The Spectator

The closing of churches Sir: Stephen Hazell-Smith is quite right in writing that churches should re-open (Letters, 18 April), however the issue is now more fundamental. Recent weeks have demonstrated a crisis of leadership in almost every aspect of national life, excluding the Queen, who has exercised a spiritual leadership made necessary by the failure of bishops. The closing of churches may be seen as a defining moment in the life of the Church of England. As the Archbishop of Canterbury broadcast from his kitchen on Easter Day, impervious to the damage his ‘leadership’ has caused, many Anglican clergy and people I know looked to the image of the Pope in an almost empty St Peter’s, and saw the true image of Christian service.

The Spectator brings you the latest insight, news and research from the front line. Sign up here to receive this briefing daily by email, and stay abreast of developments both at home and abroad: News and analysis  Keir Starmer zeroed in on procurement failures in his first PMQs as Labour leader. He was in the chamber but most MPs asked questions from home, giving the session a Eurovision jury-style feel.A new 500-bed NHS Nightingale hospital in Harrogate is to remain empty as local hospitals manage the outbreak.Year 10 and Year 12 school pupils ‘might have lost out so much’ in the lockdown that they ‘need to repeat the whole year’, Sir Michael Wilshaw, a former chief schools inspector, has told Radio Four.

The Spectator brings you the latest insight, news and research from the front line. Sign up here to receive this briefing daily by email, and stay abreast of developments both at home and abroad: News and analysis New data from the ONS shows a spike in the death toll in England and Wales compared with the five-year average: 7,996 excess deaths for the week to 10 April. Details below.Parliament returns today. Up to 50 MPs are allowed in the chamber at any time, and some will join on Zoom. James Forsyth explains below.The NHS may not have enough face masks if the government advises the public to wear them. Dr John Lee weighs up the evidence of masks on Coffee House.

The Spectator brings you the latest insight, news and research from the front line. Sign up here to receive this briefing daily by email, and stay abreast of developments both at home and abroad: News and analysis  Only one third of school children have taken part in any online lessons since the lockdown began. Analysis below.The government will create 30,000 more morgue places, saying it’s a precaution not a prediction.The NHS hopes to use blood from Covid-19 survivors in trials to treat patients with the disease, following successful trials in China.Stockholm could achieve herd immunity by May, according to a study. Details below.A random test of 200 people in Boston found that 32 per cent had Covid-19 antibodies, suggesting they had already been infected with the virus.

The Spectator brings you the latest insight, news and research from the front line. Sign up here to receive this briefing daily by email, and stay abreast of developments both at home and abroad: News and analysis There is no guarantee that hospitals will not run out of personal protective equipment (PPE) this weekend, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said.The UK has extended the lockdown for another three weeks, citing advice from scientists. Robert Peston asks if scientists are running the country.London Mayor Sadiq Khan has broken with official government guidance and urged Londoners to wear face masks while travelling on public transport.London hospitals succeeded in doubling the number of intensive care units, leaving the NHS Nightingale field hospital almost empty.

The Spectator brings you the latest insight, news and research from the front line. Sign up here to receive this briefing daily by email, and stay abreast of developments both at home and abroad: European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen has offered a ‘heartfelt apology’ to Italy, saying the Commission was ‘not ready’ for the pandemic.Leaked US Homeland Security modelling suggests the coronavirus death rate could end up at 0.12 per cent – but with 160 million infections.Most who died with Covid-19 had at least two pre-existing health conditions, according to ONS data, with 91 per cent having at least one condition. Meanwhile, a second newborn has been diagnosed with the virus.Professor Neil Ferguson, No.

The Spectator brings you the latest insight, news and research from the front line. Sign up here to receive this briefing daily by email, and stay abreast of developments both at home and abroad: The Spectator has learned that the UK will not request an extension to the Brexit transition period. James Forsyth has the details below.Donald Trump has announced the US will suspend its funding for the World Health Organisation as it investigates its organisation’s handling of Covid-19.Matt Hancock has pledged to prioritise care home residents and staff members for Covid-19 tests.A leaked document from Public Health England reveals a last-resort plan to reuse PPE.A top scientific adviser has said that sunbathing should be allowed in public parks.

The Spectator brings you the latest insight, news and research from the front line. Sign up here to receive this briefing daily by email, and stay abreast of developments both at home and abroad: The OBR has published its coronavirus analysis, predicting the economy will shrink by 35 per cent in Q2. Kate Andrews has the details on Coffee House, and James Forsyth explains below what this means for the lockdown.There have now been outbreaks of Covid-19 at more than 2,000 of Britain’s 11,300 care homes. Around 10 per cent of UK Covid-19 deaths take place outside of hospital, according to data released by the ONS.An editorial in the British Medical Journal has called the use of chloroquine to treat coronavirus ‘premature and potentially harmful’.

The Spectator brings you the latest insight, news and research from the front line. Sign up here to receive this briefing daily by email, and stay abreast of developments both at home and abroad: News and analysis  The lockdown could claim 150,000 lives through various side effects (including suspended NHS services), according to internal government modelling. Fraser Nelson reports below.Covid-19 antibody testing in a German town suggests a 15 per cent infection rate and a 0.37 per cent death rate.Boris Johnson last night moved out of intensive care and is now in a regular ward at St Thomas’ Hospital.The Home Secretary has warned the police against being heavy-handed over the Easter weekend.

The Spectator brings you the latest insight, news and research from the front line. Sign up here to receive this briefing daily by email, and stay abreast of developments both at home and abroad: News and analysis  Six critically ill Covid-19 patients in Israel have survived after being treated with placenta-based cell therapy.Ministers are to start a review of the UK lockdown measures. But with Boris Johnson still in hospital, no change is expected.A&E attendance was down almost a third last month, compared with March 2019. Calls to NHS 111 more than doubled.The boss of a healthcare firm has promised to make 100,000 UK Covid-19 antigen tests by the end of this month.A dispatch from New York’s front line, by intensive care doctor Qanta Ahmed.