Palm Beach, Florida. Alex Brandon/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Advertisement
Even two months later, Trump was still lauding China and Xi. “Look, I have a very good relationship with President Xi and they went through a lot. You know some people say other things. They went through a lot. They lost thousands of people. They’ve been through hell,” he told reporters on March 24.
Josh Schwerin, senior strategist with the Democratic super PAC Priorities USA, said Trump’s ploy is obvious.
“Trump’s failure to act let the virus spread like wildfire in America and he now hopes that if the whole world is set ablaze, nobody will notice the damage he did at home,” Schwerin said. “Trump lies to distract from his early failures but his ongoing failures should worry us just as much.”
Alyssah Farah, director of strategic communications at the White House, said Trump’s earlier public comments about China were mindful of the bigger picture, including a trade agreement the president signed with that nation on Jan. 15. “The US’s relationship with China is multifaceted,” she said. “The president has a duty to try to maintain healthy diplomatic relations. However, less than a week later, the president shut down travel from China, saving countless American lives. Actions speak louder than words.”
But public health experts believe that Trump’s January 31 decision to stop foreigners who had been in China during the previous 14 days from entering the US ― which both Trump and his supporters have touted for months as having solved the coronavirus problem ― at best bought a few weeks of time to prepare for the pandemic’s spread here. Trump did little to almost nothing to prepare, though, in January, February and right up till March 16, when he first appeared to take the threat seriously.
Advertisement
Trump now claims that China and the WHO withheld information from him and the world. Ironically, his letter lays out a clear timeline of the various events associated with the virus’s outbreak that Trump ignored for months ― events that his own agencies had noted and informed him about starting in early January.
The president’s letter mentions reports in Chinese media in December of an outbreak in the city of Wuhan and how that information was passed on to the WHO by Taiwanese officials on December 31.
Yet those details and many more were also known to US intelligence agencies, the State Department and even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention largely in real time, according to one former White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
This material began showing up in Trump’s intelligence briefing material in early January, the official said. But Trump did not have an intelligence briefing scheduled until January 6 and only nine scheduled all month. “The entire month of January was lost,” the official said.
“It’s jarring to see Trump’s letter invoke many of the data points that were publicly available in December and January to which he continued to turn a blind eye long after the WHO started sounding the alarm about the impending pandemic,” said Ned Price, a former CIA analyst and a spokesman for the National Security Council under President Barack Obama. “You don’t have to believe the WHO’s response was perfect ― it wasn’t, of course ― to find fault with Trump’s deeply flawed approach, which essentially amounted to empty praise of Beijing until his sudden 180, after which he’s offered nothing but blame.”
Advertisement
Trump repeatedly criticised Democrats in Congress, mayors and governors, the news media and Obama for the pandemic, even as he continued to praise Xi for his actions to contain the disease ― despite the facts that Xi did not contain the disease and that his cover-up efforts hastened its spread around the world. On April 7, Trump accused the WHO of failing to warn the world about the threat, but then explicitly stated why he had praised Xi for being “transparent” when he had not been.
“Well, I did a trade deal with China, where China is supposed to be spending $250 billion in our country,” Trump told reporters, in an explanation he has repeated frequently.
If that deal was the reason for treating China with kid gloves, though, it may already be for naught. The accord is not a traditional free trade agreement, but more of a partial unwinding of Trump’s trade war with China in return for its promise to buy certain quantities of exports from the US
The pandemic’s damage to the economies of both China and the United States has already put that promise in doubt, trade experts said. If China doesn’t buy the promised goods, it is unclear what recourse Trump will have, other than reimposing high tariffs, which would further hurt American manufacturers, who rely on materials from China, and U.S. consumers, who would face higher prices in stores.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-20--Nancy Pelosi Surprised Trump Is 'So Sensitive' About 'Morbidly Obese' Crack

LOADING ERROR LOADING
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi managed to insult Donald Trump for the second time in two days by using what can only be termed “fake concern.”
It came after Trump griped about comments that Pelosi had made to Anderson Cooper on Monday about the president’s admission he was taking hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug, to avoid catching Covid-19.
Advertisement
Pelosi said she would prefer that the nation’s leader not rely on a treatment for the coronavirus that has not been approved by scientists, adding, “Especially in his age group, and in his, shall we say, weight group, what is morbidly obese, they say.”
When a reporter asked Trump about Pelosi’s comments on Tuesday, he wasn’t happy.
“I don’t respond to her. I think she’s a waste of time,” Trump said, according to Bloomberg White House reporter Josh Wingrove.
President Trump, leaving a meeting with Republican senators, was asked about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's comments about his weight and use of hydroxychloroquine, per @Jordanfabian.
“I don’t respond to her. I think she’s a waste of time," Trump said. — Josh Wingrove (@josh_wingrove) May 19, 2020
Trump later called Pelosi a “sick woman” with “a lot of problems. A lot of mental problems,” according to Bloomberg’s Jordan Fabian.
Advertisement
Then when discussing the Russia probe, Trump called Pelosi a “sick woman”
“She has a lot of problems. A lot of mental problems,” he told reporters — Jordan Fabian (@Jordanfabian) May 19, 2020
Pelosi pretended to be surprised by Trump’s reaction when MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace asked her about it a short time later, but also twisted the knife a little deeper.
“I didn’t know that he would be so sensitive, he’s always talking about other people’s weight,” she said, before adding, “I think he should recognize his words weigh a ton.”
You can see Pelosi’s comments below:
The president is no stranger to fat-shaming. He once referred to one former Miss Universe as “an eating machine” and told a man attending a rally to ”go home, start exercising.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-20--Government Chose NHS Over Care Homes At Start Of Coronavirus Outbreak, Says Justice Secretary

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Robert Buckland has said the government did choose to protect the NHS ahead of care homes at the start of the coronavirus outbreak.
Advertisement
“We needed to make a choice about testing, we did decide to focus upon the NHS,” the justice secretary told Sky News on Wednesday morning.
Asked if NHS had been put “first and foremost”, he added: “That’s right and I think that was absolutely essential.”
Buckland said the number of deaths in care homes linked to coronavirus was a “huge tragedy” which was a “great regret”.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 15,000 care home residents have died in England and Wales.
Advertisement
The government has come under intense pressure over the spread of the virus in care homes.
Robert Buckland. PA
The head of care home providers, professor Martin Green, on Tuesday told MPs infected patients were discharged from hospitals into homes, while NHS medical support was withdrawn.
“We should have been focusing on care homes from the start of this pandemic,” Green said. “We had a policy of emptying hospitals and filling care homes.
“Now given that care homes are full of people with underlying health conditions, I think we should’ve looked at focusing on where the people at most risk were, rather than thinking about a particular organisation.”
It comes after work and pensions secretary Therese Coffey said if the government had made mistakes in handling the outbreak it was because the scientific advice it had received was “wrong”.
Advertisement
Buckland told BBC Radio 4′s Today programme on Wednesday it was “unproductive” to blame others for mistakes made along the way.
“Now is not time to blame people,” he said. “We have got to work together, not just with the care home sector but with our scientists, all the people who advise government, and together come to sensible solutions.”
Liz Kendall, Labour’s shadow minister for social care, said Buckland’s comments were “the clearest admission yet that ministers did not give care homes the protection they needed at the start of this pandemic”.
“Social care and the NHS are both equally important in the fight against this virus and are inextricably linked. One cannot be prioritised above the other,” she said.
“Ministers must give social care the resources, support and attention it needs to stop the spread of this awful virus.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-20--Coronavirus Shows Diversity Isn't Just A Nice To Have – It's Is A Matter Of Life And Death

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
One of the many Covid-19 pandemic tragedies is the revelation that a disproportionate number of deaths have fallen amongst the UK’s ethnic minorities. The data is startling, Black men are four times more likely to die from Covid-19 than White men.
Advertisement
The government has rightly launched an inquiry to better understand the causes of this disparity. While NHS Trusts are doing their best to protect frontline staff, there nevertheless remains much fear and concern in BAME households across the UK about why they are more at risk.
Many experts have suggested BAME people fill a higher proportion of those frontline service roles required to have continued contact, even during lockdown – roles such as doctors, nurses, care-home workers, bus and delivery drivers and shop staff.
Bame patients are disproportionately affected by Covid-19 Getty
We know socio-economics, including the lack of social mobility, impacts many ethnic groups. However, to better understand the employment landscape it’s worth looking back at UK’s immigration policies and actions throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s during which Blacks and Asians, including those from the Windrush Generation, were either called upon to help rebuild post-war Britain, or as in Uganda and Kenya were fleeing repressive regimes.
Advertisement
First-generation ethnic minorities, like our parents or grandparents, took whatever jobs they could get, working in factories, as bus drivers, working for British Rail and the NHS to help plug the gap in Britain’s workforce in the post-war period. Many of that generation were skilled workers but would often settle for basic employment. The idea for the vast majority was to work and then return home, but many of them set roots here in the UK and became part of the fabric of the diverse society we now see. However, the country they helped rebuild nearly 50 years ago, did not equitably share its prosperity with them.
The more uncomfortable truth, as highlighted in the government’s Race Disparity Audit, shows a poverty trap, that could get even worse as we face the biggest economic downturn for 300 years. Before Covid-19, one in four children in Asian households, and one in five children in Black households lived in poverty, in comparison to one in ten children in White households. Young BAME men and women are more likely to be working on low wages and or on zero-hour contracts, with little or no working rights.
To tackle this issue, we must have a holistic approach that centres around proportional representation for BAME people at all levels of civil society. Adequate representation ensures that BAME people’s concerns and voices are at the centre of the decision-making process. Despite having the most diverse parliament in UK’s history, the Covid-19 epidemic has shown there is still so much more to be done.
If there is one silver lining in this crises, Covid-19 has laid bare our structural inequalities that leave some communities much more vulnerable than others. We strongly believe that if we are bold and brave enough, we can build something positive from the despair of this virus. We must formulate a Covid-19 Race Equality Strategy, that will do more than save lives, and mitigate the worst effects of the economic downturn.
Out of this crisis, with all the deaths and heartache, we must construct something worthy in which we can say to future generations: Covid-19 forced us to rebuild a fairer, more dynamic and inclusive society, education system and workforce.
Advertisement
The foundations we build from this episode will last for generations.
Imran Sanaullah MBE is CEO of the Patchwork Foundation


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-20--When Will Shops Reopen In The UK – And How?

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
The coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 44,000 people in the UK, has slowed down – but could pick up again if adequate precautions are not taken or officials move too quickly to get people back to work.
Advertisement
With that in mind, the government has already announced a staggered, three-step lockdown exit strategy that will see the reopening of non-essential shops starting next month.
While most of us are familiar with the big-name shops set to re-emerge from hibernation, the high street shopping experience is likely to differ somewhat from how you remember it.
A woman passes a clothing shop in London as the country prepares to lift lockdown ASSOCIATED PRESS
Socially-distanced queuing is already a feature at most supermarkets and other essential traders that remained open throughout lockdown, and it will undoubtedly continue as the new wave of stores reopen.
Advertisement
DIY outlets including B&Q and Homebase, and some household waste and recycling centres, have reopened after introducing measures to ensure the safety of customers and staff.
Floor signage to mark safe distances, marshals to manage queues, protective screens at checkouts, cleaning stations with hand sanitiser as well as additional security at controlled entrances and exits will all be enforced, too.
Non-essential shops including clothing
Non-essential stores, such as fashion or homeware retailers, could reopen as part of step 2 of the strategy.
Discount retailer Poundland will reopen 36 shops this week, with the rest of its empire of 800+ stores gradually reopening over the coming weeks.
Men’s clothes store Moss Bros will open 128 stores in June and Marks and Spencer expects to follow suit by reopening its clothes stores, which were sectioned off from existing food halls during the lockdown. It will reopen 49 of its cafes across the UK from Thursday.
Advertisement
.
The high street retailer said it had taken the decision to reopen the sites to takeaway customers after operating social distancing and extra hygiene measures in its stores.
But the casual shopping experience of trying before buying and returns could be a thing of the past. At present, government guidance suggests there need to be procedures to manage clothes that have been tried on, such as delaying their return to the shop floor to minimise transmission of the virus.
Guidance from both the government and the British Retail Consortium (BRC) suggests that shops think carefully about whether fitting rooms should be kept open at all.
If store toilets do open to the public, there will need to be clear procedures for cleaning and queuing outside of them.
Advertisement
Speaking to The Independent, Professor Joshua Bamfield, director at the Centre for Retail Research, said that he believes fashion retailers will reopen in two phases.
“In stage one there will be rigorous social distancing, which will also mean no trying on of clothes and a problem about ‘returns’. Shopping for clothes won’t be as friendly and casual as it has often been in the past,” he said.
The second stage, he predicts, will take place towards the end of the year as social distancing rules are “gradually dismantled by the government and shopping becomes more normal.”
The queue outside the B&Q Greenwich store in London PA
He added: “The rules as now set out will make shopping for clothes no fun at all”, before a “creeping liberalisation” of the social distancing guidelines improves the clothes shopping experience.
Advertisement
Hospitality businesses
Pubs, restaurants and hotels, hairdressers, places of worship and cinemas will be able to reopen from July 4 at the earliest in the final step of the lockdown exit rules.
But the government says venues that are crowded “by design” and “where it may prove difficult to enact distancing” will not be able to reopen.
Some businesses can open in part if safe to do so, while the government said it will “carefully phase and pilot re-openings to test their ability to adopt the new Covid-19 secure guidelines”.
Restaurants and takeaways
McDonald’s will reopen 30 drive-through restaurants on Wednesday and intends to have the rest open by early June, while fast food rival Subway reopened more than 600 of its UK stores last week for delivery and takeaway.
Meanwhile Wagamama has revealed plans to reopen 67 of its restaurants for deliveries by the end of next month.
Advertisement
The pan-Asian restaurant chain launched a trial at five of its delivery kitchens earlier this month after being forced to shut its doors to customers due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It said it will now rapidly expand its delivery service after the “successful” trials in London and Leeds. It will reopen 24 sites this Thursday, with a further 20 reopening on May 28.
The chain said it hopes to have 49 sites open for delivery by the start of June, with this expanding to 67 by the end of the month.
PA
Wagamama said it has devised a schedule of reopening new sites that will allow staff to slowly return to delivery-only work at their own discretion.
Advertisement
Pizza Express will cautiously open its doors again with plans for 13 sites across London to offer delivery services.
KFC, Greggs and Pret are also making similar plans or have started trading again after shutting due to the coronavirus lockdown.
It’s not clear when sit-down restaurants will reopen, though elsewhere globally places to dine out have been reopening, operating at around 30% capacity to adhere to social distancing rules.
Pubs
Environment secretary George Eustice said on Tuesday he is hopeful pubs will be able to reopen in July – if science supports it.
Eustice told MPs the government was “already working with the hospitality and pub sector to identify what social distancing measures they might be able to put in place to make that work properly”.
Advertisement
Though New Zealand has been largely successful in its goal of limiting the virus, bars in that country will not reopen until Thursday, a decision that was prompted in part by the experience in South Korea, which has seen a spike in coronavirus cases linked to nightclubs in Seoul.
However, most gatherings will be limited to 10 people and social distancing guidelines will remain in place under the “level two” restrictions.
Last week, New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern found out there are no exceptions when it comes to social distancing after she was turned away from a cafe because it was too full under coronavirus guidelines. She has been widely praised for closing its borders and instituting a strict lockdown in March.
Hotels
Places of accommodation will reopen as part of step three of England’s recovery strategy, which will not begin earlier than July 4. A document published by the Cabinet Office last week said staying overnight at a location other than the place you live “for a holiday or other purpose is not allowed”. This includes visiting second homes.
While it’s not yet certain how UK hotels will adapt to the rules, further afield on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, ideas being considered include disinfecting luggage, putting hotel reception desks behind screens and dressing cleaning staff in full protective gear.
Advertisement
Among the changes being adopted in Portugal, guests will not check into their rooms until 24 hours after the last occupant has checked out, to allow time for thorough cleaning and airing of the space. Waiting for sunbeds may come to an end as some hotel guests will get one for their own exclusive use. Buffets are unlikely to be offered, but room service is expected to thrive.
The country has also come up with a plan to get people back on the sand starting on June 6. Sunbathers must stay 1.5 metres apart, with umbrellas at least three metres apart. New signs and an app will use a traffic-light system of red, yellow and green indicating which beaches are full, partly full or have few people. Paddle boats and water slides will be prohibited.
Hairdressers
Socially distanced hair appointments are expected to operate via booking systems, with salons and barber shops operating at limited capacity. Gloves, face masks and sterilisation of equipment will also be enforced.
Cinemas
Speaking earlier this month, Tim Richards, chief executive of the Vue Cinemas chain, predicted “demand like we’ve never seen before” for cinemas when they are reopened, highlighting the releases of Tenet, Minions, Mulan and the latest James Bond film No Time To Die later this year.
He told the BBC the company is working with the government on ways the industry can operate while ensuring social distancing.
Advertisement
“We can actually control how many people go into our cinema at any given time. We have the ability to schedule our films separately and we have the ability to control entrances and exits for customers.
“We have operating systems in place today which allow social distancing and cocooning within the cinema for couples, individuals or families who want to watch a movie.”
The chain said it has learned significantly from the impact of the Sars outbreak on its Taiwanese operations between 2002 and 2004.
Richards said the chain is prepared for “every possible eventuality, ranging from social distancing to restricted access”.
Nightclubs
It’s uncertain how nightclubs – both home and abroad – will fare as the lockdown is lifted, given the potential difficulties of managing social distancing in such environments.
Advertisement
After weeks of nearly no new domestic coronavirus cases, South Korea relaxed its lockdown on May 6, but a subsequent spike in infections linked to Seoul’s Itaewon nightlife neighbourhood forced a rapid rethink.
The Mediterranean resort town of Ayia Napa is known for its boisterous parties. Each summer, thousands of young foreign tourists pack the dance floors of its nightlife district after a day at the beach.
But the pandemic silenced the exuberant Napa Strip district as the island nation of Cyprus went into a lockdown to halt the spread of coronavirus. Now nightclub owners wonder when social distancing rules will be eased enough for the party to resume – and what those new parties will look like.
“We know at nightclubs, young people will go to dance and have a good time. But then you have to tell them that they have to keep two metres apart from each other?” asked Charalambos Alexandrou, the spokesperson for a group representing local clubs, bars and restaurants.
Risk assessment certificates
All places that reopen will need to carry out a risk assessment with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and must display a certificate to show staff are protected in the workplace.
Advertisement
Other key points include maintaining social distancing – with employers expected to redesign workspaces to maintain distancing – staggering start times, creating one-way systems for workers and protecting staff who may be vulnerable.
The government said the new Covid-19 secure guidance will work alongside current health and safety rules, rather than through the introduction of new laws.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-20--Dynamo Taken To Hospital After Crohn's Disease Flare-Up

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Dynamo has revealed he was taken to hospital this week after he had a Crohn’s disease flare-up.
The British magician, who has been candid about his struggles with the health condition in the past, revealed on Tuesday that he was “heading to the hospital to get checked out”.
“Today is IBD [inflammatory bowel disease] awareness day,” he wrote. “I was supposed to be doing some talks about it to let people know what its like and to help those suffering, but unfortunately I suffered a flare up yesterday and will be unable to fulfil my commitments today.
Advertisement
“Really sorry to let people down…especially today. But for us going through it, it’s an IBD life, not just one day, and it can affect us when we least expect it.”
Dynamo Ian West - PA Images via Getty Images
He continued: “Hate to burden you with my woe’s but feel bad to those who I have let down today.
“Heading to hospital to get checked out, my team will keep you posted and I will be back before you know it. Stay strong out there everyone.”
Advertisement
It’s been a difficult few months for Dynamo – whose real name is Steven Frayne – after he revealed last month that he’d tested positive for Covid-19.
“Touch wood, my symptoms have been gradually decreasing day by day, and I’ve been feeling better and better,” he said at the time. “Hopefully I’m through the worst of it, and I’m staying positive.
“But if you’re watching this, please, please, please, just stay at home, keep away from others, protect yourselves, your loved ones, the NHS and the key workers out there.”
Dynamo was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease as a teenager, and had half of his stomach removed at the age of 17. In 2018, he suffered side effects after receiving treatment for food poisoning, including facial swelling, a severe rash and arthritis.
After sharing a candid video of himself describing his side effects, he later said: “It’s good that’s it’s been able to inspire other people with similar conditions to speak out about it and get more attention to it.
Advertisement