Coronavirus spreading, UK housing gap and Whitehall tensions

Coronavirus has now spread to 29 countries, with more than 2,500 deaths in mainland China where it first emerged. BBC medical correspondent Fergus Walsh says the situation looks like the early stages of a pandemic, with the virus spreading in the community in multiple parts of the world.

Fergus Walsh says the NHS is well able to cope with the UK situation as it stands and can isolate and treat patients in specialist centres. If a pandemic is declared, he explains, it will still be important to limit the speed of spread of the virus, and if countries can hold it somewhat at bay until the end of winter, there’s a hope that warmer temperatures will reduce the time it can survive in the air, as we see with seasonal flu.

The housing gap – the difference between the current stock and the number needed for everyone to have a decent place to live – is more than one million homes, according to BBC research. At current building rates it will take at least 15 years to close that gap. A lot of the pressure falls on people renting privately, and according to a survey of 2,000 people for the Affordable Housing Commission, one in four of those in unaffordable accommodation feel their mental health has suffered as a result. The government says it’s committed to delivering a million more homes over the next five years.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has criticised media reports that MI5 bosses are holding back security information and intelligence from her because of a lack of trust in her abilities. The government has also strongly rejected accusations of bullying of civil servants within her department.

When Kye Gbangbola and Nicole Lawler moved into their house on the banks of the River Thames in Surrey, it looked like the perfect place to raise a family. Sixteen years later, it stands as a reminder of Zane, the son they lost, while their fight for answers continues over what caused his death. On 7 February 2014, Mr Gbangbola spent the evening working upstairs in his study, where he was writing to the Environment Agency requesting an urgent meeting about the effects of several weeks of flooding, which had left the basement of the house under water.

The coronavirus outbreak gets widespread coverage. The Guardian highlights a warning from experts that the world is fast approaching a tipping point, with the disease outpacing efforts to contain it. The Daily Telegraph front page features a participant in the Venice carnival wearing a protective mask. The Financial Times opts for a similar image, reporting that “economic worry” due to the virus is growing. Elsewhere, there is speculation about the upcoming Budget, with the Daily Mail highlighting analysis which suggests Boris Johnson will “splurge” more than Tony Blair did, with spending rising above £1tn for the first time. The Times, meanwhile, has more on that Priti Patel story, reporting that she has demanded a “formal leak inquiry” into what she describes as “hostile briefings” by officials in her department. Finally, Tyson Fury’s win in the ring on Saturday still makes headlines, including “Viva Lash Vegas” from the Sun.

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1999 The inquiry into the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence strongly criticises the police’s investigation – watch the BBC News report.