Today’s Update
- The UK passes the peak of COVID-19 and on a downward slope and through the first phase of the epidemic.
- UK leading international efforts to find a vaccine. Oxford University who are developing a vaccine have partnered with AstraZeneca.
- The UK is taking a leading role in getting people into trials, as trials in the US and China on the drug Remdesivir look ‘promising’.
- Government to set out a comprehensive plan next week to get the economy going, children back to school and people back to work.
- One of the key tests for easing measures is to keep the reproduction rate of infection (R number) below 1. In March, R number was at 3 and the social distancing measures have brought this down to 1.
- The UK has managed to avoid the scenario whereby we could have been looking at 500,000 deaths from COVID-19.
- NHS is concerned with the significant drop in hospital attendances for medical emergencies such as heart attacks and other such emergencies.
Previous Measures remain in place:
- People should not meet with friends or family members they do not live with
- Shopping is only permitted for essentials like food and medicine
- Police have powers to enforce the rules, which include disbursements of gatherings and issuance of fines
- All shops selling non-essential goods to be closed
- Libraries, playgrounds, outdoor gyms and places of worship remain closed
- All gatherings of more than two people in public excluding those you live with are banned
- All social events are banned, including weddings and baptisms, but Funerals are excluded
- Parks remain open for exercise, however, gatherings will be dispersed
- These restrictions will be constantly reviewed
- Self- Employed will be able to claim 80% of average monthly earnings over past 3 years, capped to £2500 per month, open to those who are already self-employed with trading profits up to £50,000 a year and have a self-assessment tax return for 2019
Stay at Home. Protect the NHS. Save Lives
For more information: