27/04/20 COVID-19 Global News Update

Boris Johnson faces a flurry of meetings about the UK coronavirus lockdown upon his return to Downing Street today after his own severe battle with the infection.

Doctors have postponed more than 2m operations after non-emergency surgery was cancelled for at least three months to free up beds for coronavirus patients.

People arriving in the UK could be forced to quarantine for two weeks to halt the spread of coronavirus under plans for the "second phase" of the Government's response.

The Scottish Parliament’s newest cross-party scrutiny committee held its first session on Friday, with its members in the unusual position of understanding the sooner it can be wound up, the better.

A third of all websites related to the outbreak of coronavirus launched this year are scams, according to a cybersecurity research firm. Of the 300,000 websites related to the virus launched globally since January 9, almost 100,000 have been declared “malicious”.

A bitter row erupted over horse racing’s delay in returning from lockdown last night after the head of the British regulator faced explosive calls to quit from a group of leading trainers.

Care homes looking after thousands of vulnerable residents have said none of their staff have been tested for coronavirus. Out of 210 care providers spoken to by the BBC, 159 said none of their workers had been screened.

Cemeteries across Northern Ireland have begun to reopen following a decision by the Northern Ireland Executive. Graveyards were closed to the public in March due to lockdown measures. On Friday the executive agreed to reopen cemeteries following calls from the public.

Chelsea's first-team players will not be taking a pay cut to contribute to the club during the coronavirus pandemic, but will "focus on further supporting other charitable causes".

Coronavirus tests for key workers through the government’s new booking website have run out quickly in England for a second consecutive day.

UK house prices could fall by as much as 10 per cent this year due to the impact of coronavirus, experts predict. UK house prices had started to recover from uncertainty caused by Brexit at the end of 2019.

Second-home owners in the Lake District are exploiting a loophole to claim £10,000 from a coronavirus support fund, an MP claims. Tim Farron warns they are applying for small business grants having declared their properties as holiday lets.

The government plans to set up the first of a series of regular meetings involving senior medical directors of the major sports this week in a bid to return to action as soon as possible.

It is a Ramadan like never before for Muslims across Asia as mosques that would normally be packed for prayers are deserted and in some places locked up as governments enforced measures to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.

New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has said the country has stopped the “widespread, undetected community transmission” of Covid-19, as tough lockdown restrictions are scheduled to ease on Monday night.

Restrictions of movement in Spain, one of the worst-hit countries in the coronavirus pandemic, have been eased to allow children outside for the first time in six weeks.

Chile's government says it will go ahead with a controversial plan to issue certificates to people who have recovered from Covid-19. The documents would be given to people to allow them to return to work, Deputy Health Minister Paula Daza said.

Saudi Arabia eased curfews on Sunday across the country, while keeping 24-hour curfews in the city of Mecca and in neighbourhoods previously put in isolation, state news agency SPA said.

Tajikistan is closing schools for two weeks to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus and temporarily banning exports of grains and pulses to ensure sufficient supplies at home, the Central Asian nation’s government said on Saturday.

Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress girded for a new battle over federal assistance to states and local governments grappling with the deadly outbreak.

Companies in the European Union hit by the coronavirus will be able to ask for a government loan of up to 5% of their 2019 turnover under a measure proposed by the European Commission, a person familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

Volkswagen will restart production at its Wolfsburg factory in Germany on Monday, the latest of a fleet of European carmakers to take advantage of eased coronavirus lockdown rules to resume manufacturing.

Another wave of U.S. states are preparing to lift coronavirus restrictions this week against the warnings of many public health experts as the White House sees this month’s jobless rate hitting 16% or higher.

Packed pools, beaches and tour buses, as well as middle seats, hotel minibars and scrums at airport check-ins, may all be a thing of the past as Greece’s tourism industry attempts to reimagine the holiday in the wake of the coronavirus.

India allowed shops in residential areas to reopen from Saturday, more than a month after the country went into lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus, federal and state officials said.

The health minister has announced extra funding of £6.5m for care homes. Care homes will receive payments of up to £20,000 from the fund announced by Robin Swann as part of a number of measures to support the sector during the pandemic.

The chief executive of Airbus has reportedly issued a stark assessment of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the plane maker. In a letter to workers, seen by news outlets, Guillaume Faury is said to have warned the company was "bleeding cash at an unprecedented speed".

The UK’s coronavirus business loan scheme has half the approval rate of its German equivalent, data has shown, as chancellor Rishi Sunak mulls the creation of a new programme targeted at the country’s smallest businesses.

Some businesses have been refused insurance claims during the coronavirus pandemic A law firm says Welsh businesses affected by coronavirus could be able to legally challenge insurance companies that have rejected claims.

Britain’s largest banks could have to put aside nearly £5bn to help cover potential loan losses in the first quarter, amid fears that the economic downturn caused by the Covid-19 outbreak will make it harder for borrowers to repay their debts.

Trade figures have issued new social distancing guidelines for shops to prepare for any easing of the lockdown.

John Lewis is reopening its textiles factory in Lancashire, which usually makes curtains, pillows and duvets, to make 8,000 clinical gowns for the NHS to help medical staff caring for coronavirus patients.

Virgin Atlantic says it is still in talks with the UK government about a coronavirus-related bailout.

British insurers are likely to pay more than 1.2 billion pounds ($1.5 billion) on claims from businesses and individuals affected by the coronavirus pandemic, an insurance trade body said on Saturday.

The rental market will be the first to be swept away by the financial tsunami caused by the coronavirus outbreak, experts have warned.

About half of companies eligible for emergency coronavirus grants have not yet received funding, data shows. The government announced emergency grants of £10,000 to £25,000 to help small businesses on 17 March.