Face masks will have to be worn in shops and supermarkets in England from Friday under new government rules which have been criticised as “confusing”.
The Department of Health and Social Care confirmed face coverings will be required in shops and takeaways, such as Pret A Manger, if people intend to take their food and coffee away – however customers will be allowed to remove them if sitting down to consume food or drink bought on site.
Meanwhile Luton and Blackburn with Darwen were added to Public Health England’s coronavirus watchlist as “areas of intervention” due to high infection rates. It means further lockdown-easing measures such as the reopening of sports centres has been postponed in both areas.
New data also showed the government’s test and trace programme has failed to reach 33,235 close contacts (16.4 per cent) of people who have tested positive for Covid-19.
World leaders will send videos instead of physically gathering at the United Nations in September due to the coronavirus pandemic, the General Assembly decided on Wednesday, paving the way for people wary of travelling to the United States - like North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un - to participate.
The annual high-level meeting had been shaping up to be a week-long celebration of the 75th anniversary of the world body, but UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres suggested in May that leaders send video statements due to likely travel issues.
Traditionally hundreds of events are held on the sidelines of the U.N. debate, but General Assembly President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande has urged states "to move all side events to virtual platforms to limit the footprint and number of people in the UN building."
Researchers are making "good progress" in developing vaccines against Covid-19, with a handful in late-stage trials, but their first use cannot be expected until early 2021, Mike Ryan, head of WHO's emergencies programme, said on Wednesday.
"We need to be fair about this, because this is a global good. Vaccines for this pandemic are not for the wealthy, they are not for the poor, they are for everybody," Dr Ryan said, noting that several vaccines were now in Phase 3 trials and none had failed, so far, in terms of safety or ability to generate an immune response.
The Health Ministry on Thursday also reported a new record surge of 45,720 new coronavirus cases, taking the total tally of infections to 1,238,635.
Many states in India have started reimposing lockdowns as health authorities struggle to trace transmissions.
Late Wednesday, the Himalayan region of Kashmir announced a five-day complete lockdown in areas that have been categorised as red zones. A two-day complete lockdown also started Thursday in West Bengal state.
India has record the third most virus cases in the world after the United States and Brazil.
More than 40,000 calls have been made to the National Domestic Abuse Helpline since the start of the coronavirus lockdown, and demand is rising as restrictions ease, according to the charity that runs it.
Refuge's telephone helpline, which ordinarily logs around 270 calls and contacts from women, friends and family members needing support every day, saw an increase of 77 per cent during June.
The first week in July saw a 54 per cent rise in women needing emergency accommodation when compared with the last week in June - the highest number of women needing emergency accommodation during the lockdown period.
During June, 73 per cent of calls to the helpline were from survivors of domestic abuse, and 40 per cent of these callers were provided with information on issues such as child contact and housing rights.
Refuge said 17 per cent of callers were supported to make safety plans and 15 per cent were looking for emergency accommodation indicating they needed to leave their homes urgently.
A report by financial watchdogs has slammed the government’s economic reaction to the pandemic as “astonishing” and warned that the Cabinet Office and Treasury must “learn the lessons” or risk making “similar mistakes” if a second wave of coronavirus were to hit the UK.
The cross-party Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) published a scathing report that found the government’s financial planning when Covid-19 hit was rushed and has left whole sectors behind.
Read the full story here:
Government’s failure to plan for economic impact of pandemic branded ‘astonishing’
'A competent government does not run a country on the hoof, and it will not steer us through this global health and economic crisis that way'Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, announced the cuts without fanfare as MPs left parliament for their summer recess, meaning they could not be immediately scrutinised by parliament.
The government insists a "line by line" review of aid projects had prioritised the "40 most vulnerable countries" but aid organisations warned that the cuts were falling at a time of humanitarian crisis. Opposition critics branded the policy "callous".
South Africa's confirmed coronavirus cases have nearly reached 400,000 as the country reports a new daily high of 572 deaths.
It is now one of the world's top five countries in terms of reported virus cases, and it makes up more than half of the cases on the African continent with 394,948. Deaths are at 5,940.
Public hospitals are struggling as patient numbers climb, and more than 5,000 health workers have been infected.
The struggles by Africa's most developed country in coping with the pandemic are a worrying sign for other, far less resourced countries across the continent as the spread of infections picks up speed.
Total cases in the most populous US state rose by 12,112 on Wednesday to a total of more than 421,000 - the biggest single-day increase since the pandemic started. California deaths also set a one-day record, rising by 159, according to a Reuters tally of county data.
New York has recorded by far the most deaths of any US state at more than 32,000 with California in fourth place with over 8,000 deaths.
If California were a country, it would rank fifth in the world for total coronavirus cases behind only the United States, Brazil, India and Russia. New York has more than 413,500 cases and has been adding on average 700 new ones a day in July. In California there is an average of 8,300 new cases a day.
The rapid increase of cases has made it difficult to trace the pathogen's path through the community through contact tracing, California secretary of health and human services Dr Mark Ghaly said on Tuesday.
"No one anticipated building a programme to contact trace the number of cases we're seeing here," he told a press conference.
Since its crush of cases earlier in the year, New York state has managed to get the virus under control, reporting the fewest hospitalisations in four months on Monday and only two deaths on Tuesday.
Nearly 143,000 Americans have died of COVID-19 - nearly a quarter of the global total.
A Tory cabinet minister has confirmed people in England will have to wear a face covering when buying takeaway food or drink at fast food restaurants or coffee shops from Friday.
Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis sought to clear up confusion over where it will be mandatory to wear face masks in England as of tomorrow.
If you are sitting down and eating inside a takeaway, you won't have to cover your nose and mouth with a mask - but if you are paying for food or drink and then taking it away you will have to wear one.
He told BBC Breakfast: “What changes from tomorrow is you should wear face masks, not just on public transport, but if you are in shops or supermarkets.
"The difference that people may not be aware of, and what will be outlined in the regulations today, is if you are going in to a takeaway and you are eating inside then that is like hospitality, you are eating, it's not practical to wear a face mask, but if you are going in to buy a product and then leaving again you are treating it like a shop and you should be wearing a face mask."
Opposition MPs have accused the government of "making things up as they go along" over takeaways and sandwich shops after days of mixed messages and confusion.
People could face a fine of up to £100 for failing to comply with the new regulations, which will be published today - less than 24 hours before they come into effect.
According to a study from the Office for National Statistics, women in households with children under 18 carried out an average of more than three hours a day of childcare compared to just two hours for men.
The research also found that one in three women home-schooling their children in lockdown said their mental health had suffered as a result.
Around 92 per cent of UK firms were trading in the two weeks to 12 July as more businesses opened their doors to customers after the easing of lockdown restrictions, according to new figures.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the proportion of firms which were active jumped from 86 per cent in the first two weeks of June, as the economy was boosted by the reopening of non-essential shops and hospitality venues.
Speaking this morning, cabinet minister Brandon Lewis said the prime minister was ultimately in charge and that devolved administrations were simply "part of the decisions we were making".
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have significantly lower coronavirus death rates than England, and the crisis has largely been managed on a devolved basis since the UK first went into lockdown.
The city of Tokyo announced a record 366 new daily coronavirus cases, exceeding 300 for the first time.
It comes as Japan begins a four-day weekend with many people joining a tourism promotion campaign the government is pushing despite concerns of a new wave of infections nationwide.
The number of daily cases in Tokyo had fallen to just several in late May after the government ended a national state of emergency but have climbed steadily since late June, with the number tripling in the first three weeks of July.
Tokyo now has 10,420 confirmed cases, including 327 deaths.
The Tokyo Olympics 2020 would have begun tomorrow, but the opening ceremony has been pushed back to 23 July 2021 because of the pandemic.
Governor Yuriko Koike said: "Please be mindful of your actions and do your utmost not to get infected, and not to infect others."
Ms Koike on Wednesday asked residents to stay home as much as possible during the long weekend, even though prime minister Shinzo Abe's government has gone ahead with a "Go To" tourism promotion campaign that excludes Tokyo for now to help the badly hit tourism industry.
Until recently, officials have said most cases were limited to younger people linked to nightlife entertainment districts, but experts at a Tokyo task force meeting on Wednesday said infections have spread to older people and to regular homes, workplaces and restaurants.
Hong Kong has reported a daily record of 118 new coronavirus cases, including 111 locally transmitted cases, adding to a deluge of new infections that have hit the global financial hub in the past two weeks.
Hong Kong extended strict social distancing measures on Wednesday as authorities reported 105 locally transmitted infections.
Since late January more than 2,000 people have been infected in Hong Kong, 14 of whom have died.
Authorities have warned the city faces a critical period in containing the virus.
Authorities on Wednesday also said they were extending the period that non-essential civil servants would work from home until 2 August.
Health secretary Sophia Chan said the government was asking citizens to be patient and stay at home as much as possible.
People will need to wear a face covering in sandwich shops in England under new regulations due to come into force on Friday.
The Department of Health and Social Care has confirmed face coverings will be needed in shops such as Pret A Manger if people intend to take their food and coffee away.
If they sit down to eat or drink, they will be able to remove their face covering in that area.
It is likely takeaway outlets will fall under the same criteria.
A Department of Health spokesman said: "From Friday 24 July it will be mandatory to wear a face covering in shops and supermarkets, as is currently the case on public transport.
"If a shop or supermarket has a cafe or a seating area to eat and drink, you can remove your face covering in that area."
The regulations, which are enforceable by the police, are due to be set out on Thursday afternoon.
The same exemptions as for public transport will apply, with children under 11 and people with breathing problems not required to wear a covering.
Anyone who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment or disability is also exempt.
US coronavirus cases are approaching 4 million, with more than 2,600 new cases every hour on average, the highest rate in the world, according to a Reuters tally.
Infections in the United States have rapidly accelerated since the first case was detected on 21 January.
It took the country 98 days to reach 1 million cases. It took another 43 days to reach 2 million and then 27 days to reach 3 million. It has only taken 16 days to reach 4 million at a rate of 43 new cases a minute.
The federal government, state governors and city leaders have often clashed over the best way to tackle the pandemic, leading to a confusing patchwork of rules on issues like mask wearing in public and when businesses can open.
President Donald Trump recently shifted his tone. He had previously been reluctant to wear a face covering himself but this week encouraged Americans to wear masks and recently appeared in public for the first time with a face covering.
Of the 20 countries with the biggest outbreak, the United States ranks second for cases per capita, at 120 infections per 10,000 people, only exceeded by Chile.
With over 143,000 deaths, or 4.4 fatalities per 10,000 people, the United States ranks sixth globally for the highest deaths per capita. It is exceeded by the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Chile and France.
It is understood customers will be able to open them and add to their basket to purchase later.
Since the launch of the government's test and trace programme, 169,546 close contacts of people who have tested positive for Covid-19 have been reached through the tracing system and asked to self-isolate.
This is 83.6 per cent out of a total of 202,781 people identified as close contacts.
The weekly figures show that 77.9 per cent of close contacts were reached in the week ending 15 July, up from 72.0 per cent in the previous week, but down on the 90.7 per cent reached in the first week of test and trace (week ending 3 June).
The eating areas located inside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and the New Executive Office Building were both closed this week after the case was discovered, according to reports.
It is not clear whether the person who contracted Covid-19 was a cafeteria worker or a White House official.
White House workers have reportedly been told to stay home if they show symptoms of the virus or feel unwell, but that they do not need to self-quarantine, according to the New York Times.
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