UK coronavirus: Sixth Brit dies as Covid-19 infections hit 373
A sixth person has died after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK, as the number of confirmed cases rises to 373.
The patient, who was in their eighties and had underlying health conditions, was treated by West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust.
Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said it appeared that the virus was acquired in the UK.
In a statement on Twitter, Whitty said: “I am sorry to confirm a sixth patient in England who tested positive for Covid-19 has sadly died. I offer my sincere condolences to their family and friends and ask that their privacy is respected.”
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK has increased to 373, from 319 yesterday, according to the Department of Health. The number of cases in London has increased by 30 to 91.
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In a press conference on Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK is still in the containment phase but will soon move on to the delay phase.
The chief medical officer said that in the next 10 to 14 days, the government will have to advise everybody who has a minor respiratory tract infection or fever to self-isolate for seven days in a bid to delay the spread of coronavirus in the UK.
The NHS has been screening everyone in intensive care for coronavirus if they have symptoms, but from today it will be extended to include everyone who has significant pneumonia or respiratory tract infection.
The government’s chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, said there are currently no plans in place to ban large gatherings, as other European countries have done as their cases rise. He said: “One person in a 70,000 seater stadium isn’t going to infect the stadium.”
Stocks rebound after worst day since 2008
The FTSE 100 bounced back from its worst session since the 2008 financial crash, which saw £125bn wiped off stocks.
London’s blue-chip stock index rose 3.7 per cent to 6,168 by 11.50am, before falling to 6,031 at 2.45pm.
Germany’s Dax is up 1.22 per cent to 10,754 points while France’s Cac index is up 1.37 per cent to 4,772 points.
Global stocks suffered their worst day of trading since the financial crash yesterday. A huge-sell off on Wall Street triggered an automatic 15-minute break in selling designed to avoid a market capitulation.
Josh Mahony and Chris Beauchamp, analysts at IG, said: “Market sentiment has taken a turn for the ebtter, as ongoing fears over the economic impact of the coronavirus have cooled in anticipation of a major stimulus package from President Trump today.”
The President has put pressure on the US Federal Reserve to make deep interest rate cuts to support the economy during the outbreak.
Banks announce support for coronavirus-hit firms
Britain’s largest banks have announced measures to help support businesses to cope with the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak.
Lloyds said it would offer £2bn of loans without fees to small businesses hit by Covid-19, and some of the worst-affected businesses would be offered payment holidays.
In a similar vein, Barclays has told its business customers that they can have a 12-month repayment holiday – a period when loan repayments are waived – on existing loans over £25,000.
RBS has said borrowers who have been affected by coronavirus in the UK can defer mortgage and loan repayments by up to three months.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to unveil spending measures to support the economy during the outbreak when he gives his Budget tomorrow.
Whole of Italy put on lockdown
The situation in Italy took a dramatic turn last night, as Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte placed the entire country on lockdown.
It extended the emergency measures the government took over the weekend for northern Italy, in a bid to control the spread of infection.
The Foreign Office updated its travel advice to recommend against all but essential travel to the whole of Italy.
British Airways and Ryanair have now cancelled all flights to Italy. BA, which operates 60 routes to the country, had previously cancelled a series of flights to the north of the country.
The death toll in Italy has risen to 463, with more than 9,000 confirmed cases, leading Conte to call the outbreak the country’s “darkest hour”.