27/05/20 COVID-19 Global News Update

The French government has announced an €8bn (£7.1bn) rescue plan for its car industry, which has been severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain will seek the highest amount possible in transfers from the European Union’s coronavirus emergency funds, government spokeswoman Maria Jesus Montero said on Tuesday.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York Stock Exchange will partially reopen the trading floors at its iconic 11 Wall Street building on Tuesday for the first time since March 20 when the bourse was forced to go all-electronic due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Scotland's coronavirus restrictions are set to be eased - but Scots have voiced fears about going back to life as it was before lockdown and the economic impact of the crisis.

How £2.4bn is being spent to help firms and public services struggling with the coronavirus pandemic will be set out by Welsh ministers later. A supplementary budget, published by Finance Minister Rebecca Evans, will include the extra £750m allocated to the NHS and other key public services.

PM to face questions Boris Johnson will be grilled by senior MPs about the government's handling of the pandemic later.

Northern Ireland's children's commissioner has written to selective schools urging them to avoid using academic selection to admit pupils.

More than 40 groups have written to the first and deputy first minister urging that environmental commitments be built into NI's coronavirus recovery plan.

Some coursework could be removed and courses streamlined for pupils due to sit A-level and GCSE exams next year, regulator Qualifications Wales said.

Facial recognition has been added as a way of logging in to an NHS app that lets people order prescriptions, book appointments and find healthcare data.

There are concerns over a potential rise in lockdown abuse The charity which runs the national domestic abuse helpline has had a ten-fold increase in visits to its website in the past two weeks.

"Local lockdowns" will be introduced to tackle regional outbreaks of coronavirus in England in the future, the health secretary has said.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will provide the anti-viral drug remdesivir to certain COVID-19 patients that it is most likely to benefit as part of a collaboration with manufacturer Gilead Sciences (GILD.O), the health ministry said on Tuesday.

PARIS (Reuters) - A French consortium said on Wednesday that it was stepping up its previously announced plans for a saliva-based screening test to detect COVID-19, by joining up with medical laboratory and diagnostics group INOVIE.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union ended its controls on the export of coronavirus protective equipment on Tuesday after concluding that supplies for European medical and other workers were now adequate.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock gave the 26 May 2020 daily press briefing on the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.