Main points from today
- Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, led the briefing.
- He confirmed, as per the announcement from the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, that 21,000 contact tracers (one third of which are doctors and nurses) have been recruited in England.
- From today anyone age 5 or over, with symptoms, is entitled to a test.
- Anosmia (the loss of or a change in your normal sense of smell or taste) has been added to continuous cough or fever as a symptom of coronavirus
- 100,678 tests yesterday.
- 246,406 positive tests, an increase of 2,684 from yesterday. 34,796 deaths, an increase of 160 from yesterday. There is sustained decline in the number of new cases and number of deaths.
Latest Guidance (employment and business)
CJRS guidance can now be found here:-
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
COVID-19: guidance for employees, employers and businesses – Updated information on symptoms as per the new health guidance today adding loss of, or change inn sense of taste or smell (anosmia). 2:00pm, 18 May 2020
The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme guidance is here:-
Check if you can claim a grant through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme
Latest Guidance (health)
New today:-
Statement from the UK Chief Medical Officers on an update to coronavirus symptoms: 18 March 2020
11:01am, 18 May 2020. From today, all individuals should self-isolate if they develop a new continuous cough or fever or anosmia. Anosmia is the loss of or a change in your normal sense of smell. It can also affect your sense of taste as the two are closely linked.
Schools
Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for educational settings Updated information on symptoms as per the new health guidance today adding loss of, or change in, sense of taste or smell (anosmia). 2:00pm, 18 May 2020
Actions for schools during the coronavirus outbreak – Updated section 19.4 to clarify how meetings should proceed in relation to reinstatement of excluded pupils, and the process for independent review panels (IRPs). 4:00pm, 18 May 2020
The general school guidance starts here:-
Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for schools and other educational settings
General Guidance
The general coronavirus guidance starts here:-
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
