Plus, some uplifting stories to take your mind off things
| UK ramps up virus response |
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| | | The UK is waking up to a new reality as strict curbs on public life are recommended to try to slow the spread of coronavirus. Without them, our health correspondent James Gallagher explains, scientific modelling showed the country was on course for a "catastrophic epidemic" with up to 260,000 deaths. The hope is that if everyone takes the steps demanded that figure can be limited to the thousands or tens of thousands. Currently, it stands at 55. Read the new advice in detail here, but in a nutshell, everyone is being urged to avoid unnecessary social contact, to work from home where possible, and to stay away from pubs and restaurants. Sport has effectively been cancelled. If one person in any household has a persistent cough or fever, everyone living there must stay at home for 14 days. And by next weekend, those with the most serious health conditions must be "largely shielded from social contact for around 12 weeks". Schools will not be closed for the moment, but that is being kept under review. There has been anger from many in the leisure industry because the prime minister advised people to stay away from pubs, theatres and music venues while not forcing premises to close. The latter route could have given them financial protection. The sector will be listening closely when the chancellor announces more economic aid measures later. Help for the airline industry, crippled by travel bans and a collapse in demand, is also expected to be included. We have a wealth of information for you on coronavirus, all collected here. Among the most important pieces right now: What is self-isolation and social distancing? What are your rights to work from home? And how can I protect elderly relatives? | |
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| Need something different? |
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| | | | | From football to F1, professional sport has become more aware of the impact it has on the brains of athletes. The US National Football League (NFL) has acknowledged that it concealed the dangers of concussion from players, leading to a settlement with ex-players that is expected to cost the NFL more than $1bn (£800m) over a 65-year period. But damage to the brain is difficult to manage because it's difficult to measure. Often the effects are not felt until decades after players retire. So here is where new technology might help. | |
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| | Sooraj Shah | BBC Technology of Business reporter | |
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| | | | The implications of the new UK coronavirus restrictions are set out in stark headlines. "Time to get anti-social" says the Metro, while "Britain shuts up shop" is the Daily Mail's take. The Sun says Boris Johnson has put up the closed sign on Britain - and Mother's Day this weekend is, in effect, cancelled. The Daily Star has a unique take as always, picturing Macaulay Culkin with the headline "Home Alone". The Guardian says the UK has brought in "unprecedented peacetime measures". The Daily Telegraph agrees it's "a dramatic escalation", but it points out that the UK's actions are still short of many other nations because they are officially voluntary. The paper also says there's confusion among parents after the government decided against shutting schools. Finally, the Daily Express tries to rally its readers with the headline: "We can do it together." | |
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| If you watch one thing today |
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| If you listen to one thing today |
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| If you read one thing today |
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| | | 09:15: MPs quiz representatives from the government's spending watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, on last week's Budget |
| | | | Today: Uefa holds an emergency meeting to discuss the future of European football, including Euro 2020 |
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| Let us know what you think of this newsletter by emailing bbcnewsdaily@bbc.co.uk. If you’d like to recommend it to a friend, forward this email. New subscribers can sign up here. | |
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| | | | . | | Please note that some features and content in this newsletter are only available to people in the UK. You can update your personal details including your postcode and email address in your account settings. Find out everything you need to know about using your BBC account, all in one place. BBC Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London W1A 1AA Copyright © 2019 BBC | |
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