Coronavirus news you might have missed overnight: Congress to allow remote voting for first time as worldwide death toll hits 300,000

UK government and trade unions are urged to 'stop squabbling' 

Rory Sullivan
Saturday 16 May 2020 09:55 BST
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Trump 'looking at' making coronavirus vaccine free

More than 4.49 million people have been infected with Covid-19 around the world and more than 300,000 deaths have been reported.

In the UK, the official death toll stands at over 33,000 and over 233,000 cases have been recorded.

Here is your morning briefing of the coronavirus news you may have missed overnight.

Congress to allow remote voting for first time

For the first time in its history, the House of Representatives will permit its members to vote remotely because of the coronavirus crisis.

Voting largely along party lines, members of Congress voted approved proxy voting for all roll-call votes and enabled members to virtually participate in committee hearings during the pandemic.

It signals a break from the body’s 231-year rules, which require members to be physically present to vote.

UK government and teaching unions told to stop squabbling

The government and teaching unions have been told to “stop squabbling” and come to an agreement on a plan to reopen schools in the UK.

Anne Longfield, the children’s commissioner for England, encouraged both parties to agree to a safe, phased return to school, supported by “rigorous” Covid-19 testing of staff and children.

Ms Longfield urged that all children should return to school before the summer, adding: “We cannot afford to wait for a vaccine, which may never arrive, before children are back in school.”

Specially-trained dogs to 'sniff out' coronavirus

Specially-trained "Covid-19 detection" dogs could be used to detect coronavirus in infected people, if a trial by British researchers goes to plan.

Canines are known for their acute sense of smell and and are already used to sniff out certain cancers and other diseases.

Medical detection dogs working with other diseases can screen up to 250 people per hour.

Professor James Logan, the lead researcher and Head of the Department of Disease Control at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said he was “hopeful” that the government-back scheme could succeed. 

Donald Trump “looking at” making vaccine free 

Donald Trump has said he is “looking at” making a coronavirus vaccine free, after claiming his administration is working at “warp speed” to have one ready by the end of the year.

When asked whether vaccines should be free, the president told reporters at the White House that “we’re looking at that actually”.

Earlier on Friday, Mr Trump said that the US was reopening “vaccine or no vaccine”, as most states began to ease quarantine measures and to reopen businesses.

The US Covid-19 death toll now stands at over 85,000.

 

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