Boris Johnson will chair a Cobra meeting at lunchtime today where ministers are due to assess whether Government action should shift out of the containment stage. Moving to delay would mean social distancing measures could be brought in, such as restricting public gatherings, and more widespread advice to stay at home.
It comes after eight people with Covid-19 were confirmed to have died in the UK, while the total number of positive cases rose to 460. A Cabinet minister, who has not been named, was also reported to be self-isolating while awaiting a test result after coming into contact with health minister Nadine Dorries.
In a social media post Wednesday night, actor Tom Hanks announced he and his wife Rita have tested positive for coronavirus.
The couple are currently in Australia and said they will be “tested, observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires.”“We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches,” Hanks wrote.
“Rita had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers too. To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the Coronavirus, and were found to be positive.”
Trump suspends travel from Europe, except United Kingdom
All travel from Europe to the United States will be suspended for the next 30 days beginning on Friday to reduce the spread of coronavirus, President Donald Trump announced from the Oval Office Wednesday night.
The travel restrictions will not apply to the United Kingdom. “We took life-saving, early action with China,” said Trump. “Now we must take the same action with Europe.”
Trump criticized the European Union for not securing its borders quickly enough and said that the cases in the U.S. were “seeded” by European travelers. He said the United States would monitor the situation to determine if travel can be opened earlier.
Trump said that “trade will in no way be affected by the 30-day restriction on travel from Europe. … The restriction stops people not goods,” he tweeted shortly after his address.
As expected, Trump did not declared a national emergency.
He did urge Congress to provide financial relief to small businesses that could be impacted by the virus, asking Congress to pass $50 billion in funding for low-interest loans and “immediate payroll tax relief.”
