Evening summary
- The chancellor hinted the 2-metre rule will be relaxed in England in the prime minister’s review next week. Visiting shops in Yorkshire, Rishi Sunak said the review “will make an enormous difference to businesses” in a strong signal the measure will be eased from 4 July. The culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, said the review is due to conclude “in the coming days”.
- Pub gardens could be patrolled to ensure social distancing is being observed, according to draft plans leaked to the Times (paywall). Among the other measures outlined in the plans are hotels leaving room service at the door and restaurant tables not being set in advance.
- The government is being urged to consider a four-day working week to aid recovery from the pandemic by a senior cross-party groups of MPs. The policy is already being explored by a commission set up in Scotland and has also been floated in New Zealand as a key way in which the economy can recover from the coronavirus crisis. Proponents argue shorter working hours counteract unemployment, encourage better mental and physical health, spread workload and enhance productivity. “It’s in no one’s interests to return back to the pressure and stress that people were under before this pandemic,” the MPs wrote.
- The UK death toll rose by 128 to 42,461.
That’s it from me today on the UK side. If you would like to continue following the Guardian’s coverage of the pandemic, head over to the global live blog for the worldwide picture.
Updated
Black Lives Matter protesters in London have begun their march through the capital to Parliament Square, PA Media reports.
One of the chants they prepared at a two-hour rally in Hyde Park beforehand was “Munira Mirza must go” - the name of the woman appointed to run the recently announced Race Inequality Commission.
Mirza has been heavily criticised for describing structural racism as “more of a perception than a reality”.
Updated
Portugal could become one of the first countries to agree to an “air bridge” with the UK, allowing citizens travelling between both countries to avoid quarantine measures, Jessica Murray reports.
Manuel Lobo Antunes, Portugal’s ambassador to the UK, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning:
We think the situation is under control and we would be happy to receive, as before, as many British as possible.
The prime minister, Boris Johnson, is expected to announce a small number of bilateral air bridge arrangements on 29 June, according to the Telegraph (paywall), connecting Britons to predominantly short-haul destinations with low coronavirus transmission levels from 4 July.
The government is said to be focusing on countries such as France, Spain, Greece and Portugal.
More on this story here.
Updated
Another two deaths have been recorded in the past 24 hours of people who tested positive for coronavirus in Scotland, taking the total there to 2,472.
The statistics indicate that as of 9am on Saturday, 18,130 people have tested positive for the virus in Scotland, up by 26 from 18,104 the previous day.
Of those who have tested positive, 519 were in hospital on Friday night. A total of 14 patients were in intensive care with either confirmed or suspected Covid-19, a fall of five in 24 hours.
There has been one further death of someone who tested positive for Covid-19 in Northern Ireland, bringing the total number of deaths recorded by the Department of Health to 545 - a toll that primarily focuses on fatalities within hospitals.
There were no new confirmed cases of the virus announced on Saturday, leaving that tally standing at 4,866.
Another 128 fatalities recorded, bringing UK death toll to 42,461
The DHSC said 42,589 people had died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Friday. That is a rise of 128 from 42,461 the day before.
The government figures do not include all deaths involving Covid-19 across the UK, which is thought to have passed 53,000.
The DHSC also said in the 24-hour period up to 9am on Saturday, 230,550 tests were carried out or dispatched, with 1,295 positive results.
Overall, a total of 7,714,201 tests have been carried out and 303,110 cases have been confirmed positive.
The figure for the number of people tested has been “temporarily paused to ensure consistent reporting” across all methods of testing.
As of 9am 20 June, there have been 7,714,201 tests, with 230,550 tests on 19 June.
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) June 20, 2020
303,110 people have tested positive.
As of 5pm on 19 June, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 42,589 have sadly died.
More info:
▶️ https://t.co/xXnL3FU15k pic.twitter.com/7S48LxqRcS
More than 500 people gathered at an anti-racism rally in Glasgow city centre despite being warned by police to stay away.
Organisers said the Glasgow Says No to Racism event is aimed at “sending a positive anti-racist message from Glasgow’s George Square to the world on World Refugee Day”.
Police horses and riot officers were used to control their arrival in the square and when the event ended around noon they were kettled before being moved through the city, controlled by police horses and scores of officers.
NHS England said a further 71 people have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 28,292.
The number of deaths of patients with Covid-19 by region are as follows:
East of England 10
London 6
Midlands 21
North East & Yorkshire 8
North West 16
South East 10
South West 0
Total 71
Updated
Another death has been recorded in Wales, taking the total there to 1,476.
Public Health Wales said a further 25 positive cases of Covid-19 had also been reported, taking that tally to 15,026.
The latest number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Wales has been updated.
— Public Health Wales (@PublicHealthW) June 20, 2020
Data dashboard:
💻 https://t.co/zpWRYSUbfh
📱 https://t.co/HSclxpZjBh
Find out how we are responding to the spread of the virus in our daily statement here: https://t.co/u6SKHz0zsG pic.twitter.com/RR3s84IzuL
There was a picnic atmosphere at Speakers’ Corner for Saturday’s Black Lives Matter protest with people sitting in small groups on the grass, PA Media reports.
Four speaking points had been set up at different locations to allow demonstrators to get up and have their say.
One demonstrator, who gave her name only as Victoria said:
Before coming to the protests I was seeing everything online - all these videos of police brutality and it makes you so angry and makes you consider your own feelings about racism.
The 23-year-old, who has been to two previous Black Lives Matter demonstrations, said:
When I come to these protests it is such a release, it almost feels like peace - you have family, you have people who want to understand and it’s like a community.
Victoria said racist comments were just a fact of life and that just before shutdown a man in a club had asked her if she was “from the ghetto”.
Tash, 23, joined the Black Lives Matter protests for the first time on Saturday. She told PA Media:
This protest makes me feel hopeful but it also concerns me. We’re in a pandemic and I don’t want it to just be a hashtag and a trend. It is hopeful because people are finally listening but are they just listening because they have the time and they are bored? I want to see change, I want this to be followed through.
Describing her own experience of racism growing up in London, she said:
I’ve been asked what slave country I come from - in all seriousness - and I just think: how do I respond to that?
Updated
Time for some joy. This is from Reach’s Yakub Qureshi
Again, I’m struck by the inconsistencies of lockdown pic.twitter.com/wZqP4dL6J8
— Yakub Qureshi (@yqshi) June 20, 2020
Updated
Brenford’s Bryan Mbeumo has tested positive for Covid-19, Sky News reports.
The news was confirmed by the club’s head coach, Thomas Frank, as Brentford prepare to play against Fulham in the first championship match since lockdown came into force.
Frank told Sky Sports that Mbeumo was “fit and well” and wasn’t displaying symptoms.
Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo has tested positive for coronavirus, the club's head coach Thomas Frank has confirmed.
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 20, 2020
Updated
A petition to support student nurses facing financial hardship after contracts were terminated earlier than expected has reached 90,000.
Up to 18,700 final-year student nurses joined the NHS frontline months before they were due to graduate, at a time when it looked like the coronavirus pandemic might overwhelm the health service and its workforce.
The posts they filled were advertised as six-month placements but with the pandemic now coming under control, student nurses have now been told their contracts will be terminated in July, leaving them with no income.
The Good Law Project petition asking the health secretary, Matt Hancock, to get funding reinstated until October so the student nurses can complete their practical training has now gained more than 92,000 signatures.
The petition to support student nurses has now reached 90,000
— NHS Million (@NHSMillion) June 20, 2020
Many have had their contracts cancelled, despite giving up other jobs to fight Coronavirus
Lots will now struggle financially, so please sign and RT the petition and help us reach 100k todayhttps://t.co/XbA6ynU9Vz
Here is my colleague Ben Quinn’s article on the subject.
One student nurse wrote on social media:
Some of us left jobs for this. Many of us have children and families to care for. All of us will come out with a debt succeeding £30,000 for doing a degree we have such passion for.
Updated
Protesters have started to assemble at Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park for a third weekend of Black Lives Matter demonstrations, PA Media reports.
There was a heavy police presence, with 14 police vans lined up along the road by Marble Arch.
Demonstrators were offered face masks and gloves upon arrival and a sound system had been set up on the grass.
Updated
Revellers have been told to stay away from Stonehenge for the summer solstice this year, with police saying officers will be on the scene to ward off crowds.
Traditionally about 10,000 people gather at the monument in Wiltshire on or around 21 June, to watch the sun rise on the longest day of the year.
This year’s celebrations were cancelled by English Heritage, which plans to stream the sunrise on social media instead. The organisation said it expects hundreds of thousands of people from around the world to tune in.
Wiltshire police said officers would be in the area and local authorities warned people to stay away.
Supt Phil Staynings said: “We fully support the decision by English Heritage not to allow managed open access to Stonehenge for this year’s summer solstice.
“Officers will maintain a presence in the areas of both Stonehenge and Avebury in support of both English Heritage and the National Trust.
“In addition, there will be a visible presence in local communities to reassure those who may be concerned.”
Updated
The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, has made an urgent intervention in the growing crisis over the welfare of 1,500 crew on five cruise liners which British port authorities detained after a raid on Friday.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said it was detaining five of six ships it inspected on Friday morning over serious concerns about the welfare of the crew, some of whom have been stranded for three months in Essex.
In a statement issued just before midnight, Shapps said the government would “not hesitate to continue to use every power within our control to safeguard the health and happiness” of the crew.
The International Maritime Organization said the situation was on the verge of a humanitarian crisis. Some of the crew have been stuck on board for more than the legal limit of 11 months, unable to be repatriated to their home countries.
The MCA sent investigators on board the six ships operated by British firm Cruise & Maritime Voyages following reports of hunger strikes, late payment of wages and one death.
More than 150 Indian crew members on one of the ships, the Astoria, have been stranded in Tilbury Docks in Essex for three months. They wrote to the Indian prime minister earlier this month to ask for help. One crew member died from “natural causes”, believed to have been a heart attack.
https://t.co/8C9fG56pYe pic.twitter.com/1OCoJZ7x5y
— All India Seafarers Union (@AllSeafarers) June 18, 2020
Shapps said: “The welfare of seafarers is of the utmost importance and we take any reports of safety concerns around crew incredibly seriously.”
Updated
MPs urge government to explore four-day working week for post Covid-19 society
A group of senior cross-party MPs from Labour, the SNP and the Green Party have written a letter to the government urging them to explore a four-day working week for the UK post Covid-19.
The MPs, including the former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, SNP MP Mhairi Black and Green MP Caroline Lucas, are urging the government to set up a commission to explore the options for a four-day week, a policy already being discussed in Scotland as part of its Post-Covid-19 Futures Commission.
The letter argues that “shorter hours have been used throughout history as a way of responding to economic crises”.
After the Great Depression in the 1930s, shorter working time was used as a way of reducing unemployment, which led to the normalisation of the eight-hour day and the 40-hour week.
The letter goes on to say that “shorter hours should once again be seen as a powerful tool to recover from this crisis”.
Work patterns have already been dramatically altered as a result of the pandemic and we believe the time is now right to explore putting a four-day, 30-hour working week (or any equivalent variation) front and centre – including protections for those on low incomes – as the country unites behind building back better out of this crisis.
Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister of New Zealand, has recently spoken about the four-day week as a key way in which New Zealand’s economy can recover from the crisis.
Aidan Harper, from the 4 Day Week Campaign, said:
Work has changed for ever as a result of this crisis and we want to make sure we have a better model of work emerging from it as we had going in.
The benefits of a four-day week are boundless; better mental health and wellbeing, work shared more equally across the economy, greater productivity at work, and the potential to engage in more environmentally sustainable behaviours.
Updated
Sunak hints 2-metre rule will be relaxed in PM's review next week
The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has said the review of the 2-metre rule, due out next week, will “make an enormous difference” to businesses, in a major hint it will be relaxed.
In a visit to shops in North Yorkshire, he told reporters:
The outcome of that review will be announced this week, obviously that’s something that will make an enormous difference, I think, to many businesses who are keen to see a change.
Obviously, we need to go through that review, but I’m very understanding of the calls for action on that, particularly for our hospitality industry, for our pubs, for our restaurants. [They] are keen to see if there’s some change that can be made there.
He said progress made to stem the spread of coronavirus means the government can begin to “kick-start our economy” and that “starts with our high streets”.
Updated
Covid-19 has “accelerated” the demise of high streets as shopping destinations, and paved the way for a new retail landscape, according to the former boss of Wickes and Iceland.
Speaking to the PA Media news agency, retail expert Bill Grimsey said nearly half of retailers were in danger of “going bust” even before the pandemic, but a boom in online shopping has quickened the process, adding the “old high street is finished”.
He said the high street can only survive if the government hands over more powers to local authorities and people who have a “vested interest in their communities”.
His comments came after the third Grimsey Review looking into the state of the UK high street was published on Saturday.
Among its 27 recommendations are calls to replace “outdated” business rates with a sales tax and for unused properties to be forced back onto the market to be bought by community trusts to serve their neighbourhoods.
It also called for the Land Registry to open up its database to give transparency about who owns town centres.
The team behind the report argued “only localism on steroids” could revive failing high streets.
Grimsey told PA Media:
Before the pandemic, 50% of businesses were in danger of going bust. Covid has accelerated and exposed the process of people ditching bricks-and-mortar retail and shopping online instead.
People are starting to think differently, when they come out of lockdown, their attitudes will change for the better, they will start to appreciate their local communities, breathing cleaner air and enjoying the wildlife.
They have realised there is a better life out there, built around those who have a vested interest in their communities and not by big distant investors, and I believe this has been highlighted by the pandemic.
He added:
For this to happen, the PM, who has urged everyone to hit the high street to rescue the economy, needs to realise that this won’t solve anything, the old high street is finished.
There needs to be a huge shift in power from Westminster to our local communities. Whitehall isn’t able to deal with this, and as they continue trying to influence a revival, buildings continue to lay empty.
Updated
My colleague Molly Blackall has been speaking to staff at non-essential shops about the first week reopening after lockdown was announced in March.
One worker at an arts supplies shop in London, Abigail, was surprised at how frustrated she felt towards customers. She said:
We ought to be glad to see them, but instead I feel that they are essentially putting us at risk for items they can live without, or order online.
It’s hard not to show anger, but people are treating it as an outing. For them it’s just one interaction, but it means we’re interacting with a hundred people a day.
We must be in work and at risk, or else risk our jobs.
The full piece is here.
Protesters have gathered in Glasgow city centre despite being warned by police to stay away.
Organisers said the Glasgow Says No to Racism event was aimed at “sending a positive anti-racist message from Glasgow’s George Square to the world on World Refugee Day”. Supporters include Stand Up To Racism, Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees, Positive Action in Housing, Afghan Human Rights Foundation and unions.
This is our city. No place for fascism and racism. #Glasgow #BlackLivesMattters pic.twitter.com/V1dVOt0bSw
— Jonathon Shafi (@Jonathon_Shafi) June 20, 2020
Attendees were asked to wear masks, adhere to 2-metre distancing rules and not to travel farther than public health advice allowed.
Police vans lined the square with more than 100 officers in attendance, including riot police and mounted officers. Arrivals included members of the Green Brigade, linked to Celtic ultras. Police horses and riot officers were used to control their arrival in the square.
Loyalists and members of a far-right group announced online on Friday night that they plan to head to the square to “protect statues”.
On Friday night, Police Scotland, the Scottish justice secretary, Humza Yousaf, and the head of Glasgow city council called on the public not to gather at the location.
Clashes have broken out over recent weeks at the square, including violent scenes from a far-right group on Wednesday.
Ch Supt Hazel Hendren, divisional commander of Greater Glasgow, said on Friday evening:
Please do not come to George Square tomorrow. The lockdown restrictions remain in place and people should leave their homes only for very limited purposes. Anyone who wants to protest should find another way of doing so that keeps everyone safe.
She added:
We continue to work with partners, including Glasgow city council, to keep our streets safe for everyone. The disgraceful scenes we have witnessed in George Square are completely unacceptable and a robust policing response is in place for anyone intent on causing violent disruption.
At least six people were arrested on Wednesday following scenes labelled “disgraceful” by first minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Far-right loyalists targeted a rally calling for improved living conditions for refugees.
Assistant chief constable Bernard Higgins said on Thursday that Police Scotland was “absolutely committed to respecting people’s rights to freely and peacefully express their views”.
Yousaf tweeted:
Msg from Scot Govt, Glasgow CC & Police completely aligned - mass outdoor gatherings are unlawful, if you attend you are risking your health & of the health of those you love.
— Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) June 19, 2020
If you participate in disorder expect to be arrested & spend time in a custody cell. https://t.co/WEEhqabIqj
The Glasgow city council leader, Susan Aitken, said:
Please do not come to George Square tomorrow - you will put yourself and others at risk. We are at a crucial point in our journey out of lockdown and it remains the case that it is still not safe to gather in large crowds. I understand that many will want to make their voices heard. But, for now, I urge you to find alternative means of doing so.
She added:
In normal times, everyone has a right to protest lawfully. It is a bedrock of our democracy and a proud tradition in Glasgow. But just now, just for this short time, please stay safe, keep others safe and stay away.
Updated
Something was sick at the heart of government. An institutional illness and a very English naiveté that was no longer charming.
In this compelling and insightful audio essay for Tortoise, Matthew d’Ancona revisits and reexamines the crucial moment Boris Johnson fell ill with coronavirus and how the government behaved in the prime minister’s absence.
Here are some extracts:
But we’ve overlooked what it really meant for the country when that group of senior civil servants, advisers and politicians – most of all the prime minister – got sick. As the dominoes fell in Number 10, infections rose outside. The effort to control the virus stalled. Care homes opened their doors to Covid-19.
Inside Number 10 it was noisy, amateurish chaos. Outside, a quiet wave of infection rolled across the country.
Inside and outside; the personal and political; the prime minister’s recovery and the death toll in the country. They’re related, and they tell us a lot about why the UK has handled this pandemic so very badly.
...
When it hit the top ranks of government, it did so with a vengeance. But, in retrospect, there was a shocking amateurishness about the response to what was, quite literally, a lethal threat to the UK’s ability to govern itself.
...
But there was always an element of Whitehall farce to this story. Gentlemen amateurs trying to make light of lethal sickness. The left hand not talking to the right – or, sometimes, to anyone.
You can listen to Sick Man here or read the transcript here.
Updated
My colleagues Sarah Marsh and Martin Belam have collated profiles of eight of the lives lost on the worst day of the UK’s pandemic. On 8 April, 1,445 people died of coronavirus, here are their stories.
Jeremy Corbyn’s brother is facing two charges of breaching lockdown rules after allegedly participating in conspiracy theorist demonstrations blaming coronavirus on the 5G network.
Piers Corbyn, 73, was first arrested on 16 May during a demonstration at Hyde Park Corner involving 50 people.
He was allegedly among those claiming that the pandemic was both a hoax and that it was caused by the new 5G internet masts.
He was charged with offences under the Health Protection Regulations 2020 and told to attend Westminster magistrates court on 20 August.
Corbyn, a climate change denier who set up controversial weather forecasting business Weather Action, was charged with the same offence over protests on 30 May.
He will appear at Westminster magistrates court for those offences on 24 July.
Twelve others were arrested and charged under the Health Protection Act for allegedly taking part in the anti-lockdown protests of 16 May.
Updated
Along with patrols to ensure social distancing is being observed when pubs reopen, drinkers could be urged to order drinks via smartphone apps rather than at the bar.
The prime minister is expected to make an announcement on reopening pubs, restaurants and cafes in England next week from 4 July.
Here is some more detail on the plans leaked to The Times (paywall) about what the “new normal” could look like for restaurants, pubs and hotels.
The paper reports that Boris Johnson will announce a relaxation of the 2-metre social distancing rule next week from 4 July, in a bid to reopen pubs, cafes and attractions to restart the economy.
Among the raft of measures in the Times report are:
- Regular patrols of pub gardens to make sure people are observing social distancing.
- Customers will be encouraged not to order drinks at the bar.
- Waiting staff will bring out napkins and cutlery with the food, as opposed to setting tables in advance.
- Waiting staff will be asked to wash their hands each time they serve a different table.
- Laminated menus will be replaced by single-use ones.
- Porters will leave guests’ bags outside their hotel rooms.
- Spacing out of tables in restaurants and exercise equipment in gyms to maintain social distancing, along with staggered bookings to avoid overcrowding.
- Even if hotel restaurants reopen, visitors could be urged to use room service, which will be delivered outside the hotel room door.
- In spas, physiotherapists, masseurs, pedicurists and manicurists will all wear full protective gear
You can read the full report here.
Updated
Pubs could be 'patrolled' under leaked plans for easing lockdown from 4 July
Good morning. The government’s review into the 2-metre physical distancing rule in England is due to conclude in the coming days, the culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, has told the BBC. With the government due to announce further easing measures on 4 July, it has been under mounting pressure from the hospitality sector and its own MPs to bolster the economy by relaxing the rule, amid fears businesses like restaurants could not survive under the current restrictions.
The Times (paywall) reports on a raft of measures in leaked plans which set out how beer gardens and pubs could be patrolled to enforce social distancing, hotels could leave room service at the door and restaurant tables could not be set in advance.
Prof Calum Semple, a member of Sage advising the government’s coronavirus response, said it would now be reasonable to reduce the two-metre rule to just one with “various caveats and other precautions”. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:
The reason that I change my mind now and whereas I was of a very different opinion three weeks ago is that now we are in a position where there are low levels and sustained low levels of transmission throughout the country.
I’m still saying 2 metres is safer than one but in my opinion it is now a reasonable political decision to relax these rules, perhaps accelerate school opening and start opening up other parts of the economy, where it becomes harder to maintain the two-metre rule and where you might envisage going down to one metre with various caveats and other precautions and have a nuanced and flexible approach to allow parts of society to get going.
The former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith also said this morning that the 2-metre rule should be reduced before companies start “calling it a day” and cutting jobs. He told BBC Breakfast:
The economy is teetering at the moment, so we’re supporting lots of people through the furlough schemes and through loans, and these are of course going to have to come to an end.
If we don’t get the economy moving now, which is why the two to one metre is so critical, then we will see companies simply calling it a day and putting people onto unemployment.
The UK Hospitality trade body said draft government guidance to restart the sector contains a “degree of flexibility” for different businesses to put forward plans to be safe to reopen.
Chief executive Kate Nicholls told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the plan was for guidelines to be in place to “allow individual companies, individual premises, to undertake a detailed risk assessment and propose and put forward the control measures that they feel are necessary to keep their team safe and their guests safe”.
She said it was “possible for certain types of premises” to throw out menus after every use and to bring out cutlery only with food. But she added:
Other types of premises will choose to manage their risk in a different way and from the guidelines we’ve seen in draft from the government when they published them for consultation did allow that degree of flexibility rather than being a one-size-fits-all approach.
As the guidelines cover everything from a burger van in a park right the way through to the Fat Duck in Bray, you need to have something that takes account everything in between rather than a one-size-fits-all.
Please feel free to get in touch throughout the day to share news tips and stories we should be covering. Your thoughts are always welcome!
Email: lucy.campbell@theguardian.com
Twitter: @lucy_campbell_
Updated
