Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 8 May 2020

1. Johnson to keep Britain in lockdown until June

Boris Johnson will keep Britain in lockdown until at least June after he was warned that outbreaks in care homes and hospitals make easing measures any sooner too dangerous. Meanwhile, The Guardian says the PM is urgently trying to regain control of messaging as he is accused of priming the public to give up on the lockdown.

2. Bank of England says economic recovery could take a year

The Bank of England says Britain could take a year to return to normal after suffering its deepest recession for more than three centuries. It forecast that the economy will sink by as much as 25% in the three months to June – the steepest fall since 1706. The crisis is expected to put a stop on household spending, force businesses to shut and halt the property market.

3. Starmer says VE Day generation must be protected

Sir Keir Starmer says the VE Day generation should be protected from the virus in care homes. Writing for the Daily Telegraph, he says the UK owes “so much” to those “who protected our country in its darkest hour”. The UK will mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day today. Boris Johnson has thanked the VE Day generation, saying “our gratitude will be eternal”.

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4. Report warned that care homes would be hit by pandemic

A secret report in 2017 warned the government that UK was not prepared for a pandemic and foreshadowed the Covid-19 crisis in care homes. The report, based on the findings of a government simulation of a pandemic, concluded that Britain was not adequately prepared for such “extreme demands”. The Guardian says the news will “raise questions over whether ministers ever implemented key recommendations pertaining to the care home sector”.

5. Ten-day wait for test results despite government target

Patients being tested for Covid-19 are being told they will need to wait up to 10 days to get results because of processing delays. Despite the government’s target to return test results from drive-throughs within 48 hours, and within 72 hours of collection of home delivery tests, the coronavirus testing hotline is warning patients that laboratory capacity means results are now taking “about seven — possibly 10 days”.

6. Australia reveals three-step plan to reopen country

The Australian government has laid out a three-step plan to reopen the country after the coronavirus crisis. The first stage sees restaurants, cafes and shops reopened. Stage two will allow gatherings of up to 20 people, and stage three sees most employees back in the workplace and gatherings of up to 100 people allowed.

7. Two arrests made in Ahmaud Arbery murder case

Two men involved in the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery face murder charges, says the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Gregory McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, were arrested and booked into the Glynn County Jail. A widely shared video, which appears to show the deadly confrontation, has sparked widespread anger, with some describing the attack as a “lynching”.

8. Prince Andrew ‘faces legal proceedings over £5m debt’

Legal proceedings have been launched against Prince Andrew over an unpaid bill of £5m, according to reports. The royal is embroiled in a dispute over a Swiss chalet that he and his ex-wife bought in the Verbier ski resort in 2014. Le Temps newspaper claims the pair did not meet a deadline of paying off part of the sum for the seven-bedroom chalet.

9. US abandons the prosecution of former Trump aide

The US government has ditched its prosecution of Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump’s first national security adviser, almost three years after he pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. The 61-year-old lasted just weeks in the administration in 2017 before pleading guilty to “wilfully and knowingly” making “false, fictitious and fraudulent” statements to investigators in December 2017.

10. Rap star Ty dies after contracting Covid-19

Hip-hop star Ty has died aged 47 after contracting coronavirus. The rapper, who was nominated for the Mercury prize for his album Upwards, was admitted into the hospital with medical complications related to Covid-19. A statement says: “Ultimately Ty’s body couldn’t fight back anymore … close friends, family and fans are devastated of his death.”