The Brick Castle: COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News weekend update 20/21 June 2020.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News weekend update 20/21 June 2020.

The UK added 1,221 cases today and now has reported a total of 304,331 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 175,018 tests yesterday.

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we lost another 43 people who have tested positive to COVID-19. We now very sadly have a total of 42,632 losses of life in all settings.

England 158,940 / 38,138

Northern Ireland 4,870 / 545

Scotland 15,774 / 2,472

Wales 15,126 / 1,477

Rep. Of Ireland 25,379 (+5) cases and 1,715 (+0) losses of life.

There have now been a total of 8,990,530 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 468,328. Already 4,782,577 people have recovered.

Marcus Rashford - who got the government to change their minds and give children free meals all Summer

Northern Ireland reported no new cases of COVID-19 yesterday, for the first time since the epidemic began. It is a weekend, and some areas don't report at weekends, but an encouraging sign nonetheless.

If you go into your phone settings and select Google /Apple Services, you'll find you already have the background technology for a COVID contact tracing app. on your phone. This is like having a telly with no buttons, and the UK (or your own) government health authority have to set up the front end - the control panel.

In BBC telly interviews this weekend, Matt Hancock (UK face of COVID) implied he was very soon going to reduce the 2m physical distancing rule (as long as other measures are in place) and Boris Johnson (the blonde one) reasserted that venues (including pubs and restaurants) will not open until July 4th at the earliest.

The world reported a record high of 180,874 new confirmed cases last Friday - June 19th.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved oral antiviral drug Favipiravir (brand name FabiFlu) for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate Covid-19. The manufacturers say it has improved viral load for up to 88% of mild to moderate patients. This isn't a new drug, it has been used in Japan since 2014 for treating flu.

UK Junior Health Minister Helen Whately is receiving some stern feedback. MP Tom Pursglove wrote to her to ask if student nurses would receive any financial compensation, for heading straight in to the frontline before they were even due to complete their courses. In her reply she said “student nurses in training are supernumerary and are not deemed to be providing a service”.

I think there are a few million people might disagree with you on that one Helen... me included.

America isn't having a great weekend. There are massive spikes in cases in several states, including Arizona, California, Nevada, Florida, Texas and South Carolina.

India is in trouble. Capital Delhi has reported it's largest number of daily cases. Local government has cancelled all leave for hospital and medical institution staff.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Singh is in intensive care with COVID and was given plasma therapy on Saturday.

Brazil also has no Health Minister, he left over differences of opinion a month ago. On Friday 19th June they reported a whopping 55,209 new cases in one day, to become the 2nd country after the USA to officially report over 1 million cases.

The UK government paid companies over £11m to build the contact tracing app that they've now abandoned. I wish I'd have known. I'd have not built them one for half that.

Carnival is selling 6 of their cruise ships. Bookings aren't going so well.

Taiwan will begin to allow certain business visitors from 11 countries or regions from June 22. All visitors need a negative COVID19 test 3 days before they board the flight and will undergo 5-7 days quarantine.

COVID-19 related hospital deaths in the UK have fallen at the quickest rate yet - down 8.9% for the last 7 day rolling average. We will beat this.

Some people

Countries / Cases / Losses of life (some states /provinces yet to report):

USA 2,344,018 (+13,440) 122,127 (+147)

Brazil 1,073,376 (+3,237) 50,182 (+124)

Russia 584,680 (+7,728) 8,111 (+109)

India 422,603 (+10,876) 13,509 (+232)

UK 304,331 (+1,221) 42,632 (+43)

Spain 293,352 (+334) 28,323 (+1)

Peru 251,338 not yet reported today 7,861

Chile 242,355 (+5,607) 4,479 (+184 )

Italy 238,499 (+224) 34,634 (+24)