Coronavirus news you may have missed overnight: UK lockdown extended by three weeks, as firefighters drafted in to move bodies after ‘considerable number’ of Covid-19 deaths in Midlands

Latest on impact of pandemic across the globe

The global coronavirus pandemic has now infected more than two million people worldwide and an estimated 144,000 deaths have been recorded.

In the UK, more than 103,093 people have been confirmed to have caught Covid-19 and 13,729 people have died in hospital after contracting the disease.

As the virus continues to cause an impact around the world, here’s your daily briefing of recent news items you may have missed.

UK lockdown to be extended until May at earliest, government announces

Dominic Raab announced the nationwide coronavirus lockdown will be extended for at least another three weeks to 7 May.

The first secretary of state told the daily Downing Street press briefing any change in social distancing measures would “risk damage to both public health and our economy”.

Mr Raab, who is deputising for Boris Johnson while the prime minister recuperates from Covid-19, said the government’s scientific advisers had found indications the spread of the virus had slowed but that it was a “mixed and inconsistent” picture.

Firefighters begin moving bodies after ‘considerable number’ of coronavirus deaths in Midlands

Firefighters have been drafted in to move the bodies of coronavirus victims in one of the UK’s most badly hit regions.

As rising casualties further strain emergency services, West Midlands Fire Service crews have begun to retrieve bodies from hospitals, care homes and homes.

Andrew Scattergood, regional secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said “we hoped that it would never come to this” but staff volunteering to work in the new body movement team are “proud to provide a humanitarian service.”

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Trump announces guidelines for reopening states when coronavirus outbreak ends

Donald Trump has announced guidelines he wants governors to use to craft their own plans to reopen their states when the coronavirus outbreak ends.

The president even suggested that some states like Montana and Wyoming could start the process as early as Friday.

Stating that the country could open “one careful step at a time”, he claimed the peak in cases is “behind us”, hailing his own “quick” action amid Democrats’ claims of a slow and ineffective US response. ”

Picnics are legal, but no repainting the kitchen: Police issue new coronavirus lockdown guidelines

Picnics during long walks are legal but sitting on a park bench for lengthy periods may violate the coronavirus lockdown, according to new police guidance.

It confirms that people can buy “non-essential items” from supermarkets, but cautions against leaving the home for DIY supplies.

The document states that the Health Protection Regulations 2020 “specify maintenance and upkeep”, and that going out and “buying paint and brushes, simply to redecorate a kitchen” would be illegal.