Coronavirus: Morning update as £1bn pledged to help pupils catch up

Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus outbreak this Friday morning. We'll have another update for you at 18:00 BST.

1. £1bn fund to help pupils catch up

The prime minister has pledged £1bn to help schoolchildren in England affected by the coronavirus lockdown. Schools have been closed to nearly all pupils since before the Easter break - and it is thought unlikely that most will return until after the summer holidays. The funding will mean the most disadvantaged pupils can get access to tutors while primary and secondary schools have been allocated money to pay for one-to-one or group tuition.

Image copyright Getty Images

2. South Asian people 'most likely to die with Covid-19 in hospital'

A study involving universities and health bodies across the UK has found that people with South Asian backgrounds are the most likely to die from Covid-19 after they have been admitted to hospital. The research looked at almost 35,000 patients at 260 hospitals in Great Britain and found that people of South Asian ethnicity were 20% more likely to die than white people. The study suggest that one of the reasons for this is the high levels of diabetes among people from that ethnic group.

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3. US air passenger in face covering row

A passenger on an American Airlines' flight has been removed after he refused to wear a face covering. Former actor Brandon Straka was asked to leave the service after he refused to comply with the crew's request. He says he was ejected after saying there was no federal law which required him to wear a mask. But American Airlines says its policy is that passengers who refuse to cover their face will not be allowed to board.

Image copyright Reuters

4. Return to 'the Wuhan of the West'

The BBC's Rome correspondent, Mark Lowen, has been back to Lombardy, the Italian region which has borne the brunt of the country's coronavirus outbreak. The area has been dubbed "the Wuhan of the West" after the Chinese city where the virus originated.

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Media captionThe BBC revisits Lombardy, the site of Europe's first major outbreak of coronavirus, to ask what went wrong

5. Daughter volunteers at care home to see her dad

Nina Ambrose, from Writtle in Essex, usually works at a cosmetics company but after she was furloughed from her job she began volunteering at the care home where her father lives. She was unable to see her dad Roger, 76, for the first five weeks of lockdown after moved into a care home in January. She has since been visiting the home three or four times a week to organise activities.

Image copyright Nina Ambrose

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And don't forget...

...you can find out how many coronavirus cases there are in your area by clicking here.

There's more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page and you can get the latest updates on our live page.


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