Coronavirus: UK death toll tops 40,000

The UK has confirmed more than 40,000 coronavirus-related deaths – only the second country after the United States to reach such a total.
Official Government figures show 40,261 people have died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community. The count includes only those people who have tested positive for Covid-19.

The British Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, speaking at the daily UK government news conference, confirmed 357 new deaths in previous 24 hours.
"Although the past few months have been a time of enormous sorrow for many people we have made progress in our fight against the virus," he said.

"There is so much more to do. We must always remain vigilant especially when it comes to protecting our National Health Service."
Mr Hancock said 283,311 people had tested positive for Covid-19 with 1,650 new cases reported in the previous 24 hours.
Separate figures from the Office for National Statistics, which includes all fatalities in which Covid-19 is mentioned on a death certificate, puts the death toll at 48,106.
The office also said there were 61,895 more deaths than would normally be expected since the pandemic reached the UK. The number includes conditions such as dementia, where delay in care may have contributed towards deaths.
The UK is behind only the US, which, with 108,278 deaths, has by far the most coronavirus fatalities.

Both Brazil, which is earlier in its outbreak and where the government has tried to minimise lockdown orders, and Italy, which is later in its outbreak and has started lifting restrictions, have suffered more than 30,000 deaths.
The UK is slowly easing its lockdown restrictions but most shops remain closed and starting on June 8, passengers arriving in the country will have to complete two weeks of self-isolation.

Virtual banks explained

What is a virtual bank?

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority defines it as a bank that delivers services through the internet or other electronic channels instead of physical branches. That means not only facilitating payments but accepting deposits and making loans, just like traditional ones. Other terms used interchangeably include digital or digital-only banks or neobanks. By contrast, so-called digital wallets or e-wallets such as Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Pay usually serve as intermediaries between a consumer’s traditional account or credit card and a merchant, usually via a smartphone or computer.

What’s the draw in Asia?

Hundreds of millions of people under-served by traditional institutions, for one thing. In China, India and elsewhere, digital wallets such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Paytm have already become ubiquitous, offering millions of people an easy way to store and spend their money via mobile phone. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are also among the world’s biggest under-banked countries; together they have almost half a billion people.

Is Hong Kong short of banks?

No, but the city is among the most cash-reliant major economies, leaving room for newcomers to disrupt the entrenched industry. Ant Financial, an Alibaba Group Holding affiliate that runs Alipay and MYBank, and Tencent Holdings, the company behind WeBank and WeChat Pay, are among the owners of the eight ventures licensed to create virtual banks in Hong Kong, with operations expected to start as early as the end of the year.

Liverpool's all-time goalscorers

Ian Rush 346
Roger Hunt 285
Mohamed Salah 250
Gordon Hodgson 241
Billy Liddell 228

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.

- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law