Evening summary
Here’s a list of the key coronavirus developments from the UK today:
- Boris Johnson tried to blame a “mutant algorithm” for the results chaos in a live address to pupils in England. The prime minister, who defended Ofqual’s controversial algorithm as “robust” a fortnight ago, told children at an East Midlands school: “I’m afraid your grades were almost derailed by a mutant algorithm and I know how stressful that must’ve been for pupils up and down the country.”
- The most senior civil servant in the Department for Education (DfE) will step down from his post in the wake of the fiasco. Jonathan Slater’s tenure will end as of 1 September after the “prime minister concluded that there is a need for fresh official leadership” in the department, the DfE said.
- Gatwick airport is to cut around 600 jobs due to the economic impact of the pandemic. Making the announcement, its chief executive, Stewart Wingate, said: “If anyone is in any doubt about the devastating impact Covid-19 has had on the aviation and travel industry then today’s news we have shared with our staff, regarding the proposed job losses, is a stark reminder.”
- Pupils in Wales over the age of 11 will be recommended to wear face masks at school. The Welsh government said the guidance applied in school communal areas where social distancing cannot be maintained.
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The government has published new guidance on the use of face coverings in English schools. The guidance, which follows yesterday’s sudden U-turn, states that in local lockdown areas face coverings should be worn by staff and students moving around schools in communal areas and corridors from 1 September. Elsewhere, school leaders will have the discretion to require face coverings in communal areas.
- Scotland has recorded its first coronavirus death in more than a month. First minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed two people had died after testing positive for the virus over the past 24 hours. The last recorded coronavirus-related death in Scotland was on 16 July.
For more coronavirus updates, please follow the global live blog.
Updated
Up to 30 people may have Covid-19 after Plymouth teenagers holiday in Zante
As many as 30 young people may have coronavirus in Plymouth following a holiday to the Greek island of Zante, the city council has said.
At least 11 of the group of 18- and 19-year-olds have tested positive for Covid-19, the council said, as it warned residents to take precautions.
Public health director Ruth Harrell said her team was working alongside the national systems to contact and trace the young people thought to have been affected. She said:
We know that some of these young people had no symptoms, and so carried on as normal, including a night out in Plymouth’s bars and restaurants, until they became aware of the risk. That means more people could be infected.
“While young people might have fairly mild symptoms, and sometimes none that you would notice, our big concern is that we know it can be very serious for people who have existing health problems or are older.
While we are still below the point of triggering a lockdown, this incident just goes to show how easily life can change. We all need to remain vigilant, whatever age we are, and take proper precautions.
Updated
Public Health England has published data on the rolling seven-day rate of new cases of Covid-19 for every local authority area in England.
The figures, for the week to 23 August, are based on tests carried out in laboratories and in the wider community. Data from Monday to today has been excluded as it is incomplete and likely to be revised.
Blackburn with Darwen recorded 82 new cases in the seven days to 23 August – the equivalent of 54.8 per 100,000, which is the highest rate in England.
However, the rate is down from 78.2 in the previous seven days to 16 August.
Here is a list of the 10 areas with the highest coronavirus rates per 100,000 people in the week to 23 August, compared with the previous week. The number in bracket is the new cases recorded in each area:
- Blackburn with Darwen 54.8 (82), 78.2 (117)
- Oldham 54.4 (129), 86.9 (206)
- Pendle 51.0 (47), 93.4 (86)
- Leicester 44.9 (159), 50.0 (177)
- Manchester 42.5 (235), 49.4 (273)
- Bradford 42.1 (227), 57.2 (309)
- Rochdale 41.8 (93), 35.5 (79)
- Swindon 38.7 (86), 42.3 (94)
- Northampton 38.3 (86), 112.2 (252)
- Bury 35.6 (68), 33.5 (64)
Updated
A new free drop-and-collect coronavirus testing service has been set up in Birmingham.
Staff from the city council, NHS and wider public sector have volunteered to take part in the latest effort to increase access to testing after Birmingham was placed on the government’s coronavirus watchlist.
Under the scheme, teams will visit households in different areas of the city to offer the test kits on the doorstep, even for those without symptoms.
Testing is completely free and once dropped off, a volunteer will come back and pick up the completed DIY swab samples within the next hour.
As alternatives, people living in Birmingham are also still being encouraged to book appointments at local test sites or order kits online.
Paulette Hamilton, Birmingham’s cabinet member for health and social care, said:
Free and accessible testing is vital to the success of the NHS test and trace service and the country’s overall efforts of stopping the spread of Covid-19.
“More availability to testing gives anyone the opportunity to determine if they have the virus and whether they are safe to return to work or continue doing activities they enjoy outside their home.
Updated
As parents in the UK rush to buy masks for pupils after government guidance on the use of face coverings in schools changed, my colleague Caroline Davies has written a handy rundown of the different kinds available.
She’s included the best face coverings for hygiene and the most ethical, as well as those which are most compatible with school uniform.
You can read the list here:
The government’s plans to scrap Public Health England (PHE) and replace it with a new body have “little clarity” and risk the loss of highly trained staff, doctors have told MPs.
Their comments came in response to questions from members of the all-party parliamentary group on coronavirus on Wednesday.
Dr Isobel Braithwaite, an academic clinical fellow at University College London, who has been involved with PHE’s London Coronavirus Response Cell, said:
People have been working incredibly hard and we’re facing a very difficult winter. It doesn’t feel like a good time for a distraction like this.
I think it’s going to make recruitment more challenging and I think we risk losing a lot of very specialised and highly trained people.
She added: “My impression is certainly that morale is pretty low and that’s from a low baseline.”
Braithwaite argued that a potential second wave of coronavirus should be seen as “multiple second waves” with impacts on waiting lists, cancer diagnosis, mental health, sexual health and other services, but where public health can play a “vital” role.
Earlier this month, the health secretary, Matt Hancock, said the NIHP, headed by Tory peer Dido Harding, would focus on health threats including infectious diseases, pandemics and biologic weapons.
But Martin McKee, professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told MPs:
I’m not at all clear what the problem is that it’s meant to be solving, that’s the first issue.
And if we don’t know what the problem that we’re trying to solve is then it’s very difficult to know whether we’re going to get the right answer at the end.
Updated
The education secretary, Gavin Williamson, has paid tribute to his permanent secretary, following the government’s announcement that he would be stepping down from his post in September.
“I would like to thank Jonathan Slater for his commitment to public service, including over four years spent as permanent secretary in the Department for Education. Like the prime minister, I appreciate the hard work of officials across government, particularly during this unprecedented time,” said Williamson.
“I look forward to working with Susan Acland-Hood as the acting permanent secretary to continue to drive forward this government’s ambitious agenda to level up education across the country, giving every child an equal opportunity to succeed. Our immediate focus remains on making sure every child returns to the classroom full-time at the start of term.”
Updated
Hundreds of people are set to lose their jobs at the Mini car production plant in Oxford following a “substantial” fall in customer demand during lockdown.
BMW, which owns the factory, said 400 out of 950 agency workers onsite would be affected by the decision to reduce the numbers of shifts.
From mid-October, it will move from a three-shift pattern to two shifts, while continuing to operate five days a week.
Agency staff employed by GI Group will be retained based on criteria such as their length of service, individual skills and disciplinary records.
Those who are set to lose their jobs working on the production line will be informed by the middle of next month.
More than 300,000 students in England will be required to wear face coverings when schools reopen next week – although thousands of pupils could be told within days that they are no longer mandatory.
There was confusion among MPs after Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, announced in an 11th-hour U-turn that secondary school pupils in lockdown areas would be required to wear face masks in communal spaces from next week.
The government was also accused on Wednesday of providing “completely inadequate” support to schools in England after it emerged that they would receive just 10 Covid testing kits each before the start of term next week.
You can read more on the confusion over the new guidance here:
A further 16 people have died from Covid-19 in the UK
Public Health England (PHE) said 41,465 people had died in the UK within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Wednesday, an increase of 16 on the day before.
Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show there have now been 57,200 deaths registered in the UK where coronavirus was mentioned on the death certificate.
PHE also said that as of 9am on Wednesday, there had been a further 1,048 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus. Overall, 328,846 cases have been confirmed.
The prime minister, Boris Johnson, has pledged to meet with families who have lost loved ones during the coronavirus pandemic following a series of calls from a bereavement campaign group.
The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group said they had asked for meetings with Boris Johnson on a number of occasions.
Speaking to Sky News, Johnson said that he was not aware of any letters from the group, but said he would respond. He added that he would “of course” meet with the bereaved.
We welcome @BorisJohnson finally agreeing to meet with us and hear why a #CovidInquiryNow will save lives. It shouldn't have taken months to agree to it, and it should only be a matter of days before it happens. https://t.co/0UslvBlPXE
— Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK (@CovidJusticeUk) August 26, 2020
Earlier this month, the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on coronavirus heard from bereaved families who said they felt they were being “swept under the carpet” by the government.
Grieving family members said they had written to the prime minister asking to meet and share their experiences but were told that officials were unable to meet “due to the current pandemic”.
Last week, the APPG chairwoman, Liberal Democrat Layla Moran, wrote to Johnson and said she was “shocked” to learn that he had “refused” to meet the group – which represents 1,600 families.
The prime minister told Sky News: “I am not aware of those letters but I will of course write back to every letter we get.
“Of course I will meet the bereaved.”
Updated
School leaders in Wales have reacted angrily to the latest announcement on face coverings from the Welsh government, which effectively hands over the decision on whether they should be worn to schools and local authorities.
The Welsh government has asked schools, colleges and councils to undertake risk assessments of their own estates to determine if face coverings should be recommended in communal areas and on transport.
The NAHT Cymru, the headteachers’ union in Wales, was not impressed however. Director Laura Doel, NAHT said it was unacceptable to expect school leaders to shoulder the responsibility of deciding if face coverings are required in schools.
“Head teachers are not medical experts and the Welsh government should not put them in this position. We need the Welsh government to demonstrate they are in control of this situation.
“There needs to be absolute clarity about who is required to wear face coverings and when they need to be worn, this should include clear information in regards to pupils, teachers and parents.
“If the government leaves this decision-making to individual schools or local authorities, we will once again see a mixed economy across Wales, with different schools having different measures in place which will be unsettling and potentially unsafe for pupils, parents and staff alike. This will portray a message of confusion, not confidence in returning to school.
“If face coverings become mandatory in certain schools, then they will have to purchase many thousands of masks. This will undoubtedly come at an additional and unforeseen cost and may result in shortages as demand increases.
“The government needs to guarantee that enough masks will be available to schools and that the costs of getting hold of them are met in full or run the very real risk that schools will not reopen next week.”
More on the most senior civil servant in the Department for Education stepping down from his post in the wake of the exams crisis.
The general secretary of the senior public servants’ union the FDA, has said it was clear that the government would “throw civil service leaders under a bus without a moment’s hesitation to shield ministers from any kind of accountability”.
He added:
Those who have dedicated their lives to public service are being discarded without hesitation to keep scrutiny from the government’s door.
Whilst the origins of the exams fiasco may be complex, the solutions for this government are simple: scapegoating civil servants.
Ministerial accountability is dead and the message to civil servants is that they are expendable the moment life gets tough for a minister.
He said that trust between ministers and civil servants was already at an all-time low and the departure of Jonathan Slater would “only damage it further”.
Despite continued criticism over the results fiasco, and now the U-turn on pupils wearing face masks in schools, the education secretary, Gavin Williamson, has so far remained safe in his position.
Updated
Asked how long the delays were, Soulsby said he was aware of one case where it was a week, but said he intended to provide more analysis on the issue. He claimed there was also “an absence” of an address coming with testing data.
But, even without the address, what we could very much benefit from having, certainly in a city like Leicester and probably elsewhere as well, is details of ethnicity and, where appropriate, workplace.
Soulsby said he asked Dido Harding, who is leading the government’s test and trace programme, for this information earlier in the pandemic but was told the government was not requiring people being tested to provide it.
I understand that some of that data is collected, but it’s not something that is passed to us in a way that enables us to do as we need to do ... which is to identify which particular communities or which particular neighbourhoods in the city are seeing a prevalence of the transmission of the virus.
Cllr Ian Hudspeth, the chairman of the Local Government Association’s community wellbeing board and the leader of Oxfordshire county council, also told MPs that local public health officials needed “granular level data at an early, early stage”.
He acknowledged there had been “frustrations” over having access to information to help drive local decision-making over tackling the virus.
Certainly data is now coming available to us, but I think not sufficient. And it’s this real-time data that’s so important and it’s getting down to the micro ward level almost.
Local authorities need access to more granular coronavirus testing data, including people’s addresses, ethnicity, and workplace, in order to help control the spread of Covid-19 in their area, MPs have been told.
Leicester city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby claimed the government had been insufficiently trusting of councils during the pandemic, who were still receiving inconsistent testing information. Speaking before the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on coronavirus on Wednesday, he said:
It certainly has been quite evident throughout that we have not been trusted with the data and we’ve not been trusted with the powers. And the combination of those two absences has ... hindered our ability to respond as effectively as we would wish to and as we could.
Leicester became the first city in the UK to have local lockdown measures reintroduced at the end of June, and was one of the areas to pioneer joint national and local testing and tracing efforts.
Through pilot schemes, local authorities were able to visit people at home where national contact tracers have been unable to reach them. This meant people who have been in contact with confirmed coronavirus cases could get a knock on their door if tracers are unable to reach them over the phone.
Earlier this month, health officials announced plans to strengthen regional test and trace powers in England, by providing local councils with a dedicated team of contact tracers. Soulsby said data provision was “better than it was”, but added:
It is still inconsistent, it’s still erratic, it still comes through after a very significant time delay. It, of course, does mean that although we do the follow-up testing, the follow tracing ourselves – now very effectively in a complex process, it is happening far too late.
Updated
Burnham also said leaders of Greater Manchester had expressed concern about the Westminster government considering restrictions on a ward-by-ward basis within boroughs.
I wouldn’t say this was a unanimous position but it was certainly the overwhelming consensus of our meeting that that is not a road we should go down. It is a recipe for utter confusion, division and chaos, and we are saying to the government we do not want to work in that way.
To play in the concerns of Members of Parliament, obviously they are valid and need to be heard but you cannot say views from one community alone can dictate what happens for the whole of a borough. So we are saying very clearly back to the government today that it is the council leaders and their teams themselves that need to be in the driving seat when it comes to decisions about the lifting of restrictions. People do not want to see a division within particular boroughs.
Sadly, I think what we begin to see is some people playing politics at a local level with these issues. The view of the leaders was that was entirely the wrong way to go. We will continue to be evidence-based in the way that we approach this and we will take the responsible course as we have done all along.
Updated
Political leaders in Stockport and Bolton will ask the government to lift coronavirus restrictions in their boroughs.
The mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said political consensus had been reached in both boroughs to push for the removal of restrictions on social gatherings at homes.
But council leaders across Greater Manchester agreed to request that restrictions remain in place in Oldham, Manchester, Rochdale, Bury, Tameside, Salford and Trafford. Burnham told reporters:
While there is progress in many of our boroughs there are still high numbers of cases and of course we do now have to think about the imminent return of schools and planning safely for that.
The next announcement on restrictions in the “northern area of intervention” is due to take place after a meeting on Thursday of the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) chaired by Hancock and England’s chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty. The leader of Stockport metropolitan borough council, Elise Wilson, said:
In consultation with our local MPs, we are advocating on behalf of Stockport that the government eases restrictions that have been placed on Stockport over the last few weeks.
This is based on on our infection data which is showing a continued downward trend and that’s across all our areas, and it is the current case. Those levels that we have got at the moment are within the government’s acceptable levels, their green areas, and it’s on that basis I think it’s time now for the government to ease those restrictions.
The reason we are in this position is because of the hard work of the residents of Stockport.
Gething and Williams said the changes would not include the use of masks in classrooms.
As part of the risk assessment we recommend that staff, students, families and unions are engaged. Social distancing is still required in the classroom, so face-to-face teaching without coverings can continue.
The overall interests of the young person must be given priority in these assessments and there must be no risk of exclusion from transport to school.
Face coverings may need to be provided to young people who don’t have them, if they are recommended locally.
Welsh government recommends masks for older pupils
Pupils in Wales over the age of 11 will be recommended to wear face coverings in school communal areas where social distancing cannot be maintained, the Welsh government has said.
The new guidance also covers pupils on school transport, college students, and staff and will require schools and local authorities to carry out risk assessments of their sites to determine if the two-metre rule cannot be maintained. A joint statement by the health minister Vaughan Gething and the education minister Kirsty Williams said:
The current advice from the chief medical officer for Wales is that face coverings are recommended for all members of the public over 11 years in indoor settings in which social distancing cannot be maintained, including schools and school transport.
We will amend our operational guidance for schools and FE to require settings and local authorities to undertake risk assessments of their estates to determine if face coverings should be recommended for their staff and young people in communal areas. This will also include school and college transport.
600 jobs to be lost at Gatwick
Gatwick airport plans to cut around 600 jobs, which it says is due to the pandemic. Its chief executive Stewart Wingate said:
If anyone is in any doubt about the devastating impact Covid-19 has had on the aviation and travel industry then today’s news we have shared with our staff, regarding the proposed job losses, is a stark reminder.
We are in ongoing talks with government to see what sector-specific support can be put in place for the industry at this time, alongside mechanisms which will give our passengers greater certainty on where and when they can safely travel abroad.
This support will not only help Gatwick but the wider regional economy which relies on the airport.
A care provider group is calling on the government to reverse an “extraordinary” decision to allow health inspectors into care homes without regular coronavirus testing.
The National Care Forum (NCF) wants Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors to be included in weekly routine testing prior to on-site visits. The group, which represents 120 of the UK’s social care charities, said the current policy is “not credible” and “very counter-productive”.
Without weekly testing, they fear inspectors moving between different groups of residents and staff, visiting potentially multiple homes, could help transmit the virus within and between them.
Vic Rayner, the NCF’s executive director. has written an open letter to the health secretary Matt Hancock and the care minister Helen Whately, calling on them to reverse the decision.
For months central government and the regulator have been requiring care homes to essentially eradicate the movement of staff and the flow of people, including close family relatives, into homes.
Having done this, care homes are now being asked to let inspectors into homes without knowing whether or not they are Covid-positive.
Understandably they are both shocked and hugely concerned. If Inspectors are coming in, they need to be tested - there should be no further debate about this.
She acknowledged there may be issues with testing capacity, but said including the “relatively small number” of CQC inspectors going into homes would not have any significant impact.
Slater’s departure follows that of Sally Collier, the chief executive of England’s exams regulator Ofqual, whose resignation was announced on Tuesday.
Slater is one of several senior Whitehall figures to have stepped down in recent months, including the cabinet secretary, Mark Sedwill, and the Foreign Office permanent secretary, Simon McDonald.
He has been permanent secretary at the DfE since 2016. His departure is likely to infuriate civil service unions, which reacted angrily to Gavin Williamson’s attempts to blame officials for the exams U-turn. Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
It’s just a scorched-earth policy for civil servants. The ministers who should be resigning because of their political decisions have just refused to take responsibility and are laying into these civil servants, the unfortunate fall guys and galls for ministerial incompetence.
A statement posted on the gov.uk website says:
The prime minister has concluded that there is a need for fresh official leadership at the Department for Education.
Jonathan Slater has therefore agreed that he will stand down on 1 September, in advance of the end of his tenure in spring 2021.
Susan Acland-Hood, currently interim second permanent secretary, will take over as acting permanent secretary. A permanent successor to replace Jonathan Slater will be appointed in the coming weeks.
The cabinet secretary would like to put on record his thanks to Jonathan for 35 years of public service, culminating in over four years as permanent secretary of the Department for Education.
The Conservative secretary of state responsible for the department, Gavin Williamson, remains in his job.
Education permanent secretary steps down over exams fiasco
Jonathan Slater, the most senior civil servant in the Department for Education (DfE), is to step down from his post in the wake of the exams fiasco.
Slater will step down on 1 September after the “prime minister concluded that there is a need for fresh official leadership” in the department, the DfE said.
Slater’s departure follows that of Sally Collier, the chief executive of exams regulator Ofqual, whose resignation was announced on Tuesday.
Slater is one of several senior Whitehall figures to have stepped down in recent months, including the cabinet secretary, Mark Sedwill, and the Foreign Office permanent secretary, Simon McDonald.
You can read the full story from our political editor, Heather Stewart, here:
Updated
My colleague Josh Halliday has been tuned into Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham’s weekly coronavirus briefly for the past hour.
Residents in the city region, excluding those in Wigan, are still subject to partial lockdown measures preventing them from meeting with other households in private homes and gardens or in venues such as restaurants.
But Burnham has said he will ask the health secretary Matt Hancock to remove Stockport and Bolton from the restrictions. although he insisted he was strongly opposed to lifting them on a ward-by-ward basis.
Andy Burnham says Greater Manchester still hasn’t seen the additional contact tracing resources promised by @DHSCgovuk 16 days ago.
— Josh Halliday (@JoshHalliday) August 26, 2020
He says NHS Test and Trace is failing and must be controlled locally not nationally.
He added that the Greater Manchester Combined Authority still had not been given the additional contact tracing resources they were promised by the Department of Health and Social Care over a fortnight ago.
Meanwhile, although infection rates are falling in most boroughs, mental health is also depleting among residents in the area.
Very worrying figures from @DeputyMayorofGM on mental health crisis in Greater Manchester:
— Josh Halliday (@JoshHalliday) August 26, 2020
- 60 police officers a day currently dealing with mental health cases, double the usual rate.
- 15,000 mental health calls to 999, up from 11,000 normally.
- 101 calls in this area up 42%.
Labour’s shadow education secretary has condemned the prime minister for “shamelessly” trying to evade responsibility for the exam results chaos.
“Responsibility for this shambles lies squarely with Downing Street and the Department for Education, who set out how they wanted the algorithm to work and were warned weeks in advance of issues, but repeatedly refused to address the problems they had created,” said Kate Green.
“It is this Tory government’s incompetence that is to blame for the exams fiasco.”
It coms after Boris Johnson blamed a “mutant” algorithm for the fiasco earlier this afternoon, telling pupils in England he was “very glad” the situation had been sorted out.
Wales will make a decision on whether children will be required to wear face coverings in schools this afternoon, the first minister has said.
Mark Drakeford said there was “potential” for the use of masks to be introduced in school buildings where pupils cannot safely walk around its premises and in areas where there are local spikes.
Speaking at Wednesday’s Welsh parliament plenary, Drakeford said: “We said yesterday that we will make a statement before the end of today. That is still the case.
“We remain in discussions with a variety of important interests, local authorities, teaching unions, the children’s commissioner, here in Wales.”
He added: “There is a potential part to be played by face coverings in secondary schools in a local context were numbers rise above a certain threshold, where particular buildings don’t allow the safe circulation of young people around the school.
“It is for a local determination in that set of particular circumstances, that those closest to them are best equipped to assess against guidance that we will provide to them.”
Updated
A further nine people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals to 29,524, NHS England said on Wednesday.
The patients were aged between 39 and 84, and all had known underlying health conditions.
Another three deaths were reported with no positive Covid-19 test result.
Updated
To put the remarks made by the prime minister earlier about a “mutant algorithm” being responsible for the results chaos into context, on A-level results day he described the system as “robust” and “dependable”.
“Let’s be in no doubt about it, the exam results we’ve got today are robust, they’re good and dependable for employers,” Boris Johnson told reporters on 13 August.
He added that there had been a record number of students who were able to get into their first choice course at university off the back of results provided by Ofqual’s controversial algorithm.
Here’s a video of his comments posted by Sky News at the time:
"Let's be in no doubt about it, the exam results we've got today are robust, they are good and dependable for employers."
— SkyNews (@SkyNews) August 13, 2020
Boris Johnson says there are a "record number" of students who are able to get onto their first choice course at university. https://t.co/acyTzg938c pic.twitter.com/0R1njqdzRT
The government then made a spectacular U-turn on 17 August, allowing pupils to receive centre-assessed grades.
During a live address to pupils at a secondary school in east Midlands this afternoon, he blamed a “mutant algorithm” for the fiasco.
“I’m afraid your grades were almost derailed by a mutant algorithm,” he told them,” said Johnson. “I know how stressful that must have been for pupils up and down the country.
“I’m very, very glad that it has finally been sorted out.”
Updated
Another person has died in Wales after testing positive for coronavirus, bringing its total number of deaths from the virus to 1,594.
The number of cases of Covid-19 in Wales increased by 34, bringing the revised confirmed total to 17,808, Pubic Health Wales said.
Updated
The Czech Republic could become the latest European country to be removed from the government’s travel corridor list, after coronavirus infections increased in the country.
It is currently recording a seven-day rate of 19.4 cases per 100,000 of the population, up from 16 last week.
A seven-day rate of 20 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people is the threshold above which the UK government considers triggering quarantine measures for travellers.
Switzerland is already over the threshold, with a seven-day rate of 21.2. Last week, Scotland took Switzerland off its list of countries from which people do not need to self-isolate on arrival and the rest of the UK could follow later this week.
Two countries that seem likely to remain on the list for the time being are Greece and Italy.
While the rate has ticked upwards in both countries, neither of them are near the threshold.
In Greece, the latest seven-day rate is 14.1 cases per 100,000 - roughly the same as a week ago (14.3), but up from where it was two weeks ago (10.1). Italy is currently recording a seven-day rate of 10.8, up from 5.6.
Updated
More than 110,000 Britons are to receive a letter asking them to take part in an official study to assess the prevalence of coronavirus throughout the population.
At present, researchers are regularly testing 28,000 people as part of the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) coronavirus infection survey. But the government announced plans last week to expand the programme to 400,000 people across the UK.
As part of the expansion of the study, which will look at coronavirus rates as well as the prevalence of antibodies, the ONS has written to more than 110,000 people across the UK to ask them to take part.
The survey, which aims to act as a surveillance tool to look for virus hotspots, provides data on the types of people who are more likely to be infected and could be key in highlighting the number of asymptomatic cases across the country.
Participants with or without symptoms are being asked to provide regular nose and throat swabs, which are then tested for coronavirus. Some people are also being asked to provide a blood sample for antibody tests.
Updated
Health workers have been campaigning for a 15% pay rise outside Arrowe Park hospital in Wirral, which was chosen as the quarantine facility for British citizens flown out of Wuhan at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Birkhenhead MP Mick Whitley joined the protest, saying on social media: “We all clapped for health workers. Now let’s fight to ensure they get the pay and recognition they deserve.”
Today, I joined campaigners outside Arrowe Park Hospital, calling for a 15% pay rise for health workers who haven't seen a proper pay rise since 2010.
— Mick Whitley MP (@MickWhitleyMP) August 26, 2020
We all clapped for health workers. Now let's fight to ensure they get the pay and recognition they deserve. #NHSPayRise15 pic.twitter.com/h9SM9KLOjR
Updated
The UK’s biggest education union was not amused by the prime minister’s “mutant algorithm” joke in his address to students today, accusing him of treating the exams fiasco as a “minor passing fad”.
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “It is brazen of the prime minister to idly shrug away a disaster that his own government created.
“Parents, students, teachers and heads will be horrified to see the leader of this country treat his own exams fiasco like some minor passing fad.
“The public will not easily forget the emotional rollercoaster of this year’s results season. It is certain to put a long-lasting dent in the government’s reputation on education.”
Updated
Scotland records first coronavirus deaths in more than a month
The Scottish first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has confirmed that two people have died in Scotland after testing positive for Covid-19 – the first deaths in the country for more than a month.
Both deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours. The last coronavirus-related deaths were reported in Scotland on 16 July.
494,684 people in Scotland have been tested for #coronavirus
— Scottish Government (@scotgov) August 26, 2020
The total confirmed as positive has risen by 67 to 19,988
Sadly 2 more patients who tested positive have died (2,494 in total)
Latest update ➡️ https://t.co/bZPbrCoQux
Health advice ➡️ https://t.co/l7rqArB6Qu pic.twitter.com/p6XnCf0TH7
Updated
A Scotland Yard adviser has called on the Metropolitan police to back a planned march through central London in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Ken Hinds, who works with the Met on stop and search and the use of force, said this Sunday’s peaceful Million People March was in jeopardy if police did not offer their support.
He said organisers served police with a full risk assessment – including how they would manage social distancing and track-and-trace obligations – last month, and had threatened legal action if the force did not change its mind.
Under current rules, the mass gathering – expected to attract up to 20,000 people – would be deemed illegal due to coronavirus concerns. Organisers say it should be exempt because it is a political movement.
Hinds told PA Media: “I have been engaging as one of their special advisers with the police on this march to be sure that it goes off peacefully.
“We are planning to have zero arrests, we are looking to have a respectful march, people being able to express themselves and their concerns around things like overpolicing of black men to do with stop and search, disproportionality, messages of education, exclusion, employment, and about the lack of representation on decision-making tables.
“The reason we believe this is happening is because of the institutionalised racism across all aspects of British society.
“We don’t want the wrong people attending. That’s why it’s vital that we have a good relationship with the police.”
Updated
He added that school was “safe”, and that it was important for pupils to return not just to be able to socialise with their friends or to take part in sports activities, but because “in the hours and days and weeks of this new term, you will experience things with an intensity and clarity, believe me, that is seldom repeated in your lives”.
“You’ll remember these days and weeks and months, you really really will,” he added.
Updated
Johnson described education as the “great equaliser” and the “transformer of society” in his live address to pupils at a school in the east Midlands, ahead of schools in England reopening to all pupils in September.
“It’s the single most important way in which we can unite and level up across this whole country and deliver social justice, and that is why we must in the next week and the succeeding days we must have every pupil back in school in the way that you’ve come back to school,” said Johnson.
“So thank you to all of you for being here. Thank you to your teachers, your school for the wonderful job that they have done in in getting ready. Welcome back to school.”
Updated
Boris Johnson tries to blame 'mutant algorithm' for results chaos in address to pupils
Boris Johnson has started a live address to school students in England from a school library.
“I’m afraid your grades were almost derailed by a mutant algorithm and I know how stressful that must’ve been for pupils up and down the country,” he told them, adding that he was “very very glad” grades had been “sorted out”.
“We have the number of deaths way down, we have the number of hospital admissions way, way down and it’s thanks to you and your sacrifice that we have protected the NHS and saved literally tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of lives,” he said.
“No previous generation of pupils has ever done anything like this.”
Now, he said, “the risk to your health is not from Covid because, after all, statistically speaking, your chances of suffering from that disease are very, very low”.
“The greatest risk you face now is of continuing to be out of school.”
Updated
English schools to receive just 10 coronavirus testing kits each
Schools in England are to receive just 10 Covid testing kits each ahead of the start of the autumn term next week, the government has revealed.
The kits were part of the government’s attempts to reassure anxious parents and staff that every possible measure was being taken to make the return to school as safe as possible, but the volume of tests available to schools has been described as “completely inadequate”.
Schools will also receive “a small amount” of personal protective equipment including clinical face masks, aprons, gloves, visors and hand sanitiser in a one-off delivery, provided free of charge by the Department of Health and Social Care.
School standards minister Nick Gibb said:
All pupils are returning to school for the start of the autumn term – delivering on our national priority to get all pupils back to the classroom, which is the best place for their education, development and wellbeing.
“This week schools and colleges will begin to receive their first home testing kits as well as personal protective equipment to use in the very rare situations in which it may be required.
“I hope this acts as additional reassurance to parents that schools are ready to welcome children back to school, adding to the growing parental confidence shown in recent opinion polls.”
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “If the government says Covid testing kits will be available in schools then they need to be available in the right volume in order that they can be effectively used. If it’s 10 per school then it’s completely inadequate. The government is losing all credibility.”
According to Department for Education guidance, schools can request more test kits if required but they should only be
offered in exceptional circumstances where an individual may not be able to access a test elsewhere. Students and staff should ordinarily visit a testing site.
Updated
Prime minister Boris Johnson is about to give a live address to school students in England on Twitter. We’ll be bringing you updates shortly.
WATCH my live address to school students in England. https://t.co/2HY0Cxq6xG
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) August 26, 2020
Updated
A Northampton factory which makes sandwiches for M&S has reopened days after it closed due to almost 300 workers testing positive for Covid-19.
Production ceased at Greencore on Friday when it voluntarily closed, while employees were told to self-isolate.
But the company said it had been given permission by Public Health England to “stagger start up” using staff who had completed a period of self-isolation from Tuesday, according to the BBC.
Greencore told the broadcaster: “We can confirm that colleagues who have completed their self-isolation periods are beginning to return to the site, and that production is therefore gradually restarting on a limited basis.
“The site has been deep-cleaned, and the process of restarting production is of course being carried out in close consultation with the Department of Health and Social Care, Public Health England and other government bodies.”
Those returning to the production line are workers who had already been self-isolating prior to 299 workers testing positive.
Last week, Northampton was added to the government coronavirus watchlist.
Teachers union advises all secondary school leaders to impose mask rule
On that note, the school leaders’ union NAHT has recommended all secondary schools in England ask both pupils and staff to wear face coverings in corridors and communal areas unless there is a “compelling” reason not to.
Its general secretary, Paul Whiteman, said: “Once again, many school leaders will feel as though the government has passed the buck and handed the difficult decision over to them.
“In the meantime, NAHT’s advice is that it would be prudent for secondary schools to ask pupils and staff to wear face coverings in corridor and communal spaces unless there is a compelling reason not to.
“Erring on the side of caution would seem a sensible approach to take given the information coming out of the WHO (World Health Organization).”
He added that the union would continue to lobby the government to take a clear and unambiguous line on the guidance.
Updated
A teaching union has questioned whether the government is following scientific advice or “prioritising political expediency” after its U-turn on face-covering advice for schools in England.
Updated guidance from the Department for Education (DfE) issued on Tuesday said that in areas under local lockdown, face coverings should be worn when moving around corridors and communal areas.
Teaching unions have previously urged clarity on the wearing of face masks to seek reassurance for pupils, staff and parents before schools reopen in England next week.
Dr Patrick Roach, the general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, said: “It is deeply regrettable that the government has failed to heed concerns until the last possible moment.
“The latest announcement on face coverings raises serious questions about whether the government is seriously following the scientific advice or is simply prioritising political expediency in order to meet the prime minister’s wish to ensure that every school reopens fully at the start of term, come what may.”
Updated
Two boroughs of Greater Manchester – Stockport and Bolton – are agitating to be released from the stronger restrictions imposed on the region on 31 July, which ban gatherings in homes and gardens.
Stockport, in the south-east, will argue at Greater Manchester’s Covid meeting today that it has maintained sufficiently low cases in recent weeks and should follow Wigan’s lead in being freed from the extra measures. That’s according to Andrew Gwynne, the MP for Denton and Reddish, whose constituency straddles Stockport and Tameside, where cases are higher. He said:
I’ve been involved in some of the decisions because Matt Hancock has decided now that MPs need to be consulted about these things, even though we aren’t experts and don’t have access to the data. I do resent that because it almost turns this into a political decision rather than one based on the evidence and the science.
Gwynne said he supported the move but that it carried obvious risk, with schools reopening in the borough next week.
He said it also posed questions for Stockport secondary schools. If the restrictions were lifted in Stockport, would all high school pupils be exempt from the government’s latest U-turn on mask wearing, even if they lived over the border in Manchester, where cases were higher?
Plus, he said, many Stopfordians regularly crossed district borders for work or play, citing Granada Park in Tameside, which is overlooked by houses with Stockport addresses. “You’ll have a scenario where Stockport children are allowed to mix but not Tameside children,” he said.
Yesterday the Tory leader of Bolton council also appealed to the government to be released from the Greater Manchester restrictions.
Updated
Drug crime rose by 44% during lockdown in England and Wales
Drug crime rose by up to 44% during the coronavirus lockdown in England and Wales, compared with the same period last year, official figures show.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), drug offences recorded by police rose by 22% in April to 16,570 and 44% in May to 20,687.
This is compared with 13,535 and 14,343 for the respective months in 2019.
The ONS report, published on Wednesday, put this down to “proactive police activity in pursuing these crimes during lockdown”.
It said the rises were driven largely by drugs possession offences with “early indications” suggesting this was “particularly evident in London” where the Metropolitan police had increased the number of drug-related stop and searches it was carrying out during that time.
Overall police-recorded crime during lockdown was 25% lower in April and 20% lower in May compared with the same period in 2019. It also fell 5% in March compared with February, the report said.
In particular, reports of theft fell in April and May to “almost half the level recorded” during those months in the previous year.
But reports of crime rose again as lockdown restrictions began to ease, the ONS added.
Updated
Cinemas around the country are pinning their hopes on the release of Tenet, the much-anticipated sci-fi thriller from director Christopher Nolan, to drive viewers back to theatres this week.
The first post-quarantine blockbuster to hit cinemas nationwide will be shown from today, 26 August, with the theatre chain Showcase Cinemas already reporting a 75% increase in ticket sales over the weekend to see it.
Mark Barlow, General Manager for Showcase Cinemas UK, said: “Between Friday evening and Monday morning we saw a 75% increase in ticket sales for Tenet.
“Despite lockdown reducing capacity at our cinemas, we’re expecting strong attendances for the film throughout the rest of August, into September and beyond.”
Although cinemas have been able to reopen following the national lockdown since 4 July, many initially remain closed, while social distancing and hygiene remain in place. From 8 August, cinema-goers have been required to wear face coverings and are only permitted to take them off when consuming food or drinks.
I’m Amy Walker, taking over from Damien Gayle. I’ll be guiding you through the day’s key UK coronavirus developments.
Updated
Learner drivers struggle to book tests after DVSA site crash
Thousands of learner drivers trying to book driving tests in England and Wales again this morning faced lengthy queues or struggled to complete their bookings, when the online service reopened after crashing last week, writes Rebecca Smithers, the Guardian’s consumer affairs correspondent.
Last Saturday the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) was forced to suspend the website which struggled to cope with “unprecedented” demand following several months of closure during the coronavirus lockdown.
This morning on Twitter the DVSA urged applicants to be patient. It is offering 35,675 tests over the next six weeks, but in the first hour this morning nearly 100,000 applicants were queuing (examples below).
The DVSA said the service had received almost 7 million visits in 12 hours when it reopened last Friday after being closed since 20 March. It took the service offline until 8am today for essential maintenance.
Sarah Rees, managing director of the AA Driving School, said: “With just over 35,000 tests available and around 100,000 learners trying to book a test this morning, it is clear not all those in the queue are going to be able to book a driving test.
“We know the DVSA has been working hard to fix issues with the booking site but for those who have already experienced cancelled tests due to lockdown, this is yet another bump in the road on their journey to getting a licence.
“Demand for lessons has been high since lockdown relaxed and instructors could get back on the road. We know many people are trying to get their licence as a way to avoid public transport or to increase their employment prospects.
“Unless issues with booking a test are resolved quickly the backlog of learners desperate to get their licence is only going to increase.”
Driving tests in Scotland are due to restart from 14 September, but people are not yet able to book a slot.
Updated
New Look is seeking a three-year rent holiday on 68 of its stores and big rent reductions on hundreds of others as it battles to stay afloat and save the jobs of its 11,200 employees, writes Sarah Butler for the Guardian business desk.
The struggling fast-fashion chain is attempting to secure its second financial rescue deal in 18 months and, along with the payment holiday, is asking landlords to slash rents to 12% of current levels on a further 402 of its shops.
New Look said its debt holders had agreed to plough £40m in new cash into the business and cut debts by about £440m to about £100m if landlords would agree to the stinging rent cuts.
In return, landlords will be able to exit leases more easily if they can secure better terms elsewhere.
The UK education secretary, Gavin Williamson, has defended the government’s U-turn on pupils in England wearing face masks in schools after coming under fire from Conservative MPs over the move, writes Simon Murphy, a Guardian political correspondent.
Just hours after the cabinet minister Alok Sharma said on Tuesday morning there were no plans to review the policy amid pressure from headteachers, the government performed an about-turn and said pupils would no longer be advised against using face masks in secondary schools.
Instead, in places with high levels of Covid-19, such as lockdown areas including Greater Manchester, children in year 7 and above are now being advised to wear face coverings in school corridors where social distancing is more difficult.
Notting Hill carnival performers have said the the event is more important than ever amid worldwide antiracism demonstrations sparked by the death of George Floyd in the US, in spite of it being forced online this year by the coronavirus outbreak.
Clary Salandy, artistic director of Mahogany Carnival Arts, told US new agency the Associated Press that even though it will not be the same, carnival must be celebrated as a mark of black liberation in Britain.
We can’t be on the street, but carnival is very much alive.
Just taking part in carnival, you are joining the commemoration and you are standing up for what is right. You’re standing up for freedom. And so that’s why it’s really important. ... Look at it! Make sure you engage with it, understand it and support it.
This year, elements of the event will be prerecorded and streamed to the world on 29-31 August. One channel will focus on the parade, including the dancers who normally snake through the streets of Notting Hill wearing colorful headdresses, masks and movable art. Others will stream music, cultural discussions and presentations on food and drink.
Matthew Phillip, executive director of Notting Hill Carnival ltd, the carnival’s most recent corporate incarnation, said the online format provides an opportunity to reach more people.
From the comfort of your own home, you’ll not only to be exposed to the entertainment of carnival, but also the people behind carnival ... and hear stories of how it came to be and the struggles that people have undergone.
A Conservative MP has said that politicians must stop “hiding behind the science” when it comes to their decision making about the coronavirus crisis.
Huw Merriman, MP for Bexhill and Battle, told Radio 4 this morning:
I think the Government needs to get a grip of our scientists. I’m sick and tired, and I think many people in the public are sick and tired, the science just changes.
So that’s fine and then we say, ‘we’re listening to the science’, but why was the science saying something completely different beforehand?
It’s baffling for many people, it’s causing uncertainty, it’s causing worry. People don’t know what the rules are any more. How can the science change from one day to the next?
There comes a point in time where policy-makers have to get a grip on policy, decide what it is, be firm with it, be certain, give reassurance and say ‘this is the way we’re going to act’ ...
It’s time we stopped hiding behind the science, which keeps changing, and we focus on the fact that we’re in charge, we give people reassurance, we say to people that the school is a safe setting.
Merriman did not explain on what basis ministers ought to make decisions, if not science.
Police recorded crime during the coronavirus lockdown was 25% lower in April and 20% lower in May compared with the same period in 2019, according to Office for National Statistics figures.
It also fell 5% in March compared with February.
But reports of crime rose as lockdown restrictions began to ease, a report published on Wednesday said.
In particular, reports of theft fell in April and May to “almost half the level recorded” during those months in the previous year.
However, records of drug offences rose by 22% in April and 44% in May compared with April and May 2019. This is down to “proactive police activity in pursuing these crimes during lockdown”, the ONS report said.
Here are the UK’s latest official coronavirus figures, as of 9.30am.
Deaths and new cases remain well down on the peaks reached in April and May.
The UK is forecast to lose £22bn in spending as international tourism plummets, putting almost 3m jobs at risk, writes Mark Sweney for the Guardian’s business desk.
The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) said the continuing uncertainty around travel restrictions designed to halt a resurgence in coronavirus cases is causing millions of people to opt for staycations in their home countries instead.
An impact assessment on the UK economy by the organisation estimates the fall in international tourist numbers could result in the amount spent dropping by 78%, or £420m a week.
In a “worst-case” scenario mapped out by the WTTC, almost 3m jobs in the UK that rely on, or are supported by, the travel and tourism industry could be lost.
“The lack of international travel caused by the pandemic could wipe out more than £22bn from the UK economy alone, a loss of £60m a day, from which it could take years to recover,” said Gloria Guevara, the president and chief executive of the WTTC. “It could also threaten London’s position as one of the world’s premier hubs for business and leisure travel, which could see other destinations take over.”
Pupils are returning to classes at some schools in Leicester - many for the first time since March - after the east Midlands city became the first in the UK to be placed under localised coronavirus restrictions.
About 20 schools in the city are reopening for some pupils on Wednesday - with children at a further 92 returning to classes next Tuesday.
Travel safety measures were in place. Extra buses were to be operating on busy public transport routes because fewer passengers are allowed on each vehicle due to social distancing measures, Leicester city council said, according to the PA news agency.
The authority has issued maps with “safe routes” for cycling and walking to encourage more pupils to travel on foot or by bike.
Social distancing reminders have been painted onto pavements near some schools to prevent crowds forming and signs with health advice have been put on lampposts.
Marshals will also be present outside some schools.
Listen to the tiger & the crocodile. Remember social distancing when you walk to school @SandfieldClose Help us keep our school community safe & well. Thank you @Leicester_News for the signs. pic.twitter.com/zSusuEetg4
— Sandfield Close (@SandfieldClose) August 25, 2020
Leicester’s assistant city mayor responsible for schools, Elly Cutkelvin, said:
We’ve been working with schools over the last few weeks to help us get the messages out to parents that they should walk or cycle to school if at all possible, and if they have to rely on public transport or car-sharing, how to do so as safely as possible.
All schools are busy at drop-off and pick-up times, and measures to help maintain social distancing, reduce traffic congestion and reinforce the key public health messages will all help to manage the situation as safely as possible.
Returning to the routine of school life after such a long time away is quite a significant milestone for many families, and we want to ensure they get all the help they need to feel confident and safe in doing so.
Government publishes new guidance on face coverings in schools
Following yesterday’s sudden U-turn, the government has this morning published fresh guidance on the use of face coverings in England’s schools, which sets out when they are required and pupils that are exempt.
In local lockdown areas face coverings should be worn by staff and students moving around schools in communal areas and corridors from 1 September, it says.
Consistent with WHO’s new advice, schools and colleges should take additional precautionary measures in areas where the transmission of the virus is high. These areas are defined as areas of national government intervention.
In these local intervention (lockdown) areas, in education settings where Year 7 and above are educated, face coverings should be worn by adults and pupils when moving around, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing is difficult to maintain. As in the general approach, it will not usually be necessary to wear face coverings in the classroom, where protective measures already mean the risks are lower, and they may inhibit teaching and learning.
Elsewhere, “schools and colleges will have the discretion to require face coverings in communal areas where social distancing cannot be safely managed, if they believe that it is right in their particular circumstances.”
Where a student or staff member is struggling to access a mask, or if it soiled or unsafe, the guidance says that schools should take steps to have a “small contingency supply” available, adding no-one should excluded on the grounds that they are not wearing a face covering.
Exemptions to the new measures include those who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability, or if a person is speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate.
Updated
In the final part of our Politics Weekly series, Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Scottish finance secretary, Kate Forbes.
The pair discuss the ongoing debate over Scottish independence, her future in the SNP, and what role her faith plays in her politics.
Calum Semple, professor of child health and outbreak medicine at the University of Liverpool, said that face coverings for children would become “part of the new normal”.
“It’s going to be interesting seeing how children make these fashion items and personalise them,” he told BBC Breakfast, according to the PA news agency.
He said the most important factors for reducing transmission are hand washing and social distancing, adding: “Face coverings are just the icing on the cake.”
Semple said that he thought face coverings were a “small help” but the majority of infection control must be hand washing and social distancing.
“We can’t assume just because someone is wearing a mask that is going to take away all risk,” he added.
He said he did not think face coverings were necessary for younger children in communal areas, adding: “Children are much better behaved in a classroom supervised by a teacher than adults are in a pub around a pint of beer.”
The Federation of Small Businesses has called on ministers to extend the “eat out to help out” scheme into September. The initiative, which sees the cost of eat-in meals reduced three days a week, is due to finish at the end of August.
Mike Cherry, the federation’s chairman, said:
The Eat Out to Help Out scheme has been an overwhelming success in getting people back on their high streets and in their town centres.
We now need to see it extended to continue the critical support that it is providing for small firms as we enter a period of economic make or break.
Over the past few weeks, the scheme has been hugely welcomed by small businesses and their customers alike.
A nationwide one-month extension would go some way to helping many firms which are still only just about managing in this time of crisis.
More than 35 million meals have been cooked and dished out across almost 50,000 restaurants and cafes who have been able to reap the rewards of this great initiative, but as we enter September with schools reopening and more people going back to their places of work, there are still strong merits to continuing this for one more month.
Additional support is still needed for certain groups in the leisure sector, especially pubs.
We need to see these community hubs fully brought into the Eat Out to Help Out fold, particularly as they have been excluded from the recent VAT cut for food.
The FSB said that after September the scheme should be “reactivated” in areas that have gone through local lockdowns.
A group of academics writing in the British Medical Journal have said that rules on physical distancing to curb the spread of coronavirus are based on outdated science.
Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach to social distancing, there should be “graded recommendations” for different distancing rules in different settings, which would provider greater protection for people in high risk settings and greater freedoms for people in lower risk settings.
This would “potentially enable a return towards normality in some aspects of social and economic life”.
Distancing rules should take account of multiple factors that affect risk, including type of activity, indoor versus outdoor settings, level of ventilation and whether face coverings are worn, they said.
“Current rules on safe physical distancing are based on outdated science,” according to Nicholas Jones,from Oxford University’s Nuffield Department of Primary Care and colleagues.
Distribution of viral particles is affected by numerous factors, including air flow.
Evidence suggests Sars-CoV-2 may travel more than two metres through activities such as coughing and shouting.
Rules on distancing should reflect the multiple factors that affect risk, including ventilation, occupancy, and exposure time.
The authors called for more work to develop solutions to examine appropriate distances for people in different settings. They concluded:
Physical distancing should be seen as only one part of a wider public health approach to containing the Covid-19 pandemic.
It needs to be implemented alongside combined strategies of people-air-surface-space management, including hand hygiene, cleaning, occupancy and indoor space and air managements, and appropriate protective equipment, such as masks, for the setting.
Katharine Birbalsingh, the famously disciplinarian headteacher of the Michaela community school in Brent, north west London, has laid into the suggestion that schoolchildren will be kept safer by face masks.
It was one thing to recognise that a lab technician in a laboratory could be kept safer by wearing a mask, but in a school, she told the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, things were likely to be very different. In a comprehensively observed sketch of children’s potential attitudes towards mask wearing, Birbalsingh said:
You need to take into account children’s group behaviour in a school, before you then say they are safer with masks. What about the children who turn up to school with uniforms that are not washed? They don’t necessarily wash themselves. They come into school hungry. They will be wearing re-used, dirty masks.
They will swap them; they will ping them; they will lick and spit on each others masks for a joke; they will wear them incorrectly; they will lose them. When half of your children show up to school and are not wearing masks, what do you do? Do you exclude them?
The girls will be in the loos checking their masks to make sure they look nice. They will be touching their faces all the time.
We need to take into account children’s behaviour when considering whether or not masks make them safer, and I would actually argue that they make them less safe.
Updated
The Guardian, the Times, the Telegraph and the i all splash on the government’s face mask U-turn for English schools this morning.
Wednesday's Guardian: PM forced to backtrack on face masks in schools #TomorrowsPapersToday #TheGuardian #Guardian pic.twitter.com/YIjiVL164A
— Tomorrow's Papers Today (@TmorrowsPapers) August 25, 2020
Wednesday's Times: Secondary pupils will wear masks after U-turn #TomorrowsPapersToday #TheTimes #Times pic.twitter.com/58LJMEozH6
— Tomorrow's Papers Today (@TmorrowsPapers) August 25, 2020
Wednesday's Telegraph: Pupils will wear masks in schools after U-turn #TomorrowsPapersToday #DailyTelegraph pic.twitter.com/jmTKoVjwVG
— Tomorrow's Papers Today (@TmorrowsPapers) August 25, 2020
Wednesday's i: U-turn on face masks in schools #TomorrowsPapersToday #iNewspaper pic.twitter.com/guzPXofJiw
— Tomorrow's Papers Today (@TmorrowsPapers) August 25, 2020
The Daily Mail and the Express are, as you might expect, leading on Rule Britannia.
Wednesday's Mail: Boris blasts 'cringing' BBC #TomorrowsPapersToday #DailyMail pic.twitter.com/CtZGPoHaOr
— Tomorrow's Papers Today (@TmorrowsPapers) August 25, 2020
Wednesday's Express: Enough! Hands off our heritage #TomorrowsPapersToday #DailyExpress pic.twitter.com/mbQT7eq8Mh
— Tomorrow's Papers Today (@TmorrowsPapers) August 25, 2020
And the red tops - the Star, the Sun (not pictured) and the Mirror - are leading on Harry Maguire’s problems in Greece.
Wednesday's Star: Harry's shame #TomorrowsPapersToday #DailyStar pic.twitter.com/RHdtDLRgeU
— Tomorrow's Papers Today (@TmorrowsPapers) August 25, 2020
Wednesday’s Mirror: “England star guilty… but says I’m the victim” #BBCPapers #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/zBb2dhG54a
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) August 25, 2020
Good morning, this is Damien Gayle with you this morning, keeping you up to date with the latest headlines and updates in coronavirus-related UK news.
Today we will focusing on the aftermath of Boris Johnson’s latest U-turn - the 11th or so so far since the beginning of the coronavirus epidemic - over the use of face masks in secondary schools, days before schools reopen.
The prime minister bowed to pressure and changed the guidance late on Tuesday after scores of headteachers, backed by Labour and trade unions, broke ranks to urge their use.
In lockdown areas such as Greater Manchester, which have greater restrictions to stop the spread of the virus, wearing face coverings will become mandatory in school corridors where social distancing is more difficult.
In areas of England not subject to tighter restrictions, headteachers will have discretion over whether to require face masks, but the government will no longer advise against their use, a senior government source said.
Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, said the change followed updated advice from the World Health Organization saying children aged over 12 should wear masks.
