Last modified on Fri 9 Apr 2021 01.44 EDT
Top story: âUntold human sufferingâ must be addressed
Hello, Fridayâs here at last, and so am I, Warren Murray. Letâs boot up your day.
The number of people suffering with long Covid should be published routinely, MPs and peers are urging Boris Johnson. Thirty-two cross-party MPs and 33 peers have signed a letter as they urge the PM to ensure the âuntold human sufferingâ the condition involves helps steer the governmentâs pandemic response. The Office for National Statistics has found an estimated 1.1m people are suffering long-lasting symptoms after having Covid-19.
Separately â England is âin the grip of a mental health crisisâ because of the pandemic, with under-18s suffering the most, psychiatrists are to warn today. Bernadka Dubicka from the Royal College of Psychiatrists cited the âdevastating effectâ of school closures, disrupted friendships and uncertainty. Adult mental health also fared very badly during the pandemic, according to the college: until March 2020 about one in 10 adults in England suffered moderate to severe depression, but by June 2020 it was one in five. Nadine Dorries, the mental health minister, said ministers had provided an extra £2.3bn this year to expand mental health care. In the UK the charity Mind is on 0300 123 3393, and ChildLine on 0800 1111.