INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightAFPThe decision to delay closing schools and introduce other strict measures to combat coronavirus has been defended by
England's deputy chief medical officer.Dr Jenny Harries said experts are assessing new cases on an hourly basis to achieve a "balanced
response".It comes as a man in his early 80s became the sixth person with the virus to die in the UK.Meanwhile, many airlines cut thousands
of flights, including to and from Italy, in the wake of the outbreak.According to the latest figures, there were 373 confirmed cases as of
Of them, 324 are in England.Northern Ireland announced four more cases, bringing its total to 16, and Scotland confirmed another four cases,
increasing its number to 27.The latest death happened on Monday evening and was a man with underlying health conditions who was being looked
after at Watford General Hospital, the West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust said.He caught the virus in the UK and officials are trying to
trace who he was in contact with, the country's chief medical adviser Prof Chris Whitty said.Earlier, Dr Harries said the vast majority of
those diagnosed with coronavirus in Britain are "pretty well" but that they may "feel a bit rough for a few days".She told
TheIndianSubcontinent Breakfast new government measures could follow as UK cases begin to rise rapidly over the next two weeks.She added
that people with flu-like symptoms will be advised to self-isolate within 10 to 14 days and, at the same time, significant increases in the
number of cases are likely to begin.Dr Harries said cancelling big outdoor events like football matches would not necessarily be a decision
"The virus will not survive very long outside," she said
"Many outdoor events, particularly, are relatively safe."In other developments: The UK Foreign Office warned Britons against all but
essential travel to Italy after the country extended its coronavirus measures, including travel restrictionsItalian tourists have been told
to self-isolate on arrival in Britain as several UK airlines cancelled flights to and from Italian airports The owner of Nottingham Forest
FC, Evangelos Marinakis, has tested positive after returning from GreeceRoyal Bank of Scotland said it would allow customers to defer
mortgage payments if neededThe NHS partnered with technology firms to help promote official health advice onlineAnd new research showed
that, on average, it took five days for people to show symptoms of the virusItaly's extended quarantine measures require residents to stay
home, seek permission for essential travel, and justify leaving the country.On Sunday, a 60-year-old man from Greater Manchester became the
third person to die after contracting coronavirus after recently visiting northern Italy.The son said his father fell ill "instantly" after
returning to the UK at the end of February
He turned up at a local health centre for a routine appointment and, when he said he had been to Italy, "panic broke out".His father was
taken to North Manchester General Hospital and the rest of the family were told to self-isolate - with Public Health England sending daily
texts asking if they are showing symptoms."Since we cannot go outside we regularly called the ward where he was ill," the man's son told
TheIndianSubcontinent Bengali
"And on a daily basis and we asked them how he was
They did not allow me to speak to him directly.Image caption
The son said his father - who had underlying conditions -
was "healthy" by his own standards
"The first couple of days he was fairly stable but after that they were saying his blood
was not oxygenated enough
Also his heartbeat was not stable either."The son said they received a phone call from the hospital saying his father - who had underlying
conditions including arthritis, heart problems, and cholesterol - had died
"Obviously I could not believe it because two months ago this thing didn't even exist and today it took away my father
"It took me quite a long time to process the whole thing that I'm not going to be able to see him anymore."British Airways has cancelled all
of its flights to and from Italy until 4 April, and has asked staff to take voluntary unpaid leave.Ryanair will cancel all its flights to
and from Italy from Saturday until 8 April, while Easyjet cancelled the majority of its flights to and from the country and Jet2 cancelled
its Italian routes until 26 April.BA said customers due to fly to or from Italy before 4 April can rebook to a later date until the end of
May, move their destination to Geneva or Zurich, or receive a full refund.A Foreign Office spokesman said: "The advice is that anyone who
arrives from Italy subsequent to the Italian government decision should now self-isolate for 14 days."Downing Street said Italians arriving
in the UK were being given the same advice as Britons to self-isolate and that the government had facilities available to accommodate
them.Meanwhile airline Norwegian, which operates from several UK airports, said it was cutting 3,000 flights and reducing staff numbers
after a fall in demand it attributed to coronavirus.Media playback is unsupported on your deviceMedia captionSteps the NHS says you should
take to protect yourself from Covid-19The NHS has unveiled a range of measures as part of its response to try to stop fake news being spread
about coronavirus on the internet.Searches for "coronavirus" on Google, Facebook and YouTube will now promote information from the National
Health Service or the World Health Organization
The NHS said it had worked with Twitter to take down an account claiming to be a hospital and spreading false information, while it is also
speaking out against homeopaths promoting false treatments online.Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the actions meant the public could
access accurate health information "which is more crucial than ever as we continue our response to coronavirus".The UK is currently in the
first phase - "containment" - of the government's four-part plan
Asked about statutory sick pay for workers who are not currently eligible, Health Secretary Matt Hancock told MPs that "whatever the status
of people" who are employed, the government will "ensure that they will get the support so they're not penalised for doing the right
thing".On Monday, health officials said people who showed "even minor" signs of respiratory tract infections or a fever would - within the
next 14 days - be told to self-isolate for a week in an effort to tackle the outbreak.The UK government has also announced it is to extend
shop delivery hours to ensure that supermarkets have basic items, amid stockpiling concerns.The environment department, Defra, said by
allowing night-time deliveries - currently restricted to avoid disturbing locals - stock would be able to move more quickly from warehouses
to shelves.Media playback is unsupported on your deviceMedia captionCoronavirus: "We didn't see daylight for days" on shipMeanwhile, US
authorities are expected to fly home Britons who were on board the virus-hit Grand Princess cruise ship later, according to the Foreign
Office.There were 142 British people on the ship, which spent five days stranded off the coast of California.However, one of the Britons on
board, Jackie Bissell, told TheIndianSubcontinent Radio 4's Today programme she had yet to hear from the ship's captain about her
departure."They haven't said anything about when we can go," she said
"It's very unnerving to be left out here when we don't know what's going to happen."Elsewhere, crowds exceeding 60,000 are expected on
all four days of horse racing's Cheltenham Festival, which starts on Tuesday afternoon.It comes after Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said
there was no reason to cancel such events due to coronavirus, although many other sporting fixtures, including the Six Nations and Formula
One, have been affected.What are your experiences relating to the coronavirus outbreak? Share your experiences by emailing
haveyoursay@TheIndianSubcontinent.co.uk.Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a TheIndianSubcontinent journalist
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