bbcuk--2020-04-02--Coronavirus: 'Transmission rate may have fallen below one', says NHS England

In the government ’ s latest coronavirus briefing , Steve Powis from NHS England has said there was early academic @ @ @ @ @ transmission rate may have fallen below one '' .
However , he said this would @ @ @ @ @ into changes '' and said everyone should continue complying with measures .

In the government’s latest coronavirus briefing, Steve Powis from NHS England has said there was early academic evidence that showed the "transmission rate may have fallen below one".
However, he said this would take time to "translate into changes" and said everyone should continue complying with measures.


bbcuk--2020-04-02--Matt Hancock: 'I'll stop at nothing to protect frontline staff'

' I 'll stop at nothing to protect frontline staff' Matt Hancock says he 'll make sure that NHS staff @ @ @ @ @ be safe and do their jobs .

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said he'll make sure that NHS staff have the right equipment to be safe and do their jobs.
The West Suffolk MP was speaking at his first press conference since testing positive for coronavirus.


bbcuk--2020-04-02--These are the hands - by Michael Rosen, poem read by Sophie Raworth

BBC presenter Sophie Raworth reads These Are The Hands by Michael Rosen .
The former children 's laureate is currently @ @ @ @ @ , with suspected coronavirus .
The poem is published in These Are The Hands : @ @ @ @ @ the NHS .
All proceeds from the book will go to the NHS Charities Covid @ @ @ @ @ part of a series featuring the BBC 's correspondents and presenters bringing you a favourite @ @ @ @ @ that may inspire or console - or both .

BBC presenter Sophie Raworth reads These Are The Hands by Michael Rosen.
The former children's laureate is currently in intensive care in hospital, with suspected coronavirus.
The poem is published in These Are The Hands: Poems from the Heart of the NHS. All proceeds from the book will go to the NHS Charities Covid Appeal.
The reading is part of a series featuring the BBC's correspondents and presenters bringing you a favourite poem or piece of prose that may inspire or console - or both.


bbcuk--2020-04-02--Cat rescued after day on top of electricity pole near Peterborough

A cat spent 24 hours stuck at the top of a 9m ( 30ft ) electricity pole between two live @ @ @ @ @ The RSPCA was called to Farcet , near Peterborough , on 1 April by local @ @ @ @ @ run up the pole to escape a dog the day before , but had hoped @ @ @ @ @ himself .
The charity said the cat is believed to be semi-feral , lives in @ @ @ @ @ people in the village .
Insp Steve Reeves said : `` Once he was safely @ @ @ @ @ I checked the cat over for any bumps or scrapes , but as he seemed @ @ @ @ @ , we released him back to his little kingdom . ''

A cat spent 24 hours stuck at the top of a 9m (30ft) electricity pole between two live cables before being rescued.
The RSPCA was called to Farcet, near Peterborough, on 1 April by local residents, who saw him run up the pole to escape a dog the day before, but had hoped he would come back down himself.
The charity said the cat is believed to be semi-feral, lives in outbuildings and is well-known to people in the village.
Insp Steve Reeves said: "Once he was safely down from the post, I checked the cat over for any bumps or scrapes, but as he seemed to be in good health, we released him back to his little kingdom."


bbcuk--2020-04-02--The Papers: Test pledge as government admits to virus mistakes

In other coronavirus news , the Metro reports that the UK ’ s death toll from the disease – nearly @ @ @ @ @ month – is far more than France and Spain at the same stage of their @ @ @ @ @ the figures fuel fears that a lack of testing and vital equipment has left Britain @ @ @ @ @ of the most severely affected nations .

It says hopes for a dramatic but brief downturn followed by a quick recovery have faded, and in their place are fears that the world may be on the cusp of an economic shock unseen since the Great Depression.


bbcuk--2020-04-02--Coronavirus: Addenbrooke's Hospital using 'game-changer' test machine

A hospital has become the first in the UK to start using a quicker coronavirus test for staff and patients .
Addenbrooke 's Hospital in Cambridge has begun to use the new Samba II machines , which give results in 90 minutes as opposed to the current 24 hours .
The test has been adapted from an on-the-spot HIV test .
Businessman Sir Chris Hohn - who donated nearly £2.5m to roll the test out nationwide - said it could be a `` game-changer '' .
Professor Ravi Cupta , from the Cambridge Institute for Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're expecting a large number of cases in the next few weeks and rapidly diagnosing patients with or without Covid-19 will enable us to triage much more effectively at the front door .
`` That is going to be critical to maintaining safe and effective care for these individuals . ''
The Samba II machine looks for tiny traces of genetic material belonging to the virus , amplifies it and then uses it to detect an infection .
It is faster than existing tests , some of which look for antigens - the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bind - or antibodies , which show that an individual is currently or has previously been infected .
• Coronavirus - Updates from the East of England Patients provide a nasal and throat swab and Addenbrooke 's said it will help direct those who test positive for the infection to dedicated wards .
The hospital added it would also identify healthcare workers who have the disease and help those who test negative to return to the front line .
Sir Chris Hohn 's donation will enable the purchase of 100 Samba II machines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 .
Dr Helen Lee , CEO of Diagnostics for Real World , which developed the test , added : `` Our goal has always been to make cutting-edge technology so simple and robust that the Samba machine can be placed literally anywhere and operated by anyone with minimum training . ''
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• STRESS : How to protect your mental health • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak

Professor Ravi Cupta, from the Cambridge Institute for Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, told the BBC: "We're expecting a large number of cases in the next few weeks and rapidly diagnosing patients with or without Covid-19 will enable us to triage much more effectively at the front door.


bbcuk--2020-04-02--Scottish coronavirus deaths increase by 50

New figures have shown that a further 50 people with coronavirus have died in Scotland , bringing the total to 126 .
Nicola Sturgeon said the figure included 10 deaths over the past 24 hours , as well as a further 40 from previous days .
The Scottish government said 2,602 people had now tested positive for the virus , up from 2,310 on Wednesday .
The first minister said `` every single death from this virus is a tragedy '' and that her thoughts were with families .
She also confirmed that there are 1,282 patients currently in hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of whom 162 are in intensive care .
• Coronavirus in Scotland : How many cases are there ?
Ms Sturgeon said delays in notifying families about deaths via one laboratory was behind the additional 40 deaths being added to the overall figure on Thursday .
However the Scottish government is also changing the way it compiles data on the number of coronavirus deaths in the country .
Only laboratory-confirmed cases reported by health boards are currently counted , but records from the death registration process will soon be added to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figures will also start to include all deaths where the virus is officially `` suspected '' to have been a factor , even if it has not been confirmed by testing .
Ms Sturgeon said this would increase the number of deaths on record , but would not speculate about how significant this could be .
She said she was `` determined that information continues to be as accurate , comprehensive and up to date as possible '' and that her government will be `` as transparent as we can be '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ today exposes another gap in our knowledge of how this epidemic is advancing .
The rise in deaths by an additional 40 previously unknown or undeclared cases may be , as was explained , down to a single lab not officially recording the deaths as they happened .
We are expecting more information on how this number of deaths was missed .
Although the chief medical officer told me she was not surprised by the increase , it does seem to mean we are further along the curve monitoring deaths than it previously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moving to a new definition of coronavirus deaths , relying on details from the National Records of Scotland so that anyone whose death certificate mentions Covid-19 will now be included in the daily totals .
Today 's figures also underline how much information we do n't know about the people behind the numbers of deaths in Scotland .
For example , we do n't have a breakdown of ages , gender , how many had underlying conditions , or how long they were in intensive care for .
The government says that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of deaths means that patient confidentiality is no longer such an issue .
We are expecting to get much more of this detail next week and a fuller picture of the impact of this pandemic in Scotland .
The first minister also said testing for the virus had been `` very rapidly expanded '' , with a focus on testing key workers including healthcare staff and their families .
She said the government initially had capacity to test around 390 samples a day , but that figure has risen to 1,900 tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carrying out 3,500 a day by the end of April at the latest .
Ms Sturgeon said ministers were continuing to look at ways of expanding testing and were taking part in `` four country initiatives with the rest of the UK '' to add to capacity .
But she said due diligence had to be carried out before new laboratories could be used to make sure testing is safe and has high quality standards .
And she stressed that testing key workers did not in and of itself mean they could return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't think testing is a side issue , but I want to be very clear what testing can and can not achieve .
`` It tells us right now whether someone with symptoms has the virus or not - it does n't tell us if they 're going to get symptoms , or whether , once they 've recovered , they had the virus . ''
Ms Sturgeon said there was not an `` either/or '' choice between testing and social distancing , saying there was `` no quick fix '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this phase of our lives to be over as soon as possible , but it 's unlikely this will be in us a few weeks .
We are in this for the long haul .
`` I know how tough this is , but please , please stick with it - you are helping us save lives . ''
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak

She said: "We all want this phase of our lives to be over as soon as possible, but it's unlikely this will be in us a few weeks. We are in this for the long haul.


bbcuk--2020-04-02--Coronavirus: Nurses demand answers on PPE supply

A nurses ' union has urged Stormont ministers to provide more clarity on the supply of personal protection equipment ( PPE ) and tests .
The Royal College of Nursing ( RCN ) in Northern Ireland has written to ministers voicing its concerns .
A GP and a social worker have also spoken to BBC News NI about the situation .
Health Minister Robin Swann said that `` every conceivable effort '' was being made , but there was no `` quick fix '' .
• EASY STEPS : How to keep safe • A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it means to self-isolate • HEALTH MYTHS : The fake advice you should ignore • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak RCN Director Pat Cullen said its members were very concerned that they are not getting access to the PPE they need .
She said : `` We must , as a matter of urgency , get absolute clarity about how much stock we have , where it is , how is it being distributed and how much is definitely on the way .
`` We will no longer accept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facts . ''
• Six more coronavirus-related deaths in NI Ms Cullen also voiced concern that testing kits made in Northern Ireland were being sent to the rest of the UK .
Meanwhile , a County Fermanagh GP has said that doctors are “ very concerned ” about the lack of PPE available .
Dr John Porteous said health staff “ need to know more is coming ” .
Mr Porteous works in Lisnaskea at a practice with nine doctors and more than 14,000 patients .
He said his surgery was given just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and a further 12 packs last week .
“ We obviously have a small number of these kits so we have to conserve those for those higher risk consultations and , at this point , we would see that would be more likely to happen [ during ] home visiting when , maybe , an elderly person or someone who is not able to move needs to be seen and examined up close , ” he said .
Mr Porteous said that health authorities asked for only two doctors from the practice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , known as FFP 3 masks .
He added that his staff are `` all feeling very uneasy and a bit scared '' .
One social worker , who spoke anonymously to BBC News NI , said that many of his colleagues were self-isolating , and one entire team has tested positive for Covid-19 .
`` We are dealing with intense domestic situations , and we just do not have the PPE to deal with those situations , '' he said .
`` You are asking staff to risk themselves or buy their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around 300 social workers got three bags of PPE with each bag consisting of two masks , two sets of gloves , two aprons and a disposable bag , no hand sanitizer , and nothing else , ” he said .
The social worker said staff “ would have expected that multiplied by 100 ” .
He added : “ I 'm a father of children , I take every precaution I can , but my concern is you can only do so much .
I 'm concerned about passing this on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Swann has acknowledged the scale of staff and public frustration on the issues of testing and PPE , he said the Department of Health has faced “ significant ” challenges .
“ The situation with PPE supply has been made more challenging by the fact that supply routes from China , a leading global provider , were closed until recently , ” added Mr Swann .

“We obviously have a small number of these kits so we have to conserve those for those higher risk consultations and, at this point, we would see that would be more likely to happen [during] home visiting when, maybe, an elderly person or someone who is not able to move needs to be seen and examined up close,” he said.


bbcuk--2020-04-02--Coronavirus: Man jailed after hospital visit social media boast

A man who boasted on social media of visiting a hospital without a medical reason has been jailed for 12 weeks .
Kierran Stevenson , 32 , said he visited several parts of Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire , which is treating coronavirus patients .
Police said his actions had caused distress and disruption to hospital staff and the public .
Stevenson , of Aylesbury , was jailed by Oxford magistrates after pleading guilty to causing a public nuisance .
He also admitted breaking the government 's emergency movement restrictions by his visit on Monday , and was ordered to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Det Ch Insp Lewis Prescott-Mayling said : `` Stevenson 's actions were reckless in attending the hospital without a genuine medical need .
`` He has ignored the government advice , the clear signage at the hospital and caused upset to members of the public and NHS staff following his social media posts .
In doing so he has breached the law . ''
The hospital is currently closed to visitors and those with non-urgent appointments .
Neil Macdonald , chief executive of Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust , thanked police for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support in `` challenging times '' .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
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"He has ignored the government advice, the clear signage at the hospital and caused upset to members of the public and NHS staff following his social media posts. In doing so he has breached the law."


bbcuk--2020-04-03--Coronavirus: Nightingale Hospital opens at London's ExCel centre

The first of the government 's emergency field hospitals to treat coronavirus patients has opened in east London 's ExCel centre .
The temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital is able to hold as many as 4,000 patients and be staffed by NHS medics with help from the military .
Prince Charles paid tribute to staff as he opened the hospital via video link .
Similar hospitals are planned for Belfast , Cardiff , Glasgow , Birmingham , Manchester , Harrogate and Bristol .
The ExCel exhibition space - usually used for large events such as Crufts and Comic Con - was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days .
It is the first of several Nightingale Hospitals planned in England , with latest two to be announced to be built at the University of the West of England in Bristol and the Harrogate Convention Centre .
Others are due to open at Birmingham 's National Exhibition Centre and Manchester 's Central Complex .
In Wales , more than 6,000 extra beds are being set up in temporary hospitals - many in sports and leisure facilities , including Cardiff 's Principality Stadium .
And in Scotland , a temporary hospital is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Campus ( SEC ) .
It could have capacity for as many as 1,000 beds and will be named the NHS Louisa Jordan after a nurse who served in Serbia during World War One .
• How the UK 's newest hospital was built in nine days Prince Charles officially opened the new hospital with a message paying tribute to NHS staff via video-link from his home on the royal Balmoral estate in Scotland .
Speaking after coming out of seven days of self-isolation earlier this week after being diagnosed with the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and almost unbelievable feat of work '' .
It shows `` how the impossible could be made possible and how we can achieve the unthinkable through human will and ingenuity , '' he added , saying : `` In this dark time , this place will be a shining light . ''
London 's Nightingale hospital initially has 500 beds in place , with space for another 3,500 .
It will care for patients with the virus in intensive care who have been transferred from other London hospitals .
Staff from across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ student nurses , medical students who have started work early and former doctors , nurses and other staff who have come out of retirement .
Also at the ceremony was Health Secretary Matt Hancock - who also recently came out of quarantine after having the virus - as well as England 's chief nursing officer , Ruth May , and the head of NHS Nightingale , Prof Charles Knight .
Representatives from the Ministry of Defence , contractors and volunteers were also there .
Ms May said it was `` absolutely fitting '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nightingale , who was an `` iconic nursing leader of her time '' and a `` pioneer for infection control '' .
• Read : The lady without the lamp Mr Hancock said the hospital showed `` the best of the NHS '' and `` the best of Britain '' .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak • STRESS : How to look after your mental health According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the UK have died with the virus .
The total is up by 569 from 2,352 the day before , which was the biggest day-on-day increase so far .
Earlier , amid controversy over the roll-out of testing for coronavirus in the UK , Mr Hancock said the government had `` a huge amount of work to do '' to meet its target of 100,000 tests a day in England by the end of April .
`` It 's got to happen .
I 've got a plan to get us there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goal and it 's what the nation needs , '' he said .
The 100,000 could include both swab tests , that check if someone has the virus , and antibody blood tests , to check if someone has had the virus recently - but which have not yet come into widespread use .
Labour has called for more details on the plan , with shadow chancellor John McDonnell telling BBC Breakfast a breakdown of the type of tests that would make up the 100,000 target was needed .
Mr Hancock said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tests to meet the goal .
It was possible almost all of them would be swab tests used to determine whether a person currently had coronavirus , he told BBC Radio 4 's Today programme .
There has been growing pressure from frontline NHS staff for the government to make more swab tests available to medics and their families .
so key staff who are healthy but currently in self-isolation can return to work .
Mr Hancock said 35,000 NHS staff were currently off work because they or a member of their household @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there was capacity for 12,799 daily tests in England - although just 10,650 people were tested .
The government 's target by mid-April had been to test 25,000 per day .
• 560 new ventilators have been manufactured following a call for help from industry • The BBC has announced it will offer the biggest education push in its history to help parents and children in virus lockdown • A 36-year-old NHS nurse has died after spending weeks in intensive care with coronavirus • Heathrow will close one of its runways next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • On Thursday evening , people across the UK took part in a second `` Clap for Carers '' tribute , saluting NHS staff and other key workers

The 100,000 could include both swab tests, that check if someone has the virus, and antibody blood tests, to check if someone has had the virus recently - but which have not yet come into widespread use.


bbcuk--2020-04-03--Coronavirus: Nurse Areema Nasreen dies with Covid-19

A nurse with coronavirus has died after spending weeks in intensive care .
Areema Nasreen , 36 , had been on a ventilator at Walsall Manor Hospital where she also worked .
The death of the mother-of-three has been confirmed to the BBC by Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust 's chief executive Richard Beeken .
Mr Beeken said they had hoped to take Ms Nasreen off the ventilator as she had started to show signs of improvement but she then deteriorated .
Speaking to Sky News early last week , Ms Nasreen 's sister Kazeema , 22 , said her normally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ annual leave when she first started showing symptoms .
Fellow nurse Rubi Aktar has paid tribute to Ms Nasreen on social media : `` She was the most loveliest , genuine person you could ever meet , she went above and beyond for everyone she met .
`` I am so broken that words ca n't explain .
I ca n't believe I will not see your smile again . ''
West Midlands mayor Andy Street tweeted : `` Such tragic news this morning , my heart goes out to Areema 's family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the West Midlands are risking their lives day after day to protect us , the least we can do to help them is follow government advice . ''
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"She was very bubbly, full of life. She was a fantastic role model to Asian women, she married young and had children but then wanted to pursue her dream in nursing, became a nurse and absolutely loved her job, she was completely dedicated to it, she'd go out of her way to help people."


bbcuk--2020-04-03--Coronavirus: Test goal will take 'huge amount of work', says Hancock

Health Secretary Matt Hancock says the government has `` a huge amount of work to do '' to meet its target 100,000 coronavirus tests a day in England .
Mr Hancock said he was not relying on new antibody blood tests to meet the goal , which was announced after criticism of the UK 's testing strategy .
`` It 's got to happen .
I 've got a plan to get us there , I 've set it as a goal and it 's what the nation needs , '' he said .
Labour has called for more details @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involved .
It comes as a field hospital with capacity for as many as 4,000 critically ill patients with coronavirus is to be opened in east London .
The Prince of Wales will officially open London 's new NHS Nightingale Hospital at the ExCeL convention centre via a video link from his Scottish home .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak • STRESS : How to look after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told BBC Breakfast a breakdown of the type of tests that would make up the 100,000 figure was needed and urged Mr Hancock to provide more detail .
Mr Hancock told BBC Radio 4 's Today programme it was possible almost all of them would be swab tests used to determine whether a person currently had coronavirus .
He said the tests would also include 500 highly-accurate antibody blood tests - to detect whether someone has already had coronavirus - performed each day by Porton Down - the military 's science laboratory .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ mass screening had so far failed to meet the required accuracy standard and so would not be relied upon to meet the new goal , he added .
`` We 've got an awful lot of work to do to make it happen , '' Mr Hancock said .
The pledge to test 100,000 people a day by the end of the month seems incredible at this point - especially as Health Secretary Matt Hancock has clarified his statements last night to say almost all the tests will be the diagnostic swab tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all , it has taken weeks to just get to 10,000 tests being done a day .
Facilities wise , he is planning to use the national Public Health England labs and hospital labs currently being used along with resources at universities , research institutes and private companies .
But this is not really the problem - the hospital labs alone could do 100,000 tests in theory .
The big problem has been the shortage of testing kits and chemicals - he must be confident this supply line will be easing in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wider introduction of quicker swab testing processes that do n't rely on the chemical reagents .
There has been growing pressure from frontline NHS staff for the government to make more swab tests available to medics and their families .
so key staff who are healthy but currently in self-isolation can return to work .
Mr Hancock said 35,000 NHS staff were currently off work because they or a member of their household had had coronavirus symptoms .
He confirmed patients with suspected coronavirus would be first in line for swab tests , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical workers '' , including medical staff and their families , social care workers , prison and police officers .
Speaking about his own experience with coronavirus following his diagnosis last week , he told Today : `` It was pretty worrying especially on the way down because you know how serious this infection can be .
`` But after two days or so which were pretty unpleasant - like having glass in your throat and a cough - thankfully I turned a corner and I 've recovered . ''
Mr Hancock announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 100,000 target on Thursday , following days of criticism of the government 's record on testing .
This involves increasing the number of swab tests through an expansion of centralised testing facilities and additional partnerships with commercial entities , while also introducing an antibody blood test and surveillance to determine the rate of infection .
Research institutes and universities would be processing increased numbers of tests alongside Public Health England efforts , he said .
However , Prof David McCoy , of Queen Mary University , cautioned that testing was not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Thursday showed the number of people with the virus who have died in the UK had risen by 569 , taking the total to 2,921 as of 17:00 BST on Wednesday .
On Wednesday , there was capacity for 12,799 daily tests in England - although just 10,650 people were tested .
The government 's target by mid-April had been to test 25,000 per day .
Latest figures show 163,194 people in the UK have so far been tested for the virus , of which 33,718 were confirmed positive .
Doubt has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` immunity certificates '' being given to people who have recovered from coronavirus .
On Thursday , Mr Hancock , who was making his first public appearance since going into self-isolation after contracting coronavirus , said the government was considering the idea to allow people to `` get back , as much as possible , to normal life '' .
But Eleanor Riley , professor of immunology and infectious disease at the University of Edinburgh , said such certificates would give people a `` sense of false security '' about the disease .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ officially opening - less than two weeks after military personnel , working with NHS managers and clinicians , began transforming the ExCeL conference and exhibition centre into a giant hospital .
• 560 new ventilators have been manufactured following a call for help from industry • The BBC has announced it will offer the biggest education push in its history to help parents and children in virus lockdown • A 36-year-old NHS nurse has died after spending weeks in intensive care with coronavirus • Two more temporary hospitals are to be built , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close one of its runways next week as air traffic continues to fall • The government is writing off £13.4bn of historic NHS debt , so that hospital trusts are in a `` stronger position '' to deal with the outbreak • Premier League footballers should take a pay cut to help the UK respond to the crisis , Mr Hancock said , after some clubs were criticised for using a government scheme to cut the salaries of non-playing staff , while paying players in full • PHE updated its guidance on when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have you been affected by the issues relating to coronavirus ?
Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .
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The pledge to test 100,000 people a day by the end of the month seems incredible at this point - especially as Matt Hancock has clarified his statements last night to say almost all the tests will be the diagnostic swab tests rather than the antibody test.


bbcuk--2020-04-03--Dr William Frankland, allergy scientist pioneer, dies aged 108

Dr William Frankland , a British immunologist who transformed the world 's understanding of allergies , has died aged 108 .
His pioneering work included developing the idea of a pollen count to help hay fever sufferers .
Dr Frankland , whose medical career spanned 70 years , was known as `` the grandfather of allergy '' .
As a British army doctor in World War Two , he spent three-and-a-half years in Japanese prisoner of war camps .
Historian Dan Snow tweeted he would never forget meeting Dr Frankland , who he called `` one of the greatest Britons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology , said he was `` an enormous inspiration to many '' , adding that he would be `` sorely missed but very fondly remembered '' .
Dr Frankland , known as Bill , gave an interview ahead of his 108th birthday on 19 March , saying his longevity was down to luck .
He said : `` I ’ ve come close to death so many times – from the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic , three-and-a-half years spent as a Japanese prisoner of war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insect bite – but somehow I ’ ve always managed to miss it and that 's why I ’ m still here . ''
He also revealed that his birthday celebrations were being affected by the coronavirus outbreak as his care home had closed its doors to visitors .
`` My birthday this year will be quite different , '' he said .
`` I ’ ve been given a special request to have two of my children visit for a short while , but they will have to keep at a safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was made an MBE in 2015 for his services to allergy research , is survived by four children .
His wife Pauline died in 2002 .
Born in Battle , Sussex , in 1912 , Dr Frankland grew up in Cumbria .
He went on to study medicine at the University of Oxford and worked at St Mary 's Hospital in Paddington , London , before World War Two intervened .
He signed up to the Royal Army Medical Corps ( RAMC ) , but spent over three of the six years he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of war in Singapore .
During his 70-year long career in medicine , based mostly at St Mary ’ s Hospital , he worked for Sir Alexander Fleming , who discovered penicillin .
His career in immunology began in the 1950s at St Mary 's , where he worked with patients who suffered from seasonal hay fever .
He set up a pollen trap on the roof of the hospital to identify different types of pollen in the air and , along with his team , created a pollen count system that led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

"My birthday this year will be quite different," he said. "I’ve been given a special request to have two of my children visit for a short while, but they will have to keep at a safe distance."


bbcuk--2020-04-03--Coronavirus: Woman 'wrongly charged under new law'

British Transport Police has admitted wrongly charging a woman who was fined £660 under coronavirus legislation .
Marie Dinou , 41 , from York , was arrested at Newcastle Central Station on Saturday after she refused to tell police why she needed to travel .
She was fined by magistrates for breaching the Coronavirus Act .
A police and Crown Prosecution Service review said she was charged under the wrong part of the act .
The court will be asked to set the conviction aside .
`` There will be understandable concern that our interpretation of this new legislation has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said British Transport Police Deputy Chief Constable Adrian Hanstock .
`` This was in circumstances where officers were properly dealing with someone who was behaving suspiciously in the station , and who staff believed to be travelling without a valid ticket . ''
Mr Hanstock said his officers were `` rightfully challenging her unnecessary travel '' .
He added : `` Regardless , we fully accept that this should n't have happened and we apologise . ''
The BTP said she was incorrectly charged under schedule 21 of the Coronavirus Act and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the matter .
• EASY STEPS : How to keep safe • A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• GETTING READY : How prepared is the UK ?
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Mr Hanstock said frontline officers had since been provided with the latest guidance from the National Police Chiefs ' Council to help them interpret the new legislation .
`` I must remind the public that officers will continue to engage with people and seek to understand their reasons for their journeys , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determine that there is no justifiable purpose for them being on the transport network , we will explain to the public why they should not travel . ''
Under Schedule 21 of the Coronavirus Act it is illegal to fail to comply with the instructions of police officers without reasonable excuse .
The maximum penalty is a fine of £1,000 .

"Where we determine that there is no justifiable purpose for them being on the transport network, we will explain to the public why they should not travel."


bbcuk--2020-04-03--BBC offers biggest online education push 'in its history'

The BBC will offer daily programmes to help parents and children with schoolwork at home during the lockdown .
Starting on 20 April , videos , quizzes , podcasts and articles will appear on BBC Bitesize Daily via the BBC iPlayer , red button , BBC Four and BBC Sounds .
BBC director general Tony Hall called it `` the biggest education effort the BBC has ever undertaken . ''
The corporation said every child in the UK would `` have their education supported '' and it has teamed up with organisations such as the Royal Shakespeare Company , Premier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lessons fresh .
The initiative will include 14 weeks of core subject learning to offer `` rhythm and routine '' for pupils `` whatever your child 's age '' .
'Life 's been turned on its head' CBBC presenter Karim Zeroual told BBC Breakfast : `` Lots of people will be enjoying being home with their children , but ... parents are trying to build different roles - the mum and dad and the teacher - and that 's really tough .
`` I know my sister is struggling with that , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a fact the BBC 's going to help my close friends and family , trying to give people a helping hand . ''
He said the BBC was offering six 20-minute programmes on air daily on BBC iPlayer and red button , and would cover core subjects including Maths , English and science , with guidance from experts and teachers .
`` Life 's been turned on its head this will hopefully show people that support is there , with lessons for the whole day if you choose to use them , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the curriculum would be for years one to 10 , and that for Year 10s there would be an Instagram live with a teacher and experts exploring questions asked by pupils .
`` The answers they 'll get and the immediate effect from the teacher will be great , '' he said .
Lord Hall said the `` comprehensive package is something only the BBC would be able to provide '' adding : `` We are proud to be there when the nation needs us , working with teachers , schools and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support to keep their learning going - come what may '' .
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson highlighted the experience of many families , saying : `` As a parent , I know encouraging children to learn at home is no easy task and I am delighted that the BBC has worked with experts and exceptional teachers to create this educational package . ''
Culture Secretary , Oliver Dowden added that this was `` public service broadcasting at its best '' , and it will `` make a big difference to millions of children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
`` I 'm delighted the BBC is working closely with the government to help make sure our children are educated , informed and entertained during these challenging times . ''
The content will be divided into age groups and BBC Bitesize online will publish a new Maths and English lesson for every child every day with more subjects to follow .
The lessons will be nation specific , and the BBC has `` worked closely '' with teachers plus `` trusted education providers such as Twinkl and White Rose Maths , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Welsh Government , Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive '' .
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Lord Hall said the "comprehensive package is something only the BBC would be able to provide" adding: "We are proud to be there when the nation needs us, working with teachers, schools and parents to ensure children have access and support to keep their learning going - come what may".


bbcuk--2020-04-03--Coronavirus: Hospital phone charges 'scandalous'

Families have called on a company providing a phone service for hospital patients to cut their charges during the Covid-19 crisis .
Irene Simpkin , who was charged more than £11 for calling her 87-year-old mother amid a ban on visitors , said Hospedia was `` very greedy '' .
The justice secretary has asked Hospedia to temporarily drop its charges while a Labour MP described the situation as `` scandalous '' .
The company is yet to respond .
Ms Simpkin 's 87-year-old mother Odile has been in Southport and Formby District General Hospital for almost a fortnight after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fall .
On Saturday , Ms Simpkins made a 16-minute call to her and was charged £11.33 .
`` I thought that it was flipping outrageous , just horrendous .
I just think it 's very , very greedy , '' she said .
`` There are so many people making concessions , why do these companies continue to cash in ?
`` While all this is going on , can they not just make some sort of a deal where they cut those costs ? ''
Hospedia 's website says its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It offers TV units , which attract a daily fee , and premium rate telephones at a patient 's bedside .
According to its latest accounts , profits increased nearly six-fold last year to more than £2.5m .
Sophie Connolly , from Runcorn , Cheshire , was charged £1.72 for making a three-minute call to her 87-year-old grandfather Alan in Warrington Hospital , which has also stopped visiting for relatives .
She said she would `` love to phone my granddad every day but I simply ca n't afford to . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said she was `` made to feel that it was a bargain '' .
Justice Secretary Robert Buckland tweeted on Tuesday that he had written to Hospedia requesting it `` temporarily drop their charges , for patients affected by the current coronavirus situation . ''
Rosie Cooper , the Labour MP for West Lancashire and a member of the Health Select Committee , said : `` It is scandalous that , at a time of a pandemic with thousands of patients admitted to hospital with coronavirus , that relatives and friends can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital and speak with their loved ones .
`` Businesses across the country and in various sectors have made changes to reflect this period battling the pandemic yet Hospedia seem content for the public to be charged as much as £10 for a call to a patient due to their use of premium rate numbers . ''
The Patients ' Association said the phone is vitally important to many patients .
`` With so many other companies making content and services available for free or at reduced rates , we would very much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients in hospital will take a generous and compassionate approach to their charges . ''
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Rosie Cooper, the Labour MP for West Lancashire and a member of the Health Select Committee, said: "It is scandalous that, at a time of a pandemic with thousands of patients admitted to hospital with coronavirus, that relatives and friends can be charged a fortune to phone the hospital and speak with their loved ones.


bbcuk--2020-04-03--Coronavirus: Royals call colleagues of Amged El-Hawrani

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have phoned colleagues of one of the first frontline NHS hospital workers to die after contracting coronavirus .
Consultant Amged El-Hawrani died on Saturday at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester .
Prince William and Catherine rang staff from Queen 's Hospital Burton to talk about Mr El-Hawrani , offer sympathy and praise their `` incredible '' efforts .
The 55-year-old was described as `` fit and healthy '' before he was infected .
The duke and duchess chatted via speaker phone on Wednesday from their Norfolk home to a number of staff whose shifts had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ step away from duties without patient care suffering .
• Latest news and stories from the East Midlands Taking part were Gavin Boyle , chief executive of University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust , and six staff from the hospital .
Adrian Thompson , an ear , nose and throat ( ENT ) consultant who had worked with Mr El-Hawrani for 14 years , spoke to Prince William and Catherine and said : `` We are all aware of the seriousness of Covid but when it takes the life of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bit harder .
`` Their royal highnesses were very empathetic in offering their condolences and they were really sorry to hear we had lost a colleague . ''
During the call the duke said : `` We 'd just like to say from the two of us how proud we are of all of you , and how amazingly you are all doing under extreme circumstances . ''
William went on to say : `` I know all of you see this as your job and that you get on with it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and you are doing an incredible job .
`` The whole country is proud of you , so thank you for everything you 're doing and all the hours you are putting in . ''
Accident and emergency nurse Brogan Bishop said : `` We 've been really busy .
It 's stressful . ''
She added : `` I ca n't wait to go back and tell my colleagues how wonderful they think we are . ''
Hospital spokesman Emily Johnson said the call had boosted morale , adding : `` It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grief . ''
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William went on to say: "I know all of you see this as your job and that you get on with it, but this is a different level and you are doing an incredible job.


bbcuk--2020-04-03--The Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson shows her characters social distancing

The makers of the children 's book The Gruffalo have drawn their characters practising social distancing to help children understand the regulations .
Author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler created the panels as a `` light-hearted '' way of spreading the message .
They feature The Gruffalo , Stickman and The Smeds and The Smoos - all keeping a safe distance from one another .
The characters are also seen helping the vulnerable with their shopping .
• When am I allowed to go outside ?
The Gruffalo was first published in 1999 , and tells the story of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woods - where he out-smarts a terrifying creature with terrible teeth and a `` posionous wart on the end of his nose '' .
It went on to sell 13 million copies , and had been turned into a stage play and an Oscar-nominated animation .
One of the new sketches shows the Gruffalo walking behind the mouse , accompanied by the couplet : '' Alright said The Gruffalo bursting with laughter / You go ahead , I 'll follow two metres after . ''
`` Axel had this idea of doing some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our books and each kind of incorporating a tip about coronavirus , '' Donaldson told BBC Breakfast on Friday .
Scheffler started the process by saying to himself , `` what can I do as an illustrator ? ''
during these troubled times .
`` I 'm currently working on a digital , free non-fiction book about coronavirus , which is serious and informative and probably more important than this and is coming out next week , '' he said .
`` [ But ] I wanted to do something light-hearted and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'what if I imagine our characters in corona situations ? '
'' `` It 's really more about entertainment than serious information , '' he added .
As well as social distancing , the characters stress the importance of exercise and making video calls to their family members .
Donaldson hopes the images will emphasise best practices and help with home schooling , without being seen as `` preaching '' .
While on lockdown , the author is also producing a weekly broadcast on The Gruffalo Facebook page , reading stories , poems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook , or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

"I'm currently working on a digital, free non-fiction book about coronavirus, which is serious and informative and probably more important than this and is coming out next week," he said.


bbcuk--2020-04-03--Labour leadership: Jeremy Corbyn's wife says he was 'vilified'

Jeremy Corbyn 's wife has accused the media of having `` vilified '' the Labour leader and said he was `` attacked by his own party '' during his time in charge .
In a rare public intervention , Laura Alvarez also told The Mirror the NHS would have been better prepared for coronavirus if Mr Corbyn had been PM .
Mr Corbyn is standing down after nearly five years as Labour leader , with his successor being unveiled on Saturday .
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said he expected it to be Sir Keir Starmer .
• Who will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who is also standing down , backed Sir Keir 's rival Rebecca Long-Bailey for the leadership .
But he told Sky News he hoped Sir Keir would appoint Ms Long-Bailey and fellow leadership contender Lisa Nandy to his team , and said Labour was now an `` incredibly united party '' .
Ms Alvarez , a Mexican human rights lawyer who has been married to Mr Corbyn for seven years , has largely steered clear of making public comments since he was elected Labour leader in 2015 .
But in her Mirror @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been incredibly hard for me to watch my husband vilified and to hear his words twisted by his political opponents and some in the media .
`` It has been even harder to watch him be attacked by his own party .
`` The brutal irony is that if we had pulled together , we would have been ready to lead the country rather than suffer more austerity under the Tories . ''
Ms Alvarez said she was `` proud '' of her spouse and urged his successor `` not to lose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by him .
And she argued that the NHS would have been better prepared for the coronavirus pandemic if Mr Corbyn had been prime minister .
In an interview with the BBC 's political editor Laura Kuenssberg last month , Mr Corbyn said the `` unprecedented level of abuse from the mainstream media of me personally '' had been a `` factor '' in Labour 's 2019 general election defeat .
Mr Corbyn 's successor will be announced on Saturday , along with a new deputy leader .
A special conference planed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the coronavirus outbreak .
Instead , the three candidates have been asked to record victory speech videos ahead of time .
Lisa Nandy said the three month contest had signalled a `` change in direction '' to a more united party .
She told the BBC the race had `` brought together MPs from across the party '' after a number of divisive years .
The Wigan MP focused her campaign on winning back voters in what were traditional Labour areas in the North and Midlands ahead of the last election - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wall '' .
She told BBC Radio 4 's Today programme both her competitors would be able to secure those votes as leader if they had `` the will to do it '' and made it a `` top priority '' .
Ms Nandy said all the candidates had `` focused relentlessly on the public '' and `` left behind the Leave/Remain divisions , [ bringing ] together MPs from across the party '' .
Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner is seen as the front runner in the deputy leadership contest .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Butler , Scotland 's only remaining Labour MP Ian Murray , Tooting MP Rosena Allin-Khan and shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon .
The winner will succeed Tom Watson , who stepped down in December .

In an e-mail to members and activists, he said he was sorry he had failed to return the party to power but suggested Labour, under his leadership, had "changed the agenda on austerity and how the economy is run".


bbcuk--2020-04-03--Coronavirus: RBS says revamped loan scheme will make 'big difference'

A revamped loan fund for ailing firms hit by the coronavirus lockdown will have an immediate impact , RBS has said .
RBS chairman Sir Howard Davies admitted there had been problems but expects to see a `` sharp increase '' in lending to small firms in the next few days .
On Thursday , Chancellor Rishi Sunak overhauled the scheme amid claims banks were taking advantage of the crisis .
The government has pledged to guarantee £330bn of loans but only £145m has been lent so far .
Small firms say they have struggled with onerous eligibility criteria for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued by High Street banks and other lenders .
They have also complained of facing interest rates of up to 30 % and being asked to make unreasonable personal guarantees .
It comes as the UK is facing recession as large parts of the economy is shut down .
On Friday , the influential Purchasing Managers ' Index ( PMI ) survey showed Britain 's dominant services industry suffered its biggest slump in March since 1996 , sinking from a reading of 53.2 to 34.5 .
Mr Sunak said that under changes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CBILS ) : • Applications will not be limited to businesses that have been refused a loan on commercial terms , extending the number who benefit .
However , the Treasury has not capped the interest rates banks can charge .
• Banks will be banned from asking company owners to guarantee loans with their own savings or property when borrowing up to £250,000 • Larger firms with a turnover of up to £500m will also be eligible for more help - with state-backed loans of up to £25m available to firms with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who used to chair the Financial Services Authority ( now known as the Financial Conduct Authority ) , told the BBC 's Today programme that the process of checking borrowers ' eligibility had been `` difficult '' .
He also said RBS had struggled with the demand after inquiries about the loans jumped `` by 45 times '' in a week .
`` I think we have to accept that the scale of this process and the speed with which it 's been put in place has caused challenges for everybody , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've had good discussions with the Treasury and small firms , and I think the changes announced overnight will make a quite a big difference . ''
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak • STRESS : How to look after your mental health On Wednesday , Business Secretary Alok Sharma said it would `` completely unacceptable '' if any banks were unfairly refusing funds to good businesses in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial crisis - when taxpayers bailed out a number of the UK 's largest banks - suggesting lenders should now repay the favour .
However , Sir Howard told the BBC that comparing the current crisis to 2008 was `` rewriting history '' .
`` In the last crisis the problem was that the banks did n't have the money to lend , there was a credit crunch .
`` We 're not in that position at all .
The banks have got the money to lend , we have a large amount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the volumes we can lend . ''
On Thursday , Mr Sunak said the government was making `` great progress '' on supporting businesses to help manage their cashflows but needed to take `` further action '' by extending the scheme .
There has been widespread concern , acknowledged by the government , that some of the emergency measures to provide financial assistance to businesses are not working .
Too few firms felt able or willing to take on loans that carried an 80 % government guarantee to the lender but not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new rules , meaning business owners asking to borrow less than £250,000 will no longer have to offer up personal guarantees .
Perhaps most importantly , the requirement for companies to have first tried to get a normal commercial loan elsewhere will be dropped .
However , they are still loans .
Companies wishing to take them out will be 100 % liable for the debt and the government has not capped the interest rate banks can charge even though banks are able to borrow at close to 0 % .
The loans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but what 's not clear is whether firms want them .
Labour welcomed the measures but accused the government of being `` behind the curve '' when implementing support measures .
`` There remain huge gaps in support for employees and self-employed that must be addressed immediately if people are to avoid facing serious hardship in this crisis , '' said shadow chancellor John McDonnell .
The head of the Confederation of British Industry , Carolyn Fairbairn , described the changes as a `` big step forward '' although she said more detail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unprecedented levels of economic support and it 's encouraging to see the government stepping in where urgent help is needed . ''
Mike Cherry , national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses , told the BBC 's Today programme : `` It 's a very necessary and timely intervention by the chancellor , because clearly , businesses were being promised interest-free , fee-free , government support by the banks .
`` Time and time again , the FSB has heard from our members and other small businesses who 've approached banks seeking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offered anything but . ''
Stephen Jones , the chief executive of UK Finance which represents the banks , also welcomed the changes .
Speaking to the Today programme , he said : `` It was clear that those viable businesses , who were required to be offered under the terms of the scheme commercial lending under commercial terms , felt aggrieved that they were not given access to the scheme and therefore the change gives the scheme to all businesses who are capable of repaying debt after this crisis is over .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it means that banks will not be forced to make very unenviable assessments in terms of who can not or can access the scheme in terms of viable businesses out there . ''
Do the chancellor 's changes go far enough ?
Will they make it easier for you to get a loan under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme ?
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Speaking to the Today programme, he said: "It was clear that those viable businesses, who were required to be offered under the terms of the scheme commercial lending under commercial terms, felt aggrieved that they were not given access to the scheme and therefore the change gives the scheme to all businesses who are capable of repaying debt after this crisis is over.


bbcuk--2020-04-03--Coronavirus: Sainsbury’s to ease shopping item restrictions

Sainsbury ’ s has said that it will start to ease some restrictions on the quantities of items shoppers can buy .
In line with other supermarkets , it has limited popular items to counter panic buying during the coronavirus pandemic .
Sainsbury 's will start removing limits on some products from this Sunday though restrictions on Easter eggs will be lifted immediately .
Earlier in the week , Aldi , Morrisons , Waitrose and Asda all said they would be easing restrictions on some goods .
Sainsbury 's said restrictions would remain on items such as UHT milk , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goods .
The supermarket 's chief executive , Mike Coupe , said : “ We have been working hard with our suppliers to improve our product availability .
“ Most people are now just buying what they need for themselves and their families .
This means we now often have stock on the shelves all day and at the end of the day.
” He added : “ We have removed limits from Easter eggs immediately , as we know families often want to buy more than three and we have plenty of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A Sainsbury ’ s spokesperson told the BBC that restrictions would also remain in place on butter , cheese and some canned and packaged long-life items , as well as some frozen goods .
Otherwise , the limits were being “ largely removed ” .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak • STRESS : How to look after your mental health However , while Sainsbury 's is lifting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asking households to send only one adult to do the shopping and to keep children at home where possible .
Mr Coupe said : `` Our store teams will be asking groups with more than one adult to choose one adult to shop and will ask other adults to wait .
`` Children are of course welcome if they are not able to stay at home . ''
In other retail news , Associated British Foods , which owns discount clothing retailer Primark , has announced temporary voluntary pay cuts for senior managers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and finance director John Bason had asked to have their basic pay halved , as had Primark chief executive Paul Marchant .
The company ’ s non-executive directors have also asked for their fees to be reduced temporarily by 25 % , while executive directors will not get a bonus for this financial year .
“ The board , including the executive management team , believes that these steps are appropriate given its expectation that full-year earnings will now be much lower than envisaged at the start of the financial year , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is acutely aware that many Primark employees will see their livelihoods affected by Covid-19 .
”

“Most people are now just buying what they need for themselves and their families. This means we now often have stock on the shelves all day and at the end of the day.”


bbcuk--2020-04-03--Coronavirus: Brighton Pride 2020 cancelled

Brighton Pride has announced that `` with a heavy heart '' the festival has been cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Mariah Carey had been due to headline festival this summer , playing Pride in the Park on Saturday 1 August .
The three-day event was due to run from 31 July to 2 August .
On Sunday , The Pussycat Dolls - who recently reformed - were the headline act .
Brighton Pride said the decision `` had not been taken lightly '' A Pride spokesman said : `` It is with a heavy heart that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult decision to postpone our landmark 30th anniversary celebrations . ''
He said the organisers had decided to cancel after evaluating the additional pressure the event would put on the emergency services .
Paul Kemp , director of Brighton Pride , said : `` It 's been inevitable .
`` We are postponing the anniversary celebration to next year and [ for ] anyone who has got a ticket for the park we 'll roll that ticket over .
`` Pride is a celebration for the whole city and brings lots of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services , the police , the NHS and all the other key workers who are often part of that parade , '' he said .
`` Our focus is on supporting them and supporting people who are going through tough times . ''
Alan Robbins , chairman of Brighton and Hove City Council 's tourism , equalities , communities and culture committee , said : `` It 's a great shame .
`` The message is going out 'Do n't come to Brighton ' and we very much want to make sure when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Brighton .
`` We 're doing everything we can to make sure these things go ahead next year . ''
Last year , Kylie Minogue headlined the festival , and in 2018 Britney Spears wowed a crowd of 57,000 with the more than 250,000 people visiting the city .
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"Pride is a celebration for the whole city and brings lots of people in, and of course the emergency services, the police, the NHS and all the other key workers who are often part of that parade," he said.


bbcuk--2020-04-02--Coronavirus: How NHS Nightingale was built in just nine days

The UK 's newest , and largest , hospital facility is preparing to open its doors to take in coronavirus patients needing intensive care treatment .
East London 's ExCeL exhibition centre , which normally plays host to lifestyle shows , expos and conferences , has been converted into the temporary NHS Nightingale hospital , with space for 4,000 beds .
In nine days , the 87,328 square metres of double exhibition halls , have been fitted out with the framework for more than 80 wards , each with 42 beds .
Some 500 fully-equipped beds , with oxygen and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is space for another 3,500 .
If it did reach capacity , it would be one of the largest hospitals in the world .
How was it built ?
The facility was built with the help of up to 200 soldiers a day from the Royal Anglian Regiment and Royal Gurkha Rifles , working long shifts alongside NHS staff and contractors .
Architects and engineers from BDP , the firm that helped convert the centre , were part of the planning team given the task of creating the life-saving facility .
BDP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ timeframe for the construction were unlike previous healthcare projects and architects were coming up with designs almost as building needed to get under way .
The framework for individual bed bays were made from material usually used to make exhibition stands - because it is lightweight and could be constructed quickly .
Mr Hepburn said the three main challenges were : • Speed of the construction and what to build it out of • Having a reliable electrical supply - for life-saving ventilators and equipment • And being able to get medical gases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ existing electrical infrastructure has been modified to ensure the power supply can cope with demand - and not cut out .
Temporary generators and oxygen tanks , to supply the beds , have also been installed .
Mr Hepburn said his team has drawn up an instruction manual to share with other countries taking on similar emergency projects - and people in Australia and Canada have already contacted them .
Where will the staff come from ?
The ExCeL centre 's suitability for the hospital site goes beyond the functional characteristics of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transport links .
The nearby London City Airport can be used to bring in supplies and equipment and there is also hotel and university accommodation close by - should it be needed .
It will be led by a team of eight senior staff , drawn from local hospitals and trusts .
At capacity , the hospital will need 16,000 staff to keep it running .
That will include thousands of doctors , nurses and volunteers .
`` The numbers are scary , '' chief operating officer Natalie Forrest said .
`` To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our ancillary staff , we need 200 members of staff . ''
The nursing staff is being drawn from other hospitals , as well as volunteers from St John Ambulance .
Airline staff from Easyjet and Virgin Atlantic have also been approached .
Cabin crews have security clearance and many of them are also first aid-trained .
The NHS says they would be changing beds , helping doctors and nurses on the wards , and performing other non-clinical tasks .
It will not be a conventional walk-in hospital - only patients already on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other intensive care units across London .
They will stay at the hospital until their course of ventilation is finished .
Support services such as pharmacies and therapy treatment will also be available .
And a mortuary is also included in the NHS Nightingale design .
Additional mortuary space is also being found elsewhere in the city , including Wanstead Flats in the Manor Park area of Newham , local residents have been told .
Other temporary morgues are also being set up around the UK , including at an ice rink in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and at Birmingham Airport , where the hangar facility will initially have space for 1,500 bodies `` but will expand to hold more '' .
Will there be other NHS Nightingales ?
Preparations are also being made to expand the NHS Nightingale-style hospitals beyond London .
Conference centres in Birmingham , Manchester , and Glasgow have been earmarked as hospital sites to help ease the pressure on the NHS - some of which could open by the end of the month , albeit with fewer beds than London 's .
Belfast City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into Northern Ireland 's first Nightingale hospital - it will become a 230-bed unit staffed by a team drawn from across Northern Ireland .
An extra 6,000 beds are also being set up in Wales - many in sports and leisure facilities - to take the pressure off hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic .
Among them is the Principality Stadium , in Cardiff , the national stadium of Wales , which will be used as a field hospital for up to 2,000 beds , if needed .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : How can I try to stay well ?
• MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the pandemic

In nine days, the 87,328 square metres of double exhibition halls have been fitted out with the framework for about 80 wards, each with 42 beds. Some 500 fully-equipped beds, with oxygen and ventilators, are already in place and there is space for another 3,500.


bbcuk--2020-04-02--Coronavirus: Are we getting closer to a vaccine or drug?

Coronavirus is spreading around the world , but there are still no drugs that can kill the virus or vaccines that can protect against it .
So how far are we from these life-saving medicines ?
What sort of progress is being made Research is happening at breakneck speed , and there are more than 20 vaccines currently in development .
Among those under way at the moment are : • The first human trial for a vaccine was announced last month by scientists at a lab in the US city of Seattle .
They have taken the unusual step @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vaccine 's safety or effectiveness .
• Australian scientists have begun injecting ferrets with two potential vaccines .
It is the first comprehensive pre-clinical trial to move to the animal testing stage , and the researchers say they hope to move to the human testing stage by the end of April .
Tests like these are taking place much quicker than would normally be the case , and some are using new approaches to vaccines .
It follows that there are no guarantees everything will go smoothly .
But even if these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prove successful , it 's not expected that manufacturers will be able to produce a mass-produced vaccine until the second half of 2021 .
Remember , there are four coronaviruses that already circulate in human beings .
They cause the common cold , and we do n't have vaccines for any of them .
What do I need to know about the coronavirus ?
• ENDGAME : When will life get back to normal ?
• EASY STEPS : What can I do ?
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guide to the outbreak Doctors are testing current anti-viral drugs to see if they work against coronavirus .
This speeds up research as they are known to be safe to give to people .
Trials are taking place in England and Scotland on a small number of patients with an anti-viral called remdesivir .
This was originally developed as an Ebola drug , but also appears effective against a wide variety of viruses .
Similar trials have already been carried out in China and the US , and results are expected in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope that a pair of HIV drugs ( lopinavir and ritonavir ) would be effective , but the trial data is disappointing .
They did not improve recovery , reduce deaths or lower levels of the coronavirus in patients with serious Covid-19 .
However , as the trial was conducted with extremely sick patients ( nearly a quarter died ) it may have been too late in the infection for the drugs to work .
Studies are also taking place on an anti-malarial drug called chloroquine .
Laboratory tests have shown it can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some anecdotal evidence from doctors that it appears to help .
However , the World Health Organization says there is no definitive evidence of its effectiveness .
Would a vaccine protect people of all ages ?
It will , almost inevitably , be less successful in older people .
This is not because of the vaccine itself , but aged immune systems do not respond as well to immunisation .
We see this every year with the flu jab .
Will there be side effects ?
All medicines , even common pain-killers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trials it is impossible to know what the side effects of an experimental vaccine may be .
This is something on which regulators will want to keep a close eye .
Who would get a vaccine ?
If a vaccine is developed then there will be a limited supply , at least in the early stages , so it will be important to prioritise .
Healthcare workers who come into contact with Covid-19 patients would be at the top of the list .
The disease is most deadly in older people so they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was effective in this age group .
However , it might be better to vaccinate those who live with or care for the elderly instead .
Until a vaccine or treatment is ready what can I do ?
Vaccines prevent infections and the best way of doing that at the moment is good hygiene .
If you are infected by coronavirus , then for most people it would be mild and can be treated at home with bed-rest , paracetamol and plenty of fluids .
Some patients may develop more severe disease and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ create a vaccine ?
Vaccines harmlessly show viruses or bacteria ( or even small parts of them ) to the immune system .
The body 's defences recognise them as an invader and learn how to fight them .
Then if the body is ever exposed for real , it already knows how to fight the infection .
The main method of vaccination for decades has been to use the original virus .
The measles , mumps and rubella ( MMR ) vaccine is made by using weakened versions of those viruses that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The seasonal flu jab is made by taking the main strains of flu doing the rounds and completely disabling them .
The work on a new coronavirus vaccine is using newer , and less tested , approaches called `` plug and play '' vaccines .
Because we know the genetic code of the new coronavirus , Sars-CoV-2 , we now have the complete blueprint for building that virus .
Some vaccine scientists are lifting small sections of the coronavirus 's genetic code and putting it into other , completely harmless , viruses .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the harmless bug and in theory give some immunity against infection .
Other groups are using pieces of raw genetic code ( either DNA or RNA depending on the approach ) which , once injected into the body , should start producing bits of viral proteins which the immune system again can learn to fight .

Covid vaccine update: Those that work - and the others on the way Published 28 May 2021
Image source, Getty Images
Covid vaccination campaigns are under way in the UK and across the world.
A range of vaccines are being used to reduce people's chances of getting sick, needing hospital treatment or dying.
Why do we need a vaccine?
It is more than a year since the virus first emerged, yet many people are still vulnerable.
The restrictions on our lives help keep the virus in check as they reduce opportunities for the virus to spread.
Vaccines teach our bodies to fight the infection and are "the" exit strategy from the pandemic.
The big three - Pfizer/BioNtech, Moderna and Oxford/AstraZeneca
The three vaccine frontrunners are those developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Oxford-AstraZeneca.
Pfizer and Moderna both developed RNA vaccines - a new approach that is incredibly quick to design.
They inject a tiny fragment of the virus's genetic code into the body, which starts producing part of the coronavirus and pushes the body to mount a defence.
These have been approved for use in the UK, Europe and the US.
The Oxford vaccine is subtly different as it uses a harmless virus to carry the same genetic material into the body. This has been approved in the UK and Europe.
It is the easiest of the three to use as it can be stored in a fridge, rather than needing very cold temperatures.
All three are supposed to be given as two doses.
Janssen and Novavax
A single-dose Covid vaccine made by Janssen has now been approved for use in the UK.
Twenty million doses of the jab, which was 85% effective in stopping severe illness from Covid-19 in trials, will arrive later this year.
Because only one dose is needed - and the vaccine can be stored in a fridge - it could have a significant impact around the world. A billion doses are planned this year.
Another jab, Novavax, is also being reviewed by drugs regulators.
It uses a different, old-school, approach to vaccines - proteins from the virus and a chemical to prime the immune system are injected into the body.
What is the rest of the world doing?
There are other noteworthy vaccines, even if they are not being used in Europe and the US.
The Sinovac, CanSino and Sinopharm vaccines have been developed by scientists in China and deals have signed with other countries in Asia and South America. Around one million people in China are reported to have been given the Sinopharm injection.
The Sputnik V vaccine, developed by Russia's Gamaleya Research Centre, is also effective according to late stage trial results published in The Lancet. Some people have been immunised.
The vaccine, which works in a similar way to the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Janssen vaccines has also been deemed to be safe - and offer complete protection against hospitalisation and death.
Are they all equally effective?
It is hard to compare one company's results with another as their trials will have been conducted in slightly different ways and at different points in the pandemic.
However, all the main vaccines seem to have a large impact on your chances of needing hospital treatment or dying from Covid.
Nonetheless, one of the most important questions - do they stop you spreading the virus - remains unknown.
Understanding which method produces the best results will be explored in challenge trials where people are deliberately infected with the virus.
What about variants?
New versions of the coronavirus are emerging in countries around the world.
However, there is a warning sign from Janssen and Novavax, which have the first "real-world" data on the new variants.
Both showed a dip in their overall effectiveness in South Africa, where a new and worrying variant has been spreading.
The results were still good and clearly better than no vaccine at all, but they emphasise how coronavirus is a moving target.
We may need to change the vaccines we use in the future.
What still needs to be done?
Huge-scale manufacturing to produce billions of doses and distribute them around the world
Research to find out how long protection lasts
Research to discover what effect vaccine have on the spread of the virus


bbcuk--2020-04-02--Coronavirus: Why does testing matter?

Coronavirus: Why does testing matter?

The UK has announced new plans to boost testing for coronavirus following widespread criticism for not increasing the number of tests more quickly .
But why is testing important and how does the UK compare with other countries ?
What is the test ?
The main type of test to see if someone has Covid-19 , is taking a swab of their nose or throat .
This is sent off to a lab to look for signs of the virus 's genetic material .
Testing is not yet available for most people .
At the moment , most tests are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It means the majority of people who have symptoms ca n't find out if they are currently infected with coronavirus .
Tests are now being made available to doctors and nurses who have symptoms , or who live in a household with someone who does .
Tests for other health and care workers will follow .
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Thursday that 5,000 NHS staff had now been tested across various testing sites .
Overall , 163,100 people in the UK have been tested since the end of January .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tests ?
The UK has not had the resources to do mass testing .
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Thursday : `` We have the best scientific labs in the world but we did not have the scale .
My German counterpart for instance could call upon 100 testing labs ready and waiting when the crisis struck . ''
The government is aiming to carry out 100,000 tests a day in England by the end of April .
By 2 April , daily testing had reached around 10,200 .
Some NHS trusts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limited number of tests because of shortages of swabs , testing kits and reagents .
A reagent is the substance used to extract the virus 's genetic material so it can be studied more easily .
At the moment there is high global demand for reagents , which is why they are hard to obtain .
At first , Public Health England was only using its own eight laboratories .
This has been expanded to 40 NHS labs - so , 48 labs in total .
The government says it is now working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research institutes .
These will be used to test NHS workers .
Plans have also been announced to work with commercial partners such as Boots and Amazon , as well as with big pharmaceutical companies to build up the UK 's diagnostic capacity .
There are two main reasons for testing people - to diagnose who has got the virus and who has had it .
Having this information could help the health service plan for extra demand , including on intensive care units .
Testing could also inform decisions around social distancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers of people were found to have already been infected , then a lockdown might become less necessary .
And not testing more widely means many people might be self-isolating for no reason , including NHS workers .
An antibody test is used to see whether someone has already had the virus .
They look for signs of immunity in the blood by using a drop of blood on a device , a bit like a pregnancy test .
The government has bought three-and-a-half million antibody tests , but they are not yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still being checked to make sure they work .
How about the rest of the world ?
South Korea , which has been able to test far more widely than the UK has , acted very quickly to approve the production of testing kits , allowing it to build up a stockpile .
Despite having a slightly smaller population than the UK , it has twice as many labs and about two-and-a-half times the weekly testing capacity .
Germany has carried out more than three times as many tests as the UK .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,096 per 100,000 citizens , while as of 1 April , the UK had tested 348 per 100,000 of the population .
That compares with 895 per 100,000 for Italy , 842 per 100,000 for South Korea , 348 per 100,000 for USA and 27 per 100,000 for Japan .
What do I need to know about the coronavirus ?
• EASY STEPS : What can I do ?
• CONTAINMENT : What it means to self-isolate • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak

The government says it will be able to expand the testing system again in the future if necessary, such as if a new variant of concern emerges.


bbcuk--2020-04-03--Coronavirus: What does it mean if I've been furloughed by work?

Until recently , many people in the UK had never heard of furlough .
But the impact of coronavirus on the economy means that over the next few months millions of workers will rely on the scheme .
Questions directed at Chancellor Rishi Sunak have been asked on social media under the hashtag # AskRishi .
Many people have complained the scheme does not extend to those who had already signed a contract or switched jobs after the 28 February cut-off date .
Furloughing is designed to support firms that have been badly hit by coronavirus , and to prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay the wages of people who ca n't do their jobs , to help companies retain them .
Being furloughed means employees are kept on the payroll , even though they are n't working .
Businesses can claim 80 % of their employees ' wages from the government , up to a maximum of £2,500 per person , per month before tax .
The company can top up this pay if it chooses .
It must write to affected employees to let them know they have been furloughed .
The scheme will operate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March , although reimbursements to companies will not start until at least the end of April .
• Premier League clubs in 'moral vacuum ' and players should sacrifice salary - politicians Coronavirus restrictions mean the work of many firms has come to a standstill .
Pubs , restaurants , cafes , travel firms and estate agents are among those hit .
Last week , a YouGov poll suggested one in 20 workers had already lost a job because of the outbreak .
While the Treasury expected about one in 10 private firms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polled have indicated they will place at least half of their staff on furlough .
British Airways is about to furlough 36,000 staff , or 80 % of its workforce , following the likes of EasyJet , which has already furloughed just under half its employees .
Meanwhile , politicians have condemned some Premier League football clubs for opting to furlough non-playing staff , who are paid a fraction of leading players ' wages .
Can I be put on furlough ?
Potentially yes , if your company ca n't give you work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You need to have been on the payroll of the company since at least 28 February 2020 and can be full time , part time , or on a flexible , zero-hour or agency contract .
The minimum amount of time you can be furloughed for is three weeks .
If you have been made redundant since 28 February , your former employer can choose to rehire you under the furlough scheme .
But employees hired for the first time after that date are not eligible for it .
Any UK organisation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practice it will mainly be private sector businesses and charities that make a claim .
Most public sector organisations will be providing essential public services or helping with the response to the outbreak in a different way , the government says .
Will I still get sick pay and a bonus ?
Anyone placed on furlough has the same employment rights as before .
If you are ill you are eligible for statutory sick pay and can be placed on furlough when you recover .
If you are shielding because of health concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Staff on maternity , paternity , adoption or shared parental leave will continue to receive statutory pay from the government .
The government will only cover up to 80 % of a worker 's core salary .
So , that does n't include any bonus or commission payments .
It will also cover the minimum automatic enrolment pension contributions made by your employer , and their National Insurance contributions .
If your wages differ from month to month , your company should base your salary either on what you earned in the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your average monthly earnings from the 2019-20 tax year , whichever is higher .
Employers do not have to top up salaries that no longer reach the minimum wage .
Can I work or volunteer if I 've been furloughed ?
You ca n't do any work for your employer if you have been furloughed .
If you have more than one employer , you can receive furlough from any of them , up to a maximum of £2,500 a month per employer .
You can also continue working for any that still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do work for a new employer , provided you were not breaching any existing contracts or the coronavirus restrictions .
You can volunteer to help with the efforts to curb the virus - and are being encouraged to do so .
You can also volunteer for your company as long as you are n't creating revenue for them or providing a service .
Of course , many firms have n't furloughed staff but have asked them to work reduced hours for reduced pay , which they will have to fund as normal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Companies are under no obligation to keep on any employees when they stop receiving furlough payments .
The scheme will run until at least the end of May and the government has indicated it will be extended beyond that if necessary .
The hope is that by the time furlough ends , restrictions will have been lifted and businesses will be able to stand on their own two feet and start paying full salaries again .

Covid: What will happen when furlough ends? Published 30 September 2021
Image source, Getty Images
The furlough scheme, which protected millions of jobs during the pandemic, is being wound up at the end of September.
How did furlough work?
The government has been paying towards the wages of people who couldn't work, or whose employers could no longer afford to pay them, up to a monthly limit of £2,500.
At first it paid 80% of the wages, but in August and September it paid 60%, with employers paying 20%.
How many people are still on it?
The most recent figures show 1.6 million people were on furlough at the end of July - the lowest level since the start of the pandemic and 340,000 fewer than a month earlier.
Nearly one million workers were expected to still be on the scheme at the end of September, according to research by the Resolution Foundation.
The numbers have dropped as the economy reopened. In May 2020, nearly nine million people were on furlough.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, High numbers of workers in restaurants and hotels were furloughed
Will unemployment rise when it ends?
Some employers with workers on furlough may find they cannot afford to keep them on when furlough ends.
International travel, and other businesses which depend on it, are still seriously disrupted. Some furloughed workers in these areas may lose their jobs.
Many forecasters, including the Bank of England, are expecting a small rise in unemployment.
What if I'm made redundant?
If you were made redundant while on furlough, you have a number of legal rights.
The selection process must be fair, you must be given notice, and you are entitled to tax-free redundancy pay.
If you've been made redundant - or been told that you will soon be made redundant - there are three main types of financial support that you may be entitled to:
You might be able to claim a combination of these benefits.
The amount of help you get depends on your personal circumstances, including the amount of national insurance contributions you made while you were employed.
You may be entitled to extra money if you have children or are a carer, or have a disability or health condition. You may also be entitled to help with housing costs.
There is lots of free benefits guidance and advice available, including:
What has furlough cost?
The government says 11.6 million jobs have been supported by the scheme.
From March 2020 to the end of September 2021, the cost of furlough will come to about £66bn, according to estimates from the Office for Budget Responsibility.
That's a huge sum, around one fifth of the money the government has spent on the response to Covid.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, launched the furlough scheme in March 2020
However, the scheme has undoubtedly helped to save millions of jobs.
At the start of the pandemic it was feared that more than one in 10 workers would become unemployed.


bbcuk--2020-04-03--Coronavirus doctor's diary: Making rapid life-and-death decisions

In his first diary for the BBC , published on Monday 30 March , Dr John Wright of Bradford Royal Infirmary reported on his hospital 's preparations for the coronavirus storm .
In the last few days , the storm has begun , putting all involved under great strain .
Not that long ago the hospital had just a few Covid-positive patients , isolated inside rooms .
By the start of this week we had two full wards designated as `` red '' or infectious zones .
And two more turned red a day later .
One of the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is , `` It 's just a virus . ''
It reassures our patients , and it covers up our own uncertainty .
So for many the devastation that the coronavirus has wrought has been so unexpected .
By Wednesday , 14 of our patients had died .
This is one of the big issues around Covid-19 - its high death rate .
So while less than one in a 100 of those who get it will die of it , when you get into hospital that goes up to one in five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are used to people dying in hospital , because it 's often a place where people die .
But normally we are reflective in our practice , we give time , and time is a great instrument for us in health care .
But in the hospital today we are making rapid decisions about life and death - decisions about ventilation , about escalation care and when to make the decision about end of-life-care .
As palliative care consultant Dr Clare Rayment says , none of us wants to get it wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctor and epidemiologist , is head of the Bradford Institute for Health Research .
He has looked after patients in epidemics all over the world , including cholera , HIV and ebola outbreaks in sub-Saharan Africa .
Over the next few weeks he will be reporting for the BBC on how his hospital , the Bradford Royal Infirmary , copes with Covid-19 .
Read his first diary entry : Why are people stealing hospital supplies ?
`` There 's a lot of worrying about making those rationing decisions because it 's not something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' she says .
`` I think in other countries it 's something they might be more used to having conversations about .
We are used to people dying in hospital but we are n't used to saying , 'You 're going to die because I ca n't give you this ventilator because someone needs it more . '
'' Many of us have got parents , and we may worry that these decisions like these are going to be taken on the basis of the patient 's age .
But age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should recognise this as a society , that so many 80-year-olds are actually in better physical and mental shape than some 65-year-olds .
That 80-year-old should n't be written off , '' says Dr Alex Brown , a consultant in elderly care .
Another feature of Covid-19 is that people are dying alone .
Hardly anyone is allowed into the hospital now to visit .
So the challenge is `` thinking about how best we can make sure those people have good deaths in an environment where their family members are likely not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• John Wright is recording from the hospital wards for BBC Radio 4 's NHS on the Front Line • You can hear the next episode at 11:00 on Tuesday 7 April , catch up with the first two episodes online , or download the podcast Technology is part of the answer .
`` If someone wants to be there when someone 's dying , can we do that in a video call ?
It 's out of everyone 's comfort zone , but actually it might be very important for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to be able to see their wife or whoever on the phone , '' she says .
`` And also for that wife , husband , daughter , whoever it might be , to see that their loved one is comfortable , is n't distressed . ''
Emma Barnes , the senior sister for the respiratory wards , tells me that even though family members can not enter the hospital some are still driving in to be near their loved ones , and sitting in their cars in the car park .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that staff are under - people crying in a corner , or admitting that they cry when they get home and have to hide it from their children .
She has raised the idea of designating a room as a `` wobble room '' where hospital staff can go for a moment if they are feeling emotionally wobbly .
I think there is a mass insomnia among the staff , because our normal routine has suddenly been totally disrupted .
I 've taken to waking up through the night thinking about it myself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly .
It 's barely two months since the first Covid-19 patients were diagnosed in the UK .
And yet the number of cases has now exceeded 30,000 .
In the 16th Century , measles and smallpox were spread by Spanish Conquistadors to entire communities who had no prior immunity .
Those viruses took 100 years to conquer the Americas .
Covid-19 has taken 100 days to conquer the world .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• STRESS : How to protect your mental health • MAPS AND @ @ @ @ @ @ @

"If someone wants to be there when someone's dying, can we do that in a video call? It's out of everyone's comfort zone, but actually it might be very important for a patient, if they're awake enough, to be able to see their wife or whoever on the phone," she says. "And also for that wife, husband, daughter, whoever it might be, to see that their loved one is comfortable, isn't distressed."


bbcuk--2020-04-03--Conifer is top tree in urban sound absorption test

Scientists say trees have a role to play in combating noise pollution in urban environments and have identified the best species for the job .
The larch was found to be the most effective tree when it comes to absorbing noise with its bark .
The conifer was the most effective out of 13 tree species in a laboratory-based sound absorption test .
The researchers say the findings can help urban planners use trees for noise control .
The results have been published in the Applied Acoustics journal .
The study assessed 76 samples from 13 tree species that displayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Co-author Jian Kang , from University College London ( UCL ) , said : `` Beside emphasising the effects of vision and shade , urban greening should be considered as well to achieve noise reduction during propagation . ''
He told BBC News : `` Using plants as a potential 'silencer ' of urban noise could combine environmental protection and landscape business . ''
The samples were selected by using a range of criteria , including bark thickness , tree age and trunk diameter .
Disks of the trunks were collected from recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was to have a sufficient variety of species , including broadleaved and coniferous , '' Prof Kang observed .
In the laboratory tests , the team tested species that were often found in urban areas , such as cherry , pine , beech , willow , poplar and alder trees .
The team found that the sample of larch was the most effective species , while conifers acted more effectively when it came to absorbing sound than broadleaved trees .
`` The influence factors on noise reduction by tree bark are bark thickness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' explained Prof Kang .
`` Tree age and bark roughness seemed [ to be ] the parameters with the most predictive powers . ''
He said that the small changes in the sound absorption characteristics of the bark could influence the effectiveness of dense tree belts .
`` So , selecting species with slightly more absorbing barks can effectively [ reduce ] noise pollution and possibly mitigate the adverse effects of traffic and industrial noise . ''
Prof Kang added that the trees could be used as natural `` silencers '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traffic in towns and cities .
`` As a result of the fact that the barks of conifers absorb sound slightly better than those of broadleaved trees , conifers could be used more in urban green spaces , '' he said .
`` Moreover , tree density is important for noise reduction of a tree belt , and species will also influence the densities that can be obtained in a tree belt . ''

"As a result of the fact that the barks of conifers absorb sound slightly better than those of broadleaved trees, conifers could be used more in urban green spaces," he said.


bbcuk--2020-04-02--MI6: World War Two workers in rare 'forbidden' footage

The work that Bletchley Park and MI6 did during World War Two , was instrumental in the allies ’ victory @ @ @ @ @ there has n't been any video showing what life was like on the sites dedicated @ @ @ @ @ all changed when a piece of film was anonymously donated to Bletchley Park Trust , @ @ @ @ @ the lives of those there .

The work that Bletchley Park and MI6 did during World War Two, was instrumental in the allies’ victory.
But until now, there hasn't been any video showing what life was like on the sites dedicated to this work.
This all changed when a piece of film was anonymously donated to Bletchley Park Trust, providing an unprecedented insight into the lives of those there.
Produced by Gordon Corera and Olivia Lace-Evans


bbcuk--2020-04-03--Hancock: 'It was like having glass in my throat'

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has spoken to the BBC about his coronavirus symptoms and his recovery .
He described a @ @ @ @ @ '' in his throat and said that he had lost half a stone .

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has spoken to the BBC about his coronavirus symptoms and his recovery.
He described a feeling of "having glass" in his throat and said that he had lost half a stone.