- The
Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies told the Government that it
will soon need to start shielding the most vulnerable members of society
and isolating entire households;
- President Donald Trump announced the US travel ban would be extended to the UK from tomorrow;
- Hundreds
of Britons, many of them elderly, were stuck aboard a cruise ship in
the Caribbean where five people have tested positive for the virus;
- Spain
and Poland closed their borders, stranding thousands of British
holidaymakers, and France closed all non-essential public spaces such as
cafes and cinemas;
- Boris Johnson asked
UK manufacturers to support the rapid, wartime-style production of
essential medical kit, particularly ventilators, while the NHS will buy
up beds in private hospitals;
- Panic-buying
led to extraordinary scenes at supermarkets across the country,
prompting stores to plead with consumers to 'work together';
- World
Health Organisation spokesman Dr Margaret Harris questioned the British
Government's strategy of delaying 'social distancing', arguing that it
risked infecting millions;
- Chancellor Rishi Sunak met insurance leaders amid a growing row over who will foot the bill for cancelled holidays;
- It emerged that care homes and hospitals are likely to be 'cocooned' when the Easter lockdown comes into effect;
- Three patients tested positive for Covid-19 at a hospital close to the Queen's Norfolk estate;
- Downing
Street underwent a 'deep clean' following a visit by Tory MP Nadine
Dorries, who subsequently tested positive for the virus – but the Prime
Minister has not been tested;
- A group of
Dutch scientists claimed to have found an antibody that may help detect
and prevent the coronavirus from being able to infect people;
- Experts predicted the Government could be forced to effectively nationalise airlines and train companies.
Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical
Officer for England, said the ten who died 'were in the at-risk groups' -
which primarily comprises the elderly.
In
a joint statement, chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and
Prof Whitty said: 'We are dealing with a very fast moving epidemic with
emerging data from many disciplines and many complex decisions.
'Scientists across the world are helping each other, governments and society to deal with this international emergency.'
As
Britain's epidemic worsens and panic grips the public, the government
will deploy troops at hospitals and outside supermarkets.
In
preparation for the worst-case scenario, defence sources told The Mail
on Sunday that Army units were stepping up their training for public
order roles.
The Royal Logistics Corps
are preparing to be used to escort food convoys and the Royal Army
Medical Corps is poised to build tented field hospitals next to care
homes.
Troops trained in chemical,
biological and nuclear warfare will deep-clean empty public buildings in
case they need to be turned in to hospitals or morgues.
Soldiers
would also be stationed outside supermarkets where startling scenes
unfolded the country on Saturday as desperate shoppers gutted food and
toilet roll aisles.
Britons are
stockpiling as they prepare to bunker down in self-isolation after the
the government issued new guidelines, advising anyone with a cough to
stay at home for a week.
And whole
families will be told to isolate themselves if just one member falls ill
with coronavirus, the Sunday Telegraph reports.
To defuse the strain on the NHS, the PM will go to private hospital groups asking them to free up beds for NHS use, and urge manufacturers of medical equipment to ramp up production of ventilators and other life-saving machinery.
England
has only about 4,000 adult intensive care beds and many of these are
already full, either with normal cases or coronavirus patients.
