E3: UK coronavirus live: Boris Johnson 'continues to improve' in intensive care; death toll in Scotland rises by 81

Prime minister in ‘good spirits’ while receiving standard oxygen treatment; UK lockdown set to remain in place; No 10 insists PPE is getting to care homes

Thanks everyone. Lucy Campbell is now back and will be bringing you the latest news for the rest of the day.

Border guards have introduced a new process to speed up incoming shipments of medical supplies, the Home Office has said.

Critical shipments are now flagged to border force in advance by the NHS so officers can process them as soon as possible.

The some secretary, Priti Patel, said: “This will ensure that the NHS and frontline workers can get the equipment they need as quickly as possible so they can continue saving lives and fighting the virus”

The process has been in place since the beginning of April, the Home Office said, with Border Force working with suppliers, the NHS and HMRC to ensure all relevant shipments are flagged. The move comes after the Treasury announced that it was waiving import taxes on medical equipment.


All shipments remain subject to the same controls including checks against illegal immigration, prohibited and restricted items and revenue fraud, the Home Office added.

In just three months, the coronavirus has turned the world upside down. But how did it play out so quickly? We take a look back to where it all began – from its origins in south-east Asia, to its acceleration across Europe and the US. As the infection rate increased and countries went into lockdown, people began to find imaginative and inspiring ways of coping with our new reality.

Please do get in touch if you want to share any information with me.

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Environment secretary George Eustice has agreed to the National Farmers’ Union’s request for a “crisis meeting” – due to be held this afternoon – to discuss measures to help the UK’s stricken dairy sector.

The Covid-19 outbreak has seen the almost complete loss of the food service and hospitality markets – as well as increasing price volatility in global markets – which has left farm businesses and processors under increased pressure.

The Bank of England’s temporary extension of the use of “ways and means” is to smooth government cash flows, Downing Street said.

The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “The Bank of England will temporarily extend use of the government’s longstanding ways and means facility to help government cash flows and provide a temporary short-term source of additional funding.”

Pressed if the government was running out of money, he said: “The government will be raising the finance through the debt markets and continues to use the markets as a source of financing.

“For example, there have been four debt auctions this week and they all have been successful.”

Downing Street has said police have the full support of the government in enforcing the coronavirus lockdown.

The prime minister’s official spokesman said individual police forces would use their discretion as to how the measures were enforced.

“We have given them a job to do. They will use their own discretion about how they best do that job,” the spokesman said.

“The powers which we have given the police are there to save lives. The police have our full backing and they have the public’s backing too. They have set out in advice to officers that they should engage, explain and finally enforce.”

However, asked about a warning by the Northamptonshire police chief constable, Nick Adderley, that police could start searching shopping trolleys for non-essential purchases, the spokesman said: “Shops that are still open are free to sell any items they have in stock.”

The chief executive of NHS Wales is one of a number of officials who have signed an open letter calling for people to stay at home over the Easter weekend.

Speaking at a briefing in Cardiff, he thanked people for following guidelines, adding: “You have given the NHS time to prepare - to increase our capacity and to recruit and retrain staff. But we are still planning for the pressure on our health and care system to be significant and visible as the virus continues to spread. Please stay at home, protect the NHS and help us to save lives.”

Researchers who mapped some of the original spread of coronavirus in humans have discovered there are variants of the virus throughout the world.

They reconstructed the early evolutionary paths of Covid-19 as infection spread from Wuhan, China, out to Europe and North America.

By analysing the first 160 complete virus genomes to be sequenced from human patients, scientists found the variant closest to that discovered in bats was largely found in patients from the US and Australia, not Wuhan.

Dr Peter Forster, geneticist and lead author from the University of Cambridge, said: “There are too many rapid mutations to neatly trace a Covid-19 family tree. We used a mathematical network algorithm to visualise all the plausible trees simultaneously.

“These techniques are mostly known for mapping the movements of prehistoric human populations through DNA.”

Fire bosses have issued a fresh plea for the public to avoid lighting sky lanterns, describing a recent attempt by companies to market them as a means of showing support for NHS workers as “misguided”.

Emergency services have long described how the flimsy items – which often comprise a thin wire frame inside a paper shell containing a tealight – pose a fire risk to property and wildlife, as well as to livestock.

They have been linked to large fires while farmers have reported animals becoming entangled in the wire detritus once it has burned out and fallen from the sky.

Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said the lockdown would continue, with no likelihood of it lifting after the Easter weekend.

No 10 says it is not going to contradict Nicola Sturgeon on the lockdown

She said this morning: ‘I don’t think there is any possibility, any likelihood, of these measures being lifted even imminently’

BREAKING Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says the lockdown will continue. "There is no likelihood or prospect of these measures being lifted after the Easter weekend...it is likely that restrictions and measures are going to be in place for some weeks to come yet."

No 10 has given an update on the prime minister’s condition and the wider coronavirus response:

• The prime minister’s spokesman said: “Boris Johnson has a good night and continues to improve in intensive care at St Thomas’ hospital. He is in good spirits.” He continues to receive standard oxygen treatment.

• He is able to be in contact with No 10 if required but is not doing any work.

Britons shelled out a whopping £88mn on fresh eggs as they stockpiled staple foods in the four weeks preceding the UK’s lockdown, new figures reveal today.

The latest data from the British Egg Industry Council (BIEC) reveal that over the four weeks leading to the week ending 22 March, an estimated 621m eggs were sold with a value of £88mn – nearly 20% more than the same time last year when they snapped up 518m eggs worth £74mn.

While the increased demand in the retail sector has been somewhat mitigated by a lower requirement from food service (restaurants, pubs and cafes etc), the industry is dealing with a period of unprecedented demand.

We are doing our utmost to get stock to shops as quickly as possible, so that they can replenish their shelves, but we would echo the government’s call for consumers to only buy what they need.

Hello. I am a taking over the Guardian’s live blog. Please do share any information or news tips with me via the channels below.

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Victoria Park will reopen on Saturday from 8am subject to a number of new control measures, Tower Hamlets council has announced.

Victoria Park is reopening on Saturday 11 April from 8am

Read more about the new control measures we're introducing and find some answers to common questions here https://t.co/79dsXAozt1@VickyParkLondon pic.twitter.com/uvUQvcYtGQ

Nicola Sturgeon has announced that 81 further Covid-19 deaths have been reported overnight in Scotland, taking the total number of deaths involving laboratory-confirmed victims of the virus to 447.

Sturgeon was speaking in the first ever online version of first minister’s questions, broadcast by the Scottish parliament where all four Holyrood party leaders were questioning her from remote locations around the country, chaired by the parliament’s presiding officer, Ken Macintosh.

The first virtual #FMQs are underway pic.twitter.com/UD0aUrrWdQ

Lidl is giving away thousands of surplus Easter eggs to good causes such as Great Ormond Street hospital and charities supporting vulnerable people.

The chocolate eggs will be donated with the aim of bringing a little joy to Great Ormond Street hospital’s child patients and families, as well as volunteers at NSPCC’s Childline.

Now more than ever, we’re looking for ways to bring a little joy to those who are going through tough times, as well as thank the brilliant volunteers who support them – and we hope our donation of Easter treats will do just that.

Police arrested a man on suspicion of theft after it was alleged that he stole a large number of face masks and other products from stores at north London ambulance sites and attempted to sell them online.

The man, in his 20s, was arrested on Wednesday, taken into police custody and bailed pending further enquiries to a date in late April.

I am saddened that anyone would take advantage of the NHS for their financial gain at such a critical time. These masks are a vital piece of PPE for emergency service personnel and are used to keep both themselves and patients safe.

We will continue to crack down on anyone attempting to take advantage of our emergency services for personal gain, especially at such an unprecedented time.

PG tips has partnered with Re-engage, a charity tackling social isolation and loneliness, to train 2,000 volunteers to facilitate 100,000 volunteer calls in 2020 to support the oldest in Britain during the lockdown.

The partnership comes as research reveals that over-75s are most vulnerable to loneliness amid new lockdown regulations, with more than 2.2 million currently living alone in the UK.

From Prof Richard Schilling, the deputy clinical director for the NHS Nightingale hospital in London, waiting for his first patients to arrive.

I find this photo of me waiting for our first patient both sad and moving. I wish we didn’t have to be here. pic.twitter.com/DUmJ35eppm

Prince Charles has recorded a reading of the Gospel for Easter Day to be broadcast by Westminster Abbey and Canterbury cathedral.

The Prince of Wales’s reading of John 20: 1-18 was recorded at Birkhall, his home in Scotland, earlier this week.

A majority of Britons are in favour of a government of national unity being formed for the duration of the coronavirus crisis, a new poll from YouGov suggests.

In a survey, 63% of 1,609 people indicated they would be in support of representatives from all of the main political parties being brought into the fold.

63% of Brits support a national unity government for the duration of the #covid19 crisis - including a majority (54%) of Conservative voters https://t.co/rSTOdNTVxP https://t.co/5iT8aOkAai

There will be many times when, and there are many issues upon which, I will fundamentally disagree with the prime minister. There will also be times when Labour can - and must - engage constructively with the government.

Now is such a time. Coronavirus is a national emergency. It is also a global emergency. Everyone is anxious about what the next few months will bring, but we know we must be resolute in our determination to see this virus defeated, as it will be.

The Co-op has pulled its planned Easter television advertising campaign, instead donating the airtime to the national food redistribution charity FareShare.

The £2.5m campaign was originally planned to promote its chocolate Easter eggs, but in the wake of coronavirus, the retailer has turned over the airtime to promote “local heroes” and encourage people to support food banks.

Calling all #LocalHeroes

Join us in supporting the food charity @FareShareUK, who are getting food to those who need it most right now.

Text MEALS to 70490 to donate £10 or find out more here ➡️ https://t.co/boSWBLbEYH

In these times of national crisis, food banks are a lifeline for those who rely on the donations to feed their families. Demand for food bank services has already gone up in the past couple of weeks, and this is only set to grow as the number of people who unexpectedly find themselves without a regular or reduced income, increases.

As we face up to the coronavirus crisis, we’re determined to do everything we can to continue getting food to those who are most vulnerable. The money raised by generous Co-op customers will enable FareShare to provide emergency food supplies to frontline charities in communities across the UK. We are extremely grateful for Co-op’s support at this incredibly challenging time.

Olivia Colman, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth and Tom Hiddleston are among the stars paying tribute to the NHS with a video of gratitude.

They are joined by stars including Billie Eilish, Danny Dyer, Dame Julie Walters, Simon Pegg, David Walliams and Gary Barlow, who sings at the piano, in a clip in which they all say “thank you” to those working on the frontline in the fight against coronavirus.

All across the country people want you to know how incredible you are and how grateful we are.

You are an amazing army of brave, wonderful people. Thank you.

Olivia Colman, @stephenfry, @billieeilish and @cesc4official are just some of the celebrities who want to say #ThankYouNHS — continuing the swell of support pouring in for #OurNHSPeople, working in the fight against coronavirus. #ThankYouThursday pic.twitter.com/kHqSucQaH7

With the traditional Royal Maundy Service unable to go ahead today, the Queen has nonetheless marked the occasion, by personally dispensing Maundy money to pensioners across the UK by post.

Every year the monarch ceremonially distributes specially-minted small silver coins to select individuals, normally aged over 70, and who have been nominated by their local church dioceses for their outstanding contributions to their local church and community life. The ceremony usually takes place during a church service marking the day on which Jesus held the Last Supper with his disciples.

The lockdown is likely to be extended beyond three weeks, a cabinet minister has said, as senior politicians prepare to hold a meeting to review the restrictions.

Get the full story here:

Related: UK coronavirus lockdown likely to be extended, says cabinet minister

Figures from NHS England show a big increase in the volume of calls to the NHS 111 service last month, with less than a third being answered within one minute.

An average of 95,600 calls a day were made in March 2020, more than double the average of 46,700 a day in March 2019.

The oldest bell at Canterbury Cathedral will toll every evening from now on in remembrance of those who have died from Covid-19, and to celebrate the heroism of frontline workers.

Seventeenth-century “Harry” will ring out at 8pm in recognition of the “shared global tragedy” of the coronavirus pandemic, the dean of Canterbury announced. The Very Rev Dr Robert Willis said:

Communities around the world have embraced the idea of clapping hands to thank publicly healthcare staff and other frontline workers at this time.

We all know that their vital work is undertaken at great personal risk to themselves.

As a symbol of strength and solidarity, beginning today at 20.00 Bell Harry will toll every evening in remembrance of the victims of coronavirus and in celebration of the heroism of frontline healthcare staff and other essential workers around the world.#ClapforKeyWorkers pic.twitter.com/k7GHWc7BAJ

Bell Harry will be tolled remotely via a timer, so no staff will be present – but we encourage those whose homes are within earshot to record the bells and share online with friends and families wherever they are.

See the full statement: https://t.co/PHPt3kS6a2

A temporary morgue for up to 1,000 people is due to be built in Lancashire to help cope with any rise in deaths as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

The facility will be constructed at a BAE Systems site in Fylde in preparation for what has been described as a “potential increase” in demand for mortuary space across the region.

But it’s vital that we are prepared in order to ensure the deceased are treated decently and with respect.

We are very grateful for the support we have received from BAE Systems, who have provided this site and access to utilities free of charge to support the people of Lancashire and help us to deal with this crisis.

In this widely shared clip from last night’s BBC Newsnight, Emily Maitlis delivered a powerful opening that has resonated with a great many people and earned her praise for debunking the “trite and misleading” language used to discuss coronavirus.

Emily Maitlis with powerful words that needed saying tonight. pic.twitter.com/yqNgxlHoJU

You do not survive the illness through fortitude and strength of character, whatever the prime minister’s colleagues will tell us, and the disease is not a great leveller – the consequences of which everyone, rich or poor, suffers the same.

Those on the frontline right now; bus drivers and shelf-stackers, nurses, care home workers, hospital staff and shopkeepers are disproportionately the lower-paid members of our work force.

They are more likely to catch the disease because they are more exposed.

Greater Manchester police have urged people not to flout lockdown rules over Easter after officers broke up 660 parties last weekend.

The force’s chief constable, Ian Hopkins, said:

We understand the desire people will have to spend time with family and friends over the Easter period, however it is vital that we follow the government guidelines.

Organisers of the BBC Proms are still hoping to present a programme this summer although they say “that will involve adapting and changing the festival we originally planned”.

In a statement, BBC Proms said it was delaying the announcement of the season, something which usually happens in mid-April. Publication of the Official Proms Guide and the sale of tickets is also being delayed. An update will be given by the end of May.

pic.twitter.com/T7YXf61fWE

Almost three in 10 business have cut jobs in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The ONS said 29% of the 4,598 businesses it surveyed over the past fortnight said they had to temporarily reduce staff numbers during the period from 9 March to 22 March.

A&E attendances at hospitals in England were down nearly a third last month compared with a year ago, new figures from NHS England show.

A total of 1.53m attendances were recorded in March 2020, a 29% drop on the 2.17m attendances in March 2019.

NEW A&E DATA: NHS performance v 4-hour target hits record low for a March month last month. 84.2% of patients were admitted, transferred, discharged within 4 hours (v 95% target) compared to 86.7% in March 2019. Figure up from 82.8% in February 2020https://t.co/icjLsQUWkQ

The NHS has worked night and day to surge capacity to manage coronavirus but it’s also there for you if you have symptoms of a stroke, symptoms of a heart attack.

Indeed if you have any emergency condition whether it’s a sick child, whether it’s a mother in pregnancy who’s worried about movements of the baby, you should be seeking emergency services just as you always have done.

A number of people who have spat or coughed at emergency workers, or exploited coronavirus for their own gain, have been charged and prosecuted recently, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

Max Hill QC, the director of public prosecutions has made it clear that anyone using coronavirus to threaten emergency and essential workers would face criminal charges, as a snapshot of the cases the CPS has charged and prosecuted recently show. Here are a few examples:

It is disappointing to see charges come in on a daily basis of hard-working police officers, NHS staff and other vital workers, being coughed or spat at, sometimes deliberately exposing them to the risk of infecting them with coronavirus.

We take these offences immensely seriously and want to make it absolutely clear – that where there is evidence to do so, people will be prosecuted and can face up to one year in prison.

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has issued a reminder that any protective equipment, including masks and gloves, should not be discarded on the ground – they should be disposed of properly in a bin. He highlighted that such carelessness only puts other people, particularly waste collectors and street cleaners, at risk of infection.

Please make sure you throw gloves, masks and any other protective equipment you might use in the bin to keep everyone safe. We must ensure that our refuse collectors and those who keep London’s streets clean can do so without risk of infection. #Care4YourCrews https://t.co/bYIy6seKG0

Good morning. This is Lucy Campbell, I’m taking over the live blog for the rest of the day covering all the latest coronavirus developments in the UK. If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, feel free to email me at lucy.campbell@guardian.co.uk or contact me via Twitter @lucy_campbell_.

The chief constable of Northamptonshire police, Nick Adderley, has said the force will now ramp up the enforcement of coronavirus regulations.

Adderley said the “three-week grace period is over”, and people in the county could now face fines or a criminal record.

These are not guidelines anymore. This is the law. We haven’t issued any fixed penalty notices, but we have charged a number of people with Covid-related offences.

We’ve had examples of people sunbathing in the park, having barbecues in the park, we’ve had large gatherings of family members.

The Co-op has pulled its planned Easter television advertising campaign, instead donating the airtime to the national food redistribution charity FareShare.

The £2.5m campaign was originally planned to promote its chocolate Easter eggs, but in the wake of coronavirus, the retailer has turned over the airtime to promote “local heroes” and encourage people to support food banks.

From today, UK Airbnb bookings will be restricted to key workers and other essential stays only, the site has announced.

The platform will temporarily block all calendars from receiving new bookings for stays up to at least 18 April, unless they are for key workers or other types of essential stays.

Chocolate giant Mondelēz, the manufacturer behind popular brands such as Cadbury and Oreo, has joined forces with engineering company 3P innovation to help make thousands of medical visors every day to protect front line NHS staff.

The company is repurposing 3D printing technology normally used to make chocolate sculptures at its Bournville factory in Birmingham to help print the medical visors.

Some NHS workers are sending their children to live with relatives in a bid to protect their loved ones from Covid-19.

Staff caring for Covid-19 patients on the frontline are fearful of catching the new coronavirus themselves and potentially passing the infection on to their loved ones.

The government said it has expanded its overdraft with the Bank of England to ensure it has sufficient cash to cope with disruption caused by coronavirus.

It said the central bank will directly finance the extra spending the government needs on a temporary basis.

People working in the cultural sector are facing “grave difficulties” and risk missing out on government help during the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Arts Council England boss, Sir Nicholas Serota.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that some workers in the sector risk “falling through the gap” of support packages announced by the chancellor Rishi Sunak.

Tower Hamlets council in London has announced Victoria Park will reopen on Saturday 11 April from 8am, with reduced opening hours and new control measures in place.

Restrictions include no gatherings, sunbathing, picnics or sport games, and leisure cycling is only allowed for children under the age of 12 who are accompanied by an adult.

Victoria Park will reopen on Saturday 11 April from 8am, with reduced opening hours and new control measures in place.

Visit our website for further information https://t.co/bMiZBtkMoC pic.twitter.com/2gS0Fs5N83

The director general of the National Trust has appealed to people not to travel to visit its open spaces over Easter as part of the effort to contain coronavirus, on what would normally be one of its busiest weekends of the year.

Though the conservation charity has closed all of its properties and car parks across a vast portfolio that includes more than 500 historic houses, ancient monuments, gardens and parks, it also cares for large areas of open land, including some of the country’s most famous beaches, forests and stretches of coastline.

We know how sad our members and visitors are that they can’t travel to their favourite places to mark Easter and celebrate the arrival of spring this year, but our biggest priority has to be staying at home to help our NHS and keep ourselves and one another safe.

The culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, has insisted the home secretary, Priti Patel, is still working after she was accused of avoiding scrutiny.

Patel has also not chaired any of the daily press conferences on the coronavirus response, unlike other senior cabinet members.

With their heavy spring workload of lambing, calving and field work under way, a major concern for farmers is who can take over and look after their animals should they become unwell through coronavirus, especially with their potential workforce restricted by lockdown measures.

Scottish farmers have recently been urged by the rural support body RSABI to write down the details of their daily routines so that animals can continue to be fed and essential work carried out if they become ill.

There has still yet to be an update on Boris Johnson’s condition today, but yesterday the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, said the prime minister was improving and sitting up in his hospital bed.

Sunak said yesterday: “The latest from the hospital is the prime minister remains in intensive care where his condition is improving.

Related: Boris Johnson improving and sitting up in bed, chancellor says

John Lewis has teamed up with the British Medical Association to deliver care packages to NHS staff at the UK’s busiest hospitals.

The retailer is also creating a wellbeing area for medics and volunteers at the new NHS Nightingale hospital in east London.

The culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, has said no decision on lockdown measures will be made at the Cobra meeting today, with the announcement instead coming next week.

Dowden said it is unlikely that the lockdown will change now it is beginning to have a positive impact on the spread of Covid-19.

The health secretary of Wales has said progress was being made as a result of lockdown measures and social distancing, but there was “zero prospect” of these being eased yet.

Speaking ahead of the Cobra meeting with Dominic Raab and leaders of Scotland and Northern Ireland, Vaughan Gething said the lockdown measures will continue for “a number of weeks”.

The home secretary, Priti Patel, has been accused by a group of senior MPs of avoiding scrutiny during a time of national emergency.

Patel had been due to give evidence in public to the home affairs select committee on the Home Office’s response to the coronavirus pandemic since January, but a date for a hearing is yet to be set.

Related: Priti Patel accused of avoiding MPs’ scrutiny during national crisis

This morning the chief executive of the Lloyds Pharmacy chain revealed 2,500 members of staff are self-isolating but that all employees have access to personal protective equipment (PPE).

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Toby Anderson said: “It’s important that, with more than 20% sickness in our frontline teams, we ensure all healthcare workers have access to Covid-19 tests so that we can help frontline staff back into helping patients in the community.”

Good morning, this is Jessica Murray, I’ll be running the blog covering coronavirus developments in the UK for the next few hours, as the country prepares for an extension of lockdown measures beyond three weeks, and Boris Johnson spends his third night in intensive care.

It was confirmed that a planned review of the UK’s lockdown measures will take place next week, and it is expected Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary deputising for Johnson, will signal the lockdown is to be extended.

Related: UK coronavirus lockdown 'to be extended beyond next week'

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