Coronavirus live news: Italy records lowest daily increase in deaths in a week

Germany and Italy extend lockdowns; Spain cases pass 100,000; global cases near 900,000; record daily fatalities in UK

The Scottish government has significantly increased the timescales for answering freedom of information requests due to the conoravirus crisis after winning a series of knife-edge votes in Holyrood.

Hundreds of Scottish public bodies will now be given up to 60 working days to answer information requests, and could be allowed another 40 days under special circumstances, after ministers forced through major changes to Scotland’s FoI regime.

In the UK, health workers are making improvised masks out of snorkels, buying kit from hardware stores and using school science goggles to protect themselves
in anticipation of a rise in coronavirus cases, it has emerged.
An NHS consultant anaesthetist working in south-east England reported buying 60 snorkels to adapt into respirator masks. “Various other places are doing the same,” the doctor told the Guardian. “One trust has ordered 500 and teamed up with companies who are (3D) printing the adapters.”

NHS staff are making improvised masks out of snorkels due to concerns about a lack of equipment. The same has happened in Belgium (pictured). Article link in bio. #coronavirusnews (pic cred: Reuters)

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