Tag: C

Rick and Morty theories: Morty C-137 is becoming Evil Morty – here’s how

Rick and Morty (both played by Justin Roiland) have seen some wacky adventures over the four seasons so far. Many of them have been singular contained stories which do not connect to anything else. However, some of the Adult Swim show’s episodes have slight connections to others, most of which involve the Citadel – the community of Ricks.

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These episodes are usually the most abstract and contain some political stingers.

One thing that connects them both hugely is the presence of Evil Morty.

Evil Morty has arrived a few times in the show to showcase his nefarious influence and evildoings.

As the character’s obscure plot progresses, however, viewers have begun to get a little curious about Evil Morty’s backstory, and have suggested he could in fact be the Morty from C-137 in the future.

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Adding to this ongoing theory, Reddit user and Rick and Morty fanatic SpartanDilan illustrated how this descent may look.

The drawing the fan provided showed the classic Evil Morty persona complete with an eyepatch and weapon.

However, Evil Morty can also be seen donning the Death Crystal that was featured back in season four.

Viewers will remember the Death Crystals allow its user to see how they will die – and Morty found a new use for this as it allowed him to see himself finally getting with Jessica (Kari Wahlgren).

Evil Morty can also be seen holding a MeeSeeks box, adding to the chaos he could bring.

Fans of the show responded to this illustration and pointed out that while this is a good theory, it may not happen in practice.

First, one fan pointed out how Morty has been getting more aggressive throughout the show.

They wrote: “This theory is good, I was doing a rewatch of the series and anyone could see that Morty on the way is getting nasty like the purge episode, and his arrogance if increasing. Let’s see.”

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Another referenced season four, saying: “Every single episode of season 4 has had a call back in it form something earlier in the series, either a joke or a character or something. I feel like Evil Morty will return again.”

Other fans pointed out the Rick who pointed out Evil Morty’s evildoings could have been C-137 Rick all along.

They explained: “Also, the Rick in the bar that gives campaign manager Morty the incriminating file is Rick C-137.

“And later the rookie police officer Rick is put in charge of investigating the death of campaign manager Morty. Eventually he and Evil Morty team up to take down Rick C-137.”

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Meanwhile, viewers have also been suggesting Rick has been wiping Jerry’s (Chris Parnell) memory over the course of the show.

Suggesting Rick had created Jerry’s memories, Reddit user Theaanomaly posted: “Rick usually erases someone’s mind when they want him to or when he made a mistake.”

Viewers noted that Morty’s mind has been erased a number of times – but Jerry’s could have been more nonchalant, adding: “Although Jerry freaked out at first he began coping later, even hinting that he wanted to remember what he saw. Therefore there is only one reason Rick could have logically done it; wiping Jerry’s mind is habit.”

Rick and Morty returns on May 3 on Adult Swim.

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‘Breeders’: How The FX & Sky Series Became The Poster Child For Pandemic Comedy Television

Breeders, the FX and Sky comedy starring Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard, opens with Freeman’s Paul working from home, trying to ignore his kids making a racket upstairs.

Although he tries to talk himself out of it as he climbs the stairs, he can’t help but scream, “Jesus, fxxking Christ, how many times do I have to tell you to be quiet?” followed by “Sorry. I’m working. I didn’t mean any of that”.

This is a scene that is now playing out in homes across the U.S. and around the world – helping Breeders to become the poster child of pandemic television comedy.

Chris Addison, who co-created the show with Freeman and Simon Blackwell, tells Deadline, “I was always worried that people would be so sick of that situation in their houses that they might not want to watch it but mercifully people have taken to watching it. One of the big reactions is that people are finding solace in it.” Blackwell jokes, “We might be preventing child murders.”

Deadline caught up with Freeman, Haggard, Addison and Blackwell over Zoom last week. It felt like peering into their process as the four joked about how they, and their children, were dealing with quarantine.

The show is centered around Freeman’s Paul and his partner Ally, played by Episodes and Back To Life star Daisy Haggard and their two small children, Luke, played by George Wakeman and Ava, played by Jayda Eyles. It also features Better Call Saul and This Is Spinal Tap star Michael McKean as Ally’s father.

Freeman came up with the original idea for the show before approaching Addison and Blackwell, both veterans of Armando Ianucci’s world of comedy. “I was sick of people not telling the truth. I don’t think it’s a terrible thing to admit that some aspects of parenting are really hard and it’s not all blessings and light and love. Most of my time with my kids is delightful and fun, and I’m sure it is for all of us, but the stuff that isn’t and the stuff that we show in the show is very real. It allows people license to feel how they feel,” he says.

The show, which is produced by Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and Everything’s Going To Be OK producer Avalon Televison, premiered on FX on March 2 with episodes on Hulu the following the day. The four are now facing similar issues to Paul and Ally as they live in lockdown in the UK.

“Can you hear my kids screaming?,” jokes Haggard. “I’m genuinely loving it but I’m trying to write the second season of [BBC/Showtime black comedy] Back To Life at the moment and sometimes my kids are literally on my lap with their hands on my laptop so I have to delete some stuff from the script. It’s interesting. Me and my husband are trying to take turns and do two hours each and then the rest of the time, we’re just trying to make sure that they don’t have to go to A&E. I’m terrified they’re going to have an accident all the time because they’re getting more bored and a bit more dangerous and I’m aware that you can’t go to hospitals right now for any reason. Also, I haven’t brushed my hair for a month.”

Blackwell adds, “My youngest son has shaved his head. I bought some clippers, thinking we might need to have them if we’re going to be here for months and immediately he shaved it all off.”

“Everything says that they’re looking so shaggy and I’m thinking ‘you’ve been in the house for ten days’,” jokes Addison. “People have gone mad.”

Addison and his kids have been working out to viral British fitness trainer Joe Wicks, watching James Corden in The National Theatre adaptation of One Man, Two Guvnors online, while his daughter is ploughing through Harry Potter. “That must be amazing having kids who can read themselves,” deadpans Haggard.

Addison starred in The Thick Of It, which Blackwell wrote on, and he went on to direct episodes of Veep. In fact, Malcom Tucker, The Thick Of It’s main character played by Peter Capaldi, has become a PSA for the Coronavirus with the BBC sharing a clip of the show on social media to encourage people to stay at home. “Right people, listen up. It’s a f**king lockdown right now,’ Tucker screams.  ‘This is the f**king Shawshank Redemption, right, but with more tunnelling through s**t and no f**king redemption.”

“It’s nice that Malcolm is telling people to stay indoors, I would listen to him,” says Blackwell.

One COVID-19 related myth that Addison believes needs shattering is the idea that there will be a baby boom in nine months as a result of people being locked indoors. “That was a really weird thing that people said at the start of the lockdown, ‘think about all of the lockdown babies there’ll be’. Think about all of the lockdown divorces there’ll be. What happened when people went away to war was they didn’t have to bring their children with them and home-school them during the morning and then go to war in the afternoon. It’s an enormous contraceptive.”

Although Breeders has not been officially picked up for a second season, the team are keeping busy – they are considering launching a podcast and are already plotting ideas for a sophomore run. This has been more difficult as a result of the outbreak.

Blackwell says, “That’s going to be difficult for everybody writing every show set in the contemporary world because this is so huge and will only get bigger. Obviously, you don’t want everything to be about this virus, but it’s such an enormous thing and the biggest thing that’s going to happen in our lives, I imagine, it’s going to color everything. If you’re writing a contemporary show set before the virus, it’s like a period piece already because people have these odd customs like standing near each other and being outside. All writers are going to have to come to terms with how much [the Coronavirus] will be in your world. It has to be there somewhere; it’s like writing something set in 1943 and no one is in uniform, it’d be weird. That’s something for everyone to get their heads around.”

“Every writer is sitting in doors thinking about their Coronavirus piece right now but… we’ve been thinking how we make something like this, be our story rather than it leading the story. My guess is that once Coronavirus is over, no one will want to read about Coronavirus, that’s the last thing people are going to want to see films or plays about, they’re going to want something fun,” adds Addison. “They’ll want our brand of bleakness, not this brand of bleakness.”

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Greek prodigy pens "Isolation Waltz" for a world in lockdown

ATHENS (Reuters) – Hunker down at home a bit longer is the message a Greek pianist has sent to a world in coronavirus lockdown with his latest composition, the “Isolation Waltz” – and he’s just seven years old.

Stelios Kerasidis first performed in public at the age of three, and has played in New York’s Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall in London.

“Hi guys! I’m Stelios, I’m at home too. Let’s be just a teeny bit more patient and we will soon be out swimming in the sea! I’m dedicating you a piece of my own,” he says in a youtube video before turning to play the wistful, hypnotic melody.

The clip – here – has had more than 42,000 hits.

He has also composed two piano concertos, “Veronika” and “Anastasia”, named after his sisters.

“Music is my entire world,” he told Reuters last year, his fingers dancing over the keys, his feet barely touching the ground as he sat on the stool.

The son of a piano teacher, his favourite pianist is the late Canadian Glenn Gould, renowned for his interpretations of JS Bach.

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Is sneezing a symptom of the coronavirus? – The Sun

WITH coronavirus spreading, it's important to know the symptoms.

And many are concerned that sneezing could be a sign that they have contracted the deadly bug.

⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates

Is sneezing a symptom of coronavirus?

Although sneezes might cause discomfort, they are not a symptom of coronavirus.

However, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be careful when sneezing, as it can cause the virus to spread to others – if you are infected.

The virus is believed to be transmitted between people through droplets spread from coughing and touching or shaking hands.

While sneezing is not a symptom of the new coronavirus, it also thought to be a way that droplets can be spread.

That is why it’s important to cover your nose and mouth when you feel a sneeze creeping up.

As well as the main symptoms of a high temperature and dry cough, the Word Health Organisation (WHO) website has a list of mild signs which may indicate coronavirus, including: aches and pains, nasal congestion, sore throat or diarrhoea.

Despite sneezing not being one of the main symptoms, it is one that you should not take lightly and should get professional medical advice on if it's different to your usual sniffles.

You can go about this by calling the NHS 111 coronavirus advice service, but should avoid going to your GP or to the hospital.

The most common symptoms of coronavirus include fever, tiredness and dry cough.

What should I do if I am only sneezing?

If you do not have any other symptoms along with your sneeze then it is highly unlikely that you have contracted the virus.

You should however take precautions by staying at home as per Government advice.

It may be that you just have a cold so you should drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration as well as keeping warm and getting plenty of rest.

What should I do if I am sneezing and have other symptoms?

If you are sneezing and have symptoms of the coronavirus, you should be self-isolating.

This means staying at home for seven days if you live alone and extending this to 14 days if you live with other people.

By doing this, you will be helping to stop the spread of the virus to other people outside of your home.

Studies show that people have coronavirus without symptoms for five days on average.

With any of these mild-symptoms, self-isolating is a precautionary measure, but in regards to treatment, you shouldn't need any, irrespective if you have contracted the disease or not, although you should call the NHS 111 number to confirm.

To protect others and yourself from coronavirus, do not go to places like a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.

You should call 999 if the sneeze is accompanied by chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating and feeling or being sick and lasts more than 15 minutes.

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What are the other symptoms of coronavirus?

A high temperature is a common symptom.

This means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back, you do not need to measure your temperature with a thermometer.

A new, continuous and dry cough is also a symptom.

This means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours.

What can I do while self-isolating?

For a person that is usually busy, self-isolating for up to two weeks can seem like a long time.

But it doesn't have to be all doom and gloom, and there are many things that you can do to pass the the time and keep healthy.

These include staying in touch with your friends and family over the phone and learning new skills, such as cooking or taking an online course.

To try and keep healthy, you should drink lots of water to try and stay hydrated and take paracetamol to try and ease your symptoms, according to the NHS official website.

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Tyler C. Is Calling ‘Bachelorette’ Fans Who Don’t Think He’s Right For Hannah Cat Ladies

Tyler C. has had it with online haters. On Saturday, Tyler Cameron trolled Bachelor fans who said he’s not the right match for Hannah Brown. One fan account, titled "Tahhler" as an homage to the former-couple’s TikTok, commented on one of Tyler’s posts to encourage followers to stop being so invested in the on-again, off-again couple’s fate.

"Move on people," the fan wrote. "Hannah will choose the perfect guy for her one day it’s not Tyler. and the crew is boring without her, her and Ryan and Matt were the best." It’s clear that Tyler didn’t enjoy the commentary on his personal life, because the reality star responded with, "How many cats do you have?"

Another user shared a similar comment on the same post, writing, "Tyler probably won’t read this, but I’m sorry you definitely have 2 personalities. The dear sweet one on ‘The Bachelor’ and the one who is acting like a total jerk. Hannah probably couldn’t get away from you fast enough." Tyler continued to troll the negative commenters, writing, "Looks like we got another cat lady on our hands."

It’s not clear if the former-Bachelorette star was upset that the user didn’t think he belonged with Hannah, or if it’s because the Instagram followers dissed the self-proclaimed "Quarantine Crew." Tyler and Hannah social distanced together with several other friends in Jupiter, Florida due to the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. During that time, the former couple released plenty of digital content on TikTok. But on April 1, Hannah returned home to Alabama, according to Us Weekly.

On Saturday, Tyler continued to address the Instagram comments on Twitter, noting that he wasn’t going to let the negativity on his account go unaddressed. "Moms on instagram with cats have it out for me and I’m not backing down," Tyler wrote.

The Bachelor Nation star seemed offended at the suggestion he didn’t belong with Hannah, but it’s not clear if that means the couple have officially reunited. Last year, Tyler was a runner-up to Jed Wyatt on The Bachelorette, but the latter ultimately got the final rose. Hannah broke off the engagement following the revelation Jed had a secret relationship. Meanwhile, Tyler was briefly linked to Gigi Hadid, but the two parted ways in the fall after several public dates.

In February, Brown flew to Florida to support Tyler after his mother passed away unexpectedly, according to People. Fans began to speculate that the Bachelorette stars rekindled their romance while in quarantine, especially given the many shenanigans the two posted on social media. On Thursday, Tyler appeared to deny romance rumors, calling Hannah "a good friend" after crashing a Zoom call, according to Cosmopolitan.

But, there’s still hope for Tyler-Hannah shippers, as the reality star did seem pretty defensive when commenters suggested they didn’t belong together after all. (Or maybe he just wanted a chance to bash cats, you never know in Bachelor Nation.)

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Eamonn Holmes: This Morning host teases move to rival channel ‘I need the work’

While Eamonn Holmes, 60, is known for presenting on ITV’s This Morning alongside Ruth Langsford, 60, the broadcaster has teased about other opportunities in the TV industry after revealing he needs “the work”. Before presenting This Morning, Eamonn presented Sky News Sunrise for 11 years.

They should have put me on that show.

Eamonn Holmes

While speaking to Northern Irish comedian Shane Todd, 31 on his podcast Tea With Me, Eamonn revealed what TV show he should be involved in.

It all began after Shane mentioned to Eamonn: “Lawrence Docherty said if Eamonn Holmes has a boxing match with MC Hammer, can we call it Holmes under the Hammer?”

Agreeing with his joke, Eamonn added: “You could, yep.

“They should have put me on that show,” while referring to BBC’s Homes Under The Hammer, that is currently presented by TV star Martin Roberts, 56.

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Shane then followed up Eamonn’s response with: “Yeah, you and MC Hammer.”

Soon after, the broadcaster then went on to reveal: “I need the work at the moment as well.”

Shane, who has featured on BBC 5 Live and performed at Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival, added: “Yeah. I mean you would have to be doing it virtually as well.

“You couldn’t go to the homes,” while referring to the current nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus.

The pair also spoke about comedian, Keith Lemon, 46, and Eamonn went into detail about how “he’s a very nice man”.

Eamonn told Shane: “He’s not nasty, he’s not horrible. As I said he’s absolutely filthy.

“He leaves you speechless. But my approach with him is to tell him that he’s filthy, and should be taken off TV and that sort of thing.”

The journalist continued: “He’s a very nice man. There’s a kindness about his humour.”

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Eamonn, who has presented This Morning since 2006, recently opened up about the time he lied to one of their guests on the show.

The TV star explained: “Another guy came in and he said, ‘I’m a representative for plastics in the ocean.

“’I’m a crusader for plastics in the ocean. So there can’t be any plastics in my dressing room.’”

The father-of-four then explained: “The producer said ‘the TV’s plastic, the door handles are plastic, god knows what’s plastic.’

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The host then revealed: “I said, ‘Just lie’. He went, ‘You can’t lie, you can’t lie.’”

However, Eamonn persisted to take on board his own advice and explained what had happened: “I went, ‘Hello, that’s a plastic-free dressing room.’

“He started looking at some things and I went, ‘You see all of that, it’s all stuff that we have which is biodegradable, and we can’t even wash the stuff, because if we do it melts.'”

The ITV host has also been open about the celebrities he has spoken to over the years, including Tom Hanks, 63, Pierce Brosnan, 66, and Frasier’s Kelsey Grammer.

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Tiger King: Carole Baskin’s ex claims she teased him ‘dead bodies can’t talk’

Tiger King tells the unbelievable story of Joe Exotic, a tiger zoo owner, and his ongoing disagreements with Carole Baskin, an animal rights activist. Netflix viewers have been enthralled by the enormous story, and are eager to know more about every detail of the show.

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A key part of the show brought viewers into the life of Carole’s first marriage to Don Lewis.

Don disappeared in 1997, prompting an investigation by the police.

However Don was never found, and Carole claims she never heard from him again.

During the run of the Netflix show, references were made by Don’s family that Carole had something to do with his disappearance.

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They spoke about the meat grinder she used for work, and suggested it also had a hand in Don’s disappearance.

Recently, author Robert Moor tweeted about his investigations further into the lives and careers of Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin, and spoke specifically about Carole’s relationship history.

He tweeted: “After Don Lewis vanished, but before Carole married Howard, she dated a guy named Jay Baykal.

“In 2002, Jay filed a restraining order against Carole, which includes some bizarre and suspicious-sounding details regarding Don’s disappearance.”

Robert then shared some images of some documents which seems to prove Jay did file for a restraining order.

The documents supposedly include a hand-written testament from Jay Baykal, which makes some claims about Carole.

One excerpt reads: “Her prior husband presumed dead, one day she said to me when I asked her ‘what happens if your husband shows up now?’

“Her response was, ‘Dead bodies can’t talk’.”

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It also read: “Her former husband’s daughter told me she [Carole] could be dangerous, and [to] watch my back.”

Carole unequivocally denies the claims that she had anything to do with the disappearance of her husband.

Recently, she released a huge blog post on her website – BigCatRescue.org – where she addressed these claims directly.

On Netflix’s portrayal of her, and the story of her missing ex-husband Don, she wrote: “The series presents this without any regard for the truth, or in most cases even giving me an opportunity before publication to rebut the absurd claims.

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“They did not care about truth. The unsavoury lies are better for getting viewers.”

She later spoke about Don using one of the aircrafts he owned to leave the country, adding: “Don had purchased a number of properties in Costa Rica and after his disappearance one of the caretakers called and told me there were people reporting seeing him there.”

Carole also mentioned the claim a meat grinder was involved in Don’s disappearance, to which she responded: “The idea that a human body and skeleton could be put through it is idiotic. But the Netflix directors did not care. They just showed a bigger grinder.”

Tiger King is available on Netflix.

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Sunday Brunch viewers switch off during Joe Wicks interview ‘This is rubbish’

Sunday Brunch continued as usual this morning on Channel 4, with Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer at the helm. However there was a key difference, as the pair could not attend the studio as normal, they were forced to present from home using their own cameras and microphones.

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To makes matters even more complex, the segments of the show which saw Tim and Simon speaking were pre-recorded.

This meant there couldn’t be any of the show’s signature banter between the hosts.

Interspliced between hosting were old chat segments from the show’s glory days, involving performances from Jorja Smith, and interviews with the likes of Ben Elton.

The show’s first guest was YouTube star Joe Wicks.

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Joe has become an internet sensation during the coronavirus pandemic.

The fitness fanatic has made it his personal mission to keep people fit and active with a daily workout routine on the video-sharing website.

However, when he appeared on Sunday Brunch to chat with Tim, viewers could not stand the sound quality of Tim’s microphone.

Many viewers flocked to Twitter to display their frustration, and pointed out how things could have been a little better during the show.

One viewer wrote: “@SundayBrunchC4 sorry to hear you haven’t sorted out the c**p sound.

“One week of it was bad enough guys but two weeks is unforgivable!

“Surely you became get mics to your Simon and Tim!! #SundayBrunch #givethemmics #c**psound #turningoffunfortunately.”

Another viewer complained: “@SundayBrunchC4 #SundayBrunch Why did you stick Tim in an echo chamber?”

Some viewers decided they were going elsewhere, as they couldn’t get past the sound issues.

One announced: “I’m off to pull pork. This is rubbish. #SundayBrunch.”

Other viewers were quite happy to see Tim and Simon return to their screens.

One said: “So glad this programme is managing to air, well done. #watchwithTimandSimon.”

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Another agreed: “Morning guys, watch your show every Sunday. Love this format and enjoying the banter between you. #WatchWithTimAndSimon.”

“#watchwithtimandsimon Morning @timlovejoy and @simonrim I really look forward to watching the show, keep up the good work! Question – Would you every consider doing a Friday night version of the show called ‘Friday Dinner’?” another suggested.

Thankfully, the Joe Wicks interview continued without a hitch, and left viewers informed about his upcoming sessions.

Sunday Brunch airs Sunday at 9.30am on Channel 4.

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Scientist casts doubt on how coronavirus is spread

Leading scientist casts doubt on how coronavirus is spread as team of experts prepares to head to ‘Germany’s Wuhan’ where they hope to unlock vital secrets about the bug

  • Prof Hendrik Streeck has said Covid-19 might not be spread as easily as thought
  • Researchers to head to the small village of Heinsberg, next to the Dutch border 
  • The research trip led by Prof Streeck will see 1,000 people in the area tested

A leading scientist has cast doubts on how the coronavirus is spreading across the globe as a team of experts prepare to head out to a village that has been dubbed ‘Germany’s Wuhan’, where they hope to unlock vital information about the bug.

Prof Hendrik Streeck, director of the Institute of Virology at the University Hospital in Bonnhas, said Covid-19 might not be spread as easily as people first believed.

Research conducted by Prof Streeck in one of Germany’s worst-hit regions showed that the home of one infected family did not have ‘any live virus on the service’, adding even more questions as to how the virus is spread from person to person.

The small village of Heinsberg, next to the Dutch border, is Germany’s worst-hit area and is home to the country’s most serious Covid-19 outbreak.

Prof Hendrik Streeck (pictured above) has said Covid-19 might not be spread as easily as people first believed

A view of an empty street of Heinsberg, in which the highest number of people affected by coronavirus in Germany 

Across Germany as a whole there have been 84,788 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 1,107 deaths.

The area of Heinsberg is estimated to have around 1,302 confirmed cases and has had 37 deaths in a population of around 250,000.

Prof Streeck said the virus had not even been found on door knobs or animal fur. 

He told German TV that there had been ‘no proven infections while shopping or at the hairdressers’.

It comes as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned measures may have to be tightened in the UK as many continue to flout social distancing guidelines, but Prof Streeck stressed there were still unknowns about how it is actually spreading.

‘The virus spreads in other places: the party in Ischgl, the club in Berlin, the football game in Bergamo.

‘We know it’s not a smear infection that is transmitted by touching objects, but that close dancing and exuberant celebrations have led to infections.’

He said Germany’s patient zero had only infected her colleagues and not other guests or diners at the hotel she had been staying at.

The area of Heinsberg (pictured above) was quickly shut down after cases of the virus were confirmed 

Coronavirus cases hit ONE MILLION worldwide as pandemic explodes in the United States and death tolls continue to rise in UK, Italy and Spain

By James Gant for MailOnline

Global coronavirus cases have soared past one million as the pandemic explodes in the US and the death tolls continue to climb in Italy and Spain, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

The deadly virus has killed more than 51,000 across the world, with the largest number of deaths in Italy, followed by Spain and the US.

The first 100,000 cases were reported in around 55 days, the first 500,000 in 76 days, and they doubled to one million within the past eight days.

Total cases reported by Thursday grew 10 per cent from a day earlier, the first time the rate has hit double digits since the virus took hold outside China.

There are 117 countries and territories that have reported over 100 cases, 50 with outbreaks of over 1,000 and seven that have reported 50,000 or more COVID-19 cases, mainly in Europe.

The global fatality rate is now over 5 per cent of all reported cases, with countries including the UK, the US and Spain reporting a spike in fatalities over recent days.

Around 22 per cent of total cases have been reported by the US, while Italy and Spain have each reported 11 per cent of global cases.

 

According to The Times a team of 40 research will now spend time in the Heinsberg in order to work out how the virus spreads and how people can become infected without knowing.

It could also shed light on how the disease could be slowed and its results could be instrumental in stopping the spread of the disease worldwide.

The chief minister of the surrounding state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Armin Laschet told The Times that the research trip will discover ‘which of the steps we have taken and our deep intrusions into the lives of our citizens remain scientifically meaningful, and which aren’t’.

When the outbreak was first discovered in the area many people were shunned and those entering other parts of Germany and the Netherlands with HL number plates were not welcome.

The research trip led by Prof Streeck will see 1,000 people in the area tested for the virus.

This will be instrumental and if it emerges that more people are carrying the disease without showing any symptoms, then governments have a huge task on their hands when it comes to preventing the spread.

But at the beginning of the outbreak the spread was containing due to the fact that the local council acted swiftly in putting restrictions upon residents.

On February 15 many gathered for Langbröker Dicke Flaa carnival in the villages of Langbroich and Harzelt.

It is at these festivals that many people are thought to have contracted the illness. 

Ten days after the carnival a couple in their forties who had attended were struck with respiratory issues. 

Within forty minutes of the news the local council set up a crisis team in order to put restrictions in place and control the spread. 

It was also revealed today that hundreds of NHS workers’ coronavirus swabs have reportedly been flown to Germany because the results are coming back in half the time. 

Samples passed to Public Health England are believed to be taking up to four days to process but those on the Continent can come back in just two.

Northampton General Hospital is understood to have exported 400 samples to Eurofins Biomnis on Monday and had the results on Wednesday.

Northamptonshire Healthcare and Kettering General Hospital were also said to have been asked to join the scheme.

It comes as an estimated 75 NHS workers were swabbed for the bug at a make-shift testing facility at Chessington, Surrey, yesterday before it closed for lunch.

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An 'Uncancelled' Festival Will Bring Music to Your Home Every Week

Colbie Caillat, Waxahatchee, Beach Bunny and Snail Mail are a few of the nearly 300 artists slated to perform in the newly announced UnCancelled Music Festival, a global digital music event that kicked off Thursday.

UnCancelled is the most recent — and one of the larger — of the online music events that have sparked up since COVID-19 put a temporary hold on the live music industry. Some of the festival’s proceeds will go to MusiCare’s COVID-19 Relief Fund, and it’s partnered with Fender, who is helping with promotion and will have its own curated virtual stage for the festival. (Bandzoogle, Ari’s Take and Spaceland Presents have also partnered for the event.)

UnCancelled is airing via livestreaming company StageIT, with 25 independent venues curating streams through the platform simultaneously, though the festival plans to add more venues and stages. Performers will play 30 to 45-minute sets, organizers said, and over 200 other independent venues have reached out looking to take part in the festival. While the festival will commence on a weekly basis, festival co-founder Ari Herstand, a musician and writer, said the team is looking to keep the festival active as long as the pandemic stalls live touring.

Other artists on the bill include Betty Who, The Aces and Kevin Garrett. Among the venues curating for the festival are Los Angeles staple Hotel Cafe and New York’s Rockwood Music Hall, along with PianoFight in San Francisco, World Cafe Live in Philadelphia and venues across the world in countries including England, Portugal, Australia and Japan.

With global artists and venues, UnCancelled will be a practically 24-hour show, festival organizers say, and StageIT airs live shows without archives, meaning those looking to watch a particular act will have to tune in live, like at an in-person festival. StageIT runs on a pay-what-you-want model, so the amount of potential proceeds, and artist payout from the platform’s virtual tip jar, will rely partly on viewers’ own altruism.

Like most livestreams that have aired in recent weeks, artists will be performing from their homes. UnCancelled will primarily be focused on singer-songwriters because of the difficulties of getting entire bands in the same room during social distancing.

Herstand, along with fellow co-founders Ashley Maietta, who works in publishing for boutique label Crooked Paintings, and Andrew Leib, a manager at Red Light Management, put together the festival in 10 days. The trio were inspired after seeing Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti close down all of the city’s music venues and bars as part of LA’s city-wide shelter-in-place policy.

“We were in a moment of shock,” Herstand says of the mayor’s announcement. “We started researching quickly how we could put on a collective digital music festival to support all these artists who’ve lost so much. Now every day we’re just working together on bringing in more venues and more artists.”

UnCancelled joins an extensive list of livestream events that have aired since the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. Chris Martin, John Legend, Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello were a few of the many who have taken part in Global Citizen’s Together At Home streaming series, and Elton John hosted iHeart Radio’s Living Room Concert For America, which included Dave Grohl, Billie Joe Armstrong and Billie Eilish. That show has raised $10 million for COVID-19 relief, according to iHeart. 

With live music making up a large chunk of income for musicians at large, Maietta said creating more live opportunities is crucial to helping artists and local venues in particular maintain some source of revenue while mass gatherings aren’t an option.

“The music community is one part live and one part streaming,” Maietta says. “As we all know, streaming income isn’t quite lucrative unless you’re in the millions and millions of streams. Our goal is to reintroduce live element back into these musicians’ and venues’ lives to help try and sustain these closures.”

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