Self-employed Britons are said to receive up to £ 2500 during the Corona crisis

The situation in the UK continues to deteriorate. Self-employed people should now receive state aid.

• The United Kingdom is desperately fighting the Sars CoV-2 * coronavirus
• Self-employed people should receive government grants
• The government passes a Corona Emergency Law

+++ 19.17 PM: The British finance minister Rishi Sunak has announced to support self-employed people who are threatened by the corona virus in their existence. As with employees, the state wants to provide 80 percent of the income.

The self-employed are to receive up to 2500 pounds (around 2750 euros) per month. A requirement is a maximum profit of £ 50,000 annually. Around 95 percent of all self-employed are to be protected in this way. However: "We cannot protect every single job and every single company," Sunak explained. Some would fall through the grid.

Too few Cotonavirurs tests in the UK

+++ 14.55 clock: Great Britain has so far been difficult to increase its test capacities. A total of around 97,000 people were tested there by Wednesday. This puts the country far behind Germany, where around 410,000 tests have now been carried out. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that he wanted to increase the capacity from 5000 to 25,000 tests a day. So far, however, it is not clear until when this goal can be achieved. On Wednesday, according to official information, just 6,600 tests were carried out.

However, the British government said that it had secured 3.5 million sets for antibody tests, but it is still unclear whether they will work as desired. However, these could prove to be crucial when it comes to sending hospital staff back to work after an infection. Antibody tests can identify an infection that has already been overcome.

Coronavirus pandemic: UK hospitals before collapse

+++ 12.05 PM: Britain's NHS complains that London hospitals are increasingly overworked due to the coronavirus pandemic . The hospitals in the British capital are faced with a "constant tsunami" of seriously ill corona patients, the high-ranking NHS representative Chris Hopson said on Thursday.

After the hospitals had "massively" expanded their capacities for the intensive care treatment of patients in the past weeks, there is now an "explosion" in the number of seriously ill patients. The situation is further aggravated by the fact that many hospital employees are themselves ill and therefore missing. The sickness rate among hospital staff is “30 percent, 40 percent and in some places even 50 percent,” said Hopson. This extent is "unprecedented".

According to information from Wednesday, 9,529 infections with the novel coronavirus have been detected in the United Kingdom, 463 infected died. Last week, the government announced the establishment of a 4,000-bed temporary hospital in a conference center in London.

Mayor of London is powerless

+++ 10.40 clock: Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has been criticized in the past few days by the ministers for not offering underground services in his city anymore. As a result, some cars were overcrowded, increasing the risk of coronavirus transmission. This morning Khan pointed out that he could no longer offer capacity because one in three of the staff was isolated or sick.

⚠️ One in three @TfL staff are off sick or self-isolating: we cannot run more services

⚠️ Employers: staff must work from home wherever possible to help protect our key workers who need to travel

⚠️ If you have to go to work, please don't travel at rush hour # COVID19 pic.twitter.com/67SmQ7q3kp

At the same time, he urged the population to avoid rush hours as much as possible.

No preferential treatment for Prince Charles

Update 03/26/2020, 08.55 a.m .: The UK government has pointed out that Prince Charles did not receive preferential treatment when he received a coronavirus test before many NHS workers.

Speaking to Sky News, Health Minister Edward Argar said the prince had received no special treatment when tested positive for the virus.

When asked why the prince had received a test while many health officials are still waiting, Argar said, "My understanding is that his symptoms and condition met the criteria for a test."

Corona Emergency Law passed

+++ 19.54 PM: The British Parliament in London has passed a Corona Emergency Law. Among other things, the law authorizes the government and authorities to enforce exit restrictions and closings of shops if necessary using coercive measures.

In addition, the law makes it easier to access citizens' private data. The authorities also have the right to forcibly quarantine people with corona and suspected cases. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the lower house had already prematurely entered the Easter break on Wednesday (25.03.2020).

400,000 British want to help the NHS

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson also told journalists on Wednesday that more than 400,000 volunteers have signed up to support the NHS state health service in the corona crisis .

They had followed a call from the government the previous day. In addition, 12,000 former NHS employees have agreed to temporarily resume their jobs.

21-year-old dies of Covid-19 without previous illness

+++ 14.20: As "Sky News" reports, a 21-year-old woman without diagnosed previous illness died from the lung disease Covid-19 after being infected with Sars-CoV-2 . She is believed to be the youngest person to die after being infected with coronavirus in the UK .

Coronavirus: Briton, 21, 'with no existing health conditions' dies after contracting COVID-19 https://t.co/FUEQbtS08J

Couples should "test their feelings"

+++ 14.10 PM: The British government has asked couples with separate households to test their relationship for resilience because of the initial restrictions imposed by the coronavirus epidemic . The couple should decide whether to stay together or to keep a distance, said Jenny Harries, the UK government's deputy health official, to journalists on Wednesday.

However, people should be prevented from switching back and forth between different households. "Check the strength of your feelings carefully and stay in one household, either together or separately, but stick with it (...)," said Harries.

Corona at Prince Charles: Equal rights for everyone?

+++ 12.40 p.m .: Some commentators on Twitter are not pleased about the possibility that Prince Charles may receive special treatment that is not available to other people with coronavirus symptoms . The BBC's James Cook says: “It is surprising to say that Prince Charles of the NHS in Aberdeenshire 'met the criteria required for testing'. The NHS Scotland website states that tests for Covid-19 are generally only performed if you have a serious illness that requires hospitalization.

The statement that Prince Charles “met the criteria required for testing” by the NHS in Aberdeenshire is puzzling. The NHS Scotland website states that, generally, testing for Covid-19 will only be carried out “if you have a serious illness that requires admission to hospital.” pic.twitter.com/KLnu61rya7

Prince Charles tested positive

+++ 12.10 PM: As reported by the British royal family, Charles, Prince of Wales, has tested positive for the new type of corona virus. The heir to the throne "shows mild symptoms, but is otherwise in good health," said a spokesman for the eldest son of the queen.

Duchess Camilla also tested

His wife, Duchess Camilla (72), had also been tested, but no infection was found to have been found. The couple are now in domestic isolation at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Where the Prince of Wales could have caught the virus was initially unclear. Charles had seen a number of appointments in the past few weeks. He now works from home, the message said.

It was initially unclear whether Queen Elizabeth II (93) and her husband, Prince Philip (98), were also tested. The two had already moved to Windsor Castle, west of London, last week. Because of their age, they are considered to be particularly at risk.

+++ 11.20: After the government announced that the ExCel Center in London would be converted into an emergency hospital, large conference halls in other British cities will now follow suit.

In Birmingham, the operators of the "NEC", where a dog show was held earlier this month, said they would be "ready" and "well-equipped" if the hall were considered a suitable location for a makeshift hospital.

House of Commons goes into Easter break earlier

+++ 10.45 a.m .: The "lockdown" now also affects the British Parliament. MEPs start the Easter break a week earlier than planned. Jacob Rees-Mogg, the chairman of the lower house, has made a request.

However, the break should not begin until the Coronavirus Act has been passed. The decision to take an early break is not a big surprise - but another sign of how the outbreak of the coronavirus changed all aspects of normal life in Britain.

UK corona crisis - unprecedented lockdown

Update from Wednesday, March 25th, 2020, 10:29 am: The British daily "The Independent" calls the partial lockdown decreed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson unprecedented, even compared to wartime. But the newspaper also reports doubts as to whether the measures are actually sufficient. It is unclear whether the order could prevent a "terrible crisis in the hospitals".

While the restrictions on freedom of movement that have gradually been announced over the past few weeks will have a positive effect and reduce pressure on public health services, the UK could still suffer severely from Covid-19. “If we had curfew a month ago, we would be better able to cope with the peak of the epidemic today. For this reason, it will be necessary to intensify the lockdown in the coming days, ”writes the newspaper.

Corona pandemic in the United Kingdom (UK): More than 8000 people infected with corona

Update, Tuesday, March 24th, 7:50 p.m .: The number of corona deaths in Great Britain rose by 87 in the evening to 422 now. The number of confirmed infections is now more than 8000.

The actual number is likely to be even higher. In the United Kingdom (UK), only around 82,000 people have been tested so far, far less than in Germany, for example. British Health Minister Matt Hancock said the government is about to buy millions of test sets.

Londoners ignore warnings about Corona: Mayor Khan stunned

First report, Tuesday, March 24, 2:26 p.m .: London - Sadiq Khan was stunned. "We have to stop all unnecessary trips," said the Mayor of London . "Ignoring these rules means losing more lives." More employers would have to offer employees to work at home during the Corona crisis .

The reason for his excitement was pictures from the subways of the British capital. Because even on Tuesday (March 24th), many trains in London were still completely overcrowded, in many compartments the passengers were crowded next to each other - even though the government had just introduced stricter exit restrictions in the fight against the Sars CoV-2 coronavirus .

Corona in the UK: People ignore government recommendations

A nurse had no interest in sitting on the subway on her way to the clinic. As a precaution, she would rather walk 40 minutes, she told the German Press Agency. She did not want to endanger herself and the patients.

Which is a voice of reason that is otherwise in the UK surprisingly often still missing. Most British people simply ignored the government's recommendations at the weekend. People soaked up the sun in the beautiful spring weather in the parks of London, and there were also plenty of day trippers in the Snowdonia Mountains in Wales, in the Scottish Highlands and in Cornwall in the south-west of England.

Fighting UK corona pandemic: British irritated by new exit restrictions

But apparently the latest exit restrictions in the fight against the corona pandemic are not clearly worded. In a speech to the nation on Monday (23 March), Prime Minister Boris Johnson * instructed his compatriots to leave their own four walls as little as possible. Meetings of more than two people are prohibited. The house should only be left for the purchase of essential items such as food and medicine, for the way to work and once a day for sports. Shops that are not used for basic services had to close immediately.

Police chiefs reported on Tuesday (March 24th) that they were receiving a flood of questions that they could not answer. The leader of the Labor opposition party, Jeremy Corbyn , asked for clarification as to which workplaces must now be closed. Previously, a sporting goods company had unsuccessfully opposed the closure on the grounds that its equipment was crucial for the fight against the novel pathogen.

Corona in the United Kingdom: Situation is getting worse

The situation in the United Kingdom (UK) has been worsening for days. Boris Johnson in particular is criticized for reacting too late to the coronavirus pandemic . The hesitation could prove fatal, warn scientists. Already more than 335 people have died of the infection on the island, the curve of the number of cases develops very similar to that in Italy - with a difference of two weeks.

Bending the curve: the earlier the better. The @FT graph also displays the enlightening recap of when lockdown to limit # COVID19 was put in place in different countries:

- China: at 30 deaths
- France: at 175
- Spain: at 200
- UK: at 335
- Italy: at 800
- US: no lockdown pic.twitter.com/Rwl1ZEw6Gz

In fact, Johnson was initially very hesitant about the corona pandemic. The prime minister, based on the advice of his advisers, started out with a completely different strategy than most other countries. Since the corona virus is unstoppable, drastic measures should be delayed as long as possible. It makes the most sense if part of the population is infected and then immunized. With this “herd immunity” , the United Kingdom (UK) wanted to avoid a second wave of contagion in autumn. The World Health Agency was not a friend of this strategy, and numerous scientists accused Johnson of following an erroneous line.

UK Corona Pandemic: Pre-Collapse Health Service

Johnson has meanwhile turned around. But the United Kingdom (UK) is also struggling with the problem that the national health service NHS is extremely poorly prepared * for the coronavirus crisis *. Even with flu waves, the tax-financed system is constantly on the brink of collapse, but now the corona crisis could lead to a collapse.

Now the years of austerity measures have had a negative impact. In the United Kingdom (UK), only 6.6 beds per 100,000 inhabitants were available in intensive care units before the outbreak of the crisis. There is a lack of personnel and material, protective masks and respirators are in short supply.

By Christian Stör

* fr.de is part of the Ippen-Digital editors network

Rubric list picture: © picture alliance / Matt Dunham / AP POOL / dpa