‘Working mothers will be

THE risk of further lockdowns across Europe is moderate to high, health experts have warned. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said the risk to the UK and countries across Europe is moderate if restrictions are “phased out gradually, when only sporadic or cluster transmission is reported, and when appropriate monitoring systems and capacities for extensive testing and contact tracing are in place”.

However, it said the risk of lockdown moves to high if restrictions are phased out when there is still ongoing community transmission “and no appropriate monitoring systems and capacities for extensive testing and contact tracing are in place”.

ECDC director Andrea Ammon said in a statement: “The pandemic is not over.

“It is important to comply with recommendations regarding physical distancing and maintain high standards of hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette.

“Everyone’s contribution makes a difference.”

Figures from the NHS Test and Trace programme in England released on Thursday showed that a third of people who tested positive for coronavirus could not be reached by officials or failed to provide details of their contacts.

Baroness Dido Harding, who is leading the programme, said NHS Test and Trace is not yet “gold standard” but has got off to a good start.

An app to accompany the system has been delayed after England Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it would be rolled out from mid-May.

Elsewhere, India’s coronavirus caseload has become the fourth-largest in the world, overtaking the UK, by adding 10,956 new cases in another biggest single-day spike.

India’s two-month lockdown kept transmissions low but in a large population of 1.3 billion, people remain susceptible and the campaign against the virus is likely to go on for months, said Balram Bhargava, director-general of

THE Covid-19 pandemic risks setting the effort to get more mothers into the workplace back by 20 years, the head of one of the UK’s leading women’s rights charities has warned.

Women are often forced to choose between flexibility and job security in a bid to meet their caring responsibilities, making them “dispensable”, the Fawcett Society’s chief executive said.

Sam Smethers said: “If you look back at the last 20 years the big increases in the Indian Council of Medical Research.

The lockdown was imposed nationwide in late March, but has eased since, and is now largely being enforced only in high-risk areas. The spiking caseload came after India allowed the reopening of shops, shopping centres, factories and religious places.

Subways, schools, colleges and cinemas remain closed nationwide.

The increase reported yesterday raised India’s total cases to 297,535, including 8,498 deaths, according to the Health Ministry. India’s number of confirmed cases is behind only the US, Brazil and Russia.

Mumbai, New Delhi and Chennai are the worst-hit cities in the country.

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin has attended a ceremony marking a Russian national holiday – the first big public event he has attended since announcing a nationwide lockdown more than two months ago.

Mr Putin observed the hoisting of the national flag at a memorial park in western Moscow and then took part in an award ceremony as part of Day of Russia celebrations. labour market participation have been amongst mothers and single parents in particular.

“What we are seeing now is that that trend is reversed, so unless we correct that, unless we get it back on track, we will literally have a significant step backwards.”

Research by PwC published last month found 78% of those who have already lost their jobs as a result of the virus are women.