Glastonbury

We are not aware that much has happened in Glastonbury today. Which is good news under the circumstances.

The Glastonbury Unity Candle invites the people of the world .to join with its Light at 9pm, every day, for the Silent Minute for Peace. Every evening at 21.00 GMT, the Unity Candle will be lit in a quiet place of stillness and peace. You are invited to light your own candle or tealight and join in whenever you can, wherever you can. More info

 

National

“Now is not the time to be complacent,” NHS England medical director Stephen Powis has warned at the government’s latest coronavirus press conference.

Prof Powis said “every one of us” had a part to play if the UK was to keep the death toll under 20,000.

The number of people to have died with coronavirus in the UK has now reached 1,019.

Prof Powis was also asked about the spread of the disease after a further 260 UK deaths in 24 hours. There are now 17,089 confirmed cases in the UK. The new figures include a further 246 people in England, with patients aged between 33 and 100 years old. All of them had underlying health conditions except 13 people, who were aged 63 and over.

He replied: “Clearly there has been a big increase in deaths today.

“If we can keep deaths below 20,000 we will have done very well in this epidemic,” Prof Powis added, echoing comments from the government’s chief scientific officer earlier in the month.

The epidemic is expected to peak in the UK in the next two to three weeks.

Until then, it is likely the number of people confirmed to have the coronavirus and the number of people dying after testing positive for the virus will continue to grow at a similar pace – doubling every two or three days.

It’s announced a temporary suspension of “wrongful trading laws”, which stop company directors from being prosecuted for keeping a business going when it’s insolvent or hasn’t got a reasonable prospect of survival.

Earlier, it was announced frontline hospital staff in England were starting to be tested to see whether they have coronavirus.

Workers with symptoms and those who live with people who have symptoms will be checked – starting with hundreds of critical care doctors and nurses.

Tests for A&E staff, paramedics and GPs are expected to follow, then social care staff.

The car park of Chessington World of Adventures in Chessington has become a temporary drive through testing station for NHS workers

Another type of test, called the antibody test, could indicate whether someone has recently had the virus. It is not available to the public yet but Public Health England is ordering it in, for use once it is proven to work.

The total number of people tested for the virus in the UK was 120,776, as of Saturday morning.

Currently, about 6,000 people are tested daily, but the government wants to increase that number to 10,000 a day by the end of March and 25,000 a day by mid-April.

Over the weekend, the first of three new testing labs are expected to start work to process 800 samples, the government said. Samples will be taken around the country, initially focusing on coronavirus hotspots such as London.

Dozens of universities, research institutes and companies are lending equipment for the labs

Secretary of State for Scotland, Alister Jack, is self-isolating after he developed coronavirus symptoms. He is said to be experiencing mild symptoms but has not been tested for Covid-19

Prime Minster Boris Johnson chaired the government’s morning Covid-19 by video-link as he isolates in Number 11 after testing positive for coronavirus and self-isolating.

Photos showed work under way to turn London’s Excel centre into a temporary hospital with capacity for 4,000 people

Two new temporary hospitals will be set up in Birmingham and Manchester to help the NHS cope with the virus

The Local Government Association says council workers are being physically and verbally abused for implementing the government’s social distancing policy. Workers have been spat at, sworn at and racially abused, it said

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said he had received about 300 complaints from employees and the public about businesses not following social distancing guidelines.

County councils are warning residents some services, such as recycling centres and adult education centres, will be significantly scaled back or stopped to prioritise keeping people safe from coronavirus

Several vaccines are in development, with human trials already under way. Realistically, experts say a vaccine won’t be ready for at least a year to 18 months.

Glimmers of hope:

China is relaxing some restrictions as the situation begins to come under control

Italy reports having now hit its peak

Acts of kindness and community spirit reported globally on levels never seen before by this generation.