Inside Politics – Coronavirus special: Rishi Sunak insists ministers made ‘right’ decisions on lockdown

The coronavirus hasn’t slowed down faraway discoveries. Scientists have been able to work out the chemical make-up of an “alien” comet, the first interstellar object found in our solar system. Westminster launches something entirely alien today – a virtual parliament connecting ministers in the Commons with faraway MPs. The government hopes we are witnessing a much more important breakthrough. As chancellor Rishi Sunak hails the “light at end of the tunnel”, experts say there are signs the peak of the virus is finally behind us. I’m Adam Forrest, and welcome to The Independent’s daily Inside Politics briefing during the coronavirus crisis.

Our chief political commentator John Rentoul on what to look out for today:

Big day for parliament, which reassembles today – 1pm for the Lords and 2.30pm for the Commons. First order of business in the Commons will be to approve special rules to allow MPs to take part in proceedings remotely. That will have to be done by a small number of MPs physically present in the chamber, but is expected to go through on the nod. Elsewhere, four select committees will take evidence, including from Simon McDonald, top civil servant in the foreign office, about its response to coronavirus.

GUIDED BY VOICES: Rishi Sunak rejected the idea the government was too slow to cancel big sporting events, insisting ministers were guided by the scientific advice and took “the right decisions at the right time”. The chancellor used the latest No 10 press conference to proclaim his job protection scheme after more than 140,000 businesses covering around 1 million employees applied for grants on Monday. It comes as another 449 deaths from the virus were recorded in UK hospitals – the lowest daily figure in two weeks. Sunak described it as “encouraging”, while deputy chief scientific adviser Angela McClean said it was a “relief” the figures were “flattening out”. However, weekly mortality figures will be released today, giving a better picture of Covid-19 deaths in care homes. Public Health England’s medical director Yvonne Doyle admitted she didn’t know how many had died in the community, but estimated that nine in every 10 deaths occur in hospital.

YOUR FACE AND MINE: Is the advice on masks about to change? No 10’s scientific advisory team is expected to meet today to discuss whether the public should be encouraged to wear face coverings, but hospital chiefs have warned against anything that could deprive the NHS of kit. Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said only “clear evidence” should alter the guidance. Hopson made clear the shortage of gowns remained the major problem when it comes to PPE. He revealed a promised consignment of 200,000 gowns from China actually only contained 20,000 of them when it arrived last week. It comes as the head of the Royal College of Anaesthetists told The Independent doctors should not treat patients without the protective equipment they need to keep them safe. RCOA president Ravi Mahajan said trust was being lost in Britain’s top health officials.

TARGET PRACTICE: As parliament returns today, there are signs the usual petty squabbles and backstabbing is resuming too. Some government figures are trying to distance themselves from health secretary Matt Hancock’s stated target of getting 100,000 coronavirus tests done a day by the end of April. One No 10 “insider” told The Telegraph it threatened to “come back and bite him”. Ex-Home Office permanent secretary Sir Philip Rutnam has now lodged a formal employment tribunal claim for unfair dismissal against home secretary Priti Patel. Elsewhere, the PM’s stand-in Dominic Raab held another virtual discussion with leaders of the opposition parties. Although a spokesman for Labour leader Keir Starmer said the meeting had been “constructive”, a source from one of the opposition parties told the BBC the call was a “total waste of time” and merely a “tick-box exercise”.

DONALD’S DISTRACTIONS: Donald Trump has claimed he is ready to sign an executive order today temporarily suspending all immigration to the US as a way to fight the virus. Citing “the attack from the Invisible Enemy” on Twitter, he said it was also necessary “to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens”. It was immediately denounced as attempt to stoke his base and distract attention from the pandemic. It comes at an odd time, with the White House arguing the worst of the outbreak is now over and some states should begin lifting lockdowns. Trump also clashed with state governors over testing, blaming them for the lack of tests and accusing them of “playing a very dangerous political game”.

HOPE FROM THOSE AHEAD: Good news from Italy, where the number of people infected with the virus has fallen for the first time since the pandemic began. There were 108,237 people reported in hospital or recovering at home on Monday – 20 fewer than on Sunday. The health authorities described it as “extremely encouraging”. Some shops, including book stores and outlets selling children’s clothes, have begun re-opening across the country. Meanwhile, there were 399 deaths from the virus reported in Spain on Monday – the lowest daily total in four weeks. “These figures give us hope,” said the health ministry’s emergencies coordinator Fernando Simon.

OIL IN TROUBLED WATERS: The economic impact of the coronavirus lockdowns continues, as oil prices plummeted to the lowest level in history. In the US, they entered negative territory, with the price of the West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures settling at minus $37 per barrel on Monday. It comes as Opec finalised an agreement between oil producers to cut production by 9.7 million barrels per day – about 10 per cent of global production. The strange impact of lockdowns on global wildlife continues too. Rare leatherback turtles have been found nesting in numbers not seen for decades on beaches in Florida and Thailand, a resurgence thought to be caused by the empty beaches.

“I think when you look at the totality of what we’re doing, it’s more significant in scope and scale than most of those other countries.”

Rishi Sunak boasts about the economic measures the government has taken during the crisis.

“For the love of God ... Sunak: “We made the right decisions at the right time, we were guided by the science and we stand by that.” Absolute disgrace.”

Actor-comedian Omid Djalili is not impressed by the chancellor...

“On the late lockdown, Sunak repeats the mantra that Govt made “the right decisions at the right time, according to the scientific advice we received”. Not a denial they were the wrong decisions at the wrong time if the science was wrong. Scientists being lined up for the blame.”

…while The Sun’s Tom Newton-Dunn thinks blame is being shifted.

Sean O’Grady, The Independent: We’re digging deep for the NHS now – we might not when this crisis is over

Hannah Selinger, The Independent: Trump is looking for a civil war. His followers are only too happy to oblige

Robert Peston, The Spectator: Have we reached the peak?

Saskia Miller, The Atlantic: Angela Merkel’s scientific background could save Germany