Coronavirus news you might have missed: Lockdown likened to ‘police state’ and NHS doctors ‘gagged’ over protective equipment shortages

£75m plan to bring home up to 60,000 British travellers stranded overseas

The coronavirus pandemic continues to cause chaos in the UK and around the world.

Here’s your morning briefing of everything you may have missed overnight.

Government announces £75m plan to bring British travellers home

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab announced a £75m plan to repatriate as many as 60,000 British travellers stranded overseas.

After negotiations with airlines, Mr Raab announced a partnership agreement under which Virgin, EasyJet, Jet2 and Titan signed a memorandum of understanding to help bring back UK nationals.

Meanwhile, British Airways said it would work with the government “in the national interest” to get people home.

Where commercial flights are not an option, the government will charter special flights to get Britons back, subsidising ticket prices.

Lockdown likened to ‘police state’ by former Supreme Court judge

A former Supreme Court judge likened the enforcement of Britain’s coronavirus lockdown to a “police state” after a spate of arrests.

Some forces have been accused of going beyond the provisions of public health laws enacted last week, after people were summonsed to court for going for a drive and shopping for “non-essential items”.

Derbyshire Police force was heavily criticised for using a drone to “shame” people walking with members of their household in the Peak District.

Lord Sumption said the force had “shamed our policing traditions” by appearing to enforce government guidelines rather than the law itself.

NHS doctors ‘gagged’ over protective equipment shortages

Frontline doctors told The Independent they had been gagged from speaking out about shortages of protective equipment as they treat coronavirus patients – with some claiming managers had threatened their careers.

Staff have been warned not to make any comments about shortages on social media, as well as avoiding talking to journalists, while NHS England has taken over the media operations for many NHS hospitals and staff.

The Independent has seen a series of emails and messages warning staff not to speak to the media during the coronavirus outbreak.

One GP has been barred from working in a community hospital in Ludlow after making comments about the lack of equipment, while another in London said they were told to remove protective equipment they had purchased themselves.

Dominic Cummings self-isolates after developing coronavirus symptoms

Downing Street confirmed Dominic Cummings is self-isolating at home after showing symptoms of coronavirus.

The prime minister’s top adviser is understood to have fallen ill over the weekend and remains at home, while staying in contact with the Downing Street team during the quarantine period.

Mr Cummings, a key member of Boris Johnson’s inner circle, was last spotted racing away from Downing Street on Friday after the news broke that the prime minister had tested positive for Covid-19.

Boris Johnson faces fresh pressure to delay Brexit transition period

Boris Johnson faced fresh pressure to delay the end of the Brexit transition period while countries contine to focus on battling the coronavirus epidemic.

MEPs from the largest grouping in the European Parliament warned the British economy would face the “double whammy” of coronavirus disruption and a possible no-deal Brexit if the prime minister presses ahead with the 31 December deadline.

However No 10 rebuffed the calls, saying the date was “enshrined in UK law” after the withdrawal agreement bill cleared parliament earlier this year.

Carluccio’s and BrightHouse fall into administration

Struggling restaurant chain Carluccio’s and rent-to-own giant BrightHouse both announced they had fallen into administration because of the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

Carluccio’s blamed tough trading conditions made worse by the coronavirus outbreak, which has seen restaurants shut their doors.

The decision casts doubt over the chain’s 71 UK restaurants and 2,000 employees.

Advisory firm FRP has been appointed to explore options for the business, including a sale of all or parts of the group.

The news came moments after BrightHouse announced it was going into administration, putting 2,500 jobs at risk.

UK death toll rises by 180 in one day, to 1,408

The number of people in the UK to die after testing positive for coronavirus rose to 1,408 on Monday after it claimed 180 more lives.

NHS England said the number of people who have died in England had risen by 159, bringing the total to 1,284.

The patients were aged between 32 and 98 years old and all but four, aged between 56 and 87 years old, had underlying health conditions.

The number dead in Wales rose by 14 to 62, health officials said, while Nicola Sturgeon announced six more had died in Scotland, taking the total to 47.

In Northern Ireland, the number rose by one to 22, health officials said.