Italy sees number of new coronavirus deaths rise and infections tally increase by more than 4,000 for the first time in four days, lowering hopes the illness is in retreat
- Both the death toll and new cases in Italy were higher today than in recent days
- The daily tally of cases was the highest since April 5, rising by more than 4,000
- The total death toll in Italy since the outbreak came to light rose to 18,279
By
REUTERS
PUBLISHED: 17:31 BST, 9 April 2020 | UPDATED: 17:33 BST, 9 April 2020
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Deaths from the
COVID-19 epidemic in
Italy rose by 610 on Thursday, up from 542 the day before, and the number of new cases also came in higher at 4,204 from a previous 3,836.
The daily tally of cases was the highest since April 5, and comes as a disappointment to a country in lockdown since March 9, anxious for clear signs that the illness is in retreat.
The total death toll since the outbreak came to light rose to 18,279, the Civil Protection Agency said, the highest in the world.
The number of confirmed cases climbed to 143,626, the third highest global tally behind those of the United States and
Spain.
There were 3,605 people in intensive care on Thursday against 3,693 on Wednesday -- a sixth consecutive daily decline offering some good news despite the climb in new cases and fatalities.
Of those originally infected, 28,470 were declared recovered against 26,491 a day earlier.
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A doctor at a new coronavirus unit at Casal Palocco hospital near Rome checks on a patient suffering from the virus
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Medics place an empty biological isolation stretcher - designed for transporting patients with coronavirus - into the back of an ambulance at a hospital in Salerno
The Italian government on Thursday won a confidence vote in the Senate on an emergency decree that lays out measures worth 25 billion euros ($28 billion) to support the economy battered by a severe COVID-19 outbreak.
The package, dubbed the 'Heal Italy' decree and presented by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on March 16, suspends loan and mortgage repayments for hard-hit companies and families via state guarantees for banks.
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Among other measures, it also increases funds to help firms pay workers temporarily laid off as a result of a lockdown imposed by the government to try to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease.
The ruling coalition dominated by the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and the centre-left Democratic Party won the Senate motion by 142 votes to 99.
The decree was contested by the opposition, spearheaded by Matteo Salvini's right-wing League party, which said the package was insufficient and bedevilled by bureaucracy which made it hard for people to access the funds available.
Since the March 16 initiative, the government has presented two more decrees aimed at helping the most needy with basic provisions, and offering guarantees to banks to try to ensure that credit and liquidity to companies does not dry up
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A graph showing the daily death toll from coronavirus in Italy up until April 8, which has been consistently falling since March 27
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A graph showing the number of new coronavirus cases recorded each day in Italy, which has been falling since late March amid signs the virus has peaked
Madrid and Rome are also seeking assistance from EU partners to rebuild their economies in the wake of the disaster, but Germany has rejected the idea of joint borrowing and the Netherlands is blocking a compromise solution.
EU finance ministers were to meet later Thursday by videoconference for the second late-night crisis talks of the week to try to agree terms to allow hard-hit members to access funds.
'If we do not seize the opportunity to put new life into the European project, the risk of failure is real,' Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte told the BBC, suggesting the very future of the EU was at stake.
Christine Lagarde, the head of the European Central Bank, said it was vital the ministers hatch a plan big enough to meet the challenge, warning: 'If not all countries are cured, the others will suffer.'
European companies are also suffering under a public lockdown, which health experts say is vital to slow the virus' spread but has effectively frozen economic life.
In one example, German airline Lufthansa warned it was losing one million euros ($1.08 million) an hour and would need state aid.
The coronavirus slump has also exacerbated the instability in world energy markets, and on Thursday top oil producers from OPEC like Saudi Arabia and its OPEC+ partners, including Russia, met to discuss cutting production to boost prices.
The World Trade Organization has warned of the 'worst recession of our lifetimes.'
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An Italian Army officer from a unit specializing in biological defence offloads supplies at a nursing home in Torre Boldone, Italy
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A soldier from a biological weapons unit uses a hose filled with disinfectant to clean the parking lot of a nursing home in Torre Boldone, Italy
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Three officers from the Russian army, which has been drafted in to help Italy, carry three containers filled with ethanol to disinfect a nursing home in Torre Boldone
The worst-hit countries in Europe - the worst-hit continent - are Italy and Spain, where daily death tolls are now down from their peaks but still running high, despite strict lockdowns.
Spain's daily fatalities fell to 683 on Thursday, down from 757 the day before, while its total passed 15,000.
In Italy, the country's youngest COVID-19 patient, a two-month-old baby girl, was reportedly released from hospital, a moment of hope in a country with 17,669 dead.
Italy's epidemic has turned life in the country upside down, but also brought out acts of generosity from the likes of Sister Angel Bipendu, a nun and a doctor who distributes medical care alongside spiritual succour.
She tries to remain optimistic, despite the ravages of the coronavirus reminding her of earlier epidemics in her former central African homeland, the Democratic Republic of Congo.
'I think of my Congo, where sick people will also die of hunger,' the 47-year-old told AFP as she made home visits in Bergamo province, epicentre of Italy's outbreak. 'I'm afraid of not being able to do everything I have to do. Fear of being infected? Absolutely not.'
One hundred Italian doctors, Sister Bipendu's colleagues, have died in the outbreak, according to their health association.
UK is stablising
@UKBengali
UK announces 881 more coronavirus deaths
By
Carlos Christian
-
April 9, 2020
The UK has recorded 881 more coronavirus deaths as we speak, taking Britain’s complete to 7,978 as its coronavirus disaster rumbles on and 4,344 more optimistic exams pushed the variety of sufferers, previous and current, to 65,077.
The grim tally is significantly smaller than the devastating 938 introduced yesterday however nonetheless represents the second greatest surge for the reason that epidemic started nearly six weeks in the past. Britain has to this point managed to keep away from the darkish milestone of asserting 1,000 deaths in a single day, one thing that has solely occurred within the US.
NHS England introduced 765 more fatalities in its hospitals amongst sufferers aged between 24 and 103, taking England’s complete to 7,248, and 116 deaths have been introduced in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Experts say it’s nonetheless too quickly to see the influence of the UK’s lockdown in day by day statistics however, talking in as we speak’s Government briefing, chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance stated ‘the NHS can cope’ with the present state of affairs. Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical adviser, added ‘there may be nonetheless room’ in intensive care items.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, together with Sir Patrick and Professor Whitty as we speak stated the lockdown seems to be working at that it’s essential individuals proceed to remain at house over the Easter weekend. They stated the speed of hospitalisations and analysis is slowing, however that dying tolls would proceed to rise for at the very least one other fortnight.
Deaths introduced every day haven’t, for probably the most half, occurred prior to now 24 hours however are unfold throughout the times and weeks that got here earlier than, making it unimaginable to foretell the place the height might be – or has already been – or to get a transparent image till round per week to 10 days after the date in query.
Because the state of affairs within the UK remains to be so unstable and fast-changing, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as we speak stated there may be ‘no risk’ that the UK’s lockdown will finish any time quickly. Mr Raab refused to supply a more detailed replace in as we speak’s briefing, saying officers would ‘make the correct choices on the proper second’.
The Government was anticipated to evaluation its social distancing timescale on Monday – which marks three weeks since Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s ground-breaking ‘keep at house’ speech – however this has been delayed on account of Mr Johnson’s sickness.
The PM stays in intensive care at St Thomas’ Hospital in central London. He is claimed to have had a ‘good evening’ and to be ‘persevering with to enhance’ on his fourth day after being admitted.
In different COVID-19 developments in Britain as we speak:
Wales has opened its first drive-through coronavirus testing centre for NHS employees at Cardiff City Stadium;
Police have threatened to start out roadblocks and cease individuals on the street if the general public do not obey legal guidelines telling them to remain at house;
NHS statistics present 92 per cent of individuals dying of coronavirus in its hospitals are over the age of 60, and 52 per cent are 80+. The youngest was 5 years outdated and the oldest 106;
Department retailer Debenhams has gone into administration and the livelihoods of its 22,000 workers are actually beneath risk;
A revered think-tank has warned that 1,000,000 individuals may find yourself with long-term well being situations on account of the financial hit from coronavirus lockdown;
The Bank of England has prolonged the federal government’s Ways and Means provision – successfully its overdraft;
It has emerged that MPs have been provided an additional £10,000 in bills to assist them and employees do business from home;
EU officers have accused the UK authorities of being in ‘fantasy land’ by insisting the Brexit transition interval can’t be prolonged past December.
NHS employees are working around the clock to attempt to save the lives of critically sick coronavirus sufferers within the UK. Currently, round 13 per cent of everybody who’s hospitalised in Britain and exams optimistic for COVID-19 will die of it
Mr Johnson was admitted to hospital on Monday after his fever carried on for more than 10 days and has since been given oxygen remedy to assist him breathe.
His spokesman stated as we speak: ‘The PM had a very good evening and continues to enhance in intensive care at St Thomas’s. He is in good spirits.’
In a spherical of interviews earlier, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden stated Mr Johnson was doing ‘moderately properly’.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is now de facto chief of the Government and is standing in as deputy whereas Mr Johnson recovers from his sickness.
Mr Raab will preserve Government operating, probably for weeks, however there are issues a couple of energy vacuum at a second when the nation wants sturdy management.
The PM had been anticipated to steer a dialogue subsequent week in regards to the progress of the UK’s lockdown and issues of when it would finish, but it surely seems to be as if he’ll now be unable to.
Downing Street stated the three-week evaluation, which is now required by legislation, would go forward with or with out Mr Johnson.
The consensus is that Britain remains to be a good distance off the extent of safety it wants to have the ability to begin easing social distancing and the closure of public locations.
Just 4,344 new circumstances of the coronavirus have been identified prior to now 24 hours – the day-by-day figures tentatively present a levelling off of the variety of individuals testing optimistic, regardless of a rise within the numbers of individuals being examined
The variety of individuals in intensive care continues to rise throughout the UK. Sir Patrick Vallance as we speak stated he does not count on the numbers of deaths being introduced every day to fall till the intensive care numbers do
Paramedics at St Thomas’ Hospital in London are pictured wheeling a affected person exterior of an ambulance
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stated on Sky News: ‘I do not assume there may be any risk, any probability of those lockdown measures being lifted instantly, and even imminently.’
She added: ‘I would not count on any change popping out of as we speak’s Cobra assembly however we are going to see the place the discussions take us.’
Downing Street didn’t contradict Ms Sturgeon, and a spokesman stated: ‘What we completely must do now’s to maintain baring down on the speed of transmission which suggests persevering with with social distancing measures and ensuring we’re defending the NHS and saving lives.
POLICE THREATEN TO START ROAD BLOCKS IF PEOPLE DON’T STAY HOME
Police chiefs are actually solely ‘just a few days away’ from introducing highway blocks and looking out procuring trolleys as individuals proceed to flout the coronavirus laws.
Northamptonshire Police stated the ‘three-week grace interval is over’ and urged they might begin looking out trolleys at shops to verify individuals’s procuring is important.
Chiefs are calling for legal guidelines to ban Britons from driving lengthy distances and flouting the rule to train more than as soon as a day forward of a sizzling Easter weekend.
Officers in Windermere, Cumbria, are already sending individuals in camper vans house, whereas locals in St Ives, Cornwall, blocked some roads to guard residents.
Police have additionally created on-line types for individuals to report potential breaches of the lockdown which was imposed on March 23 to battle the coronavirus pandemic.
At least 5 chief constables are stated to be backing more stringent restrictions and clearer guidelines – together with laws to implement the order to restrict train to a one-hour interval outside after some individuals flouted it to sunbathe in parks or seashores.
Chief constable in Northamptonshire, Nick Adderley, stated forces are ‘damned in case you do, damned in case you do not’ relating to policing the brand new guidelines, and he added that Government steerage on how you can police the principles ‘might be even clearer’.
He added: ‘If issues do not enhance, and we do not get the compliance we might count on, then the following stage might be highway blocks and will probably be stopping individuals to ask why they’re going, the place they are going.’
A Downing Street spokesman stated as we speak ‘the police have our full backing, and the general public’s as properly’, including that officers ought to ‘have interaction, encourage after which implement’.
Currently, police can fantastic individuals or just inform them to maneuver. The emergency Coronavirus Act provides ministers sweeping powers to impose restrictions on ‘occasions and gatherings’, which it seems might be deployed to cowl pointless journey.
‘As we’ve got stated earlier than we’re at a essential level, that’s definitely the case as we strategy the Easter weekend.’
This mirrors the feedback of main authorities scientists. Chief scientific adviser to the Cabinet, Sir Patrick Vallance, stated this week that it will be one other seven days or more earlier than the results of the lockdown turned clear.
His deputy, Professor Angela MacLean, stated in yesterday’s briefing: ‘This depend of recent circumstances within the UK, daily over the previous couple of weeks, will not be accelerating uncontrolled… the unfold of the virus is not accelerating and that’s excellent news.’
Speaking forward of a digital question-and-answer session with celebration leaders, Ms Sturgeon as we speak stated 4,957 individuals in Scotland have now examined optimistic for the virus, up by 392 from 4,565 the day earlier than.
Ms Sturgeon added that 1,781 individuals are in hospital with confirmed or suspected COVID-19.
It has been 100 days for the reason that first confirmed case of coronavirus in Wuhan in China, the First Minister stated, including the lives of the individuals of Scotland since then have been ‘remodeled in ways in which would have been unimaginable just some weeks in the past’.
Addressing the Easter weekend, she urged individuals to proceed to comply with lockdown protocols.
She stated: ‘I understand how onerous it’s for individuals to try this, it’ll appear even more durable over this Easter vacation weekend, particularly for households with youngsters and certainly for the youngsters themselves and for older individuals who would usually be spending time with their grandchildren.
‘Please keep in contact with household, associates and family members in no matter different means greatest works for you.
‘Reach out to and look out for individuals whilst you keep bodily other than them, however please do comply with the principles and keep at house over Easter.’
Meanwhile, simply 16 new circumstances have been identified in Wales – to a complete of 4,089 – due to a short lived change in the way in which the nation information sufferers.
Dr Robin Howe, a director at Public Health Wales, stated the quantity was decrease than regular in consequence, including: ‘Today’s figures mirror a a lot shorter interval of six hours of testing. Case numbers will return to regular on Friday, as we return to 24 hour reporting.’
Government ministers are going through backlash this week over an obvious lack of plans for how you can get the UK out of its coronavirus lockdown when the time comes.
Although scientists and officers are unanimous that it’s too quickly to finish the dramatic measures subsequent week, and there aren’t any indicators will probably be over earlier than April, little info is forthcoming and when the Government goals to loosen up its shutdown.
Current statistics of day by day deaths should not an correct reflection of the day-by-day state of affairs within the UK as a result of there is usually a time lag of more than three weeks between somebody changing into contaminated with coronavirus and dying. Symptoms take days – if not weeks – to develop into life-threatening. The dying must be recorded and reported and the method takes days and even weeks earlier than the official affirmation filters by to NHS England
Anger is rising over a scarcity of readability over the way forward for measures which have already put tens of millions of jobs in danger and led companies into uneven waters. The Institute for Fiscal Studies think-tank has warned that more than 1,000,000 individuals would possibly endure long-term sickness on account of the financial distress.
Labour’s new chief Sir Keir Starmer stated ministers should spell out their ‘exit technique’.
‘I’m not calling for exact timings,’ he stated, ‘however the technique. This is extremely tough on individuals and we have to know that plans are in place, and what they’re.’
PM BORIS JOHNSON ‘CONTINUES TO IMPROVE’, SAYS DOWNING STREET
Boris Johnson is ‘persevering with to enhance’ in intensive care and interesting with medical employees treating him for coronavirus, it was revealed as we speak.
Downing Street relayed more optimistic indicators in regards to the Prime Minister’s well being saying he had a ‘good evening’ though he’s nonetheless receiving oxygen.
‘The PM had a very good evening and continues to enhance in intensive care at St Thomas’s. He is in good spirits,’ his spokesman stated.
However, there isn’t a signal Mr Johnson will have the ability to participate in choices over the outbreak ravaging the nation, after No10 confirmed yesterday that he’s not working.
In a spherical of interviews earlier, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden stated the premier was doing ‘moderately properly’.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is chairing a gathering of the Cobra emergency committee later that’s anticipated to sign the lockdown will proceed for weeks longer regardless of mounting fears over the financial hit.
He advised BBC Breakfast this morning: ‘He’s secure, enhancing, sat up and engaged with medical employees.
‘I’ve recognized the Prime Minister for a very long time and I want him properly on this tough time and I believe issues are getting higher for him.’
Downing Street insisted planning is beneath means throughout Whitehall for the restrictions to be eased – however flatly refused to say what which may contain, saying the federal government’s focus is on tackling the epidemic.
Mr Raab is chairing a gathering of the emergency Cobra committee assembly this afternoon and is anticipated to ship a powerful sign that lockdown will proceed afterwards.
No 10 has made clear the PM is not going to be taking part in any authorities enterprise whereas he battles the illness in intensive care – that means choices are within the palms of Mr Raab and Cabinet.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden confirmed this morning {that a} legally-required evaluation to increase emergency measures will happen subsequent week.
While insisting that would be the ‘formal’ determination, he gave a powerful trace there is not going to be any change. ‘It is important we keep the course,’ he stated. ‘The steerage very a lot stays in place and can proceed to stay in place over the Easter weekend.’
A proper determination on extending lockdown is not going to be taken till subsequent week, however there may be now no probability of it being lifted. Senior politicians are set to launch a ‘Stay at Home This Easter’ publicity drive later designed to avert an exodus of sun-seekers.
There are rising issues over the financial influence of coronavirus because the World Trade Organisation warned of the ‘deepest recession in our lifetimes’.
The British Chambers of Commerce warned that furloughing employees may price taxpayers £50billion over the following three months.
A report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) as we speak raised contemporary questions in regards to the trade-offs concerned within the excessive curbs, that are supposed to cease a whole bunch of 1000’s being killed by the illness.
The IFS stated there may be debate over ‘whether or not the adversarial well being results of a recession could also be better than the elevated morbidity and mortality inside the pandemic itself’.
It pressured that the size of the financial hit from the lockdown is unclear, however is more likely to be ‘a lot bigger’ than the 2008 credit score crunch which meant 900,000 more individuals of working age developed critical well being points.
Another 500,000 are estimated to have suffered poor psychological well being on account of that disaster.
If the financial hit is twice as massive it will be anticipated to result in 1.8million individuals enduring power sickness, and 1,000,000 psychological well being points.
Ministers will commit the UK to weeks more coronavirus lockdown as Dominic Raab (pictured in Whitehall as we speak) chairs a Cobra disaster assembly for the primary time with Boris Johnson nonetheless in intensive care
Nicola Sturgeon pre-empted Dominic Raab’s coronavirus disaster assembly as we speak by declaring there may be ‘no risk’ of lockdown being lifted any time quickly
In an indication of the intensifying pressure on the nation’s funds, the Government stated it has expanded its overdraft with the Bank of England to make sure it has adequate money to deal with disruption.
It stated the central financial institution will instantly finance the additional spending the Government wants on a short lived foundation.
The Treasury and the Bank of England stated, in a joint assertion, that it will minimise the necessity to elevate extra funding from bond markets or forex markets.
The Government’s checking account on the central financial institution, traditionally often called the Ways & Means Facility, will rise to an undisclosed quantity.
Ministers will have the ability to spend more within the brief time period with out having to faucet into the bond markets, on account of the transfer.
Any cash drawn from the power, which often stands at round £400million, might be paid again as quickly as doable earlier than the tip of the 12 months, the Treasury stated.
The measure was final used through the 2008 monetary disaster, which noticed its worth enhance briefly to £19billion.
Meanwhile, police chiefs are calling for legal guidelines to ban Britons from driving lengthy distances and flouting the rule to train more than as soon as a day forward of a sizzling Easter weekend.
Officers in Windermere, Cumbria, are already sending individuals in camper vans house, whereas locals in St Ives, Cornwall, blocked some roads to guard susceptible residents.
Police have additionally created on-line types for individuals to report potential breaches of the lockdown which was imposed on March 23 to battle the coronavirus pandemic.
At least 5 chief constables are stated to be backing more stringent restrictions and clearer guidelines – together with laws to implement the order to restrict train to a one-hour interval outside after some individuals flouted it to sunbathe in parks or seashores.
Northamptonshire Police stated the ‘three-week grace interval is over’ and urged they might even begin looking out procuring trolleys, however how this might work is unclear.
Currently, police can fantastic individuals or just inform them to maneuver. The emergency Coronavirus Act provides ministers sweeping powers to impose restrictions on ‘occasions and gatherings’, which it seems might be deployed to cowl pointless journey.
According to the laws this may cowl ‘any car, prepare, vessel or plane’, in addition to ‘any tent or moveable construction’. The Health Secretary can concern a ‘route’ prohibiting occasions of a ‘specified description’ to cease the transmission of the virus.
However, the legislation doesn’t embrace any provision that might drive individuals to have prior permission, present paperwork, or have affordable trigger to go away the home.
The PM’s spokesman stated ‘the police have our full backing, and the general public’s as properly’. He added that police ought to ‘have interaction, encourage after which implement’.
The Government confirmed that anybody caught sunbathing could be requested to maneuver on by police, with a Downing Street spokesman saying: ‘People shouldn’t be going to parks or seashores to sunbathe. It goes towards our guidelines on important motion.’
Devon and Cornwall Police are threatening to fantastic holidaymakers and second house house owners who attempt to enter the world for the Easter weekend and refuse them entry.
Locals have already advised the council about 650 circumstances of vacation lets and second house house owners who’ve arrived in Cornwall within the 5 days earlier than the weekend.
At a press convention final evening, Chancellor Rishi Sunak stated a UK-wide determination wouldn’t be taken till subsequent week when the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies stories. He additionally admitted there could be financial ‘hardship forward’.
Professor Stephen Powis of NHS England stated the lockdown was working. But he added: ‘We need to proceed following directions, we’ve got to proceed following social distancing – if we do not, the virus will begin to unfold once more.’
Polling by King’s College London and Ipsos Mori confirmed 9 out of 10 individuals assist the lockdown.
Sung-Il Cho, professor of epidemiology at Seoul National University, advised The Daily Telegraph that circumstances must drop under 50 per fortnight earlier than strikes in direction of a ‘gradual restoration.’
Modelling by the newspaper discovered that for the UK that might imply ready till the center of subsequent month.
The South Koreans have been capable of deliver the virus to heel by a stringent testing regime, contact tracing and quarantines. They have recorded simply 200 deaths with out imposing a lockdown and document 53 new circumstances every day.
Professor Chis Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer, echoed Mr Sunak, saying that there could be no speak of an exit technique till ‘we’re assured we’re past the height.’
However, consultants have warned that returning to life after lockdown will not be a return to normality. Many anticipate that there might be a vicious resurgence of the illness within the autumn.
Prof David Alexander, of University College London’s institute for danger and catastrophe discount, advised The Telegraph: ‘Britain and different international locations ought to maintain themselves able to return to lockdown, probably with more stringent situations than earlier than. In the autumn, a second wave of Covid-19 may happen and might be devastating.’
Another choice is to permit the younger and wholesome to return to work, whereas others proceed with the strict ‘keep at house’ steerage.
But the vast majority of scientists consider the federal government will go for the technique of beating the numbers of circumstances all the way down to a tiny degree earlier than continuing with any liberation of the populace.
And even when that have been achieved, life wouldn’t out of the blue resume because it was earlier than the draconian measures have been positioned upon us.
Dr Joe Grove, of UCL’s division of an infection and immunity, advised The Telegraph: ‘Once the present epidemic peak has handed, merely returning to life as regular would probably set off one other epidemic.
‘Ultimately, the one means we are able to shake off the shackles of Covid-19 is widespread immunity and the one protected method to obtain that’s by vaccination. In the meantime, testing provides us a path to some semblance of normality.’
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