thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-01--Seven 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.
Donald Trump claims to have seen evidence coronavirus started in Chinese laboratory, despite US intelligence agencies concluding the virus is not manmade, and a disturbing study finds BAME people are twice as likely to die from the disease in the UK as white people.
Advertisement
According to the latest figures:
The number of hospital patients who have died in the UK after being diagnosed with coronavirus had risen to at least 27,138 – 352 in England, 40 in Scotland, 17 in Wales and 18 in Northern Ireland. Full figures for the UK including deaths outside hospital have yet to be published.
As of 9am on April 30, there had been 901,905 tests on 687,369 people. Some 171,253 of those have tested positive.
Here’s the latest:
Death rate in deprived areas double that of most affluent
The mortality rates change dramatically depending on how deprived an area PA
The Covid-19 mortality rate in deprived areas of England and Wales is double that of more affluent places, new data from the Office for National Statistics reveal.
The ONS found that, in the most deprived areas of England, the age-standardised mortality rate of deaths involving Covid-19 was 55.1 deaths per 100,000 people, compared to 25.3 deaths per 100,000 in the least deprived areas.
Advertisement
Wales saw a similar disparity in deaths – a mortality rate of 44.6 deaths per 100,000 in deprived areas, compared to 23.2 in well-off areas.
However, the local authorities with the highest age-standardised mortality rates for Covid-19 deaths were all in London.
In Newham, there were 144.3 deaths per 100,000 of the population – the highest mortality rate in the ONS data for any local authority.
It was followed by Brent, which had a rate of 141.5 deaths per 100,000, and Hackney, with a rate of 127.4 deaths per 100,000.
Ryanair announces up to 3,000 job losses
The Covid-19 crisis has grounded a huge proportion of flights. Chris J Ratcliffe via Getty Images
Advertisement
Up to 3,000 jobs across pilots and cabin crew are to be cut at Ryanair.
The budget airline group announced that a restructuring programme could also involve unpaid leave and pay being slashed by up to 20%, as well as the closure of “a number of aircraft bases across Europe” until demand for air travel recovers.
Chief executive Michael O’Leary, whose pay was cut by 50% for April and May, has agreed to extend the reduction for the remainder of the financial year to March 2021.
Ryanair said its flights will remain grounded until “at least July” and passenger numbers will not return to 2019 levels “until summer 2022 at the earliest”.
Ryanair expects to operate fewer than 1% of its scheduled flights between April and June, and carry no more than half of its original target of 44.6m passengers between July and September.
For the 12 months to the end of March 2021, its forecast is that it will carry fewer than 100m passengers. Its target for the period was 154 million.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, Aer Lingus will negotiate with unions about staff cuts of up to 900 jobs at the airline.
Labour TD Duncan Smith called the news “extremely concerning” and has called on the airline to do everything it can to retain jobs and for urgent government intervention.
He said: “The overall goal here has to be to retain as many jobs in our aviation sector as possible. We are a small open economy, we need a vibrant aviation sector to help encourage trade and tourism.
“My thoughts today are with the workers who face uncertainty. The government need to extend the temporary wage subsidy scheme for industries that are going to be key for getting us back on track such as Aer Lingus.
“It is clear that the government need to take urgent action to address the potential torrent of job losses that could occur at Dublin Airport between Aer Lingus and Ryanair.”
Trump claims to have seen evidence virus started in lab – but offers no details
Donald Trump speaking at Thursday evening's press conference. Win McNamee via Getty Images
Advertisement
Donald Trump has claimed to have seen evidence that Covid-19 originated from an infectious disease laboratory in Wuhan – days after his own intelligence agencies said coronavirus was “not man-made or genetically modified”.
The US president speculated that China could have unleashed the virus on the world due to some kind of horrible “mistake” and even put forward the idea the release was intentional, but offered no details or explanation.
Intelligence agencies have said they are still examining a theory suggested by the president and aides that the pandemic may have resulted from an accident at a Chinese lab, but have debunked the conspiracy theory that the virus was created on purpose.
Speaking at the White House, Trump said: “It’s a terrible thing that happened.
“Whether they made a mistake or whether it started off as a mistake and then they made another one, or did somebody do something on purpose.”
The Chinese government said that any claims that the coronavirus was released from a laboratory are “unfounded and purely fabricated out of nothing”.
Advertisement
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said: “I would like to point out again that the origin of the virus is a complex scientific issue, and it should be studied by scientists and professionals.”
He also criticised those in the US who say China should be held accountable for the global pandemic, saying they should spend their time on “better controlling the epidemic situation at home.”
More than 63,000 people have died of the virus in the US, which according to official records is by far the worst-affected country in the world.
BAME deaths in the UK more than twice the rate of white patients
Per capita deaths among the Black Caribbean population in English hospitals are three times those of white British people. rubberball via Getty Images
The coronavirus death rate in English hospitals among British black Africans and British Pakistanis is more than twice that of the white population, according to a new report.
Advertisement
Research carried out by the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) also found that deaths of people from a black Caribbean background were 1.7 times higher than for white Britons.
Data published by NHS England last week revealed that that hospital deaths per 100,000 among British people of a black Caribbean background were three times of that among the white British population.
But while previous analysis has failed to account of the potential impact of underlying factors such as age, gender and geography, the IFS report makes it clear that these do not explain the disparity.
Ross Warwick, a research economist at IFS, said: “Hospital deaths show clear disparities between ethnic groups in their mortality from Covid-19.
“For example, per capita Black Caribbean fatalities are nearly three times that of Black African and Pakistani groups, which are close to the population average.
Advertisement
“However, when you account for the fact that most minority groups are relatively young overall, the number of deaths looks disproportionate in most ethnic minority groups.”
The study also found BAME communities were more likely to bear the brunt of the economic impact of lockdown, with BAME men are more likely to be in jobs affected by the shutdown of large parts of the economy.
The type of jobs where BAME workers are disproportionately represented also had an impact on their exposure to the virus or its economic consequences.
While in the population as a whole women are more likely to work in shutdown sectors, this is only the case for the white ethnic groups.
Bangladeshi men are four times as likely as white British men to have jobs in shuttered industries, while Black African and Black Caribbean men are both 50% more likely to be in shutdown sectors.
Advertisement
But those who continue to work are often in key frontline roles, at higher risk of exposure to the virus itself because of the jobs they perform.
More than 20% of Black African women of working age are employed in health and social care roles.
Pakistani men are 90% more likely to work in healthcare roles than their White British counterparts and while the Indian ethnic group makes up just 3% of the working age population of England and Wales, they account for 14% of doctors.
Record demand on foodbanks amid lockdown
Demand at foodbanks across the UK as soared over the past few weeks. OLI SCARFF via Getty Images
The coronavirus crisis has sparked a huge increase in people using food banks for essential supplies, charities have said.
The Trussell Trust said its network had seen its busiest-ever period, with 81% more emergency food parcels being given out in the last two weeks of March.
Advertisement
People struggling with the amount of income from working or benefits was the main reason for the increase, the trust said.
The Independent Food Aid Network (IFAN) also reported a record level of need, with an average 59% increase from February to March – 17 times higher than this time last year.
A coalition of charities – including the Trussell Trust, IFAN, Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), Children’s Society, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, StepChange and Turn2us – is urging the government to do more to help protect people from being “swept into destitution” amid a huge rise in applications for Universal Credit in recent weeks.
Demand for emergency food parcels had been soaring over the past five years, with research showing that households referred to food banks are, on average, left with just £50 per week after housing costs, said the charities.
Emma Revie, chief executive of the Trussell Trust, said: “Like a tidal wave gathering pace, an economic crisis is sweeping towards us, but we don’t all have lifeboats.
Advertisement
“It’s not right that this has meant some of us don’t have enough money for essentials and are being pushed to food banks.”
A government spokesperson said leaders were “committed” to supporting everyone impacted by the virus, and pointed to protection schemes and mortgage holidays as evidence.
They added: “For those in most need, we’ve injected more than £6.5 billion into the welfare system, including an increase to Universal Credit of up to £1,040 a year. No-one has to wait five weeks for money as urgent payments are available.”
More than one million people worldwide have recovered from virus
The number of confirmed patients who have now recovered has passed a million. KENZO TRIBOUILLARD via Getty Images
More than one million people with confirmed cases of coronavirus have now recovered, data shows.
According to a count maintained by John Hopkins University, at the time of writing 1,014,931 had recovered.
Advertisement
That number compares to more than 233,000 confirmed deaths worldwide, and more than 3.25m cases.
The US has recorded the highest number of recoveries – 153,000 – but has also confirmed more than a million cases and upwards of 63,000 deaths.
The latest figure from the UK states that just 859 people have recovered from the virus.
Postboxes painted blue to thank NHS


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-01--Colonel Tom Moore’s 100th Birthday Celebrated By Britain

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

Colonel Tom Moore’s 100th Birthday Celebrated By Britain
On his 100th birthday, Colonel Tom Moore was celebrated by the UK with a rendition of Happy Birthday. The army veteran has become a beacon of hope for the nation during the coronavirus pandemic by walking 100 laps of his garden for charity. So far his endeavour has raised over £32 million.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-01--Gigi Hadid Confirms She's Pregnant, Says She And Zayn Malik Are 'Very Excited'

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Gigi Hadid has confirmed that she and boyfriend Zayn Malik are expecting their first child.
Earlier this week, Gigi and Zayn found themselves at the centre of pregnancy rumours after multiple US news outlets claimed they had a baby on the way.
The supermodel has now confirmed that the reports were true, but that she was disappointed she and the One Direction star weren’t able to make the announcement “on our own terms”.
Advertisement
Speaking to Jimmy Fallon on his US talk show (via video-link, obviously), Gigi said: “Obviously, we wished we could have announced it on our own terms, but we’re very excited and happy and grateful for everyone’s well wishes and support.”
She continued: “Especially during this time, it’s a nice silver lining to be able to be home and be together and really experience it day by day.”
Gigi is currently self-isolating at home with her sister, fellow model Bella Hadid, and Zayn.
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.
Advertisement
Gigi and Zayn, pictured in 2017 Stephane Cardinale - Corbis via Getty Images
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.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-01--Hollywood, Circus Of Books & Diva Behaviour | Good Vibes Only: Lockdown

Hollywood, Circus Of Books & Diva Behaviour | Good Vibes Only: Lockdown
This week in entertainment, Gemma Collins is showing us how to lockdown like a diva. We talk about new Netflix releases, Hollywood and Circus of Books, and we share our funniest internet clips of the week.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-01--Victoria Beckham Reverses Decision To Furlough Staff At Her Fashion Label

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Victoria Beckham has reversed her decision to furlough staff at her fashion label during the coronavirus pandemic.
The company had been planning to make use of Government assistance to furlough a small number of employees, however it is now planning to proceed without state help, according to their spokeswoman.
Advertisement
Despite the U-turn the spokeswoman maintained that the company’s original decision “was made in the best interests of trying to protect our staff, and that is still our absolute focus”.
Victoria Beckham KGC-254/STAR MAX/IPx
The decision “seemed the most appropriate option in keeping with many other businesses”, she said, adding: “The situation is dynamic and, with the support of our shareholders, we now believe we can navigate through this crisis without drawing from the Government furlough scheme.”
Victoria Beckham Ltd say it is now doing everything it can to ensure they can proceed without using Government assistance, according to the spokeswoman.
Advertisement
The company has been “working hard to protect its people”, her statement said.
Victoria Beckham founded her fashion label in 2008 and it became known for its modern minimalism.
With offices in London and New York, a flagship store in Mayfair and another store in central Hong Kong, the brand has won critical acclaim alongside multiple industry awards, including Best Designer Brand and Brand of the Year at the British Fashion Awards.
In addition, the Victoria Beckham brand is carried in more than 450 stores in 50 countries worldwide, according to the company website.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Last month, Piers Morgan blasted Victoria’s decision to furlough staff during a heated debate with his Good Morning Britain co-host Susanna Reid.
“Talking about altruism and generosity, how nice it was to read over the weekend that Victoria Beckham has decided to furlough thirty of the staff of her failing fashion business,” Piers said.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-01--Why Doesn't My Child Want To Go Outside?

LOADING ERROR LOADING
You might think lockdown has left us all yearning to be outside – at a time when we’re feeling restricted, even staring out the window can feel a lot like a case of ‘wanting what you can’t have’.
Not so, for some kids. My three-year-old is one of them: every time I start panicking he’s been staring at a screen for too long, I’ll yell out, “It’s time to go outside now!” To which he’ll gleefully yell back, “No, thanks!”
Advertisement
He’s not just being obstinate and it’s not because he’s obsessed with screens. It’s not even a direct dislike of the big outdoors – he just gets so... absorbed in whatever he’s doing. And nine times out of 10, that’s something inside.
It can be playing with Lego, building a den, or following the cat around making “meow” noises and asking “what language do pussycats speak”, like he’s a tiny David Attenborough, conducting an important field experiment.
My toddler isn’t alone. Twitter user Katherine recently bemoaned her toddler’s unusual behaviour, saying he was “uncharacteristically moody, all the time” and doesn’t want to do anything, go anywhere “or even leave the house”.
And she wasn’t the only one experiencing the phenomenon of the ‘reluctant child’. Many parents responded to the tweet sharing that their child, too, doesn’t want to go outside during lockdown.
Advertisement
One mum said her five-year-old had barely left the house in five weeks. “I can count the occasions on my fingers,” she said. “Maybe it’s hard for them because they are told we have to stay home, so they can’t differentiate.”
MoMo Productions via Getty Images
Another parent said her daughter wants to get in the car as soon as they leave the house. “I literally have to bribe her to walk!” she said, while another mum confessed she’d been “bribing” her daughter into the buggy with snacks.
Why is it, then, that our kids are usually desperate to get outside – but now they’re suddenly not? Consultant clinical psychologist Emma Citron says we need to bear in mind kids aren’t used to having quite so much time at home – or just being. “They’re not used to having their parents around, all the time, either,” she says.
“Remember they’re the same as adults – it can be very hard to motivate ourselves, and it should be no surprise that children are the same,” she continues. “We often have higher expectations for our children than we do for ourselves, but we have to remember they’re just like us, struggling with the same existential feelings of anxiety, stress or low mood – and they’re trying to adjust to that.”
Advertisement
Naturally, they’re going to be less motivated. And, says Citron, if you’re lucky enough to have a garden, it’s not likely to be fear of the virus that’s keeping them in. “It’s more likely that they’re adapting to their ‘new normal’ and finding things they enjoy doing indoors that help them feel safe and secure.”
Try not to worry, she adds. “I think it’s about going with the flow and being flexible around expectation. Don’t introduce rigid rules, you can afford to be more flexible than you would normally, at a time like this.”
Here are four ways to coax your child out to get some fresh air, whether that’s in the garden or for their daily walk or exercise.
Introduce ‘active hour’. Citron says you could suggest an active hour, or active 40 minutes, once a day and see how your kids take to it – “followed by their favourite Peppa Pig video,” she adds.
Keep talking. Keep communication up and if they don’t want to go outside, ask why they’re feeling that way, she adds. “Model it; say, ‘Darling, I’m feeling that at times it’s hard to get going, are you finding that too?’ Empathy is important and so is sharing the common experience with your child.”
Advertisement
Don’t look nervous. “If your child is anxious about going out because of the virus, try not to look nervous or jump away from joggers,” Citron says. Don’t ask nervously, ‘Why haven’t you got your gloves on?’ Instead, try to chill out as much as possible.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-01--Government Has BAME Testing 'Blindspot' Despite Higher Covid-19 Death Rates

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
The government has been accused of leaving a “blindspot” in its coronavirus response after it was unable to provide data on how many black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people have tested positive for the disease.
Advertisement
Ministers’ inability to provide live data was branded “shocking” by the Liberal Democrats as a study found that BAME communities were suffering disproportionately high fatalities.
The lack of information risks harming the government’s strategy to protect vulnerable groups and reduce transmission of Covid-19, the party said.
“This leaves a huge blindspot in terms of identifying patterns in the wider transmission of this virus”
It came as the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) found that per capita deaths among the Black Caribbean population in English hospitals are three times those of white British people.
Advertisement
Even after accounting for differences in age, sex and geography, Black Caribbean deaths are still 1.8 times those of white British, while Pakistani deaths are 2.7 times as high, and Black African fatalities three times higher, the study said.
The Lib Dems had asked the government for information on how many BAME people had tested positive for the virus but health minister Nadine Dorries said the data was “not currently available”.
Lib Dem equalities spokesperson Christine Jardine said: “The data demonstrating the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on BAME communities is deeply alarming.
“The government must do everything in its power to understand what lies behind this worrying trend.
“It is shocking that the government appear not to have collected data on ethnicity as part of their Covid-19 testing programme.
“This leaves a huge blindspot in terms of identifying patterns in the wider transmission of this virus.
Advertisement
“We should be collecting this information in real time, to allow for thorough analysis and to inform any strategies to protect vulnerable groups and reduce transmission.
“Relying on analysis of NHS data after the crisis has passed will be too late to inform ministers’ response to the pandemic.”
Responding to the Lib Dems’ parliamentary question asking for testing data, Dorries said: “Data on the number of people who have been tested, tested positive, and died from Covid-19 are not currently available in the format requested.
“Public Health England is gathering and analysing data to measure the impact of Covid-19 across different population groups.
“This includes work to analyse confirmed cases, hospitalisations and deaths relating to Covid-19 by ethnicity, where this data is available.”
Advertisement
The IFS report also suggested that minority groups should have fewer deaths per capita than the white British majority, given the average age profile and geographic locations.
While many minority groups live disproportionately in cities such as London and Birmingham, which have more Covid-19 deaths, most are also younger on average than the population as a whole, which should make them less vulnerable.
The type of jobs where BAME workers are disproportionately represented also had an impact on their exposure to the virus or its economic consequences.
A postman wearing protective personal equipment walks through East Ham, east London. EMPICS Entertainment
While in the population as a whole women are more likely to work in shutdown sectors, this is only the case for the white ethnic groups.
Advertisement
Bangladeshi men are four times as likely as white British men to have jobs in shuttered industries, due in large part to their heavy concentration in the restaurant sector, with Pakistani men nearly three times as likely, partly due to their concentration in taxi driving.
Black African and Black Caribbean men are both 50% more likely to be in shutdown sectors.
But those who continue to work are often in key frontline roles, at higher risk of exposure to the virus itself because of the jobs they perform.
More than 20% of Black African women of working age are employed in health and social care roles.
Pakistani men are 150% more likely to work in healthcare roles than their white British counterparts and while the Indian ethnic group makes up just 3% of the working age population of England and Wales, they account for 14% of doctors.
Another possible factor behind disproportionately high death rates could be underlying health problems - two-thirds of Bangladeshi men over aged 60 have a long-term condition that would put them at particular risk from infection.
Professor Lucinda Platt, from the London School of Economics and a member of the IFS Deaton Review of Inequalities panel, said: “There are striking differences in economic vulnerability between ethnic groups.
Advertisement
“Bangladeshi men are four times as likely as white British men to have jobs in shutdown industries, with Pakistani men nearly three times as likely; and household savings are lower than average among Black Africans, Black Caribbeans and Bangladeshis.
“By contrast Indians and the largely foreign-born other white group do not seem to be facing disproportionate economic risks.”
Meanwhile, concerns about the impact of Covid-19 on BAME medics and carers has led NHS England to identify them as being at potentially greater risk.
Professor Tim Cook, honorary professor in anaesthesia at the University of Bristol, said: “The disproportionately high number of BAME health and social care workers dying from Covid-19 is striking, so I welcome news that NHS England has recommended these individuals to be identified as potentially at greater risk.
“Our analysis showed 63% of healthcare workers who have died from coronavirus were BAME individuals.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-01--The 10 Most Popular Instagram Recipes From April 2020

Our tastes and needs have been changing since we’ve been staying at home ― first, we all panicked to figure out what we could cook with pantry staples. Then we shifted to a baking obsession, including a penchant for making sourdough bread in particular.
And from the looks of April’s most-liked recipes, this past month has seen an uptick in indulgent comfort foods. Below are the recipes you loved the most, including cacio e pepe, lasagne roll-ups, whipped coffee (of course) and perhaps the world’s most perfect butterscotch bar.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-01--Ryan Murphy’s Hollywood Is The Glamorous, Sexy And Scandalous Escape We All Need Right Now

LOADING ERROR LOADING
With an almost endless list of hit series under his belt already, at this stage TV fans know the trademarks of a Ryan Murphy drama.
Advertisement
Think bright colours (Glee, The Politician), the same revolving cast of actors across his different projects (American Horror Story, Feud) and putting untold stories to the forefront (American Crime Story, Pose). You should also usually expect sex, scandal and a whole lot of camp.
Well, his new limited series Hollywood, the TV super producer’s second collaboration with streaming giant Netflix, has all of that wrapped up in a shiny – and very expensive – bow.
Netflix/Getty/HuffPost
So what’s it all about?
As the not-exactly-subtle title suggests, Hollywood takes place in the golden era of Tinsel Town, and swiftly introduces us to a group of young hopefuls who want to make it in show business, mixing fictional characters and real-life figures from the film industry.
Advertisement
At the centre of it all is David Corinswet – who got his break-out role in Ryan Murphy’s first Netflix venture, The Politician – as aspiring actor Jack Castello. After the war ends, he and his wife travel to Los Angeles where he hopes he can make a name for himself in Hollywood.
Things don’t exactly go his way, though, and down on his luck, he finds himself working at a car garage that also doubles as a brothel, frequented by Hollywood’s powerful and wealthy.
David Corinswet leads an impressive ensemble cast in Netflix's Hollywood Netflix
And that, friends, is how 20 minutes into episode one, we’re greeted with the image of Broadway legend Patti LuPone laying back on a luxurious hotel bed in lingerie, ready to receive oral sex.
Yes, while Ryan Murphy has always peppered his hit shows with sex, and exploration of characters’ sexualities, Hollywood is quite possibly his raciest (and most explicit) offering to date. Fortunately, because the whole show is completely seeped in scandal, these scenes only occasionally border on gratuitous, but Glee this is not.
Advertisement
One area that Ryan Murphy has been celebrated for throughout his career is pushing forward when it comes to on-screen representation. With Feud, he made a point of casting two actresses in their seventies in the lead roles, Pose saw the biggest ever ensemble of transgender actors in a TV show and in 2016, he launched a foundation to push for more women in behind-the-scenes roles.
Interestingly, his approach in this new show has been to rewrite the history of Hollywood, to be more idealistic and progressive.
This is particular true with the characters of Camille Washington and Archie Coleman, an aspiring Black actress and writer, who are set on the road to success in a way that the real Hollywood of that time that would, regrettably, never have allowed.
Laura Harrier stars as aspiring actress Camille Washington Netflix
He also shines a light on real-life figures from Hollywood who were overlooked by the industry, or had their careers cut short unfairly.
Advertisement
Among these are Chinese-American actress Anna Mae Wong and even Peg Entwistle, who took her own life by jumping from the Hollywood sign when she became disillusioned with the industry, allowing them their own unique redemption arc, even if it isn’t in their actual lifetime.
Who’s in the oh-so-Ryan Murphy cast?
Fresh from playing tragic teenager River in The Politician, David Corenswet leads the cast as Jack Castello, while Glee and American Crime Story star Darren Criss appears as Raymond Ainsley.
Darren Criss has been reunited with Ryan Murphy in the super producer's latest TV offering Netflix
Aforementioned stage icon Patti LuPone – whose past work with Ryan Murphy includes Pose, American Horror Story and a cameo appearance as herself in Glee – is an absolute scene-stealer as Avis Amberg, the wife of Ace Studios’ chief. The Politician and AHS: Murder House’s Dylan McDermott appears as Ernie, who runs the garage/brothel where several of the characters work.
But there are some newcomers to the Murphy-verse, too.
One of the show’s key romances plays out between actor Roy Fitzgerald (a real-life A-lister, whose identity becomes apparent as Hollywood plays out) and screenwriter Archie, played by Jake Picking and Jeremy Pope, the latter of whom has already landed a role in the forthcoming third series of Pose.
Advertisement
Jake Picking and Jeremy Pope are the actors at the centre of Roy and Archie's love story Netflix
Meanwhile, veteran star Holland Taylor (the partner of frequent Murphy collaborator Sarah Paulson), Samara Weaving (last seen in cult horror Ready Or Not), Jim Parsons (from The Big Bang Theory, obv) and Laura Harrier (of Spider-Man: Homecoming and BlacKkKlansman fame) complete the main cast.
There are plenty of cameos to spot too, including Michelle Krusiec and Queen Latifah, who play minor roles as golden age greats across the seven episodes.
What are the critics saying?
Admittedly, critical reception has been a little mixed so far, with some feeling Ryan Murphy’s revisionist approach is a little too earnest, rose-tinted and even a little cheesy.
The BBC went as far as branding Hollywood a “disaster”, claiming it “comes across as considerably less rousing, and considerably more megalomaniacal, than they presumably intended”, while Entertainment Weekly criticised the show for its “blandness” and “lack [in] personality”.
Advertisement
Perhaps if our own circumstances were different we’d cast a more critical eye too. We can’t argue that the show verges on cheesy at times, and its short run means that fairly heavy issues (particularly relating to sexual misconduct) are skimmed over rather than being explored more in-depth.
However, as we come to the end of yet another week on lockdown, with so many of us crying out for escapism, we can’t help but feel that a show as lavish, sunshine-soaked and expensive-looking as Hollywood has come along at just the right time.
Watch this if you already enjoyed...
Feud: Bette And Joan, The Politician, Smash, The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Where can I watch Hollywood?


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-01--Princess Charlotte Celebrates Fifth Birthday

Princess Charlotte Celebrates Fifth Birthday
Princess Charlotte, the only daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, is celebrating her fifth birthday today.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-01--Florida Lawyer Goes To The Beach Dressed As The Grim Reaper To Protest Re-Opening

Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
A lawyer has dressed up in a Grim Reaper costume to tour Florida’s beaches to raise awareness of the fatal impact of re-opening America too quickly in the middle of a pandemic.
Advertisement
Daniel Uhlfelder, an attorney, began a tour of the US state’s beaches on Friday dressed as Death himself in protest at what he sees is the premature relaxation of social distancing measures to tackle coronavirus.
Florida is one of several states that have begun to ease back on restrictions despite having recorded its highest single-day death toll this week.
Many of you have asked if I am willing to travel around Florida wearing Grim Reaper attire to the beaches and other areas of the state opening up prematurely. The answer is absolutely yes. Beginning May 1 we will hit the road here in state. Please retweet and spread the word. pic.twitter.com/UO7QKg161n — Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) April 22, 2020
The Stanford-educated trial lawyer, 47, said in a tweet before his campaign: “Many of you have asked if I am willing to travel around Florida wearing Grim Reaper attire to the beaches and other areas of the state opening up prematurely. The answer is absolutely yes.
Advertisement
“Beginning May 1 we will hit the road here in state. Please retweet and spread the word.”
And the advocate’s shock tactics appeared to be winning plaudits on social media after an interview with a local TV station.
The guy in the grim reaper costume sounds like he’s making 1000x more sense than the people who reopened the beaches. pic.twitter.com/qWMHDPwS95 — Jason Kander (@JasonKander) May 1, 2020
Makes an impression pic.twitter.com/mkfLeB3CuX — Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 1, 2020
He explained to Panama City ABC affiliate WMBB: “I’m here today to try to make the point that it’s premature that we open our beaches.
Advertisement
“I’m a huge proponent of public beaches, and I’ve been fighting for that for years, but I think the danger of bringing all the people here to our area and spreading the virus ... I think it’s going to prolong the recovery we have.”
In March, Uhlfelder donned a Hazmat suit to visit Florida governor Ron DeSantis’ mansion to ask him to close the state’s beaches.
When he was denied a meeting, he filed a lawsuit seeking the closure. While his suit was dismissed, DeSantis did ultimately close them.
Some 1,268 coronavirus-linked deaths have been recorded in Florida out of more than 65,000 in the US.
Stay home Florida pic.twitter.com/MV4fyAXvwu — Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) May 1, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-01--Princess Charlotte Helps With Food Deliveries In Photos To Mark Fifth Birthday

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Princess Charlotte’s fifth birthday has been marked by the release of photographs showing the young royal helping to load a van with food and delivering meals for those in need.
Charlotte was volunteering with her parents the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and brothers Prince George and Prince Louis, ahead of her birthday which she celebrates on Saturday.
Advertisement
The princess is shown in two photographs holding white bags of fresh food for pensioners shielding themselves due to the coronavirus outbreak or other vulnerable people in lockdown in Norfolk.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to share four new photographs of Princess Charlotte ahead of her fifth birthday tomorrow.
The images were taken by The Duchess as the family helped to pack up and deliver food packages for isolated pensioners in the local area. pic.twitter.com/2scloP8BlF — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) May 1, 2020
In another image she knocks on the door of an elderly resident as she holds a bag of fresh pasta which William, Kate and their children spent several hours making the day before the delivery.
Four pictures, taken in April by Kate, have been released and the final photograph is a portrait of her daughter smiling as she looks straight at the camera.
Advertisement
PA
The Cambridges got soaked as they made their rounds, likely to be in the area around their home of Anmer Hall which is on the Queen’s Norfolk estate of Sandringham.
Over the past five weeks, the Queen’s Sandringham staff have been preparing and delivering meals for pensioners and vulnerable people living in the local area, Buckingham Palace has said.
Around 1,000 meals were made and delivered in the first week alone.
It is not known if William was behind the wheel of the delivery van which was from the Sandringham Visitor Centre.
The birthday girl’s full title is Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge,.
Advertisement
She was born at the private maternity Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, central London, at 8.34am on May 2 2015, weighing 8lb 3oz.
Kate is a keen amateur photographer and patron of the Royal Photographic Society which has regularly released pictures she has taken of George, six, and Louis, two, to mark their birthdays.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-01--Why The Coronavirus Testing Target Is A Distraction From Other Damning Statistics

Health secretary Matt Hancock arrives in Downing Street. TOLGA AKMEN via Getty Images
You’re reading The Waugh Zone, our daily politics briefing. Sign up now to get it by email in the evening.
Testing Times
There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.
It’s a saying most politicos will have heard – and one, it seems, Matt Hancock is familiar with, too.
Advertisement
With the solemnity dial turned up to 11, the health secretary tonight declared the government had met its “audacious goal” of carrying out 100,000 tests a day by April 30.
Celebrating his “incredible achievement”, he told the British public 122,347 tests were carried out on Thursday.
This sounds impressive and given just a month ago, the figure was closer to 10,000, perhaps it is.
But with around 39,000 accounting for home testing kits mailed out – rather than them being actually used – it’s fair to say the health secretary is bending the truth.
Labour’s Jon Ashworth was quick to point out “ministers promised transparency” from the outset of the Covid-19 crisis, and Hancock’s brass-necked bid to put a positive spin on events could come back to bite him.
Advertisement
Given it was the health secretary, rather than scientists or health experts who insisted on the target, however, it is doubtful the debacle will trouble Boris Johnson’s government for long.
Other statistics made public today could worry the PM much more.
Not least those published by the ONS, which found that people who live in Britain’s poorest areas are twice as likely to die from the disease as those in the most affluent.
Pressed on the issue, Hancock said it was “something we are worried about and looking at” as the pandemic develops.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), meanwhile, has found that per capita deaths among the black Caribbean population in English hospitals are three times those of white British people.
Both findings follow warnings from the Sutton Trust that two-thirds of children have not taken part in online lessons during the lockdown, and that pupils at private schools were more than twice as likely to get daily online tuition.
Advertisement
Amid headlines of job losses, data underlines day by day that it is a damned lie that coronavirus is some great leveller. It’s a disaster which is exacerbating inequality.
And this is a huge problem for a leader who stormed to election victory in December pledging to “level up and unite the country”.
Quote Of The Day
“And when things went wrong, which they did every single day, believe me, we didn’t ask who we could blame, we asked how we could fix it.”
– Matt Hancock on his team working “tirelessly” to reach the testing target.
Cheat Sheet
Matt Hancock has announced the restoration of NHS fertility services now the UK is “past the peak” of the coronavirus outbreak. The health secretary announced the move at the daily Downing Street press conference as he said the country was “restoring the NHS and restoring the chance for so many people couples to start a family”.
The number of people who have died in the UK after contracting Covid-19 has risen by 739 in 24 hours. It brings the total death count to 27,510 and includes people in hospitals as well as in care homes and the community who had tested positive for coronavirus.
Advertisement
The UK’s testing guru professor John Newton has said it is “encouraging” that new evidence emerging out of South Korea suggests those who have fought off coronavirus might develop an immunity afterwards.
What I’m Reading
Putin, Russia’s Man of Action, Is Passive, Even Bored, in the Coronavirus Era - The New York Times
Got A Tip?
Send tips, stories, quotes, pics, plugs or gossip to waugh.zone@huffpost.com.
Subscribe To Commons People


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-01--NHS Fertility Services To Resume Now UK Has Passed Coronavirus Peak

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
Matt Hancock has announced the restoration of NHS fertility services now the UK is “past the peak” of the coronavirus outbreak.
Advertisement
The health secretary announced the move at the daily Downing Street press conference as he said the country was “restoring the NHS and restoring the chance for so many people couples to start a family”.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) said fertility clinics across the UK can apply to reopen from May 11 if they ensure the safety and protection of staff and patients.
Fertility services were temporarily suspended on March 23 in response to the coronavirus lockdown.
Sharing some “really good news”, Hancock said: “Earlier this week I said that we are now able to bring the restoration of NHS services.
“Few families have been untouched by the amazing advances in fertility treatments over the past generation and I know just how time-sensitive treatment can be and how important it is for the families affected.
Advertisement
“And I know that this treatment can change lives for the better forever. So when I say thank you for all of you, everybody watching, for staying at home to protect the NHS, of course I’m saying thank you on behalf of the lives that you’re saving.
“But I’m also saying thanks on behalf of the lives that the NHS can now once again help to create.”
Whilst many private clinics may be able to restart services quickly, the Department of Health and Social Care said it recognises that NHS clinics may require longer to achieve the necessary conditions due to factors including the redeployment of staff in frontline roles.
Therefore, Hancock will write to all Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) this week to confirm they are able to begin resuming fertility treatments to those in their area, either through a private clinic or an NHS service, “to ensure fair provision”.
NHS England and NHS Clinical Commissioners are drawing up guidance for CCGs to put in place a framework for resuming services.
The new guidance will allow clinics to reopen only if they can prove measures to protect staff and patients are in place and will mean individuals and couples looking to start fertility treatment will be able to safely continue to do so.
Advertisement
Social distancing will be required in waiting rooms, telephone appointments could be used where suitable and appropriate Personal Protective Equipment will also be provided where necessary, the Department for Health and Social Care said.
An auditing tool will be used to ensure clinics are complying with the guidelines.
Sally Cheshire, chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, said: “I am pleased that the HFEA has agreed fertility clinics can apply to reopen from May 11.
“Our priority throughout the pandemic has been to consider how treatment could resume quickly and safely for as many patients as possible and our clear plan sets out how clinics can treat and care for patients safely during the continuing Covid-19 pandemic.
“I know that the closure of clinics has been extremely distressing for patients and this will be good news for those wanting to resume treatment and have the opportunity to try for their much longed for family.”
Geeta Nargund, lead consultant for Reproductive Medicine at St George’s Hospital NHS Trust, added: “We are delighted that IVF services are opening soon.
Advertisement
“We thank the government for recognising the distress faced by thousands of women and couples across our nation and acting swiftly to help them.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-01--Matt Hancock Says UK Has Hit Coronavirus 100,000 Tests Target

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
The government has said it successfully met its target of testing 100,000 people per day for coronavirus by the end of April.
Advertisement
But health secretary Matt Hancock has been accused of manipulating the figures to ensure he met the goal he set for himself on April 2.
The deadline for hitting the goal passed on Thursday, but the time lag in reporting data meant the result was not known until Friday.
Hancock announced at today’s Downing Street press conference that 122,347 tests had been conducted on Thursday.
The health secretary said testing was “crucial to suppress the virus” and would “help us to unlock the lockdown”.
Advertisement
It comes as total of 27,510 people have now died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for the illness.
But according to HSJ, the government changed how it counted the numbers as it moved to ensure the health secretary’s pledge was kept.
The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) is said to have started including in its figures tests which were delivered to people’s homes but had yet to be returned to laboratories with a sample.
Justin Madders, Labour’s shadow health minister, said Hancock must “urgently clarify” the process.
“We want the government’s test, isolate and trace strategy to succeed and welcomed expanding who was eligible to get a test, but counting a test put in the post is not the same as a conducted test and getting results,” he said.
“Ministers should focus on making sure these tests are administered effectively rather than moving the goalposts to hit their own arbitrary target.
Advertisement
Lib Dem acting leader Ed Davey said: “The health secretary’s arbitrary target of 100,000 tests by the end of April was always a hostage to fortune, and the truth is, he missed it.
“It’s extremely disappointing the government have decided to massage the metrics rather than admit they fell short, as this will only undermine public confidence.
“Everyone wants the country to succeed in beating this awful disease but the British public won’t be so easily fooled by manipulation.
“It’s deeply regrettable but we’re still miles off the large-scale testing programme that will be an essential part of any plan to ease out of lockdown through a test, trace and isolate approach.”
But Hancock said today the teams who increased capacity, had “joined in one of the greatest national mobilisations we’ve seen”.
Advertisement
“Setting stretching, ambitious goals in a crisis has a galvanising effect on everybody involved. It is a mission,” he said.
“If we hadn’t been so bold, if we’d chosen a safer, easier path, I just can’t see how we would have built the capacity that we need.”
There was a sharp increase in the number of reported tests carried out each day as the deadline approached.
On Monday just 43,453 tests had been conducted, but this jumped to 52,429 on Tuesday and to 81,611 on Wednesday.
Boris Johnson has promised to deliver a “comprehensive plan” next week on how the lockdown may be eased.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-01--Watch Live: Matt Hancock Chairs Coronavirus Press Briefing

Watch Live: Matt Hancock Chairs Coronavirus Press Briefing
Health secretary Matt Hancock hosts the daily coronavirus conference. He is expected to give an update on whether the government met its target for 100,000 tests per day by last night.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-01--UK Records 739 More Coronavirus Deaths In 24 Hours, Bringing Total To 27,510

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
The number of people who have died in the UK after contracting coronavirus has risen by 739 in 24 hours.
Advertisement
It brings the total death count to 27,510 and includes people in hospitals as well as in care homes and the community who had tested positive for coronavirus.
It does not include people who died with suspected Covid-19 but who had not been tested, meaning the true number of deaths may be significantly higher. Here’s a quick primer on what the different numbers mean and how to understand them.
A coronavirus guidelines banner is displayed by an entrance to Victoria Embankment Gardens in London ASSOCIATED PRESS
Of the 352 people who died in England, all but 18 had underlying health conditions. Seventy died yesterday, with the rest dying between March 16 and April 29. The victims were aged 30 to 103.
Advertisement
The figures cover the period up to 5pm on Thursday.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-01--There's No Evidence Coronavirus Was Man-Made In A Chinese Laboratory. Here's What We Know About How

There's No Evidence Coronavirus Was Man-Made In A Chinese Laboratory. Here's What We Know About How It Began

Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
From disinfectants to warm weather, Donald Trump has repeatedly lobbed curveballs into scientific conversations about coronavirus during his daily White House press conferences.
Advertisement
Faced with a startling death toll in his own country, the US president has tried to direct attention to China – the initial epicentre of the outbreak – and its handling of the virus, including claims it could have escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan.
On Thursday evening, speaking to reporters, he speculated about “whether they [scientists in a lab in Wuhan] made a mistake or whether it started off as a mistake and then they made another one – or did somebody do something on purpose?”
Hours earlier, Trump’s own intelligence officials had confirmed the virus had originated in China, with the director of National Intelligence stating: “The intelligence community [the IC] also concurs with the wide scientific consensus that the Covid-19 virus was not man-made or genetically modified.”
Against a backdrop of the president’s repeated suggestions that the virus could have originated from a laboratory setting, the statement added: “The IC will continue to rigorously examine emerging information and intelligence to determine whether the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan.”
Advertisement
But that theory is just a theory. Scientists may not fully understand the nature of the global outbreak of Covid-19, the illness caused by the virus, but there are plenty of ways in which it could have originated.
Here’s what we know now.
Horseshoe bats have been implicated in previous coronavirus outbreaks. Remus86 via Getty Images
Scientists largely agree that the new coronavirus came from bats
Researchers already know that the new virus, SARS-CoV2, has a genetic makeup very similar to those of other known bat viruses ― namely the ones that caused Sars and Mers, two deadly coronaviruses that began spreading in 2002 and 2012 respectively.
Sars, which stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome, was first reported in China, while Mers, or Middle East respiratory syndrome, was first reported in Saudi Arabia.
A Febuary 3 paper published in the journal Nature concluded that the new virus is “96% identical at the whole-genome level to a bat coronavirus,” based on its genome sequence.
Advertisement
Dr Chris Beyrer, an epidemiology professor at Johns Hopkins University, told HuffPost the virus’s natural origins were beyond dispute.
“Once we had the full genome sequence, it lines up so closely with Sars and with Mers there’s no – that is not in debate. This is a bat virus,” he said.
Bats are known for being natural reservoirs of many viruses. The new virus probably came from Chinese horseshoe bats, a small variety with a flattened, leaflike nose.
There is no evidence the virus was engineered in a lab
A widely cited March 17 paper in the journal Nature said it was “improbable” that the new virus had “emerged through laboratory manipulation of a related [...] coronavirus.”
Dr Kristian Andersen, a professor of immunology and microbiology at Scripps Research and an author on the paper, also discouraged the idea that the virus had been man-made, saying in a statement: “We can firmly determine that SARS-CoV-2 originated through natural processes.”
Advertisement
To Dr Yvonne Maldonado, a professor of paediatrics and infectious diseases at Stanford University, the idea that this virus is a synthesised bioweapon amounts to nothing more than a silly conspiracy theory.
“The science shows that this came from animals,” she said.
Scientists at the California-based Scripps Research Institute looked at the genetic template for the spike proteins that protrude from the surface of the virus, which the virus uses to attach the outer walls of its host’s cells and then enter the cells.
Live Science reported that researchers analysed these spikes and compared SARS-CoV-2 to SARS-CoV (the virus that caused the original Sars outbreak), making changes to the genetic code that would result in Covid-19.
But in the computer simulations, the mutations in SARS-CoV-2 didn’t effectively bind the virus to human cells, posing the question: if scientists had developed Covid-19 on purpose, why would they choose a mutation that doesn’t work according to computer modelling?
Scientists therefore concluded that the novel coronavirus was very likely to have mutated organically, due to the fact it appears to have what would have been predicted by computers as an ineffective design. In other words, a manmade virus would have been more obviously geared on a microscopic level towards infecting human cells.
Advertisement
Pangolins are said to be the most illegally trafficked mammal on Earth. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Experts theorise that it jumped from bats to an intermediary creature before infecting humans
A prevailing theory is that the virus made its way from bats to people via another animal, largely based on the earlier outbreaks of Sars and Mers.
The virus that caused the 2002-03 Sars panic is thought to have jumped from bats to civets – a catlike animal native to Asia and Africa – before jumping to humans. The virus that caused Mers likely jumped from bats to camels before infecting its first humans.
Researchers including a team studying the virus at the University of Michigan have suggested that the intermediary animal in the current pandemic might be the pangolin, an unusual mammal prized for its meat and its scales, which are used in some traditional Chinese medicine. Smugglers are widely known to trade the creatures despite a ban on trafficking in China and around the world.
But scientists are far from certain that pangolins were involved in the current crisis. One study cited by The Guardian looked at cell receptors that allow the virus to infect humans; pangolins were found to have similar receptors to humans’, but so did pigs, civets, cows, buffalo, goats, sheep and pigeons.
Advertisement
It’s also possible, although not as likely based on available evidence, that the virus jumped straight from bats to humans.
Chinese officials have said the virus likely began spreading to humans at a wildlife market in Wuhan
The Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market is a wildlife and seafood market in the industrial city of Wuhan that brings humans into close contact with all sorts of animals, which are in close contact with each other.
In addition to typical seafood options, it’s known to offer a wide array of live and butchered wild animals, including baby crocodiles and ostriches. Scientific American called such markets “perfect viral melting pots” in a recent feature on a renowned Chinese bat virus researcher.
“Typically, because the bats are the smallest animals, and they are airborne animals, their cages are typically above the others,” Beyrer said. As a result, urine and faeces from the bats can easily contaminate the other animals.
He added: “And the people are very important because the people who handle these animals, who slaughter and butcher them, are all the same people.”
Advertisement
A widely cited January 24 paper in the journal The Lancet said that of the first 41 Covid-19 patients, 27 of them – nearly two-thirds – had been exposed to that particular seafood market. The genetic material of the virus was also found at the market – more evidence that it provided a launchpad. From there, it continued to spread between people.
Given the potential of wildlife markets for spreading new diseases, the United Nations is calling on China to shutter them for good.
It’s worth noting that the term “wet market” has been widely used to describe the Huanan market, but most wet markets do not sell wild animals, which is why the term “wildlife market” is more accurate. Wet markets are named for the ice used to keep seafood and other items cool.
A worker in Wuhan, China, takes away an escaped giant salamander just caught in Huanan Seafood Market on Jan. 27. The market was shut down due to its connection to the first 2019-nCoV cases. Barcroft Media via Getty Images
But there is also some reason to believe the market was not the only starting place, and the virus had begun circulating earlier
The seafood market scenario is not perfect.
The earliest known Covid-19 patient started showing symptoms in Wuhan on December 1, 2019, but he did not have any known connection to the market, according to the Lancet paper, which was authored by a large group of Chinese researchers.
“No epidemiological link was found between the first patient and later cases,” the paper noted.
And although the bulk of the first 41 patients had contact with the market, generally as workers there, 14 had no link to it.
One of the authors of the Lancet paper, Bin Cao, told Science magazine in a late January email: “Now it seems clear that [the] seafood market is not the only origin of the virus. But to be honest, we still do not know where the virus came from.”
China has also suppressed information on the virus that could provide clarity. Back in January, a doctor who tried sounding the alarm about an impending crisis was forced to sign a document admitting to spreading “rumours”. Others who spoke out in the beginning of the crisis have vanished. China withheld alarming data about infections among health care workers for more than a month, and excluded asymptomatic patients from its total infection tally.
Maldonado said her colleagues in Wuhan have mainly been focused on dealing with the clinical aspects of the crisis so far, and theorised that “the story will probably evolve over time”.
Advertisement
“Most of the early cases did come from that marketplace,” she said, but noted that “we don’t know [if] there may have been earlier cases” that came from elsewhere.
A theory exists that the virus came from a lab accident as researchers in Wuhan were studying bat coronaviruses...
US intelligence officials are looking into whether the current crisis was sparked by an accident at a lab where scientists study bat viruses.
“We are actively and vigorously tracking down every piece of information we get on this topic and we are writing frequently to update policymakers,” an intelligence official told Yahoo News, which noted that the intelligence community “has not come down on any one theory”.
A Washington Post article by columnist Josh Rogin described alarming warnings back in 2017 about conditions at Wuhan labs: “Two years before the novel coronavirus pandemic upended the world, US Embassy officials visited a Chinese research facility in the city of Wuhan several times and sent two official warnings back to Washington about inadequate safety at the lab, which was conducting risky studies on coronaviruses from bats
Advertisement
“The cables have fuelled discussions inside the US government about whether this or another Wuhan lab was the source of the virus – even though conclusive proof has yet to emerge.”
... but, right now, scientists think it’s pretty unlikely
First of all, the fact that bat viruses are being studied in China does not automatically mean the labs are up to something nefarious.
“There are a number of labs in the world that are studying coronaviruses and for which we should all be deeply grateful,” Beyrer said. “We know that there are many, many more [coronaviruses] in nature. Many of them are pathogenic for humans. They need to be studied.”
It may be technically possible for safety protocols to have broken down so badly that a new coronavirus broke free, Beyrer acknowledged, but there is no evidence that happened here. France released a statement to combat the idea “recently circulating in the United States press,” stating unequivocally that “there is to this day no factual evidence” supporting the theory the virus escaped from a lab.
It might take a while for scientists to be sure how and when the pandemic started, but the market seems to have played a large part in its widespread transmission.
Advertisement
There’s also the matter of the pangolin (or other intermediary animal).
“Nobody studying bat coronaviruses would keep pangolins in their lab,” Beyrer said. “They’re not a research animal. That’s further evidence that we need to keep focusing on the abattoir.”
It’s going to take a while to figure out how this virus evolved and why it’s so deadly
“That question may take several months or longer, as people will have to try to find more animals, and look for viruses, and sequence those viruses, and then understand how those genes and those viruses work, and how those are different from the genes in the human virus, and then try to understand how those create symptoms,” Maldonado said.
The current crisis may also prove to be a watershed moment for the global wildlife trade, which thrives on human desire to consume exotic game for food or medicine regardless of the potential cost.
Bats are known to carry many viruses that don’t cause them illness. But if they are coming into regular contact with humans and other animals that are not part of their natural habitat, that gives these viruses an opening.
Human activity has also forced different bat species to live much closer together than they otherwise would, allowing viruses that normally live in one species to spread to others.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-01--Joe Biden Denies Sexual Assault Allegation By Former Senate Staffer

Biden, in response to the allegations of inappropriate touching, acknowledged last year that “social norms are changing”. He said he would be “more mindful about respecting personal space in the future.”
Reade expanded on her allegation in March in separate interviews with The Intercept and with podcast host Katie Halper, detailing her assault claim.
She said Biden became annoyed when she resisted his advances during the incident, and told her that he had heard she “liked” him.
“You’re nothing to me,” she said Biden told her. She said he then shook her shoulders, told her she was “OK” and walked away.
Reade said she complained about Biden’s behaviour to several senior aides, including his then-chief of staff Ted Kaufman. When Biden’s office took no action, she said she filed a formal complaint to the Senate.
After raising her concerns, Reade said she was stripped of most of her duties. She said she was later told by Kaufman that she wasn’t a good fit for the job and to find a new one.
Kaufman told The New York Times in April that he “did not know” Reade and that she had not complained to him about Biden’s conduct. The Biden campaign told the newspaper it does not have the complaint that Reade said she filed.
Marianne Baker, who served as Biden’s executive assistant from 1982 to 2000, said in a March statement that she “never once” witnessed or received any reports of inappropriate conduct.
The New York Times confirmed Reade worked in Biden’s office from December 1992 to August 1993. The newspaper said no other person accused Biden of sexual assault during its investigation into Reade’s allegation.
Several people have corroborated parts of Reade’s story. Former neighbour Lynda LaCasse was quoted in Business Insider saying that Reade told her in 1995 or 1996 that Biden assaulted her.
“This happened, and I know it did because I remember talking about it,” LaCasse told the outlet.
“I remember her saying, here was this person that she was working for and she idolised him,” she added. “She felt like she was assaulted, and she really didn’t feel there was anything she could do.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-02--Two Teenagers Arrested After NHS Worker Stabbed To Death In East London

A family photo of David Gomoh Family handout / Metropolitan Police
Two teenagers have been arrested after an NHS worker was stabbed to death seconds from his home in Newham, East London.
David Gomoh, 24, was stabbed to death in Newham just days before the funeral of his father, who died of a coronavirus-related illness.
Advertisement
The Metropolitan Police said officers arrested a 19-year-old man in Stratford on Friday afternoon while a 17-year-old boy was subsequently arrested at a home in Telford, Shropshire, on Saturday morning.
Both remain in custody.
The attack took place in Freemasons Road, Newham, near Gomoh’s home at around 10.25pm on Sunday, April 26.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-02--Covid Crisis Means Six Month Extension To Brexit Transition ‘Inevitable’, Lidington Warns

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A six-month extension to the UK’s Brexit transition period is now “inevitable” because of the need to prioritise the fight against coronavirus, former Tory cabinet minister Sir David Lidington has warned.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s The Week In Westminster, Theresa May’s former deputy said that the British public would not find it unreasonable to allow a short delay to give more time to hammer out a comprehensive new deal with the EU.
Advertisement
And he suggested that the UK’s ability to import crucial protective equipment for NHS and social care staff would be damaged if there was a ‘no-deal’ outcome after the end of the year.
Talks between the UK and Brussels have resumed in recent weeks, with Downing Street and senior ministers firm in their stance that there should be no extension of the December 2020 deadline for ending the transition period.
Dominic Raab underlined the position in prime minister’s question time and Michael Gove insisted to MPs that it was “perfectly possible” to get a new trade and security relationship agreed before the end of the year.
The Tory manifesto committed the party to opposing any extension and the end-of-year date has now passed into law.
Advertisement
But with just weeks before the June deadline when the UK can last request an extension, some officials on both sides of the English channel believe the sheer complexity of a new deal means they are running out of time.
Sir David Lidington ASSOCIATED PRESS
Lidington, who spent years as Europe minister and oversaw much of the EU negotiations under May, said that both business and the public would be prepared to see a delay because of the need to focus on Covid-19.
“Both in London, and in Brussels and in every European capital, talented officials are being taken off Brexit duty to go and work on COVID and frankly I think that’s exactly what the people in this country and every European country would be expecting their governments to do.
“I’ve thought for some while, however much people don’t want it, both in Brussels and in London, they’ll come to the view that some kind of agreed extension is probably just inevitable.”
Advertisement
“I don’t think it’s in anyone’s interests to delay things indefinitely. If there had to be an extension, perhaps it might only be six months or so.”
Lidington, who stepped down from parliament at the election, said that the June EU summit, which is meant to include a ‘stocktake’ of the Brexit talks, was useful in galvanising the drive towards getting a deal. But the priority for all governments was fighting the disease, he said.
“COVID is soaking up the lion’s share rightly of government attention, time and bandwidth, in every European country.
“It is the number one risk that business throughout Europe is having to deal with, at the moment so I don’t think that the public in any European country, including Britain would find it unreasonable if there was a need to say, look because of Covid we just need to agree to extend this for a bit”
While some in business and many Tory MPs argue that further uncertainty of a delay would be damaging, the former minister said that he was getting a different message from firms worried that a no-deal scenario could make the coronavirus crisis even worse for trading and job security.
Advertisement
Boris Johnson and European Commission president Ursula Von Der Leyen ASSOCIATED PRESS
“The voices I hear from British business is rather different from what you hear from some political quarters, which is that a cliff-edge at the end of 2020 would be seriously bad for them.
“I think we know already that about a third of the economy is on life support at the moment, it’s going to be tough for quite a lot of businesses to recover at all, let alone recover quickly.
“They want an agreement, which is a continued trade with the rest of Europe. That allows goods to go to and fro without customs and tariffs, and with as few checks as it is possible to negotiate.
“And one thing we’ve learned from COVID is that not only are our exports important but our imports and getting them in smoothly, things like PPE, is really important to our well being as well.”
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-02--Victoria Beckham Shares Sweetest Video Tribute To Husband David As He Celebrates 45th Birthday

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Victoria Beckham has once again given fans a peek inside her family album as she celebrated husband David’s 45th birthday on Saturday.
Posh posted the sweetest video on her Instagram, which was made up of videos and pictures from the archives.
Advertisement
Set to The Doobie Brothers’ Long Train Runnin’, it featured David at Disneyland, feeding ducks at the park, playing with Lego and dancing with friend Marc Anthony, as well as moments with their four children and as a couple.
Writing on Instagram, she said: “Happy birthday to the best daddy. Celebrating in lockdown and missing @brooklynbeckham and all our friends and family today. We all love you so much xxx.”
The Beckhams have been isolating in their family home in the Cotswolds during the coronavirus outbreak, while their eldest son Brooklyn is in the US with girlfriend Nicola Peltz.
Advertisement
Victoria celebrated her 46th birthday while in lockdown last month, marking the occasion with a virtual party on social media, when DJ Fat Tony played a selection of her favourite songs live.
Earlier this week, Victoria reversed her decision to furlough staff at her fashion label during the pandemic after coming in for criticism.
The company had been planning to make use of government assistance to furlough a small number of employees, however it is now planning to proceed without state help, according to their spokesperson.
Despite the U-turn, the rep maintained that the company’s original decision “was made in the best interests of trying to protect our staff, and that is still our absolute focus”.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-02--Kim Jong Un Appears In Public After Weeks Of Health Speculation, State Media Reports

Kim Jong Un has made his first public appearance in weeks amid mounting speculation over his health.
According to state media, the North Korean dictator cut the ribbon at the opening of a fertiliser factory in Sunchon at a ceremony with other senior officials.
These included his sister Kim Yo Jong, who many analysts predict would take over if her brother is suddenly unable to rule.
Reports from state media said workers at the factory broke into “thunderous cheers” for Kim, who it said is guiding the nation in a struggle to build a self-reliant economy in the face of “head wind” by “hostile forces”.
It was Kim’s first public appearance since April 11, when he presided over a ruling Workers’ Party meeting to discuss the coronavirus and reappoint his sister as an alternate member of the powerful decision-making Political Bureau of the party’s Central Committee.
Speculation about his health ramped up after he missed the April 15 birthday celebration for his late grandfather Kim Il Sung, the country’s most important holiday, for the first time since taking power in 2011.
The possibility of high-level instability raised troubling questions about the future of the secretive, nuclear-armed state that has been steadily building an arsenal meant to threaten the US mainland while diplomacy between Kim and US president Donald Trump has stalled.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump declined to comment on Kim’s reappearance but said he would “have something to say about it at the appropriate time”.
State media reported Kim was carrying out routine activities outside public view, such as sending greetings to the leaders of Syria, Cuba and South Africa and expressing gratitude to workers building tourist facilities in the coastal town of Wonsan, where some speculated he was staying.
South Korea’s government, which has a mixed record of tracking Pyongyang’s ruling elite, repeatedly downplayed speculation that Kim, believed to be 36, was in poor health following surgery.
It was not immediately clear what caused Kim’s absence in recent weeks, but it’s not the first time he has temporarily disappeared from the public eye.
In 2014, Kim vanished from the public eye for nearly six weeks and then reappeared with a cane. South Korea’s spy agency said he had a cyst removed from his ankle.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-02--Madonna Tests Positive For Coronavirus Antibodies, Says Positively Odd Thing

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Madonna has said she’s tested positive for coronavirus antibodies and would go for a long drive and “breathe in the Covid-19 air.”
In the latest instalment of her Quarantine Diary series of Instagram videos, Madge announced the antibody test results and offered another perplexing comment from her lockdown.
Advertisement
“So tomorrow,” Madonna said, “I’m just going to go for a long drive in a car, and I’m going to roll down the window, and I’m going to breathe in, I’m going to breathe in the Covid-19 air. Yup. I hope the sun is shining.”
A positive antibody test indicates that a person was likely infected with the virus that causes Covid-19. But the CDC still isn’t sure whether that means the person would be immune from becoming infected again.
In March, the Material Girl infuriated some fans by calling the pandemic the “great equalizer” when in fact it has hit people of colour and those with low incomes disproportionately hard. (On the other hand, she recently donated $1 million to the outbreak relief effort.)
Advertisement
Madonna canceled the last few shows of what Rolling Stone deemed her “ill-fated” Madame X tour in March over outbreak concerns. The tour had run into previous problems, including a Madonna injury and a delayed start.
In any case, she ended her rambly thoughts on a hopeful note.
“Here’s the good news,” she said. “Tomorrow’s another day, and I’m going to wake up, and I’m going to feel differently.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-02--Zach Braff Pays Tribute To Scrubs Co-Star Sam Lloyd After Ted Buckland Actor Dies, Aged 56

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Zach Braff has paid tribute to his former Scrubs co-star Sam Lloyd, who has died at the age of 56.
Sam was best known as the lovable but bumbling lawyer Ted Buckland in the hit medical comedy.
News of his death was confirmed by his representatives on Friday night, and came after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour and lung cancer last year.
Sam Lloyd has died at the age of 56 Ethan Miller via Getty Images
Advertisement
Zach, who played John ‘JD’ Dorian on Scrubs, said Sam “could not have been a kinder man” as he paid his respects on Twitter.
He tweeted: “Rest In Peace to one of the funniest actors I’ve ever had the joy of working with. Sam Lloyd made me crack up and break character every single time we did a scene together.
“He could not have been a kinder man. I will forever cherish the time I had with you, Sammy.”
Rest In Peace to one of the funniest actors I’ve ever had the joy of working with. Sam Lloyd made me crack up and break character every single time we did a scene together. He could not have been a kinder man. I will forever cherish the time I had with you, Sammy. pic.twitter.com/wwyvGNbveG — Zach Braff (@zachbraff) May 1, 2020
Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence also paid tribute on Twitter, writing: “Thinking a lot about Sam Lloyd today. (Ted). Truly such a kind, sweet guy. He will be missed by so many.”
Advertisement
Thinking a lot about Sam Lloyd today. (Ted). Truly such a kind, sweet guy. He will be missed by so many. pic.twitter.com/JRzlLKhqHB — Bill Lawrence (@VDOOZER) May 1, 2020
Throughout his time on Scrubs, Sam – an accomplished musician – appeared with his real-life band The Blanks, an a cappella group, to perform a variety of covers.
In the show they appeared under various names, including Ted’s Band and The Worthless Peons.
Sam was also known for his work on sitcom Cougar Town, as well as Malcolm in the Middle, The West Wing and Desperate Housewives.
Most recently, he appeared in the final season of Modern Family.
Sam was the nephew of Back to the Future star Christopher Lloyd and is survived by wife Vanessa and son Weston.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-02--Six Things You Need To Know About Coronavirus Today

The prime minister will next week set out a “road map” detailing how people might get to work and how children can go back to school or into childcare.
Boris Johnson has said he wants to “get our economy moving” but there are concerns that the return to work could see the virus spread on public transport.
The Times reported that commuters could be asked to take their temperature before travelling, and those with an elevated reading – a symptom of Covid-19 – would be expected to stay at home.
A senior government source confirmed the plans are being looked at but stressed they are a “long way” from being policy.
UK deaths could be ‘double’ daily hospital statistics, warns former ONS analyst


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-02--Michael Palin Sparks Confusion With Spoof Article About House Fire

LOADING ERROR LOADING
CLARIFICATION: This story was originally published based on wire copy provided to HuffPost UK in good faith by the PA Media news agency.
It has since come to light that the Idler magazine article written by Sir Michael Palin, on which the story was based, had been intended as a spoof about his recovery from heart surgery, and the events he describes did not actually take place.
Advertisement
Speaking via his representative, Sir Michael said: “The kitchen on fire story is a complete work of fiction, written by me for a regular comic column I contribute to the Idler magazine.” The original story appears below.
Sir Michael Palin Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment
Sir Michael Palin has claimed he was rescued by an elderly neighbour after accidentally setting fire to his house.
The Monty Python star said he was recovering at home after having open heart surgery last September, when he started the blaze.
Advertisement
The 76 year old had been told to do breathing exercises to help with his recovery, but accidentally blew kitchen roll towards a naked flame and it caught fire.
Writing in Idler magazine, Michael said he had his 86-year-old neighbour, who had also just undergone heart surgery, to thank for saving his life.
He claimed: “I leapt up and grasped a hand towel, which briefly smothered the flames before itself catching alight.
“In some alarm now, as flames licked up towards the ceiling, I dialled the emergency services – but the moment we connected, the smoke alarm went off and I couldn’t hear a word they were saying.
“Just caught something about washing my hands which made me realise that, without my glasses on, I’d rung 111 instead of 999. But I washed my hands anyway, and by a fantastic stroke of luck, the loose tap that we never had fixed finally came apart, dousing the ceiling and partially extinguishing the fire.”
Advertisement
At that point, Sir Michael said, his neighbour wrenched open the window and pulled him to safety.
He added: “Thank God he’d been told to take it easy, otherwise he’d have been out playing golf and my house would have been a write-off.”
HuffPost UK has contacted a representative for Sir Michael Palin for additional comment on this story.
Sir Michael underwent his heart operation at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London last year.
A month into his recovery, he told fans that he was no longer feeling like “an old Ford Anglia”.
In a blog post, he wrote: “I’m well on my way to feeling like a one previous owner Golf GTI.
“My chest won’t really be ready for any gold medallions for at least six weeks, and I’m told the ticker, which enlarges to deal with the extra work-load from dysfunctional valves, may take a year to return to normal size.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-02--Europe’s Plans To End Lockdown Reveal Life Isn’t Going Back To Normal

Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
European nations unveiled highly anticipated plans this week to begin relaxing their coronavirus lockdowns, providing the clearest picture yet of what life may look like for the foreseeable future.
Advertisement
“We are starting to glimpse an outcome that will be a reward for the huge collective effort made over the past weeks,” Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez said on Tuesday.
Spain has recorded more than 200,000 cases of the coronavirus – the most in the world after the United States – but the rates of new infections and deaths have fallen steeply in recent weeks. Now, the government plans to gradually lift lockdown restrictions in four stages over the next two months.
“By the end of June, as a country we will be in the new normality, if the evolution of the epidemic is under control in all territories,” Sánchez said.
Other countries, including hard-hit Italy and France, have also outlined the steps they will take to reopen their societies and restart their economies. Officials in many parts of the United States are similarly contemplating when and how they might reopen stores, restaurants, factories, beaches and other venues.
Advertisement
Without a vaccine, authorities acknowledge that we will need to enter into an uneasy coexistence with the virus – a situation that will require adjustments to almost every aspect of daily life.
“This disease isn’t going away,” California governor Gavin Newsom said on Thursday as he announced the closure of beaches in Orange County.
And the plans in Europe make it clear that the “new normal” in many parts of the world will be far different from what came before.
A woman wearing a mask looks at her phone on April 30 in Pamplona, Spain. The Spanish government has unveiled its plan for easing coronavirus lockdown restrictions. Europa Press News via Getty Images
In Spain, as in other countries, the reopening will be tentative. Initially, hairdressers will be able to take appointments – and be required to wear masks and gloves – while restaurants can offer takeaway only. Individuals will be allowed to go outside to exercise, but only during specific hours of the day.
Advertisement
If the infection rate remains low, museums, cafes and places of worship will be allowed to open, but only at 30% capacity. Small groups of people will be able to socialise, and non-contact sports such as tennis will be permitted.
From there, cinemas, theatres and auditoriums will open, also at 30% capacity, and with assigned seating. Restaurants will be allowed to seat diners inside, but capacity will be capped at a third. Outdoor events such as concerts will be held with a maximum of 400 seated attendees.
Bars, nightclubs and beaches will be among the last to reopen, with limited capacity and strict safety protocols in place. People will gradually be allowed to travel and congregate more freely.
To Spaniards who have been confined to their homes for two months under one of the most restrictive lockdowns in Europe, any moves toward reopening society may be cause for celebration. Yet the government’s plan hardly represents a return to life before the coronavirus pandemic, full of bustling shops and restaurants, packed nightclubs and concert halls, and large gatherings with friends and family.
Indeed, it is clear that certain restrictions and safety protocols will remain in place for months – perhaps indefinitely.
Advertisement
People sit at a terrace at Madrid's Plaza Mayor on March 13 as the city's mayor announced that he would order the closure of all outdoor bar and restaurant terraces. Under Spain's plan to ease lockdown restrictions, sidewalk cafes will be allowed to reopen with limited capacity. GABRIEL BOUYS via Getty Images
Social distancing will remain the norm. Only a certain number of customers will be allowed into shops at any one time, and limits may be placed on the number of passengers on buses and trains. People will be encouraged to use face masks when outside their homes, particularly on public transportation.
Anyone who can work from home will be encouraged to do so, while protocols will be established for businesses that require employees to be on-site, including staggered commutes and the use of personal protective equipment.
Restaurants will be required to space out tables so customers can sit a safe distance from each other, and people will need to stand at least 5ft apart from each other at bars. Public venues – theatres, auditoriums, churches and sports arenas – will all need to limit attendance. Gyms will be allowed to open, but locker rooms will remain closed.
The Spanish government, however, has provided little clarity as to how many people will actually be allowed to socialise together, either at restaurants or at home.
Advertisement
“There are no indicators with the exact number of friends who can sit down together, or the number of people who can visit family,” Fernando Simón, Spain’s health emergency chief, said on Wednesday. “All this is being defined as we go. Please understand that we are trying to accomplish in hours or days what would normally take months or years.”
Schools in Spain will remain closed at least until September.
A cashier wearing a mask and gloves stands behind plastic sheeting at a supermarket in Paris on April 8. Such protective measures are likely to become more common as France and other countries lift lockdown restrictions. THOMAS SAMSON via Getty Images
Other countries have outlined similar plans to exit their lockdowns. In France, prime minister Edouard Philippe detailed the country’s exit strategy in a speech to the national assembly on Tuesday, saying that the reopening would be “careful” and “progressive”.
Shops in France will be able to reopen starting on May 11, but the number of customers allowed inside will be curtailed, and social distancing must be maintained. Masks will be required on public transportation, and gatherings will be limited to a maximum of 10 people.
Bars and restaurants, along with large museums, theatres and concert halls, will remain closed until June at least. Events that bring together more than 5,000 people – such as festivals, trade fairs and major sporting events – will not return before September. People will be encouraged to continue working from home.
Advertisement
“We must follow a fine line: too carefree and the epidemic restarts; too cautious and the entire country sinks,” Philippe said. “We must protect French people without immobilising France to the point of collapse.”
In Italy, bars, restaurants and non-essential businesses will gradually reopen starting this month, but schools will remain closed until September. Social distancing will continue to be standard practice.
“If you love Italy, keep your distance,” prime minister Giuseppe Conte told Italians on Sunday.
Customers queue in front of a Monoprix supermarket in Paris on April 28. Chesnot via Getty Images
While the details of each country’s exit strategy differ to varying degrees, together they suggest that certain measures – masks, social distancing, working from home and limited engagement with other people – will become a standard part of life for the foreseeable future.
“The fact is we will not go back to how we were in early March – there will be new norms that will inevitably come off the way in which social distancing is dominating our lives and has affected society,” home secretary Priti Patel told the Home Affairs Committee this week.
Advertisement
“We would expect social distancing in every single work area, whether it’s an office or a construction site, and on public transport going forward.”
On Thursday, Boris Johnson announced the government would reveal its “road map” for easing lockdown restrictions next week – although he stressed that no timetable had been set yet, and that restrictions would not be lifted until the outbreak was under control.
“The dates and times of each individual measure will be very much driven by where we are in the epidemic – what the data is really saying,” Johnson said.
Officials have signalled that certain restrictions and safety protocols will remain necessary, even after the country enters the next phase of its response to the coronavirus.
Johnson hinted that the public may be encouraged to wear face masks, and chief medical adviser Chris Whitty said last week that some degree of social distancing and other restrictions would likely be required for another year, given the lack of a vaccine or treatment for Covid-19.
Advertisement
“If people are hoping that it’s suddenly going to move from where we are now, in lockdown, suddenly into ‘everything’s gone,’ that is a wholly unrealistic expectation,” Whitty said.
“We’re going to have to do a lot of things for really quite a long period of time.”
Sainsbury’s chief exec Mike Coupe said this week that the measures the company has implemented to protect customers and staff are likely to remain in place for months.
“It’s pretty certain that the social distancing, plastic screens, dividers on checkouts will remain for the foreseeable future,” he told the BBC.
Joggers stop to look at the London skyline from Greenwich Park on April 28. Social distancing measures are likely to become a standard part of life for the foreseeable future. Justin Setterfield via Getty Images
As eager as people might be to resume normal life, relaxing restrictions too much or too quickly could be catastrophic.
Advertisement
Germany, which in many ways has served as a model for other countries seeking a path out of lockdown, began to allow shops and schools to reopen last week. This week, however, the rate of coronavirus infections rose slightly, increasing fears about a second wave.
That finding reinforces the need to maintain certain safety protocols, according to Lothar Wieler, the head of Germany’s Robert Koch Institute.
“Let us continue to stay at home as much as possible, keep observing the restrictions and keep a distance of 1.5 metres from one another,” Wieler said.
As other countries around the world begin to relax their lockdown measures, that general guidance will likely apply to them as well.