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Coronavirus: The 15 major developments that happened on Wednesday

An image of Queen Elizabeth II and quotes from her broadcast on Sunday to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus. (Photo by Dominic Lipinski/PA Images via Getty Images)
An image of the Queen on display in Piccadilly Circus. (Getty Images)

Here’s what you need to know on 8 April. This article was updated at 5pm.

Deaths: The number of coronavirus-related deaths reported in the UK has risen today to 7,097, an increase of 938 and the biggest daily rise yet. Read more here.

The UK as a whole recorded the third highest daily death toll from coronavirus in the world, behind only the US and France. On Tuesday it was announced that 786 people had died in the UK in the past day, bringing the total to 6,159. Read more here.

Politics: Boris Johnson is responding to treatment in hospital, where he spent a second night in intensive care, Number 10 said. Dominic Raab continues to deputise for the prime minister. Rishi Sunak said Johnson was “sitting up” and “responding positively” to the clinical team. Read more here.

Sunak, the Chancellor, announced measures to help charities in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. He said charities can use the government’s existing schemes, like the job retention scheme, and promised an additional £750 million specifically for charities. He also said the government would match pound for pound everything raised by the BBC Big Night In event. Read more here.

Policy: Lockdown measures will be reviewed around the three-week mark on Monday, Downing Street said, as warnings mounted that it will be too early to ease the restrictions to combat COVID-19. Former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt suggested they could continue for another month, while ministers said it was too soon to review. Read more here.

Wales has already confirmed it will extend its lockdown for another week. London’s mayor Sadiq Khan said he believes the peak is still a week to 10 days away, and so the lockdown in the city would not be lifted soon. Read more here.

The World Health Organization has listed three things it says need to be done by states and cities to tackle the pandemic. One of them is to ensure lockdown is not lifted too quickly. Read more here.

Finance: UK firms could furlough up to 11 million workers as the government covers wage bills to get through the coronavirus crisis, according to new figures. A survey published on Wednesday shows more than one in three UK firms plan to furlough at least three-quarters of their staff. Read more here.

Sport: The World Athletics Championships, which will be held in Oregon, have been rescheduled for July 14-24 in 2022, narrowly avoiding a clash with the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Crime: Lerun Hussain, 34, has been jailed after stealing face masks from King's College Hospital in London, where one of the UK's youngest coronavirus victims is among the patients to have died after testing positive for COVID-19. Read more here.

Rest of the world

An elderly woman and her three sons all died after contracting COVID-19, family members have said. Antoinette Franklin, from New Orleans, Louisiana, and her three sons died within less than two weeks of each other at the end of March. Read more here.

Wuhan – the original epicentre of the coronavirus – has had its travel restrictions lifted by authorities. The move was welcome news for 11 million people within the area, who were forced into the most stringent restrictions seen on the planet more than two months ago. Read more here.

Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice

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Positive news

A video showing a breathing technique to help deal with severe symptoms of coronavirus is being watched around the world. See it here.

Chocolate is still on the cards in Belgium after chocolate makers donated 10 million Easter eggs and chocolates to care home residents and workers who look after young and vulnerable people. In the UK, Cadbury’s is reported to have donated 13,000 eggs to workers at the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton. Read more here.

A couple have married in a hospital chapel after getting special permission from the Archbishop of Canterbury. Tina and Mick Hickton, from Portland, Dorset, exchanged vows at Dorset County Hospital, where Mrs Hickton is undergoing cancer treatment, reported the BBC. Read more here.