The Spectator

Home Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, returned to work at Downing Street after recovering from his Covid-19 sickness. Speaking outside No. 10, he said that there were ‘real signs now that we are passing through the peak’. By the beginning of Sunday 26 April, there had been 20,319 deaths, mostly in hospital, of people who had the disease; a week earlier the cumulative total had been 15,464. There were additionally 2,000 coronavirus deaths in care homes in the week ending 17 April, according to the Office for National Statistics, twice the number of the week before. In the week ending 10 April, of the 7,996 excess deaths above the average, 1,783 were not attributed to coronavirus.

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  Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds have announced the arrival of a baby boy, born this morning in a London hospital. James Forsyth has the details below.Cancer operations will take place at new ‘Covid-19-free’ hubs. The collapse in cancer care since the lockdown could lead to 18,000 more cancer deaths, according to new research. Analysis below.Millions more people can now apply for a coronavirus test. The government loosened rules to include over-65s, essential workers and care home residents.

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 Covid-19 related deaths as of 17 April in England and Wales were 35% higher than the government’s hospital death figure. Details below.The Scottish government has recommended that people cover their faces with cloth garments when in public spaces. Dr John Lee weighs up the benefits of masks on Coffee House.A minute’s silence for key workers who have died during the Covid-19 outbreak was held this morning at 11 a.m.The families of NHS staff who have died of coronavirus will be given £60,000.

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 Boris Johnson has asked the public to ‘contain [their] impatience’ to exit the lockdown, in his first live public address since his battle with Covid-19. Katy Balls has the details below.Professor Neil Ferguson, the scientist behind the influential Imperial College London model, has said that lifting the lockdown could risk an additional 100,000 deaths by the end of the year.Schools in Northern Ireland will stay closed until after the summer holidays, with officials estimating 90% of parents would not send children even if classes reopened.

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 much-anticipated shipment of personal protective equipment from Turkey contained 32,000 gowns vs the expected 400,000 units.Meanwhile, 42% of NHS beds lie empty, as do two-thirds of mechanical ventilation units.Boris Johnson could return to No. 10 as early as Monday, according to the Telegraph.Ten million key workers and their households can now book a Covid-19 test online. The 5,000 that were made available this morning ran out in just two minutes.Rishi Sunak is considering 100% government-backed Covid-19 loans of up to £25,000 to small businesses.

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  Manchester and Liverpool are now seeing the most Covid-19 cases, according to the Health Service Journal.Social restrictions are to remain in place for at least the rest of the year, says chief medical officer Chris Whitty. Details below.Human trials begin today for vaccines in Germany and the UK. Matt Ridley weighs up the likelihood of Covid-19 treatments in the 10,000th issue of The Spectator magazine. More analysis below.

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.