The second week of the UK’s lockdown has seen the number of coronavirus-related deaths in the country reaching more than 2,900, with the number of confirmed cases nearing 34,000 as of Friday morning.
Experts have predicted a spike in those numbers in the coming weeks, but stress that the expected increases do not signal that social distancing measures are not working.
Tensions have been growing over the enforcement of the lockdown, with a former Supreme Court judge warning that Britain risks resembling a “police state” if the police become overzealous in implementing the rules.
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Just days later it emerged that a woman had been fined £660 fine for “loitering between platforms” at Newcastle Central Station after refusing to tell officers why she was travelling. Following pressure from legal professionals, a review of the case has established that she “was charged under the incorrect section of the Coronavirus Act 2020”, British Transport Police have since said in a statement.
Meanwhile, latest figures show that almost a million people in Britain have applied for universal credit benefits in the two weeks since the lockdown began. As the global economy teeters in the face of the pandemic, scientists remain split over whether warmer weather will halt the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
With the crisis continuing to dominate the headlines, test how closely you’ve been paying attention to the latest developments and other global events with our Quiz of The Week.
Need a reminder of some other important stories from the past seven days?
Former European Commission president Jacques Delors warned that the coronavirus pandemic could put the EU in “mortal danger” unless steps are taken to foster solidarity between member states.
That fear was echoed by Nathalie Tocci, a former adviser to the EU foreign policy chief, who described the response to the pandemic as “a make-it-or-break-it moment for the European project”.
In non-coronavirus UK news, the chief inspector of probation has backed an experimental drug rehabilitation treatment that sees heroin addicts given free supplies of the Class A narcotic in an effort to reduce reoffending.
On a lighter note, new Netflix documentary Tiger King is proving a major hit with viewers, who have been introduced to a colourful cast of characters from the world of big cat breeding.
