bbcuk--2020-04-14--Coronavirus: Remembering the NHS workers who have died

A midwife originally from Hong Kong .
A hospital cleaner who became a nurse .
A retired village GP who carried on caring for his former patients .
Thousands of people in the UK have now died with coronavirus , including doctors , nurses , surgeons and other NHS workers .
Here are some of their stories .
The mother of five was admitted to Leeds General Infirmary , a hospital where she used to work , last Tuesday after falling ill. An agency nurse at Harrogate District Hospital with more than 30 years ' experience , she died on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be a nurse , she 's being doing it for as long as I remember , '' her daughter Naomie said .
Mrs Medel , originally from the Philippines , lived in Bridgend , South Wales , and had worked at a number of local hospitals .
`` Leilani Medel was not only a nurse , she was a mother , a wife , and our friend , '' Rhian Eccleshare , director of nursing at Cardiff-based Hoop Recruitment , said .
`` She never had a bad word to say about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work .
Her smile was infectious and she had the kindest of souls . ''
Ms Dias , who worked at the Weston General Hospital in north Somerset , was a `` valued and much-loved colleague '' , colleagues said .
The Weston Super Mare Association of Malayalees also paid tribute .
In a post of Facebook , it said : `` Our deepest sympathy and prayers to you and your family , ( Amarante Dias ) will deeply be missed . ''
Originally from the Philippines , Mrs Ballesteros `` loved her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ son , Rainier , said .
Her two sons , Rainier and Bryan , both live in the Philippines , and Mrs Ballesteros lived in the UK with her husband Luis , 64 .
She was admitted to St Mary 's Hospital in Paddington , London , on 10 April but died two days later .
Kev , as he was known to friends and colleagues , was `` renowned for his warm personality , diligence and compassion '' , Richard Parker , chief executive at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Doncaster Royal Infirmary , was `` a valued member of the team for over 35 years '' .
Mr Parker said he was `` utterly heartbroken '' to share the news of his death .
Mr Rico worked as a porter at John Radcliffe Hospital , in Oxford , after moving to the UK from the Philippines , in 2004 .
Married to a nurse at the hospital , he was `` popular and hard-working '' , colleagues said .
His daughter , Carla , set up a GoFundMe page for his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` He would walk around the hospital with a smile on his face and very rarely would he call in sick from work , '' she said .
Mr King Jr was also a porter at John Radcliffe Hospital and also originally from the Philippines .
He is believed to have worked at the hospital for 10 years and was described as a `` beloved friend , loving husband , and devoted father '' to his 10-year-old daughter .
The mother of four was a matron at Hillingdon Hospital , where she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems and dementia .
On Saturday , the trust confirmed her death at Watford General Hospital .
Her husband , Gary , said she was devoted to her family - to her daughters , Gemma and Freya , and twin sons , Kyle and Michael .
`` Sara had that unbeatable combination of kindness , selflessness and total determination to get things right for patients '' , colleague Dr Paul Hopper added .
Ms Campbell , a mother of two , was a `` treasured '' member of staff who could `` light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and bubbly personality '' , colleagues said .
`` She was often found singing and dancing , entertaining patients and staff , making everyone smile , '' they added .
Ms Campbell was a healthcare support worker who worked at the Velindre Cancer Centre , in Cardiff .
She died at the University Hospital Wales in Cardiff on 10 April .
Colleagues said the nurse , who was originally from the Philippines and worked at Hammersmith Hospital , in west London , `` loved his NHS job '' .
Last month , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ image of him wearing a protective mask emblazoned with the words : `` I ca n't stay at home , I 'm a healthcare worker . ''
He died after going into self-isolation with coronavirus symptoms , a friend and fellow nurse said .
The grandmother , who worked at Royal Liverpool University Hospital , was an `` unsung hero '' , her local NHS trust said .
Her job was to make arrangements to allow patients to safely leave hospital , having spent most of her career as a care worker for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a much-loved wife , mum , nan , sister , auntie , friend and beautiful person , '' her family said .
`` She loved nothing more than spending precious time with her family . ''
A grandfather , Gareth Roberts had worked as a nurse at sites across the Cardiff and Vale health board since the 1980s .
He had retired in December 2014 before returning to work in January 2015 .
He was `` extremely popular , fun-filled and well-liked '' , the board said while staff said he was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Roberts died at the Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil .
Julie Omar had been working as a sister on Ward 14 at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch , and had also previously worked with the trauma team at Worcestershire Royal Hospital .
She was a `` much-loved member '' of its nursing team , said the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust , and a `` dedicated and highly experienced trauma and orthopaedics nurse '' .
She died at home on 10 April , and leaves a husband , Laith , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Dr Chowdhury was a consultant urologist at Homerton University Hospital , in east London .
His son Intisar described the consultant urologist as a `` kind and compassionate hero '' who had been in `` such pain '' when he wrote an appeal to the government on Facebook , warning about a lack of personal protective equipment ( PPE ) for NHS workers .
`` He wrote that post while he was in that state , just because of how much he cared about his co-workers , '' his son said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ would call us very often to come to his house , '' family friend and fellow doctor Golam Rahat Khan said .
Dr Edmond Adedeji worked as a locum registrar in the emergency department of Great Western Hospital in Swindon , Wiltshire .
`` He died doing a job he loved , serving others before himself , '' his family said in a statement .
The hospital 's chief executive added he was a `` respected and well-liked member of the team '' .
The care home nurse fell ill at home , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where she died on 7 April .
Ken , her husband , said she rang him before she was put on a ventilator : `` She started telling me , 'Ken , if I do n't come back be strong , I love you , be strong for the kids ' , '' he said .
She worked at New Cross Hospital , in Wolverhampton , and understood the risks of working on the front line - but wanted to help people , he added .
Ms Ong `` loved her job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PA news agency .
She said her mother came to London from Hong Kong in the 1970s to join the NHS `` because she believed it was the best in the world '' .
Ms Ong began her career as a midwife and was working full-time at two surgeries and holding baby clinics before falling ill .
Sister Leilani Dayrit died of suspected coronavirus after displaying symptoms at work , her daughter has said .
Mary Dayrit , 19 , said her mother had been `` selfless until the very end '' and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her own '' .
She had asthma , and had been self-isolating at home for seven days before she died on 7 April .
She had stopped breathing and paramedics were unable to revive her .
Mary said her mother was a compassionate woman who `` made sure to spread joy , happiness and love to anyone that ever needed it . ''
Ms Graham was the first NHS worker in Scotland to die from coronavirus .
`` My Mum was there for me no matter what .
I will miss everything about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News .
A healthcare support worker and district nurse , Ms Graham died at Inverclyde Royal Hospital on 6 April .
`` Our father was a selfless and compassionate doctor for over 50 years , '' Dr Haider 's daughter told the BBC after the death of the GP , who served as a senior partner at Valance Medical Centre , in Dagenham , east London .
`` His dedication to help people everywhere , be it professionally or personally was unwavering .
`` We are truly astounded as to how many people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his kindness , and continue to receive touching tributes from colleagues , patients , friends and family alike , '' Samina Haider said .
Dr Haider , who died on 6 April , also worked for more than 30 years as a senior homeopathic physician at the Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine .
Ms O'Rourke was `` such a kind and caring nurse '' who had `` a really special relationship with her patients and colleagues '' , said the ward manager of the acute medical unit she worked in .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to do , although she came to it relatively late after raising her girls . ''
The 39-year-old died at the hospital where she worked - the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital , in Margate , Kent - on 2 April .
Ms Nasreen worked as a hospital cleaner before gaining her nursing qualification in 2019 .
She died on 2 April at Walsall Manor Hospital , in the West Midlands - the hospital she had worked at for 16 years .
`` We 've lost an amazing nurse , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in life , '' her sister Kazeema Nasreen said .
The chief executive of Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust said Ms Nasreen `` always said she was so blessed to have the role of a nurse , which she absolutely loved because she wanted to feel like she could make a difference - and you did , Areema , you will be very sadly missed . ''
The grandmother `` followed her dream '' and trained as a midwife in later life , her family said in a statement .
`` She was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of women as they welcomed their babies into the world , '' they added .
Ms Coventry had worked at the Princess Alexandra Hospital , in Harlow , Essex , for 10 years .
She died on 2 April .
Ms Sharma , who worked as a pharmacist at Eastbourne District General Hospital , was the `` superstar of the family '' , her brother said .
`` Her irresistible laugh , sense of humour and good nature would light up our world and fill it with colours .
For this I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` For me , Pooja would always be the little protector or shield for when I had done something mischievous and she would cover for me with my parents . ''
Dr Ayache stopped working a month before he died , but his family say they think he continued to visit patients in their homes in an effort to help .
The retired GP , who worked for the NHS in Suffolk for more than 40 years , `` would often pop round and just check [ former patients ] were OK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` He was a rural village GP at heart , '' she added .
He had also helped to raise money for refugee charities to help people in Syria , where he was born .
Ms Ayache said her father 's `` entire life was split between his family and his work '' , adding : `` That was all he lived for really , was those two things . ''
Father-of-two Jitendra Rathod was a `` dearly loved '' specialist heart surgeon at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health board 's chief executive said he was a `` great '' surgeon who would be missed by his colleagues .
Mr Rathod died in the intensive care ward at the hospital on 6 April .
The nurse had worked in the children 's cancer unit at Newcastle 's Royal Victoria Infirmary before taking up other roles in the health sector .
`` She was a devoted friend , an incredible nurse and an unapologetically imperfect person , '' one of her friends said in a Facebook post .
Ms Mack was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients before becoming ill. A healthcare assistant , Mr Corbin worked at the Park Royal Centre for Mental Health , in north-west London , for more than 25 years .
`` He was the 'go to ' person who knew everything about the ward and how to get things done , '' said Claire Murdoch , head of the local NHS trust , adding he was the `` backbone '' of his team .
A published historian , Dr Sebastianpillai trained at a medical school in Sri Lanka and went on to specialise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in south-west London .
He was `` hugely respected as a consultant and author '' , Ed Davey , acting Lib Dem leader , said .
He described the consultant geriatrician 's book , A Complete Illustrated History of Sri Lanka , as `` world class '' .
Dr Sebastianpillai , who was in his 70s , died on 4 April .
Ms Glanister was a `` long-serving '' nurse at the Aintree University Hospital , in Liverpool .
`` We are so proud to see just how many people 's lives Liz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
`` Losing a loved one at any time is heartbreaking , but to go through it as we and many other families are is simply beyond words . ''
Ms Glanister - pictured centre , below - died on 3 April at Royal Liverpool University Hospital .
Prof Shousha was an honorary professor of histopathology at Imperial College London , and had worked at UK cancer research laboratories at London 's Hammersmith and Charing Cross hospitals since 1978 .
`` Living legend '' Dr Alfa Saadu , who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in hospital on 31 March .
His family said he had been working part-time at the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital in Welwyn , Hertfordshire , before contracting the virus .
His son Dani Saadu said the family suggested he should go to hospital , 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 ... he loved to lecture people in the world of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK and Africa . ''
Father-of-seven Thomas Harvey , 57 , was a healthcare assistant at Goodmayes Hospital in Ilford , east London .
His family criticised the NHS for the lack of personal protective equipment provided to staff , saying he `` just had gloves and a flimsy apron '' .
He died at home on 29 March , after feeling unwell for several days .
An ear , nose and throat consultant at the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton , Mr El-Hawrani 's family said he was `` a loving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , brother , and friend '' .
`` His greatest passions were his family and his profession , and he dedicated his life to both , '' they said .
Mr El-Hawrani died at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester on 28 March .
• Read more on Amged El-Hawrani 's life here Dr Zaidi was a managing partner of a GP practice with his wife Dr Talat Zaidi .
Their four children all work in the medical profession .
His daughter , Dr Sarah Zaidi , said his death was `` reflective of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vocational attitude to service '' .
His colleague Dr Jose Garcia-Lobera said he had left behind an `` incredible legacy '' and was `` a hugely respected , selfless man who dedicated his life to helping others '' .
Dr Zaidi died in intensive care at Southend Hospital , Essex , on 25 March .
Renowned surgeon Dr El Tayar worked in the NHS for 11 years before moving back to his native Sudan to help establish a transplant programme .
He returned to the UK in 2015 , working as a locum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the `` precious gift of life to so many people around the world '' , fellow surgeon Abbas Ghazanfar wrote in a tribute .
`` He was an excellent colleague , a truly humble soul and above all a noble human being . ''
He died at West Middlesex University Hospital in Isleworth , west London , on 25 March .
• Read more on Dr El Tayar 's life here

Renowned surgeon Dr El Tayar worked in the NHS for 11 years before moving back to his native Sudan to help establish a transplant programme.
He returned to the UK in 2015, working as a locum surgeon before his death.
He gave the "precious gift of life to so many people around the world", fellow surgeon Abbas Ghazanfar wrote in a tribute.


bbcuk--2020-04-15--Coronavirus: Who’s in charge if the PM is ill?

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he had `` all the authority '' he needed to make relevant decisions , as he deputised for Boris Johnson while he was in hospital with coronavirus .
The prime minister , who has paid tribute to the NHS staff who cared for him , is now recovering at Chequers , and is not expected to return to work for some time .
So who else shares power and how are decisions made while the prime minister is ill ?
Why is Dominic Raab in charge ?
Mr Raab is the foreign secretary , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretary of state - giving him seniority above all other cabinet ministers .
So if Mr Johnson did not return to his post , Mr Raab would take over in the first instance .
When Mr Johnson was moved into intensive care , Mr Raab said the government would continue to focus `` at the prime minister 's direction '' on defeating coronavirus .
Why is there no deputy prime minister ?
The role of deputy prime minister - like that of first secretary of state - is not a permanent position in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discretion of the prime minister .
The last deputy PM was Liberal Democrat Nick Clegg , during the 2010-15 coalition government with the Conservatives .
What will Dominic Raab be able to do ?
Although Mr Raab was first asked to deputise for the PM while he was in intensive care , we know very little about the exact extent of his authority .
There are various things only the prime minister can do - but some of these could be taken up by Mr Raab without much trouble .
For example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on appointments to the senior judiciary and high-ranking positions in the Church of England .
But it 's harder to imagine him conducting a reshuffle - even though , formally , it seems he ought to have that power .
It would be tricky for him to authorise military action at short notice .
Other ministers would most likely have to agree first , but the buck would stop with Mr Raab .
Then , there are the letters of last resort the prime minister writes for nuclear submarines , giving commanding officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event of a deadly attack .
It 's unlikely Mr Raab would have to write them unless Mr Johnson was incapacitated for a long time .
When asked if his role let him take decisions , Mr Raab said there was `` total unity '' among his cabinet colleagues and referred to the system of collective responsibility .
It means that in practice , any major decisions will probably be taken by Mr Raab in consultation with the cabinet or , where appropriate , senior civil servants .
The cabinet is the ultimate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the most senior ministers including the home secretary , the health secretary and the chancellor of the exchequer .
After February 's general election , Boris Johnson formed a cabinet of 22 full members - including himself - and four other attending members .
So although he 's the head of the government and has some individual powers , most important decisions are taken collectively in cabinet .
And the principle of `` collective responsibility '' means each cabinet decision is binding for each member - even if they personally disagreed with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by full cabinet .
It 's normal for there to be `` cabinet committees '' - smaller groups of ministers focused on specific issues .
There are four `` implementation committees '' working on different parts of the response .
They 're looking at healthcare , the public sector response , economics and business , and the international response .
Each is chaired by a cabinet minister and feeding into a daily overarching `` C-19 meeting '' - led in the prime minister 's absence by Dominic Raab .
• Power is no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't able to continue as PM , the rules for what should happen next are unclear - a consequence of the UK 's unwritten constitution .
But we do have some idea of what might happen .
The cabinet manual is the closest thing we have to a document which sets out the role of the prime minister .
It suggests the cabinet would select a replacement who the Queen would ask to form a government .
That could be Mr Raab or another senior MP .
The expectation is that he or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conservative Party appointed a new leader .
According to the Institute for Government think tank , prime ministers continue in office unless they resign or die .
It adds : `` While political parties usually have the ability to appoint an 'acting leader ' if the leader resigns or is incapacitated , there is no formal 'acting prime minister ' role .
He or she would be prime minister until they chose to resign or if their cabinet forced them out . ''
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on self-isolation and exercise • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak • STRESS : How to look after your mental health

Then, there are the letters of last resort the prime minister writes for nuclear submarines, giving commanding officers instructions about what to do in the event of a deadly attack. It's unlikely Mr Raab would have to write them unless Mr Johnson was incapacitated for a long time.


bbcuk--2020-04-15--Belsen 1945: Remembering the medical students who saved lives

`` It deeply affected him and his trust in human nature , '' says Anne Stephenson of her father John Reynolds , one of 95 London medical students who arrived at the notorious Belsen concentration camp in May 1945 to help care for survivors wracked by disease and starvation .
The camp had been captured on 15 April by British troops who had no idea of the horrors they would find inside when the first tank pushed open the gates .
For the BBC 's Richard Dimbleby , the first broadcaster to enter the camp , it was `` the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were 43,000 prisoners still alive , about two-thirds of them women , many so weak from starvation and disease they were unable to move from the huts where they were held and they were dying at a rate of about 500 a day .
• The tank driver who opened the gates at Bergen-Belsen The medical students , average age 21 , were volunteers , recruited initially to help care for starving Dutch children but who found , just before they were due to travel , their destination had been changed to Belsen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the beginning of May , most of the bodies had been removed but thousands of sick and dying people still languished in the huts .
`` People in all stages of disease .
Many were dead .
Practically all were emaciated , '' John Reynolds , then a 23-year-old student at St Thomas 's medical school , wrote later .
`` Nearly all the internees had violent colic or diarrhoea . ''
They were suffering from a range of diseases including cholera , typhus , tuberculosis , sores , boils and gangrene .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the whole , hopelessly filthy with no sense of decency or pride in themselves , treating the dead as furniture and their beds as latrines . ''
He carried these experiences with him for the rest of his life , says Anne , herself a doctor and a member of the academic staff at King 's College Medical School of which St Thomas 's is now part .
`` I remember once , we were all sitting having dinner and he suddenly said : ' I remember a blonde woman and they shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her in the leg . '
`` He had post-traumatic stress disorder , honestly .
He had terrible PTSD that was never treated . ''
Led by senior military medical staff , the students helped halve the death rate within a month .
It tested both their medical skills and their personal stamina to an unimaginable degree , according to Westminster student Michael Hargrave , in his diary .
A major puzzle was what to feed the internees .
British army rations were indigestible to starving people and could kill them , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unpalatably sweet , and intravenous feeding threw some , who feared fatal injections , into panic .
In pairs , the medical students were allocated to huts where each morning they would separate the living from those who had died overnight .
`` The bodies are dragged out by those who can walk and then the Wehrmacht load them on to massive lorry trailers , guarded all the while , and bury them in immense graves , '' wrote Guy 's student John Kilby in a letter to his mother .
Those needing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makeshift hospital for 7,000 housed in a military barracks camp .
John Reynolds recounts how the huts were burned down one-by-one until only one was left .
On 21 May 1945 `` an official ceremony of the burning of this last hut was attended by all those who worked in the camp ... a volley was fired , the Union Jack unfurled and then the hut was burned to the ground by flamethrowers . ''
A week later , the students ' month at Belsen was over and they were sent back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of course , you would have a debrief and you 'd have post-traumatic stress disorder counselling , '' says Prof Stephen Challacombe , a professor of oral medicine at King 's and a medical historian .
`` It was so stark , just , 'Give up your uniforms , you 're back in civilian life ' . ''
Of the 95 , despite being inoculated , two returned with tuberculosis and seven with typhus .
DDT was used liberally to kill lice and Anne Stephenson says her father always wondered whether the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connected with the pesticide .
In their later careers as doctors and academics `` all the reports , to a person , talk about how magnificent they were '' , says Prof Challacombe who has delivered a series of lectures on their story .
This year , to mark the 75th anniversary of their endeavour , King 's College Medical School , which , as well as St Thomas 's , also includes Guy 's , and accounts for 34 of the 95 students , is erecting plaques to their memory .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they could never have imagined what they would walk into and do , '' says Prof Challacombe , Sometimes audience members bring their parents ' letters and diaries from the period , among them Gilly Kenny and Jenny Meade whose fathers , John and Bernard , were among the King 's College contingent and remained lifelong friends .
Gilly says it was after her father 's death when `` we had to clear out all sorts of papers and we came across some that related to his time in Belsen ... that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found the lecture `` very emotional ...
I learned a lot '' .
Prof Challacombe believes the most difficult time for the students was when the patients were transferred from the huts into the hospital .
`` There is a point at which numbers and bodies turn into real people ... suddenly individuals in beds as opposed to a mass of individuals lying on a floor ... '' They did feel it when those patients that they 'd been looking after , trying so hard , then died , I think that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ modern day medical students will take a message from the story .
`` I think understanding their sacrifice , understanding their willingness to get involved and to contribute is a real hallmark of medicine .
`` I think there 's a lesson for me in helping people to understand you can attain those pinnacles and you can contribute , everybody can contribute however insecure they feel at the time . ''

On 21 May 1945 "an official ceremony of the burning of this last hut was attended by all those who worked in the camp... a volley was fired, the Union Jack unfurled and then the hut was burned to the ground by flamethrowers."


bbcuk--2020-04-14--Coronavirus: ‘My business could go bust if insurers don’t pay’

Businessman Simon Ager says his company , the Pinnacle Climbing Centre in Northampton , is at risk of being bankrupted because his insurer is refusing to cover losses as a result of the coronavirus lockdown .
He is one of a number of business owners who have said they might take legal action against insurers Hiscox , which has said it will not pay business interruption claims resulting from the outbreak .
Mr Ager 's policy covers the climbing centre for losses of up to £100,000 if it is forced to close in certain circumstances , although he says the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than that .
Hiscox 's policy documents says it will cover financial losses for businesses which are unable to use their premises following `` an occurrence of any human infectious or human contagious disease , an outbreak of which must be notified to the local authority '' .
Marie-Claire di Mambro , a solicitor at Keystone Law , believes the clause should `` cover any business that purchased this policy for any financial losses incurred as a consequence of Covid-19 '' .
A separate clause says the insurer will cover losses if an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business means the government refuses access to that firm 's premises .
That could be a shop , factory or climbing wall , for example .
Ms Di Mambro says this second clause should cover a business that can not use its buildings because the government has forced companies to close as a result of the pandemic .
But Hiscox says the insurance industry does not have enough money to cover all the losses that will emerge as a result of the lockdown .
`` Business interruption policies across the industry were never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a spokeswoman said , noting that the insurer 's lawyers do not think the pandemic is covered by its business interruption policies .
Instead , the insurer argues that the policy was intended to cover incidents that occur only within a mile of a business - not across the whole country - or outbreaks such as Legionnaires ' disease on the premises .
But Roger Topping - a claims assessor at TopMark Adjusters - who is also considering bringing legal action against the Hiscox , argues that is not what the policy says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease that causes an interruption to the business , '' he believes .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
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Insurance coverage is different from each provider .
Allianz and Aviva say they do not cover any diseases that are not named in their policies , and Zurich said its policies `` generally '' did not provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
Meanwhile , Axa and RSA say some of their policies may cover businesses which suffer a loss because of a coronavirus outbreak on their premises .
Hiscox , which is one of the UK 's best-known insurance companies and is worth about £2.7bn , would not say how many policies it has issued including the wording in question .
Emily Pringle owns a candle and fragrance company , Notes of Northumberland , which has been forced to furlough its three employees .
She says she is having to use the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refused her claim .
`` They should n't have been offering this sort of cover , unless they were prepared to cover it in the instance that something like this happened , '' she says .
Ms Pringle called Hiscox just days before she was forced to shut her business .
She says the insurer assured her that it would pay her losses as a result of the decision to close , and even sold her extra cover to protect her business from the pandemic 's impact .
But when she approached the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was told that she was not covered .
Hiscox says : `` We are investigating Emily 's circumstances . ''
While Ms Pringle says Hiscox may not have intended to protect against losses from an event like this when it wrote the policy , she thinks her contract 's wording means the insurer is obliged to pay .
She says that any accidental coverage under the policy is not the fault of small businesses .
`` It just does n't seem fair that they 're saving themselves and sacrificing all of us .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' she says .
Daniel Duckett opened Lazy Claire Patisserie in Belfast two years ago , and he now employs six part-time staff .
The patisserie has been forced to close , but Mr Duckett wants to continue paying staff and also rent to his landlord , another small business owner .
`` In the spirit of supporting other small businesses around us , we want to try to pay the people who need the money the most , '' he says .
But he says reopening the business after the lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refused his claim .
He has written an open letter to Hiscox 's UK boss Bob Thaker , and Chancellor Rishi Sunak after the insurer emailed to say it would not pay his claim .
Mr Duckett says the company 's argument that contagious disease cover only applies to local outbreaks is different to the wording of his policy .
He thinks Hiscox is arguing what its policy `` should say '' .
`` What it should say and what they think it says is a matter of opinion , it 's not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tells the BBC .
His letter to Mr Thaker and the chancellor says : `` It is my belief that Hiscox have wrongly denied my claim and that of other businesses forced to close due to the government 's direction . ''
He quotes Hiscox , which tells prospective customers `` we will always go the extra mile and always start by assuming your insurance claim is valid '' , and asks why the wording of his policy does not apply .

Allianz and Aviva say they do not cover any diseases that are not named in their policies, and Zurich said its policies "generally" did not provide cover for global events like the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Axa and RSA say some of their policies may cover businesses which suffer a loss because of a coronavirus outbreak on their premises.


bbcuk--2020-04-14--Coronavirus: Care homes cause concern for families

`` I feel people in care homes are being neglected .
People are coming to the end of their lives and being put at risk . ''
That is the fear of Sylvia Summerfield , whose mother-in-law , Edna , 94 , died with coronavirus last week .
Her family believe she contracted it at her care home in Birmingham before she went into hospital on 7 April .
• Elderly being 'airbrushed ' out of virus figures '' How many more elderly have got to die in care homes , infected by staff who do n't know they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` My mother-in-law did n't deserve the death she had . ''
Edna had initially tested negative after being taken into Queen Elizabeth Hospital - but a later test revealed she did in fact have the virus , so they believe it was a false negative .
Her son Alan - Sylvia 's husband - was able to be with her when she died on 10 April .
`` We managed to talk to her on my husband 's phone for a short while , '' she said .
`` All she could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I love you ' . ''
Edna - a much-loved grandmother and great-grandmother - died peacefully in hospital , Sylvia said .
Her family does not know when they can hold a funeral - or if anyone will be able to attend .
Sylvia praised the care home for shutting down as soon as possible , only allowing staff in .
But she asked where they were meant to get personal protective equipment ( PPE ) from .
• Are healthcare staff getting the protective gear they need ?
She said care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but desperately needed funds for the equipment .
`` They have n't budgeted for all of this - where are they meant to get the money from for everything they need ? ''
she asked .
Alan , in self-isolation at his son 's house , added : `` Nursing homes may have to deal with deaths on a fairly regular basis but not care homes and certainly nothing this contagious and with these volumes . ''
Gail Grant , from Swindon , has not seen her husband Ian for three weeks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ dementia and lives in a care home in Marlborough .
He turned 70 earlier this month .
`` I understand why they closed to visitors but it leaves us with this sense of insecurity and worry , '' she said .
`` Because of his cognitive level , we ca n't Skype or talk on the phone .
He does n't have any understanding of the situation and does n't really know us anymore .
But it 's more me - I 'm aware I 'm not going to see him . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ will happen when the virus reaches the care home .
`` They say they do n't have any cases at the moment at his home .
But I think it 's a matter of time .
And when any carers go down with it , it will be a difficult situation , '' she says .
She says of the official figures currently just including hospital deaths : `` The idea of the government not adding care home deaths to the tally is incredibly suspicious .
What right do they have to withhold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ domain ? ''
It takes additional time to gather figures from thousands of separate homes and ensure the cause of death is correct , said Public Health England 's medical director Yvonne Doyle .
But she said the government is working towards announcing daily figures for care home deaths .
The government has also said it is following international standards in announcing deaths in hospitals first .
'It could be three more months' Robert Compton also ca n't see his other half at the moment - his wife Kim works in a Doncaster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there for three weeks .
It was decided nine members of staff , and a cook , were needed to volunteer and they shut the doors to the outside world in a bid to avoid coronavirus .
`` What she 's done is a good thing , and the right thing , '' he said .
`` I 'm happy she 's safe there but I do n't know how long this will last .
`` They have basic PPE but with the virus not getting in , with nobody coming in or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it a great deal . ''
His mother is currently living in sheltered accommodation and he said he worries for her safety too .
`` I feel like older people and those with health conditions - including those in care homes - have been forgotten about to a certain extent , '' he says .
`` It 's only in the past few days there 's been a focus on the number of deaths in care homes .
If it gets into a facility like that , it will just spread like wildfire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see his wife again ?
`` I thought she 'd be in there for one or two weeks , maximum .
Now it could be another three weeks , or three months . ''

"Because of his cognitive level, we can't Skype or talk on the phone. He doesn't have any understanding of the situation and doesn't really know us anymore. But it's more me - I'm aware I'm not going to see him."


bbcuk--2020-04-15--How Liam Payne and Alesso made their new video in lockdown

Liam Payne and Alesso managed to record their new single Midnight before coronavirus restrictions came in across Europe and the US .
Unfortunately they did n't make a music video before lockdown - but they decided not to let social distancing get in the way of that .
Liam got on the phone to Conor Butler , a video producer who 's made behind-the-scenes videos for him in the past .
`` It would have been easier for us to make a lyric video , '' 25-year-old Conor tells Radio 1 Newsbeat from his home in Bradford .
`` But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 'd be really good if we could come together and get some sort of content for this . ''
This is what they came up with .
Conor spoke to Alesso 's team in Los Angeles and Liam in London .
Making music videos usually involves long days and big budgets - but this one was a much simpler process .
There was one person holding the camera in Alesso 's studio and another at Liam 's house - both the people they are in lockdown with .
Conor was giving directions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the phone .
`` You have to lose an aspect of control at that point and put the responsibility in other people 's hands a little bit , '' he explains .
`` I was quite excited just to see what was going to come back when the shots had been done , because you are not physically there to see how each one looks . ''
When it came to what fans would see in the video , Conor only had their two houses to play with .
He 's good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ layout of his house .
`` I did n't know the layout of Alesso 's home but with him being a producer I assumed he must have a studio , '' he explained .
`` So I just kept sending messages and having phone calls with ideas for imagery , like having Alesso dancing to the song and playing with buttons in the studio .
`` I wanted to see him producing a song so it felt as real as possible . ''
That was how both Alesso and Liam wanted it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too glossy .
But even though there are no exotic locations in the video , pop-star houses tend to be quite nice and the video is still a polished production .
`` It just needed to feel real , like they made the track and then they could n't get out the house so the both came together to make a video the best they could , '' Conor says .
It took about a week to turn the music video around and get it onto YouTube .
`` I think the message @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay creative without all this bringing a halt to your creative workflow , '' he adds .
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here .

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bbcuk--2020-04-14--Coronavirus: Isolation portraits over the internet

As the lockdown started to take hold , photographer Fran Monks , like many freelancers , found her paid commissions were being postponed .
But she really wanted to document this extraordinary time where so many are isolated at home and so set about using her skills as a portrait photographer .
`` My professional aim is to use portraiture to celebrate the undercelebrated , '' Monks says .
`` During this lockdown , everyone who is social distancing is playing an important role .
`` And I wanted to highlight that .
`` We are all communicating a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I had long considered this as a potentially interesting way to photograph people . ''
Monks began by photographing her subjects over the internet , initially with them quite close to their devices , but slowly began to realise it was much more interesting to include more of the environment in the picture .
`` I have to collaborate with people , asking them to position their laptop or tablet on the other side of the room while I direct them from a far , '' she says .
`` It is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bandwidth , webcams and light all present big challenges .
`` I decided that I would make the final image by photographing the screen , because I like the strange artefacts which appear .
`` Even though the images are made by layer upon layer of digital process , I enjoy the fact that the black border of the computer screen is somewhat reminiscent of a darkroom print from a negative .
`` This is Abi on day one of social distancing .
`` At the start of the week , she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social engagement , at University of the Arts ( UAL ) .
`` But that obviously got curtailed .
`` And now she 's at home with her eight-year-old , getting used to the new reality .
`` She lives on her own in Edinburgh and was not looking forward to having to social distance .
`` It was great to get her using Facetime and to connect in this way .
`` We will all be needing to do more of this over the months to come .
`` And it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our lives are shrinking , others can expand .
`` Jeb had already been social distancing for about a month before the complete lockdown .
`` This is because he is in a vulnerable group and also , as a self-professed Twitterholic , has been reading about the severity of the corona crisis for quite some time .
`` He used to be a freelance programmer , so says that he would often spend lots of time at home , alone , in front of a computer screen .
`` This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social contact before the lockdown started in the UK .
`` Caspar is working on two new books at the moment .
`` One is about the transformation to the zero-carbon economy .
`` He had lots of meetings and fieldtrips set up over coming months and they 've all had to be postponed .
`` As a writer , he 's quite used to social isolation .
`` But he was looking forward to getting out into the world for a change .
`` This is Amelia , who I photographed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is British but moved to Spain about two years ago .
`` Amelia has a five-year-old and a three-year-old , so the pace at home is fairly relentless .
`` Social distancing is a huge challenge to all world-class opera singers , like Dan , with theatres everywhere closed .
`` Dan says he 's had a surge of creativity since having to be at home , because lots of performances were postponed or cancelled .
`` He 's working on ways to bring opera to a digital audience by helping separated singers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anne , an artist who has had all her upcoming art projects in the community postponed but is thankful that she is also working on a history MA [ Master of Arts degree ] so can keep herself busy with her studies .
`` We had an amusing time placing her laptop in lots of different locations around her flat before finally settling on this kitchen portrait .
`` I keep wondering whether it will change how I practise in the real world once we are allowed out again .
`` This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning pyjama yoga .
`` Not only is Kate a yoga teacher but she is also an expert in palliative care , a music therapist , wonderful singer and knows a lot about breath and breathlessness .
`` She has all the skills needed in a pandemic lockdown , to be honest .
`` This is Kawsar , the proprietor of one of my favourite Oxford restaurants , The Standard Indian .
`` I photographed him via Zoom and the help of a very precariously balanced laptop .
`` Once the government required @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tried a couple of nights of takeaway service and then decided that the safest thing for the community was to close down completely .
`` He was a great sport , even at the end of three weeks in isolation from his family .
`` It had been a really tough time .
`` Not only had he been feeling really sick but two of his work associates , who contracted the virus at the same time , had been even sicker .
`` They had both ended up on ventilators in hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the mend .
`` And although she normally works from home one day a week , her company asked them to work from home all the time , before the lockdown started .
`` She is inside pretty much all of the time and only goes out for a half-hour walk , at the end of the day .
`` Basically , 2020 has been cancelled for him workwise and will now , all being well , happen in 2021 . ''

As the lockdown started to take hold, photographer Fran Monks, like many freelancers, found her paid commissions were being postponed. But she really wanted to document this extraordinary time where so many are isolated at home and so set about using her skills as a portrait photographer.


bbcuk--2020-04-14--'Belsen showed me how low mankind can sink'

Ian Forsyth was one of the first soldiers to arrive at the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in World War Two and what he saw that day has haunted him for the past 75 years .
`` For the first time I realised just how low mankind can sink , '' says Mr Forsyth , who is now 96 .
Although he was still a young man when he reached the Northern Germany concentration camp in April 1945 , he had seen a lot of action .
The 21-year-old , from Hamilton in South Lanarkshire , had fought his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to D-day and through Germany as a tank operator with a reconnaissance force .
When he arrived at the gates of Belsen he says he did not know anything about what had been happening there .
`` There was a strange smell about the place , '' he says .
`` I asked a gunner what the smell was .
We had n't a clue . ''
Mr Forsyth says the soldiers were told `` do n't open the gates , do n't let anyone out and do n't feed them '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the corrugated iron fence that was around the camp there were bodies everywhere , '' he says .
`` Somebody who did not see this would not believe what it was like . ''
`` There were people looking out of the barbed wire fence wondering who we were .
`` We broke the rules and tossed over some food , which I now regret because what we gave them they could not eat and the folk at the back rushed forward to catch what they had thrown .
`` I did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that these people had died of starvation , of every disease you can imagine .
`` It 's really a horrible nightmare , which you ca n't get rid of . ''
More than 50,000 prisoners from all over Europe were killed there or died later as a result of their treatment in the camp .
British troops found 60,000 prisoners , suffering from malnutrition , disease and the brutal treatment they had endured .
Thousands of corpses lay unburied on the camp grounds .
There was no running water in the camp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ typhoid and tuberculosis .
Mr Forsyth says that active soldiers , who had no medical experience , were not allowed inside the camp as those in charge feared an epidemic .
Within a couple of days , his regiment had moved on but memories of the scene haunt him to this day .
When he returned from the war , his mother stopped him from talking about his experiences .
He was not allowed to discuss it in the house .
`` Many a night I walked the streets , '' he says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the house . ''
`` When it is bottled up inside of you it is worse than reality . ''
`` The one person who did understand was my wife and she suffered because of me , '' Mr Forsyth says .
But was he proud to be part of the liberating force ?
`` I 'm not proud , I 'm just glad that we got there when we did , '' he says .
`` We did save some people , there 's no question .
But when you see the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one , it rankles . ''

"When we got to first part of the corrugated iron fence that was around the camp there were bodies everywhere," he said. "Somebody who did not see this would not believe what it was like."


bbcuk--2020-04-15--'My firm is viable – but I can’t get a loan'

Gary Crosbie wants to keep his staff on , but like other small firms , his profitable business now faces running out of cash owing to the coronavirus shutdown .
He says he can demonstrate three years of profits , with £50,000 cash in the bank .
Yet because his bank decided it did n't wish to support the construction industry , he failed the test that required banks only to lend according to their pre-shutdown criteria .
He was rejected for a government-backed loan last week .
`` My accountant said , 'You can put off paying your VAT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ date .
They said , 'Well , you can put off paying national insurance ' - but I 'd kept that up to date too .
So for doing the right thing - I ca n't get any help , '' he told the BBC .
So far , banks and financial institutions have lent more than £1.1bn to small and medium-sized enterprises under the government 's coronavirus loan scheme , according to figures released by UK Finance on Wednesday .
More than 6,000 loans have now been provided , with an average @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message from small firms and politicians is that loans are being approved too slowly - and that the government must bring in urgent reforms to the scheme to stop businesses going bust .
Among the scheme 's critics is shadow business secretary Ed Miliband , who says it is `` simply not working well enough '' .
He added : `` The chancellor must move to a 100 % guarantee of loans for smaller businesses as other countries have done .
In this economic emergency , it is the right thing to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that only 2 % of UK firms had so far secured the loans .
Businesses are clamouring for help and will be exasperated at the tally of crisis loans that banks have succeeded in giving out .
Six thousand is way short of the number of applications and is a tiny fraction of those who face a cash flow crunch .
Many bosses have just days .
They have to find a way to pay wages at the end of the month .
It is true that the rate of lending has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the banking world that four out of five of the loans are being approved .
But everyone wants this scheme to work faster and for the money to support wages for furloughed workers to be made available as soon as possible .
The Treasury said it was taking `` unprecedented action to support business '' .
It said that action included £330bn in business loans and guarantees , paying 80 % of furloughed workers ' wages and giving £3bn cash grants to a quarter of million small businesses , as well as tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously ruled out the taxpayer giving 100 % backing for the loan scheme .
`` When people say I should take 100 % of the risk , it 's not really me , it 's actually all of us , it 's the taxpayer taking 100 % of the risk of the loans defaulting , '' he said .
Ministers brought in the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme with promises that they would do whatever it took to support firms hit by the shutdown .
Government-backed loans were to be available to all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shutdown began .
The Treasury revamped the loans scheme two weeks ago , while banks said they worked through the Easter weekend to boost lending .
But some business owners have told the BBC that they have not been able to access loans or grants .
Dave Moran , who previously worked as a senior executive in the pharmaceutical industry , owns UK Challenge , which runs corporate team-building events .
For the past two years , it has run at a loss as a start-up company , but was moving into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order book before the lockdown was imposed .
`` Rishi Sunak said , 'Whatever it takes , ' and for me , those were good words , '' he said .
`` If you 'd spoken to me three to four months ago , our 2020 was on course to be a bumper year .
Essentially we lost everything overnight .
`` We are keeping going .
I 've not laid off staff - we 're still paying full pay .
We 're in a position where our money will run out .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the business could n't get grants because it is a sub-tenant in a building and his bank has not signed up to the scheme .
`` You 've got the Business Minister , Alok Sharma , and the Chancellor , Rishi Sunak , saying , 'We wo n't let bureaucracy get in the way , ' but that 's exactly what 's happening , '' he said .
The National Association of Corporate Finance Brokers ( NACFB ) , whose members arrange finance for thousands of small business clients , said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks ago , it was still taking far too long to apply .
Each application took more than five hours to get through the necessary paperwork , it said .
Paul Goodman , chair of the NACFB , said that was far too slow to allow the country 's five million small businesses to access cash in time .
`` The way it 's set up , banks are still having to work out whether or not they would lend to the business if it were normal times , '' he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ customers who have a perfectly viable business , but ca n't show all the banks require to get a government-backed loan . ''
According to the BCC 's figures , 17 % of businesses had only enough cash to last a month , while 36 % had less than three months ' cash reserves .
MPs on the all-party group for Fair Business Banking say the scheme must be made much simpler and faster to prevent small and medium-sized enterprises from going under .
Kevin Hollinrake , who chairs the group , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loans being approved , which is clearly great news .
`` But we need the process to be simpler and faster in terms of getting this money into bank accounts .
`` We also need better data on a daily basis to see the numbers of applications being made , the numbers being refused and the numbers being approved .
We only have days to get this right . ''
He said that next week , many small businesses will have to make payroll and supplier payments .
`` We need to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week or we 'll see lots of small and medium-sized enterprises start to go bust from next week , '' Mr Hollinrake warned .
HM Treasury said : `` The loan scheme is designed to give banks and businesses confidence , and ensure that viable businesses get the support they need .
`` We 're working closely with banks to ensure we get finance to those who need it as soon as possible and continually look to review our support to see what improvements can be made , '' the spokesperson added .

"My accountant said, 'You can put off paying your VAT.' But that's up to date. They said, 'Well, you can put off paying national insurance' - but I'd kept that up to date too. So for doing the right thing - I can't get any help," he told the BBC.


bbcuk--2020-04-15--Coronavirus: We can cope with peak, hospital bosses say

Hospitals should be able to cope with an expected peak in coronavirus cases , according to NHS bosses .
NHS Providers , which represents hospitals and other NHS trusts in England , said there were enough beds in hospitals for patients .
The hard work to increase intensive-care capacity and free up space on general wards had paid off .
But coping with significant numbers of coronavirus patients in the long-term remained a concern .
Chief executive Chris Hopson said it looked `` increasingly likely '' the NHS would successfully navigate the peak .
But he added : `` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vigilant . ''
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • STRESS : How to look after your mental health And the British Medical Association said while there was still capacity available , many individual hospitals were struggling as the pressure was not spread evenly .
It also warned the workforce had had to be `` diluted '' , with staff who were not fully trained being asked to step into critical areas , such as intensive care .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be complacent , '' the BMA added .
On Tuesday , NHS England medical director Prof Stephen Powis said hospital cases appeared to be `` plateauing '' .
There are about 19,000 patients being treated for coronavirus in UK hospitals .
But more than 30,000 beds had been freed in advance by cancelling non-emergency treatment and quickly discharging patients , allowing hospitals to cope .
The number of intensive-care beds have been doubled to nearly 10,000 .
And more than 2,000 of them are still available .
On top of this , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals , including 8,000 beds , while a series of field hospitals are being planned .
And there are now doubts about whether all these will be needed .
The biggest field hospital , NHS Nightingale in London , has already opened .
It has space for 4,000 patients but has taken only a few dozen so far .
Meanwhile , the facility in Birmingham has yet to take in any patients , while the site planned in north-east England may not now be needed .
Martin Wilson , the chief operating officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is overseeing the Washington project , said : `` I do n't think we will need to open .
`` If we do , we will be ready . ''
How has the NHS has done it ?
The briefing produced by NHS Providers highlights how the health service learned from the experiences of China and , in particular , Italy , where hospitals became overwhelmed .
It said pressures had been managed by hospital bosses collaborating nationally , regionally and locally , a `` very far cry from the distressing stories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be working in isolation .
Mr Hopson also praised community and mental-health services for supporting more patients out of hospital and the public for adhering to social-distancing requirements .
But he also said the lack of testing and protective equipment had been frustrating and caused problems .
And he warned if the peak was not short-lived , hospitals could face a long period of `` high intensity pressure '' that would prove challenging and require staff working flat out to be supported .

It also warned the workforce had had to be "diluted", with staff who were not fully trained being asked to step into critical areas, such as intensive care.


bbcuk--2020-04-13--Coronavirus: The school 'hubs' open daily over the Easter holidays

Usually , Llanishen Fach Primary School would have 540 pupils attending in any given school week .
And usually , the school in Rhiwbina , Cardiff , would be shut over the Easter holidays , but these are unusual times .
The school , like several others across Wales , is open , looking after the children of designated parents during this crucial time .
It has registered about 90 pupils during the coronavirus outbreak but it has not had more than 30 each day so far .
That is usually down to parents having varying shift patterns , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protocols to keep their children at home .
This is one of Cardiff 's largest `` hubs '' - a safe environment for children from six schools .
`` It 's been very different , that 's for sure , '' says Annie James , the deputy head teacher .
• 'Be kind ' to yourselves , home-school parents told '' We 're very much now not a school .
`` It 's very much a childcare provision and we 're focusing on the well-being of the children and caring and supporting them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We 're just happy we can do our bit to support the parents so they can continue to carry out vital jobs and essential services . ''
• EASY STEPS : How to keep safe • A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• GETTING READY : What is the UK 's 'delay ' phase ?
• TRAVEL PLANS : What are your rights ?
In the neighbouring Vale of Glamorgan , Ysgol y Deri in Penarth is a special needs school acting as a hub with two other mainstream primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 29 pupils on any given day and is open seven days a week , for seven hours a day , and aims to be as flexible as possible for the parents that need childcare .
During the Easter holidays there will be just over 400 hubs open across Wales , with space for 3,000 children whose parents will need childcare during this period - less than 1 % of the usual school population .
Although it can be hard with young children who just want to play with their friends , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can to adhere to social distancing guidelines by : • Keeping children two metres apart , on different tables when inside • Spending far more time outside and apart during the good weather • Creating small groups of children at opposite ends of the school in different classrooms A week ago , one child tested positive for Covid-19 at Llanishen Fach Primary School and has been isolating .
No other pupils or staff have shown any symptoms .
How long can things go on like this for our schools ?
For Annie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue as long as needed .
`` I mean , we now ... have all of our systems and so forth into place , '' she said .
`` There are little refinements to make , but we could keep going as long as we need to now .
`` We 've set up the rotations of staff , the activities [ are ] planned , and we 'll obviously just have to see how long the situation continues .
`` We 're also providing home learning for our pupils who are n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more educational tasks .
`` But , again , it 's not meant to be school at home .
`` We do n't want parents to feel pressured that they feel they have to replicate what they would be doing in school either .
`` So , we 're supporting our parents with types of activities they can do at home as well . ''

Although it can be hard with young children who just want to play with their friends, the staff at the hubs are doing everything they can to adhere to social distancing guidelines by:


bbcuk--2020-04-15--Coronavirus: Army veteran Tom Moore finds out he's raised £5m for NHS

Coronavirus : 'John was alone for a week' 'Hannah ' lost her husband to coronavirus after he cared for her @ @ @ @ @ the virus .

A 99-year-old army veteran who has raised millions of pounds for the NHS says the response from the public has been "completely out of this world".
Tom Moore – who had aimed to raise £1,000 by completing 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden by Thursday – found out he'd hit a new fundraising milestone live on BBC News alongside his daughter, Hannah.
Read more: Army veteran's £6m for NHS 'out of this world'


bbcuk--2020-04-15--Weather presenter goes viral drumming to BBC News theme

A BBC weatherman has caused a storm on social media after he finished his forecast and filmed himself playing the @ @ @ @ @ theme tune .
BBC North West Tonight presenter Owain Wyn Evans tweeted : `` When @ @ @ @ @ home I did n't realise they 'd expect me to do the music too .
@

A BBC weatherman has caused a storm on social media after he finished his forecast and filmed himself playing the drums to the BBC News theme tune.
BBC North West Tonight presenter Owain Wyn Evans tweeted: "When they said try working from home I didn't realise they'd expect me to do the music too."


bbcuk--2020-04-15--Coronavirus: 'New procedures to give chance to say goodbye' - Matt Hancock

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced that close family members will be able to say goodbye to dying relatives in @ @ @ @ @ wherever possible '' , under new coronavirus guidelines .
Read more : Hospitals and homes @ @ @ @

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced that close family members will be able to say goodbye to dying relatives in hospitals and care homes "wherever possible", under new coronavirus guidelines.
Read more: Hospitals and homes to allow coronavirus goodbyes


bbcuk--2020-04-15--Peterborough care home boss moves in as third of residents die

The manager of a care home where six residents have died in eight days has moved in and sleeps in @ @ @ @ @ said they had lost a third of the people they look after at Philia Lodge @ @ @ @ @ She said : `` What I was n't prepared for was how hard it was @ @ @ @ @ , watching so many of my residents suffering from coronavirus .
We 're just trying @ @ @ @ @ '' Relatives were unable to be with them in their final days as visits are @ @ @ @ @ the virus spreading .

The manager of a care home where six residents have died in eight days has moved in and sleeps in her office.
Heidi Seldon said they had lost a third of the people they look after at Philia Lodge care home in Peterborough.
She said: "What I wasn't prepared for was how hard it was going to be, emotionally, watching so many of my residents suffering from coronavirus. We're just trying to hold ourselves together."
Relatives were unable to be with them in their final days as visits are banned to try to prevent the virus spreading.


bbcuk--2020-04-14--Cornavirus: Care home staff brought family 'incredible comfort'

Rose Mitchell was diagnosed with coronavirus in a care home and died 24 hours later .
Her daughter , Karin @ @ @ @ @ for getting to know `` the little things '' about her mother in a difficult @ @ @ @ @ the BBC 's Alex Forsyth about the hard decision not to go and say goodbye @

Rose Mitchell was diagnosed with coronavirus in a care home and died 24 hours later.
Her daughter, Karin Pointon, has thanked carers for getting to know "the little things" about her mother in a difficult time.
She spoke to the BBC's Alex Forsyth about the hard decision not to go and say goodbye.
Watch more personal stories during the coronavirus outbreak: Your Coronavirus Stories


bbcuk--2020-04-14--Coronavirus: 'Too early' for conclusions on UK response

UK medical experts have said it is `` too early '' to learn lessons about what could have been done @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus outbreak .
Speaking at the daily government briefing , Public Health England 's Prof @ @ @ @ @ have so much to learn '' , while NHS England 's Prof Stephen Powis said @ @ @ @ @ to `` learn the right lessons '' .

UK medical experts have said it is "too early" to learn lessons about what could have been done differently in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Speaking at the daily government briefing, Public Health England's Prof Yvonne Doyle said "we have so much to learn", while NHS England's Prof Stephen Powis said the appropriate time would come to "learn the right lessons".


bbcuk--2020-04-15--Coronavirus: Brits in India slam UK government's 'shambolic' repatriation

British tourists returning from India have called the UK government response `` shambolic '' and `` embarrassing '' .
Some said it took hours to reach anyone by phone , communication was confusing and the British authorities were `` incompetent and uncaring '' .
One man , who is still in India , said he was told he was being taken to a flight but later found out this was an error .
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office ( FCO ) said repatriation was a `` huge and complex '' operation .
Andy Hadfield , 56 , from Derbyshire , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holiday , arrived back from Goa on Sunday , three weeks later than planned .
He said he had already had his scheduled flight home cancelled before India 's lockdown was initially announced on 25 March and then spent hours waiting on the phone .
But he said when he got through to a British official he was offered `` no help whatsoever '' .
Describing his attempts to get a flight home , he said : `` You pay them £681 and get nothing - it just says you 're on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a flight .
`` The Germans , Belgians , Italians were all getting flown back .
It was embarrassing ; everyone felt our government just did n't care . ''
He said when the plane carrying more than 300 people landed passengers were told , if necessary , to get home via public transport or have someone pick them up .
`` It 's shambolic , '' he said .
Chandni Ladwa , 37 , arrived back in Leicester from the Gujarat region on Monday .
She said she flew out in early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the situation would become and when the FCO still said travel to India was ok. She said she only found out she had a place on a return flight the day before it left and had to argue with the transport company the FCO was using `` for hours '' in the middle of the night to ensure she would get to the airport the next day .
Miss Ladwa said the company said it had not been given her details by the FCO .
She said the taxi did arrive the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` There 's a four-letter word for what I think of the government response , '' she told the BBC .
`` There was just no-one to speak to . ''
Amrik Mahil , 68 , from Nottingham , is still in the Punjab area but was hoping to get a flight on Thursday because after that his medication for a blood clot would run out .
He has been in India since February and said he has not left the house he has been staying in for a month as there had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the curfew .
Mr Mahil had been told he would be taken to the airport for the first flight out but was later told that was an error .
He added : `` I did not sleep that night .
The government needs to pull its finger out and get people home . ''
The FCO said it will have repatriated about 5,000 UK citizens from India by next week .
But it estimated there were up to 20,000 in the country wanting to get home when the lockdown was first declared on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in India 'too little , too late' • Why are Brits abroad struggling to get home ?
A spokeswoman said it is keeping everyone updated through social media and has tripled its call centre capacity .
She added : `` We are doing all we can .
This is a huge and complex operation which also involves working with the Indian Government to enable people to move within India . ''
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She said she only found out she had a place on a return flight the day before it left and had to argue with the transport company the FCO was using "for hours" in the middle of the night to ensure she would get to the airport the next day.


bbcuk--2020-04-15--Coronavirus: Farmers plead with walkers and cyclists to respect countryside

Scottish farmers have said walkers and cyclists are ignoring their pleas to act responsibly in the countryside .
NFU Scotland has received almost a hundred complaints about people accessing their land during the coronavirus pandemic .
Some farmers feel `` vulnerable '' because gates are being touched and people are walking through livestock .
But walking groups said it is important people can still access the countryside as long as they do so responsibly .
Kerry Clark , who farms at Currie near Edinburgh , said she has had hundreds of people walking through her land every day .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of gates that need opened and closed , even on the rights-of-way , so who knows who 's touching those .
`` At this time of year we 're so busy with lambing and calving , we 're trying to sow the crops as well , and we need to be accessing these gates .
And if we get ill , who 's going to do this for us ? ''
Farmer Dave Shepherd challenged a cyclist who was opening gates without gloves on a farm near Dunkeld in Perthshire .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ sure he was going to sanitise gates and things like that as he went through .
He just ignored me .
`` It is a place of work and for people still to have access to our workplace I think is ridiculous .
We have a job to do in farming ; there are no staff sat on the sidelines waiting to come in if we become infected . ''
Dropped tissues , discarded dog-mess bags and litter have become an increasing problem at farms .
Most of the walkers are thought to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code .
The Land Reform law allows access to open countryside as long as walkers and cyclists behave responsibly .
Some farmers argue that simply walking through farm land during a pandemic should be seen as irresponsible .
But Brendan Paddy from Ramblers Scotland believes it is important for mental health that access continues .
He explained : `` Farmers and land managers are absolutely entitled to ask people to take extra precautions and to avoid particular areas but those are requests .
`` We are not shutting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would it be appropriate or proportionate to do so - but we do need people to take responsibility for their own actions and think about those working on the land .
The Scottish government has issued guidance on people 's access rights during the Covid-19 pandemic .
They require walkers to maintain social distancing , keep dogs under control and to plan routes where possible which do not require the opening of gates .
Ministers say their guidance is not about restricting the rights of walkers but is part of the wider approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
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"We are not shutting down access to the countryside and nor would it be appropriate or proportionate to do so - but we do need people to take responsibility for their own actions and think about those working on the land.


bbcuk--2020-04-15--Coronavirus: 'I'm scared I'll return to find my home burnt out'

A support worker living in a minibus during the coronavirus lockdown has said she is scared someone will destroy her home after being subjected to abuse from people who think she is a tourist .
Mimi Gulliford , 33 , has been living in a car park in Wadebridge , Cornwall , in order to be close to her workplace .
She said people had been abusing her on a daily basis and she felt vulnerable .
She said she was praying restrictions would be lifted `` before it really turns and we get angry mobs with pitchforks '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ learning disabilities , moved into the minibus after her winter let came to an end last month .
`` I put a big note on my window explaining that I am a frontline worker , '' she said .
`` I am here for the duration of the lockdown because I am adhering to government guidelines and not travelling or moving around ( and ) I am a permanent resident of Cornwall .
`` I think it has helped a bit but unfortunately we have been getting quite a lot of abuse , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was finding it difficult to sleep as she could hear people outside , others had taken photos of her bus and people regularly shouted abuse as they passed by .
Police officers had attended the car park on a number of occasions to question her presence and on Saturday she said four turned up at once .
Ms Gulliford said she had been working 70-hour weeks during the pandemic .
`` I am at work the whole time wondering if I am going to come back to find my van burnt out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want people to know that not everyone in a motorhome is a tourist . ''
Ernie Kellaway , 55 , has been living in a van for eight years and is also staying in the car park .
Mr Kellaway , who is retired , had been at the coast when the lockdown was announced but decided to go inland so as not to take advantage of the situation .
He said he was concerned police resources were being wasted on daily visits from officers wanting them to explain their presence .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within 20 minutes of each other including a big police van with two people in drove that in and drove out again , '' he said .
`` It was like a crime scene here . ''
He is also worried about the abuse he has been receiving from members of the public .
`` On a daily basis I 'll have one person come and throw abuse , accusing me of being here on holiday , '' he said .
`` I say 'no I 'm not , this is where I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe at all .
`` I understand where people are coming from because they think we are coming down from up the line and we are on holiday but we 're not .
`` I am doing as I 'm told .
I am on lockdown .
`` The police told me to ring 999 ( if people are being abusive or threatening ) but by the time they get here I could be dead . ''
• 'Without the deliveries my children would starve' • 'She loved her job ' : The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robin Moorcroft has been supporting the pair and posted on Facebook to inform the community they both had a legitimate reason for being in the car park .
He said the response on social media had been positive .
Although both residents said they had been visited multiple times by police , Devon and Cornwall Police said it supported them being there .
Sgt Sue Honeywill , said both residents were adhering to government guidelines and `` have the full support of the local policing team '' .
She said harassment and abuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added patrols at the car park , which backs on to the Camel Trail , had been stepped up in an effort to police hotspots during the pandemic .
`` We hope an increased police presence in the area will offer reassurance to the residents , '' Sgt Honeywill said .
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She said harassment and abuse of others would not be tolerated and added patrols at the car park, which backs on to the Camel Trail, had been stepped up in an effort to police hotspots during the pandemic.


bbcuk--2020-04-15--Newspaper headlines: Virus 'nears peak' and praise for fundraising 'hero'

The number of new cases of coronavirus in the UK is `` flattening out '' , the Times says .
@ @ @ @ @ is reaching the peak of the epidemic and will soon be able to finalise plans @ @ @ @ @ The front page also features a photo of Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong , a pregnant nurse @ @ @ @ @ after she died with the virus .

It describes how six of the 18 residents at Philia Lodge care home in Peterborough have died in just 10 days. Some 85% of carers there have either been sick or had to self-isolate after coming into contact with infected residents.


bbcuk--2020-04-16--Coronavirus: Significant social distancing needed 'until vaccine found'

The UK must keep a `` significant level '' of social distancing until a vaccine for coronavirus is found , a scientist advising the government has said .
Prof Neil Ferguson told the BBC there was `` little leeway '' to relax measures without `` something ... in their place '' - such as testing and contact-tracing .
A three-week extension to the lockdown is expected to be announced later .
Labour said it would support an extension , but called for details on how and when the lockdown will end .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson introduced strict curbs on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as the government sought to limit the spread of the virus .
Ministers are required by law to assess whether the rules are working , based on expert advice , every three weeks .
The government - led by Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab as Mr Johnson continues to recover from the virus - will detail the outcome of the first assessment at the daily news conference later .
• When am I allowed to go out ?
Meanwhile , more than nine in 10 people dying with coronavirus have an underlying health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Statistics has found .
According to the latest figures , which include hospital deaths only , 12,868 patients have died after testing positive for the virus in the UK .
Speaking to BBC Radio 4 's Today programme , Prof Ferguson , of Imperial College London , said easing the lockdown after another three weeks would depend on `` how quickly case numbers go down '' .
He said that required `` a single-minded emphasis '' in government and the health system on `` scaling up testing and putting in place the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community and contact-trace '' .
Prof Ferguson added : `` Without that , our estimates show we have relatively little leeway ; if we relax measures too much then we 'll see a resurgence of transmission .
`` What we really need is the ability to put something in their place .
If we want to open schools , let people get back to work , then we need to keep transmission down in another manner .
`` And I should say , it 's not going to be going back to normal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level of social distancing , a significant level of social distancing , probably indefinitely until we have a vaccine available . ''
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • STRESS : How to look after your mental health Prof Ferguson said he believed the `` daily number of infections peaked two weeks ago '' , but said it was `` too early to relax '' .
Asked whether the government is moving towards having a lockdown exit strategy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would like to see `` action accelerated '' and called for more infrastructure .
`` I 'm reminded by the fact we had a Department for Brexit for government - that was a major national emergency , as it were - and we 're faced with something which is , at the moment , even larger than Brexit and yet I do n't see quite the same evidence for that level of organisation , '' he said .
The health secretary , Matt Hancock , told Today that Prof Ferguson was not seeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` because he advises government , he 's not in the government '' .
He said that ministers would `` not be distracted '' into confusing its `` core '' message to stay at home and protect the NHS .
`` How we communicate as a government has a direct impact on the amount of cases that we have and therefore the amount of people who die , '' Mr Hancock said .
`` We talk about what is needed now and when we need to change that we will . ''
Earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he believed the government had been clear `` we think it too early to make a change '' .
Mr Hancock said he did not want to put the `` good effort '' of the public to waste by ending the lockdown too early , adding that releasing all measures now would let the virus `` run rampant '' .
His comments come after the UK 's chief medical adviser , Prof Chris Whitty , warned of a possible `` bounce '' in the numbers soon , due to delays in reporting deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretary is due to meet the first ministers of Scotland , Northern Ireland and Wales later ahead of making a formal decision on the lockdown .
All the indications are that the UK is hitting the peak of coronavirus cases .
The number of patients in hospital with coronavirus seems to be levelling out .
There are more than 10,000 beds on general wards available and another 2,000 spaces in intensive care .
It is this headroom that prompted NHS Providers , which represents hospital bosses , to declare this week that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service could cope .
But the government 's advisers will no doubt be advising ministers that the lockdown should continue - because they fear any lifting of restrictions at this stage could undo the good work , and see a spike in cases that would gobble up that spare capacity and overwhelm the health service .
But he called for clarity from the government about `` what happens next '' and for a move to a `` testing and contact-tracing strategy '' to exit the lockdown .
Ministers in Scotland and Wales have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain in place , while Northern Ireland 's Arlene Foster confirmed the NI lockdown will be extended until 9 May .
• The head of the IMF has suggested the UK and the EU should consider extending the deadline to negotiate a post-Brexit trade deal beyond the end of the year • A proposal to set up a virtual Parliament is expected to be endorsed by the House of Commons authorities this morning • The baby of a `` highly valued and loved '' nurse has been delivered successfully after the 28-year-old died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show retail sales in the UK declined at the worst rate on record last month , when the lockdown was imposed • The toll of isolation on people 's mental health is expected to be `` profound '' , experts have said • Dominic Raab is to take part in a `` virtual summit '' of G7 leaders hosted by US President Donald Trump , after the president announced he was cutting US funding for the World Health Organization • War veteran Tom Moore , 99 , has raised more than £13m for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his garden

"I'm reminded by the fact we had a Department for Brexit for government - that was a major national emergency, as it were - and we're faced with something which is, at the moment, even larger than Brexit and yet I don't see quite the same evidence for that level of organisation," he said.


bbcuk--2020-04-16--Coronavirus: 9 in 10 dying have existing illness

More than nine in 10 people dying with coronavirus have an underlying health condition , figures from the Office for National Statistics show .
The ONS looked at nearly 4,000 deaths during March in England and Wales where coronavirus was mentioned on the death certificate .
In 91 % of cases the individuals had other health problems .
The most common was heart disease , followed by dementia and respiratory illness .
On average , people dying also had roughly three other health conditions , What else does the analysis say ?
The ONS has also looked at the differences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Men are twice as likely to die with coronavirus .
Unsurprisingly , the risk of dying increases with age , rising sharply from age 60 onwards .
The ONS has also looked to what extent coronavirus is causing the death of individuals rather than another condition being more of a factor .
In most cases it was judged to be the cause that triggered their death .
To what extent is coronavirus shortening lives ?
This is extremely hard to judge .
Nick Stripe , head of health analysis at the ONS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus meant was `` difficult and challenging '' .
He pointed out the risk of dying from heart disease and strokes had fallen , which could suggest they were dying from coronavirus instead of other things .
But he said there was other evidence which suggested the deaths were `` on top of '' what would be expected .
He said further research and debate were needed to explore the true impact of the virus on mortality .
`` Coronavirus is doing more than taking the place of other causes of death for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month , '' he said .
`` It has driven the total number of deaths higher than expected .
`` People like these , with multiple health conditions , do have lower life expectancy , but these figures do n't say exactly how many months or years coronavirus has taken off their life . ''

"Coronavirus is doing more than taking the place of other causes of death for people who would otherwise have died this month," he said.


bbcuk--2020-04-16--Coronavirus: Capt Tom Moore finishes NHS fundraiser as it tops £13m

A 99-year-old war veteran has walked 100 laps of his garden to raise more than £13m for the NHS .
Captain Tom Moore originally wanted to raise £1,000 for NHS Charities Together by completing laps of his garden before his 100th birthday .
But he smashed his target after more than 650,000 people made donations to his fundraising page .
As he finished the challenge , he said : `` I feel fine , I hope you 're all feeling fine too . ''
Capt Tom told the BBC earlier that the total amount raised so far was `` an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I never dreamt I would be involved in such an occasion as this , '' he said at the end of his final lap .
By midday , Capt Tom 's JustGiving page , which temporarily crashed shortly after he finished the challenge , was showing donations of £13m .
His daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore said : `` We are absolutely floored by what has been achieved but we 're so happy , so humbled and so proud .
`` He 's a beacon of hope in dark times and I think we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in and it 's for such an amazing cause . ''
Capt Tom began raising funds to thank the `` magnificent '' NHS staff who helped him with treatment for cancer and a broken hip .
With the aid of a walking frame , he completed 100 laps of the 25-metre ( 82ft ) loop in his garden in Marston Moretaine , Bedfordshire , in 10-lap chunks well before his birthday on 30 April .
Tributes and messages of congratulations have poured in from politicians , celebrities and NHS workers .
Chancellor Rishi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was `` extraordinary '' and `` showed that the British spirit was as strong as it 's ever been '' , while Brig Andrew Jackson , colonel of the Yorkshire Regiment , described Capt Tom as `` an absolute legend '' who came from `` an exceptional generation that are still an inspiration for our Yorkshire soldiers today '' .
Celebrity judge Judy Sheindlin described the 99-year-old as `` remarkable '' while former F1 champion Damon Hill congratulated him on the `` brilliant idea and for pulling it off '' .
Nurses on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said : `` Thank you so much for all your efforts and how much money you 've raised for the NHS . ''
Capt Tom also received a special message from actor Michael Ball , who described the challenge as `` an extraordinary achievement '' and sang `` You 'll Never Walk Alone '' to him live on BBC Breakfast .
'It will all be right' Shortly after he finished the fundraiser , the retired soldier had words of advice for the nation about coping with the coronavirus lockdown .
`` You 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get through it in the end , it will all be right , '' he said .
`` For all those people finding it difficult at the moment , the sun will shine on you again and the clouds will go away . ''
More than 600,000 people from around the world have donated money to the fundraising page since it was set up last week .
Capt Tom , who is originally from Keighley in West Yorkshire , trained as a civil engineer before enlisting in the Army for World War Two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ India and Myanmar , also known as Burma .
Calls for him to receive a knighthood have gathered momentum and a petition has been signed by almost 2,000 people so far .
`` It would be marvellous to have such an honour but I do n't expect anything like that , '' Capt Tom said .
NHS Charities Together , which support health service charities and will benefit from the funds , said it was `` truly inspired and humbled '' by his efforts .
Chairman , Ian Lush , said about 150 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It 's extraordinary to see the amount of money and the outpouring of goodwill towards the NHS and towards all the NHS charities who will take good care with the money that he 's raising , '' he said .
JustGiving confirmed it is the largest total ever raised in a single campaign on its site and it had itself donated £100,000 to Capt Tom 's `` amazing campaign '' .
`` This is the largest donation JustGiving has ever made , '' a spokeswoman said .
`` [ The campaign is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the fastest growing campaign on the platform and has attracted donations and media coverage from around the world . ''
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The veteran said plans for his 100th birthday party in two weeks' time have been affected by the pandemic but that the national outpouring of love and support for him was "a party enough for me".


bbcuk--2020-04-16--Essex lorry deaths: Man arrested on immigration offence

A man has been arrested in connection with the deaths of 39 Vietnamese nationals found in a lorry in Essex @ @ @ @ @ eight women were discovered in a refrigerated trailer on 23 October in Grays .
A @ @ @ @ @ was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to facilitate the entry of non-EU citizens into the @ @ @ @ @ .
Lorry driver Maurice Robinson admitted 39 counts of manslaughter at the Old Bailey on @ @ @ @ @ Nica denied the same counts and a trial is set to begin on 5 October @ @ @ @ @ Vietnamese nationals were discovered at an industrial estate soon after the lorry arrived in the @ @ @ @ @ Zeebrugge in Belgium .
Among them were 10 teenagers , two of them 15-year-old boys @

The bodies of the Vietnamese nationals were discovered at an industrial estate soon after the lorry arrived in the UK on a ferry from Zeebrugge in Belgium.


bbcuk--2020-04-16--Coronavirus: Banksy makes 'bathroom' lockdown art

Banksy has published a series of pictures showing rats causing mayhem in a bathroom during the coronavirus lockdown .
The @ @ @ @ @ has never been publicly revealed , published five pictures on his Instagram account on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ which have featured in several of his pieces , wreaking havoc in what is assumed @ @ @ @ @ The caption on the picture reads : `` My wife hates it when I work @ @ @ @ @ rats appear in the new pictures , hanging from the towel ring , stepping on @ @ @ @ @ knocking the bathroom mirror to one side .
One appears to be counting the days @ @ @ @ @ swinging from the light cord .
Who is the mysterious artist Banksy ?
Banksy 's @ @ @ @ @ Valentine 's Day in his home city of Bristol and showed a girl firing red @ @ @ @ @ It was vandalised 48 hours after it first appeared .

They show rats, which have featured in several of his pieces, wreaking havoc in what is assumed to be his home.


bbcuk--2020-04-15--Brits criticise India repatriation as 'incompetent'


bbcuk--2020-04-16--Coronavirus: EasyJet to leave middle plane seats empty

EasyJet plans to keep the middle seat on its planes empty to allow for social distancing once the Covid-19 lockdown has been lifted .
The airline grounded its entire fleet at the end of March .
EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren expects the seating measure will encourage more people to fly .
`` That is something that we will do because I think that is something that the customers would like to see , '' he said .
`` Then we will work out with the authorities and listen to the customers ' views and points on what they believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly in the start-up period . ''
Commenting on how social distancing on its planes would work , Mr Lundgren said passengers would sit next to the window or the aisle in a three-seat configuration .
He said the airline would be able to implement the measure because he did not expect EasyJet 's aircraft to be full immediately after the lockdown is lifted .
`` I 'm talking about this as an initial phase .
Nobody knows for how long that phase will be , '' he said .
`` I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are taking this very seriously , and first and foremost , our concern is about the customers ' well-being and our people 's well-being . ''
Mr Lundgren said bookings for winter flights were ahead of last year , helped by customers who had rebooked tickets after the coronavirus disrupted their travel plans .
However , EasyJet has been criticised by customers who have had difficulty in getting refunds .
Rebooking is done online , but refunds require people calling the airline 's busy customer services department .
Looking ahead , EasyJet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures , including deferring the delivery of 24 new aircraft from planemaker Airbus .
EasyJet also revealed that it expects to report a pre-tax loss between £360m and £380m for the first half of its financial year .
The airline will incur significant fuel costs because it has already bought jet fuel for its planes , with no certainty of when they will fly again .
EasyJet grounded its planes a week after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the UK Covid-19 lockdown on 23 March .
The company had a full roster of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many flights were being cancelled , leading to a rise in costs .
It also only started furloughing staff after the end of March .
It said it had a cash balance of around £3.3bn and based on a number of scenarios , it would have enough reserves to `` remain liquid '' , should its jets stay grounded for nine months .
The airline said : `` At this stage , given the level of continued uncertainty , it is not possible to provide financial guidance for the remainder of the financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take every step necessary to reduce cost , conserve cash burn , enhance liquidity , protect the business and ensure it is best positioned for a return to flying . ''

EasyJet also revealed that it expects to report a pre-tax loss between £360m and £380m for the first half of its financial year. The airline will incur significant fuel costs because it has already bought jet fuel for its planes, with no certainty of when they will fly again.