bbcuk--2020-04-01--Coronavirus: Hospitals urged to use lab space to test NHS staff

Hospitals should use spare laboratory space to test self-isolating NHS staff in England for coronavirus , Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said .
The government faces growing criticism over a lack of testing for frontline staff who could return to work if found clear of the virus .
On Tuesday , Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove admitted the UK had to go `` further , faster '' to increase testing .
It came as a 13-year-old boy from south London with coronavirus died .
Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab , from Brixton in south London , is thought to be the youngest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK .
His family , who said they were `` beyond devastated '' by his death , said Ismail had no apparent underlying health conditions and tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday , a day after he was admitted to hospital .
It has also been confirmed that a `` healthy '' 19-year-old with coronavirus died shortly after arriving at North Middlesex Hospital on 24 March .
The latest daily death toll in the UK rose sharply to 381 , taking the overall number of deaths to 1,789 , as of 17:00 BST @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rise as `` deeply shocking '' , adding that `` now is absolutely not the time for people to imagine there can be any relaxation or slackening '' of lockdown measures .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak Testing so far has focussed on patients , though NHS England has told hospitals to use up to 15 % of their testing capability on staff , if this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals to go further and test as many staff as they can , with health officials saying laboratories have the capacity to take on more tests .
The government has been repeatedly criticised for having said in recent weeks that testing was a priority , but then not implementing it for frontline NHS workers .
Ministers have announced plans to work with the private sector and universities to scale up testing .
But Mr Gove said at the press briefing that the ability to increase testing capacity was being hampered by the availability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Why does the government appear to be in such a mess over testing for the coronavirus ?
It 's a simple question .
The consequences of the delays are clear .
Some NHS staff who might actually be well are off work just in case , when they are desperately needed .
Many other workers , who suspect they might have had the disease , are stuck at home too when , if there was a test available , they might get the all-clear and be able to participate again in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of tests makes it harder to track the progress of the disease .
To borrow an old business phrase , if you 're not measuring it , you 're not managing it .
Chris Hopson , the chief executive of NHS Providers , said if existing NHS pathology labs had unlimited swabs and reagent , there would be enough test machine capacity to process around 100,000 tests a day .
But Mr Hopson said a `` reagent and swab shortage is currently limiting this to [ around ] 13,000 a day '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to process 15,000 tests for NHS staff in the coming days , according to Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick .
The Chemical Industries Association acknowledged demand was `` escalating '' but said reagents - used to find out if a reaction occurs - were being manufactured and delivered to the NHS .
And shadow international trade minister Bill Esterson told the BBC : `` I asked the chemical industry [ on Tuesday ] and they said to me their member companies are n't aware of any shortage . ''
Mr Gove said Prime Minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are both self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19 - were working with companies worldwide to get the materials needed .
Speaking at the government 's daily coronavirus briefing , Mr Gove said : `` More NHS staff are returning to the front line , and more testing is taking place to help those self-isolating come back , and to protect those working so hard in our hospitals and in social care .
`` But while the rate of testing is increasing , we must go further , faster . ''
A fifth of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ College of Nursing said , while the British Medical Association said staff began being tested over the weekend , but only in low numbers .
BMA chairman Dr Chaand Nagpaul said : `` It 's been well over two weeks since the government said it was going to roll out priority testing for healthcare staff .
`` But many doctors still have no idea about where or how they can get tested . ''
• Is the UK testing enough people ?
• How to understand the coronavirus death toll • Is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases ?
Conservative former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said it was `` very worrying '' that the government had not introduced mass testing .
He said it had been the key to finally controlling the outbreak in Wuhan , the Chinese city where the disease first appeared .
`` It is internationally proven as the most effective way of breaking the chain of transmission , '' Mr Hunt said .
Professor David Heymann , a former chair of Public Health England , told BBC Radio 4 's Today programme the government was implementing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Britain .
`` I happen to know that there are studies being planned by Public Health England and by others around the UK to determine what the actual extent of transmission has been , '' he said .
• The Ministry of Defence said 80 armed forces personnel would be sent to staff ambulances and 999 call centres across Berkshire , Buckinghamshire , Hampshire , Oxfordshire , Sussex and Surrey • Some of the UK 's biggest banks have agreed to scrap dividend payments and hold onto the cash , which may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stock markets around the world suffered historic losses in the first three months of the year amid a massive sell-off tied to the crisis • New research suggests a loss of smell or taste may be a sign that you have coronavirus • Anti-malarial drugs are among those being tested in UK clinical trials in a bid to find medicines to help lessen the effects of coronavirus • A coronavirus app that alerts people if they have recently been in contact with someone testing positive for the virus `` could play a critical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prisoners could be granted temporary release from prison `` within days '' to protect them and their unborn children from the virus How have you been affected by the issues relating to coronavirus ?
Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist .
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It's a critical issue for the NHS: Doctors and nurses who are self-isolating need to be tested, so that if they do not have the virus, they can quickly return to work, at a time when staff are badly needed on the frontline.


bbcuk--2020-04-01--Coronavirus: Teenager 'could have survived with appropriate treatment'

A “ healthy ” teenager who died after developing coronavirus could have been saved if he had been diagnosed earlier , according to Italian authorities .
Luca Di Nicola , 19 , from the town of Nereto in eastern Italy , died at the North Middlesex Hospital in north London on 24 March .
According to Italian newspaper La Repubblica , he developed a cough and a fever a week before dying but his condition was dismissed as a cold .
The NHS has been asked to comment .
A spokesperson for the hospital said in a statement a 19-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ soon after ” arriving at A & E .
He tested positive for Covid-19 after he died .
The deputy mayor of Nereto , Maria Angela Lelii , told the BBC there would be `` a different conversation '' had Mr Di Nicola returned to Italy for treatment .
• EASY STEPS : How to keep safe • A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• GETTING READY : How prepared is the UK ?
• MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak • TRAVEL PLANS : What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Repubblica , Mr Di Nicola ’ s family said the teenage chef was “ extremely healthy ” .
The newspaper quotes them as saying he was given paracetamol by his GP when he first developed symptoms .
His condition reportedly deteriorated on 23 March and he was visited at home by his GP , who is said to have told him , “ you ’ re young , strong and you shouldn ’ t worry about this bad influenza ” .
The next day the teenager reported chest pains before he collapsed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the emergency services and he was taken into intensive care but died about half an hour later .
“ To learn of Luca ’ s death in our small community of 5,600 souls where almost everyone knows each other was devastating , a tragedy within a tragedy , '' Ms Lelii told the BBC .
“ That was made worse by the discovery that he tested positive for coronavirus because he could have won this battle had he had appropriate treatment , '' she said .
“ And I state with even more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , now we would be having a very different conversation.
” Mr Di Nicola 's 23-year-old brother Davide paid tribute on Instagram , saying `` I love you brother '' .
He said : `` We both grew and matured and you , surely more mature than me , had the courage and the desire to bring new goals .
`` Cooking , your greatest passion , would have taken you far . ''
Mayor of Nereto Daniele Laurenzi called on Italy 's foreign affairs minister Luigi di Maio to step in to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nicola 's death was carried out as a matter of `` urgency '' .
`` It is owed to the family , '' he said .
The hospital spokesperson said “ our thoughts and condolences remain with the patients ’ families and loved ones at this difficult time '' .

His condition reportedly deteriorated on 23 March and he was visited at home by his GP, who is said to have told him, “you’re young, strong and you shouldn’t worry about this bad influenza”.


bbcuk--2020-04-01--Coronavirus: Sainsbury’s uses ‘loophole’ to keep Argos open

Sainsbury 's has been accused of exploiting a loophole to keep Argos outlets open during the UK lockdown .
Under government restrictions , all non-essential shops have been closed for the past week .
As supermarkets are an exception , Argos concessions within Sainsbury 's shops remain open .
But workers fear health risks and customers said they should be shut .
Sainsbury 's said people can only buy items at the in-store Argos outlets if they have already paid for them online .
`` Like many other online retailers , we are selling essential products for the millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home , '' a Sainsbury 's spokesperson told the BBC .
`` This includes products for the home office , for educating and entertaining children and for adults to stay fit and entertained at home .
`` We are then strongly advising customers to have these delivered to their homes .
We also have an option to collect from Sainsbury 's supermarkets while doing an essential food shop . ''
UK book store Waterstones has closed its 280 stores , but has kept its warehouse open to service online deliveries .
Chief executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resource for people who were self isolating .
`` I realise many other retailers say they are essential .
I think we can so with more credibility than most , '' he told Radio 4 's Today Programme .
Which stores are allowed to stay open ?
The government has issued a list of which `` essential '' retailers are allowed to stay open .
They include : Businesses are still able to take online orders and deliver items to people 's homes .
One unnamed worker , quoted in evidence published by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said : `` Argos is currently using the loophole of having stores in a supermarket [ Sainsbury 's ] to continue to trade as normal , despite virtually everything being sold being non-essential in the current crisis .
`` Paddling pool , play sand , wardrobes , TVs , video games and console , all non-essential .
As the standalone stores are closed , this is driving huge numbers of people to gather in their stores , to the point where people are queuing across the whole Sainsbury 's .
`` They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , people to go and buy these non-essential items in these stores .
`` They are also forcing all Argos workers from their closed standalone stores , to go and work in the stores that are still trading , or a local Sainsbury 's , rather than allowing them to stay at home ( where the government says they should be ) .
`` If they refuse , they are being sent home without pay and refused furlough .
These actions are surely going to undermine the government 's plans to contain this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hundreds , if not thousands of vulnerable people . ''
Another Argos employee tweeted : `` Argos is making us standalone store workers go to Argos in Sainsbury 's stores which are still open or work in the delivery hub or we DO N'T GET PAID .
`` For me this means public transport , further increasing my risk . ''
Another employee , Beau Wood , tweeted : `` People are travelling all over to pick up Nintendo Switch consoles and trampolines , most are not picking up ESSENTIALS in Sainsbury 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people out when they should be at home . ''
It is not just employees who are frustrated .
Accountant , Sarah Robinson tweeted that she was `` disgusted '' that Argos had kept some of its outlets open .
How many Argos stores are open ?
There are now 300 Argos concessions inside Sainsbury 's stores and these remain open on a click-and-collect basis .
`` While our Argos stores in Sainsbury 's supermarkets are still open , we 've temporarily closed our in-store pay points , '' said a statement on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still arrange to pick up your order in person , but you 'll need to have already paid for it online . ''
Argos added : `` We would strongly encourage you to order items for home delivery and to only collect whilst doing your essential food shopping at Sainsbury 's . ''

"They are also forcing all Argos workers from their closed standalone stores, to go and work in the stores that are still trading, or a local Sainsbury's, rather than allowing them to stay at home (where the government says they should be).


bbcuk--2020-04-01--Coronavirus: Southend Hospital staff could 'limit work' over protective equipment

Staff at a hospital have warned they could `` limit services '' to patients with coronavirus `` to a bare minimum '' , over fears for their own safety .
In a letter to management , medics at Southend Hospital in Essex say they are not receiving the correct personal protective equipment ( PPE ) .
BBC Essex has been told that a quarter of Southend 's medical staff are off sick with coronavirus symptoms .
Hospital bosses say they are `` absolutely committed '' to staff safety .
• Coronavirus live page : Updates from across the East of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Southend A & E note : • `` PPE is being rationed '' , that `` there is limited stock '' and what is available is being `` locked away from staff and not accessible '' • Staff are said to be `` petrified '' working in the hospital and claim that most have not been tested for the virus • Staff also say that many `` are reluctant to work in this [ high-risk ] area '' because of safety issues `` but continue to do so as we have the welfare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief executive Clare Panniker that if the standard and availability of PPE is not improved by `` close of play '' on 1 April , they will introduce `` restricted services '' in high-risk areas of the hospital .
In a statement , Southend Hospital said : `` We are fully complying with the Public Health England guidance on the use of personal protective equipment which has been developed by expert clinicians and is being followed by the whole of the NHS .
`` There are no issues whatsoever with the cost of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that cost is not an issue in keeping our staff protected .
What is important is that the supplies of PPE equipment across the NHS are used responsibly so there is enough to go round . ''
A source at Basildon Hospital - which along with Chelmsford 's Broomfield Hospital shares Southend 's senior management team and CEO - says that there is a good supply of PPE there , but that they have heard of supply issues at Southend Hospital .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
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"There are no issues whatsoever with the cost of equipment. It has been made clear that cost is not an issue in keeping our staff protected. What is important is that the supplies of PPE equipment across the NHS are used responsibly so there is enough to go round."


bbcuk--2020-04-01--David Hockney shares exclusive art from Normandy, as 'a respite from the news'

David Hockney is in lockdown at his house in Normandy with his dog Ruby and two of his long-standing assistants , JP and Jonathan .
He is in the garden most days , drawing the spring awakening on his iPad .
In a BBC exclusive , he is sharing 10 of his most recent images ( including one animation ) , nine of which have never been published before , for us all to enjoy at this difficult time , along with his thoughts on the role of art in life .
The artist previously visited Normandy in the autumn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stained-glass window in Westminster Abbey .
He thought it would be a good place to draw and paint the arrival of spring , something he 'd done around a decade earlier in East Yorkshire .
Those pictures , paintings , and films were the basis for a successful exhibition in 2012 at the Royal Academy in London .
He was attracted to Normandy because it offered a broader range of blossoms , with apple , cherry , pear and plum trees , as well as the hawthorn and blackthorn he had painted before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a large garden that was cheaper than anything in Sussex '' , he wrote in a letter to me .
They bought it , renovated it and built a small studio ; and have been living there since early March .
`` I began drawing the winter trees on a new iPad , '' he said .
`` Then this virus started… '' I went on drawing the winter trees that eventually burst into blossom .
This is the stage we are right now .
Meanwhile the virus is going mad , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great respite from what was going on . ''
He sent some of his work in progress to friends , which led to him releasing one image of daffodils for publication , which he titled : Do Remember They Ca n't Cancel the Spring .
He is now sharing nine more , all painted in the last few days .
`` Why are my iPad drawings seen as a respite from the news ?
Well , they are obviously made by the hand depicting the renewal that is the spring in this part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being that his images are the product of him looking directly at nature and depicting or representing what he sees by transmitting his sensory reaction through his fingers onto paper via a pencil , rather than mediating the process through a photograph .
His pictures are a record of how he , uniquely , is experiencing reality of his subject and the space in which it exists .
The one-eyed mechanical camera flattens out all this individual nuance .
`` I intend to carry on with my work , which I now see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to me .
`` We have lost touch with nature rather foolishly as we are a part of it , not outside it .
This will in time be over and then what ?
What have we learned ?
I am 83 years old , I will die .
The cause of death is birth .
`` The only real things in life are food and love in that order , just like our little dog Ruby .
I really believe this and the source of art is love .
Follow us on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

He is in the garden most days, drawing the spring awakening on his iPad. In a BBC exclusive, he is sharing 10 of his most recent images (including one animation), nine of which have never been published before, for us all to enjoy at this difficult time, along with his thoughts on the role of art in life.


bbcuk--2020-04-01--Coronavirus: Haulage drivers 'being refused access to toilets'

Delivery drivers say they are being denied access to toilets at some service stations and petrol garages over coronavirus fears .
Cross Transport , which delivers to supermarkets , said drivers were being told to stay in their cabs when they arrive at distribution centres .
`` We 'll end up not getting deliveries done because drivers wo n't stand for it , '' manager Karl Starkey said .
The Secretary of State for Transport urged service stations to stay open .
The Road Haulage Association ( RHA ) said its members were being denied access because of fears over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use truck stops , motorway service stations or the facilities at distribution centres , but said it had received reports of drivers arriving at their destination to be told they can not use the toilet or access showers .
Mr Starkey , who oversees operations at the Warwickshire-based firm , said : `` It 's getting worse , they need to be able to use the toilets .
`` Even the garages are stopping them using them . ''
`` Other drivers are complaining they ca n't use the facilities even at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` They 're not allowed into the buildings to use the toilets , they 're all locked because of the coronavirus ... they have to sit in their trucks . ''
He said his drivers felt like `` second-class citizens '' , adding : `` They 're on the front line delivering the goods that are needed for supermarkets , they need to be there or you 're not going to get the shops restocked . ''
Dean Cross , who owns the company , said demand had increased by `` about 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has taken on extra trucks and trailers to `` keep up . ''
The RHA said it was `` keen to resolve the problem '' and is working with the government .
A Department for Transport spokeswoman said : `` Hauliers are vital to the nation 's battle against Covid-19 .
`` Ministers have asked motorway service operators to stay open so drivers have access to crucial facilities . ''
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bbcuk--2020-04-01--Coronavirus: A fifth of smaller UK firms 'will run out of cash'

Nearly a fifth of all small and medium-sized businesses in the UK are unlikely to get the cash they need to survive the next four weeks , in spite of unprecedented government support .
That 's according to research from a network of accountants which suggests between 800,000 and a million firms nationwide may soon have to close .
Many firms have told the BBC that banks have refused them emergency loans .
The banks say they are following the rules set out by the government .
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said two weeks ago that businesses would be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Business Interruption Loans ( CBILs ) of up to £5m to help them survive the shutdown .
The promise from the chancellor was that `` any good business in financial difficulty who needs access to cash to pay their rent , the salaries of their employees , pay suppliers , or purchase stock , will be able to access a government-backed loan , on attractive terms '' .
However , thousands of struggling firms ca n't get through to their banks by phone or , when they do , are being told by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mayor of London Sadiq Khan told BBC Radio 5 live that `` banks have got to step up '' to help small and medium-sized businesses survive during the coronavirus pandemic .
Steve Lord runs Belgrave & Powell , a Nottingham-based engineering group employing 120 people and supplying services to customers such as BAE 's Samlesbury site , where the F-35 and Typhoon fighter jets are made .
Since Salmesbury halted production , his business - like millions of others - is facing the prospect of cash drying up , threatening its ability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was heartened and astonished to see the unprecedented help that was announced by the government two weeks ago , '' he said .
`` But we put one of our most senior people on it and as each day passed it was disappointment after disappointment . ''
He said some of the approved lenders were demanding interest rates of up to 30 % , which Mr Lord believes is `` taking advantage of the situation '' .
Meanwhile , he said , High Street banks were charging around 7 % , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long as a month before his firm got the money .
Mr Lord thinks too much control has been handed to the banks and approved lenders : `` The government needs to make it so everyone 's offering the same terms . ''
`` It seems to be that if you are lucky you are banking with the right party , if you 're not lucky you 'll end up having to close your business . ''
Another business owner , Peter Jackson - who runs jewellery shops employing 40 people across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided he was ineligible because the firm made a small loss in 2019 .
But Mr Jackson said his business was viable before the shutdown and expected to make a profit this year .
It also owns valuable stock .
`` I thought the whole point of the loans was to help business like mine stay afloat , '' he said .
`` But they 're not going to help . ''
The figures identifying how many businesses would not be able to access cash come from a network of accountants serving more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country called the Corporate Finance Network .
After analysing the government help on offer , those accountants say that 18 % of their clients were unlikely to get access to the cash they will need to survive a four-week lockdown .
The findings echo similar reports from other business groups , estimating that up to a fifth of businesses could close if the lockdown lasts a month or more .
Bank say they 're following rules set by the government , which mean firms can only get the emergency loans if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way , like borrowing against the value of a property .
Businesses wanting to borrow more than £250,000 are being told by banks that directors must sign personal guarantees .
That means if the loan goes bad owing to a prolonged shutdown , their personal property is on the line .
Under CBILs , a business owner 's primary residence is protected but other personal assets could be recovered if the company can not keep up repayments .
Under normal commercial lending , personal guarantees may also put the owner 's home at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joshua Wade runs a fast-growing ethical cosmetics business , Skin and Tonic .
He said lenders were insisting on early repayment penalties as well as personal guarantees .
`` The Business Interruption Loan Scheme is , in principle , very welcome support right now , '' he said .
`` But the huge barrier for us is the requirement for all directors to give personal guarantees .
As founders and executive directors , we already are risking everything but we simply ca n't ask our non-executive directors to take that risk on in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A spokesperson for UK Finance , the bank trade body , said : `` Lenders are working hard to get financing to all businesses who need it as quickly as possible and are using the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme ( CBILS ) where appropriate , with some funding having already been provided under the scheme .
`` All lenders will take into account a business 's individual circumstances when considering applications and many business loans can be provided either unsecured or secured on business assets . ''
Kirsty McGregor , founder of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BBC : `` Small and medium-sized businesses employing less than 250 people employ most of the workforce - 23 million people .
`` We could lose up to a million of them in the next month or so .
And it will be irreversible which will be catastrophic for the UK economy . ''
Ms McGregor suggested the government needs to encourage small businesses to take over companies going bust in their area so employees can still be paid .
A spokesman for the Treasury said : `` The chancellor has been clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses during these difficult times .
`` That is why we 're taking unprecedented action to support firms , jobs and our economy through £330bn in business loans and guarantees , paying 80 % of the wages of furloughed workers for three months , VAT and tax deferrals , introducing cash grants of up to £25,000 for small companies and covering the cost of statutory sick pay .
`` We 're working with the financial services sector to ensure that companies feel the full benefits from this support . ''

He said some of the approved lenders were demanding interest rates of up to 30%, which Mr Lord believes is "taking advantage of the situation". Meanwhile, he said, High Street banks were charging around 7%, however he was told it could be as long as a month before his firm got the money.


bbcuk--2020-04-01--Coronavirus: GP surgery apology over 'do not resuscitate' form

A GP surgery has apologised after sending a letter asking patients with life-limiting illnesses to complete a `` do not resuscitate '' form .
A letter , from Llynfi Surgery in Maesteg , asks people to sign to ensure emergency services would not be called if their condition deteriorated due to coronavirus .
`` We will not abandon you.. but we have to be frank and realistic , '' it said .
Cwm Taf health board has issued an apology from the surgery .
The letter says in an `` ideal situation '' doctors would have had this conversation in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fears they were carrying the virus and were asymptomatic .
`` Completing a DNACPR will have several benefits , '' the letter said .
`` 1/ your GP and more importantly your friends and family will know not to call 999 .
2/ scarce ambulance resources can be targeted to the young and fit who have a greater chance . ''
According to the Guardian newspaper , the letter was sent to a small number of patients and the staff at the surgery were apologising directly to those who had received it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media , prompting some angry reactions , including from one user who tweeted : `` Because your life is worthless . ''
Cwm Taf said in a statement the advice was not a health board recommendation .
`` The surgery have been made aware that the letter has caused upset to some of the patients who received it , '' the statement said .
`` This was not their intent and they apologise for any distress caused .
Staff at the surgery are speaking to those patients who received the letter to apologise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have . ''
Ogmore MP Chris Elmore , whose constituency covers Maesteg , said : `` There is no getting around it , it is deeply concerning , the contents of this letter . ''
`` The Welsh Assembly member for Ogmore , Huw Irranca-Davies , and myself were made aware of it on Monday evening .
We were straight on to the health board to find out what had gone on .
`` The board then investigated and it was n't a standard letter , so the health board spoke directly to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked the surgery to contact patients who received the letter to apologise and more importantly offer appropriate advice of what actually could happen in the circumstances of their particular health conditions .
`` We are very concerned about the stress it has caused . ''
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak

But the 61-year-old, who has had the condition for eight years, added: "If there is a choice of a 20-year-old having a ventilator and myself having a ventilator, of course I would give that ventilator to that 20-year-old."


bbcuk--2020-04-01--Coronavirus: Dental patients 'could lose teeth'

Dentists have warned people will lose teeth because of high demand for personal protective equipment in hospitals .
Already some patients have been fending for themselves when treatment is unavailable because of coronavirus .
One woman said she replaced a filling with Blu Tack as a result of limited services .
`` It may boil down to the question of is it better to save a tooth , or is it better to save a life , '' Mr Bysouth , who sits on the Welsh General Dental Practice Committee , said .
• Coronavirus : Messages of thanks from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hubs - set up after practices stopped offering face-to-face appointments- have `` a very limited stock '' of safety gear .
Phone consultations , pain relief and antibiotics prescriptions are available but treatment is limited only to the most urgent cases .
Mr Bysouth said the use of suction , sprays and drills in the mouth created the `` ideal environment for the spread of coronavirus '' .
Cardiff oral surgeon , Lowri Myrddin , said in a letter to First Minister Mark Drakeford that protective supplies were running out with potentially `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Welsh Government said providing the right equipment to dentists was a priority , but `` all routine dental care , treatments , and check-ups have been cancelled for the time being '' .
It said safety gear requirements were continually reviewed so it could go `` where it is needed most '' . '
I used Blu Tack to fill my tooth' Some patients have taken a DIY approach .
Marilyn Jones , of Aberystwyth , said she lost a filling the day after dental practices closed .
So , instead , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gap .
Mrs Jones , 66 , said : `` You have to improvise , necessity is the mother of invention .
`` I thought , 'What can I use ? '
The only thing I had was Blu Tack .
`` My husband offered me his chewing gum but I decided on the Blu Tack .
`` I was n't very happy with a little black stump . ''
The mother-of-two and grandmother-of-four has since fixed it with a dental pack from Boots - but she still needs proper treatment .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak What help is there for dentists ?
Mr Bysouth said the Welsh Government had offered a package of help to NHS dentists , but private practitioners would have to depend on the UK government support scheme .
That is limited to people making under £50k a year .
`` We do n't know how long it 's going to last , '' he said .
`` There are some practices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three months help , there are some practices that might be able to survive on six months of help , there are some practices that might be able to survive on a year of help , because every practice is different . ''
He said he feared a backlog of work was being created .
`` We are in fact saving up a lot of additional treatment for when things get back to normal , and this is going to put a big demand on an already stretched dental service , '' he @ @

"There are some practices that might be able to survive on three months help, there are some practices that might be able to survive on six months of help, there are some practices that might be able to survive on a year of help, because every practice is different."


bbcuk--2020-04-01--Coronavirus: No wake, no funeral, just prayers in a cemetery

Death is no hushed whisper in Ireland .
It 's a rallying cry to a whole community .
The dead person is brought home and laid out in an open coffin in the `` good room '' .
A fresh white linen cloth will be spread across a table - a lighted candle , snowdrops perhaps and a photograph on top .
Mourners file past the coffin .
They shake hands with the family .
`` Sorry for your trouble , '' they say .
• Six more people die with coronavirus in NI Callers come to the wake house @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tins of biscuits , home-baked Victoria sponges .
Every last china teacup in the community is unearthed from cupboards .
Trays of tea are handed around .
But this pandemic has robbed families of such tradition .
Now , the new normal is often no wake , no funeral , just a few prayers in a cemetery .
In Fermanagh , Tom Best last saw his wife , Anne , as she was taken in an ambulance from their Derrylin home .
They had been married for 51 years .
But she died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ward of the hospital .
He could not be there .
There was no church ceremony .
She was buried in St Ninnidh 's cemetery as a handful of mourners watched on from a distance and the parish priest said prayers and the undertaker stood by .
A single , white rose was placed on the coffin by a gravedigger in gloves .
Tom Best had to self isolate .
His heart was in the graveyard but he paced up and down their garden , clutching his wife 's photograph .
`` It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could n't be there when she died or at the funeral , '' he told reporter Rodney Edwards of the Impartial Reporter .
`` I 'm not going to break all the rules and walk up and see her .
I 'm not going to do that because that would not be right .
It would be selfish on all the people of Derrylin .
`` It 's heartbreaking .
I do n't think we have faced anything like this in our time , not in my 77 years .
Across Ireland , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Church of Ireland and Methodist - have set out rules for their priests , their ministers , their congregations .
In some places , there is still room for a kind of wake or a funeral , it just has to be much smaller - people must keep their distance .
Communities are trying to find new ways of expressing their respect .
In County Kerry , when elderly woman Betty Ryan died , there was no wake at her home and many parishioners could not enter the church for her funeral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the graveyard , respecting the rules of social distancing and respecting their friend and neighbour by their quiet presence as she was laid to rest .
In the Catholic diocese of Clogher that straddles the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic , the guidelines have been tightened .
There will be no weddings , no baptisms and no funeral Masses for those who die - these will take place when the crisis has passed .
Clogher Bishop Larry Duffy said he was `` saddened '' but this was about protecting lives .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ families will be supported over the phone .
If a child is ill and the parents ring the priest , then they will be advised to bless the child with a crucifix or their own hand and the priest may pray down the phone .
Rev Dr Frank Sellar , a former Presbyterian moderator and minister of Bloomfield Presbyterian Church in Belfast has not dealt with a case involving Covid-19 yet , but he knows it is coming .
There will only be close family at the funeral , a service at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a celebration of the loved one 's life at a later date .
But amid the suffering , he sees a strength in people .
`` There is a pragmatism about people here because of the Troubles - a little bank of resource that is coming to the fore , '' he said .
`` I am heartened by the network of support that there is .
`` Family and neighbours are in touch either writing letters or speaking on the phone .
It is not ideal , but they are there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when , after this pandemic is over , there will be an emotional backlog of stress - something that the churches and clergy and people in caring roles will be anticipating .
`` It is almost as if things are being put on hold .
I would imagine when this is over , this will come to the fore . ''
What would the guideline be if a minister were called to a dying person 's bedside ?
`` There would be a certain pastoral discretion , '' he said .
Speaking on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brian D'Arcy talked about his struggle to support people .
`` Who would have thought that , in a great crisis , somebody ca n't go to a church to pray , '' he asked .
`` Who would have thought that , in a great crisis , there would not be a priest there to help them to die ?
`` Who would have thought that we could n't have a funeral service for people ? ''
Showing compassion from the far end of a telephone was not easy , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comfort people in an intensive care ward by phone and that 's all I can do at the present time , '' he said .
`` How do you comfort them when they ca n't see their loved one who died ? ''
The coronavirus has robbed people of final contact , they can not see or talk to or touch the person they love in their final hours or afterwards .
`` All of that is important for healthy grief , '' he said .
Undertaking has long been a family affair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ O'Kanes Funeral Directors in Belfast .
He took over the reins from his father who worked through the dark days of the Troubles when people died suddenly , in bombings and shootings .
The company , he said , has always been about the `` personal touch '' .
`` With Covid-19 cases , we have to tell people that we ca n't talk to them in person .
Instead , they have to self isolate and we have to talk to them over the phone .
For those whose relatives die with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be no comfort in a wake or church ceremonies .
`` Their loved ones will be going straight from the home to the cemetery .
`` There can be no more than 10 people at the graveside and they have to stay five metres from the grave that will be roped off .
They ca n't throw in a spade full of soil or even a flower . ''
`` O'Kanes never like to refuse any of our customers ' requests , '' he said .
`` Now we have to and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
'Why ca n't we do this ? '
they ask .
But it 's for their safety and for the safety of ourselves . ''
The coffins of those who die with coronavirus must be sealed .
There will be no viewing of the remains , as is customary .
Their bodies will not be embalmed .
Clothes will be laid over the bodies of the dead , they will not be dressed .
`` We understand that people can not carry the coffin because traditionally they put their arms around each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of social distancing .
`` You can drive up behind the hearse to the crematorium .
But you can not go in .
You must turn and drive away .
`` It feels so barbaric , so strange . ''
Most of all , it feels like people are being robbed of what 's most precious when they are at their lowest point .
`` People are going through the hardest time of their lives and you are saying no to this and no to that , '' he said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going over old times . ''
At the moment , there is no longer the place for that .
How have you dealt with rituals around death during this difficult time ?
Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist .
You can also contact us in the following ways : • Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy

"I'm not going to break all the rules and walk up and see her. I'm not going to do that because that would not be right. It would be selfish on all the people of Derrylin.


bbcuk--2020-03-31--Coronavirus: The restaurants feeding hospital staff

Restaurant staff have been forced to shut up shop while NHS workers have sometimes finished gruelling shifts only to find supermarket shelves empty .
We meet the chefs on shutdown volunteering to feed hospital workers around the clock .
Kelly Iles , from The Barn Kitchen in Coventry , has delivered more than 3,500 meals to NHS staff at two hospitals in Warwickshire and said she had never been more proud of anything she had done .
`` You see how grateful these nurses are , '' she said .
`` You pull up into a car park and you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are there saving lives , keeping us going . ''
Mrs Iles used food from her closed venue , while more than 700 people have paid for meals for doctors and nurses via a link on her website .
`` I 've wiped out my entire business stock but I do n't care , '' she said .
`` I 've accepted that I no longer own a restaurant .
`` I do n't know if I will come back out of this .
But hey , so what , it 's just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Altrincham , Greater Manchester , is producing 60 meals a day to feed NHS staff .
Owner Rich Carver told Altrincham Today : `` Andy dropped 30 meals at ICU at Stepping Hill yesterday and made a ward full of nurses cry they were so grateful .
Really , it 's the least we can do . ''
Jess Mooney , who runs Bread For Life school in Leamington Spa , has been delivering freshly baked goods for NHS staff working at Warwick Hospital .
Boxes include bagels , fresh pasta and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so much so I 'm just doing my bit to say thank you , '' she said .
An Indian restaurant in Shifnal , Shropshire , has delivered dozens of curries to night staff at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford .
East End Balti posted on Facebook that staff wanted to do this every Monday as `` a little gesture to show how much we appreciate the NHS , the true heroes of our country '' .
Francesca Price posted photographs of staff receiving their meals and said a `` massive thank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than £330,000 has been raised by charity Meals for the NHS .
All money raised goes to local businesses who will then prepare and deliver food to the hospitals , meaning the scheme provides meals for health workers but also helps restaurants and caterers who would be faced with a loss of business during the current crisis .
So far about 66,000 meals have been delivered to NHS staff , the charity said .
Yorkshire 's famous tearooms , Bettys , made sure unsold bread and cakes did not go to waste by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the weekend .
The group decided to close its cafes in York , Harrogate , Ilkley and Northallerton .
• How are food supply networks coping with coronavirus ?
Zoe Beedham , deputy branch manager at Bettys in Ilkley , sent supplies to the staff at Airedale Hospital in Steeton .
`` We wanted to help support the amazing key workers , like those in the NHS , who are working so hard to look after us all , '' she said .
`` So , we put together a care package of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] , bread and treats in an effort to deliver a bit of cheer to the hospital staff . ''
Colmans Seafood Temple in South Shields posted on Facebook : `` Our last delivery is on us , almost 200 meals all to the wonderful staff of South Tyneside Hospital who are working tirelessly to help fight this virus for everyone . ''
Vermilion restaurant has been delivering meals to North Manchester General Hospital .
A tweet from the restaurant said : `` We salute the heroes of our NHS who are making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis . ''
• EASY STEPS : How to keep safe • A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• GETTING READY : How prepared is the UK ?
• MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak • TRAVEL PLANS : What are your rights ?


bbcuk--2020-04-01--Coronavirus: Are loss of smell and taste key symptoms?

A loss of smell or taste may be a sign that you have coronavirus , according to UK researchers .
A team at King 's College London looked at responses from more than 400,000 people reporting suspected Covid-19 symptoms to an app .
But loss of smell and taste are also signs of other respiratory infections , such as the common cold .
And experts say fever and cough remain the most important symptoms of the virus to look out for and act upon .
If you or someone you live with has a new continuous cough or high temperature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stop the risk of spreading coronavirus to others .
Coronavirus : What should I do ?
What did the study find ?
The King 's College researchers wanted to gather information on possible coronavirus symptoms to help experts better understand and fight the disease .
Of those reporting one or more symptoms of coronavirus to the Covid Symptom Tracker app : • 53 % said they had fatigue or tiredness • 18 % loss of sense of smell or taste Of these 400,000 people , 1,702 said they had been tested for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result and 1,123 a negative one .
Among the ones who had coronavirus infection confirmed by a positive test , three-fifths ( 59 % ) reported loss of smell or taste .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak Should loss of smell and taste be added to the key symptoms to watch out for ?
Experts say there 's not enough evidence yet .
Public Health England and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to the list .
ENT UK , the body that represents Ear , Nose and Throat doctors , says it is not surprising that some patients with coronavirus might report these as symptoms , but they are not specific to Covid-19 .
The King 's researchers say loss of smell and taste might be useful extra symptoms to watch for , perhaps not on their own but alongside other important ones like cough and fever .
Lead researcher Prof Tim Spector said : `` When combined with other symptoms , people with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be three times more likely to have contracted Covid-19 according to our data , and should therefore self-isolate for seven days to reduce the spread of the disease . ''

Lead researcher Prof Tim Spector said: "When combined with other symptoms, people with loss of smell and taste appear to be three times more likely to have contracted Covid-19 according to our data, and should therefore self-isolate for seven days to reduce the spread of the disease."


bbcuk--2020-04-01--Coronavirus: How do I get a food parcel?

People have been stockpiling food , supermarket online delivery slots are full , items are restricted in stores and vulnerable people are being sent food parcels by the government .
So what is being done to make sure people can get food ?
A total of one-and-a-half million people in England have been identified as being extremely medically vulnerable .
The government has contacted 900,000 of these and plans to distribute free food parcels every week to more than 50,000 who have no family or friends to help them .
The first 4,000 were delivered at the weekend .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pasta , cereal , fruit , tea bags , potatoes and tinned goods , as well as toilet paper .
A food distribution company will deliver the packs to people 's doorsteps , although in some cases local authorities , charities or emergency services may help out .
The government is working in partnership with the food industry , local government , and voluntary groups and could potentially deliver hundreds of thousands every week .
What are supermarkets doing to keep customers safe ?
Branches of the main supermarkets have introduced policies to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one other .
These include having somebody on the door controlling customer numbers , and spacing out those queuing outside .
Inside , many supermarkets are providing hand sanitiser for customers and floor markers for till queues .
In addition , some are putting up screens between the cashiers and the public .
Other initiatives include Tesco introducing floor markings showing which direction to walk down the aisles in some of its larger stores .
Morrisons has a queuing zone if there are too many customers to be separated by the floor markings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barriers .
There is plenty to go round Despite empty shelves caused by panic buying in the past couple of weeks , the supermarkets say there is no shortage of food .
The problem has been getting deliveries to shops as fast as people buy key items , they say .
The panic buying led to the stores imposing restrictions on how many of individual items customers could buy .
On Tuesday , Aldi , Morrisons , Waitrose and Asda lifted some of the limits .
Tesco , Sainsbury 's and Co-op are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the moment .
• EASY STEPS : What can I do ?
• CONTAINMENT : What it means to self-isolate • UK LATEST : What 's the UK 's plan and what could happen next ?
• MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak What else have supermarkets done ?
The supermarkets have introduced allotted times of the day when only the elderly , vulnerable and disabled , or NHS staff and other key workers , can shop .
Several food retailers are `` drastically cutting '' the range of products @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manufacturers to stop making some products to focus on those for which there is greatest demand .
How are online deliveries holding up ?
This has been a sticking point for many people who , despite following Prime Minister Boris Johnson 's request to stay at home and use online deliveries , find themselves unable to book slots .
Tesco , which last week limited online orders to 80 items only , has now expanded its home delivery and click-and-collect services to about 780,000 slots this week - up from 660,000 two weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another 100,000 slots in the coming weeks .
It has also recruited more than 7,500 staff and added more than 200 new vans to its fleet .
Asda is also recruiting more delivery drivers , while Sainsbury 's has introduced priority slots for elderly and vulnerable customers and is contacting eligible customers on its database .
Morrisons is creating 3,500 new jobs to help expand its online delivery service , while Waitrose says it will set aside at least a quarter of its delivery slots to elderly or vulnerable people and is working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government doing ?
Rules have been relaxed by the government to allow supermarkets to work together .
This means they can share resources , such as distribution depots , delivery vans and staff , as well as co-ordinating stock levels across the country .
Rules around drivers ' hours have been eased and the 5p plastic bag charge is being waived for online orders , to speed up deliveries .

Other initiatives include Tesco introducing floor markings showing which direction to walk down the aisles in some of its larger stores. Morrisons has a queuing zone if there are too many customers to be separated by the floor markings, while Asda is bringing in directional barriers.


bbcuk--2020-04-01--What's in Scotland's emergency coronavirus bill?

MSPs are set to pass emergency legislation giving the Scottish government new powers to tackle the coronavirus crisis .
What is in this new bill , and how is it going to work ?
Why is the bill needed ?
It hardly needs to be pointed out , but the coronavirus pandemic has meant huge changes to life in Scotland .
The government says the outbreak is a `` severe and sustained threat to human life '' , and that the public health measures needed to limit the spread of the virus `` will require a significant adjustment '' to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and regulated .
Many changes have already happened , via Westminster legislation and powers already held by Scottish ministers .
But more needs to be done at Holyrood , particularly in relation to devolved areas like housing and justice .
This is where the Coronavirus ( Scotland ) Bill comes in .
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says the bill has been drawn up on a cross-party basis , and MSPs are due to push it through parliament in a single day .
What does it mean for tenants ?
One of the main @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who rent their homes increased protection from eviction during the pandemic .
New rules will increase the minimum notice period for private and social tenants to up to six months , as long as there are not grounds involving antisocial or criminal behaviour , or if the landlord needs to move into the property themselves .
This is intended to give people time to apply for support or benefits so they can pay bills in the short term , and to make longer-term plans .
Ministers say that while those facing rent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the legislation is `` an important backstop to prevent evictions and relieve the financial pressure people may be facing '' .
What does it mean for the justice system ?
The bill includes a range of measures to keep the justice system running during the pandemic , to make sure `` essential '' criminal trials can continue .
It allows for any participant in a criminal or civil proceeding in court to appear via video or audio link from elsewhere , and some procedural hearings could be held entirely over the internet .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ which usually exist for criminal proceedings , meaning more trials could be delayed .
However proposals to have more trials take place without a jury were dropped after an outcry from the legal profession and opposition parties .
And it includes powers for the government to release some prisoners early should so many prisoner officers and staff fall ill that it is no longer safe to operate prisons at their current population levels .
Nicola Sturgeon has stressed that this power would only be used as a `` last resort '' - subject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exclude prisoners on life sentences or who have been convicted of sexual crimes .
What does it mean for businesses and public bodies ?
The legislation also includes a number of provisions to keep businesses and public services running during the outbreak .
This includes changes to deadlines over planning and licensing rules for local authorities , as much business in this area has been put on hold with pubs and construction sites closing down .
Local authorities will also be allowed to exclude the public from their meetings `` on health grounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a `` reasonable and proportionate measure to protect the public and council members '' .
The bill was also set to extend the deadline for public bodies to respond to Freedom of Information requests from 20 days to 60 days , but ministers agreed to alter this to `` reflect concerns '' from campaigners and MSPs .
The bill also includes short-term protection for debtors , extending the period for which creditors are barred from taking action against people and firms - a moratorium - to six months .
How long will the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insisted that these emergency measures will be `` strictly limited to the duration of the outbreak '' .
The legislation includes a `` sunset clause '' , meaning that most of it will automatically expire six months after it comes into force .
MSPs will be able to vote to extend this for another six months if necessary , and then for another six months after that , but this is the absolute limit - so the measures in the bill have a maximum duration of 18 months .
Ministers have also pledged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months about the use of the emergency powers .
What is n't in the bill ?
A range of measures to contain the virus and help support communities and the economy have already been implemented without the use of Scottish-specific legislation .
For example the UK government 's moves to support workers , both those under contract and the self-employed , are being implemented without new laws being passed .
The new powers given to police officers to enforce to social distancing rules are underpinned by UK legislation , and also do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are also subject to a `` sunset clause '' .
The whole Holyrood bill is designed to `` complement and support '' the UK legislation , which MSPs formally gave their backing to the day before it passed .
How quickly will the bill be passed ?
The legislation started its life like any other bill tabled at Holyrood , but is about to hit the fast track .
MSPs will vote to take the bill forward as emergency legislation , and then zip it through the parliament in less than nine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the matter , given the parliament is only sitting for one day this week .
They will hold the stage one debate on the general principles of the bill on Wednesday morning , then hold what would normally be the committee stage to consider amendments in the full chamber .
This will be immediately followed by the final stage debate , before the final vote in the evening .
Only 79 of the 129 MSPs can currently fit in the chamber as seats have been removed to maintain social distancing rules .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a law - one quarter of members makes up a quorum .
As soon as the bill receives royal assent , it will become law .
This can take up to four weeks , but the process can be accelerated .
MSPs last worked this fast in October 2010 , when the Criminal Procedure ( Legal Assistance , Detention and Appeals Scotland ) Bill was passed inside a single day in light of a UK Supreme Court judgement .
It received royal assent two days later .

What's in Scotland's emergency coronavirus bill? Published 2 April 2020
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, A coronavirus lockdown is already in place across Scotland
MSPs have passed emergency legislation giving the Scottish government new powers to tackle the coronavirus crisis. What is in this new bill, and how is it going to work?
Why is the bill needed?
It hardly needs to be pointed out, but the coronavirus pandemic has meant huge changes to life in Scotland.
The government says the outbreak is a "severe and sustained threat to human life", and that the public health measures needed to limit the spread of the virus "will require a significant adjustment" to how businesses and public services are delivered and regulated.
Many changes have already happened, via Westminster legislation and powers already held by Scottish ministers.
But more needs to be done at Holyrood, particularly in relation to devolved areas like housing and justice. This is where the Coronavirus (Scotland) Bill comes in.
The bill was drawn up on a cross-party basis, and MSPs unanimously agreed to push it through Holyrood after a single day of debate.
Image source, PA Media Image caption, Holyrood is sitting for a single day to consider the bill - and will then close for several weeks
What does it mean for tenants?
One of the main functions of the legislation is to give people who rent their homes increased protection from eviction during the pandemic.
New rules will increase the minimum notice period for private and social tenants to up to six months, as long as there are not grounds involving antisocial or criminal behaviour, or if the landlord needs to move into the property themselves.
This is intended to give people time to apply for support or benefits so they can pay bills in the short term, and to make longer-term plans.
Ministers say that while those facing rent arrears should speak to their landlords, the legislation is "an important backstop to prevent evictions and relieve the financial pressure people may be facing".
Proposals by the Greens to toughen these rules by barring eviction notices altogether were rejected by MSPs.
Image caption, Landlords will not be able to evict tenants in the short term
What does it mean for the justice system?
The bill includes a range of measures to keep the justice system running during the pandemic, to make sure "essential" criminal trials can continue.
It allows for any participant in a criminal or civil proceeding in court to appear via video or audio link from elsewhere, and some procedural hearings could be held entirely over the internet.
The legislation also extends the time limits which usually exist for criminal proceedings, meaning more trials could be delayed. Proposals to have more trials take place without a jury were dropped after an outcry from the legal profession and opposition parties - but could yet resurface in another bill.
The legislation also includes powers for the government to release some prisoners early should so many prisoner officers and staff fall ill that it is no longer safe to operate prisons at their current population levels.
Nicola Sturgeon has stressed that this power would only be used as a "last resort" - subject to vote in parliament - and would exclude prisoners on life sentences or who have been convicted of sexual crimes.
Image caption, Some prisoners could be released if staff levels are badly hit by the virus
What does it mean for businesses and public bodies?
The legislation also includes a number of provisions to keep businesses and public services running during the outbreak.
This includes changes to deadlines over planning and licensing rules for local authorities, as much business in this area has been put on hold with pubs and construction sites closing down.
Local authorities will also be allowed to exclude the public from their meetings "on health grounds", something the government said was a "reasonable and proportionate measure to protect the public and council members".
The bill also extends the deadline for public bodies to respond to Freedom of Information requests from 20 days to 60 days. After concerns from opposition parties, ministers agreed that this would not apply to the government itself and that extensions should only be used in a "targeted way".
The bill also includes short-term protection for debtors, extending the period for which creditors are barred from taking action against people and firms - a moratorium - to six months.
Image caption, Scottish councils will be able to exclude the public from meetings
How long will the government have these powers?
Ministers have insisted that these emergency measures will be "strictly limited to the duration of the outbreak".
The legislation includes a "sunset clause", meaning that most of it will automatically expire six months after it comes into force.
MSPs will be able to vote to extend this for another six months if necessary, and then for another six months after that, but this is the absolute limit - so the measures in the bill have a maximum duration of 18 months.
Ministers have also pledged to report back to Holyrood every two months about the use of the emergency powers.
Image source, PA Media Image caption, Seats have been removed in the Holyrood chamber to maintain social distancing between MSPs
What isn't in the bill?
A range of measures to contain the virus and help support communities and the economy have already been implemented without the use of Scottish-specific legislation.
For example the UK government's moves to support workers, both those under contract and the self-employed, are being implemented without new laws being passed.
The new powers given to police officers to enforce to social distancing rules are underpinned by UK legislation, and also do not require specific legislation at Holyrood - although they are also subject to a "sunset clause".


bbcuk--2020-04-01--Jay Blades: From repairing lives to hosting TV hit The Repair Shop

BBC One 's The Repair Shop has become one of the unlikely TV hits of recent years - and host Jay Blades has become one of TV 's unlikely stars .
On the surface , the idea behind The Repair Shop is so simple that it could sound dull .
People bring their dilapidated old possessions and heirlooms to a barn , where a group of experts restore them .
Then the owners come and get them .
There 's much more to it , though .
The Guardian has described it as `` the most moving show on TV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it `` far and away the best programme on British television '' .
The reason the show is such a success - watched by 6.7 million people after moving to a primetime slot for its sixth series in March - is because the objects invariably come with their own emotional baggage .
Take last week 's episode .
Widower Geoff brought in his broken jukebox , which had played the first dance at his wedding many years ago .
When he returned to the barn and heard the strains of the song play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tears .
As were most people at home , if the reaction on Gogglebox is anything to go by .
On the Channel 4 show , an emotional Pete in Blackpool neatly summed up The Repair Shop 's appeal : `` It 's just nice , is n't it ? ''
The man who put his arm around Geoff as the jukebox played was The Repair Shop host Jay Blades .
`` It 's unbelievable how the audience have taken to it , '' he says .
`` I kind of knew it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I did n't know it was going to be this successful . ''
When it began in 2017 , the show attracted around a million viewers at tea time .
Now it has been promoted in the schedule and has won a string of awards .
Not since The Great British Bake Off has a show become such a sleeper hit .
At a time when many people are craving comfort TV - as well as a less disposable , slower and kinder life - its mix of practical solutions and heartwarming tales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself is particularly touched when men like Geoff are moved by a repair .
`` I admire people that come into the barn because some of the stories that are attached to the items are very personal , and some of them are raw , '' he says .
`` I love it , and I get quite choked up when I hear men being emotional , because where I 'm from , men were never emotional .
It was just like , 'If you show emotion , you 've shown your weakness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victim because people will take the mickey out of you . '
'' Where Blades comes from is Hackney in east London , and a TV career was never part of his plan .
The job on a furniture repair show has come about after he first did his bit to try to repair police racism - which he experienced first-hand - as well as broken communities and young peoples ' prospects .
After leaving school at the age of 15 with dyslexia and no qualifications , Blades did a succession of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But at the age of 30 , he decided to go to university .
`` I wanted to set myself a challenge of doing something that I did n't like , which was school , '' he says .
`` I did n't like school for a number of reasons .
I was bullied and there was a lot of racism , and there 's a lot of fighting I had to do at school . ''
He phoned a university and asked what courses they had on offer .
He told them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else ?
`` I said , 'Well , I grew up in a poor area , and I know about crime and stuff like that . '
And they said , 'Well , you could study criminology . '
'' He asked what that was , and was told it 's the study of why people commit crime .
He responded : `` Really ?
Wow .
I 'd like to know why people do crime because my area was full of crime . ''
' I used to get beaten up by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he took part in race relations training with police - and took the opportunity to give them a piece of his mind .
`` I was telling them how they 're policing ethnic minorities and they 've got it all wrong , because they were very heavy-handed , '' he recalls .
`` I did n't know I was chatting to the chief superintendent of Thames Valley Police !
He said to me , ' I admire your bravery .
No-one 's ever told me about this the way that you told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McWhirter commissioned Blades to survey young people in deprived areas in Oxford about their concerns , and feed the responses back .
He then did the same in other nearby towns .
`` He was the first police officer I 've ever met who has kept his word with me , because we made some groundbreaking changes in the deprived areas in Oxford that I am super proud of , '' Blades says .
`` That guy restored my faith in the police , because I used to get beaten up by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SPG [ Special Patrol Group ] vans used to pick me up and beat me up and throw me out and stuff like that .
But he was a good man . ''
That led Blades and his wife to set up a charity called Street Dreams to work with young people in the area , which led to another called Out of the Dark .
`` There was a group of young people who were n't necessarily good at academic work , but they were really good with their hands , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blades still knew nothing about furniture restoration .
That changed when he put a call out for local retired people who wanted to pass on their skills .
`` I had a number of members of the community come in and teach us how to do restoration , using a chisel , using a saw , how to paint - loads of stuff .
Our oldest teacher was a 91-year-old who taught us how to do caning of a chair . ''
Blades himself began teaching young people how to transform objects they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not only practical skills but also lessons about waste and finance .
`` I would say to them , ' I 'm not going to teach you how to restore old furniture .
I 'm going to show you how to make money from nothing . '
'' After The Guardian made a film about his project in 2014 , he came to the attention of TV producers and was asked to be a host of a new show - called Money For Nothing - which rescued and renovated unwanted items .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shop , and to be watched by 6.7 million people a week .
`` In the current climate , I think we all need something to look forward to , something that will just kind of restore our faith in humanity , '' he says .
The Repair Shop is on BBC One on Wednesdays at 20:00 BST and on iPlayer .

"I love it, and I get quite choked up when I hear men being emotional, because where I'm from, men were never emotional. It was just like, 'If you show emotion, you've shown your weakness and you then become a kind of victim because people will take the mickey out of you.'"


bbcuk--2020-03-31--How Dua Lipa and The Weeknd are bringing the 80s back… again

`` I 'm Dua , and I 'll be your instructor today . ''
With its lycra , leotards and sweatbands , the workout video for Dua Lipa 's Physical is a camp and colourful homage to the TV exercise classes of the 80s .
The track itself is heavily inspired by the disco and electronica which defined the decade 's sound .
Same goes for the biggest song in the world right now : The Weeknd 's Blinding Lights , with its super synth-pop keyboard hook .
The 1980s is inspiring pop music once again - and influencing artists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Its sound can currently be found everywhere in mainstream pop - from Little Mix 's Break Up Song to The 1975 's back catalogue to Heartbreak Weather , the title track from Niall Horan 's new album .
It 's perhaps most obvious throughout The Weeknd 's After Hours , especially in the saxophone crescendo of In Your Eyes .
`` For me the definitive 80s sound is a splashy snare and a kick drum with a lot of kick , '' says Tim McEwan , one half of US electronic duo The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 80s-sounding pop with all the hallmarks of the decade - including big soundscapes , dreamy vocals , and saxophone solos - for years .
`` You then throw in these dreamy synth pads which create these hyper melodic songs . ''
While The Midnight agree all music is cyclical , the current wave of 80s nostalgia might be because we `` miss the simplicity of a different time '' .
`` Technology has taken over to such a degree that there 's something very tactile about the 80s and 90s that people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vinyl , old game cartridges . ''
Some of the defining pop songs of the 1980s A-Ha - Take On Me Whitney Houston - I Wan na Dance With Somebody ( Who Loves Me ) The 80s has always been a `` significant music period '' but the decade 's influence '' has `` really stuck '' this time round , according to the Independent 's music correspondent Roisin O'Connor .
Born in the 1990s , she remembers finding 80s music through film soundtracks such as Back To The Future .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it seems like you 're discovering hidden treasure . ''
She says one of the qualities of the 1980s was the distinct vocals - from `` the dramatic baritone of Depeche Mode 's Dave Gahan to Jimmy Somerville 's falsetto in Bronski Beat '' .
Dua Lipa 's vocal on Physical reminds Roisin of Debbie Harry ( from Blondie ) - and says the Weeknd `` is famously obsessed with Michael Jackson '' .
For Dutch DJ Oliver Heldens , who was born in 1995 , the 80s sound is `` futuristic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on disco and Eurodance , he recently re-versioned the 1983 Italian dance-epic Take A Chance .
He also sampled the staccato keyboards from Yazoo 's 1982 hit Do n't Go on Turn Me On , his collaboration with Riton .
`` Good music from the past will always be there in the future , '' he tells Radio 1 Newsbeat .
The hook on Turn Me On was created by Vince Clarke who - as a member of Yazoo , Depeche Mode and Erasure - helped pioneer the sounds of the 1980s .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' says Heldens .
Vince Clarke has also been a major influence in the life and career of producer and singer Jack Antonoff , who has made music with Taylor Swift , Lorde and Carly Rae Jepsen .
The pair worked together on Antonoff 's Bleachers albums Strange Desire and Gone Now .
Speaking to Buzzfeed in 2014 , Antonoff said : `` Modern pop music should just write Vince a cheque for a billion dollars . ''
TV has done its bit too - with the colours and aesthetic of the Starcourt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as perhaps the most visually in-your-face representation of the 80s .
The show `` came at the perfect time '' , according to Tim from The Midnight .
`` We definitely live in the same universe . ''
He thinks the Duffer brothers , who created Stranger Things , `` nailed an aesthetic that enhances whatever else is going on around it '' .
`` Our last album , Kids , came out in 2018 - which was around the same time as the third season .
A lot of people have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' The band are now preparing for the release of a new album later this year , which The Midnight 's Tyler Lyle says represents their `` strongest songs '' to date .
`` We are trying to make music that feels authentic to us . ''
The 80s throwback is perhaps at the peak of its influence right now and , as with anything in music , music critic Roisin O'Connor thinks that the sound could `` peter out over the next year or so '' .
`` When you have artists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lipa doing it , you 've reached your top levels .
I would n't be surprised if artists soon try exploring other avenues .
`` However , it 's so significant we 're never not going to hear influence from that time in our music . ''
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here .

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bbcuk--2020-04-01--Coronavirus: Transforming London's ExCeL centre into Nightingale hospital

Timelapse footage has captured the transformation of London 's ExCeL centre into a temporary hospital for coronavirus patients .
The @ @ @ @ @ be operational by the end of the week .
Five hundred beds are already in @ @ @ @ @ for another 3,500 .

Timelapse footage has captured the transformation of London's ExCeL centre into a temporary hospital for coronavirus patients.
The Nightingale Hospital is expected to be operational by the end of the week.
Five hundred beds are already in place and there is space for another 3,500.


bbcuk--2020-03-31--Coronavirus' 'minimum wage heroes'

Coronavirus' 'minimum wage heroes'

'We ca n't even wash our hands' The often unsanitary conditions in refugee and migrant camps , like this one @ @ @ @ @ challenge for residents trying to avoid coronavirus .

While most have been told to stay at home to fight coronavirus, some low-paid key workers in hospitals, supermarkets and other workplaces must risk their health to keep the country running.
Viewers in the UK can watch Panorama: Lockdown UK on the BBC iPlayer.


bbcuk--2020-03-31--Coronavirus: How a professional deep clean is carried out

Specialist cleaning services are being inundated with requests to disinfect buildings during the coronavirus pandemic .
But what do these @ @ @ @ @ it work ?
The BBC 's Duncan Kennedy visited a team in Hampshire that ’ @ @ @ @ @ UK ’ s leading units working against the virus .

Specialist cleaning services are being inundated with requests to disinfect buildings during the coronavirus pandemic.
But what do these services provide and how does it work?
The BBC's Duncan Kennedy visited a team in Hampshire that’s become one of the UK’s leading units working against the virus.


bbcuk--2020-04-01--The One Show: Matt Baker's last day leaves Alex Jones in tears

The One Show 's Matt Baker has received an emotional send-off from his co-host Alex Jones , after nine years @ @ @ @ @ .
Matt joined Alex via video link on Tuesday evening , as he is self-isolating @ @ @ @ @ member showed coronavirus symptoms .
Read more : The One Show will not replace Matt @

The One Show's Matt Baker has received an emotional send-off from his co-host Alex Jones, after nine years presenting the BBC One programme.
Matt joined Alex via video link on Tuesday evening, as he is self-isolating at home after a family member showed coronavirus symptoms.
Read more: The One Show will not replace Matt Baker


bbcuk--2020-04-01--The Papers: Testing 'fiasco' and UK's youngest virus death

As the number of coronavirus deaths mounts up , the papers tell us about some of the individuals , old and young , behind the statistics .
Several front pages highlight the case of the boy believed to have been the youngest patient to die in the UK after catching Covid-19 , Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab , who was 13 and had no known health problems .
The Guardian quotes a family friend who says the boy 's mother and his six siblings are now waiting for the results of a post-mortem .
They could n't be with him when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Times carries news of the death of Harold Pearsall from Tamworth in Staffordshire , who was 97 and a D-Day veteran .
He 'd been awarded France 's highest military honour , the Légion d'Honneur , for taking part in the Allied assault on the beaches of Normandy .
Also reported in The Times is the death of Thomas Harvey , an NHS worker who was 57 and had seven children .
He apparently picked up the virus while treating a patient at a hospital in Ilford in Essex .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Helen Gents , a grandmother aged 92 , has recovered from Covid-19 after being taken to hospital last week .
Her granddaughter says the former shop worker is `` made of strong stuff '' .
The need for tests to show whether NHS staff have coronavirus is the main front-page story in the Financial Times and the Daily Mail , whose headline demands `` Fix testing fiasco now '' .
The Mail says the lack of testing kits is `` shocking '' and it calls for the government to appoint a dedicated minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem .
The Times says Boris Johnson himself has taken charge of efforts to source chemicals needed for the tests .
The Sun says mass community testing is vital to return Britain to normality .
Get news from the BBC in your inbox , each weekday morning The Times reveals that just five weeks ago the coronavirus was judged by the government 's scientific advisers to pose only a `` moderate risk '' to Britain .
Scientists on a Public Health England committee , including the pandemic modeller , Neil Ferguson , discussed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Recently released minutes show that members of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group - or Nervtag - were given the latest global data on the outbreak , .
showing more than 75,000 confirmed cases of the virus in China and more than 2,200 fatalities .
The Times says the disclosure raises questions about the speed of the response .
The Guardian carries a warning that the coronavirus is pushing Britain 's care homes towards breaking point .
One charity says there are cases - or suspected cases - at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 10 staff is off sick or self-isolating .
The Sun pays tribute to those it calls the `` Army heroes on the NHS front line '' , with a front-page picture of soldiers helping to set up the new Nightingale Hospital in east London .
The Mirror says the military 's response to the crisis has been `` magnificent '' and we should be proud .
Writing in The Daily Telegraph , the columnist , Allison Pearson , says the armed forces have reminded us why they 're one of our greatest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we salute you ! ''

The Guardian quotes a family friend who says the boy's mother and his six siblings are now waiting for the results of a post-mortem. They couldn't be with him when he died because of the danger of infection.


bbcuk--2020-04-01--BA expected to suspend 36,000 staff

BA expected to suspend 36,000 staff

British Airways is expected to announce it will suspend around 36,000 staff .
The airline , which grounded much of its fleet due to the coronavirus crisis , has been negotiating with the Unite union for more than a week .
The two sides have reached a broad deal but are yet to sign on some details .
The agreement means that up to 80 % of BA cabin crew , ground staff , engineers and those working at head office will have their jobs suspended but no staff are expected to be made redundant .
The decision will affect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Airport after the airline suspended its operations at both locations until the crisis is over .
Those affected are expected to receive some of their wages through the government 's coronavirus job retention scheme , which covers 80 % of someone 's salary capped at a maximum of £2,500 a month .
It 's thought that the Unite union has been pushing for staff to be paid more than that .
BA has already reached a separate deal with its pilots who will take a 50 % pay cut over two months .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( IAG ) is in a better financial position than some of its competitors .
The group has made healthy profits in recent years .
But the airline 's expected decision to suspend such a large number of workers gives a sense of how hard UK aviation has been hit by travel restrictions , designed to stem the spread of the pandemic .
With future bookings cancelled for the foreseeable future , airlines have been haemorrhaging cash .
Over the next three months , the International Air Transport Association expects airlines to rack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ £32.3bn ) .
It said carriers were burning through their cash reserves fast , mainly because of the multi-billion-pound cost of refunding tickets for cancelled flights .
Many staff at Virgin Atlantic have had their jobs suspended for two months and crews at Easyjet are out of work for three months .
This week British Airways has run government repatriation flights to get hundreds of British nationals home from Peru , after the country went into lockdown .
It 's one of several UK-based airlines that has agreed to run further repatriation flights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of people are still stuck in other parts of the world .

No one who works at British Airways will be surprised at today's announcement. When the planes are sitting on the ground - and nearly all of BA's fleet is doing just that, dispersed to regional airports around the country - there is no need for the army of workers who fly the aircraft, maintain them, load and unload the bags, and serve the passengers.


bbcuk--2020-04-01--Coronavirus: Boris Johnson vows more virus tests as UK deaths exceed 2,000

The government is facing growing pressure to ramp up coronavirus testing , as the UK saw its biggest daily increase in deaths .
Some 2,352 virus patients had died in hospital as of 17:00 on Tuesday - up 563 in a day , the latest figures show .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said testing was `` massively increasing '' and it was `` the way through '' the pandemic .
Meanwhile a major international climate meeting , COP26 , is the latest event to be postponed as a result of the virus .
The climate talks were due to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in November - which is being turned into a temporary field hospital to treat coronavirus patients .
The UN 's climate body , the UNFCCC , and the UK government said the summit would be pushed back to 2021 .
In a video message posted on Twitter , the prime minister said Wednesday had been a `` sad , sad day '' due to the high number of deaths in the UK .
Mr Johnson , who is self-isolating in Downing Street after contracting the virus , also reiterated the government 's commitment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He said : `` This is how we will unlock the coronavirus puzzle .
This is how we will defeat it in the end . ''
The government has been under pressure to increase the screening of medics , so that those who are self-isolating unnecessarily can return to work .
More than 3,500 NHS frontline staff in England and Wales have been tested for the virus since the outbreak began .
But cabinet minister Michael Gove said a shortage of chemicals needed for the tests meant the NHS - which employs 1.2m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers .
The prime minister 's official spokesman said the government was working with NHS England , Public Health England and other organisations to boost test capacity with an additional network of labs and testing sites .
Dr Yvonne Doyle , Public Health England medical director , told a daily coronavirus briefing in Downing Street that there was currently capacity for about 3,000 tests a day for frontline NHS staff .
She said the `` intention '' was for testing for frontline staff to increase from `` thousands to hundreds of thousands within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Organization has said the world is set to reach one million confirmed cases and 50,000 deaths worldwide in the next few days .
Dr Doyle said the UK was not in `` as severe '' a position as Spain , the US or Italy , but added there was `` no reason to be complacent '' .
She said while the spread of the virus was most advanced in London , the Midlands was `` obviously a concern '' too .
As of 9:00 on Wednesday , 152,979 people in the UK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 29,474 confirmed positive .
This includes 4,139 cases in the Midlands and 8,341 in London .
Dr Doyle added while use of public transport had gone down since the government enforced social distancing measures , an `` up-tick '' in motor vehicle use in the last 24 hours was `` slightly concerning '' .
She urged members of the public to stay home to `` protect the NHS '' .
The number of questions about the lack of testing at the daily press conference came as no surprise .
The government has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more quickly .
Dr Doyle said she was confident the UK would achieve the target of 25,000 tests a day by the end of the month .
There is some way to go - over the past 24 hours just shy of 10,000 tests have been done .
The lack of tests means NHS staff have had to self-isolate at home when members of their household show symptoms .
News that there are going to be five drive-through centres for staff will also help .
But it was interesting Dr Doyle was also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be increased by in the long-term .
If the number of cases does come down , testing will play a crucial role in allowing the lockdown to be eased .
The plan would be to contain the virus by testing lots of people quickly .
That will require the UK to be able to tests hundreds of thousands of people a day .
A doctor who came out of retirement to volunteer for the NHS has become the fourth UK medic to die with the virus , which causes the disease Covid-19 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been volunteering at Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital in Welwyn when he contracted coronavirus .
His son Dani Saadu posted online that his dad had died after `` fighting the virus for two weeks '' .
`` My dad was a living legend , worked for the NHS for nearly 40 years saving people 's lives here and in Africa , '' he said .
The BBC 's head of statistics Robert Cuffe said the latest increases in the number of patients dying with coronavirus balance out with the below-average rises on Sunday and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus death toll He said the number of new deaths has been increasing at a slightly slower rate than earlier in the epidemic , `` but if that keeps up , we 'd expect to see in the region of a thousand deaths a day by the weekend '' .
Downing Street said 390 million pieces of personal protective equipment ( PPE ) including masks , alcohol wipes and aprons , have been delivered to NHS staff over the last two weeks .
The prime minister 's official spokesperson said the government was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had come forward with offers of PPE , or proposals to manufacture more .
It follows criticism from some frontline workers over the lack of protective equipment , with staff at one hospital in Essex warning they could `` limit services '' to patients with coronavirus `` to a bare minimum '' over fears for their own safety .
The prime minister 's spokesperson also said the NHS will be sent 30 new ventilators next week and promised `` hundreds '' more would follow .
The NHS is reported to have 8,175 ventilators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ventilators could be needed at the peak of the pandemic .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak • Business Secretary Alok Sharma has issued a stark warning to banks , after concerns that up to a million companies could fold because they could be denied emergency loans • Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has written to Jacob Rees-Mogg , Leader of the House of Commons , to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the event social distancing measures remain in place on 21 April , when MPs plan to return to work • Defence Secretary Ben Wallace became the fourth cabinet minister to have to self-isolate • In the past 15 days , NHS 111 has responded to more than 1.7 million inquiries from people concerned they might have symptoms of coronavirus • Wimbledon has been cancelled for the first time since World War Two because of the pandemic • All Champions League and Europa League matches have been suspended `` until further notice '' by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take place in August , has also been cancelled • New research suggests a loss of smell or taste may be a sign that you have coronavirus • The DWP say there have been 950,000 new Universal Credit claims from the mid-March shutdown until 31 March - the normal figure for a two-week period is 100,000 Do you work in the NHS ?
Have you been tested ?
Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .
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He said the number of new deaths has been increasing at a slightly slower rate than earlier in the epidemic, "but if that keeps up, we'd expect to see in the region of a thousand deaths a day by the weekend".


bbcuk--2020-04-01--Coronavirus: 'Living legend' doctor Alfa Saadu dies from Covid-19

A doctor who dedicated nearly 40 years to saving others has died after contracting coronavirus .
Dr Alfa Saadu , 68 , died on Tuesday afternoon at the Whittington Hospital in north London .
The doctor had been a medical director at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Essex and Ealing NHS Trust and worked at many hospitals in the capital .
Tributes have been paid to Dr Saadu , including from the former president of the Nigerian Senate .
Two weeks ago Dr Saadu started to show symptoms of coronavirus and immediately self-isolated .
His son Dani Saadu said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but his father insisted he `` did not want to take up a hospital bed because others would need it '' .
Mr Saadu added : `` He was a very passionate man , who cared about saving people .
`` As soon as you spoke to him about medicine or what was happening with the NHS his eyes would light up - he was very passionate .
`` He was working part-time as a locum as he just could not fully retire .
He just loved medicine so much .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 40 years in different hospitals across London and he loved to lecture people in the world of medicine , he did so in the UK and Africa . ''
Despite retiring in 2017 , Dr Saadu continued to work part-time at the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital in Welwyn , Hertfordshire .
During his career he also worked as medical director of the Ealing Hospital NHS Trust and was appointed interim medical director when the trust merged to become the London North West University NHS Trust in 2014 .
The Princess Alexandra Hospital , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director until he left in December 2017 , also paid tribute : `` Our condolences to you and your family .
Our thoughts are with you all . ''
Mr Saadu warned people to take the government 's advice seriously as the numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths continued to rise across the UK .
`` I remember a few weeks ago when Boris Johnson said 'be prepared to lose loved ones ' , '' he said .
`` I got really angry and remember thinking , 'why is he saying this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing you say on TV ' .
`` Now I understand what he means .
People need to take this virus seriously .
I have seen it first-hand - this virus kills people . ''
Dr Saadu is the fourth NHS professional to die from coronavirus in a week after the deaths of Dr Habib Zaidi in Southend , Dr Adil El Tayar in west London and Dr Amged El-Hawrani in Leicester .
Former Nigerian Senate president Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki posted his condolences on Twitter .
Dr Saraki said Dr Saadu had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Association , a community leader and traditional office holder as Galadima of Pategi .
• LATEST : Live updates from around the world • A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
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