- As of 09:00 on 2 March 2020, a total of 13,525 people have been tested in the UK for Covid-19, of which 13,485 were confirmed negative
- The Chief Medical Officer for England has announced that a further four patients in England have tested positive. This brings the UK total to 40, including one case in Northern Ireland, one in Wales and one in Scotland. 15 cases have been discharged following two consecutive negative test results
- Globally as of 09:00 on 2 March 2020 there have been 89,070 confirmed cases, of which 80,026 are in China, 4,212 are in South Korea, 1,694 are in Italy and 978 in Iran
- The fatalities to date are 3,043. 131 of these fatalities have occurred outside of Mainland China (Iran (54), Italy (34), Republic of Korea (22), Japan (5), cases on Diamond Princess Cruise ship (6), Hong Kong (2), France (2), Taiwan (1), Philippines (1), USA (2), Thailand (1), Australia (1))
- WHO continues to advise against the application of travel or trade restrictions to countries experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks.
- A COBR meeting between the UK Prime Minister, Chief Medical Officers and senior Ministers was held today to finalise a plan for countermeasures
- The UK Government advice remains unchanged. Anyone who has travelled, or returned, to the UK since 19 February from Iran, specific lockdown areas in Northern Italy as designated by the Government of Italy, special care zones in South Korea as designated by the Government of the Republic of South Korea, Hubei province (returned in the past 14 days) to call NHS111 to inform them of your recent travel to the area and stay indoors and avoid contact with other people even if you do not have symptoms.
- The UK Government is also advising is advising anyone who has travelled, or returned, to the UK from Northern Italy (defined by a line above, and not including, Pisa, Florence and Rimini), Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar since 19 February and develop symptoms, however mild, to stay indoors at home and avoid contact with other people immediately and call NHS111.
- Here is the link to the UK Government advice for businesses https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19
France:
- The French Government has passed a ban on all indoor public gathering of over 5,000 people, the French Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, announced on Saturday 29 February.
- The Louvre closed on Sunday 1 March, and remains so. There has been no indication of when it will reopen at this time
- The French government has advised that where possible, outbound travel should be postponed and that all upcoming school trips should be cancelled. If trips are underway then they should return to France as soon as possible
- There is no update to the travel advice for UK citizens visiting France
Other travel measures, advice and updates:
- Virgin Atlantic has cancelled all Heathrow-Shanghai flights up to 19 April
- The UK Government has published updated guidance for staff in the transport sector
- In Japan, the Government has advised the temporary closure of all schools
- The UN has released US$15 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to help fund global efforts to contain the COVID-19 virus.
- The Foreign Commonwealth Office advice on travel remains the same, with specific travel advice on locations in Italy, South Korea and China
- The Government in Israel has made the decision to restrict entry into Israel for foreign visitors who have travelled to China, Hong Kong , Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Korea, Macau and Italy.
- Number 8 Events has realised an advisory document for event organisers. Please see the attached.
- A meeting between The Heath Minister for Italy and Health Ministers in countries neighbouring Italy was held on Friday 28 February, at which the Ministers developed a collective responsibility strategy. The main take outs were:
- Borders will remain open
- There is no need to cancel major cultural or sporting events
- The countries will share medical knowledge and measures taken in response to the coronavirus outbreak
Partner updates
- In order to gain a better understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on British trade with China, CBBC are running a survey for all British companies trading with China (either exporting or importing) to collect information on the problems being faced. CBBC will use the information gathered by the survey to work with their members and partners towards identifying practical pathways to help companies resolve their issues. The survey will run close at 5pm (GMT) on Tuesday, 3 March, with a detailed report available soon after. All information provided in this survey will remain anonymous. To complete the survey click here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MFYBM96
- The BVEP has shared a couple of advisory documents issues by their members for your information - one is a document prepared by an event safety company on advice to event organisers. The other is advice to staff from Formula E Racing.
You can also visit our website where we continue to share advice for businesses and links to key updates and information.