Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 2 May 2020

1. Ministers consider fever checks for commuters

Commuters will be asked to take their temperature before leaving home under new proposals being considered to make public transport safer after the lockdown. Ministers are also reviewing the two-metre social distancing rule in the hope that relaxing the restriction could allow more businesses and schools to reopen. The Daily Telegraph says there is growing evidence that coronavirus does not transmit well in the air.

2. US food and drug body authorises remdesivir medicine

The US’s Food and Drug Administration has authorised the emergency use of the remdesivir drug for treating the coronavirus. The move means the Ebola medication can now be used on people who are hospitalised with severe Covid-19. Clinical trials have found the anti-viral drug helped shorten the recovery time for people who were seriously ill with the virus.

3. New data reveals class divide of coronavirus pandemic

People living in the poorest parts of England and Wales are dying of Covid-19 at twice the rate of those in the richest areas, according to the Office for National Statistics. In response to the news, politicians and public health experts are asking for health funding for the most deprived regions in the aftermath of the pandemic.

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4. Report claims Kim Jong-un has made fresh public appearance

Kim Jong-un has appeared in public for the first time in 20 days, according to North Korean state media. KCNA news agency reports that the North Korean leader cut the ribbon at the opening of a fertiliser factory, with workers breaking into “thunderous cheers of hurrah” when he appeared yesterday. The alleged appearance comes amid intense speculation over his health.

5. Joe Biden denies sexually assaulting former assistant

Joe Biden has denied sexually assaulting a former staff assistant, Tara Reade, nearly 30 years ago. “I'm saying unequivocally: it never, never happened,” said the US Democratic candidate during a television interview on Friday. Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president in the 2020 election, is set to run against Republican President Donald Trump, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by some 25 women.

6. Canada bans assault-style weapons after massacre

Canada has banned assault-style weapons following the murder of 22 people in the worst mass shooting in the country’s history. Announcing the move yesterday, Justin Trudeau said: “These weapons were designed for one purpose and one purpose only: to kill the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time. There is no use and no place for such weapons in Canada.”

7. A tweet from Elon Musk wipes $14bn off his own company

Elon Musk wiped $14bn off Tesla’s value after tweeting that its share price was too high. The social media post also knocked $3bn off the founder’s own stake in Tesla as investors swiftly walked away from the company. “Tesla stock price too high imo,” he wrote. The electric car-marker’s share price has surged this year.

8. National Trust pleads for help as Covid-19 costs it millions

The National Trust says it could lose up to £200m this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, putting some of its core projects at risk. The lockdown has forced the charity to close its green spaces, properties, car parks and retail outlets. It is asking the government to offer the same financial support to nature, wildlife and environmental groups that it has to businesses.

9. Meghan loses first round in battle with Mail on Sunday

The Mail on Sunday has won round one of a legal battle against the Duchess of Sussex over the publication of a letter she wrote to her father. Meghan is suing for breach of privacy and copyright infringement after the paper reproduced parts of the letter. The publisher, which denies the allegations, has won its bid to have parts of Meghan's claim struck out.

10. Premier League ‘to return on June 12 behind closed doors’

Premier League football is set return on June 12 if the government gives the green light, claims The Sun. Top-flight clubs are hoping to begin formal training from May 18, with a target for the return of games to resume on June 12. The matches would be held behind closed doors at neutral venues.