Coronavirus news - live: Review finds death rate higher among ethnic minorities as MPs queue up to vote for 'insane' return to Westminster
Follow the latest updates
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Health secretary Matt Hancock has vowed to “get to the bottom” of the reason BAME people are disproportionately likely to die as a result of Covid-19 following the release of a report which showed high ethnic minority deaths from the virus in the UK.
It comes as the official UK death toll rose by 324 to almost 40,000 in the latest set of figures from the Department of Health and Social Care – with the total fatality figure likely to exceed 40,000 in the coming days.
Elsewhere, lockdown measures are being lifted in many countries, with restaurants and bars able to open today in France for the first time since March, while Nigeria is to reopen places of worship and Slovakia is to open indoor sports centres and pools. Around the world, there have been more than 6.3m known cases and more than 377,000 deaths as a result of the virus – according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.
Please allow the live blog a moment to load...
You can find Public Health England’s report into the impact of Covid-19 on black, Asian and ethnic minority communities below:
Hancock accused of ‘empty rhetoric’ after ethnic minorities deaths report offers no recommendations
Matt Hancock has been accused of using “empty rhetoric” after an official study showed higher ethnic minority death rates from coronavirus but failed to set out recommendations for how to prevent further deaths.
Mr Hancock ducked a call to issue fresh guidance immediately to local hospitals to protect ethnic minority staff and instead asked the equalities minister, Liz Truss, to consider next steps.
More on this story can be found below:
Labour’s shadow justice secretary David Lammy has spoken out on the PHE report on ethnic minority deaths from coronavirus and called for “urgent action” on the issue.
Wuhan reports no symptomatic cases of Covid-19 after city-wide tests.
The Chinese city of Wuhan, where Covid-19 was first identified, has found no new cases of people suffering from coronavirus and 300 asymptomatic carriers of the virus after testing almost its entire population, officials have said.
Authorities launched a mass testing campaign on 14 May, reaching 9.9 million out of 11 million people, after a cluster of new cases sparked fears of a second wave of the virus.
China does not count people who are infected with the virus but do not show symptoms of the disease as confirmed cases.
Officials told reporters in a briefing that there had been no new confirmed cases, and said the asymptomatic carriers had been found not to be infectious because masks, toothbrushes, phones, door handles and elevator buttons that they touched had no traces of virus.
The central city in Hubei province was placed under a lockdown on 23 January until 8 April.
Pandemic modeller speaks of ‘dismay’ over UK government’s early response to pandemic
A pandemic modeller who advised the UK government has spoken of his “dismay” over how senior politicians acted as though coronavirus was “not something that was too serious” in the early days of the outbreak.
Professor Graham Medley, who sits on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), told Channel 4’s Dispatches of his frustration over a lack of clear strategy from ministers.
“We already knew that this virus was going to cause an awful lot of death and disability and would require an awful lot of NHS resource,” Professor Medley said.
“So it was with some dismay that we were watching senior politicians behaving in a way that suggested that this was not something that was too serious.”
He added that the government was told in late February that half a million people could die in the UK unless lockdown measures were introduced - but it was not until 23 March that a full lockdown was imposed.
“We had been saying it on Sage... from the end of February. It was a public perception that something changed on the 16 March, but nothing changed within SPI-M or within Sage other than a palpable relief that this was being seen as a very serious event,” the professor said.
A government spokesperson said ministers had taken “the right steps at the right time” to combat the pandemic.
"At every stage, the government has been guided by the advice of experts from Sage and its sub-committees - advice which has now been published on gov.uk,” the spokesperson said.
EHRC warns against plans to end remote voting in parliament
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has written to all MPs warning that plans to end remote voting during the coronavirus crisis “will place at significant disadvantage MPs who are shielding or self-isolating”.
Ahead of the vote on the government’s proposal, EHRC chief executive Rebecca Hilsenrath wrote:
“I'm getting in touch to raise our concern that proceedings in Parliament must remain fully inclusive during the coronavirus pandemic.
“We are concerned by the announcement today from the Leader of the House of Commons which implies that Parliament may proceed without provision for the remote participation of Members who are unable to travel to Westminster because of the pandemic.
“This will place at significant disadvantage MPs who are shielding or self-isolating because of age, disability, health conditions or pregnancy, as well as other Members who will struggle to attend the chamber in person due to travel restrictions and caring responsibilities.
“It cannot be right for Parliament to proceed without provision for remote participation when many elected representatives cannot attend in person.
“We ask the Government and Members of the House to show leadership in championing equality and non-discrimination and to ensure that, when deciding future procedure tomorrow, Parliament remains inclusive and effective in making the decisions that affect us all.”
UK government scraps weekend coronavirus briefings over ‘low ratings’
The UK government is to end its ministerial coronavirus briefings at the weekend, blaming poor TV viewing figures, Downing Street has said.
A No 10 spokesperson said Boris Johnson, the prime minister, would commit to appearing once a week in the new five-a-week schedule of press conferences to give statements and answer questions from the media and members of the public
Our political editor, Andrew Woodcock, has the full story below:
China delayed releasing crucial coronavirus information, leaked WHO files show
China stalled for at least two weeks on giving the World Health Organisation (WHO) details it needed on coronavirus, leaked recordings from the health agency have shown.
Officials in China reportedly sat on releasing the genetic map, or genome, of the virus for more than a week after multiple government labs had fully decoded it - and they did not share details key to designing tests, drugs and potentially vaccines.
More on this story can be found below:
Spain’s government seeks extension to state of emergency until 21 June
The Spanish government is seeking to extend its coronavirus state of emergency until 21 June, when most of the remaining restrictions on movement and business will be lifted.
New confirmed cases and deaths from Covid-19 in Spain have fallen to the lowest point since before the government ordered nationwide lockdown in mid-March.
A decree passed by the Spanish cabinet on Tuesday to prolong the state of emergency still needs to be approved by the lower house of parliament.
However, Spain's ruling left-wing coalition has secured enough support from smaller opposition parties for the measure to be approved on Wednesday.
Maria Jesus Montero, a government spokesperson, said the extension would be the last one, but warned all precautions should be applied in advancing towards a post-lockdown phase.
She said: “A wrong move can have undesirable consequences, so caution must prevail.”
Italian right-wing opposition parties flout social distancing rules at protest rally
Italian opposition parties and hundreds of supporters have defied social distancing rules to pack Rome’s central streets at an anti-government protest rally.
The demonstration was organised by the right-wing League, the far-right Brothers of Italy and the centre-right Go Italy parties to protest against the coalition government led by prime minister Giuseppe Conte.
Livestreams on social media showed protesters marching next to each other with a large Italian flag along Via del Corso, leading to the Piazza del Popolo in Rome's historic centre.
Some protesters were not wearing face masks, which have been made compulsory in Italy when social distancing between people is not possible.
“I've got a mask but experts say that the virus is dying,” Matteo Salvini, League leader, said, referring to recent disputed declarations by Italian professors that the coronavirus is losing its potency.
The demonstration was staged to coincide with celebrations for 2 June - a public holiday which commemorates the vote in favour of the creation of a Republic after the Second World War.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments