The total death toll as a result of Coronavirus now stands at 28,734, an increase of 288. 

In his daily briefing Matt Hancock announced the start of the government’s track and trace app will be trialled this week in the Isle of White. He has asked anyone living on the Island to download the app. 

In the UK the department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy have issued guidelines on a possible return to work. Guidelines include curtailment of hot-desking, closing of staff canteens and the staggering of shifts to minimise contact that could potential transmit the virus. The report, put together after consultation with executives, trade bodies and unions, has been met with criticism. The TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady has criticised the report for leaving it up to employers to decide what constitutes a safe distance between workers, cleaning practices and PPE provision. 

Within the Labour Party, Jennie Formby, a key supporter of Jeremy Corbyn, has resigned from her position as Party Secretary. The move has been widely seen as signally a major sea change within the Party. 

lockdown measures have been eased in Spain and Italy, allowing millions to return to work and participate in public life. 

The total death toll as a result of Coronavirus now stands at 27,510, an increase of 739. 

Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, announced that the government had met their target, set in the beginning of April, of reaching 100,000 tests per day by the end of April. According to the Health Secretary 122,347 were administered on 30^th April. 

The total deaths as a result of Coronavirus now stands at 26,711, an increase of 674 as of today. 

The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, gave the daily briefing for the first time since being admitted to hospital for Coronavirus earlier this month. Johnson announced that we have now passed the peak of the spread of the virus and that the rate of infection is below one across the country, meaning that one person with the virus on average infects less than one person.

The total Coronavirus death toll, including deaths in care homes, hospitals and the wider community, now stands at 26,097. The increase of 3,811 from yesterday’s figure is a result of the government’s decision to add deaths outside of hospitals to the total. The figure of 3,811 includes deaths spread over the period between 2 March to 28 April. The total deaths increased today by 769.

The government has stood by their commitment, made early this month, to have 100,000 tests a day. In the daily briefing Raab stated that the government was still working on increasing capacity for tests. 

The total death toll as a result of Coronavirus now stands at 18,738, an increase of 616. 

In his daily briefing Matt Hancock, the Health secretary, stood by the government’s commitment to keep the lockdown restrictions in place. He also stated that it was the government’s aim to continue to increase testing up to the 100,000 per day figure given early this month. As of today, capacity for test, as opposed to actual tests administered, has increased to 50,000 a day. 

Employers of essential workers will be able to get a Coronavirus test for their workers and essential workers will be also be able to get a test through the new Coronavirus website set up by the government. These tests will not only be available to key workers from tomorrow but to their families as well.  

UK Universities have reported losses of more than £2bn and have asked the government for a bailout. The government has yet to respond with a proposal. 

The daily recorded death toll increased to 18,100, an increase of 763. 

The government continues to receive criticism for the inadequate supplies of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Today the European Commission stated that the government had been given an opportunity to bulk buy PPE with EU countries but refused to do. The call for joint European wide procurement of PPE was, according to the Commission, announced on 31 January. 

Prime Minister’s Questions resumed today with Dominic Raab, standing in for Boris Johnson, facing up against the newly elected head of the Labour Party, Sir Keir Starmer. 

Alongside the first Secretary Dominc Raab, General Sir Nick Carter, Chief of the Defence Staff, gave the daily briefing. Both Raab and Carter drew attention to the role that the armed forces have played in supporting the NHS during the pandemic. 

778 Coronavirus related deaths were record by the NHS today. This brings the total of recorded deaths to 12,107. One in four recorded deaths are now linked to Coronavirus. 

The Office for Budgetary Responsibility reported that the UK economy faces a 35 per cent plunge in output in the second quarter of 2020 if a lockdown to fight the spread of coronavirus remains in place for three months. The Chancellor Rishi Sunak started his evening briefing by acknowledging the findings of the report but insisted that the government had made the right decision to impose a lockdown. 

The Labour Party has been beset by a scandal after their submission to the ECHR enquiry on anti-Semitism within the party revealed that factionalism prevented Labour from dealing with the problem.