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Lockdown restrictions in England will be lifted this weekend, Boris Johnson has announced, as England’s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, warned that people will have to continue to respect physical distancing and wearing masks to avoid a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
The prime minister advised the British public to act safely and added further lockdowns will be imposed on a local level and national closures will be avoided.
Evening summary
- Boris Johnson urged people to act safely and sensibly when pubs and restaurants reopen tomorrow. Maintaining a distance of 1-metre plus, hand-washing and adhering to all Covid-secure measures are going to be key in not “blowing” the progress made so far in controlling the spread of coronavirus in the country, he said. The prime minister said people owed it to businesses and workers whose livelihoods depend on the economy reopening to enjoy the summer safely as lockdown is further eased.
- The government published the full list of 59 countries and 14 territories for which quarantine won’t apply for travellers returning to England. Among the destinations to make the list were France, Italy, Spain and Greece. Countries like Portugal, however, are not included. The full list is here.
- Scotland and Wales both hit out at the UK government’s ‘shambolic’ handling of trying to get a UK-wide agreement on air travel policy and quarantine restrictions. Nicola Sturgeon attacked the decision-making on air bridges and the list had changed overnight. But she said the Scottish government was “very likely” to agree to relaxing restrictions for people arriving in Scotland from “low risk” countries. Mark Drakeford said it had been “impossible” to get a “sensible answer” on how UK ministers intended to make the changes.
- The government will unveil a timeline for reopening the events and arts sectors next week, the prime minister said. Johnson said they were working on a roadmap for reopening the creative industries, e.g. theatres, which have been decimated by the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown measures, in a Covid-secure way.
- The prime minister refused to condemn his father’s trip to his Greek villa in apparent breach of Foreign Office guidance to avoid non-essential travel. Stanley Johnson reportedly travelled via Bulgaria to get around Greece’s ban on UK flights on “essential business” as he needed to “Covid-proof” his property ahead of the letting season. The PM said he would not comment on the movements and doings of his family.
- Eligibility for the flu vaccine is going to be widened amid fears that a second wave of Covid-19 could coincide with an outbreak of seasonal flu. The government will set out more details soon on the at-risk groups that will be prioritised and other groups eligibility will be extended to.
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Downing Street revealed plans to televise daily press briefings with lobby journalists in a major change to its communications strategy. Johnson said the public had liked having more direct information from ministers during the coronavirus press conferences.
- The UK death toll rose by 137, bringing the government’s tally to 44,131.
That’s it from me on the UK side. Thank you to everybody who has been in touch throughout the day to keep me company and to share tips.
If you would like to continue following the Guardian’s coronavirus coverage, head over to the global live blog.
At the briefing, the government’s chief scientific and chief medical advisers made a point of warning the public of the danger of going to the pub as lockdown is eased this week.
The chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said the coronavirus pandemic “is a long way from gone” as he urged the public to follow social-distancing rules when the lockdown is eased on Saturday.
Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, also warned of the risk of “superspreading” of Covid-19 occurring in pubs.
Whitty added:
None of us believe – and I’m sure nobody watching this believes – this is a risk-free next step. It is absolutely not, that is why we have to be really serious about it.
There’s no doubt these are environments whose principal job it is to bring people together. That’s a great thing to do socially, but it’s also a great thing from the virus’s point of view.
And therefore we do have to have a really clear and really disciplined approach to try and maintain social distancing whilst also enjoying pubs.
Updated
The law allowing English pubs to reopen comes into effect at 6am on Saturday.
Two hours later, a handful of Wetherspoons pubs will be among the first in the country to pour pints for anyone nursing a thirst at such an early hour.
“Super Saturday”, as it has been called, offers a rare glimmer of hope for an industry that has been staring into the abyss since the coronavirus pandemic hit.
Of England’s 37,500 pubs, about 28,000 are capable of opening under a physical distancing requirement of 1 metre, according to the British Beer and Pubs Association. About 60%, or 22,000, are planning to do so from this week, bringing an end to three and a half long, dry months.
Read the full story from my colleague Rob Davies here.
Updated
Several members of staff at a Royal Mail sorting office in Chester have tested positive for coronavirus following an outbreak.
Royal Mail confirmed that postal workers at the site on Station Road had contracted the virus, but did not reveal the exact number of infections. Although the office will remain open for operations, bosses said “an intense, enhanced clean of the building” had been arranged.
A spokesperson said:
We continue to enforce strict social distancing measures at the office. As part of this process, we only permit one person per delivery vehicle. We continue to focus on providing a high standard of service to the local community.
The news comes after several outbreaks of the virus at large indoor workplaces across the UK, including at several food factories.
Updated
Q. Are you considering making face coverings mandatory in shops as in Scotland?
Johnson says in crowded spaces with people you wouldn’t normally come into contact with, you should wear a face covering.
Q. Do you agree with Jacob Rees-Mogg that pub-goers should drink a yard of ale to celebrate pubs reopening?
Whitty says Rees-Mogg said he would buy the yard, not that he would drink it. People need to stick to usual sensible guidelines on drinking, he says. Johnson adds that he would buy and drink a pint, but not a yard.
Q. Is there any evidence that the protests, raves and crowded beaches of recent weeks have led to an uptick in infections?
Vallance says nothing has been seen yet, but this doesn’t mean we won’t. It needs to be looked for.
Updated
Q. Why should the public obey all the rules you’re putting out at the moment when those close to you [Stanley Johnson and Dominic Cummings] flout the rules?
Johnson says he won’t comment on the movements of his family and Durham police decided not to pursue the other matter [Cummings].
The collective efforts of the public need to keep going now, he adds.
Updated
Q. Can we get back to playing cricket soon?
Johnson says they want to work as fast as possible to get cricket back and guidelines will be published in the next few days so cricket can resume in time for next weekend.
Whitty says an issue with cricket is that it brings together large numbers of households, but it’s possible to play while keeping their distance and making the game safe. He says a particular risk would be having tea or beer in a pavilion afterwards.
Q. How concerned are you about what’s going to happen tomorrow and what sort of surveillance measures are there to control infection, given that Sage papers identified pubs and bars as among the principal sources of ‘super-spreading events’?
Vallance says cramped indoor environments which connect different households need to be adjusted so people can properly socially distance to reduce the risk of spreading.
Q. Do you prioritise hospitality or education, if the reopening of pubs drives up infections?
Johnson says the government is determined to get all pupils back to school in September.
Updated
Q. Would you give your blessing to people who could take advantage of the lack of a UK-wide quarantine policy to go on holiday?
Johnson says the convoy is going in the same direction, just at different speeds.
Q. Was there ever a medical, scientific justification for the blanket quarantine applied on 8 June?
Vallance says quarantine makes sense when people are coming in from countries with higher infection rates than we have here.
Updated
Q. What do you want people to do tomorrow? Do we all have a duty to get out and spend?
Johnson says he wants people to enjoy summer safely.
Q. Can people drink as much as they want?
Whitty says the PM’s advice applies to alcohol as well.
Updated
Q. Are you confident that you’ve struck the right balance between public health and the economy, and that you’ve got the right public messaging?
Johnson says they have to get the balance right, but the priority is the health of the British public and the country.
Everybody needs to respect the measures – 1-metre plus, hand washing – and the hospitality sector can return, he says.
Q. Are you comfortable with the pace at which this unlocking is progressing?
Whitty says we should be realistic that there are really serious risks on both sides of the path. Go too far one side and the virus returns; go too far the other side, increases in unemployment and deprivation and the social ills that go with that, he says.
There will be health problems and economic problems for sure, and there is no perfect way or time to do this.
All we can do is balance this while trying to get life back to as close to normal as possible, and there will be risks whatever we do, he says. Nobody believes this is a risk-free next step and so we have to be serious and disciplined about it.
Vallance adds that people must get tested if they have symptoms and test and trace will be extremely important going foward.
Q. Are the first ministers of Scotland and Wales right in describing your air travel policy as ‘shambolic’?
Johnson says this has been trailed for a very long time. Quarantine measures remain in place for countries where the disease is still prevalent.
The UK is generally following similar paths at slightly different speeds, he says.
Updated
Hena from Leeds asks about what contingency plans are in place in case of a second wave.
Johnson says the government will keep looking at other ways of controlling the virus and avoiding a second wave. More detail will come shortly, he says.
Whitty says everyone realises a second wave is a possibility and will be for a very long time.
As the economy opens up, everyone taking it responsibly (including adhering to 1-metre-plus, hand washing and face masks) will influence the probability of a second wave, he says.
“We have to be ready for the possibility of local outbreaks escalating.”
Vallance says the Covid-secure approach needs to be stuck to by everyone across society.
Keeping to the rules, especially with the risk of winter coming, will suppress the chances of an upswing in the country, he adds.
Updated
David from Milton Keynes asks about support for the events and arts industry which has been decimated by the long period of enforced closure.
Johnson says he knows it’s been a tough time for the sector.
Next week, the government will set out a timetable for getting these businesses as Covid-secure as possible, he adds.
Don’t gather in groups of more than six outside or two household in any settings, Johnson says. Keep your distance from others and wash your hands.
He finishes by saying: “Enjoy summer safely.”
Updated
PM urges people to act safely and sensibly when pubs and restaurants reopen in England this weekend
Tomorrow there will be a moment of remembrance for those lost before their time, Johnson says. And on Sunday, there will be a clap for the NHS on its anniversary.
Supporting local businesses should be a focus as lockdown measures ease tomorrow. The economic health of the whole country depends on every single one of us acting responsibly, Johnson says. We must not let them down.
Reopening “will only succeed if everyone works together, as we are not out of the woods, as Leicester has shown”.
This government won’t hesitate in reimposing restrictions if needed.
“Anyone who flouts the rules is putting us all at risk but also letting down business owners who have prepared for this new normal,” Johnson says.
Updated
If these measures prove not to be enough, local lockdowns will be extended across communities as in Leicester, Johnson says.
This could include closing schools and businesses and telling people to stay at home.
Updated
If the virus continues to spread, targeted restrictions will see individual premises closed and contact tracing used, he says.
Testing capacity will be targeted at local outbreaks and make use of NHS contact tracing, Johnson says.
Updated
The local community will be kept informed about what’s happening and what actions they need to take, he says.
Updated
Public Health England and the Joint Biosecurity Centre will examine and monitor the spread of the disease across the country, Johnson says. Local data has been made available to all directors of public health in local authorities so they can monitor what’s happening in their area.
This will be available on the .gov website, he adds.
Updated
PM announces five-step plan for future local lockdowns
It made sense to take action locally in the cases of Weston-super-Mare, Kirklees and Leicester, he says.
Going forward, with each local outbreak, five principles will guide the approach: monitoring, engagement, testing, targeted restrictions and finally, as a last resort, lockdown.
Updated
Targeted measures will be put in place going forward, Johnson says. Only schools where there is an outbreak will be closed, for example.
Updated
This progress is why we can begin to ease the national lockdown, Johnson says. Social distancing is still essential.
Indoor gyms, nail bars, swimming pools are still closed and mass gatherings are still prohibited. He says he wants these restrictions lifted as soon as possible, and task forces are exploring how to do this in a Covid-secure way.
Good progress is being made, he says. Next week, a timetable will be set out for their reopening.
Updated
The prime minister is speaking now about the “progress” the country is making against the coronavirus pandemic.
Regularly, fewer than 1,000 new cases are being reported each day, he says. Sage assess that the R rate remains between 0.7 and 0.9 across the UK. In England, the number of new infections is shrinking by 2%-5% every day, he adds.
Local outbreaks and lockdowns were always to be expected, he says, and will be part of our lives for some time.
Updated
Boris Johnson's press conference
Ahead of the reopening of pubs, restaurants and hairdressers on Saturday for the first time in three months, the prime minister will lead a special news briefing this afternoon, due to begin shortly.
Boris Johnson is expected to urge the public not to “blow” the progress that has been made in tackling the pandemic when lockdown restrictions are further eased tomorrow, and to enjoy themselves in a careful, “safe way”.
He will be joined by the chief medical officer for England, Prof Chris Whitty, and the government’s chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance.
UK death toll reaches 44,131, a rise of 137
The Department of Health and Social Care said 44,131 people had died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Thursday, up by 137.
The government figures do not include all deaths involving Covid-19 across the UK, which are thought to have passed 55,000.
The DHSC also said in the 24-hour period up to 9am on Friday, 205,673 tests were carried out or dispatched, with 544 positive results. Overall, a total of 10,120,276 tests have been carried out and 284,276 cases have been confirmed positive.
As of 9am 3 July, there have been 10,120,276 tests, with 205,673 tests on 2 July.
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) July 3, 2020
284,276 people have tested positive.
As of 5pm on 2 July, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 44,131 have sadly died.
More info:
➡️ https://t.co/r2YbE2e3O8 pic.twitter.com/qMl4xi4k4m
After the kind of shambolic delay once more associated with Eurovision judging than crucial policy decisions, the government unveiled its 59 travel corridor nations, to the relief of the travel industry – but yet more head-scratching from some.
Most importantly for summer, the big three outbound destinations – Spain, France and Italy – are approved. Greece is also on the list, despite blocking UK arrivals for now.
Meanwhile, anyone flying in from Singapore, which has recorded only a few dozen deaths from coronavirus, will still need to quarantine. Britons can now holiday in Macau, but not Montenegro, without spending 14 days in isolation on return.
Among the key tourist destinations whose fate was in the balance, Croatia has made it on the safe list for travel. Portugal, where local outbreaks have been recurring, stays out for now. Israel, Egypt and Tunisia remain off limits, as does Canada, which is regarded as safe but doesn’t want visitors.
Overall, most of the Caribbean returns, and much of the Mediterranean, allowing some kind of holiday season to be salvaged. Airlines believe they have extracted a promise for the rationale to be published, and an understanding that more destinations will be cleared soon – and that the policy of blanket quarantine has finally been put to bed.
Pubs in England have been forced to cancel post-midnight reopening events following a government announcement that regulations enforcing their closure will remain in place until 6am.
Some landlords – including the pub chain BrewDog – had planned to reopen their venues in England as the clock ticked past midnight.
But several hours before they were due to welcome customers, No 10 said on Friday afternoon the ban would now remain in place until later on Saturday morning.
Pub owners and the Police Federation of England and Wales have since criticised the timing of the announcement.
Adam Snowball, managing director of the Showtime sports bar in Huddersfield, said it was “massively disappointing” to have to cancel his reopening event.
The 35-year-old said about 50 people had booked a table at his venue on Zetland Street, which would have remained open until 3.30am.
He told the PA news agency:
We only found about the changes this morning when we received a call from Kirklees council’s licensing department.
To be honest, I don’t think the government had thought about it [pubs reopening at midnight] until it was reported in the media that venues like ours would be.
It’s massively disappointing, but it does allow us to step off the gas a little bit.
Snowball said customers were being notified that the bar would not be open until 10am on Saturday.
Meanwhile, a BrewDog spokeswoman said the chain had also been required to tell customers that its planned ticket-only events in Manchester, Newcastle and Shoreditch would no longer be going ahead.
John Apter, the national chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said while he welcomed the decision to keep pubs shut until 6am, the timing of the announcement was “very unhelpful”.
He said:
I think the lastminute.com approach to this is very unhelpful to policing and adds even more pressure to what is an already difficult situation.
Apter said the federation, which represents thousands of rank and file officers, had “raised concerns” about some pubs planning to open after midnight.
He said:
It is a good thing the Home Office has acted and has made the right decision keep pub doors firmly shut until 6am.
I would urge the public to be responsible, sensible, and mindful of the restrictions that are still in place.
While regulations allowing for the reopening of pubs and bars comes into force from 6am, licensing conditions will still apply – so venues can only open at the time they normally have permission for.
Updated
The publication of the full list of “travel corridors” (see 3.17pm.) came as Britain’s biggest airlines were attempting to force a judicial review of quarantine rules in the High Court.
British Airways, Ryanair and EasyJet have dropped their action, reaching an agreement in principle with the government on Friday when it decided to finally publish the list of approved countries for travel.
The airlines are understood to have been assured that the government will continue to undertake country-by-country risk assessments and publish the rationale.
In a statement issued after the hearing, the airlines said:
The blanket quarantine introduced by the UK government on everyone entering into England was irrational and has seriously damaged the economy and the travel industry.
Today’s publication of a list of countries is a first step. We look forward to the publication of the rationale behind the decision making and the continued lifting of the quarantine from safe countries.
According to data from the International Air Transport Association (Iata), the quarantine rules saw more refunds paid out than new bookings made in the weeks after its imposition on 8 June, and was as big a deterrent as an outright travel ban, in polling of passengers.
The travel and airline industry welcomed the list of exempt countries, but warned it remained in crisis, with thousands of job cuts announced even this week.
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said:
The quarantine exemptions announced today will not be enough to save the aviation industry, which has suffered a bigger downturn than any other sector.
Transmission rate of Covid-19 remains below 1
The latest figures for the R value for Covid-19, and growth rates, have been released by the government.
R is the average number of people one person infects: if it rises above 1, infections could increase exponentially. Growth rates reflect the change in the number of infections each day; a growth rate of below 0 suggests the prevalence of the disease is shrinking.
Once again R for the UK is just below 1, at 0.7 to 0.9. For England alone the range is slightly different at 0.8 at 0.9.
Within England there remains regional variation in R, with London the only region where, according to the statistics, R might have edged above 1 – the range for the capital is 0.8 to 1.1.
The figures reveal that, for the UK as a whole, the growth rate per day is -6% to 0%, with the range at -5% to -2% for England alone.
But once again there are regional variations, with London and the south-west both showing ranges that span 0, at -4% to +2%, and -7% to +2% respectively.
However, the number of infections also matter. If infections are widespread, a rise in R could see cases boom. But if infection levels are low, a large R may reflect a local outbreak or cluster of infections that can be more easily controlled.
Another issue is that as infections fall, it becomes harder to estimate R, meaning the range of values can become wider – a situation also seen if R is calculated for a small geographical area. Similar limitations apply to growth rates.
Prof Rowland Kao, an epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh, said:
I think the key thing here is that, first of all, the absolute [case] numbers are low enough that even a smallish outbreak will have a direct influence on the reproduction number, R, to send it upwards without it necessarily seeing this being due to an established shift in the epidemic pattern. Also, if these occur in isolated settings, then they will have little impact on generalised transmission in communities.
Kao added that R would not be expected to decline unless new measures were put in place, the virus changed, or immunity was prevalent and rapidly growing.
We are, of course, only starting to see the impact of a combination of relaxation of measures, and changing behaviours from two to three weeks ago.
We’ll have to wait to see if the further relaxations of restrictions will result in enough extra transmission to cause R to rise above 1 consistently and if so, whether our test and trace systems are well prepared to handle this.
Updated
Flu vaccine eligibility to be widened amid fears of second Covid-19 wave
Eligibility for the flu vaccine will be extended amid fears that an outbreak could coincide with a second surge of coronavirus cases, No 10 has confirmed.
Downing Street said on Friday that ministers were trying to secure a “significant additional supply” of vaccines, with the seasonal illness having the potential to wreak havoc because of the similarity of its symptoms with Covid-19.
Currently the flu vaccine is available for free to those deemed most at risk, including those who are pregnant, over 65, carers and primary school children.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called for this to be extended to everyone over 50, warning an outbreak this winter could create a “perfect storm”.
The prime minister’s official spokesman told the lobby this afternoon:
This year it’s particularly important as we want to make sure we protect as many people as possible in those risk groups.
As part of that planning, the government has been working to secure a significant additional supply of vaccines.
We will use these vaccines to increase uptake in existing at-risk groups as a priority. We also intend to expand the groups of people that are eligible and we will be setting out more details shortly.
Earlier in the day, Starmer said in an interview with Sky News that the flu vaccine must be “ramped up” and given to all over-50s, adding:
It would be the perfect storm this winter if we had an outbreak of influenza at the same time as the possibility of a second spike of Covid because the symptoms are very similar.
You can just imagine what will happen if people present with flu symptoms thinking they’re Covid symptoms and that could then lead to a surge of cases.
As far back as 30 April, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) recommended that ministers formed a clear plan for the upcoming flu season, including “consideration of whether to vaccinate the entire UK population”.
Not only could an outbreak coinciding with a surge of Covid-19 put an immense strain on the NHS, it could force a significant number of people into self-isolation with suspected coronavirus infections when they in fact have the flu.
Updated
The Scottish and Welsh governments have both hit out at the UK government’s “shambolic” handling of air travel and quarantine rules.
Here is a clip of Nicola Sturgeon criticising the UK government’s attempt to push forward an agreement on relaxing quarantine rules and opening air bridges between Britain and other countries.
Scotland’s first minister refused to immediately adopt proposals from UK government ministers to lift quarantine rules for travellers from Spain, Italy, France and Germany, and relax them for up to 60 others from 10 July, pending a review during the next few days.
Government publishes full list of countries for which quarantine won't apply for people returning to England
The government has published the list of 59 countries and territories that will form travel corridors with England.
From 10 July, people arriving in England from these destinations by train, ferry, coach, air or any other route will not have to self-quarantine for 14 days.
But if people have been to or stopped in a country that’s not on the travel corridor list they will have to self-isolate until 14 days have passed since they left that country.
The places on the travel corridor list are:
Andorra
Antigua and Barbuda
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Barbados
Belgium
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
Croatia
Curacao
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominica
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Polynesia
Germany
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Malta
Mauritius
Monaco
Netherlands
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Norway
Poland
Reunion
San Marino
Serbia
Seychelles
South Korea
Spain
St Barthelemy
St Kitts and Nevis
St Lucia
St Pierre and Miquelon
Switzerland
Taiwan
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkey
Vatican City
Vietnam
The 14 British overseas territories will also be exempt.
Updated
Public Health Wales said a further two people have died in Wales after testing positive for Covid-19, taking the total number of deaths to 1,525. The total number of positive tests there has increased by 26 to 15,841.
The latest number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Wales has been updated.
— Public Health Wales (@PublicHealthW) July 3, 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/WLwK2lmisr
Boris Johnson says gyms could reopen 'in a couple of weeks'
Gyms in England could be allowed to reopen “in a couple of weeks”, the prime minister has said.
While businesses including pubs, restaurants and hairdressers will be allowed to reopen from Saturday, gyms – which have been closed since the UK went into lockdown in March – have been largely left in the dark.
Speaking on LBC radio this morning, Boris Johnson also vowed to get theatres reopened as soon as possible:
The best way forward for the country is to get the economy moving again ... We want to get every part of our industry, including theatres, that are so vital.
We are going to reopen gyms as soon as we can do it in a Covid-secure way and I think that the date for reopening gyms at the moment, if we can do it, is in just a couple of weeks’ time.
Updated
Wales hits out at UK government's 'shambolic' actions on quarantine
The Welsh first minister, Mark Drakeford, has launched a scathing attack on how the UK government has handled the issue of lifting quarantine regulations.
Drakeford said:
Dealing with the UK government over the last few days has been an utterly shambolic experience. If ever there was an example of making an announcement first and then trying to work out what you meant by it, that is what we have seen since this announcement was first trailed.
Day after day we have attempted to get a sensible answer from the UK government of how they intend to make these changes, which countries they intend to extend the new arrangements to, and I just have to say it’s been an impossible experience to follow.
We still don’t know the list the UK government will finally publish. When we have it, then our chief medical officer will provide me with advice. Provided he says to me that there is nothing on that list he believes will cause harm to the health of the public here in Wales it will be my intention to take regulations to the floor of the Senedd to implement those changes here.
Updated
A further 38 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospitals in England, bringing the total number of confirmed hospital deaths in England to 28,832.
NHS England said the patients were aged between 33 and 96 years old. Two patients, aged 50 and 69, had no known underlying health conditions.
An NHS cadet programme is being piloted to encourage thousands of young people into the healthcare workforce.
Teenagers aged between 14 and 18 will be given first aid and leadership training and volunteer placements within the NHS.
The £6m programme, funded by the health service and St John Ambulance, aims to improve patient care while offering work experience for up to 10,000 people.
It is being piloted in Colchester, Hull and London and will be rolled out to Liverpool, Bradford, Hertfordshire and the Wirral in the coming months.
Organisers said they were seeking people from marginalised backgrounds who may not have previously considered a career in the NHS, such as those not in employment, education or training.
The dhief nurse for the NHS, Ruth May, said:
Volunteers could and should never replace nurses, doctors and other staff, but since the NHS’s foundation on July 5 1948 they have played a fantastic role in supporting clinicians and assisting patients and this initiative sits firmly in that tradition.
By introducing an NHS cadets programme we are now offering young people a genuine opportunity to get a taste of what it’s like to work in the best health service in the world.
Updated
Staff and residents in English care homes for people over 65 or with dementia will be regularly tested for coronavirus from next week, the government has announced.
The Department of Health and Social Care said staff would be tested weekly, while residents will receive a test every 28 days as part of the new strategy.
Care homes facing an outbreak or increased risk of flare-ups were already subject to intensive testing, it added.
The repeat testing programme will be rolled out over the next four weeks to all care homes for the elderly and for those with dementia which have registered, and will expand to the entire care home sector from August.
The health secretary, Matt Hancock, said:
This will not only keep residents and care workers safe, but it will give certainty and peace of mind to the families who may be worried about their loved ones, and give staff the confidence to do what they do best.
The government has faced fierce criticism for failing to protect care homes from the virus during the height of the pandemic.
There have been 14,658 deaths linked to coronavirus in care homes across England and Wales up to 19 June, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics.
Updated
While pubs and bars can reopen from 6am tomorrow, an industry boss has warned they could be making financial losses “for some time”, with up to 18,000 at risk of closure by the end of the year.
Emma McClarkin, the chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), said the industry would need further financial support from the government to survive. She told the PA Media news agency:
We are really excited to be having the chance to reopen on Saturday, but please don’t think that the sector is therefore trading at normal levels and will be able to sustain itself.
We are hoping that 80% of pubs will reopen, but if 10% of them are profitable, that will be a surprise to us because the majority are expecting to loss-make or break-even.”
McClarkin said it could take businesses more than a year to rebuild customer confidence and return to pre-coronavirus trading levels, with owners expecting “much lower” footfall initially.
Due to social distancing measures, some smaller premises could be limited to having just eight customers inside, she added.
Rachelle Stringer, licensee of The Vine in Manchester, which Downing Street used a picture of in its announcement that pubs could reopen two weeks ago, said staff were excited about tomorrow, “but realise there could still be some tough times ahead”.
I’m Amy Walker, taking over the blog while my colleague Lucy Campbell grabs some lunch. You can get in touch with me on Twitter @amyrwalker.
Updated
Scotland’s closure-threatened theatres and live performance arts companies have been offered another £10m by the Scottish government to prevent them becoming insolvent and sacking core staff.
Fiona Hyslop, the Scottish culture secretary, said the fund would be administered by Creative Scotland and was in addition to previous emergency funding announcements. She said:
We know the impact of this crisis will be long term so ambitious action to support the future of these organisations, as well as our wider cultural infrastructure, is vital.
We will continue to urge the UK government to use their fiscal levers, such as significant borrowing powers, to back culture and creative industries with major investment. This will enable the Scottish government to offer even more support to respond to this crisis and build for the future.
Many of Scotland’s best known venues, including the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh, have warned they face permanent closure, while the cancellation of this August’s festivals in Edinburgh will mean the loss of tens of millions of pounds in income.
Many of the UK’s most prominent artists and venues have warned the UK government the arts and culture industries will be devastated without greater financial support.
Updated
Holidaymakers could risk ending up out of pocket if they start developing coronavirus symptoms just before they are due to embark on a getaway, a consumer rights expert has said.
Alex Neill, the chief executive of the consumer resolution service Resolver, told PA Media that UK tourists needed to be aware they were “taking a risk”.
While the government is focused on getting the travel industry and the economy moving again, it’s the consumer who is bearing all of the risk.
It is likely that new travel insurance policies won’t cover you if you develop symptoms before going on holiday - and if the flight or package holiday isn’t cancelled then you have no automatic right to compensation.
Rory Boland, the editor of Which? Travel, said:
Holiday companies and airlines should ensure they continue to offer customers flexible rebooking options.
If the government is to get people travelling again successfully, it needs to restore confidence in the sector by providing support for the industry and working with the regulator to ensure companies are abiding by the law on refunds for cancelled travel.
According to figures from the Association of British Insurers (ABI), in more normal times, insurers deal with around 1,300 travel claims every day, and people can run up huge medical bills for conditions other than coronavirus.
People who are unsure what their insurance will cover should contact their insurer, as the terms of policies vary.
A spokesman for the ABI said:
Provided it is deemed by the government safe to travel to your destination, you will be protected by your travel insurance, including cover for any emergency medical expenses.
Most policies taken out or renewed after the pandemic was officially declared are likely to exclude cancellation due to coronavirus as it is a known risk, and travel insurance is designed and priced to cover you against the unforeseen.
Updated
A production of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap has announced its plans to return to the West End in October with social distancing measures in place inside the theatre.
THE CASE RE-OPENS 23 OCTOBER 2020!
— The Mousetrap (@MousetrapLondon) July 3, 2020
Be there when the world’s LONGEST-RUNNING stage production resumes performances in London’s West End.
Visit our website for more information: https://t.co/vHKqfD91dM pic.twitter.com/dmUeA0Svm9
Live performances are currently banned in the UK, however on Thursday the culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, said he was working “intensively” to find ways for shows to return.
While many in the theatre industry have warned that performing shows with social distancing measures in place is not financially viable, the makers of The Mousetrap insist they will be able to put on the performance for a short time.
Adam Spiegel, The Mousetrap’s producer, said:
I recognise that for the vast majority of West End productions, operating with social distancing is simply not possible.
I produce other shows which will also be unable to reopen under these restrictions.
We are very fortunate with The Mousetrap that, with the help of our stakeholders, we are able to adapt our economic model to be able to reopen.
Whilst this cannot be a long-term exercise, we believe it is a crucial first step in restoring live theatre to the London landscape.
The play is scheduled to return to St Martin’s Theatre in London on 23 October, with actors and audience members observing social distancing rules.
Up to 200 people will be able to get inside the theatre under the proposals.
Last week Dowden unveiled a five-stage plan that could see the return of live performances.
The Mousetrap would take place during stage four of the plan, which allows for performances to take place inside with a limited, socially-distanced audience.
Updated
David Starkey has resigned his honorary fellowship at a Cambridge college after he said slavery was not genocide because there are “so many damn blacks” still around.
The Master of Fitzwilliam College at Cambridge University contacted the Tudor historian following his racist remarks and he has now resigned from his position with immediate effect.
Canterbury Christ Church University has also terminated Starkey’s role as visiting professor, adding that his comments are “completely unacceptable”.
Fitzwilliam College said it would “not tolerate racism”, adding that honorary fellows were expected to uphold the college’s values.
Starkey made the remarks during an online interview with the Brexit campaigner Darren Grimes for the YouTube channel Reasoned UK.
A Fitzwilliam College statement on Friday said:
The master has accepted Dr David Starkey’s resignation of his honorary fellowship with immediate effect.
Fitzwilliam prides itself in leading the way in Cambridge in opening access to higher education for under-represented groups. Our student and academic bodies are diverse and welcoming to all. We do not tolerate racism.
They added:
Honorary fellows have the same responsibility as all members of our college to uphold our values.
Prof Rama Thirunamachandran, vice-chancellor of Canterbury Christ Church University, has apologised to staff and students at the university in Kent who have been offended and upset by the “appalling” comments.
He said:
Widely reported comments by historian David Starkey during a recent online interview are, in our view, completely unacceptable and do not reflect the values of our university and community.
We have therefore terminated, with immediate effect, Dr Starkey’s visiting professorship.
I would like to say sorry to colleagues and students who will have been offended and upset by such comments of this appalling nature, and in particular in these challenging and difficult times for us all.
Lancaster University has also launched a review of Starkey’s status as an honorary graduate following the comments, which it called “abhorrent”.
During the interview, Starkey said:
Slavery was not genocide, otherwise there wouldn’t be so many damn blacks in Africa or in Britain, would there?
An awful lot of them survived and again there’s no point in arguing against globalisation or western civilisation. They are all products of it, we are all products of it.
The honest teaching of the British empire is to say, quite simply, it is the first key stage of our globalisation. It is probably the most important moment in human history and it is still with us.
The interview has sparked a massive backlash, including from the former chancellor Sajid Javid, who said Starkey’s “racist” comments were a “reminder of the appalling views that still exist”.
We are the most successful multi-racial democracy in the world and have much to be proud of. But David Starkey's racist comments ("so many damn blacks") are a reminder of the appalling views that still exist.
— Sajid Javid (@sajidjavid) July 2, 2020
Starkey was contacted by PA Media for comment.
Updated
Reopening of bars and pubs allowed from 6am on Saturday: No 10 lobby briefing - main points
Here are the key points from this afternoon’s Downing Street briefing to lobby journalists, as reported by PA Media.
Coronavirus regulations will not limit the amount of time people can spend in pubs and restaurants.
The PM’s official spokesman said:
It’s not part of the regulations, as I understand it. Pubs, and restaurants in particular, as I’m sure lots of us will know, do sometimes put limits on the amount of time you can have a table for, for example.
The new regulations will put a 30-person limit on gatherings at home and in outdoor spaces that are not deemed Covid-secure.
Health protection regulations were signed by the health secretary Matt Hancock this morning and will be laid before Parliament and published later today, No 10 said.
They also prevent pubs and bars rushing to serve pints immediately after midnight, with reopening banned until 6am on Saturday.
The spokesman said:
The regulations also keep in place a list of premises that must remain closed and that includes nightclubs, nail bars and salons, indoor play areas, gyms, conference centres and exhibition halls.
Those regulations mostly come into force at 12.01am on Saturday July 4.
The reopening of pubs and bars specifically comes into force at 6am. That would just be in the event anybody would attempt to try to open at midnight.
The two-household limit on meetings is also to remain in place, the spokesman added.
Televised daily press briefings with Westminster journalists will not be introduced until at least the autumn.
The PM’s spokesman also said that “nobody has been recruited yet” to front the briefings.
The morning lobby briefing will continue as is - taken by myself as a civil servant. The new televised afternoon briefing person who takes that will be a political appointment.
Obviously what that will allow them to do is answer political questions in a way that I’m not [able to].
The spokesman said the previous daily coronavirus press conferences showed “there is a significant public appetite for information about what the government is doing and why, and we feel that daily on-camera press briefings will help to increase government accountability and transparency”.
Eligibility for the flu vaccine will be expanded as the government increases its stocks during the coronavirus crisis.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said it was particularly important this year to protect as many people as possible in risk groups:
As part of that planning, the government has been working to secure a significant additional supply of vaccines.
We will use these vaccines to increase uptake in existing at-risk groups as a priority. We also intend to expand the groups of people that are eligible and we will be setting out more details shortly.
The prime minister Boris Johnson will work from his Chequers retreat on Saturday, the first time he has been there since his convalescence from Covid-19.
Updated
Sturgeon attacks UK government's 'shambolic' changes on air travel
Nicola Sturgeon has accused UK ministers of behaving in a “shambolic” fashion over their attempts to get UK-wide agreement on relaxing quarantine rules for foreign travel.
The first minister faces intense pressure from Scottish airport owners after refusing to immediately adopt proposals from the UK government to lift quarantine rules for travellers from Spain, Italy, France and Germany, and relax them for up to 60 others from 10 July.
Grant Shapps, the UK transport secretary, insisted the UK government had sought a UK-wide or “four nations” agreement first through the joint biosecurity centre, which includes all four chief medical officers; so far, the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish devolved governments have refused to agree it.
Humza Yousaf, the Scottish justice secretary, said on BBC Radio Scotland on Friday morning they had only had 30 minutes notice of the list of countries; Sturgeon said the first list of countries they saw was different from the list the UK government is due to publish today, and it had changed repeatedly yesterday.
She said:
The Scottish government has to analyse this properly and rationally. We need to do this for public health reasons but also legally, because these decisions are open to legal challenge.
She said the Scottish government was very likely to agree early next week to lift quarantine for low risk countries but remained worried about doing so for medium-risk countries. Scotland’s coronavirus prevalence rate was five times lower than in England, Sturgeon added.
Gordon Dewar, the chief executive of Edinburgh airport, said he told Sturgeon earlier this week it would damage the economy, weaken confidence amongst airlines about Scottish airports and lead to job losses.
Sturgeon insisted Scotland’s quarantine rules applied to everyone but Dewar implied foreign travellers could easily avoid Scotland’s stricter quarantine rules by travelling via English airports.
He said:
Scottish jobs are being sacrificed on a system that is unintelligible, unenforceable and that does not deliver the health benefits we all want.
With this decision we are in the very real situation that Scotland will get the worst of all worlds – a damaged economy and a policy which is very likely to be unworkable in practice and therefore has no practical health impact.
Updated
This is from Sky’s Alan McGuinness
Downing Street says pubs will be able to reopen from 6am tomorrow.
— Alan McGuinness (@Alan_McGuinness) July 3, 2020
PM's spokesman: "The reopening of pubs and bars specifically comes into force at 6am.
— Alan McGuinness (@Alan_McGuinness) July 3, 2020
"That would just be in the event anybody would attempt to try to open at midnight."
This is from the BBC’s Scotland editor Sarah Smith
Nicola Sturgeon says the countries on the UK governments “air bridge” list has changed overnight. Scottish govt need to analyse the proposals “rationally” before making a decision
— sarah smith (@BBCsarahsmith) July 3, 2020
We have more on this coming shortly.
'Stay local' restrictions to be lifted in Wales from Monday
The Welsh government has urged people to respect the places and communities they will be allowed to visit from Monday when the country’s stay-local regulations are lifted.
From Monday the requirement for people to stay local in Wales will be lifted, which will give people the change to travel widely – and begin to open up tourist spots to all for the first time since lockdown.
Changes are also being made to allow families to be reunited as the concept of extended households is introduced. People from two separate households will be able to join to form one larger but exclusive household.
The government called on people to remember the importance of social distancing, good hand hygiene and the need for respect.
Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford said:
The number of coronavirus cases is declining, thanks to the efforts we have all taken together to reduce the spread of the virus. This means we can continue to make changes to the coronavirus regulations.
From Monday, we will lift the requirement to stay local and introduce new changes to the rules to enable people from two separate households to join together to form one extended household.
These changes will be welcomed by many as they represent a further easing of the lockdown – but this doesn’t mean that coronavirus has gone away. We all still have a responsibility to keep on doing all the things, which make a real difference to the spread of the virus.
This means maintaining social distancing, thinking carefully about where we go and why, so together we continue to do all that we can to help to keep Wales safe.
Updated
Boris Johnson refuses to condemn his father for flying to Greece
Boris Johnson has refused to condemn his father for flying to Greece in apparent breach of Foreign Office guidance to avoid non-essential travel.
Stanley Johnson was widely criticised after reportedly travelling via Bulgaria - in order to avoid the ban on direct flights from the UK - to visit his Greek villa.
During an LBC radio phone-in, the prime minister repeatedly refused to say whether he was “disappointed” with his father’s actions.
I think you really ought to raise that with him. I am not going to get into details of family conversations.
I think the overwhelming majority of the British people have understood what needs to be done and have been very prudent and that is the right thing to do.
Earlier this week, Johnson senior posted a picture on Instagram of himself apparently arriving at Athens airport wearing a face mask.
The 79-year-old told the Daily Mail that he was visiting on “essential business” because he needed to “Covid-proof my property” ahead of the letting season.
His actions drew comparisons with the notorious visit by the prime minister’s top adviser Dominic Cummings to Barnard Castle during the height of lockdown, supposedly to test his eyesight after recovering from Covid-19.
Boris Johnson said he understood the anger that had been caused by that visit but insisted the government was “very much on people’s side”.
I really, really do understand people’s feelings about that. Most people in this country have shown huge forbearance and sacrifice - the overwhelming majority.
My message is that the government really is very much on people’s side.
Earlier, the transport secretary Grant Shapps disclosed that Greece was not on the initial list of countries from which travellers to England would no longer be required to quarantine for 14 days on arrival.
Shapps said a decision on whether to add Greece to the list would have to wait until at least 15 July when the government in Athens will decide whether to lift its restrictions on travellers from the UK.
He said that if Johnson senior returned to the UK before that date he would have to self-isolate for a fortnight “which he will be happy to do”.
Asked whether is visit to his villa constituted “essential business”, Shapps said it was “up to an individual to decide”. He told the BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme:
There is certainly no law against it. This is travel advice.
But what isn’t up to an individual to decide is when they return from that location then they will need to self-isolate, they will need to do that quarantine for 14 days.
Updated
While we wait for the government to publish a list of countries and territories English holidaymakers will be able to visit without quarantining on return, the UK is set to be upgraded into category B from 1 August by Cyprus, according to the Cyprus Mail.
This means flights will be allowed, but travellers from the UK - the island’s biggest tourism market - will need to provide the Cypriot authorities with a negative coronavirus test upon arrival. Cyprus’ second largest market, Russia, remains in category C.
The negative test will need to have been taken in the country of origin 72 hours before travelling.
The Cypriot minister of health, Constantinos Ioannou, said that while Russia’s epidemiological profile was currently not good enough,
Britain’s data however, according to the presentation done by the epidemiological team, show, and it has been decided, that if the same good epidemiological profile continues, it can be placed in category B by 1 August.
I’m really grateful to reader Roger for flagging this!
Downing Street has revealed plans to televise daily press briefings with Westminster journalists in a major change to its communications strategy.
Lobby correspondents currently have twice daily briefings with the prime minister’s spokesman or deputy, who are both civil servants. The briefings are on the record, meaning they can be quoted and attributed to No 10, but are not broadcast.
Under the new plans, the afternoon session will be filmed at 9 Downing Street, while the morning briefing will continue to be held behind closed doors.
An experienced broadcaster is reportedly being sought to lead the White House-style briefings on behalf of the government.
Boris Johnson confirmed the changes in an interview with LBC Radio, suggesting the public had liked having more direct information from ministers during the coronavirus press conferences.
He said:
People have liked a more direct, detailed information from the government about what is going on - and I think that they’ve actually particularly liked our brilliant scientific and medical advisers, possibly more than the politicians to be frank.
We do think that people want direct engagement and want stuff from us, and so we’re going to have a go at that.
The prime minister said he would “pop up from time to time” at the briefings.
Boris Johnson says the government is "going to have a go" at US-style daily televised press briefings because the public has liked "direct and detailed" information from the government.#BorisOnLBC pic.twitter.com/UgUSPMvAKQ
— LBC (@LBC) July 3, 2020
The full LBC interview is here.
Updated
Just one in three pubs, bars and restaurants in Newcastle city centre will reopen for business on Saturday, a council spokesman said.
A number of pubs on Tyneside have already stated they do not want to join the rush to reopen on so-called “Super Saturday”, fearing “total chaos” as drinkers head out to enjoy their first poured pint in months.
Council figures show around 30% of licensees in the city centre have stated they will definitely welcome patrons once again on Saturday.
A further 10% said they plan to open later in the month, once the initial rush has passed, and another 35% said they have not yet decided whether to open this month, with the remainder not stating their plans to licensing officials.
Earlier this week, bosses of the popular Tyne Bar which overlooks the river said it will not be opening on 4 July, along with other venues in the trendy Ouseburn, and would instead reopen on 6 July to allow more time to implement safety measures bar.
After much careful consideration, we have decided not to rush into reopening on July 4.
— The Tyne Bar (@thetynebar) June 26, 2020
We are genuinely concerned that this could be a day of total chaos for the pub trade and, like our mates at @thecluny and @kilnouseburn, we’ve decided it’s not worth the risk.
1/3
Superintendent Karl Wilson, of Northumbria police, urged people to show restraint.
We all have a responsibility to respect our communities and our fellow citizens, and we must not undermine everything we have sacrificed during lockdown.
If you are going to have a drink then please do so responsibly and follow the measures that have been put in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Northumbria police and crime commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said although pubs reopening seemed like a return to normality, this was not the case yet.
Social distancing is still very much at play and from this weekend we need to work together to create a new ‘normal’ for going out, one that is considerate of others and works to keep everyone safe.
I’m pleased to support local businesses who are able to re-open and am grateful of those who are choosing to bide their time, either to make their venues safer or to open when things have calmed and restrictions have eased further - putting less pressure on services like our police.
She added:
We’re at a critical stage here. Let’s not undo the progress we’ve made in fighting this deadly virus which has caused loss and struggles for many.
If we run too far with a new sense of freedom and a disregard for the rules and guidance, we risk people’s health and we risk turning the clocks back.
English holidaymakers will be able to visit Spain, Italy, France and Germany without having to quarantine for 14 days on their return and travel restrictions on up to 60 other countries and territories are also set to be lifted, our Kate Proctor reports.
The government’s rule change will come into effect on 10 July with the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, describing it as a major step in “reopening the nation”.
We’re expecting a full list around around lunchtime.
The ONS also found that in England the Covid-19 mortality rate among care home residents was highest in the age group 85 years and over, for both males (8,638.5 deaths per 100,000) and females (4,254.6 deaths per 100,000).
The rate was at least 6.2 times higher for care home residents aged 85 years and over (all persons) than for non-care home residents, for deaths involving Covid-19 and for all deaths.
In Wales, the age group 85 years and over also saw the highest Covid-19 mortality rate for care home residents, though the levels were lower than in England: 6,131.2 deaths per 100,000 for males, and 3,483.0 deaths per 100,000 for females.
Here, the mortality rate was at least 4.7 times higher for care home residents aged 85 years and over (all persons) than for non-care home residents, for deaths involving Covid-19 and for all deaths.
Liverpool fans have been urged to support the team from their homes as the club’s chief executive and city leaders seek to avoid a repeat of last week’s mass gatherings.
Thousands of fans celebrated outside Anfield last Thursday when the team won the Premier League for the first time in 30 years and huge numbers gathered at the city’s Pier Head the following night, where police reported violent confrontations.
Ahead of the team’s match against Aston Villa on Sunday, Liverpool FC CEO Peter Moore met representatives from the council, the police and supporters’ union Spirit Of Shankly at Anfield.
He urged fans to celebrate safely at home:
We are delighted to have won this title, but as the manager has said, we will come together to celebrate properly - only when it is safe and secure to do so.
The club’s message for everybody is enjoy watching the team on TV and enjoy celebrating at home.
Liverpool’s director of public health Matthew Ashton also urged extra caution, citing how badly hit the area has been hit by the virus:
Covid has affected the whole of the country, but Liverpool and Merseyside are some of the worst areas affected in terms of the number of deaths and serious illnesses.
We need to be preventative - we need to stop people getting ill as much as we possibly can.
The risk that we have seen over the last week or so of crowds getting together means there is the potential for the virus to start spreading again.
Chief constable of Merseyside police Andy Cooke also urged for people to exercise restraint, reminding the public there will be plenty of time to celebrate after the pandemic:
We don’t want to have to go through that public health problem of mass gatherings across the city.
We don’t want to put the most vulnerable across our society in danger because we think this is the right time to celebrate - it’s not!
The time to celebrate is after this pandemic has gone and there will be plenty of time for that.
Chairman of Spirit Of Shankly, Joe Blott, urged fellow supporters to celebrate in a different way.
We are still in a pandemic, it’s a bit surreal watching the game now with no fans and not being here [Anfield] - it feels unsettling in some ways - but that’s where we are.
Let’s use this unique circumstance to celebrate in a different way.
We have to protect our community - we have to protect ourselves and protect the NHS as well.
What we don’t want to see is a similar situation to Leicester, or another spike and then further pressure on the NHS and really ruin what’s happened over recent weeks.
Good morning everyone. I’m Lucy Campbell, joining the blog for the rest of the day to bring you all the latest developments in UK politics and all things coronavirus. If you have a story or news tip to share, please feel free to get in touch as I work – your thoughts are always welcome!
Email: lucy.campbell@theguardian.com
Twitter: @lucy_campbell_
I’m signing off now - handing over to Lucy Campbell.
Sky is reporting that staff who move between care homes are more likely to contract COVID-19 - as it emerged that almost 20,000 deaths of care home residents in England and Wales have involved the virus.
The ONS released the results from a study of more than 9,000 care homes, which found higher levels of coronavirus among temporary staff who work in multiple places.
Such a situation was also found to increase the number of infections among residents.
Another discovery was that care homes which give staff sick pay are likely to have fewer cases of COVID-19 among residents.
Luxury hotels reopening on Saturday will turn away guests if they fail temperature checks as part of efforts to combat coronavirus.
The Langham in central London, Cliveden House in Berkshire and The Bath Priory in Bath are among those which will screen visitors for signs of fever in an attempt to identify anyone with symptoms.
Andrew Stembridge, executive director of Iconic Luxury Hotels, which owns a handful of boutique venues including Cliveden House, said he hopes the checks will be “quite relaxed”.
Arriving guests will be greeted at the car park of their hotel and a member of staff will use a handheld contactless device to take their temperature.
Stembridge told the PA news agency: “We put in our (booking) confirmation ‘If you are above 38C then I’m really sorry we’re going to have to send you home again’.
“At least by doing it in the car park, you haven’t got that slightly awkward situation where someone’s already in the building.”
He said he believes guests will be relieved such checks are being carried out.
“It’s one thing going to Waitrose, but if you’re going into an environment where you’re going to be in there for the next three or four days, knowing that every single person has been temperature checked (gives you) peace of mind,” he said.
Updated
The government is being urged to build on the huge public support shown for the NHS during the virus pandemic by giving health workers an early pay rise.
Unions representing more than 1.3 million nurses, cleaners, physiotherapists, healthcare assistants, dieticians, radiographers, porters, midwives, paramedics and other NHS employees have written to the chancellor and the prime minister calling for pay talks to start soon.
The unions, including Unison, the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal College of Midwives, GMB, Unite, and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, said the pandemic has made the dedication and commitment of NHS staff plain for all to see.
Health workers are nearing the end of a three-year pay deal, and unions believe the government should provide funding for an early pay rise for all NHS staff, including domestics, catering workers, security guards and other support staff working for private contractors.
Boris Johnson was told that improvements to staff pay would enable the NHS to hold on to experienced workers and help with the recruitment of new staff needed to fill vacancies.
But the unions added that the government should not see the appeal for NHS workers to get an early pay rise as a Covid bonus.
Unison’s head of health Sara Gorton said:
“The applause and kind words shown during the difficult days of the pandemic were a huge source of comfort to NHS staff, but now the government should show its appreciation in a different way. As the clapping returns this weekend for the NHS’s birthday, ministers can show how much they value health staff by committing to an early pay rise that the entire country supports.”
Hannah Reed, from the RCN, said: “These people are the country’s greatest asset. When we celebrate that, politicians must think about how staff can be fairly paid and valued.
“They do not need more warm words and praise that, to many, is already beginning to feel hollow. An earlier pay rise will go some way to showing the Government values all they do, not just this year but day in, day out.”
Updated
And back to those ONS stats again, it seems that among male care home residents in England and Wales, Covid-19 was the leading cause of death across the period, accounting for a third (33.5%) of all deaths. Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease was the second leading cause (24.7% deaths).
For female care home residents, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease was the leading cause of death (33.8% of deaths), followed by Covid-19 (26.6%).
Covid-19 was the leading cause of death of male care home residents in all age groups.
It was also the leading cause of death of female care home residents aged under 80 years, but for those aged 80 years and over dementia and Alzheimer’s was the leading cause.
Updated
And here’s something heartwarming. After Man U’s Marcus Rashfield forced the government into a U-turn over school lunches, another footballer has made it his mission to send a four-year-old boy to the US for life-saving treatment is set to take on the English Channel - by kayak.
Liam Scott has spent most of the last year undergoing gruelling treatment for neuroblastoma, a rare cancer affecting around 100 UK children each year.
And while the end of his treatment is finally approaching, there is a high chance the cancer could return.
If it comes back, Liam, from Sevenoaks in Kent, would be left with just a 10% chance of survival, his mother said.
An experimental vaccine could prevent the disease coming back but it is only available in New York and will cost 232,000.
Footballer Charlie Holmes, who before the lockdown had never met Liam, has dedicated himself to ensuring the family-of-four hit their fundraising target before time runs out.
Now he and Liam’s father Mike Scott are preparing for a daring new challenge they hope will be the last push for the funding - kayaking across the English Channel next week.
Holmes, 21, told the PA news agency: “I am not gonna lie, I am really scared, it’s out of my comfort zone.
“Obviously I have been in boats but there’s a difference between being on a boat and being on a plastic kayak crossing the Channel.”
He said it would be the “best feeling” to arrive at Dungeness beach after the crossing to hear that they have hit the fundraising target.
Earlier this year he completed a gruelling 140 miles of running in 14 days, all streamed live on Instagram during lockdown.
The former Dagenham and Redbridge player added: “I have always been that person where if I say something I will stick to it.”
A total of 210,464 has been raised so far against the target of 232,000, but Liam’s family know that time is running out.
For it to have the best chance of success, Liam needs to have the vaccine soon after finishing his immunotherapy treatment in August.
Mother Claire Scott, 40, told the PA news agency: “Team Liam has worked really hard pulling this together and we want to get to that final amount so that we can send Liam to New York to have the life-saving vaccine.
“It’s so important he goes there. This is the final push.”
She paid tribute to Holmes and his family, saying: “He has been for us all the way.
“He said he’s never going to give up and he has stuck to those words.”
The Channel crossing is scheduled for Tuesday but depends on the weather.
Liam’s fundraising page can be accessed here: https://www.solvingkidscancer.org.uk/Appeal/liam
Updated
This is an interesting one. Despite Boris Johnson’s encouragement for us all to get down the boozer and start spending on Saturday, just one in three pubs, bars and restaurants in Newcastle city centre will reopen for business that day, a council spokesman said.
A number of pubs on Tyneside have already stated they do not want to join the rush to reopen on so-called Super Saturday, fearing “total chaos” as drinkers head out to enjoy their first poured pint in months.
Council figures show around 30% of licensees in the city centre have stated they will definitely welcome patrons once again on Saturday.
A further 10% said they plan to open later in the month, once the initial rush has passed.
Another 35% said they have not yet decided whether to open this month, with the remainder not stating their plans to licensing officials.
Earlier this week, bosses of the popular Tyne Bar which overlooks the river said it will not be opening, along with other venues in the trendy Ouseburn.
The bar said on Twitter: “After much careful consideration, we have decided not to rush into reopening on July 4.
“We are genuinely concerned that this could be a day of total chaos for the pub trade and, like our mates at thecluny and kilnouseburn, we’ve decided it’s not worth the risk.”
Updated
Looking at that ONS data in more depth: In England, the first death of a care home resident involving Covid-19 took place on March 6, while in Wales the first death occurred on March 17.
The daily number of deaths of care home residents peaked in England on April 17, when a total of 515 deaths occurred (413 in care homes, 100 in hospitals and two in other locations).
In Wales the daily total peaked on April 12 with 26 deaths (23 in care homes and three in hospitals).
Updated
A city theatre will not be reopening following the lockdown after administrators failed to find viable buyers for its two venues.
Nuffield Southampton Theatres (NST) was forced to close its sites because of the Covid-19 lockdown, causing severe cash flow problems and leading to its staff being furloughed and the company to go into administration.
Now administrators Smith and Williamson have announced that negotiations with four potential buyers have fallen through and the theatres located in the centre of the Hampshire city and at the University of Southampton will be closed permanently leading to 86 people being made redundant.
Greg Palfrey, national head of restructuring and recovery, said:
“This is a sad day for the theatre industry in the UK, bringing the final curtain down on nearly 60 years of history of NST as a venerable performing arts institution in Southampton.
Playwright James Graham posted on Twitter:
“Southampton’s Nuffield Theatre is closing for good. 60yrs of investment, training & serving its community. All profitable in normal times, just needed shortfall funding while closed & it didn’t come in time. So sorry to the 86 made redundant, & the locals who loved their theatre.”
Sam Hodges, NST chief executive officer, posted: “It’s appalling that the hard work that was just starting to grow shoots in our new theatre has been so brutally cut short.”
But he added: “Whilst no buyer has been approved through the formal administration process, this doesn’t necessarily spell the end of the Nuffield Theatre as a cultural entity in the heart of the city.
“Conversations are ongoing between stakeholders and interested parties and there is hope yet.”
Props and equipment from the two theatres will be sold off to help pay creditors.
Updated
The new father of, well, we’re not sure of how many, said the newest addition to his brood – his baby son Wilfred – is a “wonderful kid” and that he is a “pretty hands-on” dad.
He said that becoming a father is “an absolutely wonderful time” but added: “But for me at any rate it is very, very busy so the concept of paternity leave is not one that I’ve really been able to deal with.”
Asked by presenter Nick Ferrari: “What’s the best part … cuddling him, changing him, feeding him, reading to him?” Johnson replied: “All that … it is a very detailed operation and there’s a lot of it, but I’m pretty hands-on.”
Updated
Johnson quizzed on why Saturday was chosen for pubs reopening
The prime minister was asked on LBC Radio this morning why restrictions on going to the pub will be lifted on a Saturday, which typically sees a higher rate of alcohol-related issues for police and the NHS.
Johnson replied:
We thought about this carefully and I think we wanted to give pubs time to prepare, we wanted a date early in July and when I look at what is happening I hope very much that people will behave responsibly and enjoy summer safely.
I hope this will be a reasonable time for people to get ready to enjoy themselves in the weekend but to do it in a safe way.”
When pressed by host Nick Ferrari on why Saturday was chosen rather than Monday and whether he only “hoped” it would be safe, Johnson added:
It’s not on hope, it’s based on a clear understanding of the statistical risks that we now face as a country.
We’ve progressed thanks to the efforts of the British people from an incidence of the disease at about one in 400 a few weeks ago to maybe one in 2,200 today. You’re appreciably less likely now to be in close proximity to someone who has it than you were even a couple of weeks ago.
We’re making progress, we aimed for July the 4th, we wanted to set ourselves a target, we think we’re in good shape but my message is let’s not blow it.”
The prime minister also refused to condemn his father for flying to Greece in an apparent breach of Foreign Office guidance to avoid non-essential travel. Stanley Johnson was widely criticised after travelling via Bulgaria to visit his Greek villa.
He said:
I think you really ought to raise that with him. I am not going to get into details of family conversations.
I think the overwhelming majority of the British people have understood what needs to be done and have been very prudent, and that is the right thing to do.”
Updated
For the first time, this week’s ONS survey asked people their ability to pay household bills and to meet any unexpected expenses, compared to before the coronavirus outbreak. In addition, they asked how safe people feel about having tradespeople in their homes for essential and non-essential work.
The weekly survey, relating to the period 25 to 28 June, continued to cover regular topics such as personal well-being, the extent to which in work adults are travelling to work and are leaving their homes for various reasons and use of face coverings.
Findings include:
- Paying the usual household bills is ‘difficult or very difficult’ for 11% of adults, compared to 5% before the outbreak. Asked if their household could afford to pay an unexpected but necessary bill of £850 - 28% said they could not.
- More than 1 in 10 (11%) adults reported that they have had to borrow more money or use more credit than usual since the coronavirus outbreak,
- Among working adults, 78% said they had either worked at home or travelled to work this week - the proportion of working adults who had travelled to work in the past seven days increased to 49% (compared with 44% last week).
- In an emergency situation, such as needing repairs to a boiler or electrics, 51% of adults said they felt either very comfortable or comfortable having someone come into their home to carry out repairs. This fell to 37% for non-emergency work in their home, and 42% felt uncomfortable or very uncomfortable with this situation.
- The most common issue affecting adults’ well-being continues to be feeling worried about the future (62%). However, this week the proportion of people feeling stressed or anxious has fallen to 55% from 66% last week. “Feeling bored” has decreased to 45% of people, compared with 60% last week.
The ONS also say that an estimated 73,600 weddings and same-sex civil partnership ceremonies may have been postponed in England during the three-month period of lockdown restrictions between 23 March and 3 July 2020.
From 4 July weddings in England will be able to take place with a maximum of 30 people who must maintain social distancing measures, avoid singing unless behind a screen, avoid consuming food or drink and avoid playing instruments that must be blown into.
It is estimated that 73,400 marriages have been postponed along with 300 same-sex civil partnerships (numbers have been rounded to nearest hundred).
He added that gyms would be able to reopen in a “couple of weeks”, and vowed to try to get theatres going “as fast as we possibly can”.
The Prime Minister told the radio station: “The best way forward for the country is to get the economy moving again ... We want to get every part of our industry, including theatres, that are so vital.”
On gyms, he added: “We are going to reopen gyms as soon as we can do it in a Covid-secure way and I think that the date for reopening gyms at the moment, if we can do it, is in just a couple of weeks’ time.”
Boris Johnson has said he wants to see better black representation at the top of the government.
“Of course we can do more and we will do more. We need to make progress and we will. I think about this a lot. It is something I want to get right. We need to reflect the country we serve,” the Prime Minister told LBC radio.
He indicated that he would not be prepared to “take the knee” in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
“I don’t believe in gestures, I believe in substance,” he said.
“I don’t want people to be bullied into doing things they don’t necessarily want to do.
“If you think of what happened with those officers standing at the Cenotaph... They were being insulted in quite aggressive terms by members of the crowd and told to take the knee.
“Some of them did and it was very difficult for the others who didn’t. That’s my position.”
New stats just out from the Office for National Statistics:
Main points
- Across the care homes included in the study, we estimate that 56% (95% Confidence Interval: 55% - 56%) reported at least one confirmed case of COVID-19 (staff or residents).
- Across the care homes that reported at least one confirmed case of coronavirus, we estimate that 20% of residents tested positive for COVID-19 (95% Confidence Interval: 19% - 21%), as reported by care home managers, since the start of the pandemic.
- Across the care homes that reported at least one confirmed case of COVID-19, we estimate that 7% of staff tested positive for COVID-19 (95% Confidence Interval: 6% - 8%), as reported by care home managers, since the start of the pandemic.
- These emerging findings reveal some common factors in care homes with higher levels of infections amongst residents. These include prevalence of infection in staff, some care home practices such as more frequent use of bank or agency nurses or carers, and some regional differences (such as higher infection levels within care homes in London and the West Midlands). There is some evidence that in care homes where staff receive sick pay, there are lower levels of infection in residents.
- Findings also include some common factors in care homes with higher levels of infection amongst staff. These include prevalence of infection in residents (although this is weaker than the effect of staff infection on residents), some care home practices (such as more frequent use of bank or agency nurses or carers, and care homes employing staff who work across multiple sites) and some regional differences (such as higher infection levels within care homes in the North East and Yorkshire and the Humber). However regional differences may be affected by different patterns of testing in staff and residents over time.
Iain Bell, deputy national statistician said: “These are the first results from the Vivaldi study, a large-scale survey which looked specifically at infections in care homes which provide care for people with dementia and older people across England. From this we’ve estimated that over half of these care homes have had at least one confirmed case of COVID-19 amongst their staff and residents.
“Future work will include more detailed analysis and will incorporate COVID-19 test results from the whole care home testing programme.”
Fascinating interview by our health editor, Sarah Boseley, with prof Robin Shattock from Imperial College and the revolutionary approach to vaccines he’s developing, that he is pretty sure will not only save lives in the Covid-19 pandemic but become the norm for vaccine development within five years.
He is careful not to over-promise, but it is clear he backs his own horse over 120 other contenders in the effort to develop a coronavirus vaccine. “Of course, or I wouldn’t be doing it,” he said.
“I’m cautiously optimistic that it will work as well as anything else that is being developed because it induces good immune responses in animal models, and we predict it will be the same in humans and it will be very safe because we are using such low doses.
“What we don’t know is what level of immunity is required to prevent infection. If we only need a tiny bit, the majority of vaccines out there will probably work. That will be fantastic for the world.
Talking to LBC, Boris Johnson has just urged Britons to “enjoy summer sensibly” before the easing of lockdown restrictions on Saturday.
The prime minister told the radio station: “Tomorrow we come to step three of the plan that I set out on May 10, that everybody, I think, has understood, or huge numbers of people have understood and followed very carefully and very closely.
“And it’s because people stuck to that plan that we’re now able to carefully and cautiously open up hospitality tomorrow.
“And my message is really for people to enjoy summer sensibly and make sure that it all works.”
Updated
Talking now to Times Radio, Grant Shapps said he had hopes the UK’s devolved administrations would lift quarantine restrictions for returning air passengers “at the same time”.
The Transport Secretary said that leaders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland may change their stance, depending on how it works in England.
He said: “I did want to have the devolved administrations come along at the same time, but they have their own processes to go through.
“So it may well be they look at this and then do decide to agree to it, but, as I said, the system doesn’t come in until July 10.”
Shapps said the list of countries that will be exempt from quarantine measures had been “worked up” with the Joint Biosecurity Centre.
He said: “It’s joint because it includes the chief medical officers of all four nations. It’s then an administrable, a political decision whether those nations want to bring these in or not, and we have to respect (that) and wait for them to reach their decisions.”
The countryside code should be taught in schools to help people enjoy the outdoors safely, the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has urged.
The organisation, which represents 30,000 rural businesses, warns a lack of education in relation to the countryside code has “left a generation without a basic understanding” of how to behave in the rural environment.
Before the latest easing of lockdown, when tourism businesses begin to reopen, the CLA president, Mark Bridgeman, has written to the education secretary, Gavin Williamson, urging the teaching of the countryside code in classrooms, and offering to help develop a resources pack for teachers and youth leaders.
In the letter, Bridgeman said that as a result of Covid-19 many people were exploring the countryside for the first time, which was “both pleasing and a concern, in view of the sharp increase in inappropriate behaviour by members of the public”.
He pointed to livestock killed by dogs, residents’ driveways blocked by parked cars and people trampling through fields outside public access areas, using barbecues and leaving litter, as well as illegal raves.
Bridgeman said: “The countryside is a wonderful place and we want to see everybody enjoy it. But we also want them to be safe, and respect the countryside as a place of work.
“A lack of education on how to treat the countryside has left a generation without a basic understanding of what is an acceptable and indeed necessary standard of behaviour in a rural, working environment which produces food for the nation.
“We all have a part to play in improving that understanding, but help in the classroom would be a great start.”
Updated
Interesting piece from our education editor, Richard Adams, that England’s higher education regulator is to press ahead with its plans to temporarily ban universities using “conditional unconditional” offers amid concerns they have been used to pressure students into accepting places.
The offers, which are not dependent on a student’s exam results, are conditional on an applicant accepting the university as their sole choice. They are seen as potentially predatory behaviour, forcing students to make a choice from among one of the five universities they have applied to for study as an undergraduate.
The use of conditional unconditional offers has risen rapidly in recent years but appear to have reached a peak earlier this year as the coronavirus lockdown raised fears about university finances and student numbers before the academic year starting in September.
Updated
Test and trace fails to reach quarter of contacts
Worrying report about the failure of the NHS test and trace system: new figures have revealed that it has failed to reach a quarter of contacts.
A total of 27,125 people who tested positive for Covid-19 in England had their case transferred to the NHS test and trace contact tracing system during the first four weeks of its operation, according to figures from the Department of Health & Social Care.
However, only 20,039 people (74%) were reached and asked to provide details of recent contacts, while 6,245 people (23%) were not reached. A further 841 people (3%) could not be reached because their communication details had not been provided.
Despite this, a total of 132,525 people who had been identified as recent close contacts of people who had tested positive for Covid-19 were reached through the tracing system and asked to self-isolate. This was 86% out of a total of 153,442 identified contacts.
The figures cover the period May 28 to June 24.
Updated
Interesting article in the Telegraph featuring Norman Tebbit’s proclamation that Boris Johnson is not a good ‘executive’ and would probably not have run a department in one of Margaret Thatcher’s governments in the 1980s.
Lord Tebbit - who knew Johnson when he was a non-executive director of the Spectator magazine and Johnson was its editor - said that if Johnson had risen to prominence in the 1980s he would probably not have been promoted further than party chairman.
The peer also told The Telegraph’s Chopper’s Politics podcast that the PM also risks becoming “a spokesman for Dominic Cummings” after the ousting of Cabinet secretary Sir Mark Sedwill.
Lord Tebbit held three Cabinet posts in Margaret Thatcher’s government - party chairman, Trade and Industry Secretary, and Employment secretary from 1981 to 1987.
Quarantined travellers can end self-isolation next Friday
Shapps added that air passengers who are already in quarantine following their return to England from countries that will be exempt from quarantine measures will no longer need to self-isolate from July 10.
The transport secretary told BBC Breakfast that passengers who are currently isolating for 14 days will be able to break the restrictions legally from next Friday.
He said while “nothing could happen” before July 10, “from that point onward you will be legal not to quarantine yourself”.
“It’s very important to stress the quarantine does exist until July 10,” Shapps said.
The list of countries that will be exempt from quarantine measures includes overseas territories such as the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar, he added.
While quarantine measures will be lifted, passengers arriving in the UK will still need to fill out a “locator form”, Shapps said. “That asks where you’ve been and where you’re coming back to,” he said. “It is a criminal offence not to complete that form accurately and there are quite substantial fines.”
Updated
Speaking now on the Today programme, Shapps says now is the right time to lift the quarantine because our levels of the virus are so low.
Answering the question of why we ever quarantined countries now on the green list, like Germany and France, he said: “The headline figures you might read on the international websites aren’t the be all and end all, it’s how those numbers are reported. It’s been a complicated process to cme up with a list of countries we are comfortable with.
“Where is the right balance between putting lives first and respecting livelihoods? It’s not an easy balance. We have done it using the best scientific evidence we can find and we’ve come up with that list today. I’m not going to pretend it’s been an easy process,” he added.
The US will be on the red list, Shapps said. “A lot of people are saying we should have banned flights from the outset but the US did exactly that and they have very high numbers of infection, which is why they’re on the list today.”
He denies claims that he didn’t give the devolved regions a chance to consult on the list.
Asked whether travelling to a rental property is essential travel - like Stanley Johnson, the prime minister’s father, has done - Shapps said: “People have to make their own decision. It’s advice, not a legal definition. It’s up to an individual to decide - but what’s not their decision, is quarantining when they return.”
Greece, he adds, isn’t on the green list because they won’t make their own decision on travel until 15th July - so Johnson will have to quarantine on his return.
Contact tracers: “We don’t live in a police state. The numbers are never going be 100% but we are gradually winning this battle because the British people have dedicated themselves to it.”
Grant Shapps has confirmed the countries people will be able to travel to England from without facing quarantine restrictions will be split into two groups.
The transport secretary told BBC Breakfast that the list of about “50-plus” countries will be divided into either a green or amber category.
He said:
We have countries in the green category where there are very low occurrences [of coronavirus], and then countries in the amber group. They would include France, Germany, Spain and quite a number of others.
The countries on the [overall] list mean that when you arrive there you won’t have restrictions. Unless they are on the green list, those are the countries with very low incidents. We thought it was right to include them.
I take New Zealand as a good example, they do have restrictions when you arrive, but we thought it was right to include them because people may want to come here from New Zealand and that’s no particular threat to our hard-won gains.
But on the middle countries, those ones are places where we have reciprocal arrangements in place that if you go there or if you come here, the arrangements are the same both ways round. In other words. You do not have to quarantine.”
Updated
The Telegraph is reporting that the former health secretary Jeremy Hunt has said mass coronavirus testing could reduce the likelihood of local lockdowns.
Hunt writes in the Daily Telegraph that it took “far too long” for central and local governments to implement targeted testing amid a spike in Covid-19 cases in Leicester.
The East Midlands city was placed under harsher restrictions by Hunt’s successor Matt Hancock this week, with non-essential shops ordered to close and people urged not to travel in or out of the area.
“Why did we not just immediately test the whole city population? And why are we not doing this now in Bradford and Barnsley?” Hunt asks. “The quicker we identify asymptomatic carriers, the less likely whole cities will have to be locked down.”
Earlier this week, Bradford has said it is “working hard” to prevent another lockdown and Barnsley has stressed new restrictions are not needed, as figures revealed they have the highest Covid-19 rates in England after Leicester.
The latest data showed Bradford has 45.8 cases per 100,000 population, the second highest in England behind Leicester with 141.3. And Barnsley is third in the table with 35.1 cases per 100,000.
Hunt, now chairman of the health and social care committee, said the test and trace system “will fail” unless a way of reaching infected people is found.
He wrote:
Even if cases overall continue to fall, we will not have the resilience we need for a potential second wave this winter.
How do we solve this? The first thing we need is a massive public information campaign telling anyone with Covid symptoms – whether repeated coughing, fever, loss of taste or smell or any combination of these – to get a test immediately.”
This post was updated at 09.32 to include revised numbers for the cities listed.
Updated
A concerning piece of research from Scottish Widows has found that workers in sectors including retail, travel and hospitality could face a lifetime of “playing catch-up” with their retirement savings.
The insurer has said many workers who are now taking a hit to their finances were already finding it difficult to save adequately for retirement before the coronavirus pandemic struck.
They could now struggle with ever being able to afford to retire.
Some are in sectors where businesses are feeling severe economic impacts from Covid-19, including the prospect of widespread job losses.
Scottish Widows’ annual retirement report, looking at more than 5,000 adults across the UK, found that:
• More than a quarter (27%) of people working in travel and the arts have not yet started saving into a pension.
• Two-thirds (67%) of retail workers are worried that if they ever did retire, they would quickly run out of money.
• Nearly two-thirds (62%) of construction workers feel they are not preparing adequately for retirement.
• Less than a fifth (18%) of restaurant workers are optimistic about their retirement.
It is highly likely these workers are also facing new financial pressures that will make saving for the long term even more difficult, Scottish Widows said.
It said one reason workers have historically been pessimistic about retirement, even before Covid-19, is when employers only contribute the legal minimum amounts into their pension.
Updated
If you want a few tears in your morning cup of tea, BBC Wales is carrying an emotional video of coronavirus survivor Davide Compagnone thanking the NHS doctors who brought him back from the brink of death.
'Thank you, from the bottom of my heart'
— BBC Wales News (@BBCWalesNews) July 3, 2020
Coronavirus survivor Davide Compagnone thanks the doctor who brought him back from the brink of death
Read more here: https://t.co/H8OXHg7NKm pic.twitter.com/mvc8Tvd29X
Updated
Holidays will be a nail-biting experience this year, though, with Miles Brignall reporting that travellers booking last-minute getaways face the prospect of severely curtailed travel insurance cover – and in some cases no Covid-19 cover at all – this summer.
A relatively low number of insurers are willing to cover coronavirus-related medical claims, with the clear caveat that they will not pay any future cancellation or curtailment claims that result from a second wave of infections.
Nationwide building society is warning its bank account customers who rely on its travel cover that it will not entertain any coronavirus-related claims – medical or otherwise – for any trips booked after 18 March.
A host of other big-name travel insurers, including Direct Line, Axa and Lloyds and Barclays banks, have told customers making new holiday bookings that they will pay medical bills if a customer catches the virus this summer but virtually no other coronavirus-related claims.
It means travellers booking last-minute trips face considerable financial risk if they cannot travel because of a Leicester-style second lockdown or if the area in which they are staying is closed down again.
A holidaymaker who catches the virus while away could face huge problems. The airlines will be taking passengers’ temperatures and denying boarding to those with a fever.
Updated
Back with Sky and there is heartening news about employment, with “vital green shoots” beginning to show as the number of UK job adverts increase
There were 990,000 job adverts in the last week of June – 27,000 more than in the first week of the month, 27,000 more than in the first week of the month, the Recruitment & Employment Confederation said.
There was a noticeable increase in vacancies in pubs and restaurants as the sector prepares to reopen in England this weekend, according to the organisation that represents more than 3,300 recruitment businesses.
Updated
The BBC is reporting that people arriving in England from countries including France, Spain, Germany and Italy will no longer need to quarantine from 10 July.
A full list of exempt countries posing “a reduced risk” from coronavirus will be published today.
The new exemptions mean people arriving from selected destinations will be able to enter England without needing to self-isolate, unless they have been in or transited through non-exempt countries in the preceding 14 days.
About 60 countries are expected to be included, according to BBC Newsnight’s political editor, Nick Watt.
However, the announcement did not guarantee reciprocal arrangements with foreign countries – meaning travellers from the UK may have to self-isolate on arrival there.
Updated
As most of the UK prepares to lift the lockdown over the coming weeks, Sky carries an exclusive poll showing eight out of 10 Britons would back a second lockdown if Covid-19 cases spike.
Almost eight in 10 (78%) said they would self-isolate for 14 days if asked by an NHS test and trace official, while 69% said they would follow an instruction to self-isolate from a smartphone app.
This is fortunate, given that England’s deputy chief medical officer told a news conference at the Downing Street press briefing yesterday that a second wave of UK infections was “quite a possibility”. Dr Jenny Harries also said she doesn’t rule out further waves or a second peak in Covid-19 cases, and stressed action to prevent localised flare-ups would be taken.
Updated
Sky is reporting that care home staff and residents will get regular Covid-19 tests from next week. Staff will be tested weekly, while residents will receive a test every 28 days, the Department of Health and Social Care said.
It has also promised intensive testing in any care home facing a coronavirus outbreak or an increased risk of a flare-up.
The programme will be rolled out from Monday to all care homes for people aged over 65, and those with dementia, which have registered to receive re-testing over the next four weeks.
It will then be expanded to the entire care home sector from August.
Updated
Today’s coronavirus update will come in the form of prime minister Boris Johnson using a televised address to warn people in England to behave responsibly when pubs reopen this weekend, adding that the country is not “out of the woods yet” on containing the coronavirus. People must abide by social distancing rules at pubs, restaurants and hairdressers or risk those businesses being shut down again in renewed localised lockdowns, he will say. Figures from Public Health England showed yesterday that acute respiratory outbreaks more than doubled in workplaces last week.
English tourists will be able to visit Spain, Italy, France and Germany from next Friday, 10 July, without having to quarantine for 14 days on their return. Travel restrictions on up to 60 other countries and territories are also set to be lifted. The devolved nations will set out their plans at a later date.
The English curriculum may need to be changed to “re-teach” subjects to children starting secondary school this year to make up for lessons missed during lockdown as the government outlined its plan to reopen schools in September with few restrictions. Prof Robin Shattock, of Imperial College London, says he is “cautiously optimistic” that his groundbreaking research using genetic coding will produce a vaccine that will work as well as any of the other 120 being pioneered around the world.
Organisers of the BBC Proms have announced plans for a slimmed-down version of the concerts, which will go ahead this summer but almost certainly without a live audience. Live and audience-free proms begin on 28 August and will feature each of the BBC orchestras. Sakari Oramo will conduct the opening live concert while the Finnish conductor Dalia Stasevska will be on last night duties. Viewers and listeners will be encouraged to wave flags and sing along in their homes.
If you want to get in touch with me with thoughts, news or comments, please email amelia.hill@theguardian.com
Updated
Good morning. This is Amelia Hill bringing you the news before the weekend hits.
