LONDON, March 29 — The United Kingdom will do well if it manages to keep the coronavirus death toll below 20,000, a senior health official said yesterday after the deadliest day so far of the outbreak saw the number of fatalities rise to more than 1,000.
Stephen Powis, the medical director of National Health Service England, warned the public against complacency and said everyone had to play their part in hindering the spread of the virus.
The number of confirmed cases stood at 17,089 on Saturday morning. The death toll rose by 260 in a day to 1,019, the seventh highest toll in the world behind Italy, Spain, China, Iran, France and the United States.
When asked if Britain was on the same trajectory as Italy, where the death toll has passed 9,000, Powis said that if the public adhered to the nationwide lockdown the total toll could be kept below 20,000.
“If it is less than 20,000... that would be a good result though every death is a tragedy, but we should not be complacent about that,” he said at a news conference in Downing Street.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson became the first leader of a major power to announce a positive test result for coronavirus on Friday. He is self-isolating in Downing Street but still leading the UK response to the crisis.
Britain is bracing for the epidemic to peak in the coming weeks, and is building field hospitals in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Cardiff to bolster its state-run National Health Service (NHS).
The government, which had been criticised by some doctors and nurses for not providing them with enough protective gear and testing kits, said on Friday it was introducing a much bigger testing regime, with checks for health workers in England.
Frontline medical staff in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are already being tested.
Coronavirus in government
As the British government urged the public to stay indoors, the virus struck at Downing Street itself. Besides Johnson, health minister Matt Hancock has also tested positive and chief medical adviser Chris Whitty is self-isolating with symptoms.
The minister for Scotland, Alister Jack, said yesterday he had developed a temperature and a cough in the past 24 hours and was now working from home in isolation. He has not been tested for coronavirus.
Jack spoke in the House of Commons on Wednesday, immediately before Johnson appeared at the weekly Prime Minister's Questions session, during which Jack was seated on the government bench behind Johnson.
Efforts were under way to keep building up the NHS's ability to cope.
Hospitals have been rushing to increase intensive care capacity, including by turning operating theatres and recovery areas into beds for critically ill patients.
“At the moment, I am confident the capacity is there,” Powis said. “We have not reached capacity.”
A drive-through coronavirus testing facility for health workers has begun operating in the car park of the Chessington World of Adventures theme park near London.
Health workers, who remain in their cars, are tested by nurses who carry out swabs in the nose and mouth through the windows.
- Reuters
Created by Tan KW | Aug 27, 2024
close up the country, spend money.............who don't know how to close up the country, spend/ print money.............the dumber the country, the more likely they do precisely that?
who can solve problem like China? like Singapore ? like Japan, S Korea, Taiwan? That takes brains...........
who can turn disaster into advantage like China, like Singapore?
that is not going to happen in Malaysia.
2020-03-29 13:56
Don't praise China and Singapore too early! It's possible 2nd wave will hit China if indeed Covid19 mutate to Covid20! By the way, if China had contain this pandemic much earlier and close it's borders then instead of criticizing US and other natons for banning tourists from China back then, we would not have to deal with current global disaster!
2020-03-29 14:00
Boris Johnson says.....people should jog, take a walk, cycle alone ( not in a group) once a day to keep fit.......
here in Malaysia......they have locked up 40 in Bukit Kiara for taking a jog alone.................
well.....this is how stupid things can get in Malaysia..........................
2020-03-29 14:00
Q3! It's now confirm that public walkway can pick up Covid19 virus! You can bring back this virus after your jog! Your shoes if not sanitize will wheck havoc to your next of kins!
2020-03-29 14:01
As a small country with multi races , if our PM is not able to identify the priority...the rest down the road is nothing more than a myth. Living now and solve the problem now rather thinking non stop future problems....lolz
2020-03-29 14:02
And you listen to Boris Johson, the idiotic who is tested positive Covid19!
2020-03-29 14:02
updown...reacting to things as u see...............
but who can see further than reacting to things as they see? Who can be proactive?
.the likely trajectory we are going is 2-3 months lock down with gradual opening up...........and we will follow the leads by UK/US..........
.....Malaysia got the reserves to do that mmeh?
if open too early, the thing comes back immediately and all the previous sacrifices goes to nought...................
malaysia where got smart one? malaysia is a dumb country and dumb country will do dumb stuffs.........
2020-03-29 14:11
Q3! The purpose of this lockdown is to identify all carriers and to curb the spread! We are dealing with unseen enemy here!
2020-03-29 14:17
Dear Datuk Sri
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/03/28/5084-in-tabligh-cluster-yet-to-be-tested-for-covid-19/
March 28, 2020 5:59 PM
“We need to find 5,084 who have not been tested. We hope we can test them in time,” he said, adding the ministry was working closely with the police to track them down.
My question why till March 28 still have not track down 5,084 people from the Sri Petaling Mosque tabligh convention, shouldn’t it be top priority to trace down and test all the tabligh cluster?
Thank you
2020-03-29 14:24
as like every thing in life...........the smart people take targeted measured actions and good timing is every thing..........not unsustainable, panicky measures with no reserves left begin at the beginning of the war......this is just setting itself up for eventual failure.
well....Malaysia is a stupid country and stupid country do stupid things is very normal.
just have to tolerate it, I guess.....but don't congratulate yourself prematurely.............and don't ejaculate prematurely.
2020-03-29 14:26
SsLee! Yeah, i agree with you! A bit disappointment too! Because of this irresponsible and selfish 5k, there rest of us are suffering!
2020-03-29 14:28
by Sslee > Mar 29, 2020 2:24 PM | Report Abuse
rack down 5,084 people from the Sri Petaling
=========
Malaysia more interested in doing dumb stuffs and spend/ print money than in doing smart stuffs that require brains/ effort....oh...2 weeks ago they say got 4,000 cases from Tabligh testing awaiting results.....two weeks later still got 4,000 tabligh tested still awaiting results........This is Malaysia.
2020-03-29 14:31
You don’t have to be smart very time and looking for trouble. It’s similar in stock market. Sometimes, we just have to be dumb dumb hold or dumb dumb leave the market for a while.
2020-03-29 14:45
Heard China donated money and face mask to Malaysia, Jack Ma also donated face mask. Where are they?
Why we still do not get free mask but have to buy it?
2020-03-29 15:14
https://klse.i3investor.com/blogs/savemalaysia/2020-03-29-story-h1485700006-China_donates_test_kits_ventilators_face_masks.jsp
China donates test kits, ventilators, face masks
When can we get free face mask?
2020-03-29 15:18
in any crisis, its developing countries that will suffer most.......this thing no exception.
2020-03-29 17:17
u can lock down for 2 weeks, 4 weeks even..........can lock down for 2-3 months as the science requires?
2020-03-29 17:19
its attack from the top and defend from the bottom...........u can lock down from the top...just sign an order only..........
can u defend from the bottom by testing, contact tracing, isolations, quarantines?
can do mitigations by having enough preparations, equipment, doctors, nurses?...and smart assistance for sick and their family members?
China got 100 million party members mobilized to be community workers to take care of the needs of their communities...Malaysia got meh?
Malaysia will bring sledge hammer to the problem.........and use crisis to fatten somebody pocket............that is what we are.
and hospitals stuffs..............we have China donations for that.
2020-03-29 17:26
Q3. You worship CCP so much and looking down our own country without solid reasons backing. Come back to see the results in fighting against Covid 19 three months. No point keep mumbling.
2020-03-29 17:45
China is no more facing supply chain issues but global demand slumped due to Covid 19. The demand crash is worst than trade war.
https://youtu.be/ME0pSHFzBYw
2020-03-29 17:55
China is to blame for current global pandemic! China should have immediately ban it's citizens from leaving China and quickly recall those already outside of China! Instead they wasted time by denying even blame other countries for imposing travel ban on chinese China! Now that Covid19 gone global, we are witnessing gloabl lockdown and demand for China goods completely halt! In the end, China suffer blow from it's own inaction!
2020-03-29 18:14
Repercussion...China did not prohibit the coronavirus from spreading globally.....US were celebrating while the Asia was facing surged infection cases.
2020-03-29 18:23
How many has locked down its country due to Covid 19....Global demand is suddenly went into ice age.
World biggest economy
1. United States
2. China
3. Japan
4. Germany
5. India
6. United Kingdom
7. France
8. Italy
9. Brazil
10. Canada
11. Russia
12. South Korea
13. Spain
14. Australia
15. Mexico
16. Indonesia
17. Netherlands
18. Saudi Arabia
19. Turkey
20. Switzerland
2020-03-29 18:31
I don’t have any doubts to China if their culture were like Japan or South Korea. Now, most of China money held by their CCP Elites keeping in Europe and US. This is the real facts....40 years of hard work by hardworking Chinese but most of the USD earned end up outside China. What a pity.
2020-03-29 18:51
updown...I am giving the realistic picture not some fairy tale to keep u dumb and stupid...and for the Malay unity government, they don't waste an opportunity to fatten somebody's bank account. ..every crisis is an opportunity to fatten somebody's bank account.
2020-03-29 19:05
It is OK for being dumb since I am just an ordinary people in Bursa. I’m nobody and just a small potato in I3. Is it my profile preventing me from making a living in Bursa? Lolz
2020-03-29 19:11
You can say I am dumb or being stupid. Is it a big deal for me to make money in Bursa?
2020-03-29 19:14
China sacrificed Wuhan to save the rest of the China ( and indirectly the rest of humanity as well) from the worse of the virus..........Its the first city in modern times to be completely locked down .....
If rest of the world took the measures that the rest of China took in Jan/Feb.............then , they too could have been as healthy and undamaged as rest of china.
now, country after country under complete lock down....at this rate.................by the end of the crisis, China will be the only super power left standing..................
2020-03-29 19:31
This super power, that super power, this Superman.....what most important is making money in Bursa for a living. The rest are craps....
2020-03-29 19:38
We analyze the facts presented at this moment for making a better investment or trading decision. I am living here now. Who care about this superpower, that superhuman in future.....
2020-03-29 19:46
Wuhan was sacrificed for the common good..... now everyone is a Wuhan..... but Wuhan only a small part of China.
2020-03-29 21:05
Q3. How come you become a short sighted person and being so pessimistic now? If most of the people cooperate with the government to fight against Covid 19 during lockdown period then we won’t be end up like Wuhan. We can resume our normal life early. If you were staying in Europe or US, you might have to wait 2 months at least for breathing fresh air in the park.
2020-03-29 21:29
You allow your mind to live in Wuhan whereas your body is staying in Malaysia now. Lolz
2020-03-29 21:37
Posted by Up_down > Mar 29, 2020 6:51 PM | Report Abuse
I don’t have any doubts to China if their culture were like Japan or South Korea. Now, most of China money held by their CCP Elites keeping in Europe and US. This is the real facts....40 years of hard work by hardworking Chinese but most of the USD earned end up outside China. What a pity.
Answer : Alibaba! Grow some brain before accusing others of your own stupidity!
2020-03-29 21:51
Q3! What is one month for returning to normal life soon! Compare to US and EU, they going into very long and painful suffering! Even UK health chief said that 20k death from Covid19 is already a good result! If our health minister said the same, he will be packed in freezer and send to New York!
What we are witnessing is a total blunder on US and EU part for not containing Covid19!
As for Alibaba, i am given the matter of fact! If China had contain it much early within their borders like SARS, things would be very different!
But now, the repercussion is going to hurt them very badly! China will see no demands from US and EU for a long time! What if it takes 3 years to recover! By then CCP would be history!
2020-03-29 21:56
Life is carrying on as normal in Sweden - scientists explain the controversial approach https://flip.it/5NNUbe from Flipboard. an informed alternative
2020-03-29 22:39
in a crisis, developing countries will always suffer more than developed countries........................
take India, for instances........
no lock down, the virus will kill them.....
India lock down, poverty will kill more Indians than the virus ever can...............
2020-03-29 22:42
Malaysia............we have a few million living day by day, a lot of them are foreign workers.............
These people will turn to crime to survive if no income for another few weeks.............................................
2020-03-29 22:46
lock down...so easy, just issue an order only.......
the millions of shop owners ....95% of them Chinese owners..........how?
Chinese owners under Malay unity government ...who cares.
2020-03-29 22:49
while it is the poor and the poor countries that suffers the most, in US and Malaysia , the main focus will be to rescue the stock market and the rich..........................................
2020-03-29 23:33
while it is the poor and the poor countries that suffers the most, in US and Malaysia , the main focus will be to rescue the stock market and the rich..........................................
this happens in 2008, will also happen in 2020................
2020-03-29 23:34
so...projected death toll UK....20,000............US 200,000..............?
with the shut downs already in place.....it will not be so bad.
2020-03-30 12:02
COVID-19 Leadership Lessons From Singapore: Be Ready, Be Bold & Be Decisive Amid The Uncertainty https://flip.it/CY-uCU from Flipboard.
Singapore, smart country.
Malay unity government, 100 years later still dumb and stupid, cannot compare.
2020-03-30 16:25
Posted by Up_down > Mar 29, 2020 9:29 PM | Report Abuse
Q3. How come you become a short sighted person and being so pessimistic now? If most of the people cooperate with the government to fight against Covid 19 during lockdown period then we won’t be end up like Wuhan. We can resume our normal life early. If you were staying in Europe or US, you might have to wait 2 months at least for breathing fresh air in the park.
Answer : Probably a year or 2! US and EU totally goner!
2020-03-30 16:28
Why Q3 can’t see COVID-19 Leadership Lessons From Malaysia: Be Ready, Be Bold & Be Decisive Amid .....All sort of reasons came out just because people are not allowed cycling outdoors...
2020-03-30 16:53
Up_down
Is it merely because he is banned from cycling during the lockdown period?
2020-03-29 13:55