The total deaths as a result of Coronavirus now stands at 35,341, an increase of 545 as of today. 

In the daily Coronavirus briefing George Eustice, the Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, announced that the government was encouraging British nationals to apply for farm harvesting jobs around the country. This call comes in response to a shortage in farm labour from countries such as Romania that usually make up Britain’s seasonal work force. The government have launched a website, www.pickforbritain.org.uk, where information on farm harvesting vacancies can be found. 

The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the UK jumped to its highest rate on record after the start of the Coronavirus lockdown, according to new figures from the ONS.   

The total death toll as a result of Coronavirus now stands at 33,796, an increase of 160 as of today. 

The chief medical officers have stated that anosmia, loss of taste and smell, should be added to the other two warning symptoms for Coronavirus, a continuous cough and a high temperature. Anyone experiencing any of the three symptoms should self-isolate for 14 days. 

Brexit negotiations between the UK and the EU are still ongoing. The main point of disagreement is that the EU is demanding that any future trade deal come with an enforceable level playing of regulations. The EU negotiators mandate that the UK continue to continue to apply the Bloc’s state-aid restrictions, keeping pace with environmental and labour regulations set by the EU. 

The rate of infection, the so-called R number, for Coronavirus is now between 0.7 and 1. The increase in the rate of infection has led some news outlets to question the government’s decision to loosen lockdown restrictions this week.

The total death toll as a result of Coronavirus now stands at 33,998 an increase of 384. 

In the daily briefing Matt Hancock, the health secretary, stated that all care home residents in England, with and without symptoms, are now being tested for Coronavirus. 

Negotiations between the UK and the EU on the future post-Brexit settlement have become deadlocked. According to an article in the Financial Times the chief stumbling block is whether the UK will maintain the same standards in areas such as labour and environmental law as the EU. EU officials have stated that the deal must be struck by October in order to be ratified in time. 

The total deaths as a result of Coronavirus now stand at 33,186, an increase of 494. 

In the daily briefing Robert Jernick, the Housing Secretary, told the public that restrictions on exercise have been lifted and that workers unable to work from home should speak to their employers about arranging a possible return to work. People have also been allowed to meet one person from outside of their household in a public space. 

The government has also allowed the housing market to restart, allowing estate agent’s offices to report, removal companies to return to work, and people to move into new homes. The government has also removed restrictions on the supply side of the housing market, allowing construction companies to restart building and work up to 8pm in residential areas and later outside of these areas. 

The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has announced that the government will continue their job retention scheme until October. The scheme, which allows workers to be paid 80% of their wages up to £2,500 a month, will allow require employers to make contributions from August but also allow them to move workers onto part-time hours. This change comes after the government faced pressure from unions to ensure that that the percentage of worker’s wages paid to them through the scheme would not be cut.

The total death toll as a result of Coronavirus now stands at 32,692, an increase of 627 in the last 24 hours. 

Today the government published a 50-page document, “Our Plan to Rebuild”, which set out a three-phased plan for easing the nationwide lockdown. 

The first phase of the strategy will be begin this week and allow citizens of England to leave their homes as many times as they’d like for exercise and leisure. Scotland, Wales and Northern Island have not altered their lockdown restrictions. The report advises that people use face coverings in places where social distancing cannot be observed, such as on public transport.

The report goes on to state that the only long-term solution to Coronavirus is a vaccine or a drug-based treatment, which may be more than a year away. 

Phase two of the government’s plan, which will not take place before June 1, will involve the reopening of primary schools and non-essential shops. There is a possibility that households may be allowed to mix with one another at this stage. 

Phase three, which will take place no sooner than June 4, will involve the opening of restaurants, pubs, hotels, and hairdressers. Business which cannot meet social distancing guidelines will not be re-opened, according to the report. 

Research by the ONS has shown that men in blue-collar jobs were more than twice as likely than the rest of the working age population to contract Coronavirus. These findings come after government’s decisions to allow workers from the construction industry and other similar trades to return to work. 

The total deaths as a result of Coronavirus now stand at 30,615, an increase of 539 as of today. 86,583 test were carried out yesterday, an increase on yesterday’s figure but bellow the target of 100,000 a day set last month.

The reproduction number, R, which measures the rate at which the virus is transmitted from person to person is now between 0.5 and 0.  

In the daily briefing Dominic Raab confirmed that the Prime Minister will put forward a plan on how lockdown measures will be eased on Sunday. Although the content of these changes have not been made explicit, Boris Johnson has said that they would be “very limited”. 

The Bank of England has warned that the UK is set to enter the worst recession for 300 years with a drop in output of almost 30% in the first half of 2020. 

The total Coronavirus death toll has now passed that of Italy’s, standing at 29,427, an increase of 693 as of today. 

In the daily briefing Dominic Raab, the Secretary of State, rejected attempts to draw comparisons between the UK and Italy. 

Doctors in Birmingham have launched an urgent report into BAME deaths as a result of Coronavirus. This report comes after several media reports have drawn attention to the disproportionate number of Black Asian and Minority people that have died as a result of Coronavirus.

The number of key workers and members of their family who have tested positive for Coronavirus has overtaken the number of sick people in hospitals.