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Coronavirus news: Gove attacks 'dangerous' conspiracy theories about 5G and virus, as five-year-old becomes UK's youngest Covid-19 victim

AFP via Getty Images
AFP via Getty Images

Michael Gove described the conspiracy theory linking new 5G masts to the coronavirus pandemic as “dangerous nonsense” as the UK death toll rose by more than 700 to 4,313.

The cabinet secretary spoke out at the government’s daily Covid-19 briefing after NHS England confirmed that a five-year-old child with underlying health conditions had become the youngest victim of the outbreak.

Mr Gove also paid tribute to the seven healthcare workers who have so far fallen victim to the outbreak as he urged the British public to stay at home this weekend despite the warm weather.

It comes as Donald Trump, the US president, announced new federal guidelines recommending Americans wear face coverings when in public to help fight the spread of Covid-19, but immediately said he had no intention of following the advice himself, saying: “I’m choosing not to do it.”

Meanwhile, the global number of deaths surged passed 60,000 and confirmed cases passed 1.1 million, according to Johns Hopkins University.

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