lockdown

As people disappear under lockdown, goats, rats and coyotes prowl the streets

Humans can easily forget that the cities and towns they call home and frequently visit are also home to wild animals, writes Sandra E Garcia. In Wales, goats roam the streets, while in San Francisco the Coyotes have come out




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A Realtor Reflects On The Impact Of Lockdown On Her Business

Marilyn Rivera Torres, a realtor in Puerto Rico, says the lockdown has dried up her finances. Confusion over the governor's executive orders also make it unclear how to resume her business.




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A Salon Owner Worries About The Lockdown's Impact On Her Business

Christine Maccarone of New Jersey styles hair in nursing homes and hospitals. She's worried about her business surviving the state lockdown, and the well-being of her elderly clients.




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Charities struggling to survive in lockdown

Charities big and small have been struggling to survive - despite the £750 million in support which the government has announced. 




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Boris Johnson to act with ‘maximum caution’ in easing Covid-19 lockdown restrictions

Boris Johnson has insisted he will act with “maximum caution” in any measures aimed at easing the lockdown




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How will the coronavirus lockdown change from Monday?

In Westminster, ministers said the public should expect only "limited" changes on Sunday night




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75th VE Day anniversary celebrated across UK in coronavirus lockdown

Fighter planes soared in blue skies above towns and cities across the UK to mark the VE Day anniversary






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Lockdown 3.0: Tecno launches doorstep smartphone delivery with over 35,000 retailers

Consumers can reach out to their preferred retailers via Tecno's website and enter their PIN code details. The microsite with a store locator will assist in mapping the retailer and the contact details, and the device will be delivered to their doorsteps by their nearest retailer.




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Coronavirus: Increased alcohol consumption during lockdown could lead to 'second health crisis', warn researchers

It is feared that daily drinkers could be most at risk




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Coronavirus: Do I need to start taking vitamin D during lockdown?

Public Health England has updated its advice on vitamin D




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'Call your GP': Women displaying new gynae cancer symptoms during lockdown urged to seek medical advice

Some hospital trusts have seen a dramatic drop in cancer referrals from GPs in recent weeks




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Disabled people struggle to get food and essential items during lockdown

'I'm worried about running out of food,' says Charles Bloch




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Half of UK workers feeling more stressed or anxious during lockdown, study finds

The poll also found Britons are working 28 hours of overtime per month




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‘It makes me feel human’: 11 women share their lockdown beauty regimens

We’re interacting less with the outside world – and the societal pressures that come with it. Are some women still wearing makeup every day?

The shutdown feels like a good opportunity to examine an age-old feminist question: when women put makeup on, can they ever truly be doing it for themselves?

We will probably never have an answer. The pressure imposed on women to look good is such a part of our existence that we might never get rid of it – even “dressing up for oneself” can be traced back to self-hatred fueled by a beauty-obsessed culture.

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lockdown

How to dress in lockdown | Jess Cartner-Morley

The latest trends may not matter any more, but there is a whole new set of influences on what we wear

I know, I know – there are more important things to think about than clothes at the moment. I get that. On the other hand, I don’t see that me squinting at graphs or scrolling through headlines is going to make a vaccine come any quicker. So thinking about clothes is no less constructive than pondering logarithmic scales or contact tracing approaches, really.

I have pretty much checked out of fashion, in the sense of trends, during the period universally known as This Difficult Time. For those of us fortunate enough not to be at the sharp end of the crisis, lockdown is a little like living in a freeze-frame, and the “spring trends” that were scheduled to be happening in our wardrobes now – Bermuda shorts, crochet dresses, waistcoats – feel like outfits for a party that got cancelled. Fashion in the this-week’s-must-have sense feels like a radio station that’s still broadcasting, but with no one tuning in.

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Thousands lose last hope of having a baby as lockdown closes IVF clinics

Women tell of ‘bereavement’ because they will be too old for fertility treatment when the coronavirus shutdown ends

Coronavirus – latest updates

See all our coronavirus coverage

Thousands of couples may have missed their last chance of conceiving via IVF as fertility clinics shut their doors to patients on Wednesday. Some women who are only just young enough to be eligible for treatment will be too old in a few months’ time.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which regulates Britain’s fertility industry, has ordered private and NHS clinics to stop treating patients who are in the middle of an IVF cycle by 15 April. All new treatments have already been banned, a decision which is likely to prevent the births of at least 20,000 desperately wanted babies if it remains in place for 12 months.

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lockdown

'Bicycles are the new toilet paper': bike sales boom as coronavirus lockdown residents crave exercise

Australia’s peak representative body for cyclists has called on governments to transform roads into cycleways to ease traffic on bike paths

Australian bike retailers are struggling to keep up with the boom in sales since coronavirus restrictions came into force last month.

“We’re the new toilet paper and everyone wants a piece,” Grant Kaplan, manager of Giant Sydney, a bike store in Sydney’s CBD, tells Guardian Australia.

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My partner left me before lockdown and I can't get over him

With so much time on our hands, it’s easy to dwell on loss, says Mariella Frostrup. Try distracting yourself with online dates, box sets and classic novels

The dilemma Several months ago my partner of five years left me very suddenly. He’d gone abroad to work, but as far as I knew everything was fine. I even had flights booked to go and visit. The break-up was a huge shock that left me in a low place. After a few weeks I felt I was beginning to come out of the fog and start moving on with my life, going out and seeing friends, going to classes, etc, but then the lockdown was imposed. Being shut away in my flat all day, alone with my thoughts, I seem to be going backwards.

I’m very aware that we are in the middle of a global crisis and it’s awful for everyone. Luckily, I’m in a good position regarding pay and I’m not paying rent, so I really don’t have any reason to complain. However, all I can think about is my ex. It’s driving me a little bit mad. Do you have any advice on dealing with non-Covid-related troubles during this crisis? Talking to others about it is hard, and I don’t want to make it all about myself.

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I am used to living alone. Why has lockdown made me feel invisible? | Annalisa Barbieri

When life is necessarily small, the more negative feelings we’ve managed to keep in abeyance can loom large, says Annalisa Barbieri

I had adjusted to living alone after I was widowed six years ago, and since the lockdown friends have telephoned frequently and I chat to neighbours at a distance.

Although I feel I am one of the lucky ones and should be fine, I miss, above all, hugs and physical closeness. I have also started to resent people with partners, children or cuddly pets (which I have not done before).

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How to have fun during lockdown | Oliver Burkeman

Ask yourself Carl Jung’s question: what did you do as a child that made the hours pass like minutes?

I hesitate to suggest what anyone else ought to be doing to stay on an even keel, psychologically, in these frightening times – partly because I don’t always manage it myself, but also because any such advice tends to turn into yet another item for the to-do list. You’ve noticed, for example, how quickly all those online yoga classes and Zoom cocktail gatherings, intended to add some lightness to lockdown, began to feel vaguely like a chore. (You’re not imagining “Zoom fatigue”: experts say video conversations really are more tiring.) Likewise, “self-care” practices easily turn into new duties, so people end up forcing themselves to be kind to themselves, which doesn’t make much sense.

This is why what I think we probably ought to be doing, to whatever extent possible, is having more fun. Not meditation or gratitude journalling or jogging (unless you find those fun). Not things you think are supposed to be fun. I mean the things you actually find fun. This distinction matters, partly for the aforementioned reason that self-care, however important, isn’t synonymous with fun. But it’s also because in the modern attention economy, all sorts of things – celebrity memoirs, bad new TV dramas, expensive consumer goods – want you to believe they’re the funnest thing you could be doing. Conceivably, for any given person, they might be. But true fun – “deep fun”, as the fun scholar Bernie De Koven called it – is a subtle and personal thing, and not necessarily in anyone else’s commercial interests.

Related: No spare time in lockdown? That's not such a bad thing

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  • Life and style
  • Health & wellbeing

lockdown

Robert Jenrick defends coronavirus lockdown breach allegations after visiting his parents

Coronavirus: the symptoms Follow our live coronavirus updates here Who is Robert Jenrick?




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Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds interrupted by daughter in live interview during virus lockdown




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Labour leader Keir Starmer urges government to outline coronavirus lockdown exit strategy

Follow our live Covid-19 updates here




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Keir Starmer turns up the heat on the Tories: Tell us your lockdown exit strategy

We were too slow to implement lockdown and make sure it was policed, Labour leader tells Tories Follow our live coronavirus updates HERE Coronavirus: the symptoms




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Matt Hancock loses cool as he snaps at Nick Robinson during BBC interview and says it's 'too early' for lockdown exit strategy

Follow our live coronavirus updates HERE Coronavirus: The symptoms




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Britain will stay in lockdown until coronavirus vaccine is found, health minister says

Follow our live coronavirus updates here




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Health minister Nadine Dorries forced to clarify lockdown comments after Twitter row

Coronavirus: the symptoms Read our LIVE updates on the coronavirus here




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MPs approve 'hybrid proceedings' in House of Commons amid coronavirus lockdown with some to appear via video link

MPs have approved hybrid proceedings in the House of Commons with some MPs set to attend via video link amid the coronavirus lockdown.




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Dominic Raab 'set to announce three-week extension to coronavirus lockdown'

Follow our live Covid-19 updates HERE




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New pressure from Tory MPs to point way out of lockdown

Pressure ramped up on ministers to explain how the lockdown will end today as senior Tory MPs warned that businesses around the country "fear for their future" and could pass the point of no recovery.




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Keir Starmer urges Government to publish lockdown exit strategy as he warns England could 'fall behind' other countries

Sir Keir Starmer has urged the Government to publish an exit strategy for the coronavirus lockdown amid warnings the country could "fall behind" without one.




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'Real and significant' progress being made but 'too early' to lift lockdown, Nicola Sturgeon says

It is "too early" to begin easing any lockdown measures "in any meaningful way", Nicola Sturgeon has said.




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Ease lockdown fast to help firms, says ex-minister

Too many workers are still falling through cracks in the Covid rescue package, a former cabinet minister warned today as he called for the lockdown to be eased "as quickly as possible".




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Robert Jenrick would not report neighbours for lockdown breaches after police get 200,000 calls

Asked by LBC's Nick Ferrari if he would join them, Mr Jenrick said: "No, I don't think I would do. But I'm not going to pass judgement on other people and what they're choosing to do.




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Keir Starmer urges Boris Johnson to form 'national consensus' on easing coronavirus lockdown

Sir Keir Starmer has urged the Prime Minister to form a "national consensus" on the next phase of the Government's coronavirus response as ministers work on plans to ease the lockdown.




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Boris Johnson says UK lockdown may be eased by Monday as he returns to PMQs for first time

Lockdown measures may start to be lifted on Monday "if we possibly can", Boris Johnson has announced.




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Matt Hancock 'speechless' at Professor Neil Ferguson's 'extraordinary' breach of coronavirus lockdown rules

Matt Hancock has slammed Professor Neil Ferguson for his "extraordinary" breach of coronavirus lockdown rules, adding he was left "speechless" by his actions.




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Boris Johnson says any lockdown easing will be 'limited' as he vows 'maximum caution' over relaxing restrictions




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Paris Suburbs Are Facing Social Disparities Under The Coronavirus Lockdown

The French are facing social disparities in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. With long bread lines and tensions with police, the Paris suburbs are faring poorly under the lockdown.




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On coronavirus lockdown, gamers seek solace and community in video games

Coronavirus lockdowns and extended social distancing has more people playing video games to stay connected and pass the time.

       




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Up close and sensational: the best monologues made during lockdown

From love triangles to the bond between mothers and daughters, performers step into the relationships minefield

The beady-eyed character of Iseult Golden’s monologue could be an Alan Bennett creation: steely and unsentimental, she speaks her mind smartingly in a video message to her daughter who refuses to talk to her. Her tone is spiky at first but Marion O’Dwyer’s wry, understated delivery gives the drama a quietly pained depth. Part of the Abbey theatre’s monumental series Dear Ireland, it captures the bristling complexities of love between mothers and daughters in eight bittersweet minutes.

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For too many Britons, Boris Johnson's easing of lockdown will be no picnic | Polly Toynbee

Despite everything, the Tory party is sticking to the ideology of the free market, rather than saving lives and jobs

“How on earth did it come to this?” Keir Starmer’s question could skewer Boris Johnson at every PMQs from now on. It encompasses all the damage the government did in the last decade, as well as all it has failed to do to protect the country from Covid-19. The list of derelictions in the early stage of the crisis is long, the testing and the protective equipment still shamefully inadequate. Have lessons been learned? The auguries are not good.

Related: Picnics and sunbathing on cards as PM expected to allow more time outside

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Paths out of lockdown: questions Boris Johnson must answer

Clarity on lifting Covid-19 rules needed, from increasing time outdoors to schools returning

Boris Johnson will address the nation on Sunday to set out a road map for how England might leave the Covid-19 lockdown. Any immediate changes have been billed as modest and incremental, but people are expecting more details on how life could differ over the next few weeks. Here are the questions the prime minister needs to answer:

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The Guardian view on relaxing lockdown: repent at leisure | Editorial

The government must be cautious in both the decisions it takes and the messages it sends

The end is not in sight. With an estimated 20,000 new infections a day, and with experts warning that the reproduction rate of coronavirus may be rising again, any premature loosening of the lockdown will only prolong the crisis. When the prime minister speaks on Sunday evening, it is essential that he makes it clear that people should still be staying at home, not relaxing their guard.

Though so many other countries had been hit, the government did not act soon enough to either contain the threat or prepare for it. Those failures have made a longer and tougher lockdown necessary. It was slow to take the pandemic seriously, slow to impose stringent social distancing, and slow to pursue equipment, testing and tracing, as the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, noted this week.

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The Graham Norton Show: Which celebrity guests will be interviewed from coronavirus lockdown?

Handful of stars will be interviewed live from their living rooms




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SNL star Michael Che pays tribute to grandmother who died of coronavirus in new lockdown episode

'I'm very hurt and angry that she had to go through all that pain alone'




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Saturday Night Live's at-home episode during coronavirus lockdown hit all the right notes

Saturday's instalment of 'SNL at home' brilliantly acknowledged the gravity of our times while poking fun at quarantine culture