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An RAF plane, believed to be carrying a delayed consignment of personal protective equipment (PPE) for NHS staff, has landed in the UK two days after the Government said it would.
Meanwhile, coronavirus tests given to thousands of NHS staff so they could return to work have been found to be flawed and should no longer be relied on , a leaked document reveals.
It came as the number of cases globally passed 2.5 million on Tuesday, with deaths increasing to more than , . Deaths in Britain hit ,
Follow the latest updates below.
Today will be Sir Keir Starmer’s first day in the dispatch box as Labor leader.
He will grill Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab over the Government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis during the first virtual Prime Minister’s Questions.
Sir Keir will likely spend his first PMQs as Labor leader questioning Boris Johnson’s stand-in over testing, safety equipment for frontline workers and an exit strategy from the lockdown.
It comes after an RAF plane landed at Brize Norton from Turkey in the early hours of Wednesday, after being sent to collect a shipment of PPE – including , badly-needed surgical gowns.
Mr Raab, who is deputising for the PM as he recovers from Covid – , and Sir Keir will be in the House of Commons chamber among up to 55 MPs allowed to attend while obeying social distancing rules.
The Governor of the Bank of England has warned the Government not to end lockdown measures prematurely, indicating that a “false start” could do longer-term damage to the economy than extended restrictions.
Andrew Bailey said that opening up the country, only to be forced to bring back measures if a second wave of coronavirus increases its spread, could lead to a severe loss of confidence.
“If we have a false start … that would have particularly quite difficult effects I think,” Mr Bailey, who started as Governor last month, told the Daily Mail.
“I think we have to be careful when thinking about human psychology. If we had a lifting and then [lockdown] came back again, I think that would damage people’s confidence very severely. ”
3: (AM) (AM
RAF plane carrying PPE lands in Britain
An RAF plane, believed to be carrying a delayed consignment of personal protective equipment (PPE), has landed in the UK.
Flight tracker RadarBox showed the Airbus A – M depart Istanbul and land just after 3. am on Wednesday at RAF Brize Norton.
An RAF plane, believed to be carrying a delayed consignment of personal protective equipment (PPE), has landed in the UK.
Flight tracker RadarBox showed the Airbus A – M depart Istanbul and land just after 3. am on Wednesday at RAF Brize Norton.
The plane had been dispatched from the Oxfordshire base, where two other planes are on stand-by to pick up further kit from Turkey, late on Monday.
It is not known if the consignment, which was ordered on Thursday and originally due to arrive on Sunday, includes , (badly-needed surgical gowns.)
Today, the fiasco over the shipment as been laid bare as it emerged that the Government had failed to secure the order before making a public announcement.
Missouri sues China over virus
The state of Missouri has filed a lawsuit against the Chinese government over the coronavirus, alleging that the nation’s officials are to blame for the global pandemic.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court by the state’s top lawyer, alleges that Chinese officials are “responsible for the enormous death, suffering, and economic losses they inflicted on the world, including Missourians “.
Republican Attorney-General Eric Schmitt said the Chinese government lied about the dangers of the virus and did not do enough to slow its spread.
“The Chinese government lied to the world about the danger and contagious nature of Covid – , silenced whistleblowers, and did little to stop the spread of the disease, “Mr Schmitt said. “They must be held accountable for their actions.”
It is unclear whether the lawsuit will have much, if any, impact. US law generally prohibits lawsuits against other countries.
The state of Missouri has filed a lawsuit against the Chinese government over the coronavirus, alleging that the nation’s officials are to blame for the global pandemic.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court by the state’s top lawyer, alleges that Chinese officials are “responsible for the enormous death, suffering, and economic losses they inflicted on the world, including Missourians “.
Republican Attorney-General Eric Schmitt said the Chinese government lied about the dangers of the virus and did not do enough to slow its spread.
“The Chinese government lied to the world about the danger and contagious nature of Covid – , silenced whistleblowers, and did little to stop the spread of the disease, “Mr Schmitt said. “They must be held accountable for their actions.”
It is unclear whether the lawsuit will have much, if any, impact. US law generally prohibits lawsuits against other countries.
Netflix has signed up a record number of new subscribers as the coronavirus pandemic forces locked down homes to turn to video streaming, although it warned that a Hollywood production shutdown will affect the company pipeline of new shows, James Titcomb writes.
The company said monthly subscribers had risen by .8m to 337. 9m in the first three months of the year, well above its previous record of 9.6m.
However, it added that lockdown measures to fight the pandemic were slowing its carefully-laid production plans, and that it may have to spend more on licensing others’ content to avoid a shortage.
Netflix has been seen as one of the major winners of the pandemic, as cinemas and restaurants shut and live sports are cancelled, meaning a surge in viewing of shows such as Tiger King and Love Is Blind. The 22 .8m rise in subscribers is more than double what it had expected three months ago.
US daily death toll passes 2,
The coronavirus death toll in the United States – the country with the most fatalities in the pandemic – has climbed by 2, 949 in the past 40 hours, the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University shows.
The US has recorded more than , (confirmed cases of Covid – 30 since the start of the pandemic, according to the Baltimore-based university, with , (deaths.) Nearly
, (new cases were reported in the past hours.
The coronavirus death toll in the United States – the country with the most fatalities in the pandemic – has climbed by 2, 949 in the past 40 hours, the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University shows.
The US has recorded more than , (confirmed cases of Covid – 30 since the start of the pandemic, according to the Baltimore-based university, with , (deaths.) Nearly
AM Second wave could hit US harder
A second wave of the coronavirus is expected to hit the United States next winter and could strike much harder than the first because it would likely arrive at the start of influenza season , the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned on Tuesday.
“There’s a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through,” CDC Director Robert Redfield told the Washington Post in an interview.
As the current outbreak continues to taper off, as shown by a recent decline in hospitalization rates and other indicators, authorities need to prepare for a probable resurgence in the months ahead .
“We’re going to have the flu epidemic and the coronavirus epidemic at the same time,” he said, and the combination would put even greater strain on the nation’s healthcare system than the first outbreak.
Trump outlines green card ban
Donald Trump has announced that foreigners will not be able to get green cards to move to America permanently for a 175 – day period in what he called a “suspension” of immigration.
Clarifying a previous tweet declaring a blanket pause, the US president said late on Tuesday night that visas for temporarily working in America would not be impacted by the move.
Mr Trump said he could sign the executive order as early as Wednesday implementing the change and argued it was needed to protect Americans who had lost their jobs.
Donald Trump has announced that foreigners will not be able to get green cards to move to America permanently for a 175 – day period in what he called a “suspension” of immigration.
Clarifying a previous tweet declaring a blanket pause, the US president said late on Tuesday night that visas for temporarily working in America would not be impacted by the move.
Mr Trump said he could sign the executive order as early as Wednesday implementing the change and argued it was needed to protect Americans who had lost their jobs.
“By pausing immigration we will help put unemployed Americans first in line for jobs as America reopens. So important, ”Mr Trump said.
“It would be wrong and unjust for Americans laid off by the virus to be replaced with new immigrant labor flown in from abroad.”
- Coronavirus tests given to thousands of NHS staff so they could return to work have been found to be flawed and should no longer be relied on , a leaked document reveals.
- The fiasco over a shipment of personal protective equipment (PPE) from Turkey has been laid bare as it emerged that the government had failed to secure the order before making a public announcement .
- Human trials for a coronavirus vaccine will begin on Thursday as Matt Hancock gambles on a £ a million plan
- to make the UK the first country to develop one.
- Britain is now past the peak of the coronavirus pandemic , scientists said, as calls mount for the Government to reveal how it plans to release Britain from lockdown.
- Boris Johnson spoke to Donald Trump to discuss coronavirus and international trade in the clearest sign yet that he is close to returning to work full time.
- Police are increasing speed patrols as senior officers revealed average speeds on roads have increased by as much as per cent during the coronavirus lockdown.
- NHS volunteers could be used to deliver coronavirus tests to the general public as part of a last-ditch attempt to fulfil Matt Hancock’s promise of carrying out , tests per day, it has emerged.
- One in three deaths in the UK are now linked to coronavirus and care home fatalities have risen five-fold in a week, official figures show.
(Read More )
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