UK coronavirus death toll rises by 545 as official total passes 35,000 May 19, 2020 A further 545 people have died from coronavirus in the UK as the official total death toll passed 35,000. Speaking at the government’s daily briefing, environment secretary George Eustice said the country’s death toll now stood at 35,341. Another 2,412 people have tested positive for coronavirus since yesterday, he added. The figure is a sharp [...]
Michael Gove: Brexit deal can be struck if EU loses its ‘ideological fastness’ May 19, 2020 Michael Gove has said a zero tariff, zero quota trade deal can be done with the EU if its negotiators shed their “ideological fastness” during talks. The Cabinet Office Minister updated MPs today on Brexit trade negotiations, claiming the EU “wants us to obey the rules of their club, essentially, even though we are no [...]
Coronavirus: What is the R number and why does it matter? May 19, 2020 Since the start of the Covid-19 crisis swathes of scientific and epidemiological terms have entered the day-to-day lexicon of normal Brits. One of these is the R number, which we’re told is key to tracking the spread of the virus and determining how and when the lockdown can be lifted. But what is the coronavirus [...]
Downing Street confirms ‘air bridges’ quarantine exemption is under review May 19, 2020 Downing Street has confirmed the government is considering “air bridges” between the UK and other countries to allow Britons to travel to some locations without quarantine. Transport secretary Grant Shapps floated the idea in the House of Commons yesterday, suggesting deals could be struck with some countries to exempt travellers from quarantining on arrival or [...]
UK’s new tariff regime creates path for EU trade deal, says trade experts May 19, 2020 The government’s newly announced tariff regime has helped lay the path for a UK-EU free trade deal, according to trade experts. The Department of International Trade announced its new “global tariff” today for when the UK leaves the post-Brexit transition period with the EU on 31 December. It includes scrapping £30bn of taxes on imports, [...]
Donald Trump says he is taking hydroxychloroquine as anti-coronavirus measure May 19, 2020 US president Donald Trump has revealed that he has been taking malaria treatment hydroxychloroquine as a preventative medicine against coronavirus despite medical warnings against the drug. Speaking to reporters yesterday, the president revealed that he has been taking the treatment for the past week and a half. Trump was an early advocate of using the [...]
Government outlines new post-Brexit global trade tariffs May 19, 2020 The UK government has said that food and household appliances will be cheaper under a new post-Brexit trade tariffs regime set to begin in January. Britain will scrap all levies on £30bn of imports when it formally leaves the European Union at the end of the year. International trade secretary Liz Truss said the new [...]
UK coronavirus death toll up 160 to 34,796 May 18, 2020 A further 160 people in the UK died from coronavirus yesterday, bringing the total to 34,796. Yesterday’s amount of deaths was one of the lowest one-day total since the coronavirus lockdown began in March, however numbers on the weekend tend to be lower than on weekdays. The UK’s official Covid-19 death toll is the highest [...]
Coronavirus testing expanded to everyone over five with symptoms May 18, 2020 Everyone in the UK over the age of five with one of the three official coronavirus symptoms will be eligible for testing from today. Health secretary Matt Hancock made the announcement to the House of Commons this afternoon. It comes after loss of taste or smell, technically known as anosmia, was added to the official [...]
Covid-19: Global markets rise as Moderna reports positive vaccine results May 18, 2020 Global stocks pushed higher this afternoon after US biotech firm Moderna reported positive results from an early-stage human trial of its Covid-19 vaccine. The company’s vaccine, known as mRNA-1273, produced levels of virus-neutralising antibodies similar to those found in blood samples of recovered patients. As part of the study, all 45 participants were given three [...]