Boris Johnson ‘responding to treatment’ in intensive care; Wales to extend lockdown

The number of deaths linked to coronavirus in a hospital setting in Northern Ireland has risen to 78, with five more reported on Wednesday.

There were 84 new confirmed cases of the virus, bringing the total in the region to 1,339, according to the Public Health Agency.

A further 828 people, who tested positive for the Covid-19 have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 6,483, NHS England said.

The Scottish government has announced an extra £5m in emergency financial support for students at Scottish colleges and universities facing hardship as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

The government’s announcement said:

The £5m includes an additional £2.2m for Scotland’s higher education discretionary fund specifically to address Covid-19-related hardships, which will be available to colleges and universities immediately.

University and college students will be able to apply for any emergency discretionary payments directly to their own institutions.

The remainder will be taken from further education student support budgets “for immediate use” as emergency funds.

Richard Lochhead, the further and higher education minister, said all bursaries, grants and loans would continue to be paid, with the extra funding to help those with concerns around accommodation costs, general living expenses and wellbeing.

The Welsh first minister, Mark Drakeford, has confimed the lockdown will not be lifted next week in Wales.

He told a virtual Welsh assembly meeting:

We will not throw away the gains we have made by abandoning our efforts as they begin to bear fruit.

Drakeford said he had discussed the next steps with the UK, Scottish and Northern Ireland governments and added: “The precise nature of what will follow will be agreed in the following days.”

He thanked the people of Wales for their efforts so far.

The actions every one of us is taking is helping to slow down the spread of the virus and protect the most vulnerable.

The Welsh government said people flouting the lockdown had been recorded by all four police forces in Wales.

Some people had visited holiday homes, which had caused tension. Concerns have been raised by Gwent police about busy roads and motorcyclists congregating in some parts of their area, while South Wales police officers have attended incidents including a children’s birthday party, a football match, and a group of hikers.

Drakeford said:

The stay at home advice means you. A journey to a second home is not an essential journey.

He said breaches had been “sporadic” but warned that if police said stronger powers were needed, they would receive them.

The archbishop of Canterbury has been forced to reiterate his decision to close churches in England after some members of the C of E have challenged the policy.

In a video posted on YouTube, Justin Welby set out five reasons for the church closures. The first was to “set an example” in following the government’s “simple and ethical” public health message.

Second, churches were merely buildings; “the church is the people of God”. Third, clergy and bishops should share “the inconveniencing, the restrictions, the isolations imposed on us. It’s about being part of the flock rather than some super special category that can do its own thing.”

Fourth, he said, the Church of England was the church for England. “If you’re there for everyone, it means you have to think about everyone”.

His final reason was: “It’s not just about us, the believers – it’s about everyone.” Online services were being accessed by “vast numbers … they are a way of reaching out.”

Earlier this week, Sarah Mullally, the bishop of London and the number three in the C of E hierarchy, wrote to clergy in her diocese telling them they could conduct services in their own church to livestream to congregations.

She later clarified in a tweet that clergy had been “clearly instructed” to close churches.

Others have argued that churches should remain open for private prayer and reflection.