bbcuk--2020-05-05--Vue Cinemas hoping for mid-July reopening

The boss of one of the UK 's biggest cinema chains is hopeful the business can reopen in mid-July .
Vue Cinemas ' chief executive Tim Richards told the BBC he is still talking to the authorities about social distancing measures .
But if all goes to plan , the chain could be back in business for the launch of director Christopher Nolan 's action movie Tenet on 17 July , he said .
`` We can control how many people come into our cinemas , '' he said .
The coronavirus lockdown forced the closure of cinemas across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Any reopening of the UK 's cinemas could only come as part of a government-sanctioned relaxation of lockdown measures .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to make a statement on Sunday about plans for easing the restrictions .
`` We are seeing our markets in Europe opening before ours , '' Mr Richards said .
`` We are trying to work with the government to demonstrate we are not like sporting fixtures and pop concerts .
`` We can control how many people come into our cinemas at any one time - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exit and entrance . ''
Cinemas , he said , were a big part of the UK 's social fabric and research pointed to film-going as one of the main activities people wanted to do after the lockdown is lifted .
The closure of cinemas in many countries meant some movies were released simultaneously on streaming platforms and in those outlets still open .
This dual release for Trolls World Tour caused a huge dispute between Odeon and film studio Universal .
Odeon Cinemas said last week it was banning all Universal films @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` breaking the business model and dealings between our two companies '' .
Simultaneous releases of this kind are damaging to cinemas , as it will make it less likely people will visit a public screening .
But Mr Richards did not see this way of releasing films becoming a trend .
The `` big screen '' was still how people preferred to see big releases , he said .
`` Can you imagine watching the new Bond film on a 27-inc Mac ?
, '' he asked .
He said he had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trolls .
`` They had already invested heavily in marketing and promotion , and suddenly they had no screens [ to show it on ] , '' Mr Richards said .
`` What [ Universal ] did does not mean there is a new direction of travel .
We are not seeing any change , '' he said .

He said he had sympathy with Universal over the release of Trolls. "They had already invested heavily in marketing and promotion, and suddenly they had no screens [to show it on]," Mr Richards said.


bbcuk--2020-05-04--Coronavirus: ‘The nursery I run may not survive’

`` We might be able to last another two months , but without more help we wo n't last longer , '' says Zoe Rae , who owns Goldsmiths Community Nursery in south-east London .
She typically caters to 30 children , but since the lockdown began that has fallen to just three after providers were told they should only stay open for families of key workers .
Her income has slumped , so she has put 10 of her staff on paid leave , partly using the government 's Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme ( CJRS ) .
Ms Rae @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some state funding for the free childcare she would normally deliver .
But she still has two full-time salaries to pay , as well as overheads like rent and waste collection fees , and is running at a loss .
`` I think the government should do more to help nurseries , '' she tells the BBC .
`` They asked us to stay open for key workers , and we think it is the right thing to do morally .
But the support they offer does n't cover the costs . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a month for my shut nursery' • 'The future of our nursery is pretty bleak' According to a survey of more than 3,000 nurseries , pre-schools and childminders by the Early Years Alliance , one in four say they will have to close permanently within the next 12 months due to financial problems .
Some 74 % also think the government has not given them enough support to get through the crisis , the lobby group found .
To protect themselves , some nurseries have been asking parents to pay retainer fees to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it sparked a backlash and the Competition and Markets Authority is now investigating .
Tulip Siddiq , Labour 's shadow minister for early years , said the survey `` is further evidence that the government 's lack of support is forcing nurseries and other providers to close and sack staff '' .
`` Losing a quarter of our childcare providers in this crisis would have a devastating impact on working families . ''
How many childcare providers are there ?
There were 24,000 nurseries and pre-schools in England in 2019 , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,075,000 childcare places .
There were also 35,500 childminders delivering 231,000 early years places .
The Department for Education ( DfE ) says it is offering childcare providers - most of whom are private or voluntary - a range of support .
This includes access to the CJRS , which pays 80 % of a worker 's salary , and continued state funding for free childcare - although these pots of funding must offset each other .
Some will also be able to access emergency business rates relief and the government 's £10,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Early Years Alliance says too many are falling through the cracks of this support .
Zarah Hussain , 40 , like many childminders is self employed .
She is thinking of closing her business in Manchester after the number of families she caters to fell from eight to one .
The issue is that she can not get any wage support from the government because her accounts do n't go back far enough , and so she has no personal income .
`` I still have to pay for my public liability insurance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learning resources websites , '' she says .
`` I 'm using my savings to keep going but I have my own family to support . ''
She also thinks the government should do more to help , saying businesses like hers are `` crucial to key workers '' and stay open 12 hours a day .
`` If people like us fall away people are going to have to rely on unregistered childminders and that raises safeguarding issues . ''
The Early Years Alliance points to other blind spots in the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not entitled to a small business grant if they are based in premises that do n't attract rates relief , such as community centres .
There has also been widespread anger about a perceived U-turn by the DfE over how much support providers can get through the government 's job retention scheme .
The group claims that at the start of the lockdown , the DfE gave providers the impression they would get both their state-funded entitlements and CJRS support in full .
However , almost a month later the department offered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these two schemes would offset each other to avoid unfair duplication of public funding .
The DfE denies it U-turned and says HM Revenue & Customs , which administers the CJRS , was always clear about the terms and conditions which apply `` universally across all sectors '' .
Nevertheless , almost 170,000 people have signed a petition , arguing that it wrong-footed childcare providers who now have less cash support than they originally thought .
In the group 's survey , 47 % said they may need to make staff redundant as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ runs the Little School House nursery in Liverpool , feels the DfE `` changed the goalposts '' .
She had temporarily shut her nursery and put 10 staff on paid leave back in March .
But now she is not sure if she will ever open again .
`` We thought with the government funding and the furlough we 'd be fine and get through this , but now we 're on the brink . ''
A DfE spokeswoman said : `` Nurseries , childminders and all other early years settings are playing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus , by supporting critical workers and parents of vulnerable children with continued childcare .
`` We have provided continuity in funding for the free childcare entitlements , and the government has put in place a significant package of financial support for providers .
This includes the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme , which providers can access for employees whose salary is not covered by public funding . ''
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • WILL I GET @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rules on sick pay , wages and time off • PUBLIC TRANSPORT : Is it safe to travel ?
• TESTING : Can I get tested for coronavirus ?

According to a survey of more than 3,000 nurseries, pre-schools and childminders by the Early Years Alliance, one in four say they will have to close permanently within the next 12 months due to financial problems.


bbcuk--2020-05-05--Coronavirus: UK economy 'set for deepest downturn 'in memory'

The UK 's economy is on track for its deepest downturn `` in living memory '' , according to a closely watched survey , as businesses suffer from the lockdown .
The survey from IHS Markit/CIPS found the UK 's dominant services sector contracted at a record pace last month .
Around 79 % of services , such as cafes and hairdressers , reported a fall in business activity amid mass shutdowns in response to the coronavirus .
IHS Markit said UK GDP could fall at a quarterly rate of 7 % .
However , it also warned that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moore , economics director at IHS Markit , said the data `` highlights that the downturn in the UK economy during the second quarter of 2020 will be far deeper and more widespread than anything seen in living memory '' .
`` The April survey reading is consistent with the economy falling at a quarterly rate of approximately 7 % , but we expect the actual decline in GDP could be even greater , in part because the PMI excludes the vast majority of the self-employed and the retail sector . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services index showed a record-low reading of just 13.4 in April , down from 34.5 in March .
A figure below 50 indicates contraction .
Markit said it was `` by far the lowest recorded since the series began in 1998 '' .
Purchasing managers - senior employees in businesses who keep across what is happening to a company 's orders and its supplies - see before anyone else if activity is slowing .
Prior to the last two months , the survey 's record low stood at 40.1 in November 2008 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • TESTING : Can I get tested for coronavirus ?

"With several sectors of the economy set to remain closed for business throughout the summer, and consumers' confidence torn to pieces by Covid-19, we expect only about half of the second quarter's huge drop in GDP to be reversed in the third quarter."


bbcuk--2020-05-05--Coronavirus: Lockdown psychiatric care 'severely disrupted'

Isolation during lockdown is exacerbating psychosis in some patients , a consultant psychiatrist at a leading mental-health trust warns .
Steve Church said the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust had now had to shift its focus to crisis management .
He leads the psychosis recovery team , one of the trust 's five teams helping patients struggling with their mental health during the coronavirus pandemic .
Some have had to move homes to isolate and many no longer visit the clinic .
Dr Church , who has been working in the field for almost three decades , said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're not in normal times , the whole treatment is about trying to help people not self-isolate , trying to help people to re-engage with society .
`` Self-isolation is one of the red flag-hallmarks of somebody becoming unwell in the first place , where they take themselves into a psychosis-induced lockdown . ''
One of his patients , Tracey , told Dr Church , in a phone consultation , staying at home had increased her hallucinations .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TESTING : Can I get tested for coronavirus ?
`` It 's been quite daunting , '' she said .
`` I do hear the voices a little bit more now .
`` They 're domineering - they tell me to run across the road and they 're following me and they say horrible and nasty things . ''
For the patients whose conditions are even more serious , phone consultations are not enough .
And the team has to had to undertake outreach work - including doorstep assessments and those made while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make sure they are coping .
It also encourages `` crisis self-presentation '' , for patients whose mental health has deteriorated .
One of these , David , said he had decided he had to visit the clinic in person because being isolated had led to him hearing more and louder voices giving him commands .
`` The voice at the moment is showing me a very difficult path , '' he said .
`` The command is something new and the doctor is going to work through with me for me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negative . ''
The Aetiology and Ethnicity in Schizophrenia and Other Psychoses study suggests 3-4 % of the UK population has psychosis .
And before lockdown , most were receiving treatment and able to live a normal life .
But community psychiatric nurse Abi Smith , another member of the team , worries patients with severe mental health could now spiral out of control .
`` Having a support network really helps them , '' she said .
`` The point when that 's not there , you know they 're having to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individual would be managing at the moment . ''

Dr Church, who has been working in the field for almost three decades, said: "In normal times, and we're not in normal times, the whole treatment is about trying to help people not self-isolate, trying to help people to re-engage with society.


bbcuk--2020-05-05--Rick Parry: English Football League clubs face '£200m hole' by September

English Football League chairman Rick Parry has said the current season needs to be concluded before 31 July and that clubs face a `` £200m hole '' by September .
The former Liverpool chief executive admitted the EFL needed a `` proper reset post-Covid '' , with clubs currently `` stacking up creditors '' .
Parry said it was `` difficult to answer '' how many might go out of business .
He was giving evidence to the Digital , Culture , Media and Sport committee about the impact of coronavirus .
• what should happen with promotion and relegation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July because of the situation with contracts , '' said Parry .
`` We ca n't go beyond July .
`` Players and staff have been furloughed and to expect clubs to bring them back in now , to forgo the furlough , only to then find in a month they ca n't play would be a complete mess .
`` We need within days to be taking decisions . ''
He added : `` We have a great deal of uncertainty around next season and the undetermined matter of when we 'll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which for the EFL is absolutely critical .
We 're much more dependent upon the revenue and atmosphere generated by crowds than the Premier League . ''
Parry , who was giving evidence alongside England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Tom Harrison and Rugby Football Union CEO Bill Sweeney , said he still expected three clubs to be promoted from the Championship to Premier League .
He added that it could get `` very messy '' if the threat of relegation from the top flight was removed - as has been reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our position on that , '' he stated , going on to suggest `` lawyers are going to get wealthy '' if the Premier League opted not to relegate three teams .
`` There would be a degree of outrage from a number of clubs in the Championship and it would be a breach of the tripartite agreement , '' Parry continued .
Finishing the season behind closed doors would primarily be about `` sporting integrity '' rather than generating revenue for clubs , said Parry .
`` If we were starting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ balanced economically , '' he explained .
`` It 's almost neutral but for many clubs it would actually cost them to play .
`` We stand to lose an element of broadcast revenue if we 're unable to complete the season , but given the broadcast contract is nowhere near that of the Premier League it 's a relatively small contribution . ''
Parry said he supported the Professional Footballers ' Association 's appointment of financial services firm Deloitte to look at club accounts and assesses if there was a genuine need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our approach really is to say we 're all part of the problem and so we all need to be part of the solution ; the clubs , the players and the owners , '' he said .
`` We all need to share the pain .
`` We 're having an open-book policy .
We 're absolutely on board with the Deloitte process . ''
Explaining the situation around player contracts , Parry said the `` landscape going forwards has got to change '' .
`` We have 1,400 players coming out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .
`` That is a train coming down the tunnel very quickly .
`` They are going to be extremely concerned about their futures . ''
Parry said he `` completely agreed '' that a rescue package would now be needed to help support EFL clubs .
`` The Premier League has said if they 're allowed to play then they will be in a position to talk to us about support for the lower leagues , '' he added .
`` We await that day - discussions to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say , have been limited . ''
Parry also said they could not just rely on going from `` one bailout to another bailout '' , suggesting a `` complete reset '' was now needed in terms of the redistribution of revenue within the game .
`` Parachute payments are an evil that needs to be eradicated , '' he said .
`` We have six clubs in the Championship receiving parachute payments giving them an average of £40m per club .
The other 18 clubs get £4.5m each , so they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He added : `` We need to know where we 're heading in two and three years .
We need hope , we need a plan and we need some clarity on the longer-term future . ''

Rick Parry gave evidence by video because of the coronavirus pandemic
English Football League chairman Rick Parry has said the current season needs to be concluded before 31 July and that clubs face a "£200m hole" by September.
The former Liverpool chief executive admitted the EFL needed a "proper reset post-Covid", with clubs currently "stacking up creditors".
Parry said it was "difficult to answer" how many might go out of business.
He was giving evidence to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee about the impact of coronavirus.
Parry covered a wide range of subjects, including:
what should happen with promotion and relegation
his view on wage deferrals
the future of "evil" parachute payments
Setting an end date
Elite football has been suspended since 13 March and, while the Premier League and EFL has said it intends to complete the 2019-20 season, it remains uncertain how or when.
"Our end date realistically is 31 July because of the situation with contracts," said Parry. "We can't go beyond July.
"Players and staff have been furloughed and to expect clubs to bring them back in now, to forgo the furlough, only to then find in a month they can't play would be a complete mess.
"We need within days to be taking decisions."
He added: "We have a great deal of uncertainty around next season and the undetermined matter of when we'll be able to return with crowds, which for the EFL is absolutely critical. We're much more dependent upon the revenue and atmosphere generated by crowds than the Premier League."
Promotion & relegation
Parry, who was giving evidence alongside England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Tom Harrison and Rugby Football Union CEO Bill Sweeney, said he still expected three clubs to be promoted from the Championship to Premier League.
He added that it could get "very messy" if the threat of relegation from the top flight was removed - as has been reported.
"The Premier League is aware of our position on that," he stated, going on to suggest "lawyers are going to get wealthy" if the Premier League opted not to relegate three teams.
"There would be a degree of outrage from a number of clubs in the Championship and it would be a breach of the tripartite agreement," Parry continued.
Playing behind closed doors
We've got bills to pay like everybody else - Accrington captain Conneely on life as a furloughed League One player
Finishing the season behind closed doors would primarily be about "sporting integrity" rather than generating revenue for clubs, said Parry.
"If we were starting behind closed doors it would be finely balanced economically," he explained. "It's almost neutral but for many clubs it would actually cost them to play.
"We stand to lose an element of broadcast revenue if we're unable to complete the season, but given the broadcast contract is nowhere near that of the Premier League it's a relatively small contribution."
Wage deferrals & cuts
Blackburn Rovers last week became the latest Championship club to announce wage deferrals
Parry said he supported the Professional Footballers' Association's appointment of financial services firm Deloitte to look at club accounts and assesses if there was a genuine need for wages to be deferred.
"Our approach really is to say we're all part of the problem and so we all need to be part of the solution; the clubs, the players and the owners," he said. "We all need to share the pain.
"We're having an open-book policy. We're absolutely on board with the Deloitte process."
Player contracts in the EFL
Explaining the situation around player contracts, Parry said the "landscape going forwards has got to change".
"We have 1,400 players coming out of contract at the end of June," he said. "That is a train coming down the tunnel very quickly.
"They are going to be extremely concerned about their futures."
Rescue package for EFL clubs
Parry said he "completely agreed" that a rescue package would now be needed to help support EFL clubs.
"The Premier League has said if they're allowed to play then they will be in a position to talk to us about support for the lower leagues," he added.
"We await that day - discussions to date, I think it's fair to say, have been limited."
Revenue redistribution & the future
Parry also said they could not just rely on going from "one bailout to another bailout", suggesting a "complete reset" was now needed in terms of the redistribution of revenue within the game.
"Parachute payments are an evil that needs to be eradicated," he said.
"We have six clubs in the Championship receiving parachute payments giving them an average of £40m per club. The other 18 clubs get £4.5m each, so they're then struggling to keep up.
He added: "We need to know where we're heading in two and three years. We need hope, we need a plan and we need some clarity on the longer-term future."
In a statement the Premier League defended parachute payments.
"Parachute payments are a vital mechanism to give relegated clubs financial support while adjusting to significantly lower revenues and having a higher cost base related to their playing squads," the statement said.
"We see no evidence that parachute payments distort performance at that level and are an essential part of this highly competitive environment."


bbcuk--2020-05-04--Coronavirus lockdown: When will it end and how?

We have gone weeks without seeing friends and family , without school , holidays or even being able to go to work .
The lockdown has been essential for containing the spread of coronavirus , but at the cost of huge disruption .
So what can be lifted and when ?
`` Essentially we 've got a lot of not very good options - it wo n't be one day and everything will change , but things could open up , '' Dr Adam Kucharski , from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine , told the BBC .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
This virus remains massively contagious .
Before lockdown , one infected person passed it onto at least three others on average ( the so called R-number ) .
And less than 5 % of the UK population is estimated to have been infected .
Or to put that another way - more than 63 million are still vulnerable .
If we just lift the lockdown , then another explosive outbreak is inevitable .
Is there any wiggle room ?
The goal of lockdown has been to cut infections by around 70 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the point at which the outbreak starts to decline ) .
That has been achieved .
However , it is only just below one .
`` There is n't much wiggle room , '' a source within the government 's science advisers told me , adding the country `` ca n't make a huge number of changes '' .
One set of modelling suggests opening schools - and nothing else - would be enough to almost tip us back into rising cases .
The aim is to create more `` wiggle room '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rapid contact tracing and put those at risk in quarantine .
This strategy , also called `` seek and destroy '' , will be supported by a voluntary smartphone app which will help identify contacts .
The more successfully this is done , the more it will reduce the ability of the virus to spread and the more restrictions can be lifted on day-to-day life .
`` At the moment you need , on average , a 60-70 % reduction in social interactions to stop the outbreak increasing , '' said Dr Kucharski @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down to 30 % that gives you a lot more to play with . ''
But even this is not life as normal and other measures would still be needed to keep the disease in check .
`` It is a more moderate version of where we are now , '' said Dr Kucharski .
• When will the outbreak end and life get back to normal ?
• How does contact tracing work and is my data safe ?
What about protecting those at risk ?
Another strategy proposed by some is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to suppress the coronavirus across every section of society , you could instead aim to stop it completely for the most vulnerable .
Prof Mark Woolhouse , from the University of Edinburgh , said : `` Very crudely , for 80 % of us who are not vulnerable this is a nasty virus , but it would n't overwhelm the healthcare system and it would n't lock down society .
`` If we really bolster that shielding , make a very strong shield indeed , then it buys you a lot more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relax some measures permanently . ''
That would mean all staff hospitals , care homes or anyone visiting those deemed vulnerable being regularly tested to ensure they are clear of the virus .
Ideally , antibody tests would prove they are immune to it .
The danger is , having more virus circulating in the community could put those `` shields '' under intense pressure .
Which lockdown measures could be lifted ?
Some restrictions are less risky in terms of spreading the virus .
Dr Kucharski argues lifting different restrictions can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with low , moderate and substantial risk of increasing transmission of the virus .
Low risk includes exercising outdoors , which has been restricted in some countries .
Moderate would include letting some non-essential shops re-open or having occasional gatherings with people outside the household .
Substantial increases could come from lifting advice to work from home , reopening schools or isolating sick people and quarantining households .
`` I think the order things went in will be reflected in the order things will be lifted , '' he says .
There remains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government about lifting restrictions in areas , like pubs , whose whole purpose is to bring people together .
And there is an emerging question around primary schools as young children , some studies suggest , can not be infected as easily .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• IMPACT : What the virus does to the body • RECOVERY : How long does it take ?
• R-NUMBER : Is this the crucial number ?
• ENDGAME : How do we get out of this mess @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is a decision about how far we go with suppressing the virus now we 've pasted the peak .
We could drive levels down as low as possible .
That will greatly limit the ability of the virus to bounce back in a second wave and make testing and contact tracing more likely to be effective .
The trade-off is maintaining the lockdown for longer .
Or we could exit lockdown now and accept having a higher number of cases , which creates its own problems .
What could shift the balance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along is a vaccine , as immunising people would mean there was no need for any social distancing measures .
That is thought to be more than a year away .
Failing that , the concept of herd immunity may kick in when around 70 % of the population have been infected and the virus can no longer cause large outbreaks .
Effective drugs would also make a huge difference if they could stop Covid-19 progressing from a cough or fever into a serious disease needing intensive care .
We might get closer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for some , in the months to come .
But we are all still in this for the long haul .
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We might get closer to normality, or at least normality for some, in the months to come. But we are all still in this for the long haul.


bbcuk--2020-05-05--Coronavirus: Ex-nurse doing 102 laps of park before 102nd birthday

A former nurse is hoping to raise money for the NHS by walking 102 laps of her local park before her 102nd birthday .
Joan Rich , 101 , plans to walk the 560m ( 1,837ft ) loops of Allenby Park in Felixstowe , Suffolk to fundraise for NHS Charities Together .
She has already exceeded her £1,020 target - four months before her birthday on 11 September .
`` Even behind a mask today 's NHS workers can make people smile , so let 's all smile , '' she said .
Donations will go to the same charity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly £33m walking 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday .
• Live coronavirus updates across the East of England Mrs Rich , who walks with a frame , began the challenge as part of her daily exercise on 22 April when the park re-opened to the public following a temporary closure because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Mrs Rich was posted to the Army in 1942 and was a member of the Royal Military Police in Jerusalem where she helped prisoners of war returning from camps in Japan with rehabilitation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video message wishing her good luck with her latest challenge .
The centenarian said : `` I hear you have set yourself a walking challenge in aid of the NHS and you are even slighter older than me . ''
Diane Rich , her daughter , said her mother has always tried to help others and worked as a nurse until 1978 before turning to volunteering .
She said : `` She would have kept going , but in those days there was no choice , you had to retire at 60 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Walking round Allenby Park now , she marvels at the NHS motive of love mown into the grass .
Love for the NHS is important to Joan . ''
Ms Rich said her mother 's laps would hopefully be a `` walk in the park '' for the active veteran .
`` She 's always been active , she swam until into her 90s and the same with cycling '' , she said .
Ms Rich said : `` She 's pleased to be out and says it 's nice to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
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If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews @ bbc.co.uk

She said: "She would have kept going, but in those days there was no choice, you had to retire at 60, so that's when she started volunteering.


bbcuk--2020-05-04--Coronavirus: How amateur radio is connecting people during lockdown

Amateur radio use in the UK has seen a `` significant '' rise during the coronavirus lockdown as people seek new ways of staying connected .
The national body that represents users - the Radio Society of Great Britain ( RSGB ) - has said many people who formerly enjoyed the hobby are also returning to it .
Mark Rider 's social life before the coronavirus lockdown consisted of the occasional trip to the pub , rehearsing with musician friends and visiting his wife in her care home .
`` But when I knew that was n't going to happen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off my amateur radio equipment to seek out some other social interaction , '' he says .
Mr Rider , a retired engineer from North Warwickshire , said `` ragchewing '' - or chatting to people on the airwaves - `` has become one of the highlights of my day '' .
`` Because I live on my own , and because of lockdown , I knew I could n't do what I used to do , which was n't going to be very good for me or my mental health . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ others has been more important since his wife was taken into care after a stroke .
`` Just speaking to somebody else in the same situation is very rewarding , '' he says .
The RSGB defines amateur radio as a `` technical hobby for people who want to learn about , use and experiment with wireless communications '' , like Mr Rider , who uses his radio kit to speak to others using designated radio frequencies .
Steve Thomas , RSGB general manager , says the organisation has experienced a threefold increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sit licensing exams since social distancing rules came into place .
There are currently about 75,000 licensed users in the UK .
`` Across the country , clubs and individual radio amateurs are supporting one another by setting up 'nets ' , or online meetings , '' Mr Thomas says .
Anne-Marie Rowland has been running twice-weekly meetings to help keep people in contact .
The 11-year-old from Leedstown near Hayle in Cornwall , who has held a licence for about a year , set up the transmissions with the Cornish Amateur Radio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during lockdown .
`` We have some regulars but also some new people join in , '' she says .
Dad Bill , who also runs a weekly meeting , says `` we 're always available with the radio on , there are a lot of older people out there self-isolating , so this helps them feel connected '' .
Amateur radio users have also been showing their support for the NHS by adding `` /NHS '' as an extension to their call signs and taking part in a `` get on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOTA2C ) , aimed at supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of the radio communications community .
An amateur radio call sign , issued by the Government Office for Communication ( Ofcom ) , is a series of letters and numbers unique to each radio operator and allows enthusiasts to identify each other and establish which country they are in .
Paul Devlin , from the NHS Emergency Care Improvement Support Team , launched the campaign in an `` unprecedented '' partnership with the RSGB , whose National Radio Centre is based at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was responsible for creating the health service 's amateur radio station GB1NHS .
`` The NHS is the only government level organisation to routinely use amateur radio to help improve the lives of communities globally , '' he explains .
`` We want radio operators to simply get on the air , reach out to fellow enthusiasts and check how they 're doing , '' says the 55-year-old from Lichfield , Staffordshire .
`` Being such a well-recognised brand , whenever GB1NHS is on the air we have queues of radio operators wanting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I first got hooked by the magic of radio as a schoolboy in Nuneaton .
I passed the necessary technical exam and Morse test and got my call sign ( G4AEH ) dangerously close to my A-Level exams .
Listening to the pirate stations in the 60s made me want to work in radio .
When most of them were closed down , tuning around the shortwave bands on a radio that my mum bought for me at a church jumble sale led me to amateur radio .
That was over 50 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of time reading the news and introducing programmes for the BBC , communicating around the world with an antenna I 've made from a few bits of wire is still part of radio 's magic .
Amateur radio is ideal for social distancing and it 's no surprise that more and more people are turning to it during this crisis .
Social media and video calls are OK , but depend on there being sufficient internet bandwidth for efficient communication .
You ca n't FaceTime the International Space Station , but there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been able to speak to the astronauts via their radio sets in a shed or back bedroom .
The digital world and amateur radio can exist side by side .
There 's no way the new kid on the block will replace the magic of talking to someone on the other side of the world with less power than it takes to run a light-bulb .
It 's science in action .
The RSGB introduced remote invigilation in the middle of April to allow people to take their foundation exam - the entry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Pete Sipple , 50 , from Leigh-on-Sea , who runs the Essex Ham amateur radio club with his wife Sarah , has been offering online training courses for the exam for some time but says since the coronavirus lockdown he 's seen a `` massive '' surge in demand .
`` We 've had 1,135 people apply for a course so far this year , and due to the Covid demand , are running two courses a month instead of one , '' he says .
Mrs Sipple , 46 , says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from people who have n't been on air very recently .
`` Pete has been getting messages saying , ' I have n't used the radio for six or seven years , can you just help me get back into it ? '
'' Callum McCormick , a 61-year-old antenna manufacturer , hosts a daily amateur radio welfare `` net '' for the over-65s from his home in Lapworth , Warwickshire .
It has reached hundreds of users , with thousands more watching via his YouTube channel .
`` The oldest user who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Dorchester who just wanted to call and tell us he and his wife Ivy were being looked after by their daughter and were OK. '' Mr McCormick says he was able to help one disabled and housebound user `` who was down to his last half cup of milk '' .
`` He 'd been calling in and over the days I 'd clocked he needed help , so I managed to mobilise a response to get some shopping to him and he 's now being looked after by the council , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to do something for the old boys who were feeling a little bit lost and isolated . ''
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • STRESS : How to look after your mental health Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .
Send your story ideas to : newsonline.westmidlands @ bbc.co.uk

The digital world and amateur radio can exist side by side. There's no way the new kid on the block will replace the magic of talking to someone on the other side of the world with less power than it takes to run a light-bulb. It's science in action.


bbcuk--2020-05-05--Coronavirus: How does contact tracing work and is my data safe?

Millions in the UK will soon be asked to track their movements to limit the spread of coronavirus .
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced that the trial of a `` test , track and trace '' programme will start on the Isle of Wight on Tuesday .
Residents will be asked to download a smartphone app that monitors how close they have been to other people .
If it 's successful , a nationwide programme will be rolled out within weeks .
Contact tracing is used to slow down the spread of infectious outbreaks .
When someone gets coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with will be tracked down and potentially asked to self-isolate .
Phoning or emailing the friends and family of coronavirus patients is one way of contact tracing This can be combined with a location-tracking mobile app , to pick up others they have been in contact with , for example on public transport .
Contact tracing is already being used by various countries , including Hong Kong , Singapore and Germany .
The UK is planning to roll out its contact tracing app and phone team by the middle of May .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two to three weeks' What will contact tracing look like in the UK ?
The government is getting ready to deploy a contact tracing team of 3,000 civil servants and health workers , and 15,000 call handlers .
Their telephone tracing will be used alongside the smartphone app .
Using Bluetooth , the free app tracks when users come into contact with each other .
If a user develops coronavirus symptoms , it is up to them to let the app inform the NHS .
That message may trigger an anonymous alert to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact , potentially asking those people to go into quarantine or be tested .
Why was the Isle of Wight chosen for the trial ?
Mr Hancock says the elderly population on the island - and estimated lower number of smartphone users - was a factor .
If it is successful despite these challenges then that will show it can work across the UK .
John Newton , the UK government 's testing co-ordinator , says that relatively restricted travel to the island makes it an `` ideal place '' to study the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been credited with helping to lift restrictions in other countries , when combined with other measures .
South Korea never went into lockdown thanks to an early strategy of extensive tracing and mass testing .
There was monitoring of credit card transactions , CCTV and mobile phone tracking to piece together where people had been .
The UK probably wo n't use that level of tracking but a widely used app would allow the government to ease some restrictions .
Take-up will have to be colossal for the virus to be totally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 80 % of smartphone users - 60 % of the population - would have to actively use it .
By comparison , about 67 % of UK smartphone users have downloaded messaging app WhatsApp .
People would also have to be honest about displaying any potential symptoms and inform the NHS .
Those without smartphones could end up wearing a Bluetooth-enabled wristband , like those used in other countries to detect lockdown breaches .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look after your mental health What can the government do with my data ?
Not everyone is happy with the government and third parties being given access to people 's data .
Civil rights group Liberty said the government must take the risks seriously , and should not make installing the app a condition to leaving the lockdown or returning to work .
''Millions of us are going to need to trust the app and follow the advice it provides , '' says NHSX , the technology arm of the health service .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever be used for health and research purposes , and that the app can be deleted at any time .
The UK app will use a `` centralised model '' , meaning the matching process will take place on a computer server .
An alternative , decentralised model was put forward by Apple and Google , where the exchange happens on people 's handsets .
The tech giants say their version makes it harder for hackers or the authorities to use the computer server logs to track and identify specific individuals .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give it more insight into how the disease spreads and help it to make the app more efficient .
Mr Hancock said the app will take `` full consideration '' of privacy concerns .

Instead, if they have no symptoms and at least two weeks have passed since the second dose, they can get a PCR test. If the result is negative, self-isolation can then be ended.


bbcuk--2020-05-04--VE day: 'Our dad wrote the peace document'

Friday 8 May is the 75th anniversary of VE day- the end of the Second World War in Europe .
@ @ @ @ @ British theatre actor and manager , turned soldier , drafted the historic document of surrender @ @ @ @ @ For years , John Counsell ’ s twin daughters had no idea about the role @ @ @ @ @ Elizabeth Counsell , who are now 77 , have spoken of their pride at his @ @ @ @ @ the Second World War to an end .

Friday 8 May is the 75th anniversary of VE day- the end of the Second World War in Europe.
Few people realised that a British theatre actor and manager, turned soldier, drafted the historic document of surrender which ended the conflict.
For years, John Counsell’s twin daughters had no idea about the role he played.
Jenny and Elizabeth Counsell, who are now 77, have spoken of their pride at his part in helping to bring the Second World War to an end.
Produced by Bernadette Kitterick
Filmed and edited by Julius Peacock


bbcuk--2020-05-05--Life inside the UK's first 'TikTok house'

Six TikTok creators moved in together before the lockdown , with the aim of going viral on the app .
@ @ @ @ @ what life is like in the UK 's first TikTok house .
Listen to Newsbeat @ @ @ @ @ weekdays - or listen back here .

Six TikTok creators moved in together before the lockdown, with the aim of going viral on the app. They tell Radio 1 Newsbeat what life is like in the UK's first TikTok house.
Produced and edited by Kirsty Grant
Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.


bbcuk--2020-05-05--The Papers: Leaked back-to-work plan and 'glimmer of hope'

Several of Tuesday 's newspaper front pages focus on concerns about the government 's draft guidance for getting people to work .
The Guardian says the plans have angered trade unions who consider them `` vague and inadequate '' .
Writing in the paper , the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress , Frances O'Grady , demands that companies carry out - and make public - bespoke coronavirus risk assessments , to ensure that their staff are kept safe .
`` Businesses do n't operate in vacuums '' , she says .
`` Any actions they fail to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the areas where they 're located . ''
The Daily Mirror points out that the guidance asks firms to `` consider '' making alterations to their offices , such as installing screens , rather than forcing them to do so .
The Financial Times believes the guidance has put the unions at `` loggerheads '' with industry leaders who fear that some of the changes will be too bureaucratic for smaller businesses , many of which already follow high regulatory standards .
Meanwhile , the Daily Telegraph reports that more than half of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money from the state , when furloughed workers and benefit claimants are counted alongside public sector staff and pensioners .
The paper says Chancellor Rishi Sunak has assured the 6.3 million people whose wages are currently being paid by the government under the furlough scheme there will be no `` cliff edge '' - but he acknowledged that the scheme may be costing as much as the entire NHS budget .
The former Conservative leader , Sir Iain Duncan Smith , tells the Telegraph that such high spending is `` unsustainable '' and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown urgently '' .
The Times columnist , Melanie Phillips , urges Prime Minister Boris Johnson to ignore such siren calls .
`` These economy-firsters '' , she claims , `` say that now the virus is under control , there 's no reason to continue the lockdown - ignoring the fact that it 's only because of the lockdown that it 's under control '' .
As the government starts trialling its coronavirus contact tracing app on the Isle of Wight , there are claims that the technology could make it harder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions are eased .
The Daily Telegraph says the app 's operating system is incompatible with those already being used in countries like Germany and Switzerland .
That could mean - if contact tracing becomes compulsory for travel - that British travellers are asked to quarantine for a fortnight when they reach their destination .
One expert tells the paper that `` geopolitical forces '' might force the UK government to `` change horses '' and rethink the system .
In its leader column , the Times says the more pressing issue is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it suggests , is `` by no means assured '' .
According to the Health Service Journal website , early versions were `` a bit wobbly '' and failed to meet the basic standards on cybersecurity and clinical safety needed for the app to be included in the NHS digital library .
In the Telegraph , the Department of Health dismissed the HSJ report as `` factually untrue '' .
The Financial Times points out that the success of the technology will ultimately depend on enough people downloading the app for it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there 's an array of pictures from Italy , where officials started lifting strict restrictions on people 's movement yesterday .
The Daily Mail shows an elderly couple from Milan beaming through their face masks as they hug their grandchildren for the first time in almost two months .
In another , a large , socially-distanced crowd stands underneath a clear blue sky outside St Mark 's Basilica in Venice .
The Guardian casts further doubt on US President Donald Trump 's claim that Covid-19 emanated from a Chinese laboratory .
The paper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no evidence currently available to support that theory .
They also deny that British intelligence formed part of a dossier credited to `` Western governments '' that appeared in the Australian press at the weekend , accusing Beijing of a cover-up .
The Conservative MP , Neil O'Brien , who helped set up a new policy group on China , says transparency is the only way to fend off speculation .
`` If they were less secretive and authoritarian , they would potentially put to bed wilder ideas about the origins of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guardian .
Get news from the BBC in your inbox , each weekday morning The Daily Mail reports on claims that store managers at the furniture retailer Harveys , have been asked to check on their stores - despite being furloughed .
One manager says colleagues were left `` very upset '' by the requests and had been `` pestered '' on social media by senior bosses if they did not go .
The government 's furlough scheme requires staff who have been temporarily laid off to remain at home .
In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were given the option to check on a number of stores where there had been leaks or attempted break-ins in recent weeks - and at no point had anyone been asked formally to work .
And the tabloids mourn the cancellation of one of ITV 's most popular programmes , Love Island , due to coronavirus .
`` Even in these grim times '' , says the Sun , `` one announcement yesterday was too much to bear '' .
The paper claims the broadcaster 's schedules have been `` thrown into chaos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Instagram stars hoping to appear on the reality dating show face the prospect of a much less glamorous summer .
The Daily Mirror ponders how they might otherwise fill their time .
`` They could practise their conversation , '' it suggests - `` at a responsible social distance , of course '' .
And finally , `` unhappy clappers '' is how the Sun describes a row in the Surrey town of Ashford over the weekly applause for key workers .
The paper reports that one resident , Perry Clark , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ music by Dame Vera Lynn and Captain Tom Moore through a loudspeaker - so his neighbours can sing along as they clap each Thursday evening .
Mr Clark says it was a `` real slap in the face '' to receive a letter from the local council , telling him a complaint had been made .
`` Everyone here loves it '' , he insists .
`` We just want a good time . ''

The government's furlough scheme requires staff who have been temporarily laid off to remain at home. In a statement, Harveys says managers with keys were given the option to check on a number of stores where there had been leaks or attempted break-ins in recent weeks - and at no point had anyone been asked formally to work.


bbcuk--2020-05-05--Thousands more in Wales told to shield from coronavirus

The number of people being shielded in Wales has risen to 121,000 , the Welsh health minister has said .
An extra 21,000 people had been added to the patient list after additional medical conditions were added to the eligible list .
Letters will be sent this week to `` high-risk '' patients , Vaughan Gething said .
People shielding are asked to stay home until at least 15 June , and can get help with obtaining essentials .
They are people determined to have medical conditions , such as those that cause individuals to have reduced immunity , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Patients with renal dialysis are among those who will be receiving the new letters .
Initially Chief Medical Officer Frank Atherton sent 88,000 letters , and a further 12,000 GP referrals have been made since .
`` The majority of these patients are within the high-risk categories already identified and have been identified as a result of updated searches of our secondary care systems , '' Mr Gething said .
`` Local authorities and the major food retailers will receive the updated Welsh Shielded Patient List at the same time so that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being provided . ''
• What Covid-19 decisions are made in Wales ?
• patients who have had transplants recently • people with specific cancers such as blood cancers , severe asthma and cystic fibrosis • some other unusual conditions and some drug therapies People are asked to stay-at-home until 15 June , and not to got out unless they absolutely have to .
However the advice is not compulsory .
In April 13,000 shielding letters were revealed to have gone to the wrong addresses - a data breach that was referred to @ @ @ @ @ @

"The majority of these patients are within the high-risk categories already identified and have been identified as a result of updated searches of our secondary care systems," Mr Gething said.


bbcuk--2020-05-04--How coronavirus restrictions have changed UK beaches

As summer approaches , England 's beaches are looking very different places to the ones we are used to .
The deckchairs , buckets and spades have gone , while dogs - usually banned on tourist beaches at peak times - have been allowed by some councils to stay .
Some spots have become a place where only locals can exercise while others are seeing some unusual wildlife .
And few people have been stopping , except perhaps to contribute to artworks made in the pebbles and sand .
In Bournemouth , Christchurch and Poole , dogs would usually be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 1 September but this year , to help with social distancing measures , the restrictions have been temporarily eased .
Beaches in Morcambe in Lancashire and Weston-super-Mare in Somerset , as well as Skegness , Mablethorpe and Sutton on Sea in Lincolnshire , are among others to have their seasonal dog bans lifted or relaxed .
North Somerset councillor Mike Bell said opposing views on dog restrictions made it a `` Marmite issue '' but added : `` We feel it 's appropriate to enable everyone to use the spaces available to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Tyneside , locals have been building pebble stacks on the beach at Whitley Bay , creating a huge , evolving art installation .
Photographer Owen Humphries said : `` The pebble stacks keep growing as people add them on their daily exercise where hundreds , if not a thousand , have been built . ''
In Highcliffe , Dorset , a grey seal was seen on the normally busy beach below Hoburn Naish Holiday Park , which has been temporarily closed .
Imogen Rayner , who photographed the seal , said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in these odd times . ''
Elsewhere , artwork has been appearing on beaches , much of it dedicated to the NHS .
The Torquay Sand Man , known for creating elaborate sand art in the Devon resort , created a huge motif on the beach .
Sand art tributes have also appeared in Blackpool , Bournemouth , Porthcawl in south Wales and Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland .
Avon Beach , in Dorset , has become the site of a growing collection of painted pebbles dedicated to key workers .
The stones have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alongside the promenade near Mudeford .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
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In Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, dogs would usually be banned on the beaches from 1 May to 1 September but this year, to help with social distancing measures, the restrictions have been temporarily eased.


bbcuk--2020-05-05--Coronavirus: UK death toll passes Italy to be highest in Europe

The UK now has the highest number of coronavirus deaths in Europe , according to the latest government figures .
There have been 29,427 deaths recorded across the UK - a figure Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said was `` a massive tragedy '' .
The latest total for Italy , previously the highest in Europe , now stands at 29,315 .
But experts say it could be months before full global comparisons can be made .
Both Italy and the UK record the deaths of people who have tested positive for coronavirus .
BBC head of statistics Robert Cuffe said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemic than Italy .
But he said there are caveats in making such a comparison , including the UK population being about 10 % larger than Italy 's .
Each country also has different testing regimes , with Italy conducting more tests than the UK to date .
Speaking at the daily coronavirus briefing , Mr Raab said the 29,427 lives lost was `` a massive tragedy '' the country has `` never seen before ... on this scale , in this way '' .
But he would not be drawn on international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't think we will get a real verdict on how well countries have done until the pandemic is over , and particularly until we get comprehensive international data on all-cause mortality . ''
Prof Sir David Spiegelhalter , of the University of Cambridge , said we can be `` certain '' that all reported figures are `` substantial underestimates '' of the true number who have died with the virus .
He said : `` We can safely say that none of these countries are doing well , but this is not Eurovision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rank them . ''
He added the `` only sensible comparison is by looking at excess all-cause mortality , adjusted for the age distribution of the country '' [ but ] `` even then it will be very difficult to ascribe the reasons for any differences . ''
This is a sobering moment .
Italy was the first part of Europe to see cases rise rapidly , and the scenes of hospitals being overwhelmed were met with shock and disbelief .
But we should be careful how we interpret the figures .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now count deaths in a similar way , including both in hospitals and the community .
But there are other factors to consider .
First , the UK has a slightly larger population .
If you count cases per head of population , Italy still comes out worse - although only just .
Cases are confirmed by tests - and the amount of testing carried out varies .
The geographical spread looks quite different too - half of the deaths in Italy have happened in Lombardy .
In the UK , by comparison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out .
Less than a fifth have happened in London , which has a similar population to Lombardy .
Then , how do you factor in the indirect impact from things such as people not getting care for other conditions ?
The fairest way to judge the impact in terms of fatalities is to look at excess mortality - the numbers dying above what would normally happen .
You need to do this over time .
It will be months , perhaps even years , before we can really say who has the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal stories of those who have died are still emerging .
They include three members of the same family who died within weeks of each other after contracting the virus .
Keith Dunnington , 54 , a nurse for more than 30 years , died at his parents home in South Shields on 19 April .
His mother Lillian , 81 , died on 1 May and her husband Maurice , 85 , died days later .
Meanwhile , Momudou Dibba , a house-keeper at Watford Hospital who went `` above and beyond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus on 29 April .
In a statement , West Hertfordshire NHS Trust said Mr Dibba , known as Mo , was `` kind , caring and considerate '' .
Meanwhile , 14 people from the same care home in Northern Ireland have died from Covid-19 related symptoms .
There have now been 1,383,842 tests for coronavirus across the UK , including 84,806 tests yesterday , Mr Raab told the No 10 briefing .
• Mass testing earlier 'would have been beneficial' • Hands on with the NHS coronavirus-tracing app • Can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For the third day in a row , the government has failed to hit its target of 100,000 daily tests .
Health Secretary Matt Hancock set the target at the beginning of April and the government announced on Friday and Saturday that it had hit the 100,000-plus mark .
Separately , the Office for National Statistics ( ONS ) published data on Tuesday showing that by 24 April there were 27,300 deaths where coronavirus was mentioned on the death certificate .
Including deaths reported to the ONS since 24 April , it brings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
These figures can also include cases where a doctor suspects the individual was infected , but a test was not carried out - whereas the daily government figures rely on confirmed cases .
• Prof Neil Ferguson , whose advice to the prime minister led to the UK lockdown , has quit as a government adviser on coronavirus after admitting an `` error of judgement '' and `` undermining '' the messages on social distancing .
• Fewer than 300 people arriving in the UK from overseas were quarantined as the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the year , Home Office figures have revealed • Cyber-security agencies in the UK and US have issued a joint warning to healthcare and medical research staff , urging them to improve their password security , after cyber-criminals have been targeting healthcare bodies , particularly those involved in coronavirus response • A further 366 people with coronavirus died in English hospitals , a further 44 patients have died with coronavirus in Scotland and 26 more people have died in Wales • Virgin Atlantic will cut a third of its staff in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed as it responds to the pandemic • MPs hear that scientific evidence around the usefulness of face masks is `` not straightforward '' but their use could help prevent spread • A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • TESTING : Can I get tested for coronavirus ?

But he would not be drawn on international comparisons, saying: "I don't think we will get a real verdict on how well countries have done until the pandemic is over, and particularly until we get comprehensive international data on all-cause mortality."


bbcuk--2020-05-06--Coronavirus: Prof Neil Ferguson quits government role after 'undermining' lockdown

Prof Neil Ferguson has quit as a government adviser on coronavirus after admitting an `` error of judgement '' .
Prof Ferguson , whose advice to the prime minister led to the UK lockdown , said he regretted `` undermining '' the messages on social distancing .
It follows a Daily Telegraph story that a woman , said to be his `` married lover '' , visited his home in lockdown .
His modelling of the virus 's transmission suggested 250,000 people could die without drastic action .
This led Prime Minister Boris Johnson to announce on 23 March that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life aimed at stopping the spread of coronavirus .
• What are social distancing and self-isolation rules ?
In a statement , Prof Ferguson said : `` I accept I made an error of judgement and took the wrong course of action .
`` I have therefore stepped back from my involvement in Sage ( Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies ) .
`` I acted in the belief that I was immune , having tested positive for coronavirus and completely isolated myself for almost two weeks after developing symptoms .
`` I deeply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the continued need for social distancing . ''
He called the government advice on social distancing `` unequivocal '' , adding that it was there `` to protect all of us '' .
'Like it does n't count for you' Last month , Scotland 's chief medical officer Catherine Calderwood also resigned after it was revealed she had broke lockdown rules by making two trips to her second home .
Scottish National Party MP Philippa Whitford compared the two cases on BBC Newsnight , saying : `` We had unfortunately the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical officer for not obeying the rules that she was telling people on television .
`` She also was a great loss to the Scottish government .
`` But the problem is you ca n't have that you 're telling people to do something really difficult but it 's as if it does n't count for you , and that is obviously what he felt and he 's stepped back . ''
Prof Neil Ferguson is one of the world 's most influential disease modellers .
He is director of the MRC Centre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centre 's mathematical predictions advise governments and the World Health Organization on outbreaks from Ebola in West Africa to the current pandemic .
It was that group 's work , in early January , that alerted the world to the threat of coronavirus .
It showed hundreds if not thousands of people were likely to have been infected in Wuhan , at a time when Chinese officials said there were only a few dozen cases .
But he shot to public attention as `` Professor Lockdown '' .
In mid-March , the maths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or a quarter of a million people would die in a `` catastrophic epidemic '' .
Those calculations helped transform government policy and all lives .
Conservative MP Sir John Redwood said he did not know all the circumstances of Prof Ferguson 's resignation , but suggested the events did not matter to the public .
`` I presume he resigned because he was saying something differently from what he was doing himself , '' he said .
`` What matters to the nation is not that .
What matters to the nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and how do we get through this dreadful crisis ? ''
Prof Ferguson led Imperial College London 's Covid-19 response team , which published research in March warning 250,000 people could die without any action , before the government imposed the lockdown .
He specialises in infections disease and has used mathematical modelling to provide information on disease outbreaks for the past 25 years .
He carried out modelling on the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in 2001 , and in the same year was awarded an OBE for services to epidemiology and the control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also provided data for the government during the bird flu outbreak in 2006 and swine flu in 2009 .
A statement from the university said Prof Ferguson `` continues to focus on his important research '' .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • TESTING : Can I get tested for coronavirus ?

He added that "there will of course be a time to look at what decisions we took and whether we could have taken different decisions" but "what the people of this country want us to do now is to suppress the disease... and begin the work of getting our country's economy back on its feet".


bbcuk--2020-05-05--Shop 'stabbing': Murder arrest after Penygraig Co-op incident

A woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after one man died and three others were hurt in a `` stabbing '' at a shop in south Wales .
South Wales Police and ambulance crews were called to the Co-Op in Tylacelyn Road , Penygraig , at about 13:45 BST .
An elderly man died and another man is in a stable condition at Cardiff 's University Hospital of Wales .
Two others have non-life threatening injuries and a 29-year-old woman from Porth is in custody .
An eyewitness said her husband was told there was a woman inside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She said : `` I just saw a hat and cans on the floor outside the Co-op as I was pulling up and thought 'that 's strange ' , then paramedics arrived .
`` My husband went to go into the Co-op but got stopped by people who told him that there was a woman inside with a knife who was stabbing people .
`` I stayed in the Jeep and more police and paramedics arrived and they went to a man who was in the van parked in front of my Jeep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been stabbed repeatedly , they took him out of the van and placed him into the ambulance . ''
Ravi Raj , 35 , manager at Penygraig post office , said he had seen people running from the Co-op , some bleeding .
`` There was a woman attacking four different people with a knife , '' he said .
`` I saw one of the men bleeding from his neck and one of the women from the side of the neck . ''
He said the scene had been blocked off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrested [ the suspect ] , she was inside .
I was n't inside the shop but I walked down the road when the people were running out so I just wanted to see what had happened , '' he added .
`` I could n't go inside because it was already blocked . ''
A takeaway owner said a woman came into his shop bleeding following the incident , though he was not present at the time .
`` She told my nephew , 'Put the shutters down , put the shutters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he called the police and ambulance straight away . ''
Local businesses said they were told to lock their doors as police and ambulances arrived at the scene , but added they were not given `` concrete '' information .
`` They 've closed down Penygraig .
All the shops are closed on the high street , '' said one shopkeeper , who works on the high street .
Rhondda MP Chris Bryant told BBC Radio Wales a `` stabbing took place in the Co-op '' which would be `` utterly shocking '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would not help .
He added : `` This is n't what you expect to happen in the Co-op in Penygraig .
In fact , members of my staff often pop up there for a sandwich at lunchtime .
`` Everyone will be quite shocked .
We do n't know the circumstances at all , police are trying to track down all the elements of it at the moment .
`` You could n't get more ordinary or normal than the Co-op in Penygraig could you ?
`` It is slap bang in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knows where it is , so everyone will be saying to themselves 'my god that could have been me . '
'' Rhondda AM Leanne Wood added : `` It 's my local grocery store , it 's where my family get most of our day to day goods .
`` We know the staff there , we know a lot of the shoppers who will be using not just the Co-op but the whole of the Penygraig main road , and it 's not something any of us expect to happen in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see in the news happening in another place , but you do n't expect it to happen on your own doorstep . ''
Det Ch Insp Mark O'Shea , of South Wales Police 's major crime investigations team , said the force was not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident .
He added : `` This incident will have understandably caused a lot of shock in the local community and I want to reassure residents that a full investigation has been launched . ''
The force said it would refer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police Conduct , which in turn said it would assess it before deciding whether to launch an investigation .
A Welsh Ambulance Service spokesman said : `` Four people were taken by road to Cardiff 's University Hospital of Wales and the Royal Glamorgan Hospital . ''
Rhondda Cynon Taf council leader Andrew Morgan said : `` Council services stand ready , working alongside South Wales Police , to provide reassurance and support to the community at this very difficult time . ''
Penygraig is normally a busy village in the lower Rhondda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All that can be heard is the rustling of the police cordons in the wind and the occasional sounds coming from police radios .
People I have spoken to have been shocked .
One woman said her daughter had been in the Co-op just five minutes before the stabbings took place and she could not believe what had happened .
We know the incident began this afternoon and centred on the Co-op .
It is the largest food shop in the town .
The area around the Co-op , the main street in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area have been sealed off by police .
Witnesses have told me that the police arrived very quickly and that there were a lot of them .
There are forensic officers here in their white suits examining in the scene .
They and other emergency services and investigators will continue to be here quite clearly for some time to come .

"We know the staff there, we know a lot of the shoppers who will be using not just the Co-op but the whole of the Penygraig main road, and it's not something any of us expect to happen in our community, it's something you see in the news happening in another place, but you don't expect it to happen on your own doorstep."


bbcuk--2020-05-05--Coronavirus: Nurse and parents with Covid-19 die weeks apart

Three members of the same family have died within weeks of each other after contracting coronavirus .
Keith Dunnington , 54 , a nurse for more than 30 years , died at his parents home in South Shields on 19 April .
His mother Lillian , 81 , died on 1 May and her husband Maurice , 85 , died days later at South Tyneside Hospital .
Keith 's cousin Debbie Harvey said her family was heartbroken but praised the `` absolutely amazing '' NHS staff who `` could not do enough '' for the family .
She said front-line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's beds together so they could hold hands .
Dad-of-two Keith , who passed away last month , worked at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead .
Yvonne Ormston MBE , chief executive of Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust , said he was `` a popular and hard-working '' nurse .
Mrs Harvey said the funeral of all three would be held later this month .
`` I 'm still in disbelief , Keith 's children are absolutely devastated and then to lose their nanny and granddad as well .
Keith gave 200 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
`` He looked after people so well and stood up for them .
My children are also absolutely heartbroken .
`` Lillian was always ready with a wise word and a cuppa if we needed a shoulder to cry on .
She was the strongest woman I 've ever known . ''
Mrs Harvey said Maurice was well-known in South Shields after working for Stagecoach both on the buses and at the depot .
She said the `` larger than life character '' was also a devoted supporter of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were absolutely amazing , '' Mrs Harvey said .
`` The staff could not do enough for them and when they realised that my aunty was slipping away they pushed their beds together so that they could hold each other 's hand .
`` My auntie just slipped away peacefully holding my uncle 's hand and listening to their favourite songs on their phones . ''
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"The staff could not do enough for them and when they realised that my aunty was slipping away they pushed their beds together so that they could hold each other's hand.


bbcuk--2020-05-05--Covid-19: Fourteen covid-related deaths at Glengormley care home

Fourteen people from one County Antrim care home have died from Covid-19 related symptoms , the BBC has learned .
The patients were residents of Glenabbey Manor in Glengormley .
However , as there is no clear breakdown of figures relating to deaths or confirmed cases in individual care homes , it is not clear whether Glenabbey is the worst affected in NI .
NI 's health minister has said care homes were now the front line in the fight against the virus .
While the number of hospital admissions due to coronavirus was falling since 16 March , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care homes , Robin Swann said on Tuesday .
Seventy-two of those were confirmed as Covid-19 clusters and the remainder were flu-related , said Mr Swann , adding : • An additional funding of £6.5m had been provided to help the care home sector • A pilot contact tracing programme went live last week and there are plans to scale it up further by mid-May Figures show that in the week from 18-24 April , 58 % of all Covid-19 related deaths were reported to have happened in care homes .
• Coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care homes Glenabbey Manor , which is owned by Runwood Homes , confirmed on Tuesday that five residents who had tested positive for Covid-19 had died at the home .
Another five residents had died in hospital , while a further four passed away either at home or in the hospital , but were only suspected of having Covid-19 , the company told BBC News NI .
Runwood Homes expressed its sincere condolences to the families and friends affected .
But the BBC understands that at least 109 homes are now caring for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms which are logged each day in care homes ' forms about virus activity .
Meanwhile , there have been calls for a rolling programme of testing , with the Commissioner for Older People , Eddie Lynch , calling for universal testing of all care homes .

Another five residents had died in hospital, while a further four passed away either at home or in the hospital, but were only suspected of having Covid-19, the company told BBC News NI.


bbcuk--2020-05-05--Coronavirus: 'Segment and shield' way to lift UK lockdown now

Strengthening protection for people shielding , while easing restrictions for everyone else , is the only immediate way to safely lift the UK 's coronavirus lockdown , researchers say .
They say people could be sorted into three groups by risk - the most vulnerable , those caring for or living with them and everyone else .
It is not pain-free or perfect , they say , but could lift curbs for many yet still protect the NHS and save lives .
Scientists use modelling to study and compare likely outcomes of different scenarios - in this case , how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ huge surge in coronavirus infections and deaths , the `` second peak '' experts fear if restrictions are lifted too fast or too soon .
The study does not detail which exact measures should be lifted and when , and assumes there would still be some social-distancing strategies - including the 2m ( 6ft ) rule - in place for everyone throughout .
Their findings , which are being submitted for peer review and publication in a scientific journal , have been made available to the UK and Scottish governments , the authors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How do I protect myself ?
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Currently , everyone in the UK is being asked to stay at home and to go outside for only essential shopping , medical needs or exercise .
They can also travel to and from work if absolutely necessary .
In addition , those at the highest risk of serious health complications if they catch coronavirus - at least 1.6 million people in the UK - are being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving their house at all and strictly avoiding any face-to-face contact with other people who may be carrying the virus .
• Who should be shielding ?
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This shielding was not included in the original mathematical models the government used to inform policy in the UK .
But this new study , by academics from the Universities of Edinburgh and London , looks at what might happen during the next phase of the coronavirus outbreak if shielding could be strengthened while some other measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown • Those most susceptible to the disease - such as the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions - would still need to be shielded from anyone potentially infected with the virus • To achieve this , people sharing a house with a susceptible person , as well as care workers and health professionals , would also need to protect themselves from infection and have frequent tests - perhaps even daily - to check they are not carrying the virus Then , people outside of these groups would be able to come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they : • continued to follow some social-distancing measures , such as the 2m ( 6ft ) rule • quarantined their whole household if they developed coronavirus symptoms But even if only about 60 % of the UK 's population was allowed to exit the lockdown , it would still be vital to keep transmission rates as low as possible through testing and contact tracing for people who might be infectious .
Co-author Prof Mark Woolhouse from the University of Edinburgh , who is also on the government 's Scientific Advisory Group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as `` strict '' and said the research modelling suggested there was `` wiggle room '' for easing restrictions .
`` By targeting protection to those that need it most , the strategy helps to ensure that the health system is not overwhelmed by severe cases , while giving policymakers greater leeway to partially relax social-distancing measures for the majority of the population . ''
The government is currently reviewing its lockdown policy and is expected to give an update on Sunday .
Asked whether people over 70 would be treated as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said : `` I can assure people that the shielding measures , which are going to have to go on for some time , they are not blanket measures and they do not apply to all over-70s . ''

Asked whether people over 70 would be treated as a single group when lockdown restrictions are eased, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said: "I can assure people that the shielding measures, which are going to have to go on for some time, they are not blanket measures and they do not apply to all over-70s."


bbcuk--2020-05-05--Water buffalo attack leaves one dead and two hurt in Usk

A man has died after a water buffalo attacked three people at a commercial property .
The 57-year-old man was @ @ @ @ @ , after police officers were called to the address at Gwehelog , near Usk , @ @ @ @ @ 19 , was also critically injured and taken to Cardiff 's University Hospital of Wales @ @ @ @ @ woman , 22 , suffered a serious leg injury and is being treated at Newport @ @ @ @ @ Gwent Police said they were called to the property at about 14:50 BST on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ National Police Air Service .
The water buffalo has been destroyed .
A neighbour said @ @ @ @ @ sight on the farm and were often seen in the fields with the horses .
@ @ @ @ @ appeared to be quite quiet , and that the owners had been seen stroking them @

A neighbour said the herd were a familiar sight on the farm and were often seen in the fields with the horses.


bbcuk--2020-05-05--Coronavirus: Virgin Atlantic to cut 3,000 jobs and quit Gatwick

Virgin Atlantic has announced it is to cut more than 3,000 jobs in the UK and end its operation at Gatwick airport .
The shock announcement comes after rival British Airways said it could not rule out closing its Gatwick operation .
Pilots ' union Balpa described it as `` devastating '' .
Many airlines have been struggling as the coronavirus pandemic has brought global travel to a virtual standstill .
The airline currently employs a total of about 10,000 people .
Virgin Atlantic , which is in the process of applying for emergency loans from the government , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board .
`` We have weathered many storms since our first flight 36 years ago but none has been as devastating as Covid-19 and the associated loss of life and livelihood for so many , '' said Virgin Atlantic chief executive Shai Weiss .
Balpa the union said : `` This is another terrible blow for the industry and is evidence of the dire situation facing UK aviation .
Balpa general secretary , Brian Strutton , said : `` Our members and all staff in Virgin Atlantic will be shocked by the scale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenging Virgin very hard to justify this . ''
Virgin Atlantic also said it will move its flying programme from Gatwick to Heathrow .
It said it intended to keep its slots at Gatwick `` so it can return in line with customer demand '' .
However , Mr Weiss said there was no certainty when the air travel industry would recover from the coronavirus crisis .
`` After 9/11 and the global financial crisis , we took similar painful measures but fortunately many members of our team were back flying with us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Depending on how long the pandemic lasts and the period of time our planes are grounded for , hopefully the same will happen this time . ''
Gatwick said the company was `` very saddened '' to hear of Virgin Atlantic 's plans .
The airline has flown from the airport since 1984 , and Gatwick said : `` Virgin Atlantic will always be welcome at Gatwick and we will continue our efforts to explore ways to restart the airline 's operations as soon as possible , in the knowledge that they intend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for when demand returns . ''
Tim Alderslade , chief executive of aviation industry group Airlines UK , said : `` The challenges facing UK aviation can not be overstated .
There is currently close to zero passenger demand and many airlines have ceased operations altogether .
`` We do not know when countries will start to reopen their borders , or whether restrictions will remain in place for some time .
`` Airlines are having to adapt to a sector that will be smaller and leaner in future , with no guarantees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pre-crisis levels . ''
It was 28 % at British Airways .
Now 30 % of jobs will be lost at Virgin Atlantic .
The UK 's aviation sector is shrinking in size .
No airline or airport is immune .
Virgin Atlantic was Gatwick 's ninth-largest airline , so it 's a blow , but not a knock-out punch .
However , British Airways , which is Gatwick 's second-biggest customer , has indicated that it also might not restart its Gatwick operation .
If BA does pull out , it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks ago , several UK airports had elaborate , expensive and very controversial expansion plans in the pipeline .
The big ones were operating at or very near capacity .
But the whole aviation sector is living a new reality .
When lockdown restrictions ease and flight schedules are increased again , there will be fewer passengers , fewer and probably more expensive flights and sadly thousands of cabin crew , pilots and ground staff will have lost their jobs .
And the consensus is that it will take years for the aviation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was before the pandemic .
Commenting on its own future , Gatwick said : `` We remain very optimistic about the long-term prospects of Gatwick Airport and our resilience as a business , and having remained open throughout this pandemic we are in a strong position to extend our current operations quickly to meet demand . ''
Other airlines have already announced that they intend to cut jobs because of the collapse in demand for travel due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Last week , British Airways said it was set to cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workforce .
It also told staff that its Gatwick airport operation might not reopen after the pandemic passes .
Ryanair has also said it will cut 3,000 jobs - 15 % of its workforce - with boss Michael O'Leary saying the move was `` the minimum that we need just to survive the next 12 months '' .
Virgin Atlantic said it had begun a 45-day consultation period on the job losses with unions Balpa and Unite .
Virgin Atlantic also plans to reduce the size of its fleet of aircraft from 45 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It hopes to restore about 60 % of its pre-pandemic flying capacity by the end of 2020 .
Meanwhile , the airline industry has said it must be ready with a series of measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus before air travel can resume .
The International Air Transport Association ( IATA ) said it recommended mandatory face-coverings for passengers and masks for crew , as one of several actions to reduce what it called `` the already low risk of contracting Covid-19 on board aircraft '' .
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The airline has flown from the airport since 1984, and Gatwick said: "Virgin Atlantic will always be welcome at Gatwick and we will continue our efforts to explore ways to restart the airline's operations as soon as possible, in the knowledge that they intend to retain their slot portfolio at Gatwick for when demand returns."


bbcuk--2020-05-05--Coronavirus: Robin Swann 'shocked' at images of packed flight

Aer Lingus is boosting capacity on its Belfast-Heathrow route after images emerged showing a packed aircraft .
Passenger Sean Mallon took the photos on the London-bound flight , which showed travellers sitting side-by-side .
Health Minister Robin Swann has said he was shocked at the image and called for Aer Lingus to review its processes .
The carrier said on Tuesday it was adding an extra flight on each day of operation to reduce passenger numbers on each aircraft .
Aer Lingus also advised passengers to give themselves extra time at the airport as the check-in process would take longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bags being put in the aircraft 's hold .
`` The safety and security of Aer Lingus ' customers and crew is our number-one priority , and these process changes are being implemented as a matter of urgency . ''
Speaking shortly before the Aer Lingus statement was issued , Mr Swann said : `` I was shocked at the images of Aer Lingus .
`` It is as if they were living in a time before Covid-19 . ''
It was as if the airline was `` completely oblivious to any of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guidance that has been enunciated and published by our executive here and the government in Westminster '' , said the health minister .
Speaking at the daily Stormont press briefing on Tuesday , Mr Swann called on the carrier to revise its approach .
Earlier , Belfast City Airport Chief Executive Brian Ambrose said there was no clear guidance on social distancing measures on an aircraft .
The coronavirus crisis has seen NI flights suspended , apart from two London services operating from Belfast City and City of Derry airports .
Speaking on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday , Mr Ambrose said social distancing measures were in place in the airport , but the issue arose after `` the first big influx of passengers '' on a flight since the pandemic .
Mr Ambrose said it was not yet clear whether the issue was inadequate measures or if people were not adhering to the measures .
`` For the month of April the average loads on our flights were about 20 % to 30 % , so it had n't become an issue with large volumes of people on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Then on Monday there were 154 passengers on a 174-seater aircraft , '' he added .
'You can not square this circle' He said he had immediately been made aware of a number of `` pinch points '' by his operations director .
`` We are putting more staff on the ground and making sure there is more compliance and customers adhere to it , '' he said Mr Ambrose said there was no clear guidance on social distancing measures on an aircraft .
`` It is not clear to anyone within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing in an aircraft , '' he said .
`` The reason the government has not been definitive is you can not square this circle .
`` You ca n't keep people two metres apart in an aeroplane .
`` You are in a closed environment where there is a mixing of air . ''
He said even keeping the middle seat empty did not meet `` two-metre '' social distancing rule , which he said may be futile on an aircraft in which air is mixed .
Mr Ambrose said Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belfast City would now become busier with the reopening of the construction industry .
The International Air Transport Association ( IATA ) , the body representing global airlines , said it was opposed to measures such as leaving the middle seat empty , saying this would not be financially viable for carriers .
`` Nobody has demonstrated that having the middle seat empty reduces the chance of transmitting Covid-19 from one person to another , '' said IATA 's medical advisor , David Powell .
However , it is in favour of passengers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University , Conor Bamford , said that on a plane or in an airport `` close connections with people would make it very straightforward for the virus to spread '' .
`` The virus would be spread more from talking or breathing rather than recirculation of air in a plane , '' he told The Nolan Show .
`` We might be lucky as there is not that much virus out there In the community but it is certainly not a risk you would want to be taking at this stage , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday , Aer Lingus said : `` In light of the unexpectedly high loads on the Belfast – London Heathrow service this morning and the level of demand for the route , Aer Lingus is reviewing its processes and procedures applicable to the operation of this service .
`` The safety and security of Aer Lingus ’ customers and crew is our top priority and any process changes that are identified as being required will be implemented as a matter of urgency . ''
North Antrim DUP MP Ian Paisley , who also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said it would be the `` height of lunacy '' to cut flights between Northern Ireland and Great Britain to help combat the spread of the virus .
The Health and Safety Executive ( HSE ) NI said the health and safety on board any flight does not fall within its remit .
`` HSENI are looking at the other issues raised in relation to following the public health guidelines in the airport before boarding the flight , '' a spokesman told the BBC .

"We might be lucky as there is not that much virus out there In the community but it is certainly not a risk you would want to be taking at this stage," he added.


bbcuk--2020-05-05--Royal Derby Hospital break-in 'utterly deplorable'

A break-in at a hospital , where laptops were stolen and televisions were pulled off the walls , has been described as `` utterly deplorable '' by police .
It happened at Royal Derby Hospital 's hand outpatients ' area between 20:30 on Monday and 7:30 BST on Tuesday .
The paediatric treatment area , the main therapy treatment area and a number of treatment cubicles had to close for `` some time '' on Tuesday .
Derbyshire Police said it had started an investigation .
• Latest news and stories from the East Midlands Gavin Boyle , chief executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NHS Trust , said : `` This is very upsetting and disheartening for colleagues who are working extremely hard to continue to offer exceptional care to our patients and keep them safe at this time .
`` We take a zero tolerance approach to theft and treat all such offences with the upmost severity .
We are working closely with Derbyshire Constabulary to support their investigations . ''
Four laptops were stolen , televisions were pulled off the walls and broken and water damage was caused during the incident , the hospital trust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Derbyshire Police , said : `` The targeted burglary of a hospital is sickening at any time - but with the current pressures the NHS faces is utterly deplorable .
`` The service the Kings Treatment Centre provides is absolutely critical to our community and I have no doubt there are people out there with information about those responsible for this act . ''
The police are appealing for anyone with information to get in touch .
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Gavin Boyle, chief executive at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Trust, said: "This is very upsetting and disheartening for colleagues who are working extremely hard to continue to offer exceptional care to our patients and keep them safe at this time.


bbcuk--2020-05-05--Daniel Radcliffe delights fans with Harry Potter video reading

Daniel Radcliffe has delighted fans by returning to the world of Harry Potter to record himself reading the first chapter from JK Rowling 's first book .
Radcliffe , who played the boy wizard in the film series , is taking part in the starry lockdown reading initiative Harry Potter At Home .
Eddie Redmayne and Stephen Fry are among the other celebrities involved .
The videos will feature on Rowling 's online hub to help children , parents , carers and teachers through the crisis .
Audio versions will also be available on Spotify .
Each celebrity will read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Philosopher 's Stone - known as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer 's Stone in the US .
Radcliffe kicked off the series on Tuesday , telling how a baby Harry is left on the doorstep of his aunt and uncle .
Radcliffe reads the famous opening lines from his couch : `` Mr and Mrs Dursley , of number four , Privet Drive , were proud to say that they were perfectly normal , thank you very much . ''
It provoked immediate excitement from fans on Twitter .
`` This made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fran Radson Driver .
Readings of all 17 chapters of the book will be released weekly between now and the middle of the summer .
Harry Potter at Home was launched by Rowling and Wizarding World Digital as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic , and offers quizzes , puzzles and a fan club .
Speaking last month , the author said she launched it because `` parents , teachers and carers working to keep children amused and interested while we 're on lockdown might need a bit of magic '' .
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bbcuk--2020-05-05--Coronavirus: Lockdown bear display 'mistaken for charity donation'

A collection of soft toys put on show to cheer up passers-by was mistaken for a charity donation by a van driver , the owner has said .
Sarah Shreeves , from St Albans , thought her driveway display had been stolen when it disappeared on 2 May .
Her fears were amplified when `` a bit of sleuthing '' revealed reports of a man loading `` two big teddies and a dinghy '' into a delivery van .
But he wrongly thought they had been left out for collection , she said .
Mrs Shreeves , who has arranged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has since been reunited with her furry friends .
The family changed the display every day , with cuddly toys taking part in activities including fishing , a scout camp , a Halloween party and playing board games .
After news of the disappearance broke , neighbours `` rushed '' to provide dozens of replacements for the stuffed-toy scenes designed to cheer up the town during lockdown .
• Live coronavirus updates across the East of England Hertfordshire Police , which had been investigating the possible theft , confirmed `` no further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokeswoman for Police said the toys had been returned on Monday after a member of the public had `` mistakenly thought they were being offered to share in the community '' .
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A spokeswoman for Police said the toys had been returned on Monday after a member of the public had "mistakenly thought they were being offered to share in the community".