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(^4) DAILY MIRROR WEDNESDAY 04.03.
Coronavirus Crisis: nhs on highest inCident level

Queen is on

virus alert

as the latest person diagnosed with

coronavirus at a Tenerife hotel, local

health authorities said yesterday.

As the number of people infected

in the UK rose to 51, the Govern-

ment set out its epidemic plans.

The UK is currently at the

containment stage but may

use more dramatic meas-

ures as more cases develop.

Police would concentrate

on serious crimes and main-

taining public order.

Emergency powers will

be ready by April to let

schools have bigger class sizes if

teachers are ill, or transfer pupils to

other schools. Border Force officers

will be able to enforce testing of over-

seas visitors, and quarantine

those infected.

Plans to relieve pressure on

the NHS include early hospital

release and delaying non-

urgent care. Retired

doctors and nurses could

be asked to return

while an “army” of

volunteers could be

recruited to help in

hospitals.

OAPs could be

advised to avoid

big public gather-

ings. A plan to help care homes main-

tain supplies of food and medicines is

being drafted and they could be

asked to limit visitors.

Calming fears over

mortuary space, the

Government said it

would guarantee the

“dignified treatment”

of all fatalities.

The Government

said up to one in

five working

people, around six

million, could be

absent from work

at the epidemic’s

peak. At that time they would advise

people to work from home.

The Prime Minister said he was

“going to keep all options under

review” on getting employers to offer

at least statutory sick pay.

The Government’s expanded infor-

mation campaign will say that hand-

washing remains the most important

thing people can do.

It believes it will take “months

rather than weeks” for the outbreak’s

full impact to be felt.

As coronavirus concerns created

an international rush for toilet

paper, Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief

scientific adviser, said there was

“no reason” to panic-buy or

stockpile any supplies, or to

cancel summer holidays.

Car plants may halt

production due to a shortage

of components from China, the union

Unite warned. The Treasury is set to

offer relief to affected businesses.

As cases in Japan hit 980, sports

minister Seiko Hashimoto hinted she

wanted to postpone the Tokyo Olym-

pics until later in the year.

Iran mobilised 300,000 soldiers and

volunteers. The death toll in Italy has

risen by 27 over the past 24 hours to

79 and the country’s government is

considering a quarantine zone near

the northern city of Bergamo.

Last night Argentina confirmed its

first case, Spain confirmed its first

death and French cases rose to 212.

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@PippaCrerar

VOICE OF THE MIRROR: PAGE 8

by PIPPA CRERAR Political Editor and

R ussEll MyERs Royal Editor

daily

virus

update

at home and not rush to a hospital. Avoid

touching the face, particularly the mouth, nose

and eyes which form entry points for the virus.

We have learned from China that clear, early

communication limits panic, so minister Matt

Hancock is duty-bound to be honest with us.

THE best time for the Government to inform us

about the coronavirus outbreak is before it

reaches epidemic proportions.

One message is that fatality is correlated with

age so if you are over 80 or you have an

underlying condition you’re at high risk. If you’re

under the age of 50, you are not.

Now is the moment for the health authorities

to persuade the future 80% of mild cases to stay

Clear messages will stop panic

Dr Miriam Stoppard

Impact to be ‘temporary’

THE economic shock of the coronavirus

could be “large but ultimately

temporary”, outgoing bank of England

Governor Mark Carney has warned.

Comparing the outbreak to the 2008

financial crisis, he said while that left

lasting economic scars, the impact of

the virus is expected to be “disruption

not destruction”. Mr Carney told the

Treasury Select Committee the bank is

ready to “act as appropriate” to prop up

britain’s economy and financial system.

The “collective response will be both

powerful and timely”, he said, adding:

“The bank’s role is to help businesses

and households manage through an

economic shock that could prove large

‘sHOCk’ Mr Carney but will ultimately be temporary.”

FI lTER Woman in

the City of London

Stores are cleaning up

GOnE Shelves empty of hand sanitiser FREsH Wipes popular

SAlES of hand sanitiser in supermarkets have

surged by 255% in the coronavirus crisis.

Shelves have emptied as 10% more was spent on

household cleaners, said industry data firm Kantar.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer

insight at Kantar, said: “It’s unsurprising to see

shoppers protecting themselves from illness.”

■■Two alarmist online adverts for face masks have

been banned by the Advertising Standards

Authority for exploiting people’s fears.

THE Queen led the way for

anxious Brits yesterday as she

carried on business as usual

despite the coronavirus outbreak.

The 93-year-old monarch handed

out honours at Buckingham Palace as

the deadly virus spread across the UK.

She wore gloves as a precaution at

the regular investiture, the first time

she has done so in a decade.

Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales

shook hands, without gloves,

as he gave out honours at the

Royal College of Music’s

annual awards in London

NHS England declared a

“level-four incident”, the

highest level of emergency.

Health Secretary Matt

Hancock held talks with

social media firms to combat the

spread of disinformation.

The Government admitted

yesterday that a “reasonable worst

case scenario” could mean that 1% of

those infected by the virus could die.

If infection rates hit 80%, as they

have in Wuhan, China, that could

mean as many as 530,000 deaths.

Although Boris Johnson said for

most people it would be a “mild”

disease, ministers said that the elderly

and those with underlying health

conditions faced a 2% mortality rate.

Global evidence suggests that chil-

dren are the least likely to develop

serious symptoms, while pregnant

women do not seem at higher risk.

A British guest has been confirmed

»»Monarch carries on

duties but uses gloves

»» Border Force could

quarantine travellers

TAlks Hancock