Summary

  • Number of Americans infected is more than 1,002,000 and some 56,700 people have died

  • President Trump scorns decision not to reconvene US House of Representatives

  • Vice-President Pence caught on film visiting hospital without a mask in defiance of guidelines

  • UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock says testing will be expanded to all care home residents and staff

  • Daily figures of deaths in care homes will be published from Wednesday

  • Canadian MPs hold first virtual sitting via videoconferencing platform Zoom

  • France's PM Edouard Philippe says 62,000 lives were saved in a single month during lockdown

  • French legislators approve measures to reopen shops from 11 May; masks must be worn in schools

  1. The latest from Europepublished at 18:57 British Summer Time 28 April 2020

    PM Edouard Phillipe addressing French lawmakersImage source, EPA
    Image caption,

    French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told lawmakers the lockdown exit plan on Tuesday

    France looks to reopen shops from 11 May and Portugal will end its state of emergency this Saturday. Here’s the latest from Europe:

    • Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told parliament in France how his country can slowly exit its lockdown restrictions. Shops, markets and primary schools will reopen from 11 May, but those who can work from home should continue to do so for three more weeks. “We must protect the French without immobilising France to the point that it collapses,” Mr Philippe said
    • But the measures are far from over. Museums are not expected to reopen until September, and the top two divisions of the French league will not resume this season
    • President Vladimir Putin has admitted there is a shortage of protective kit in Russia. “Despite increased production, imports, there’s a deficit of all sorts of things,” he said on Tuesday. Mr Putin added the country was facing “perhaps the most intense stage” of its outbreak
    • And Italy's total number of confirmed cases passed 200,000 on Tuesday. Current cases fell by 608, but there were 382 deaths recorded in the past 24 hours, up from 333 reported on Monday
  2. Governor Cuomo: 'Where were all the experts?'published at 18:51 British Summer Time 28 April 2020

    New York Governor Andrew Cuomo gives an update on the coronavirusImage source, Getty Images

    New York Governor Andrew Cuomo also took aim at the "international health community", national experts and US media outlets for not raising the alarm of a looming pandemic.

    "Governors don't do global pandemics," Cuomo said.

    "Where were all the experts? Where was the New York Times? Where was the Wall Street Journal? Where was all the bugle blowers who should say' be careful, there's a virus in china that may be in the United States.'"

    "It's not a state responsibility," he said.

    US newspapers and other news sites had published articles on the WHO describing the coronavirus as a global health emergency as early as January.

    Cuomo's comments come as New York leaders receive increasing attention for a delayed response to the virus.

  3. New York Governor lays out plan for May reopeningpublished at 18:43 British Summer Time 28 April 2020

    A woman in full-body personal protective equipment walks in New York amid coronavirus crisisImage source, Getty Images

    New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says some regions of his state can expect to loosen lockdown restrictions beginning on 15 May, provided they hit certain containment markers, including a 14-day consecutive decline in virus cases.

    A reopening will not be possible in areas where hospitals are at 70% capacity or above, or where the transmission rate is above 1.1, Cuomo said. New York City - the most hard-hit city in the state - will not begin its reopening on that day, "unless a miracle happens".

    Manufacturing and construction businesses will be among the first to reopen, given they are able to put precautions in place.

    In the past 24 hours, 335 people died throughout New York, a modest decline from the 337 deaths the day before.

    "Every day I think today might be the day the nightmare is over, but it’s not," Cuomo said.

  4. Labour: Further action needed to tackle spreadpublished at 18:38 British Summer Time 28 April 2020

    Liz Kendall
    Image caption,

    Labour's Liz Kendall calls for further action from the government

    The UK's main opposition party welcomes the government's plans to publish daily death figures from care homes and to increase testing, but calls on them to go further.

    Labour's shadow minister for social care, Liz Kendall, says she is "glad" about the decisions on figures, adding: "What’s measured is what counts, and for families and care workers struggling to cope with this awful virus, every death counts."

    But she says the commitment to testing all care users and staff "must apply to those who receive care in their own homes and to domiciliary care staff as well as those in care homes".

    Ms Kendall also says "further action is urgently required to reduce the spread of the virus and keep care users and staff safe".

    That includes getting all the PPE needed, and ensuring social care is "properly funded to deal with the extra costs of the pandemic".

  5. UK government still not recommending face maskspublished at 18:24 British Summer Time 28 April 2020

    Reality Check

    The Scottish government is recommending the use of face coverings on public transport and in food shopsImage source, Getty Images

    The UK government is not advising everyone to wear face masks, says Prof Angela McLean.

    Earlier on Tuesday, the Scottish government recommended people should cover their faces while in some enclosed public spaces, such as shops and public transport.

    Some experts have suggested face coverings are a common sense way of reducing the spread of coronavirus.

    But the World Health Organization’s current advice is that only people showing symptoms and those caring for them should be wearing face masks.

    For the general public, there is concern that masks may become contaminated and that they might offer a false sense of security.

    It says hand washing and social distancing are more effective.

  6. Testing target deadline is looming...published at 18:18 British Summer Time 28 April 2020

    Chris Mason
    Political Correspondent

    On 2 April, Health Secretary Matt Hancock set a target of carrying out 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by the end of the month.

    The target isn’t the testing capacity - how many tests are available every day.

    The target isn’t the number of people tested (as some people have to be tested more than once).

    It is the number of tests actually conducted, per day.

    And the deadline is now just days away.

    So how is that target met?

    Of course, the testing capacity has to reach 100,000, but that is not enough.

    The other thing needed is getting tests to those who need them.

    With a couple of days to go, capacity stands at 73,400.

    But the number of tests done on Monday was 30,000 fewer than that - at 43,453.

    The government has repeatedly said its ability to expand testing is growing more and more quickly.

    It will need to continue to be, if the target is to be met.

  7. Why are care homes particularly affected?published at 18:12 British Summer Time 28 April 2020

    Reality Check

    Those who live and work in care homes will now be able to get tested for coronavirus, even if they do not have symptoms, the Health Secretary has announced.

    The government says a ‘’significant number’’ of care home residents who are not displaying symptoms have turned out to have the virus.

    As of 17 April, there had been 3,096 coronavirus-related care home deaths in England and Wales.

    That represents 16% of all coronavirus deaths, even though less than 1% of the country's population lives in a care home.

    We’ve had a look at what the picture is like in the care system.

  8. McDonald’s trials UK branch reopeningpublished at 18:06 British Summer Time 28 April 2020

    McDonalds hopes to transform its restaurantsImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    McDonald's staff will get full pay until 5 April

    Fast food fans may relish the news that burger chain McDonald's is testing reopening a branch this week.

    But the branch will only open for "operational tests" and will remain closed to the general public, with no date announced for when customers will be able to pick up food again.

    "Restarting our business is not an easy task, even when reopening in a limited capacity," said Paul Pomroy, McDonald's UK and Ireland chief executive.

    "For now we remain closed, and will only reopen when we are absolutely confident we can have the right measures in place to ensure everyone's well-being."

  9. What have we learned from today’s briefing?published at 18:01 British Summer Time 28 April 2020

    Here are the key points from today's UK coronavirus briefing:

    • Testing has now be extended in England to all care home residents and staff regardless of whether they have symptoms or not
    • Also, from Wednesday, all those over 65 and those who must leave home for work will be able to get a test if they are displaying symptoms
    • The UK's daily testing capacity is now 73,400 and the government is "on track" to hit the 100,000 daily testing target by the end of the month
    • Deaths in care homes account for a sixth of the total death toll, but Matt Hancock suggested that the figure is in line with yearly averages
    • From Wednesday the government will publish daily figures for care home and community deaths, not just deaths in hospitals
    • An existing drug is entering an early clinical trial phase to treat coronavirus
  10. Hancock: Track and trace app coming mid-Maypublished at 17:58 British Summer Time 28 April 2020

    In the final question, Matt Hancock is asked when all the people needed to help with contract tracing will be hired, and how he will encourage people to download the new NHS app to help track and trace those with the virus.

    The health secretary says the app will be ready to download by mid-May, and hopes to have all the necessary staff either before or by that date.

    He adds: "Both of these things together, along with the testing, will help us to keep the level of new cases down, once we have used social distancing measures to get [the numbers] down.

    "It is the best thing for health and the best thing for the economy."

    He appeals to people to download the app and keep their Bluetooth on - the technology the app is using to track people - as the more who use it, the more effective it will be.

    Matt Hancock
  11. Hancock thanks 'gregarious' residents of Newcastlepublished at 17:58 British Summer Time 28 April 2020

    Chris Lloyd from the Northern Echo asks what the "time lag is for the pandemic" and whether certain ares, such as the North East, which have seen fewer cases may be released from lockdown earlier.

    Mr Hancock says he knows Newcastle well and its residents are "very gregarious" but they have done their duty by staying at home.

    He urges people, wherever they live, to continue to follow social distancing rules saying this is "what is needed in the circumstances".

  12. 'Up to 12,000' redundancies at British Airwayspublished at 17:52 British Summer Time 28 April 2020
    Breaking

    British Airways has formally notified its trade unions about a proposed restructuring and redundancy program, as the airline industry struggles with the impact of coronavirus.

    "The proposals remain subject to consultation but it is likely that they will affect most of British Airways' employees and may result in the redundancy of up to 12,000 of them," parent company IAG said in a statement.

  13. Why were care home visits not banned earlier?published at 17:51 British Summer Time 28 April 2020

    Another question on care homes.

    The health secretary is asked by a journalist from the Metro newspaper why visitors to care homes were not banned until 16 March.

    Mr Hancock says the government was following the scientific advice and ministers had to bear in mind the positive impact that having loved ones visit had on residents well-being and longevity.

  14. UK coronavirus deaths and casespublished at 17:50 British Summer Time 28 April 2020

    Here are the latest figures on Covid-19 deaths and cases across the UK:

    Coronavirus figures
  15. Will the government meet its 100,000 daily testing target?published at 17:50 British Summer Time 28 April 2020

    Reality Check

    Health Secretary Matt Hancock says the government is “on track” to meet its goal of 100,000 daily coronavirus tests by the end of April, with only two days to go.

    He said that 43,453 tests for coronavirus were carried out on Monday, about 6,000 more than the day before but less than half its target.

    Until recently, the government was carrying out about 20,000 tests a day, so this means it has more than doubled testing numbers. Daily testing capacity – the amount of tests which could be done on any given day – has risen to 73,400.

    Mr Hancock says he wants to increase demand by extending tests to care workers – who aren’t showing symptoms – and people who have to leave home for work – who are showing coronavirus symptoms. We explain more here about the process of going to get a test.

  16. Hancock: People said ventilator stock would be impossiblepublished at 17:47 British Summer Time 28 April 2020

    Asked for greater clarity on what people are able to do when they go outside, Matt Hancock says: "People should follow the social distancing rules and stay at home if at all possible as that protects the NHS. It is working."

    Moving on to ventilators, he says it is "good news" as there are spare ventilator beds, and "there has been no point when someone has needed a ventilator and it has not been available".

    The health secretary adds: "It is one of the things in this crisis that people said right at the start... told me to my face it would be impossible, but that so far has worked."

  17. More testing to be rolled outpublished at 17:46 British Summer Time 28 April 2020
    Breaking

    All care home residents and staff in England are to be eligible for coronavirus testing, regardless of whether they have symptoms, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.

    Read more here

  18. McLean: Common sense to keep surfaces cleanpublished at 17:44 British Summer Time 28 April 2020

    Prof McLean

    Asked about advice around face masks after the Scottish government suggested covering faces in shops.

    Matt Hancock says the government has been "guided by the science and the UK government position hasn't changed, not least because the most important thing people can do is social distancing".

    Prof McLean says there has only been "weak evidence of a small effect" that wearing masks will stop people passing on the virus to others.

    She repeats government advice on handwashing, saying it "is the way you keep inside of your house and family safe".

    And she says always keeping surfaces in your house clean "would seem like common sense to me".

  19. Hancock asked to apologise for social care decisionspublished at 17:43 British Summer Time 28 April 2020

    The health secretary faces two questions in quick succession about deaths in social care.

    ITV's Paul Brand asks him why social care was not more of a priority earlier on while Sky's Nick Martin suggests the health secretary should take the opportunity to apologise to the British public, saying deaths in care homes is way are way higher than what should be expected.

    Mr Hancock says social care is a "top priority" and defends the government's handling, saying it has been testing in care homes since March and issued guidance on what patients and workers should do,

    Pressed whether he should issue an apology, he suggests that this is an "unreasonable question".

  20. Hancock: Care home 'top priority from start'published at 17:37 British Summer Time 28 April 2020

    A reporter asks whether care homes will now be a priority given the number of deaths.

    Matt Hancock says they have been "a top priority from the start".

    He says the government issued their first guidance to care homes in February and "have been working with them throughout".

    Mr Hancock adds: "By their nature, care homes look after some of the most vulnerable people anyway and the most vulnerable to the disease.

    "But they have been a focus from the start, we have strengthened rules to improve infection control and making testing available throughout the care sector is incredibly important."

    He also reveals he asked for daily data on care home deaths "a week or so ago" and that data is now available.

    Prof John Newton also says that "intensive studies" in care homes showed the presence of symptoms "was not a very good marker" as there was a significant number of residents who were asymptomatic.

    But testing is being increased.