Unusual crowd

FC Seoul apologised after using sex dolls to try to create some atmosphere as games went ahead behind closed doors because of coronavirus. It is not the first time a football club has got into trouble over a fake crowd. In 1992 Arsenal covered up works at the north end of its Highbury stadium with a large mural of spectators — but was forced to repaint it after complaints that it did not contain enough women or ethnic minorities. The Italian Serie C side Triestina also experimented in 2010 with a fake crowd of 10,000 virtual fans printed on vinyl sheeting.

Covid worldwide

Cases and deaths from Covid-19 have been declining in Britain and across Europe. But what about the world as a whole?

Week ending | New cases | Deaths

19 April – 545,223 – 46,601
26 April – 563,574 – 41,185
3 May – 558,909 – 44,94
10 May – 567,648 – 35,731
17 May – 608,132 –  33,033
Source: WHO

Them apples

What’s happened to fresh food prices since the coronavirus epidemic began?

The largest increases between 10 January and 15 May (per kg):
Bramley apples £1.26 to £2.28
Red cabbage 46p to 67p
Carrots 35p to 55p
Cauliflower 51p to 74p

And the biggest decreases:
Rhubarb £5.17 to £2.11
Parsnips £1.02 to 72p
Spring greens £1.90 to £1.44
Celeriac 90p to 76p
Source: ONS

Mile-long trains

Train services were increased, but with security guards to control crowding. How long would Britain’s busiest train be if social distancing were to be religiously enforced?
— The busiest train before the lockdown, according to the Department for Transport, was the 17.11 Thameslink service from Sutton to Luton, which carried an average of 1,579 passengers.
— The Class 700 electric trains used to operate the route are 2.8 metres wide, so social distancing of two metres could just about be maintained with one person sitting either side of the aisle.
— The train would then have to be at least 1,600 metres long (so almost exactly a mile long) to maintain pre-coronavirus capacity.
— The eight-carriage trains used on the route are 162 metres long, so 80 carriages would be needed. />