26/03/20 COVID-19 Global News Update

Some schools may have to open over the Easter holidays to look after the children of key workers. That is according to updated guidance from the Department of Education (DE).

Almost 20,000 new claims for universal credit in Northern Ireland have been received in the past fortnight, the BBC understands. The Department for Communities usually deals with 1,600 new claims per week. Hundreds of thousands of people across the UK have applied for it following the outbreak of Covid-19.

The researchers found all cities with significant outbreaks of the coronavirus – such as Wuhan, Tokyo and Milan – have similar winter climates with average temperatures of 5C to 11C and humidity between 47 and 79 per cent.

Britain has ordered 10,000 medical ventilators designed at breakneck speed by vacuum cleaner-maker Dyson, billionaire founder James Dyson said, as the country tries to boost the number of devices available to treat coronavirus patients.

The number of people who have volunteered to help the NHS in its fight against coronavirus has passed half a million, double the government's recruitment target. Speaking at his daily news conference, PM Boris Johnson said all 504,303 could now play an "absolutely crucial" role.

Police will be authorised to use force to send people back home if they refuse to obey the coronavirus lockdown, under government plans.

Britain is stepping up a media campaign on TV, radio, print and social media to ram home the message that people need to stay at home to save lives during the coronavirus pandemic.

Japan warned on Thursday of a high risk the coronavirus would spread widely as the government prepared a taskforce to handle the crisis but the economy minister said the administration was not thinking of declaring a state of emergency now.

Migrant labourers building stadiums and infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar are still being sent to work on crowded construction sites, despite a government order outlawing “all forms of gatherings” because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Protectionist measures by national governments during the coronavirus crisis could provoke food shortages around the world, the UN’s food body has warned.

Jacob Wallenberg tells governments to consider economic threat from crisis

After weeks of inaction and division, the leaders of the G20 major economies will hold an emergency video-conference summit to discuss the coronavirus pandemic, but hopes of a coordinated global response remain low.

Pollution has declined in some European cities as many countries have ground to a halt in efforts to battle the coronavirus outbreak. Satellite images show nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations from 10 March to 22 March, compared to the same period last year.

Pharmacies CVS Health and Express Scripts, part of Cigna Corp, are setting up measures to prevent hoarding in the United States of malaria drug hydroxychloroquine and other treatments that are being tried against the new coronavirus.

Canada’s C$27 billion ($18.8 billion) aid package will give people affected by the coronavirus outbreak C$2,000 a month and delay student loan repayments, among other measures to boost the economy, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday.

Supplies of chloroquine hoarded despite lack of concrete evidence about its effectiveness

Britain’s banks have been rushing out measures to help people who face getting into financial difficulty as a result of coronavirus.

Self-employed workers facing financial difficulties as a result of coronavirus are set to be offered a package of support from the government. Chancellor Rishi Sunak will unveil the measures later.

The Bank of England and Britain’s finance ministry will resume their coordinated drive on Thursday to prevent the coronavirus-related shutdown of swathes of the economy from triggering a long and deep recession.

An international group of nearly 400 volunteers with expertise in cybersecurity formed on Wednesday to fight hacking related to the novel coronavirus.

Continuing pictures of empty shelves at UK supermarkets have sparked ongoing worries about food shortages. The supermarkets are confident that they can cope, not least because there is a limit to how much people can sensibly stockpile. So they believe that shopping patterns should return to normal eventually.

Covid-19 is impacting everybody in one way or another, including those who were not expecting to be UK tax residents but now find themselves unable to leave the country.

British companies, including major banks, have been warned against profiteering from the coronavirus crisis and told to pass on the benefits of historic stimulus measures to their customers.

Sadiq Khan has demanded for more support to be given to the capital’s renters during the coronavirus crisis in an escalation of tensions between the government and City Hall.

Draconian emergency powers to help ministers deal with the covid-19 pandemic have become law, as the Queen granted the legislation royal assent. It comes after both the Lords and the Commons passed the unprecedented 329-page bill in just three days, bringing into force the Coronavirus Act 2020.