Coronavirus news you might have missed overnight: Recovered patients to be given ‘immunity certificates’, as UK cases could ‘hit plateau within two weeks’

The coronavirus pandemic continues to grip both the UK and the world at large.

Here’s your morning briefing of everything you may have missed over night.

Government to write off £13.4bn in historic NHS debt amid coronavirus crisis

The health secretary announced the government will write off £13.4bn of NHS debt to allow the health service to focus on the response to coronavirus crisis.

Matt Hancock revealed plans to wipe out historic debts to let hospital trusts channel their resources into battling the outbreak, rather than balancing the books.

In his first public appearance after self-isolating for seven days, Mr Hancock also paid an emotional tribute to NHS staff who have lost their lives, including doctors who had come to work in the British health service and “paid the ultimate price”.

Recovered patients to be given ‘immunity certificates’ to leave lockdown early

Matt Hancock also announced people who test positive for coronavirus antibodies will be given “immunity certificates” to allow them to leave lockdown and return to normal life.

The move, already planned in Germany, will be implemented if hoped-for antibody tests – showing a person was infected, but is now healthy – become available on a mass scale.

Mr Hancock cautioned the antibody tests may not be introduced for some time, as none have yet obtained approval from Public Health England by meeting required accuracy levels.

Woman ‘loitering’ at train station was wrongfully convicted

Police admitted a woman fined £660 after refusing to tell police why she was at a railway station was wrongfully charged with a crime under new coronavirus laws.

Marie Dinou, 41, refused to give police officers her name, address or reasons for travel when they questioned her because she was “loitering between platforms” at Newcastle Central station on Saturday.

She was convicted of an offence under the Coronavirus Act 2020 at North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court on Monday, despite not being present at the hearing.

But her conviction is to be quashed after police admitted the wrong law was used to prosecute her, and the case “shouldn’t have happened”.

UK cases ‘could hit plateau in 2 to 3 weeks’, says top health official

One of Britain’s top health officials has said the number of people admitted to hospital with coronavirus could “plateau” in the next two to three weeks, as he conceded to frustration that not enough people in the UK were being tested.

Professor Paul Cosford, emeritus medical director of Public Health England, could not rule out the possibility the UK was on course for 1,000 deaths a day by the weekend.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he expected to see a continued increase in the number of people being infected and admitted to hospital before we hit a plateau in two to three weeks’ time “if all social distancing measures are working”.

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