NHS staff may refuse to work this weekend if there are not enough gowns and other personal protective equipment (PPE) for them, a union has warned, as the UK death toll rose by 888 on Saturday. This came as Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said he could not guarantee hospitals would have enough PPE to get through the next few days.
The World Health Organisation has also questioned whether antibody tests could help the UK end its lockdown, insisting they may not prove if someone is protected from reinfection. Britain has placed the tests – which check if someone has had Covid-19 – at the centre of an eventual “back-to-work” plan to restart normal life.
Elsewhere, Donald Trump has urged supporters to “liberate” three states led by Democratic governors, apparently encouraging protests against stay-at-home restrictions. Some states under Republican leadership have edged towards lifting certain measures aimed at stopping the coronavirus.
