MICK JAGGER, ELTON JOHN, TOM JONES AND PAUL McCARTNEY ON THE SAME BILL SING TRIBUTE TO HEALTHCARE WORKERS EVERYWHERE

ATHERSTONE watched along with millions as the British version of One World Together At Home concert saw music stars pay tribute to healthcare workers while urging everyone to keep on with social distancing restrictions to beat coronavirus.

But as pop knights Mick Jagger, Elton John, Tom Jones and Paul McCartney found themselves playing on the same unique bill from the safety of their own houses – 3,000 miles away crowds were flocking to Florida beaches after the US state became the first to relax "quarantine" guidelines.

The megastar event dubbed Lockdown Live Aid seemed to fall on deaf ears as a White House-encouraged movement to reopen the economy witnessed many people swimming, running or soaking up the sun on loungers close enough to get infected with Covid-19.

Groups of protesters urged their leaders to end stay-at-home orders in organised gatherings in Texas, Maryland, Ohio, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Nevada and New Jersey.

President Donald Trump noted: "I just think that some of the governors have gotten carried away" with restrictions, claiming America's testing capability and capacity is up to the challenge of beginning to open up the country.

Even if Americans head back to work, new polls reveal widespread fear would probably hinder efforts to kick-start the economy.

Three out of four US adults said the "worst of the outbreak" is still to come, and two in three are concerned restrictions will be lifted too soon, the Pew Research Center found.

The stats appear to speak for themselves as deaths across the US passed 40,000 tonight and confirmed cases stand at more than 760,000 out of a world total of 2.4 million people testing positive and 164,000 fatalities.

The UK number of hospital deaths in the last 24 hours – 596 – is again second only in total to the US figure and represents around a tenth of the world's recorded fatalities in the last 24 hours.

Britain's case total is 120,067 and hospital deaths are 16,060 but the overall tally is at least 20,000 as new data from the National Care Forum found there has been 4,040 coronavirus-related deaths among the elderly and disabled in care homes which are not yet been included in official figures.

Kent retains the 'hot spot' for coronavirus in the upper tier local authority table with 2,308 people testing positive for the virus – Birmingham is second with 2,243. Hampshire is third on 2,122.

Warwickshire has 805 confirmed cases (18 up on yesterday), Coventry 493 – Atherstone's neighbouring counties Staffordshire has 1,202 cases and Leicestershire 678.

By region, London now has 21,357 cases, East and West Midlands is 14,581 combined, the North West 13,781 and the South East 12,563.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control says the continent now has more than one million confirmed cases and almost 100,000 deaths from the new coronavirus.

Spain had the most cases in the region with nearly 200,000, followed by Italy, France, Germany and the UK.

It listed Italy as having the most deaths in Europe, with 23,660, followed by Spain, France, Britain and Belgium.

Europe accounts for almost half the global cases load and some 60 per cent of the total deaths.

Former Atherstone MP Mike O'Brien pressed home the 'stay home' message earlier today when he said the "faster and tougher we squeeze out the virus by a lockdown now, the faster the economy will be able to reopen".