What the papers say – April 23

The front pages are dominated by Government strategies for the pandemic and photographs of birthday boy Prince Louis.

The Times says an “Army of thousands” of council staff and civil servants will be drafted in to trace Covid-19 victims throughout the UK.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock “vows” to the Daily Express he will “fix the coronavirus care home crisis”, after figures showed the death toll in such facilities is “being grossly under-estimated”.

First Secretary of State Dominic Raab says in the Daily Mirror that the pandemic has peaked, a line repeated in the i, and adds there is “light at the end of the tunnel”. But the Mirror also notes chief medical officer Chris Whitty’s warning that social distancing is likely to continue until the end of 2020.

Professor Whitty’s warning also appears on The Independent and The Daily Telegraph, in which he says ministers will need to consider “trade-offs” to avoid a second wave of the virus.

One possible measure is the Government being willing to tell people to “Wear a mask” at work and while shopping or commuting, according to The Sun.

New Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer “blasts Government over lockdown”, testing and insufficient personal protective equipment on the front of Metro.

https://twitter.com/MetroUKNews/status/1253050692257959940?s=20

The Guardian has conducted research showing a disproportionate number of deaths of people from ethic minorities in England “compared to white people”.

There has been resistance from Westminster for a £2-billion rescue package for universities amid arguments that the sector should be treated the same as other struggling industries, the Financial Times says.

The Daily Mail says one aspect of the “Devastating fallout” of the pandemic has been that thousands of heart attack and stroke victims have been left waiting for long periods for ambulance care.

And the Daily Star reports on a “Huge rise” in memberships of British naturist groups, saying: “Our naked members just keep growing.”