thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-29--Freddy McConnell: Trans Man Who Gave Birth Loses Appeal To Be Registered As Baby's Father

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A trans man who gave birth but does not want to be described as his child’s “mother” on a birth certificate has lost his Court of Appeal fight.
Journalist Freddy McConnell had wanted to be registered as “father” or “parent”, claiming that forcing him to register as the child’s “mother” breached his human right to respect for private and family life.
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After the ruling, he tweeted that he found the decision “disappointing” but indicated he would take the matter to the Supreme Court, adding: “Trans parents will get legal recognition.”
Freddy McConnell Manuel Vasquez
On Wednesday, the appeal judges said the issue McConnell had raised involved complicated “interlinked” legislation and any reform of the law is a matter for parliament.
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They said in a written ruling: “The court necessarily operates on the basis of relatively limited evidence, which is adduced by the parties in the context of particular litigation.
“In contrast, parliament has the means and opportunities to obtain wider information from much wider sources.”
Appeal judges said the government and MPs could be lobbied by anyone with an interest, and legislators could acquire information from the widest possible range of opinions.
“We have no idea, for example, whether all trans men object to the use of the word ‘mother’ to refer to them when they have given birth to a child,” they said.
“Moreover, we do not have evidence before this court as to how other members of society would feel if they were no longer to be referred to on their child’s birth certificate as a mother or a father but simply as ‘Parent 1’ and ‘Parent 2’.”
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They added: “In our view, this illustrates how inapt the subject matter is for determination by the courts as compared with parliament.
“If there is to be reform of the complicated, interlinked legislation in this context, it must be for parliament and not for this court.”
Sir Andrew McFarlane, the president of the Family Division of the High Court and most senior family court judge in England and Wales, had at an earlier hearing concluded that people who had given birth were legally mothers, regardless of their gender, and said there was a “material difference between a person’s gender and their status as a parent”.
Judges have heard how McConnell is a single parent who was assigned female at birth but has had surgery and lives as a man.
Disappointing, conservative decision but we knew this would be a long fight. Don’t lose hope. We are applying to the Supreme Court.
Trans parents will get legal recognition. ✊❤ — Freddy McConnell (@freddymcconnell) April 29, 2020
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He was biologically able to get pregnant and give birth but legally became a man when the child was born.
He wanted to be registered as “father” or “parent”, but a registrar told him that the law required people who give birth to be registered as mothers.
McConnell took legal action against the General Register Office, which administers the registration of births and deaths in England and Wales.
Michael Wells-Greco, of the firm Charles Russell Speechlys, said after the ruling by appeal judges: “Freddy McConnell’s plight demonstrates just how important this recognition is, for him, his family, and his child.
“Maintaining the label of ‘mother’ may in the future force the child to disclose his or her procreational history, which should be a private matter.
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“Some will say a birth certificate, ‘it’s just a piece of paper’, but that undermines its enormous significance.”
He added: “Beyond the law, society says he is the child’s father, and it’s time for UK law to recognise this for all purposes of law.”
McConnell’s lawyer Karen Holden and campaign organisation Stonewall, made similar calls after Sir Andrew’s ruling last year.
Laura Russell, Stonewall’s director of campaigns, policy and research, had said: “We believe [Sir Andrew’s] ruling is a missed opportunity to send a positive message and recognise all parents, including LGBT parents, for who they are.
“This legislation desperately needs to be updated to ensure trans people are recognised for who they are in all areas of their lives.”
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The appeal judges said the “legislative scheme of the Gender Recognition Act” required McConnell to be registered as “mother”, rather than “father”, “parent” or “gestational parent”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-29--28 Times We've All Been A Bit Kim Woodburn While Living In Lockdown

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It’s fair to say we’ve all experienced a range of emotions as we’ve been on lockdown.
At times, we’ve been frustrated, delirious, argumentative, bored, a bit saucy and (most of the time) in need of a drink – much like Kim Woodburn during her infamous stint in the Celebrity Big Brother house back in 2017.
Here’s how we’ve all been channelling our inner Kim (intentionally, or not)....
1. When you hear that friends are thinking about flouting the rules
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2. When you justify a lunchtime drink by claiming “it’s 5pm somewhere”
3. When you lock eyes with a hotty on your government-mandated exercise
4. When your home internet speed is having a ‘moment’
5. When you attempt PE with Joe Wicks
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6. When you spot your housemate’s unfinished jigsaw puzzle
7. When you hear the pubs may not open until Christmas
8. When you’re at the supermarket and someone coughs near you without covering their mouth
9. When you think about your post-corona career options
10. When you contemplate writing your memoirs to pass some time
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11. When you think about that first post-corona hook-up
12. When someone doesn’t stick to social distancing rules
13. When someone suggests it’s about time you changed out of those five-day old pyjamas
14. And when you do get dressed and remember how good you normally look
15. And you then jump on a Zoom call really feeling yourself
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16. When you leave the room for two minutes and return to find the kids have caused carnage
17. When your upstairs neighbours are driving you absolutely insane
18. When you’re getting ready for the virtual pub quiz
19. When you realise you’ve been slightly unreasonable to the others you’re in lockdown with
20. When you’re officially out of clean clothes because you haven’t done a proper wash in weeks
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21. When an ex suddenly starts sniffing around because they haven’t been getting any in lockdown
22. When a colleague you’ve never got on with is suddenly being nice to you in a work conference call
23. When you realise that we’ve already been locked down for over six weeks
24. When you’re actually having a good day, for once
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25. When the neighbourhood loudmouth is out in their garden discussing their business for all to hear
26. When you get off a two-hour Zoom call with one of your oldest mates
27. When you’ve finally put a cloth around the bathroom after weeks of putting off cleaning it
28. When we finally come out of the lockdown


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-29--Gigi Hadid And Zayn Malik Reportedly Expecting First Child

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Gigi Hadid is expecting her first child with boyfriend Zayn Malik, according to multiple reports.
The supermodel and former One Direction singer are yet to announce the pregnancy publicly, but several sources reportedly confirmed the news to Entertainment Tonight, US Weekly and TMZ.
Representatives for Gigi and Zayn did not immediately return HuffPost’s request for confirmation.
Last week, the couple celebrated Gigi’s 25th birthday with her sister Bella Hadid and a handful of others, and she thanked her “quarantine family” ― including Zayn ― for making the day so special.
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Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid pictured in 2016 KGC-305/STAR MAX/IPx
“I am grateful and lucky that my family and friends ― near and far ― are healthy and safe, and although I missed loved ones I wish I could have celebrated with, know that these times will make us even more grateful for togetherness to be had in the future!” she wrote on Instagram, sharing images from her family’s farm in Pennsylvania, where they are isolating.
Gigi and Zayn first started dating in November 2015, a few months after they ended their relationships with Joe Jonas and Little Mix singer Perrie Edwards, respectively.
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After an on-again, off-again relationship in the years that followed, they reportedly got back together towards the end of last year.
Gigi erased any doubt about those rumours with a sweet Instagram post about the Like I Would singer to commemorate Valentine’s Day.
Fans went wild over the pregnancy reports, with “gigi” and “zigi” quickly soaring to the top of Twitter’s trending topics late on Tuesday night.
Zayn is the third member of One Direction to become a father, with Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne already parents to their respective sons, Freddie and Bear.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-29--Piers Morgan Hits Out At 'Hypocrite' Frankie Boyle Over Newspaper Comments

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Piers Morgan has branded comedian Frankie Boyle a “hypocrite” and a “disgusting human being” over recent comments he made about newspapers.
With many ad-funded journalism outlets struggling during the coronavirus pandemic, the Good Morning Britain presenter was irked when Frankie urged his Twitter followers not to buy newspapers so to put them out of business.
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The comedian tweeted: “Many British newspapers are on the verge of going bust, so there’s never been a more important time to not buy one.”
Many British newspapers are on the verge of going bust, so there's never been a more important time to not buy one — Frankie Boyle (@frankieboyle) April 27, 2020
Piers – a former tabloid editor and MailOnline columnist – then launched an attack on Frankie during Wednesday’s Good Morning Britain, as the show discussed the Daily Mail having flown in PPE for frontline NHS workers.
Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain ITV/Shutterstock
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Noting that the campaign felt “timely” in light of Frankie’s tweet, the presenter said: “Frankie Boyle, the so-called comedian, tweeted a couple of days ago ‘British newspapers are on the verge of going bust, so there’s never been a more important time to not buy one.’
“This is a guy who’s taken money from newspapers to write columns, so he’s a flaming hypocrite as well as a disgusting human being who wants to see people lose their jobs.”
Frankie Boyle Brian J Ritchie/Hot Sauce/Shutterstock
Noting Frankie’s previous column for The Sun and articles in The Guardian, Piers continued: “I hope that when he comes sniffing for a column in one of the papers, he’s done them in The Sun and others,′ I hope they say ‘No, no thanks.’
“When it really mattered, when we were really suffering as an industry, you actively told two and a half million people not to buy newspapers to put us out of business.
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“People shouldn’t forget stuff like that.”
Frankie is yet to respond to Piers’ remarks on his Twitter account.
Last week, the former Mock The Week star hit back at reports he’d caused upset with a string of jokes about the coronavirus pandemic.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-29--Steph McGovern Halts Channel 4 Talk Show To 'Give Family Their Home Back'

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Steph McGovern has announced she’s temporarily putting the brakes on her Channel 4 talk show, so she can reclaim her home.
The Steph Show was commissioned before the country went on lockdown, but by the time it came to air it, the government had introduced restrictions, meaning Channel 4 decided to have the presenter film it from her family house, and conduct interviews via video-link.
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For the last few weeks, the show has been well-received, but Steph has now revealed plans to put it on ice, so she can “give my family their home back”.
The Steph Show launched during the lockdown Channel 4
“As much as I’ve loved doing a lockdown show at home I never expected it to go on this long,” she revealed on Twitter.
“We’ve decided it’s time to have a break and give my family our home back.”
Steph joked: “The proper programme will be launching when the Leeds studio is sorted, I may still be wearing slippers.”
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As much as I’ve loved doing a lockdown show at home I never expected it to go on this long.We’ve decided it’s time to have a break and give my family our home back.The proper prog will be launching when the Leeds studio is sorted, I may still be wearing slippers 🤣 #TheStephShow — Steph McGovern (@stephbreakfast) April 28, 2020
She went on to reveal that the last lockdown version of The Steph Show will air on Thursday 7 May, with the series getting a proper launch “in a couple of months”.
The last locked down version of #TheStephShow will be next Thurs 7th May. Then the plan is to launch again at our fancy studios at Leeds Docks in a couple of months, once they’re safely up and running. — Steph McGovern (@stephbreakfast) April 28, 2020
It’s been an extremely busy few months for Steph, not just landing her own Channel 4 talk show, but also becoming a mother.
She gave birth to a baby girl in November 2019, and has been balancing being a new parent with landing her own show, and having cameras dotted around her family home.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-29--Watch: Here’s The Latest On Coronavirus Today

Watch: Here’s The Latest On Coronavirus Today
The US has surpassed one million cases - making up one third of the global Covid-19 count and while many states in the country remain in lockdown President Trump signed an executive order to keep meat processing plants open amid growing fears of shortages. In the UK Millions of people will have access to testing starting today, the news comes as 4,300 coronavirus deaths in care homes across England and Wales were recorded in a fortnight, the Office for National Statistics has revealed. From May 11th, when the country starts easing lockdown measures, people in France will be required to wear masks on public transportation and in schools. Canada’s parliament held its first virtual meeting with all 338 MPs, the officials will be supplementing their normal in-person weekly meetings with video conferencing through May. In Germany a group of doctors calling themselves “Blanke Bedenken” or “Bare Concerns” are protesting the lack of available personal protective equipment by posing nude. And organisers of the Oscars have temporarily changed the rules to allow films released on streaming services to be nominated for Academy Awards.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-29--We've Been In Coronavirus Lockdown For Weeks. How Are You Feeling?

Oliver Rossi via Getty Images
Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
Covid-19 is more than a “news story” – it has become a lived experience that has changed every aspect of life in the UK. For some people, that has meant the devastating loss of loved ones, or facing work on the frontline where their own health is at risk. But beyond the direct impact on those perilously close to the virus itself, every person in the UK is facing a challenge like never before.
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At times, as the spring weather brings out the flowers in gardens and parks, or an open window lets in the sound of birdsong, it is easy to feel like nothing has changed. But everything is different, from the way we interact with our loved ones to the way we work or manage our finances; the things that consume us with worry, the way we spend our waking (and sleeping) hours.
For some of us, the toll on our mental health is clear, whether it is the brutal withdrawal of support networks or the sudden profound isolation of living alone without physical human contact. But each of us has a valid and relevant story to tell about how we are coping.
How often in the past few weeks have you found yourself asking “how are you doing?” in a WhatsApp to a friend, over the phone to a parent, or on a conference call with colleagues? A nation parodied for our emotional reserve, we are suddenly asking – and wanting to know – how each other is feeling more than ever before. At HuffPost, we believe the personal is newsworthy. We want to turn that question back to our readers: how are you feeling?
We want to know how Britain is experiencing this crisis, the different stages of collective emotion and resilience, the reactions we are all feeling. They will tell us a story just as important as the statistics and political rhetoric.
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On this page you will find advice to help deal with the mental and physical toll of what is happening around us. We would like to invite you to tell us how you are feeling today using this Google form. We know there are good days and bad days, and that for some the mental health toll is more serious than for others. We welcome regular updates, as well as one-off messages, because many of us feel overwhelmed on a certain day and strangely calm the next.
Anything you tell us will be used to make our reporting of this crisis better. We may quote you in an article, but if you want your words to be anonymous you can let us know in the form. Please leave us a way to contact you to speak further if you are happy with that – we may, for example, find a pattern in the things people are saying, and want to have a longer chat with some of you.
And if you just want to let us know what’s in your head on any given day but you’d rather not be contacted or quoted, just tell us.
When this is over, we may all want to look forward, not back. But we are committed to ensuring we don’t forget what we lived through and what each of us experienced.
So tell us: how are you feeling?
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We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus lockdown. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
Useful websites and helplines:
Mind , open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393
, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill.)
offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill.) The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email: help@themix.org.uk
is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email: help@themix.org.uk Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0300 5000 927 (open Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on www.rethink.org.
offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0300 5000 927 (open Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on www.rethink.org. Childline - free and confidential support for young people in the UK - 0800 1111
Bullying UK - Advice on bullying at work, school and cyberbullying - 0808 800 222
The Freephone 24 hour National Domestic Violence Helpline (run in partnership by Women’s Aid and Refuge): 0808 2000 247
In Scotland, contact Scotland’s 24 hour Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline: 0800 027 1234
In Northern Ireland, contact the 24 hour Domestic & Sexual Violence Helpline: 0808 802 1414
In Wales, contact the 24 hour Life Fear Free Helpline on 0808 80 10 800.
National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0800 999 5428
Men’s Advice Line: 0808 801 0327
Respect helpline (for anyone worried about their own behaviour): 0808 802 0321
Need friendly, confidential advice on drugs?


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-29--Boris Johnson Pulls Out Of Prime Minister's Questions As Fiancée Gives Birth

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Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Boris Johnson will not take part in prime minister’s questions on Wednesday after his partner Carrie Symonds gave birth to a baby boy.
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It would have been his first PMQs since recovering from Covid-19, an illness that left him in intensive care for three nights earlier in April.
Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, is due to stand in for the PM and will face Labour leader Keir Starmer in the Commons for the second week running.
Johnson returned to No.10 on Sunday evening to take charge of the government’s response to the coronavirus crisis.
A spokesperson for Johnson and Symonds said: “The prime minister and Ms Symonds are thrilled to announce the birth of a healthy baby boy at a London hospital earlier this morning. Both mother and baby are doing very well.
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“The PM and Ms Symonds would like to thank the fantastic NHS maternity team.”
A number of MPs shared their congratulations.
Health secretary Matt Hancock tweeted: “So thrilled for Boris and Carrie. Wonderful to have a moment of unalloyed joy!”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer tweeted: “Wonderful news. Many congratulations to Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds.”
Johnson had been recuperating at Chequers following his discharge from hospital, where he had spent three nights in intensive care.
In a speech in Downing Street on Monday morning, the PM warned the UK was now at the point of “maximum risk” in its battle with coronavirus.
He acknowledged frustrations over the continuing lockdown but insisted he would not risk a second peak in the disease by relaxing restrictions too quickly.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-29--Six Things You Need To Know About Coronavirus Today

Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
The government has expanded coronavirus testing to all care home residents and staff in England after it was revealed that there were more than 4,000 deaths in care homes related to Covid-19 in just two weeks.
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According to the latest figures:
Coronavirus has been linked to 26,097 deaths in the UK to date, figures published for the first time today reveal. The new death toll was released by Public Health England and was correct as of 5pm on Tuesday, the government said.
As of 9am April 29, 632,794 people have been tested of which 165,221 tested positive.
As of 9am 29 April, there have been 818,539 tests, with 52,429 tests on 28 April.
632,794 people have been tested of which 165,221 tested positive.
As of 5pm on 28 April, of those tested positive for coronavirus across all settings, 26,097 have sadly died. pic.twitter.com/Qw1GB5s3Wc — Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) April 29, 2020
Here’s the latest:
Wetherspoon’s Plans To Reopen Pubs ‘In Or Around June’
Wetherspoon’s is starting to plan for a reopening of its pubs and hotels “in or around June”, the company has announced. The planned move is likely to be met with resistance from the government, which has already said pubs will be among the last businesses to open once the lockdown is lifted. The chain’s boss, Tim Martin, has been highly critical of the coronavirus lockdown, saying last month it was “over the top” to shut pubs to fight the pandemic. When the lockdown was announced, he was branded “absolutely outrageous” by his own staff after initially refusing to carry on paying them until the government promised to start its furlough scheme. In a video message to staff, Martin also suggested they could find employment at supermarkets while the chain’s pubs remain shut.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Schools to reopen in ‘phased manner’
Schools will reopen in a “phased manner” when the coronavirus lockdown is eased, Gavin Williamson has said.
The education secretary refused to confirm a date, but told MPs schools in England would not open their doors during the summer holidays.
Speaking before the Commons’ education committee, he said ministers would base their decision on advice from scientists, adding: “I do expect schools to be opened in a phased manner. I also intend to be giving schools as much notice as possible.”
Schools, colleges and nurseries across the UK closed their doors to the majority of pupils, apart from the children of key workers and vulnerable youngsters, more than five weeks ago.
Williamson said: “We recognise that the idea of schools all returning on day one with the full complement of pupils is not realistic or practical.”
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Immigrant NHS staff get visas extended – but care workers left out
Immigrant NHS midwives, radiographers and other health professionals will have their visas automatically extended for a year to help the fight against coronavirus, the home secretary has announced.
The move by Priti Patel extends the scheme announced last month to give NHS doctors, nurses and paramedics automatic visa extensions to ensure the health service is at full capacity.
Social care staff employed by the NHS in “defined occupations” will also have their visas extended.
But Patel did not extend visas for the vast majority of care workers who work outside the NHS, arguing the “disparate” nature of the field presents a “unique challenge” in determining people’s immigration status, while promising to keep the situation “under review”.
There was also no visa extension for porters, cleaners, students and agency staff working for the NHS.
In total approximately 3,000 vital health and care workers and their families will benefit from the extension.
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Elsewhere, all care home residents and staff in England are now eligible for coronavirus testing, Matt Hancock announced as part of plans to roll out testing to millions more people.
Covid-19 tests will also be offered to all those aged 65 and over and workers who have to leave home to do their jobs and their households from Wednesday.
P&O plans to cut workers’ pay despite taking government furlough cash
Ferry company P&O is attempting to cut essential workers’ pay despite handing shareholders huge dividends and cashing in on the government’s emergency coronavirus wages scheme.
The firm’s owner – Dubai-based DP World, which operates the Dover to Calais route – has also asked for a government bailout to keep operating, while P&O has used UK funds to furlough some 1,400 workers.
Gareth Fuller - PA Images via Getty Images
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Now the company has told stevedores and other key workers, who are transporting food and medical supplies into the UK during the lockdown, that they may have to take a 20% cut in pay and benefits.
A document from P&O’s management seen by HuffPost UK and sent to the GMB union, which represents staff at Dover, tells staff the company is looking to cut £142m of staffing costs by 20% – around £28m.
It says: “This must be found from wage costs, our operating model and the terms and conditions of employment.”
Frank Macklin, regional organiser for the union, accused the firm of seizing on the crisis to make “opportunistic” cutbacks.
Spain unveils four stage plan to return to new normal ‘by the end of June’
A woman and her son wear face masks as they walk on a beach in Badalona, near Barcelona ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Spain has announced a four-phase plan to lift its lockdown – one of the toughest in Europe – and return to a new normal by the end of June.
Prime minister Pedro Sanchez announced the news as the daily Covid-19 death toll fell to 301 – less than a third of the record high of 950 in early April, Reuters reported.
The scheme to lift lockdown will begin on May 4, Sanchez said.
During the initial phase, hairdressers and other businesses that operate by appointment will open, while restaurants will be able to offer takeaway services.
In the next stage, envisaged to begin on May 11 for most of Spain, bars will reopen their terraces but will be limited to a third of their capacity.
From this point, healthy people with no underlying medical conditions will be allowed to socialise together in small groups, while family members will be permitted to attend funerals.
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How Spain moves through the stages will depend on how the rate of infection changes, the number of intensive care beds available and how the public complies with social distancing rules, Sanchez said.
Remote working will be recommended where possible until the last phase of the plan towards the end of June, when beaches would also be able to reopen with the support of local authorities.
‘Almost 18,000 extra people could die from cancer because of coronavirus impact’ – new study
Empty hospital room with bed boonchai wedmakawand via Getty Images
Almost 18,000 more people could die from cancer over the next year in England due to the impact of Covid-19, according to new research.
Delays in diagnosing new cancers and getting treatment for those who already have the disease could significantly impact survival, a new study from University College London and DATA-CAN, the Health Data Research Hub for Cancer, suggested.
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Experts looked at real-time weekly hospital data for urgent cancer referrals and chemotherapy attendances during the coronavirus epidemic and found that the majority of patients with cancer or suspected cancer are not accessing health services.
When looking specifically at England and Northern Ireland, they found an average reduction in attendance for chemotherapy of 60% and a 76% average drop in cancer referrals for early diagnosis.
This was across three trusts in England – Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, the Royal Free in London and University College London Hospitals – and all five health trusts in Northern Ireland.
When looking specifically at England and analysing data from more than 3.5 million patients, experts estimated that pre-Covid-19, about 31,354 newly diagnosed cancer patients would die within a year in England.
But as a result of coronavirus, they found there could be at least 6,270 extra deaths in newly diagnosed cancer patients – a rise of a fifth.
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When all people currently living with cancer are included, the figure jumps to 17,915 excess deaths.
Professor Mark Lawler, scientific lead at DATA-CAN, said: “We believe countries need to rapidly understand how the emergency is affecting cancer outcomes, otherwise we risk adding cancer and other underlying health conditions to the escalating death toll of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
The study comes as England’s top cancer doctor urged people to get checked if they are worried about any symptoms.
Mike Pence refuses to wear face mask during clinic tour
Vice President Mike Pence as he toured the facilities supporting COVID-19 research and treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota ASSOCIATED PRESS
US vice president Mike Pence chose not to wear a face mask during a tour of the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, an apparent violation of the world-renowned medical centre’s policy requiring them.
Video feeds show Pence did not wear a mask when he met a Mayo employee who has recovered from Covid-19 and is now donating plasma, even though all other people in the room appeared to be wearing one.
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He was also without a mask when he visited a lab where Mayo conducts coronavirus tests.
Pence was also the only participant not to wear a mask during a round-table discussion on Mayo’s coronavirus testing and research programmes.
Mayo tweeted that it had informed the vice president of its mask policy before his arrival, but the tweet was later removed.
But Pence said he had decided not to wear a mask because he was being tested frequently for the virus.
“As vice president of the United States I’m tested for the coronavirus on a regular basis, and everyone who is around me is tested for the coronavirus,” he said.
“And since I don’t have the coronavirus, I thought it’d be a good opportunity for me to be here, to be able to speak to these researchers, these incredible healthcare personnel, and look them in the eye and say ‘Thank you’.”
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Health workers stand up to anti-lockdown protesters in North Carolina
Counter-protesters during a Reopen NC rally in downtown Raleigh (Travis Long/The News & Observer via AP) ASSOCIATED PRESS


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-29--NYT Lawyer Sums Up Response To Fox News Host's Legal Threat In 1 Word

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Fox News host Sean Hannity threatened legal action against The New York Times over some stories about the coronavirus pandemic that painted both him and the network in an unflattering light.
Hannity’s attorney sent the Times a 12-page letter demanding a retraction and an apology over its recent coverage, including a story about a Fox News viewer who went on a cruise in March and later died of Covid-19.
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The Times’ April 18 opinion column by Ginia Bellafante quoted a woman saying that her father, Joe Joyce, “watched Fox, and believed it was under control,” so he flew to Florida and went on a cruise in Spain.
The newspaper said Joyce became sick within two weeks of his return home but resisted getting a test.
“He didn’t think that he could have it, because he wasn’t 100 percent confident that it was a thing,” his daughter told the Times.
Joyce died on April 9.
Hannity complained on the air that the newspaper “all but accused me of murder,” and on Monday, his attorney sent the legal threat.
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But the newspaper’s lawyer fired back with just three sentences – and a single word in response to the demand for a retraction and an apology.
New York Times newsroom lawyer David McCraw delivers this response to @seanhannity request for retraction and apology related to @nytimes coverage: "No." Addressed to Hannity lawyer Charles Harder: pic.twitter.com/0v7URfo1kz — ErikWemple (@ErikWemple) April 28, 2020
Hannity notes that he called the virus dangerous in January. However, he also repeatedly downplayed the threat, said the flu was more dangerous, and in one infamous moment, put up a graphic with a big “0” to show the infection hadn’t killed anyone in the United States at that point.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-29--Irrfan Khan, Star Of Slumdog Millionaire, Has Died At The Age Of 53

Irrfan Khan, best known internationally for roles in Slumdog Millionaire and Jurassic World, has died at the age of 53.
The Bollywood star died in a hospital in the western city of Mumbai, his agency said.
In 2018, the actor posted on Twitter to say that he had been diagnosed with an endocrine tumour, a rare illness affecting cells that release hormones into the bloodstream.
Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP
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He later underwent treatment in a London hospital and recovered well enough to shoot Angrezi Medium, the film which would turn out to be his last.
It was due to be released last month but was cut short because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement, a spokesperson said: “‘I trust, I have surrendered’; These were some of the many words that Irrfan expressed in a heartfelt note he wrote in 2018 opening up about his fight with cancer. And a man of few words and an actor of silent expressions with his deep eyes and his memorable actions on screen.
“It’s saddening that this day, we have to bring forward the news of him passing away. Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought till the very end and always inspired everyone who came close to him.
“After having been struck by lightning in 2018 with the news of a rare cancer, he took life soon after as it came and he fought the many battles that came with it. Surrounded by his love, his family for whom he most cared about, he left for heaven abode, leaving behind truly a legacy of his own.
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“We all pray and hope that he is at peace. And to resonate and part with his words he had said, ‘As if I was tasting life for the first time, the magical side of it.’”
Vittorio Zunino Celotto via Getty Images
Irrfan made his screen debut in the Academy Award-nominated 1988 drama Salaam Bombay!, a tale of Mumbai’s street children.
His breakthrough role came in 2002’s The Warrior, which was selected for the prestigious San Sebastian film festival and won a Bafta for Best British Film.
He went on to have success in mainstream Indian films, including Maqbool, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth set in the Mumbai underworld.
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More Bollywood roles followed, such as Rog and the musical Life In A... Metro.
He won a number of domestic film awards in India, including a 2012 Indian National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in Paan Singh Tomar, a compelling tale of a seven-time national champion athlete who quit India’s armed forces to rule the Chambal ravines in central India.
The actor also received an Independent Spirit Award for Supporting Actor in the 2006 Indian-American drama The Namesake, and a Viewers’ Choice award at Cannes in 2013 for his role in Indian romantic drama The Lunchbox.
Irrfan was best known to English-speaking audiences as the police inspector in Slumdog Millionaire, which went on to win eight Oscars.
He also starred in big budget Hollywood productions including The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), Jurassic World (2015) and Inferno (2016).
In 2012 he played the adult version of the lead character in Ang Lee’s Oscar-winning Life of Pi.
Among the first stars to pay tribute to the actor were Priyanka Chopra and Shilpa Shetty...
The charisma you brought to everything you did was pure magic. Your talent forged the way for so many in so many avenues.. You inspired so many of us. #IrrfanKhan you will truly be missed. Condolences to the family. pic.twitter.com/vjhd5aoFhc — PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) April 29, 2020
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I’m numb today... I haven’t been able to accept the loss of a brilliant co-actor & a fabulous person that @irrfank was! We’ve lost a gem today... but his legacy will live on through the phenomenal body of work that he has left behind. Rest in peace, Irrfan!🙏🏻🙏🏻#IrrfanKhan pic.twitter.com/7jrRDRYdcC — SHILPA SHETTY KUNDRA (@TheShilpaShetty) April 29, 2020
Irrfan is survived by his wife Sutapa Sikdar, and sons Babil and Ayan.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-29--How New Zealand Stamped Out The Coronavirus

On Monday at 11:59pm local time, New Zealand lifted its strict lockdown. While many restrictions remain, the economy will restart nearly five weeks after it was shuttered. Businesses, restaurants and schools will begin to reopen, with limitations in place, and an estimated 1 million New Zealanders will return to work.
“There is no widespread undetected community transmission in New Zealand. We have won that battle,” said the country’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, on Monday. “But we must remain vigilant if we are to keep it that way.”
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While much of the rest of the world continues to struggle under the weight of the coronavirus pandemic, New Zealand has stood out not only for how quickly it contained the virus but for the way its leader has led the country through the crisis.
When faced with the difficult task of telling New Zealanders they were about to be placed into lockdown for at least four weeks, Ardern came through with a simple message: Be kind. “We will get through this together but only if we stick together, so please be strong and be kind,” Ardern said.
The 39-year-old leader’s approach has been driven by messages of unity and empathy, communicated in an accessible way. Just before lockdown, she addressed the country on a Facebook Live video, wearing a green sweatshirt after just having put her toddler daughter to bed.
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Her leadership style stands in stark contrast to those of other world leaders, such as President Donald Trump, who has swung from downplaying the significance of COVID-19 to rushing to pin blame ― on China and the World Health Organization ― when the severity of the pandemic became clear.
While the style of her approach has been informal and relatable, her action has been firm.
Ardern has led the way in embracing science and has a good relationship with her public health officials. On their advice, New Zealand pursued a policy of elimination, rather than mitigation, which meant the country shut down businesses and its borders when there were around 100 coronavirus cases and before any deaths. Meanwhile, other countries, such as the US and the UK, stepped up restrictions only as the impacts of the pandemic worsened.
And her approach appears to have worked, with the caveat that we are so early on in our understanding of this virus, no one can be sure what will happen as economies start to reopen. The country has not only flattened the curve but, in a phrase coined by The Washington Post, has squashed it. At the time of writing, there have been 19 recorded deaths and 1,122 confirmed cases there. Ardern says the virus is “currently eliminated” from New Zealand.
Despite the toughness of her response, which placed huge restrictions on New Zealanders, Ardern’s approval rating is her highest since taking office.
“Looking at other leaders who don’t listen to science and appear not to have the empathy that Jacinda does, well, it’s easy to see why her response stands out.” - Helen Clark, former prime minister of New Zealand
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She has taken steps to ensure messages of unity are more than just words. At a time when some US politicians stood accused of making money from the virus, Ardern and her ministers took a 20% pay cut for six months to show solidarity with those affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
Many hope that her particular brand of leadership could not only help steer New Zealand away from the tragic death tolls experienced in other countries but also help her to take the opportunity to build a better society in New Zealand post-pandemic. The country now faces an uphill battle to recover economically, with growing rates of unemployment in a nation already struggling with homelessness and child poverty.
A leadership style built on empathy
Those who know Ardern say her unique package of skills sets her apart on the global stage. “Jacinda has three fantastic qualities,” Helen Clark, who was New Zealand’s prime minister from 1999 to 2008, told HuffPost. “She is clever, she is empathetic and she is a good communicator. Put those three things together and when you are faced with an unprecedented challenge like COVID-19, you have a leader that has enormous assets that can pull a country through just about anything.”
Clark noted that Ardern has already shown her leadership abilities in dealing with two domestic crises. After the Christchurch mosque shootings, where a gunman killed 51 people in March 2019, she moved quickly to implement stricter gun laws. Then in December 2019 came the White Island volcanic eruption, which killed 21 people. Ardern, who was photographed embracing first responders, received praise for a response perceived as human and empathetic.
Jacinda Ardern hugs a first responder in Whakatane, New Zealand, the day after a volcanic island in New Zealand erupted on Dec. 9, 2019. Dom Thomas/Pool Photo via AP
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“She knows what she is doing in high-pressure, tragic situations, and in a sense, how she has handled coronavirus is no different to how she handled those two tragedies,” said Clark, highlighting Ardern’s ability to engage with the public and to earn their trust.
Of course, New Zealand has some advantages when it comes to dealing with a pandemic. It is small in terms of population, with just shy of 5 million inhabitants, and as an island nation at the bottom of the South Pacific it is in a favourable position to fight the virus ― borders can be shut relatively easily. But for Clark, the key ingredient was Ardern’s willingness to “step out in front and take command.”
“Looking at other leaders who don’t listen to science and appear not to have the empathy that Jacinda does, well, it’s easy to see why her response stands out,” Clark said. “We are very, very lucky to have her here in New Zealand. The world is lucky to have her.”
But there isn’t blanket approval of Ardern’s COVID-19 response.
Ardern has also faced criticism for her government’s decision to keep the shutdown in place for more than four weeks. Dr Simon Thornley, a senior epidemiology lecturer at the University of Auckland, called Ardern’s strict lockdown an “overreaction.” Meanwhile, Simon Bridges, leader of the center-right opposition National Party, accused Ardern of making New Zealand businesses “sacrificial lambs” during the lockdown, a charge Ardern denies. He also complained of insufficient testing and contact-tracing, and not enough personal protective equipment.
Some critics have called her out for being evasive at briefings. “There has been some criticism that the government hasn’t been as open or ready to answer questions as they might have been,” said political commentator David Cormack.
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Others have warned about the “hero-worship” of Ardern, saying it runs the risk of creating a leader who can not be held to account over any aspect of the country’s COVID-19 response. “Even gentle questioning ... is seen as a personal attack on Ardern,” political journalist Andrea Vance wrote in the online news site Stuff. “Just because Ardern is remarkable, does not mean she is always right.”
What comes after a pandemic?
As the country takes the first tentative steps toward something like normality, Ardern’s empathetic and science-led leadership could face an even bigger test: What comes next?
In New Zealand, as around the world, COVID-19 is laying bare stark structural inequalities.
In common with patterns emerging elsewhere, communities of colour have been hit hardest. A study found the indigenous Maori population and the Pasifika population in New Zealand were twice as likely to die of COVID-19 ― a key reason Ardern extended the restrictive Level 4 lockdown by a week.
The country must also grapple with a housing affordability crisis and pockets of deep child poverty, according to a February report from The Salvation Army, which pointed to “entrenched poverty,” in the country.
A homeless woman on March 26 in Christchurch, New Zealand. Kai Schwoerer via Getty Images
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There are growing calls for Ardern to use her unique leadership qualities to deliver the “transformational change” she promised when she was delivered to the top job back in 2017.
Ardern’s impressive leadership throughout the COVID-19 crisis has generated her a “huge amount of goodwill and support” that could be used toward policies that address some of the country’s social inequities, said public policy researcher Jess Berentson-Shaw.
Berentson-Shaw suggested that helping women should be a key focus, but so far hasn’t been at the forefront of Ardern’s economic response: “The majority of job losses have been in industries dominated by women, so [Ardern’s pandemic response] really lacks the equity focus I would hope for from a feminist leader.”
Ardern should also ensure that her government’s commitment to fast-tracking infrastructure projects post-pandemic is done carefully, said Berentson-Shaw. “Any infrastructure investment should prioritize planetary health as a minimum.”
Jacob Anderson, program manager for the environmental education organization Blake, also wants Ardern to prioritize the environment.
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Grappling with a post-COVID-19 world will be a “defining moment in New Zealand’s history,” he said. He hopes the combination of Ardern’s trust in science with her empathy, which has proved to be a winning formula in containing COVID-19, will also be applied to the climate crisis. “We are now used to looking at daily graphs, numbers and figures. … Terms like ‘flatten the curve’ are now well-known and understood,” he said, “and concepts like this can be used to communicate the exponential increase in carbon emissions or rapid declines in biodiversity.”
Ardern gained international plaudits last year when New Zealand passed a national law to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. But New Zealand’s latest plan for how it intends to meet its United Nations climate commitments, released last week, contained the same overall emissions reduction targets as five years ago, despite the U.N. urging countries to set higher goals.
New Zealand “missed an opportunity” to strengthen its overall emissions ambitions in line with the spirit of the 2015 Paris climate agreement, said Helen Mountford, vice president for climate and economics at the World Resources Institute, who emphasized, “the urgent need for countries to build back better coming out of the COVID-19 crisis.”
Ardern’s most immediate task is to win the country’s general election, due to be held in September. She is expected to be returned to power but will face the enormous task of trying to keep a country united that by then is highly likely to be well into the depths of a recession.
Putting the environment and social inequality at the heart of any economic stimulus plan that’s adopted ― while essential for a more just recovery ― could be a tougher sell than it may seem.
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“Jacinda is a powerful leader, she has influence, but the change that is really needed takes a lot of courage, and she is really going to have to drive a hard bargain with her party and say, ‘We have to do better than this,’” said environmentalist and former New Zealand Green Party politician Catherine Delahunty.
“This is an opportunity for real change,” she added, “and it’s up to Jacinda Ardern to decide whether or not her government has the vision to do what needs to be done because there is no going back to where we were before COVID-19.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-29--Trump Keeps Saying Coronavirus Will Simply 'Go Away' As Death Toll Climbs

“It’s going to disappear,” he said of the coronavirus at the time as infection numbers began to trickle in. “One day it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.”
He repeated the claim again in March, urging calm as he and his administration continued to downplay the threat.
“And we’re prepared, and we’re doing a great job with it,” Trump said March 10 on Capitol Hill. “And it will go away. Just stay calm. It will go away.”
By that time, there were 1,300 confirmed cases, according to a CBS News timeline.
At an April 3 White House briefing, Trump claimed, “I said it was going away, and it is going away,” when there were more than 200,000 confirmed cases.
The president can’t simply wish the virus away, and he’d know that if he listened to his own medical professionals. Last month, Dr Anthony Fauci, who is helping to lead the US response to this crisis, told Congress to buckle up for a long fight.
“I can say we will see more cases, and things will get worse than they are right now,” Fauci told the House Oversight Committee in March. “How much worse it will get will depend on our ability to do two things: to contain the influx of people who are infected coming from the outside, and the ability to contain and mitigate within our own country.”
The president’s own proposals for combating the coronavirus are, at best, deeply misinformed and, at worst, dangerous to the health of Americans. He has suggested ingesting disinfectant as a potential cure (it’s not; don’t try it) and put his faith in the sun to solve this problem.
“Looks like in April, you know in theory when it gets a little warmer it miraculously goes away,” Trump falsely claimed at a campaign rally in February. The comments prompted the National Academy of Sciences to send the White House a letter telling Trump that statement was wrong.
But the letter didn’t seem to convince him. Trump later suggested using UV light to kill the virus.
“Supposing we hit the body with a tremendous force, whether it’s ultraviolet or just very powerful light,” he said earlier this month.
The absurd claim led the World Health Organisation to remind the public that sunlight won’t make people invulnerable to the virus.
“You can catch COVID-19, no matter how sunny or hot the weather is,” WHO said. “Countries with hot weather have reported cases of COVID-19.”
The president isn’t alone in wishing the virus would just go away ― we all do ― but to defeat this virus, he’ll need to stop hoping that wishes alone are all it takes.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-29--Strictly Come Dancing ‘Big Priority’ For BBC But ‘Inevitable’ It Will Look Different, Says Show's Bo

Strictly Come Dancing ‘Big Priority’ For BBC But ‘Inevitable’ It Will Look Different, Says Show's Boss

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The BBC has said it is “looking very carefully” at how this year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing can go ahead in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
The 18th series of the dance show is due to return to our screens in September, but if it does go ahead it’s likely to look very different.
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BBC entertainment boss Kate Phillips said the flagship series might not feature a studio audience for the first time in the show’s 16 year history.
Strictly judges (L-R) Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Bruno Tonioli. Mike Marsland via Getty Images
Speaking during an online session held by the Edinburgh TV Festival as part of its The Controller series, Kate said it was one of the BBC’s “big priorities”.
“We are absolutely looking very carefully at Strictly and how we could do Strictly this autumn,” she said.
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“That is absolutely one of our big priorities, making sure we can bring you a great Strictly. But I think inevitably things are going to change.”
She added: “The other thing I would say is, if it is shiny floor [light entertainment] it needs an audience, and I don’t think that’s necessarily true.
“When you look at something like Drag Race, which is a big shiny floor talent competition with all sorts of catwalks, singing, dancing, impressions – it never has an audience.
“The audience is the four judges and I don’t think it suffers from that at all. I think it is a brilliant show.”
2019 Strictly champs Oti Mabuse and Kelvin Fletcher. Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment
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The BBC boss also revealed that every area of television had been affected by the lockdown.
She said: “Obviously, there were things that were in the middle of filming that were not going to be playable until the following autumn.
“But that was just as catastrophic for us as the ones which were coming up next week that we couldn’t get the crews for.
“I would say, actually, every genre has been affected.”
The end of the free TV licence for all over-75s has been delayed until August because of the pandemic.
Asked whether this had impacted the BBC’s content budget, she said: “I’m afraid none of us in the country are not going to have to deal with some financial consequences from all of this.
“So yes, I have absolutely no doubt we will all be affected.
“Where that quite lands all depends on where we get back into production.
“I think that’s one of the hardest things because there is so much uncertainty.
“We are trying to work with the budgets we have got, but not really knowing where we will end up and how much money we will have spent this year, and how much money we will have for next year.
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“But yes, we are not going to be immune from financial constraints, I’m afraid.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-29--Are Temperature Checks Effective In Stopping Coronavirus Spread?

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Many people around the world are currently staying at home to slow the spread of Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. While we stay isolated and practice social distancing, many are thinking ahead to what society might look like after restrictions are eased, and which safety measures will help keep people safe.
One strategy that continues to pop up is temperature checks for fever — a tactic being used in Wuhan, China, as the city where the virus began attempts to resume everyday life. The process is happening in the U.S. too: Amazon announced it would use thermal cameras to check employees’ temperature, and some grocery store workers are undergoing checks before reporting to their jobs.
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Once infections begin to decline, we might start seeing these measures on a larger scale. But are temperature checks really the best way to monitor and control the spread of coronavirus?
According to some infectious disease experts, the method has a lot of flaws and shouldn’t be the only measure to address the pandemic once activity resumes.
Large-scale temperature checks may not show everyone with Covid-19
Covid-19 symptoms can develop anywhere between two and 14 days after exposure — meaning someone can have the virus and not know it.
“The incubation period ... is variable between patients,” said Jai Marathe, an infectious disease physician at Boston Medical Center and assistant professor at Boston University School of Medicine. “During this time, the virus is multiplying. Once it reaches a critical level, it causes the body to respond with robust symptoms. The duration for this to happen is variable in different patients, and in the case of Covid-19, one of the most common symptoms experienced by patients is fever.”
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While fever can be expected in many cases, experts have also learned that there’s no guarantee it’ll be present for everyone. Covid-19 doesn’t produce the same symptoms in each patient (and a large portion of cases might be asymptomatic). One study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which analysed 5,700 people seriously ill with Covid-19, found that two-thirds did not have a fever.
“While fever is one of the more common manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection, it is not universal,” said Stephen P. Juraschek, a physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “Unfortunately, we are unable to predict whether or not someone will be symptomatic and what their symptoms will be.”
It’s unclear how many people infected with the coronavirus are asymptomatic “silent spreaders,” but scientists estimate the number is considerable.
“The body’s immune response plays a big role in the severity of infection,” Marathe said. “The immune defence in certain individuals is able to protect the patient from manifesting any symptoms, which is what we refer to as ‘asymptomatic.’ The immune response is also influenced by other factors like age [and] underlying medical conditions.”
For this reason, Juraschek noted that temperature checks might not always be effective.
“Asymptomatic, mild, or delayed cases can be missed,” he said. “So, while better than nothing, such approaches do not replace other critical interventions like hand washing, 6-feet distancing, using a mask or covering one’s mouth when coughing.”
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Natasha Chida, assistant director of the infectious diseases fellowship program and assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins, also pointed out the shortcomings of temperature checks.
“It can’t necessarily hurt to implement temperature checks in public places to limit people who are symptomatic from infecting others,” Chida said. ”But I think you will end up missing people who are infected and are either not yet manifesting symptoms — or who are not going to manifest symptoms.”
Nuthawut Somsuk via Getty Images
Temperature checks might be challenging for businesses
In addition to the personal protective equipment that would be required to implement large-scale temperature checks — much of which is difficult to acquire right now — businesses might face logistical hurdles.
“Many of us do not have thermometers at home and currently you cannot buy one easily in the market,” Marathe said.
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“The logistics of when and for whom you do the temperature check do not seem to be well thought out,” Marathe continued. “For example, how frequently do you check? What about the employees who take medications like Tylenol for headaches or arthritis, in whom a fever may be suppressed?”
Chida also has questions:
“Who is going to be measuring the temperatures? Are people going to be measuring their own temperatures? If you’re using oral thermometers, you’re going to need many of them. If you’re using ear or forehead scanners, those can be unreliable if you don’t use them correctly. It might depend on the size of the business in terms of how practical it is.”
Other safety measures could be effective
The experts noted that temperature checks shouldn’t be the singular method of monitoring and preventing the spread of coronavirus. And for now, staying apart might still be our best tool.
“If things are going to open back up, we’ll still need to keep up social distancing until we have better measures of aggressive contact tracing and more therapeutics available,” Chida said. “If people are going to be in a public space, they should still be keeping 6 feet apart.”
Juraschek said widespread testing for infection and contact tracing will also be essential.
“Testing is a critical tool for case tracking, isolating positive cases and estimating disease burden in the community,” Juraschek said. “In many ways, it can help predict where we are in the pandemic, in terms of rate of infection spread and herd immunity.”
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But virus screening isn’t infallible, Juraschek pointed out, because someone who is negative today could become positive tomorrow.
Antibody testing, or being able to detect if someone has already been infected with Covid-19, is useful, too, but it’s not a perfect solution, either. The duration of when someone who has recovered from the coronavirus would test positive for antibodies varies from person to person, and sometimes you can get a false negative, Marathe said.
Further, Marathe explained, “we do not have adequate information on whether the presence of an antibody means that the individual has protection against the virus.”
Ultimately, some of the best practices for limiting the spread of infection are within our control. That includes staying home if you feel ill, practicing proper hand-washing, covering a cough and wearing a mask in public places.
“Some form of screening will likely result in more timely capture of symptomatic [people] and at the very least make employees more aware and more likely to self-monitor before reporting for work,” Juraschek said. “However, as previously mentioned, these approaches are not foolproof and other standard hygienic and public precautions should be applied.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-29--I’m A Parent Making Porn To Make Ends Meet During Covid Quarantine

HuffPost UK Courtesy of the author
I have been a stripper for the last 11 years, one who merely dabbled in webcam and porn-making ― until, that is, coronavirus quarantines and shutdowns closed Oregon clubs as of 16 March, eliminating the bulk of my income.
The pandemic took the world by surprise, many workplaces shuttered indefinitely and I, like many other out-of-work parents, found myself explaining to my child that some things would be different for a while. She won’t be playing with her friends, Mommy won’t be buying as many books and toys, and our schedules will be unusual.
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In this Covid-19 time, I am relying entirely on digital work: such as live webcam solo and partnered sex shows, selling fetish videos, and sexting for tips. Co-parenting gives me time to shoot porn when she’s at her dad’s house, but the juggle is real when I’m answering emails and sexting for tips long into the night after tucking my kid into bed. Sometimes I’m able to send pics and chat with customers from the tub while she reads from her room.
“Does your family know what you do?” What my daughter knows about Mommy’s work is context-appropriate for her age; she’s eight. She knows that “Mommy works in a business called a strip club and dances for people and tells them jokes, gives them hugs, and gets tipped money for doing so, because bodies are interesting and beautiful and people will pay money to appreciate them, and because companionship is important.”
When she’s older I will explain to her that I’ve worked with people’s bodies and genitals, and that I’ve been paid for sex, and that I’ve earned money from having conversations and filming myself masturbating or even stepping on cigarettes. I will explain to her that some of this work was legal and some of it was not.
Looking at porn can have positive effects for creativity, for body image, for validating sexual identity and for normalising activities that people enjoy. Meanwhile, professional sex educators and the major porn platforms are recommending that people have digital and screen sex, to help “flatten the curve.”
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Millions of Americans are out of work, many are scrambling to figure out how to earn their next rent or mortgage payment and are stuck inside with screens. Some of these folks are trying their chances at porn-making, as they try to determine their best options for making money during quarantine.
But it’s not an easy path. People must weigh whether their own families will disown them after learning that they masturbated on a webcam for money, or sold nudes. Parents have to grapple with whether they will be allowed to return to their “regular jobs” if they later get outed for doing porn in order to survive now. Even though adult workers are often encouraged to leave the industry and “find a real job,” folks are routinely fired or outed if their past adult work is discovered.
Technology is another obstacle for people like me who are turning to online sex work to make ends meet. It’s becoming more difficult to share sexual content privately without government or platform intervention. Skype spies on users’ calls, and so does Zoom, monitoring them for “nudity” and “obscenity,” and this has been a common policy since April 2018, after the laws known as FOSTA and SESTA passed.
Additionally, payment processors like Paypal, CashApp and Venmo don’t allow payment processing for adult-oriented businesses, and they monitor transaction notes specifically for mentions of porn or nudes. It’s really difficult to get paid for sex work digitally and legally.
Another tough hurdle for any sex worker: how to amass a social media and fan following to earn income and not simply for “likes? Sites like Instagram, Facebook and Tumblr are increasingly censored since FOSTA/SESTA passed. Small creators are very likely to be deactivated or shadowbanned, making it nearly impossible to direct clients to their work.
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Now threatening everyone’s privacy is a bill that would give law enforcement and police unfettered access to all our communications. Proponents of the Earn It Act claim it will reduce child trafficking, as lawmakers claimed with FOSTA/SESTA. If this passes, it will ALSO criminalise sex workers, journalists, activists and artists who are caught in the crosshairs of law enforcement and deplatforming due to “obscenity” censorship.
These laws and societal attitudes make it difficult for us to earn a living, to receive and request money; to host our own ads and to keep bigger percentages from platforms. They make it difficult for those like me, for whom porn-making and digital work are our only real option under quarantine, to provide for our families.
At the very least, think of our children. When you hurt a parent’s ability to provide for their child, it hurts the child.
“Who bought you those shoes, Mommy?” A customer did, for when I can go back to the club. “A client of mine, they wanted to say thank you,” is what I told her, and this is true. She’s across the kitchen table from me with her workbook, learning how to multiply and puts her headphones back on as I type this. My quick math is good and she likes checking her answers with me ― “What’s six times eight?” ― because I’m a stripper who uses arithmetic every shift to track my earnings, my payouts and my rates. What I learned in the club is helping me homeschool, and I’m not even surprised.
Porn is important, seeing breasts cheers people up, and what’s offered can be for amusement or education, when framed and presented to a porn-literate audience. I love hearing, “Your videos helped me teach my husband how to slow his pace during sex,” or “Thank you for normalising use of a safe word,” or “I don’t usually like girl/girl porn but yours was so real.” Many of my clients are women, and many of my clients are parents, too.
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If you want to support working women and families and queers and people who labor despite chronic pain and mental health issues, if you want to support Black creators and trans people, too, please help to normalise pornography because many of “us” make it to make a living. Anti-porn advocates, also known as “porn abolitionists,” really hate it when I point out that porn is one of the only industries where femmes typically out-earn their male counterparts, both online and off.
Free porn is pretty available but most is stolen from creators like myself, and now is the best time to buy directly from the creator or request a commission. It’s literally keeping our families fed and our spirits lifted.
Pay for your content, or tip for it when possible. Comic Tina Horn recently and truthfully noted, “Buying porn directly from sex workers is the farmer’s market of adult entertainment.”
This quarantine has taught me what I already learned as a sex worker and as a parent: to not rely on the government for protection or resources. To have multiple backup plans for income and hustle. To have tenacity. To expect people to push my boundaries and to practice setting them. To model good behaviour. To use deliberate and kind touch. To teach and learn consent and better communication skills.
Porn is literally saving many people’s lives during quarantine times ― and always. Sexual rights are civil rights and we can all do our part to protect and respect both, for ourselves and for our children.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-29--We Wonder How Long Lockdown Will Last. But What About Our Grand Plans?

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Times of change often lead us to rethink our lives, make plans for the future and vow to take up healthy and productive new habits. On holiday, for example, it’s easy to convince ourselves we’ll quit that boring job, travel more, break up (or make up) with our partner, move house – or begin that book we’ve always dreamed of writing.
But once we get back, unpack our bags and return to the day to day, all too often these plans begin to seem unrealistic, scary or simply too much work.
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Right now, we’re in a time of huge upheaval – but also stasis. We’ve been forced out of our usual patterns of work, study and socialising. Most of us are going nowhere, and feelings of boredom, anxiety and grief are rife.
Those who have been furloughed or made redundant might be contemplating a new career. Those working from home may be thinking differently about work-life balance. Motivational memes and Instagram posts are encouraging us to use this time productively to take up hobbies and acquire skills. Relationships are being proven – and tested. We’re all asking how long lockdown will last. Should we ask the same of our plans and dreams for post-lockdown life?
“Changing your habits usually starts with a change in routine,” explains clinical psychologist Steph Hicks. “Significantly changing your routine usually takes a huge amount of motivation, but this change has been forced on all of us. I’m not at all surprised people are making new plans right now.”
Paula Daniëlse via Getty Images
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Any break from our routines, especially one that leaves us with more time on our hands, encourages us to “rethink our values and maybe think about values we haven’t considered in a long time”, Hicks tells HuffPost UK.
This could be as simple as slowing down and looking after ourselves a bit more. Charlotte, a 34-year-old advertising creative from New York, is taking a rare break while in lockdown. “Quarantine has made me realise I basically haven’t stopped for three years,” she says. “I haven’t taken a vacation. I never really understood the idea of self-care; it all made me feel like I was slacking off. After this is over, I’m going to be sure to make more time for myself. This has made me realise that it just wasn’t healthy, the way I was working non-stop.”
Others have been using the free time for projects they couldn’t fit in previously. Tamsyn Black, 29, an events manager from Bristol, has seen her industry slow to a standstill during coronavirus. “I think for me, creating a lot of new goals is a way to take some control over this situation,” says Black.“I’ve made a spider chart of all my plans; it’s colour-coded. But I think I might have too many: I want to learn Spanish and Tarot, start putting more on my blog, learn how to use WordPress, and organise all my photographs from the last few years.”
Hicks says she is interested to see if we will stick to our newfound habits once lockdown begins to be lifted – whenever that might be. “Obviously, this isn’t the same as being on holiday,” she says. “Our routines have been different for so long now. There’s that old saying: you have to do something for 30 days before it becomes a habit. There’s actually something in that.”
Paula Daniëlse via Getty Images
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For some, quarantine has galvanised bigger life decisions. Kara Rose Marshall, 29, a model and mum from London, has spent lockdown outside the city, living at a friend’s farmhouse with her partner and their son. The time away has already made her reassess her priorities.
“I’ve learned that family is more important than postcode. It’s made me realise so much about London, and how I don’t actually need it anymore,” she says. “We won’t move yet. But I’m not looking forward to coming back to London.”
Is a period of huge change and uncertainty a good time to be making big life choices? For most of us, quarantine is a situation and state of mind we’ve never experienced before. Can we be confident about the decisions we make in it?
“It’s important for people to think about why they want to make a change,” says Hicks. “To examine the personal value that’s behind it. In everyday life, a lot of people feel pressured to pursue things that society deems to be interesting, or more glamorous – but these might not truly line up with our own values.
“For example, a person might think they should travel the world, but really their values tell them they care more about their family and that’s where they’d rather be. Think about what’s important to you. And be honest with yourself.”
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If you are determined to keep new habits and plans, Hicks says, don’t wait until the end of lockdown. “Commit and embed the changes into your life now while you have the time to do it.” It’s hard to know what things will look like on the other side of quarantine or even how long it will be until our routines are truly back to normal.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-29--These 3 Ingredient Bakes Are Ridiculously Easy To Make

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Sarah Rainey is the queen of store cupboard baking. Her book Three Ingredient Bakes is packed full of 100 recipes that require – yep, you guessed it – no more than three ingredients each.
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There are cakes, biscuits, breads, desserts, savoury snacks and frozen treats – and they’re easy enough that even the less adept bakers among us can get involved.
Rainey is bringing out another book – Six Minute Showstoppers – on 14 May, which will be packed with bakes and cakes you can cook in a flash (think GBBO at home without the fuss).
In the meantime, try one of her three-ingredient bakes: cheat’s sourdough rolls, quick and easy brownies, or healthy energy bars packed with mixed fruit.
Chocolate praline brownies
If you like Nutella, these are a must. They’re rich, gooey and take minutes to throw together. The key is in the cooking time: keep an eye on the mixture so it doesn’t set too solid in the oven. You want them a bit wobbly for maximum squidge.
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Makes: 16
Three Ingredient Baking by Sarah Rainey Chocolate praline brownies
Ingredients:
65g self-raising flour
2 eggs
1 x 400g jar of Nutella (or any other brand of chocolate hazelnut spread)
You will also need a small baking tray (25cm x 18cm).
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan, and grease and line the baking tray.
2. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl, crack in the eggs and mix well with a wooden spoon. Scrape out the contents of a jar of Nutella and add this to the mixture, holding back one heaped tablespoon of the spread in a separate bowl. Stir everything together until the mixture is smooth.
3. Pour the mixture into the baking tray, spread it out with a spatula and bake for 25 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when they’re just set and starting to crack on top. Don’t over-bake them as they will continue to cook in the tin and you want them to stay squidgy inside!
4. As the brownies cool, drizzle the remaining Nutella over the top to decorate. If it’s too solid, microwave it for 10 seconds in a heatproof bowl first. Slice into chunky squares or rectangles to serve.
Tip: double the quantities in this recipe and make them in the same-sized tin for fat, squidgy brownies that are twice the height. They may need another five to 10 minutes in the oven to cook through.
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Cheat’s sourdough rolls
These little puffs of air are the definition of store-cupboard baking. You can rustle them up in under half an hour.
Makes: 12
Ingredients:
240g self-raising flour
200ml semi-skimmed milk
5 tablespoons mayonnaise
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan. Grease two baking sheets and line with greaseproof paper.
2. Sift the flour into a bowl and slowly add the milk, stirring constantly. Add the mayonnaise and mix vigorously to get rid of any lumps.
3. The batter should be thick but runny, and when you lift your spoon out, you should be able to see elastic threads forming – this is the raising agent in the flour starting to get to work.
4. Drop heaped dessert spoons of the mixture on the baking sheets, spacing them 4–5cm apart. Use the spoon to round off the edges and neaten the tops.
5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until they’ve risen and are just starting to go brown on top. Swap the trays halfway through the cooking time to ensure they’re evenly cooked. Don’t worry if the rolls look a little misshapen – this adds to the rustic look.
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6. Cool on a wire rack before serving. The rolls should keep for up to four days in an airtight tin – and you can freeze them; just remember to use within a month.
Healthy energy bars
These healthy bars make a great elevenses snack. You can use prunes or apricots instead of dates, but they need to be soaked in hot water beforehand to make them nice and soft.
Makes: 18
Three Ingredient Baking by Sarah Rainey Three Ingredient Baking by Sarah Rainey
Ingredients:
200g dried mixed fruit (sultanas, raisins, currants or cranberries)
250g nuts (cashews, walnuts, Brazil nuts, pecans or a mixed selection)
150g pitted dates
You will also need a square baking tray (25cm x 25cm)
Method:
1. Put all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse a few times to make into crumbs, then process for another minute or so until the ingredients start to come together into a ball.
2. Line the baking tray with greaseproof paper and transfer the mixture to the tray.
3. Use a palette knife to spread it into the corners and flatten out the top.
4. Refrigerate for a couple of hours, then remove from the fridge and cut into bars or squares.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-29--Recovered From Covid-19? Your Blood Plasma Could Treat Other Patients – Here's How

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If you’ve recovered from coronavirus, your blood could provide a key ingredient that may help treat others who are critically ill with Covid-19.
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Researchers working with NHS Blood and Transplant are asking people who’ve had the virus, and are now healthy, to donate blood plasma as part of a clinical trial to find an effective treatment for those worst affected by symptoms.
You might be able to help if you’ve had a positive test result for Covid-19, or if you’ve had clear symptoms but no test.
So, how can your blood plasma help others?
We’ve heard a lot about antibody tests for coronavirus, which are being developed. The detection of antibodies in blood – through a simple finger prick test – signifies that a person has had the virus and their body has developed an immune response to it.
Now, researchers want to see if those same antibodies could provide a treatment for people unable to develop their own immune response.
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Antibodies are contained within blood plasma – a yellowish liquid that makes up about half your blood volume. “Convalescent plasma” refers to the antibody-rich plasma of someone who has recovered from a virus.
The first donations of convalescent plasma have been collected and the transfusions will follow later this month. The trials will investigate whether these transfusions improve a patient’s speed of recovery and chances of survival.
Plasma can also be collected and frozen ahead of any second wave of Covid-19.
How does donation work?
Plasma donation requires participants to undergo a process called apheresis, which is not the same as standard blood donation.
During apheresis, a donor’s blood is removed from their arm through tubing. This then travels through a cell separator, which separates plasma from the blood. The remaining blood then flows back into the patient through tubing. The process takes around 45 minutes.
NHS Blood and Transplant has been contacting potential convalescent plasma donors directly, using recovered patient data. But you can also help by registering to donate plasma online.
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Who can help?
The NHS will be taking plasma donations from participants no sooner than 28 days after recovery. Not everyone will be able to donate and researchers are looking for people who meet the following eligibility criteria:
You must:
be between 17 and 66 years old
weigh between 50kg and 158kg
not be pregnant, or had a baby, miscarriage or termination within six months
not have an existing or previous heart condition
not have had a transfusion since 1st January 1980
live close enough to donate at one of the 23 main donor centres – listed online.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-29--Coronavirus Cancelled My Marathon. So I Ran 4,689 Laps Around My Garden Instead

HuffPost UK Courtesy of the author
Sunday 5 April was supposed to be the day I ran the Manchester marathon with friends from Portmarnock AC. However, like so many things right now, the race was postponed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Determined not to be derailed (and not to let all that training go to waste), we joked about running in our gardens instead. A joke that quickly turned into a crazy idea.
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When I first told my wife and family I planned to run a marathon in our nine-metre garden, they had concerns but were 100% behind the idea – in some cases more excited about it then me.
Truth be told I had no idea how to prepare. I’ve run 18 marathons from Dublin to Berlin to Brighton, but never my back garden. I did the maths, and realised I would have to do 4,689 laps to run the 42.2 kilometres of a marathon. Thirty minutes into my one training run, my GPS showed that in that time, I had managed to cover a whopping 2km.
“If I could do some good while doing something I enjoy, then I figured it would make the process of traversing my garden thousands and thousands of times just that bit easier.”
At this point, I questioned whether I could actually do this – but within us all is the drive to do what might at first seem impossible. For me, the inspiration came from knowing that what I was going to do would benefit a good cause: a local suicide and self-harm prevention charity called Pieta House.
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Losing a friend through suicide last year rocked me to my core. Thinking about the restrictions on all our lives right now, and knowing there must be people more in need of Pieta House’s services than ever, pushed me through. Running removes a lot of the stresses and anxiety that could add up on me – and I know not everyone is lucky enough to have that off switch. So if I could do some good while doing something I enjoy, then I figured it would make the process of traversing my garden thousands and thousands of times just that bit easier.
Soon, it was race day. The first few kilometres were slow before I found my rhythm and settled in. I knew it was going to be a long day so I couldn’t try and get any pace going, given the dimensions of my ‘course’. Constant turning could result in me blowing out my knees, ankles or hips early on if I was foolish.
Once I found my rhythm it became more and more enjoyable. My wife and neighbour (running buddy) were updating me with positive messages from those watching live on Facebook, and we turned it into a fun event with music going and viewers suggesting some appropriate running songs (a great source of entertainment for my six-year-old daughter, who was only too happy to dance and soon became the star of the show). Neighbours even hung out of windows and leant over garden fences to cheer me on.
HuffPost UK Courtesy of the author
One early concern from literally running round in circles were bouts of dizziness but, somehow, I managed to get away with it. And unlike most marathons where you hit the dreaded ‘wall’ as your muscles tire and your glycogen reserves deplete, this was different. I didn’t have that battle between my body and mind because I wasn’t pushing the pace to get a time. My only goal was to finish.
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As I went round and round, I found ways to distract myself from the monotony: singing along to songs, having several good discussions with myself, but mostly just taking in support from my family and friends, which kept my head where it needed to be. After those slow early kilometres, I mastered the tight turns and managed to pick up some pace. My last five were my fastest throughout the day – the thoughts of finally finishing got me more pumped the closer I was to the end.
“After exactly five hours and six minutes of chasing my tail, I was done, and ready for the lovely cold pint Guinness waiting for me.”
After exactly five hours and six minutes of chasing my tail, I was done, and ready for the lovely cold pint Guinness waiting for me – which didn’t last too long (and also is not normally part of my rehydration plan, but I think I deserved it).
I came away from my unique run having learned a few things. First, that we’re all capable of great things, particularly when they can benefit others as well as ourselves. We only have one shot at life, and right now it’s on us all to discover what living our best life means to us.
Another thing I learned is, simply, that people are amazing. When times are hard, people come together and support each other – and that’s more evident today in this pandemic than ever, where people are staying indoors to save the lives of loved ones but also strangers. Could there be any greater expression of love, kindness and compassion than that?
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Best of all, this was supposed to be a run in my back garden streamed amongst a few friends to raise a few hundred Euros for charity. But my run went viral, has been viewed by almost 7,000 people and I’ve raised over €10,000 to date for Pieta House – a lot coming from complete strangers.
I am eternally grateful to all these people who donated, supported and sent positive messages of encouragement. This run was one I’ll never forget.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-29--BAME Community Groups Battle To Stay Afloat As Coronavirus Sees Demand Soar

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Vital voluntary groups that provide a lifeline for vulnerable people are battling for cash and resources while the largely Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities they serve are disproportionately hit by the coronavirus crisis.
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It is virtually impossible to fundraise but demand is soaring for the services of groups such as the Sickle Cell Society and Southall Black Sisters.
The coronavirus outbreak is already claiming BAME lives at a rate that far outstrips their proportion of the British population. Figures released by NHS England show Black people accounted for 5.8% of coronavirus deaths in England up to April 17, compared with 3.5% of the population.
Jabeer Butt OBE, chief exec of the Race Equality Foundation, told HuffPost UK BAME voluntary sector organisations were “often the most trusted and valued” services for their users – but were being hampered in their efforts to help during this latest crisis.
“From the evidence that we have been able to gather,” he said, “the already fragile black and minority ethnic-led voluntary sector has attempted to transform their offer of support, but are constrained by limited resources and a lack of digital infrastructure.”
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Sickle Cell is an inherited blood disorder particularly common in people with an African or Caribbean family background.
The Sickle Cell Society, a non-profit organisation, supports and represents people affected by sickle cell disease to improve their overall quality of life.
The lockdown has seen a decline in vital community fundraising, yet service users are extremely vulnerable to contracting Covid-19 and there has been a surge in requests for information and advice through the society’s helpline, social media platforms and website.
A spokesperson told HuffPost UK: “The requests have been diverse, with people wanting to know about how they can best protect themselves and their families, the financial impact of staying home from work, initially questions around keeping their children home from school, and how they can keep protected whilst continuing to attend regular hospital appointments.”
Staff have been adhering to government advice by working from home and shifting meetings, events, and workshops into virtual spaces where possible.
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“The helpline is being covered by extra members of staff to help meet this demand, and the society is working with our medical advisors to ensure fast and accurate information is available,” the spokesperson added.
The organisation has launched fundraising efforts such as the Sickle Cell at Home campaign to keep up with demand.
Sickle Cell Society Sickle Cell Society
Southall Black Sisters, a charity that helps support Black and Asian women who are experiencing gender-related violence, is also facing fresh challenges.
It has been forced to move frontline services online so volunteers can work remotely.
Founder Pragna Patel told HuffPost UK: “Like many who work in the violence against women and girls (VAWG) sector, we have been worried about leaving the most vulnerable, destitute and marginalised – Black and minority women – who already face greater rates of abuse, isolation and discrimination.”
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The organisation has had to find extra cash to support isolated and vulnerable women with additional support, accommodation and subsistence needs.
Patel said Southall Black Sisters is struggling to find the resources required for staff to work remotely efficiently, and that the costs of remote working are racking up by the day.
“Our IT systems are old and creaky – they are not geared towards high volumes of remote working by all staff,” she said.
“Bills and running costs have seen a significant increase. We have been compelled to buy additional equipment and improve and update server, software and other IT resources.
“An efficient IT system is vital not only to maintain core services but also to adjust to new methods of working and to find creative ways of delivering outreach, training and other services through social media and online mechanisms.”
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Southall Black Sisters demonstration, 2013 Southall Black Sisters/Facebook
Meanwhile, the charity has had to boost efforts to support its service users with counselling services, welfare checks, accommodation, subsistence payments, and food for migrant women and children living in temporary accommodation.
“We have seen an increase in self referrals from BAME women whilst experiencing a slight decrease in referrals from agencies,” said Patel.
“This may be because agencies are still adjusting to the new conditions and ways of working at the same time as some women finding a way of contacting us directly.
“However, we are also aware that there are many more women who simply do not have the privacy or the resources to contact us or report domestic abuse.”
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A number of foundations have launched funding programmes to assist local organisations in responding to the pandemic.
Normally reliant upon donations from the public, Brixton Soup Kitchen has had to adopt a remote working policy and apply for grants.
The charity is strapped for cash and has been inundated with increased demand for its service.
Founder Solomon Smith spoke passionately about the team’s commitment to serving homeless people and families in need.
“[Since] the government decided to do the lockdown, my phone has been ringing non-stop with calls from people from all walks of life who need our help,” he told HuffPost UK. “The demand has skyrocketed and we have felt the strain because we don’t receive funding.
“So, I’m not going to lie, we’ve been breaking the rules; we’ve not been staying at home during the lockdown. We literally cannot fathom that. If we stay indoors, who’s going to be catering for the homeless people? There’s work for us to do.”
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Speaking from the soup kitchen base in Brixton, Smith said a team of seven volunteers were diligently preparing food packages to be delivered to some 200 service users.
Solomon Smith, Brixton Soup Kitchen Brixton Soup Kitchen
As concerns around the pandemic began to intensify and the public began panic buying, leaving supermarket stocks depleted, the charity was left with even less to go around. At this point, Smith and his team began to dip their hands into their own pockets to keep the service afloat – something they’re still having to do.
“When everyone was hoarding food, that was the hardest two weeks, because we literally couldn’t get any donations and had to beg and borrow, raise what we can go to the supermarket, buy food to make packs and deliver.
“We were also forced to buy products for the packs from local corner shops –which are 10 times more expensive.”
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Fortunately, an NHS trust has donated personal protective equipment to the soup kitchen volunteers, who are endeavouring to stay as safe as possible while risking their health to help others.
And despite closing all 400 of its restaurants in response to the Covid-19 outbreak last month, Nando’s has privately opened two of its branches specifically to cook meals for the charity, HuffPost UK can reveal.
“Nando’s has been one of our biggest supporters and we collect around 250 hot meals. This happens twice a week,” Smith said.
“Seeing the reaction that we get from people – that’s what inspires me to go harder for them. I find it difficult to go home and sleep at night knowing there’s someone who’s actually in need.
“I’m not saying we can save the world but if we are able to save some then that’s a good thing.”
Brixton Soup Kitchen food packages Brixton Soup Kitchen
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However, some organisations are faring better than others.
The African & Caribbean Mental Health Service is voluntary group funded by the NHS and based in Manchester. In light of the ongoing lockdown, it now delivers its services remotely.
“We’re a small voluntary sector organisation but we started investing in additional laptops and mobile phones so that, as of March 23, we all started to work from home,” said director Jeanette Stanley. It meant they could keep giving one-on-one care – either by video or phone call.
The only obstacle has been for staff members who are less confident with technology and require additional support with adapting. However, with practice, Stanley says, confidence has grown.
“I remember a couple of years ago we raised the idea of doing some of our sessions on Skype and the commissioners were really against it at the time,” she said, “but now they’re all for Zoom, Skype and all that, so it’s done a 360 turn. Maybe, in future, we would be able to provide services in that way.”
Marsha Binns, Jeanette Stanley and Dr Addy Lazz-Onyenobi. ACMHS
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And unlike the aforementioned organisations, funding isn’t an issue for ACMHS at present as it receives money from the local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). However that could change depending on the duration of the Covid-19 outbreak.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-29--Wood Green Fire: Blaze Engulfs Block Of Flats In North London

Handout videograb taken with permission from the twitter feed of @mohammedakunjee showing a large fire in the Wood Green area of London. PA
Some 20 people were evacuated from a block of apartments in north London after a huge fire engulfed the building.
Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters were called to a building containing maisonettes on Acacia Road in Wood Green just before 10pm, according to the London Fire Brigade.
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Some of those evacuated needed breathing apparatus, and three people required ambulance treatment, the brigade said in a statement. They did not require hospital treatment.
Firefighters continue to tackle a fire in a building containing maisonettes on Acacia Road in #WoodGreen. Around 20 people were evacuated from the building by fire crews using breathing apparatus https://t.co/zOvePScpFA pic.twitter.com/1ik2sI8uPA — London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) April 29, 2020
Footage posted on social media shows flames coming from the top of the building.