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Sweden coronavirus deaths jump 20% in a day to 477 as PM STILL refuses to lock down despite warning thousands will die – The Sun

SWEDEN has announced its biggest daily jump in coronavirus deaths – but the country's Prime Minister still refuses to lock the country down.

The death toll jumped by 76 – around 20 per cent – bringing the total Covid-19 fatalities from 401 to 477 on Monday.

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The number of confirmed cases jumped by 376, taking the overall tally from 6,830 to 7,206 infections.

But despite rising numbers and warnings from Prime Minister Stefan Löfven that thousands could die, the country is taking a relaxed approach to the pandemic.

Löfven has told his country to prepare for thousands of deaths from the pandemic.

But he told citizens to "each take responsibility" for slowing the spread of the disease.

Only the most vulnerable in the country have been advised to self-isolate at home.

Bars and restaurants are still open along with primary schools and shops.

On Monday,the government proposed a bill to gain additional power, which could limit public gatherings or close businesses without parliament's approval.

Health minister Lene Hallengren said in a statement:"Sweden and the world are in a serious situation due to the coronavirus.

"We see a need to be able to act quickly if the situation calls for it, it is ultimately about protecting human lives."


'DON'T DRAMATISE'

Sweden has now reluctantly tightened some of its social distancing regulations after widespread criticism.

It cut the numbers of people allowed to gather from 499 to 49, and ordered bars and restaurants to offer table service only.

But despite the PM’s chilling warning, he still refused to order a full nationwide lockdown.

And he played down what critics have called the government’s “softer” approach when compared to other countries.

Lofven said: “I don’t think you ought to dramatise [the differences].

“We’re doing it in a somewhat different way. Sometimes that is because we are in different phases [of the pandemic].”

Lofven previously said a full lockdown was unnecessary as his government trusted Swedes to behave “like adults” and socially distance if they were ill.

But the relaxed measures have raised alarm in the country's medical community.

A petition signed by more than 2,300 doctors, scientists, and professors has called on the government to get tough and tighten restrictions.

Prof Cecilia Söderberg-Nauclér, a virus expert at the Karolinska Institute, said: “We’re not testing enough, we’re not tracking, we’re not isolating enough – we've let the virus loose.

“They are leading us to catastrophe.”

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However, the scientist leading Sweden's lockdown battle yesterday said Britain's lockdown goes too far.

Anders Tegnell, who studied at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told the Mail on Sunday: "I am very sceptical of lockdowns altogether but if you ever do them, you should do them at an early stage.

"At certain times I suppose they can be useful, if you are unprepared and need more intensive care facilities, for example, but you are really just pushing the problem ahead of you."


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Martin Shkreli wants out of prison to develop a coronavirus cure

Infamous “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli claims to be working on a cure for the coronavirus — and he wants to be sprung from prison so he can conduct his research.

In an 11-page scientific paper posted online, the convicted fraudster touted himself as “one of the few executives experienced in ALL aspects of drug development” and denigrated other efforts to come up with treatments for the deadly virus.

“The industry response to COVID-19 is inadequate,” wrote Shkreli, 37.

“All biopharmaceutical companies should be responding with all resources to combat this health emergency.”

Shkreli, who gained notoriety for jacking up the price of the AIDS drug Daraprim nearly 5,000 percent in 2015, is serving a seven-year sentence for scamming investors in hedge funds he ran.

He’s currently locked up at a low-security federal prison in Allenwood, Pennsylvania, with a scheduled release date in September 2023.

“I am asking for a brief furlough (3 months) to assist in research work on COVID-19,” he wrote.

“Being released to the post-COVID world is no solace to even the incarcerated.”

Shkreli — who’s the lead author of the paper and is identified in a footnote as a “citizen scientist” — also noted that he hadn’t “been paid for any work on this matter or any other matter while incarcerated.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I have not been paid for any work on this matter or any other matter while incarcerated,” he wrote.

“I do not expect to profit in any way, shape or form from coronavirus-related treatments.”

The paper — titled “In silico screening for potential COVID-19 beta-coronavirus non-nucleoside RdRp inhibitors” — was posted on the website of “Prospero Pharmaceuticals,” which identifies itself as a biotech company that’s “developing therapies for unmet medical needs in orphan diseases.”

One of the paper’s co-authors — Kevin Mulleady, who Brooklyn federal prosecutors called an un-indicted co-conspirator in Shkreli’s fraud case — is linked to Prospero in a footnote.

Mulleady is also a co-defendant, with Shkreli, in a Manhattan federal court suit filed in January by the Federal Trade Commission and New York Attorney General Letitia James over their alleged “anticompetitive scheme” to maintain a monopoly on Daraprim and its $750-a-pill list price.

Two other co-authors, Maureen Lohry and James Rondina, wrote letters seeking leniency for Shkreli following his 2017 conviction.

Shkreli has yet to formally request a furlough, but his defense lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said he would submit papers “shortly” to both the Bureau of Prisons and Brooklyn federal Judge Kiyo Matsumoto, who oversaw his case.

“I have often said that left to his own devices, I believe Martin could cure cancer,” Brafman told The Post.

“Feel the same about coronavirus. Warehousing this genius instead of letting him help with the research, makes no sense whatsoever.”

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Duchess of Cornwall shares revealing 'shelfie' as she works from home

Duchess of Cornwall celebrates coming out of self-isolation after 14 days by sharing a revealing ‘shelfie’ photograph showing the contents of her study as she works from home

  • Royal couple reunited three days before 15th wedding anniversary on Thursday  
  • She returned to work following Prince Charles’s positive test for coronavirus 
  • Camilla admits most difficult thing is not being able to hug five grandchildren  
  • Duchess of Cornwall: ‘I salute each one of you – and thank you with all my heart’ 

The Duchess of Cornwall this morning came out of a two-week self-isolation after Prince Charles tested positive for coronavirus.

The royal couple have spent the last fortnight at their Birkhall residence in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, living in separate parts of the three-century-old property.

The couple were reunited today just three days before their 15th wedding anniversary, this coming Thursday. 

The pair were separated as a precaution when Clarence House confirmed the Prince of Wales had tested positive for coronavirus on 26 March.

Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall greet guests during the Commonwealth Reception at Marlborough House in London on Commonwealth Day on March 9

He has since then spent seven days self-isolating in Scotland with ‘mild symptoms’. 

Charles, who finished his isolation a week ago, described being without family contact as ‘strange, frustrating and often distressing’.

The Duchess of Cornwall tested negative for the virus and is said to have displayed no signs of the infection.

Camilla has been keeping herself busy during the past 14 days by working from home, like so many, and catching up with family via video. 

The Daily Mail’s Royal Editor Rebecca English warmly welcomes the Duchess of Cornwall back into society with the following words.

It is a delightfully chaotic room, crammed with letters, books, ­photographs and nick-nacks.

Look closely at the left-hand side and you can even see one of those plastic contraptions that dog owners use to throw balls propped up against the wall (Camilla has two rescue Jack Russells, Beth and Bluebell).

It all leaves the viewer feeling comforted by the fact that the Duchess of Cornwall’s working from home set-up at Birkhall in Aberdeenshire isn’t so very different from our disorganised own.

On her slightly battered desk is a jumble of papers, letters, biros and fountain pens. There’s even a card with the price tag attached– just £3! – made by a company amusingly called ‘Queen Bee’.

The Duchess of Cornwall on the telephone at Birkhall in Aberdeenshire, after she came out of self-isolation following her husband Prince Charles’s positive test for Covid-19

There are also a few more formal items, such as an inkwell, a blotter and a tartan stamp, along with a vase of spring flowers. But the overall effect is a charming form of organised chaos.

That’s emphasised by the jumble of boxes, bubble wrap, shopping bags and baskets, some still with price tags on them, that litter the floor behind her. On the bookshelf is a smorgasbord of reading material. There are books by crime and thriller writer Peter James and H is for Hawk, an award-winning memoir by Helen Macdonald about the year she spent training a northern goshawk.

JK Rowling is known to be a favourite of the duchess: there are several Harry Potters. Camilla previously told the Daily Mail how her grandchildren love Charles to read from them at night and revealed how he even does ‘all the funny voices’.

She also has Rowling’s adult novel, The Casual Vacancy. There’s also a copy of The Riviera Set by Mary S Lovell, which follows the lives and loves of American actor Maxine Elliott who infiltrated the British upper classes and hung out with the likes of Noel Coward and Winston Churchill. It is also possible to spot J by Howard Jacobson, a Booker-listed dystopian novel. Daily Mail writer Robert Hardman’s celebrated biography of the monarch, Our Queen, also makes an appearance.

Before all this – Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, together at Sandringham

The bookshelves are also covered with family pictures. A photograph of her daughter Laura Lopes and son-in-law Harry, along with her grand-daughter Eliza when she was a bridesmaid for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge can be seen as well as one of the duchess with her arms around all of her five grandchildren.

There’s also a picture of her son Tom, cuddling grandson Freddy, and another showing three of her grandchildren dressed as guardsmen.

Horses and dogs feature frequently: There are several pictures of her Jack Russells –she has owned at least five.

One blurry picture appears to be of the Queen surrounded by her closest family members, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

There are also several showing what are believed to be her parents Bruce and Rosalind, including shots taken at what appear to be country shoots.

Duchess salutes ‘wonderful’ volunteers

By Rebecca English, Royal Editor 

The Duchess of Cornwall has hailed Britain’s ‘wonderful’ army of volunteers as they march into action from today.

Camilla, 72, praised the 750,000 members of the public who have already reported for duty to help the NHS through the crisis, saying: ‘I salute each one of you – and thank you with all my heart.’

She added that Health Service staff would be encouraged and supported by ‘the presence of so many wonderful volunteers’. The duchess was speaking as she returned to work after two weeks of self-isolation following her husband Prince Charles’s positive test for Covid-19.

The duchess is patron of the Royal Voluntary Service, which is managing the nation’s call to arms. She also surprised a pensioner in self-isolation, phoning Doris Winfield, 85, of Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, to ask how she was coping without her family and friends. The 85-year-old said she regularly speaks to her three daughters but lives alone and misses her friends and social life.

Mrs Winfield said: ‘Having a chat with the duchess meant the world to me. It’s really cheered me up.’

In the 20-minute call made from her Scottish retreat at Birkhall, Camilla admitted the most difficult thing was not being able to hug her five grandchildren. The duchess has spent the last two weeks on her own after Charles, 71, was diagnosed with the virus. She tested negative but followed official advice about isolating.

Yesterday she was reunited with him at Birkhall where they will remain until the crisis is over. The army of NHS Volunteer Responders will help with tasks such as collecting medicines from chemists, driving patients to appointments and calling to check on those isolating at home.

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Joe Biden, Donald Trump speak by phone on coronavirus

Washington: US President Donald Trump spoke with Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and "had a good call" about the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis, an aide to Biden said in a statement on Monday.

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks.Credit:AP

"Vice President Biden and President Trump had a good call," said Biden's deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield in an emailed statement.

"VP Biden shared several suggestions for actions the Administration can take now to address the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and expressed his appreciation for the spirit of the American people in meeting the challenges facing the nation."

It was not immediately clear what the full contents of the call were, according to a person who confirmed the conversation took place on Monday.

Biden, the front-runner for his party’s nomination to face Trump in the November 3 election, volunteered to speak with Trump in unorthodox direct talks between the political rivals after offering near-daily criticism of the president's handling of the coronavirus crisis.



Trump accepted that offer last week and earlier on Monday posted on Twitter, "what ever happened to that phone call he told the Fake News he wanted to make to me?"

Reuters

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Boris Johnson has 'deputised' Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab

Dominic Raab takes the reins: Foreign Secretary is called on to ‘deputise for’ stricken PM Boris Johnson while he is in intensive care

  • Boris Johnson ‘deputised’ Dominic Raab as he entered intensive care tonight
  • Mr Johnson has not resigned and formally remains in post as the Prime Minister   
  • Not immediately clear what would happen if Mr Raab too became incapacitated
  • UK does not have a formal system of succession like other countries, such as US

In a Twitter video posted on Friday from quarantine in No11, where he has been in self-isolation, an exhausted-looking Mr Johnson revealed he was still suffering from a high temperature

Boris Johnson tonight effectively handed the reins of government to Dominic Raab as he battles coronavirus in intensive care.

Downing Street said the PM had ‘deputised’ the Foreign Secretary – who as First Secretary of State is officially the second highest ranking minister – before his condition became more serious.

However, Mr Johnson has not resigned and so continues to be the formal leader of the government.  

The UK does not have a written constitution and the chain of command is largely based on convention. 

Since the end of the Tory-Lib Dem Coalition in 2015 there has not been a deputy PM.   

Instead Mr Cameron, Theresa May and now Mr Johnson appointed First Secretaries of State to denote who was second in line.  

Downing Street is said to have drawn up plans to ensure the continuation of government in all circumstances but details have not been divulged publicly. 

It is not immediately clear what would happen if Mr Raab also became incapacitated, with the UK not having a formal system of succession like other countries, for example the US. 

Mr Raab’s status as the person waiting in the wings reportedly sparked furious rows within the government a fortnight ago, with other ministers adamant Michael Gove, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, should be the one to take over.  

But Number 10 is likely to face intense pressure in the coming days to set out exactly what would happen if Mr Johnson and other senior ministers can no longer work.

If Mr Johnson could no longer carry on in post and resigned, the Cabinet would in the first instance choose a successor.

They would need to carry the support of the Conservative MPs – although it is unlikely anyone would force a leadership contest at a time of massive crisis.   

The Prime Minster ‘deputised’ Dominic Raab as he was admitted to intensive care tonight.

Police officers are seen today outside St Thomas’ Hospital in London, a short distance from Downing Street, after Mr Johnson was admitted for tests on Sunday

Dominic Raab, a karate black belt, is married without any children to Erika (together), a Brazilian-born marketing executive

Dominic Raab: Karate black belt and relative Cabinet novice   

The MP for Esher and Walton worked as an in-house lawyer for the Foreign Office in 2000, before returning to the department in Boris Johnson’s post-election reshuffle.

The former grammar school boy, born to a Czech Jewish father who fled the Nazis in 1938 to Britain as a refugee before the Second World War, helped bring war criminals to justice in The Hague during his first stint in the Foreign Office.

Mr Raab is a karate black belt and former boxing blue at Oxford University in 1995. The 45-year-old is married without any children to Erika, a Brazilian-born marketing executive who was wheeled out for photoshoots in his leadership campaign. 

He has described how his father Peter fled the Nazis and came to Britain aged six.

His father learned English, worked for M&S as a food manager and met his mother Jean, who was from Bromley, Kent. He died when Dominic was 12 after losing his battle with cancer. 

The appointment to Foreign Secretary was a major promotion for Mr Raab, who up to then had just four months experience in the Cabinet after a stint as Brexit Secretary last year.   

Last summer he stood in the Tory leadership race on a hardcore Brexiteer ticket even harder than Mr Johnson. But after being knocked out he quickly backed his former rival and supported him in his campaign.

At the weekend it was revealed that two of the most senior Ministers leading the Government response to the coronavirus crisis are locked in battle over when to lift the economically devastating lockdown.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has made ‘robust’ representations to Health Secretary Matt Hancock, arguing that unless a path is mapped now for a swift return to normal economic activity it could cause lasting damage to the country.

Government critics of Mr Hancock argue his ‘careerist’ fear of being personally blamed for a collapse in the NHS is blinding him to the dangers of a protracted lockdown.

But allies of Mr Hancock hit back, saying: ‘He is just doing his job, which is to protect the NHS.’

One MP suggested that the PM was too keen to emulate his hero, Winston Churchill and should rest.

But Downing Street described last night’s shock move as a ‘precautionary step’, insisting that he continued to lead the Government, and remained in touch with ministers and senior officials.

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick stressed it was not an emergency admission and that he expected him to be back in Downing Street ‘shortly’.

‘He’s been working extremely hard leading the Government and being constantly updated,’ he told BBC Breakfast.

‘That’s going to continue.

‘Obviously today he’s in hospital having the tests but he will continue to be kept informed as to what’s happening and to be in charge of the Government.

‘I’m sure this is very frustrating for him, for somebody like Boris who wants to be hands on running the Government from the front, but nonetheless he’s still very much in charge of the Government.’ 

In a Twitter video posted on Friday from quarantine in No11, where he has been in self-isolation, an exhausted-looking Mr Johnson revealed he was still suffering from a high temperature.

Experts say there is a risk of pneumonia when a temperature lasts more than a week. There have been claims Mr Johnson has been coughing heavily during conference calls.      


Downing Street said Dominic Raab (pictured right) will take over if the PM is incapacitated but there have been claims some ministers have pushed for Michael Gove to be given the job

How are ministers ranked? 

 1. Boris Johnson, Prime Minister

2. Dominic Raab, Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State

3. Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer

4. Priti Patel, Home Secretary

5. Michael Gove, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

6. Robert Buckland, Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary

7. Ben Wallace, Defence Secretary

8. Matt Hancock, Health Secretary

9. Alok Sharma, Business Secretary

10. Liz Truss, International Trade Secretary

11. Therese Coffey, Work and Pensions Secretary

12. Gavin Williamson, Education Secretary

13. George Eustice, Environment Secretary

14. Robert Jenrick, Communities Secretary

15. Brandon Lewis, Northern Ireland Secretary

16. Alister Jack, Scotland Secretary

17. Simon Hart, Wales Secretary

18. Baroness Evans, Leader of the House of Lords

19. Oliver Dowden, Culture Secretary

20. Anne-Marie Trevelyan, International Development Secretary

21. Amanda Milling, Minister without Portfolio (Conservative Party chairwoman)

The UK has four great offices of state: Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary. 

But beyond that there is no public plan on the line of succession should the PM be struck down. 

The US is one of a number of countries which has such a plan: If the President cannot work, the Vice President takes over and so on down a long list of government figures. 

The US also has a ‘designated survivor’ – someone in the line of succession who is told to stay away from major events like inaugurations and State of the Union Addresses in case something bad happens and they can then step in as commander in chief.    

Successive prime ministers have resisted calls to formally set out succession plans because of the message they fear it would convey to the public and because of the damage it could do to their political standing. 

But there have been repeated attempts by backbench MPs to pass a law formalising the succession issue.

Mr Raab, Mr Gove, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Matt Hancock are widely seen as the most important ministers in the government at the moment in terms of combating coronavirus. 

Each chairs a committee coordinating different parts of the government’s response to the crisis. 

Mr Gove’s is focused on public sector preparedness, Mr Hancock’s is focused on NHS capacity, Mr Raab’s deals with the overseas response and Mr Sunak’s looks at the economy.  

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First footage shows how UK medics are dealing with the pandemic

Inside the NHS’s war on coronavirus: First footage shows how UK medics are dealing with the pandemic

  • A glimpse inside Royal Bournemouth Hospital (RBH) showcases health workers’ daily grind on the front line 
  • Medics working in the so-called ‘red zone’ described being emotionally drained and scared about their safety
  • Tonight’s report included dire warnings from medics concerned about dwindling oxygen supplies 

First-time camera access to NHS intensive care units has laid bare the mounting pressure being loaded upon medics treating coronavirus patients.

A glimpse inside Royal Bournemouth Hospital (RBH) showcases health workers’ daily grind on the front line, which they described as emotionally draining and ‘scary’. 

Tonight’s reports from the BBC and ITV from the so-called ‘red zone’ – where the sickest patients are cared for – included dire warnings from medics concerned about dwindling oxygen supplies as the NHS creaks under the pressure of new infections.

Cases and fatalities continue to climb, and the UK today sadly declared a further 439 deaths, taking the toll to 5,373, while the number of patients rose by 3,802 to 51,608.

In a glimmer of hope after a dark week for Britain, the number of people dying of COVID-19 has now fallen for two days in a row and dropped 30 per cent from 621 yesterday.   

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is deputising for the virus-stricken Prime Minister, confirmed the figures at this afternoon’s Downing Street press briefing. 

Number 10 tonight confirmed that Boris Johnson had been moved to intensive care in St Thomas’ hospital after being admitted for tests last night as a precaution. A spokesperson said Dominic Raab would deputise for him as his ‘persistent’ coronavirus symptoms worsen.

On another difficult day in the UK’s war on coronavirus: 

  • Humiliated Nicola Sturgeon has admitted the effort to combat coronavirus has been damaged after she was forced to accept the resignation of Scotland’s chief medical officer for flouting her own lockdown rules; 
  • Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty is out of self-isolation and has been working after recovering from coronavirus;   
  • Worrying figures showed the UK’s coronavirus epidemic was set to overtake that suffered by France and Italy; 
  • Health Secretary Matt Hancock threatened to revoke the right to exercise outdoors if people continued to flout social distancing measures;
  • The Prime Minister’s spokesperson confirmed that sunbathing in public is not allowed and flouts rules allowing only essential movement;
  • Top scientists said it would take at least a month for the UK to develop antibody tests that could be rolled out widely to check who has had the virus already;
  • A report by the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre has found that ethnic minority people are at a greater risk of becoming seriously ill with the coronavirus. 

A glimpse inside Royal Bournemouth Hospital (RBH) showcases health workers’ daily grind on the front line, which they described as emotionally draining and potentially perilous

Coronavirus patient Linda New, who was today discharged after a stint in intensive care said ‘never in a million years’ did she think the effects of the disease would be so debilitating

One nurse working in the RBH ward, where two people died overnight, said she was worried about her own wellbeing after several NHS health workers passed away with the infection.

Ami Curtis, a staff nurse at the RBH, told ITV News: ‘I have asthma, but we have a duty to our patients. It is scary, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared.’

She said she was even suffering eczema on her hands after washing them so frequently.  

Tonight’s exclusive report also revealed that ‘every death takes its toll’ on the NHS workers, and spoke to night manager Ella Gordula, who became emotional when discussing two fatalities in the past 24-hours.

The footage showed an intensely busy ward bustling with medics all wearing personal protective equipment.

Everyone has to wear face-masks and gowns because each new patient displaying symptoms is assumed to have the virus, even if they have not been tested.

Medics also feared a shortage in oxygen, which is rapidly dwindling amid spikes in Covid-19 admissions.

Michelle Scott, a critical consultant in the so-called ‘red zone’, said in normal times such vital supplies would never be threatened, but the NHS is creaking under the strain of the crisis.

One coronavirus patient who was today discharged after a stint in intensive care said ‘never in a million years’ did she think the effects of the disease would be so debilitating.

Linda New, a hos was clapped out by staff as she left the hospital, said: ‘I just wanted to get through it for my children. Without this lot I would never have done it. They’re so so good.’

Another patient, Alan Hunt, 62, who has been in the intensive care unit (ICU) for eight days, underlined the exhausting effects of the illness.

One nurse working in the so-called ‘red zone’ (entrance to ICU pictured), where two people died overnight, said she was worried about her own wellbeing after several NHS health workers passed away with the infection

The footage showed an intensely busy ward bustling with medics all wearing personal protective equipment

Everyone has to wear face-masks and gowns because each new patient displaying symptoms is assumed to have the virus, even if they have not been tested

He said:  It’s so easy to catch and you can’t get rid once you got it. It infected both my lungs, I’m on the repair but I’m still getting out of breath doing anything at all.’ 

The government is urgently trying to crank up the capacity of the country’s ICU’s as the UK approaches the peak of its epidemic.

Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty today said it was ‘critical’ for the NHS to always have an excess of available critical beds during the fight against coronavirus.

He told this evening’s Downing Street press briefing: ‘Our principle aim… is to ensure the gap between the number beds available for intensive care and those that are needed is always in a situation where we have some room to spare.

‘And if we end up in a situation where we have more ICU beds at all times during this epidemic than we absolutely need to deal with Covid and other areas, that will be a success.

‘That is something which is critical for our overall aim. What we would like to see is some headroom between what we need and what we have available at any given time, both for Covid and other conditions.’

Mr Raab said the building of additional NHS Nightingale hospitals in areas such as Bristol, Harrogate and Birmingham was about ensuring there was a spread of critical care beds across England.

Countries across Europe, including the UK, Italy and Spain, have seen the numbers of people dying from coronavirus fall in recent days, offering hope that their outbreaks may be slowing down

He added: ‘We are not remotely complacent. We are doing everything we can to make sure we not only have the capacity but also room for manoeuvre. 

Today’s death count is the lowest since March 31, last Tuesday, when it was 381, and marks a 39 per cent fall from the UK’s worst day so far, Saturday, when the deaths of 708 people were recorded.

The number of new cases is also lower than it was for almost all of last week, with the 3,802 new positive tests 2,101 fewer than 5,903 yesterday and only the second time since March that the number has been below 4,000.  

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick, said authorities will start to consider easing the UK’s lockdown in the coming weeks if the numbers of people being admitted to hospital remains stable. There are fears a long quarantine will cause permanent damage to the economy and the NHS appears to be coping well so far.

However, for normality to return experts say antibody tests – which reveal who has already recovered from COVID-19 – will be necessary. But leading scientists have warned the UK is at least a month away from having any that work, adding that all the kits that have been checked already have ‘not performed well’ and are not worth using.

More optimistic statistics come as countries around Europe, including Italy, Spain and Germany, appear to be seeing death rates fall – Germany’s outbreak appears to have hit is peak already with just 1,600 deaths.  

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Andrew Cuomo daughters slammed Melania and Donald Trump with mom Kerry Kennedy years before dad battled president – The Sun

THE daughters of Governor Andrew Cuomo took on Melania and Donald Trump in a very public way years before their father.

In 2018, the Cuomo girls called out President Trump's decision to separate families at the southern border and the First Lady's perceived nonchalance on the matter while attending the annual Fourth of July festivities held at Kennedy compound with their mother Kerry Kennedy.



Governor Cuomo has been doing his best to maintain a cordial relationship with President Trump amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Her and a number of other governors feel that the federal government has been lacking in their response, but have had stopped short of directly attacking President Trump.

That was not ther case in 2018 though with Michaela, Mariah, and Cara Kennedy-Cuomo, who made their point by breaking out some paint and and green jackets, on which they each wrote: "I Really Do Care."

They then wore the jackets while golf carting through the annual Hyannisport Fourth of July parade, a Kennedy tradition each year.

Those jackets were in reference to the jacket Melania wore to visit detained children at a facility at the border just one month prior, which read: "I Really Don't Care, Do You?"

The Cuomo-Kennedy gals and their cousins also carried signs during the parade that read: 'Break Bread Not Families."



Their mother Kerry posted a photo of the finished jackets before they made their parade debut.

'Happy Fourth of July! Join our chain fast 24 hours over 24 days for 2400 children taken from their families,' wrote Kerry in her post, tagging her mother, Julia Roberts and Alec Baldwin.

She then promoted the families charitable initiative Break Breads Not Families, which is being supported by the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization.

Kerry currently heads the organization.

She was joined by Marco Gualtieri for the holiday, who is a member on the board of the Robert F. Center for Justice and Human Rights.

He and his friends also donned the jackets, prompting Kerry's daughter Mariah Cuomo to write: 'Marco love you baby!'

Governor Cuomo married Kerry in 1990 and the two were together for 15 years, welcoming twins Mariah and Cara in 1995 and daughter Michaela two years later.

The couple split in 2005

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'Grossly neglected' baby with eczema ordered to be put up for adoption

‘Grossly neglected’ baby girl with eczema is ordered to be placed up for adoption by High Court judge after social worker found her skin bleeding and ‘falling on the floor’

  • A social worker found that the baby’s skin was bleeding and falling on the floor 
  • Baby was placed into foster care and her eczema was treated and she thrived
  • Judge ruled the girl’s parents would never be able to adequately look after her

A ‘grossly neglected’ baby girl with eczema that left her bleeding has been ordered to be put up for adoption, a High Court judge has ruled.   

But Mr Justice Mostyn says the coronavirus crisis may mean a delay in finding a new home.

The judge has concluded the little girl, who is yet to celebrate her first birthday, was not safe in the care of either her mother or father.

He said the girl’s health had been ‘grossly neglected’ by her mother. She had suffered from eczema from birth.

A ‘grossly neglected’ baby girl with eczema that left her bleeding has been ordered to be put up for adoption, a High Court (pictured) judge has ruled

Late last year, a social worker had told how, when her clothes were removed, she was bleeding and ‘her skin was falling on the floor’.

The girl had been placed with foster carers shortly after the social worker’s report.

Mr Justice Mostyn said she had thrived in foster care and her eczema was under control.

Council social services bosses said she should be placed for adoption.

The girl’s mother and father said their parenting skills should be further assessed.

Mr Justice Mostyn ruled that she should be placed for adoption. The judge said social services staff had made ‘every effort’ to see if the woman and her daughter could ‘function together’.

The judge, who is based in the Family Division of the High Court in London, analysed the case at a recent Skype hearing and has outlined his conclusions in a written ruling published online

But, he said, every attempt had failed.

‘I recognise that the existing national medical emergency may well mean that there will be a delay in matching (the girl) with proposed adopters,’ he said. 

‘That is not a reason for delaying implementation of the proposal.’

The judge, who is based in the Family Division of the High Court in London, analysed the case at a recent Skype hearing and has outlined his conclusions in a written ruling published online.

He has not named anyone involved, including the council with responsibility for the girl’s care.

‘Severing the bond between parent and child is a momentous thing,’ said Mr Justice Mostyn.

‘It has been said that with the abolition of capital punishment it is arguably the most serious order that a judge in this country can make.

‘The child will grow to adulthood in a completely different family to that which nature had intended.

‘In my judgment, it is inconceivable that either of these parents could ever be trusted safely to bring up (the girl).’ 

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Man stabbed repeatedly outside corner shop in broad daylight attack in north London – The Sun

A MAN has been stabbed repeatedly in a brutal attack outside a corner shop in north London.

The victim, his 40s, was left with multiple wounds when he was knifed in the Kilburn area this afternoon.

He was taken to a nearby hospital by paramedics where he is receiving treatement.

A man was later arrested over the attack and is being quizzed cops.

A Metropolitation Police spokesman said: “A man, aged in his 20s, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and taken to custody in north London.

“Police remain on scene, enquiries continue”.

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Thug beat his girlfriend with golf club as she tried to protect her dog from him – The Sun

A THUG beat his girlfriend with a golf club as she tried to stop him attacking her dog.

Mark Slonecki, 35, battered his partner with a weapon during an argument at his home in Ilkeston, Derbs.

The yob left his victim with a cut to her face and bruising across her body after the brutal attack, Derbyshire Live reports.

Slonecki denied causing assault occasioning actual bodily harm but was convicted and jailed for two years at Derby Crown Court.

Judge Robert Egbuna said: “You picked up a golf club, it was a wedge to be precise and you used that weapon to cause significant injuries to her.

You used it with some force on her and you are fortunate that the injuries were not more severe than the ABH for which you were charged.

“You used it with some force on her and you are fortunate that the injuries were not more severe than the ABH for which you were charged.

“This was domestic violence, you picked up a weapon and attacked her in the way that you did".

Prosecutor Jonathon Dee told the court Sloneckie punched his victim as well as “whacking” her with the wedge club.

He said: “He started to hit the dog, he had done that in the past to get a reaction from her and she tried to stop him.

“She describes him whacking her (with the golf club) and then punching her several times."

Slonecki’s lawyer Joe Harvey argued that his client had struggled with anger management on the day.


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