Advertisement

Thursday morning news briefing: When lockdown could be lifted

Dominic Raab is deputising for the PM - but unlikely to make big decisions - Bob
Dominic Raab is deputising for the PM - but unlikely to make big decisions - Bob

If you want to receive twice-daily briefings like this by email, sign up to the Front Page newsletter here. For two-minute audio updates, try The Briefing - on podcasts, smart speakers and WhatsApp.

Exit from three weeks of restrictions placed on hold

No end is in sight. Ministers are expected to delay making an announcement on how - and when - to lift the coronavirus lockdown, concerned about arriving at a decision while Boris Johson remains in intensive care. The Government is understood to be working on a plan to extend the measures beyond three weeks and until May, as the rising death toll means advisers are still unsure when the peak will be. After the Prime Minister spent a fourth night in hospital, Dominic Raab, who is deputising, will chair a Cobra emergency committee today. But many in government are asking: What would Boris do? With reports of festering ministerial tensions, read Camilla Tominey's analysis of a rudderless Cabinet and the power vacuum at the heart of Number 10. Restrictions face their toughest test so far over the Easter weekend, with temperatures set to reach 25C (77F) in some parts of the country. Matt finds humour in the police response to sunbathing for today's cartoon.

As ministers' minds turn towards an exit strategy, a global health expert predicts Britain's lockdown may be lifted when Covid-19 cases consistently fall below 50 a day. Use our live tracker to follow patient numbers. Country by country, this is how the rest of the world is preparing to ease lockdown. Sarah Knapton examines the UK's four possible exit strategies. And these are our rules for daily life in a nutshell.

PS - News you can trust is more important than ever. Stay informed with our liveblog, daily Global Health BulletinWhatsApp groupcoronavirus podcast and index page with all our articles. We have a special offer when you take out a new Telegraph subscription that allows you to access all our newspaper and online articles without leaving home. Sign up for a free one-month trial - then save 50pc on your first three months.

Middle classes revealed as the worst stockpilers

How much extra have you bought? Tesco's boss has suggested the middle classes in the south of England are most to blame for stockpiling - with data revealing it has been less of an issue elsewhere in Britain. Shoppers have spent more than they did at Christmas, filling cupboards and freezers amid pandemic panic. Tesco sales leapt by a third as shoppers began to hoard. Retail Correspondent Laura Onita explains where stores saw the biggest demand. If you have not got what you need, here is a reminder of essential shops still open. And, if you have, read Xanthe Clay's guide to the ultimate store cupboard recipes.

Charles and Camilla reunited for anniversary

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have been reunited after both spent time self-isolating following Charles's coronavirus diagnosis. View a picture released for their 15th wedding anniversary today after they were photographed yesterday at Birkhall, on the Balmoral Estate. And Royal Correspondent Hannah Furness reveals in an in-depth feature the key to the couple's extraordinary marriage.

At a glance: More coronavirus headlines

Comment and analysis

You Are Not Alone: Surviving coronavirus lockdown

  1. Holy week | Creative ways to worship and join in from home this Easter

  2. 'Don't tell him, Pike!' | Forget Tiger King - Dad's Army are true lockdown TV heroes

  3. Post-virus hopes | When will we be able to go on holiday again?

Business and money briefing

EU conflict | Emotions have become explosive. It is no longer viable - economically or politically - to keep buying time by piling more debt on southern European states already on the threshold of runaway debt trajectories. The momentous issue of fiscal union has to be addressed once and for all, writes Ambrose Evans-Pritchard.

Gallery: Virus fightback around the world

Reckoning | Ecuadoreans securing a makeshift cardboard coffin to the roof of a car in Guayaquil, the port city hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak. Read Cody Weddle's dispatch and view more pictures of how the world is fighting the pandemic in global gallery.

Around 4,000 people have been infected in Ecuador. CREDIT: REUTERS - REUTERS
Around 4,000 people have been infected in Ecuador. CREDIT: REUTERS - REUTERS

 

Also in the news today

Powering on | Renewables have overtaken fossil fuels as the main source of electricity in Britain for the first time. Wind, solar, biomass and hydropower accounted for 44.6pc of electricity supplied between January and March, according to data from energy market analysts - exceeding fossil fuels by 36pc. Energy Editor Emma Gatten reports that renewable energy now provides more than a third of the world's power.

And finally...

Fossil hunter | Mary Beard has spurned the British Museum's treasures and selected a bric-a-brac badge featuring a female geologist as a gem of its collection. The historian and TV presenter is a new trustee at the London institution and has selected her favourite items from its vast array of artefacts.