This was our coronavirus live blog for Monday, May 18, 2020 as research into a vaccine continues after a weekend when many people ventured out under relaxed lockdown restrictions in England.
Business Secretary Alok Sharma announced the Government is putting another £84m into the hunt for a Covid-19 vaccine, with some of the money going to to trials by Oxford University and Imperial College London.
Over the weekend in and around Gloucestershire, people headed to beauty spots to enjoy the countryside, with police reporting busy scenes in Purton and Dover's Hill.
While a decision on whether schools will return next month could be announced this week.
In Gloucestershire, according to the latest figures published by Public Health England there have been 216 deaths of people who had tested positive for coronavirus - which means there have been no new deaths recorded in two days.
Of those who died, 184 were being treated at Gloucestershire Hospitals while 32 were being cared for through Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust.
The total number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Gloucestershire was 1,346 according to figures published by Public Health England today.
In the UK, there have been 243,695 people who have tested positive for Covid-19 and of those, 34,636 have died.
Updates as they happen in Gloucestershire and the UK in the blog below.
Key Events
Lockdown can't be in place 'permanently' says Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says it is ‘not sustainable’ to keep the lockdown in place ‘permanently’ but that the government is monitoring the changes it was making.
Speaking at the daily Downing Street coronavirus briefing, Mr Raab said:
It is true to say that making any changes inherently comes with some risk of spreading the virus compared with simply staying at home.
But it is also true that staying in permanent lockdown is itself not sustainable on health grounds or economic grounds.
That is why we have only eased measures where it can be done with the lowest risk possible.
That’s also why we are watching the impact of every change we make very closely.
UK coronavirus figures updated
Latest figures from the Department of Health have been published
Tests: As of 9am 18 May, there have been 2,682,716 tests, with 100,678 tests on 17 May.
Positive cases: 1,887,051 people have been tested of which 246,406 tested positive.
Deaths: As of 5pm on 17 May, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 34,796 have died. This is a daily increase of 160
Covid-19 tests for anyone over five who has symptoms
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has told the Commons that anyone aged five or over who has coronavirus symptoms is now able to be tested.
He said “We are expanding eligibility for testing further than ever before,” and added:
Yesterday we conducted 100,678 tests. Every day we are creating more capacity and that means more people can be tested, and the virus has fewer places to hide.
Today, I can announce to the House that everyone aged five and over with symptoms is now eligible for a test.
“hat applies right across the UK in all four nations from now.
Anyone with a new continuous cough, a high temperature or the loss or change of sense of taste or smell can book a test by visiting nhs.uk/coronavirus.
Update on when decision to reopen schools will be made
The PM’s spokesman said at a Downing Street briefing today
You can see from the discussions that have been taking place that we have been seeking to resolve this as soon as we can.
He said the Government continues to “want to work with schools in order to get more children back into an education setting”, adding:
We are now past the peak of the virus and so it is right that we plan for the first phase of a controlled and careful return of some year groups from June 1 at the earliest.
As we have always said, safety comes first, but we must also be aware of the potential damage to a child’s education from not getting them back in the classroom.
Related:
70 cases of Covid-19 linked to schools week after they reopened in France
Children are not the primary spreaders of coronavirus in schools
UK quarantine plan upadte
Downing Street has said. plans to impose a 14-day quarantine on international travellers arriving in the UK will be reviewed every three weeks.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told a Westminster briefing:
The PM has said that those arriving in the UK from overseas will be required to self-isolate in order to prevent infections from abroad and a second wave of cases.
The work on this is continuing and we will set out more details in due course
New symptom for Covid-19 added by NHS
A loss or changed sense of taste or smell will be added to the NHS coronavirus symptoms list, weeks after experts first raised concerns that Covid-19 cases are being missed
Police's new lockdown role
Gloucestershire police has explained how its role has changed under the latest lockdown regulations.
- We enforce the law and not government guidance so we continue to have no role in enforcing two-metre social distancing.
- Police still have a role in other social distancing measures, for example, where people are gathering in groups with those not in their households - as this is not legally permitted in the regulations.
- Or if anyone has left their house for one of the reasons not designated as a reasonable excuse, such as: to go on holiday, this includes to visit and stay overnight at a holiday home or second home; to visit the homes of friends and family (exceptions include to protect a vulnerable person, for medical purposes or to escape risk of harm
- Travelling to outdoor spaces in Wales and Scotland for recreation (not exercise) may result in offences being committed in those juristictions, and so may not be a reasonble excuse for leaving home
Aldi trials new system to deliver your groceries within 30 minutes
Aldi is trialling on-demand grocery home delivery in the UK for the first time in partnership with Deliveroo.
From today, the supermarket will offer a rapid delivery service from its Daleside Road store in Nottingham, before extending the trial to a further seven stores across the East Midlands in June.
Premier League clubs to vote on restarting training
Premier League clubs will vote on a return to training on Monday, with English football having been suspended since mid-March due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden told Sky News:
I had some very constructive discussions on Thursday with the FA, the EFL and the Premier League,” Dowden told Sky News.
We are working hard with them to try and get it back, aiming for mid-June, but the number one test if public safety.
They, like a lot of other sports we’re looking at returning behind closed doors, have met with Public Health England several times to look at the safety.
If we can sort that out then we will look to resume by mid-June. We’re making good progress.
People were 'generally well behaved' over weekend says Gloucestershire PCC
Gloucestershire Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl has said it was ‘very very busy’ over the weekend, but people generally behaved well. He was speaking on BBC Radio Gloucestershire.
Children 'not primary drivers of coronavirus spread'
A study reportedly being considered by the Government has shown children are “not the primary drivers of Covid-19 spread” in schools.
A senior member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) subcommittee on schools told The Daily Telegraph that the Government had examined the Australian study as it considers a phased reopening of primary schools from June 1.
It found:
Children are not the primary drivers of Covid-19 spread in schools or in the community. This is consistent with data from international studies showing low rates of disease in children and suggesting limited spread among children and from children to adults
Parenting survey - how are you coping in lockdown?
We are asking you to take part in our Great Big Parenting Survey to show the world, politicians, fellow parents, just what life is like in Lockdown.
We need you to give it to us straight only the way parents know how - tell us what it’s really like, for you, the Lockdown parent.
We are living through extraordinary and unprecedented times - nobody knows that better than you, right?
Help us record those times and how you’re dealing with the home working and the homeschooling.
Tell us how you key worker parents have felt having to send your children to school when their classmates are all at home.
How are you coping with the worries - financial, educational, emotional? How are you reaping the benefits of more time perhaps, combined with the fear for relatives and for your children - and for yourselves?
Help us paint a true picture of how this crisis is affecting you and your loved ones.
What it will be like when children go back
School will look very different for those pupils who may be returning on June 1.
Here are some of the changes, as reported in the Mirror.
- Primary pupils will find walls have been stripped to remove artwork - the coronavirus has been found to live for upon to 24 hours on paper and cardboard which cannot be cleaned to a high standard.
- Class sizes will be halved to no more than 15 and books won’t be marked for at least 24 hours - so the virus is harder to spread that way to teachers.
- Communal tables will be replaced with individual desks set two metres apart and items such as toys, Lego and counting beads or blocks will have to go.
- Play equipment outside will be cordoned off, lunchtimes will be spent at desks, toilet times will be scheduled and physical contact with teachers limited
More trains running across country
Thousands more trains will be running at the start of the first full week since Boris Johnson set out his path for leaving lockdown.
From Monday, train companies are increasing services to 70 per cent of standard timetable capacity to reflect the loosening of travel restrictions, said industry body the Rail Delivery Group.
But to enable social distancing, their capacity will be reduced to as little as 10 per cent of normal levels, and passengers are being urged to avoid non-essential travel.
More here
Recycling centre reopens
The Household Recycling Centre (HRC) at Fosse Cross, near Cirencester will re-open today for pre-booked visits only.
Last week, the two largest sites in the county at Hempsted in Gloucester and Wingmoor Farm at Stoke Orchard re-opened for essential visits only with all trips needing to be booked in advance.
From Monday 18 May, the HRC at Fosse Cross near Cirencester will re-open.
Social distancing measures will be in place to help keep visitors and staff safe and crucially anyone with covid-19 symptoms and those in self-isolating households MUST NOT visit.
