Evening summary
-
Preston became the latest part of the north-west of England to have lockdown restrictions tightened following a surge in the infection rate. A ban on households mixing in homes or gardens in large parts of the north is to stay in place for at least another week, and has been extended into Preston from midnight. The reintroduction of restrictions for Preston follow its designation as an “area of intervention” by the government amid a significant rise in cases.
- The UK added more countries to its quarantine list. The chancellor Rishi Sunak said ministers will “not hesitate” in ordering travellers coming back from countries with high Covid-19 rates to isolate for 14 days, as Belgium, Andorra and the Bahamas lost their exempted status this morning. Travellers returning to the UK from listed nations must enter quarantine, and there are fears those coming back from France could be next, with cases there increasing.
- The growth rate and R value of coronavirus transmission in the UK has changed slightly since last week – with early indications the value may be increasing, according to figures from Sage. The figures suggest the growth rate was between minus 5% to 0, slightly up from between minus 4% to minus 1% last week. The reproduction number, referred to as R, for the UK as a whole is between 0.8 to 1. In England, the R is between 0.8 and 1, but Sage has indicated it is not confident that R is currently below 1 there. The R value also appears to be close to 1 in all the other regions.
- Boris Johnson is facing calls to “set the record straight” and prove his chief aide Dominic Cummings did not make a second trip to Durham during the lockdown. Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner called on Downing Street to publish the evidence the adviser says he has to show he did not make the additional journey during the peak of the coronavirus crisis. A couple say they saw Cummings walking in Houghall Woods on 19 April, the weekend after he had returned to work in London, and have criticised Durham police’s investigation into the adviser.
- Pubs in Scotland will be required by law to take customers’ details for contact tracing purposes from next week. Following localised outbreaks in Scotland, including one in Aberdeen where lockdown restrictions were reintroduced on Wednesday, the first minister Nicola Sturgeon said it will be mandatory for hospitality venues - pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants - to collect customer details from Friday 14 August. She said Police Scotland would enforce the measures if necessary.
- The Independent Sage group called for the UK government’s test and trace contract with Serco to be scrapped. Sir David King, the former chief scientific adviser who now leads the group, said the funds should instead be used to support local systems based on existing Public Health England infrastructures.
- Swimming pools, indoor fitness studios, gyms and leisure centres will be able to reopen from Monday in Wales. The first minister Mark Drakeford confirmed children’s indoor play areas will also be able to open their doors as part of the latest changes to Wales’s coronavirus regulations, however, areas such as ball pits, which cannot be easily cleaned, should remain closed.
- The UK government’s tally of deaths rose to 46,511 following the recording of a further 98 fatalities.
And that’s it from me for today on the UK side!
Thank you all for following along today. If you would like to continue following the Guardian’s coronavirus coverage, head over to the global live blog.
Updated
The Covid-19 incident linked to the Crown and Anchor pub in Stone has been stepped down, Staffordshire county council said.
There remain 22 confirmed cases, with 15 from Staffordshire and seven from Stoke-on-Trent, and more than 60 of their contacts have been identified and are self-isolating for 14 days.
Around 1,000 people have been tested in connection with the outbreak and authorities are confident it is unlikely there will be further confirmed cases who were infected at the Crown and Anchor or by others who were there.
Dr Richard Harling, the council’s director of health and care, said:
By acting swiftly to test and trace people connected to the pub over the weekend of 17-18 July, we believe that we have been able to contain any further spread of the virus.
While we will continue to monitor the situation, and may still see a small number of cases in family members, we feel that we can step down the incident today.
I would like to thank the people of Stone and all those who came forward to be tested for their cooperation in managing this significant outbreak.
The Crown and Anchor remains closed this weekend and will not be allowed to reopen until it can demonstrate that strict measures are in place to ensure good hygiene and social distancing, in line with national guidance.
Updated
Independent Sage calls for UK government's test and trace contract with Serco to be scrapped
The former government chief scientific adviser Sir David King, who now leads the Independent Sage group has called for the government’s test and trace contract with Serco to be scrapped and for the funds to be used instead to support local systems based on existing Public Health England (PHE) infrastructures.
He said:
With the current test and trace contract up for renewal in the next two weeks the government has an opportunity to learn from their mistakes and move away from the current centralised system.
It is clear from the figures being shared that this approach is simply not fit for purpose, instead the government must re-direct these funds to support a localised system based on the existing PHE infrastructure, particularly our GPs – many of whom have been vocal in their lack of involvement to date.
Serco is one of two outsourcing firms who have been awarded multi-million pound contracts to oversee the test and trace system in England. It emerged on Thursday that councils across England are to be be offered near real-time data on infections and a dedicated team of contact tracers, in response to growing concerns about the government system.
Further to Helen’s tweet, here is Friday’s update of the rolling seven-day rate of new cases of Covid-19 for every local authority in England, as reported by PA Media.
The figures, for the seven days to 4 August, are based on tests carried out in laboratories (pillar one of the government’s testing programme) and in the wider community (pillar two).
The rate is expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people.
Data for the most recent three days (5 to 7 August) has been excluded as it is incomplete and likely to be revised.
Pendle and Blackburn with Darwen have both recorded rates of 78.2 cases per 100,000 people.
In Pendle, the rate has increased from 40.2 in the seven days to 28 July to 78.2 in the seven days to 4 August. A total of 72 new cases have been recorded.
In Blackburn with Darwen, the rate has fallen from 86.8 to 78.2, with 117 new cases.
Oldham is third, where the rate has risen from 59.5 to 66.6, with 158 new cases.
The rate in Leicester continues to fall, down from 60.1 to 53.9, with 191 new cases.
Other areas recording notable week-on-week rises include:
- Swindon (up from 33.8 to 50.0, with 111 new cases)
- Preston (up from 21.7 to 42.6, with 61 new cases)
- Tameside (up from 19.0 to 33.1, with 75 new cases)
- Bury (up from 16.2 to 27.2, with 52 new cases)
The list has been calculated by the PA news agency and is based on Public Health England data published on 7 August on the UK government’s coronavirus online dashboard.
More from Helen, our north of England editor, who notes that infections have risen in 14 out of 20 areas subject to enhanced restrictions and remain too high across the board.
Infections have risen in 14/20 areas subject to enhanced restrictions. They remained stable in Rossendale in East Lancs and are decreasing in Leicester, Pendle, Hyndburn Rochdale and Kirklees — but rates are still considered too high across the board https://t.co/UDSIa1saZQ
— Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) August 7, 2020
Updated
Manchester lockdown should continue, local leaders agree
The mayor of Greater Manchester and other leaders in the region have agreed that the local lockdown restrictions should continue but urged the government to improve the test-and-trace system.
Responding to the health secretary’s announcement that restrictions on social visits to homes in Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and West Yorkshire will remain in place for a further week, a Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) spokesperson said:
The mayor of Greater Manchester and leaders agreed on Wednesday that the heightened restrictions should continue in the city-region for another week.
Alongside the continued measures, Greater Manchester will be taking further action locally over the next seven days. Targeted enforcement will be taking place, such as mystery shoppers visiting pubs and restaurants to ensure they are complying and taking down customer’s details.
We will also continue to focus on communicating direct and simple messaging to the public, especially with younger people, to make sure it is clear there should be no social visits to homes while these restrictions remain in place.
However, we also need government to improve the test-and-trace system. Ministers must ensure people have the financial support to be able to immediately self-isolate and we need under-utilised national centre staff urgently redeployed to local areas.
Updated
This is from the Guardian’s north of England editor, Helen Pidd
Two interesting things about Preston being added to the lockdown list: 1. Gov says Preston council asked to be added 2. Gov warns there is "potential for even stronger localised measures from the Local Authority if the new rules on gatherings are not followed by local residents"
— Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) August 7, 2020
The Preston restrictions are in addition to those being brought in across England from Saturday making face coverings mandatory (unless exempt) in:
- Indoor places of worship
- Museums and galleries
- Public areas in hotels and hostels
- Bingo halls
- Libraries
- Cinemas
- Concert halls
- Crematoria
- Aquariums and indoor zoos
Lancashire’s director of public health, Dr Sakthi Karunanithi, said:
In the past week, the number of positive cases in Preston has increased significantly and it is extremely important that we act now to prevent the situation from getting any worse.
The evidence is clear, we all need to take extra precautions to protect our loved ones. Coronavirus affects all of communities and we all need to do our part to prevent the spread from continuing rise.
They added:
I also want to be clear that this is affecting people from both south Asian and white ethnic backgrounds, particularly those living in poor socio-economic conditions in our city. We need to avoid mixing between households and to maintain 2 metre social distancing particularly in pubs and clubs.
The new restrictions for Preston follow it being designated an “area of intervention” by the government following a rise in cases.
The Lancashire Resilience Forum said:
Since the rise of cases was first announced last week, residents, communities and businesses have been asked to take extra precautions to reduce the spread of the virus.
These extra precautions are now mandatory and residents are still actively encouraged to get tested at the regional testing site based at Preston’s College if they are experiencing any symptoms of coronavirus.
On the announcement that local restrictions have been extended to Preston, Adrian Phillips, the chief executive at Preston city council, said it was “alarming” to see residents under the age of 30 contracting the virus “at a significant rate”.
He said:
The number of cases in Preston have increased rapidly in recent days leading to government categorising the city as an area of intervention. It is also alarming to see that the under 30’s are contracting it at a significant rate.
It is clear that coronavirus is still here and we all need to work together to keep ourselves, our friends, families and communities safe from this virus.
While some wards have recorded a higher level of cases, this remains a city wide issue and it’s essential that we all do our part to fight the virus.
We’re urging everyone to be diligent and follow the restrictions, in order to protect all of our residents, communities and businesses.
Preston is latest part of north-west added to local lockdown measures after rise in infection rate
Restrictions banning households from mixing indoors or in gardens are to be brought in for Preston from midnight tonight, the Department of Health has said.
Preston council said the city was to be included in the additional restrictions that apply to other parts of east Lancashire, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire.
As of midnight Preston residents:
- Cannot have others in their homes and gardens.
- Cannot visit other people’s homes or gardens, even if they are in an unaffected area.
- Are not permitted to mix with other households in indoor venues.
Social bubbles are exempt from the restrictions. Residents can meet in groups of up to six (or more than six if exclusively from two households) in outdoor areas such as parks and beer gardens. Households can also visit indoor hospitality venues, so long as they don’t mix with others.
This follows Preston being designated an “area of intervention” by the government following a surge in cases.
UPDATE: Government has declared Preston as an ‘area of intervention’ following a spike of coronavirus cases in the city. The announcement means the city will be subject to additional measures seen elsewhere in the county, as of midnight 7 August. https://t.co/FfJzk4PFFy (1/4) pic.twitter.com/rzjAzL8mim
— Preston City Council (@prestoncouncil) August 7, 2020
There will be more on this story as we get it.
Updated
One of two 90-minute rapid coronavirus tests bought by the UK government and announced on Monday has yet to be approved by regulators, while no data on the accuracy of either has been published, the Guardian has learned.
You can read our health editor Sarah Boseley’s exclusive story here:
Further 98 deaths recorded, bringing UK government tally to 46,511
The UK government said 46,511 people had died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Thursday. That is a rise of 98 from the day before.
Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show there have now been 56,600 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.
The government also said that in the 24-hour period up to 9am on Friday, there had been a further 871 lab-confirmed cases. Overall, a total of 309,005 cases have been confirmed.
Updated
UK coronavirus R value and growth rate 'may be increasing'
The growth rate and R value of coronavirus transmission in the UK has changed slightly since last week – with early indications the value may be increasing, PA Media reports.
Figures published today by Sage revealed the growth rate to be between minus 5% to 0, slightly up from between minus 4% to minus 1% last week.
The reproduction number, referred to as R, for the UK as a whole is between 0.8 to 1.
In England, the R is between 0.8 and 1, but Sage has indicated it is not confident that R is currently below one in the region.
The R value also appears to be close to 1 in all the other regions.
The estimates for R and growth rate are provided by the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M), a subgroup of Sage. It said:
We are starting to see early indications that these values may be increasing. This is not yet reflected in these estimates because the data used to calculate R and growth rate reflect the situation from a few weeks ago.
A time delay between initial infection and the need for hospital care usually means it may take between two to three weeks for the changes in the spread of Covid-19 to be reflected in the estimates.
But models that use Covid-19 testing data, which have less of a time delay, indicate higher values for R in England, the Government Office for Science statement said. It added:
For this reason, Sage does not have confidence that R is currently below one in England. We would expect to see this change in transmission reflected in the R and growth rate published over the next few weeks.
However, the government officials and advisers said it was also important to recognise that these are estimates, and there is a high degree of uncertainty with them.
The growth rate reflects how quickly the number of infections is changing day by day and, as the number of infections decreases, it is a way of keeping track of the virus.
If it is greater than zero, and therefore positive, then the disease will grow, and if the growth rate is less than zero, then the disease will shrink.
The R number represents the number of people each Covid-positive person goes on to infect.
The south-west has seen the growth rate jump slightly from between minus 4% and plus 1% last week to between minus 3% and plus 3%. Its R value is also above one, with a range of 0.8-1.1.
In the east of England, the growth rate has changed from minus 6% to plus 1% last week, to minus 4% to minus 1%. The R number is 0.7-0.9.
In London, the growth rate is between minus 4% and plus 1%, compared with minus 4% and 0 last week. The capital has an R value of 0.8 to 1.1.
The Midlands has a growth rate of minus 3% to 0, compared with minus 6% to minus 2% last week. Its R value is 0.8-1.
In the north-east and Yorkshire, the growth rate is between minus 4% to 0, up from between minus 6% to minus 2% last week. Its R number is 0.8 to 1.
The growth rate in the north-west is at minus 3% to plus 1%, compared with minus 5% to plus 1% last week. The region’s R value is also above 1, with a range of 0.8-1.1.
The south-east has a growth rate of minus 4% to 0, compared with minus 3% to 0 last week. The R value in the region is 0.8 to 1.
Across England, the growth rate is between minus 3% and 0, compared with between minus 4% and minus 1% last week.
Meanwhile, statisticians at the Medical Research Council Biostatistics Unit at the University of Cambridge, which feeds information directly to the SPI-M, said on Thursday the R value was now likely to be close to 1 in most regions, with the south-west potentially above 1, although the low number of overall infections makes it difficult to be accurate about the spread of the disease.
Updated
A further 10 people who tested positive for Covid-19 have died, NHS England said. It brings the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 29,386.
The number of deaths of patients with Covid-19 by region are as follows:
East of England 0
London 1
Midlands 1
North East & Yorkshire 6
North West 0
South East 2
South West 1
Another five deaths were reported with no positive Covid-19 test result.
Updated
Public Health Wales said a further seven people have died after testing positive for Covid-19, taking the total number of deaths in Wales to 1,578. The number of cases in Wales increased by 17, bringing the total confirmed to 17,406.
The latest number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Wales has been updated.
— Public Health Wales (@PublicHealthW) August 7, 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/eQfI5vFBZZ
The British Museum is to reopen most of its ground-floor galleries on 27 August after being shut for 163 days, its longest peacetime closure, Mark Brown reports.
The museum, which first opened its doors in 1759, announced on Friday that it would reopen in time for England’s August bank holiday weekend.
It will be one of the last of Britain’s big museums to reopen in a staggered process that began with the National Gallery on 8 July.
We’re delighted to announce that the Museum will be reopening on Thursday 27 August – we can’t wait to welcome you back! 🏛🎉
— British Museum (@britishmuseum) August 7, 2020
Find out more about reopening in this thread, or visit our website for more information: https://t.co/vM6rz7aw35 pic.twitter.com/3AGtYeBtF6
As at other museums, visitors will need to book a timed slot. Numbers will be reduced and it will feel very different from the usual heaving crowds. Last year there was a 7% increase in visits to 6,239,983, making it the most visited attraction in the UK.
Once inside, visitors will follow a single, one-way route that will allow them to see more than 9,000 objects, the museum said, including some of the most popular exhibits such as the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon Marbles, the Aztec double-headed serpent, the Akan Drum and the Discobolus.
Tickets will be available to book from 12 August. Huge demand is likely.
Get the full story here:
PM told to 'set record straight' over claim Cummings made second Durham trip
Boris Johnson is facing calls to “set the record straight” and prove his chief aide Dominic Cummings did not make a second trip to Durham during the lockdown.
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner called on Downing Street to publish the evidence the adviser says he has to show he did not make the additional journey during the peak of the coronavirus crisis.
Dave and Clare Edwards, a couple who say they saw Cummings walking in Houghall Woods on 19 April, the weekend after he had returned to work in London, have criticised Durham police’s investigation into the adviser.
They have filed an official complaint to the police watchdog, the Guardian and the Mirror reported.
Cummings told an extraordinary Downing Street press conference in May that photos and data on his phone prove the allegation about the second trip was false.
Rayner said:
The public have a right to know whether the Prime Minister’s chief adviser made a second lockdown-breaching trip to Durham, and it is surely therefore only right that this evidence is produced.
If Dominic Cummings was in London during both the morning and afternoon of the April 19, and not in Durham as has been alleged, I’m sure that he the Prime Minister will welcome this opportunity to set the record straight.
Durham Constabulary ultimately said they would not take “retrospective action” despite finding that the PM’s aide may have made a “minor breach” of lockdown laws by making a trip to the North East with his family earlier in April.
This included a visit to Barnard Castle on Easter Sunday which he said he used to assess his fitness to drive back to London the next day, following his recovery from illness. However, Mr and Mrs Edwards have since put in a subject access request in order to determine exactly how their complaint was followed up.
A spokeswoman for the IOPC said:
In accordance with the police complaints procedure, we have forwarded a complaint to Durham Constabulary. It will now be a matter for the force to determine the next steps, including whether this complaint merits referral to the IOPC.
A Durham Constabulary spokesman said:
As outlined in our statement of May 28, Durham Constabulary carried out an investigation into this matter, led by a senior detective, and found insufficient evidence to support the allegation.
The new allegation follows publication of research which said Cummings’ trip to Durham while suffering from coronavirus drastically undermined public trust in the government’s handling of the pandemic.
The analysis, published in The Lancet and carried out by UCL, found that his actions reduced people’s willingness to follow social distancing rules.
Updated
The R number is likely to rise still further, according to Sage. Here’s the most worrying passage on the new R number report from the government:
Models that use Covid-19 testing data tend to have less of a time delay and have recently suggested higher values for R in England. For this reason, Sage is no longer confident that R is currently below 1 in England. We would expect to see this change in transmission reflected in the R and growth rate published over the next few weeks.
Updated
In the south-west and north-west of England the R number could be above 1. Here’s a regional breakdown:
East of England 0.7-0.9
London 0.8-1.1
Midlands 0.8-1
North East and Yorkshire 0.8-1
North West 0.8-1.1
South East 0.8-1
South West 0.8-1.1
Updated
R number climbs to 0.8-1 in England
The government has announced that the reproduction rate (the R number) of the virus has climbed to up to 0.8 to 1.
The government’s Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (Sage) says it is not confident that the number is below 1 in England.
It now stands at 0.8-1.0 in the UK as a whole. The growth rate range is 0% to -5% per day as of 7 August.
Updated
The unthinkable has happened: British people have stopped buying sandwiches. Sandwich sales fell by nearly £1.3bn in lockdown, compared with the same period last year, according to analysts Kantar.
The total confirmed number of new coronavirus cases in Scotland has risen by 43 to 18,890. But once again there have been no new deaths.
386,213 people in Scotland have been tested for #coronavirus
— Scottish Government (@scotgov) August 7, 2020
The total confirmed as positive has risen by 43 to 18,890
The number of deaths of patients who tested positive remains at 2,491
Latest update ➡️ https://t.co/bZPbrCoQux
Health advice ➡️ https://t.co/l7rqArB6Qu pic.twitter.com/vWSo6Q7wmK
Updated
Pubs in Scotland will be required by law to take customers' details from next week
Taking customer contact details will become mandatory across Scotland’s hospitality sector next week, Nicola Sturgeon has announced, as cases linked to a coronavirus outbreak in Aberdeen reached 101.
Government guidance currently states pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants should collect customer details to allow contact tracing, but this will become law from Friday 14 August.
Speaking at the Scottish government’s regular coronavirus briefing in Edinburgh on Friday, the first minister also announced an expansion of premises where face coverings will be mandatory.
They are currently compulsory on public transport and in shops, and from 14 August this will be extended to “a range of indoor premises” including libraries, museums and places of worship.
The changes follow localised outbreaks in Scotland in recent weeks, including in Aberdeen where lockdown restrictions were reintroduced on Wednesday. Indoor hospitality venues across the city have been closed, residents are not allowed visitors to their homes and a five-mile travel limit has been put in place.
Sturgeon said a common factor in the rise in new coronavirus outbreaks across the world – including the Aberdeen cluster – was the hospitality sector, and settings such as pubs and restaurants are particularly susceptible to the virus.
She said the majority of such premises across Scotland had been complying with the guidance to note customers’ contact details, but some had not, adding:
I now intend to make it mandatory for a range of settings, including hospitality businesses, to collect customer details.
Placing compliance on a “statutory footing”, Sturgeon said, would help ensure test and protect could function as effectively as possible.
She said Police Scotland would enforce the measures if necessary.
📺 Watch live: First Minister @NicolaSturgeon holds a press conference on #coronavirus (#COVIDー19).
— Scottish Government (@scotgov) August 7, 2020
Joining the First Minister today is Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop and Scotland’s Interim Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith. https://t.co/d9uo2niw9g
A total of 101 cases had been confirmed in the Aberdeen cluster, an increase of 22 from Thursday, the first minister said, with 313 close contacts traced.
She said Aberdeen FC’s game against St Johnstone on Saturday would not now go ahead after two Aberdeen players tested positive for Covid-19 through “clear breaches of the rules”.
Six players have been identified as being in close proximity to the two positive cases, and all eight are now self-isolating. All eight players had visited a bar in Aberdeen, and Sturgeon said they “blatantly broke the rules” and that was “completely unacceptable”.
A total of 18,890 people have now tested positive for the virus. No patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus for 22 consecutive days, with the death toll remaining at 2,491.
There are 262 people in hospital with confirmed Covid-19, down eight in 24 hours. Of these, four are in intensive care – which is no change from the previous day.
Updated
The Evening Standard is to cut around a third of jobs after advertising and circulation were impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
It is understood that around 115 employees at the media business will be affected by the cost-cutting move.
The company has said it will focus on its “digital and mobile offering” as part of the restructure, while also developing a live events business. It stressed that the restructuring is a result of “difficult market conditions” which have recently affected the media industry and been accentuated by the pandemic.
In March, the newspaper altered its distribution model to deliver issues to homes in London, in a move which roughly halved its distribution.
In June, it named Emily Sheffield as the newspaper’s new editor, with the former Tory chancellor George Osborne becoming its new editor-in-chief.
Chief executive Charles Yardley said:
The proposed restructuring at the Evening Standard comes at a challenging time for the industry, which has been accentuated by the pandemic.
However, there remains a huge opportunity for the company, moving from London’s leading newspaper to London’s leading media platform, delivering the best content and services to our readers and our customers across multiple channels, whilst also launching new products and experiences.
Chairman John Paton said:
The Evening Standard has served London for nearly two centuries and is accustomed to evolving with our great city and Londoners.
This is the next phase of the company’s evolution and as we develop new channels and services, the focus will remain on delivering quality journalism, informing and engaging our readers and with our digital offerings bringing the best of London to the world.
It is the latest media business to announce job cuts, after Daily Mirror owner Reach said it will cut around 550 jobs in a bid to reduce costs.
4,000 BA workers 'forced out of jobs', trade union Unite says
Four thousand British Airways workers are “being forced out of the jobs that they love today by naked, company greed”, trade union Unite said.
Cabin crew, engineers and airport staff are among those receiving letters from the airline telling them whether or not they are being made redundant. Many of those who keep their jobs face pay cuts.
Howard Beckett, Unite’s assistant general secretary, said:
This is a very bleak day for the incredible BA workforce and will go down in the history of the airline as the day that it put the interests of the boardroom ahead of its passengers and workforce.
These workers have given years of dedicated service to this company, some as many as 40 years, and indeed to our country, as many were involved in the repatriation of British citizens at the outset of this pandemic.
Today they will be dismissed by email by an employer whose spiteful mistreatment of them is nothing other than despicable.
He went on:
This company has displayed scant regard for either employment law or basic common decency. We cannot trust them to do the right thing by this workforce, so we will be doing everything in our power to prevent this continued industrial thuggery.
Make no mistake, 4,000 loyal workers are being forced out of the jobs that they love today by naked, company greed.
The airline insists it is trying to “protect as many jobs as possible”. It said more than 6,000 workers have applied for voluntary redundancy.
British Airways’ owner IAG announced in April that it would cut up to 12,000 jobs out of a total of 42,000 as business took a hammering amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The PA news agency understands that around 40% of cabin crew, generally those at the lower end of the pay scale, will receive a small increase in their salary.
Others will see their basic pay cut by 20%, although many claim their total earnings will be reduced by as much as 50% due to other changes to the terms and conditions of their jobs.
More on this story here:
Updated
The landlord of a Staffordshire pub linked to a coronavirus outbreak has admitted he was “simply not strong enough” in ensuring social distancing measures were enforced.
Custodio Pinto, who runs the Crown and Anchor in Stone near Stoke-on-Trent, apologised on Facebook after at least 19 confirmed cases of Covid-19 were linked to the venue.
Pinto wrote:
First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest regret for all the anguish, disruption and sadness that the events that occurred in the Crown and Anchor last month have caused to so many.
I have lived in Stone since 2001 where we have raised our three children and it has always been nothing but the greatest pleasure to be part of this fantastic community.
However, on July 18, I accept that I was simply not strong enough in enforcing the government’s Covid-19 secure rules, despite detailed preparation according to their guidelines.
I regret I was complacent in enforcing these rules with the customers.
Around 1,000 people have been tested after health chiefs urged anyone who had worked at or visited the pub between 16 and 18 July to get checked.
The apology came as pubs across the UK were advised to ensure adherence to government guidelines.
Sacha Lord, night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, where an enhanced local lockdown is in place, criticised venues for failing to follow the rules:
Over the past week, I have heard of numerous pubs, bars and restaurants who have been squeezing customers in, flouting social distancing rules, ignoring contact tracing and actively persuading mixed groups not to cancel bookings.
These venues clearly have a disregard for the safety of both their customers and their staff, and I support our Mayor, Andy Burnham, and Greater Manchester police in taking action over repeat breaches in these venues.
Restaurants and drinking establishments in Aberdeen were forced to closed at short notice on Wednesday as part of stricter measures put in place after a local rise in cases linked to a bar in the city.
Fears of further breaches have been heightened by soaring temperatures going in to the weekend. The Met Office predicted peak temperatures of 37C (98.6F) in some areas.
Lord added:
As this week’s heatwave draws in, it seems unnatural not to be with our friends and go out, but we have seen a big spike in Covid-19 cases over the past few weeks in our region and the regulations are in place for a reason - to keep you safe.
Disregarding social distancing not only puts yourself in danger, but also those you meet on your way home, at work, and those who live with you.
Updated
New analysis has found there was a clear and lasting “Cummings effect” on public confidence in the UK government’s handling of coronavirus after the prime minister’s senior aide appeared to break lockdown rules, my colleague Archie Bland reports.
The research found a significant decrease in public confidence in the government after the Guardian and Daily Mirror revealed that Dominic Cummings had travelled 264 miles to Durham with his sick wife and child despite official advice that people “should not be visiting family members who do not live in your home”.
The University College London paper, published in the Lancet, tracked more than 40,000 people’s views of the government’s approach to the pandemic over a six-week period. It also found that over the three weeks following the Cummings revelations, willingness to adhere to lockdown guidelines dropped more steeply in England than in Scotland and Wales.
More on this story here:
Updated
Spread of Covid-19 in community in England may be levelling off, ONS suggests
An average of 28,300 people in private households in England had Covid-19 between 27 July and 2 August, according to new estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
This was the equivalent of about 0.05% of the population, or one in 1,900 individuals.
The figures do not include people staying in hospitals, care homes or other institutional settings.
An average of 3,700 people per day in private households in England were estimated to be newly infected with Covid-19 between 27 July and 2 August, according to the ONS – down slightly from 4,200 per day in the period 20-26 July.
The ONS said that while recent figures had suggested the percentage of individuals testing positive for Covid-19 had risen since the end of June, there was now evidence to suggest this trend may have levelled off.
Updated
Now is not the time to discuss Scottish independence, the chancellor has said on a trip to Scotland.
Following a visit to generator manufacturers Peak Scientific in Glasgow on Friday morning, Rishi Sunak said he believed Scotland was one of the UK’s “power brands” in the tourism sector and could drive the recovery of the whole country.
The fourth UK cabinet minister to visit Scotland in recent weeks, Sunak also said new fiscal powers for the Scottish parliament should be decided in a “proper way” through a review of the fiscal framework. That is the agreement between the UK and Scottish governments on funding arrangements. He said:
I don’t think now is the time to be talking about these constitutional questions, I think everyone’s sole focus and my sole focus right now is doing what we can to protect people’s jobs and their livelihoods at what is an incredibly difficult time for our economy.
That’s what I think everyone should be focused on, let’s not focus on these divisive constitutional questions, let’s focus on rebuilding for the future.
The chancellor echoed the sentiment expressed by the prime minister, Boris Johnson, when asked about Scottish independence, saying the coronavirus pandemic had highlighted the importance of the union to Scotland and how it will prove just as important in the economic recovery to come. He added:
Tourism is a really important industry for the United Kingdom and Scotland is one of our power brands when it comes to UK tourism, and Scotland can help drive our recovery in that regard.
Which is why the UK initiatives like ‘eat out to help out’ or the VAT reduction for tourism and hospitality can disproportionately benefit the Scottish economy and Scottish jobs and in doing so help drive the UK recovery.
As the chancellor visited Glasgow, the Scottish finance secretary, Kate Forbes, tweeted that she doubts his understanding of the urgency for more fiscal powers for the Scottish parliament – something that has been requested several times during the pandemic.
Forbes said most of the new powers sought would not cost the Treasury a penny, and claimed Sunak therefore “either doesn’t care ... or it’s purely a political position”.
No sense on #GMS that Rishi Sunak gets Scotland's urgent need for fiscal flexibilities. Its key to economic recovery, has cross-party and cross-society support - but he says he will consider over next few years. Far too late.
— Kate Forbes MSP (@KateForbesMSP) August 7, 2020
And as a reminder, most of our requests won't cost the Treasury a penny - so either he doesn't care (Scotland isn't high enough on his list of priorities), or its purely a political position (Tory ideology will trump good sense.)
— Kate Forbes MSP (@KateForbesMSP) August 7, 2020
The constitution secretary, Mike Russell, has said extending the borrowing powers of the Scottish parliament could lead to the furlough scheme in Scotland continuing past the October cancellation date.
In response, Sunak said:
I strongly want our fiscal framework to work well, and we’re happy to be constructive on that. The fiscal framework is big and important and should only be changed after a proper process, that process is due to happen, I think, next year. There should be a timeframe for those things and I think those timeframes have been set out for a while and are being adhered to. We will approach those constructively, as our track record demonstrates.
Updated
The Department for Transport has provided more clarity in relation to the quarantine rules for people driving through Belgium.
It said in a statement:
If you travelled from Germany or the Netherlands through Belgium, unless all passengers remained in the car and no one got out or in for the entire time while transiting through Belgium, you need to self-isolate.
Rail travellers returning to or arriving in the UK on journeys which include a stop in Belgium will also need to quarantine unless no new passengers boarded the train and no one left it before getting back on.
This means Eurostar passengers travelling from Amsterdam to London will need to self-isolate, as the journey involves a change of trains in Brussels.
Updated
Visitors to the south-west of England are being urged to avoid busy beaches over the weekend. Crowds are expected to head to the coast as temperatures are forecast to hit the mid to high 20s.
The RNLI has called on beachgoers to follow water safety advice and adhere to social distancing, PA Media reports. Last week, the charity carried out 30 rescues in one day on just one beach in Cornwall, mainly involving bathers and bodyboarders caught in rip currents, going out of their depth and being cut off by the incoming tide.
Kitty Norman, water safety delivery support at the RNLI, said:
The beaches across the whole of the south-west are extremely busy at the moment with both locals who are holidaying at home this year and an influx of visitors to the region.
The sheer volume of people making social distancing tricky is one thing to be conscious of before planning your trip to the beach.
You might choose to visit the beach at a quieter time of day, or choose a beach with more space, where you can still bathe between the flagged area, but spread out further when setting up camp for the day.
If you arrive at the beach and it is simply too crowded, consider moving on and spending your day elsewhere.
Checking the tide times is advised – as the tide comes in, it reduces the available space for people to spread out and leads to beaches getting more crowded.
She also asked people to respect a 2-metre distance when approaching lifeguards.
Large tides are still present this weekend, meaning the tide will flood in quickly. This will increase the amount of water moving around and raise the risk of stronger rip currents.
The RNLI said people caught in a rip current should always raise their hand and shout for help. They should not try to swim against it and should wade if they are able to stand. They should swim parallel to the shore until free and then head for the beach. People who cannot swim should float by leaning back in the water, extending their arms and legs and resist the urge to thrash around.
Anyone who sees a person in trouble should alert lifeguards or call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.
Updated
The mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has hit back at nine Conservative MPs in the region who blamed him yesterday for what they called a “crude and ineffective strategy” to regional lockdowns.
Burnham, the former Labour health secretary, said the MPs were “beneath contempt” for blaming him for the government’s decision to tighten lockdown restrictions on 30 July, accusing them of cowardice for not confronting their own colleagues first.
The Conservatives, representing constituencies in Wigan, Bury, Stockport, Trafford and Bolton, proposed a more hyper-local approach, which could see some towns and boroughs released early from lockdown instead of curtailing the freedoms of all of the region’s 2.8 million residents.
Late last night Burnham wrote to the MPs, saying:
May I remind you that the strategy you describe, of imposing restrictions across the whole of Greater Manchester, was not my decision but one taken by your own government and put to me late last Thursday. That same government, of which you are all part, has today chosen to uphold that decision following a review of the latest evidence.
In choosing to write to me in the way that you have it is clear you disagree with your own government’s decision but do not have the courage to say so. Instead, you are clearly seeking to deflect blame and politicise this issue. I would consider this fairly low behaviour at any time but in the middle of a global pandemic, when I am trying to work across party lines and provide cross-party support to your government for the difficult decision it is having to take, it is beneath contempt.
Burnham said cases were rising in nine out of 10 of Greater Manchester’s boroughs, all of which are interconnected.
I'm still struggling to believe that Tory MPs sent a letter to their own government criticising @AndyBurnhamGM for a lockdown imposed by their own government
— Liam Thorp (@LiamThorpECHO) August 7, 2020
Anyway he's done a pretty good job of pulling it apart here https://t.co/3lfZJc0Kgv
Updated
Swimming pools, indoor fitness studios, gyms and leisure centres will be able to reopen from Monday in Wales, the first minister, Mark Drakeford, has confirmed.
Children’s indoor play areas will also be able to open their doors as part of the latest changes to the coronavirus regulations in Wales. However, areas such as ball pits, which cannot be easily cleaned, should remain closed.
Drakeford said:
We continue to take a step-by-step approach to easing the lockdown, closely monitoring the impact of each change we make. As more parts of our society and economy reopen, it is vital we all keep in mind our personal responsibility to do the right thing and make sure we continue to protect ourselves and others from the virus.
This means keeping a 2-metre distance from others, washing our hands often and wearing a face mask on public transport. These are simple steps to take that benefit us all. The rules we have in place are not optional, they are there to protect us all. They are essential if Wales is to avoid another lockdown.
Updated
If, like me, you’re struggling to keep up with the travel corridors UK travellers can visit without any restrictions on arrival (such as testing or quarantine), our travel reporter Antonia Wilson has compiled an updated list here:
And that’s me for the day as I hand over to Lucy Campbell. Stay cool!
Updated
With the heat already starting to kick in, there’s lots of advice around at the moment on how to stay cool in a face mask.
The BBC has a neat little guide. They say that first of all, it’s key that you:
*Choose the right mask.
“We have all got to wear masks here, but there’s a few things you can do,” says consultant dermatologist Dr Adil Sheraz, who works at a London NHS hospital. The top tip for him is to choose a mask made from a breathable material, such as cotton or even bamboo. He says although surgical masks – the thin, blue masks that many people are seen wearing – provide protection from spreading the virus, they aren’t that breathable and “they are not the best to use for keeping cool”.
But he adds that one downside to cotton masks is that they absorb more fluid and can get damp – so he suggests taking a spare out on hot days. The colour of the mask might also help. “Consider having a mask that’s a lighter colour, rather than a darker one,” says Sheraz. Dark colours absorb more light, converting it into heat.
*Don’t forget to use sun cream.
“You can still get UVA and UVB rays through a mask,” Sheraz said: “Put [sun cream] on and wear a mask on top. It won’t clog up if you use the right one.”
*Mop your brow.
If you’ve invested in a visor held in place by a headband worn against your forehead – aka the sweatiest part of your face on a hot day – that is a must.
*Stay hydrated.
Don’t be tempted to withhold from drinking because you want to cover your mouth. Just remember to clean your hands before touching your mask and try to only remove it when you are at a safe distance from others.
*Use a fan.
In some Asian countries that experience hot weather, they carry battery-powered fans. That, said Sheraz, might also be worth a try.
Updated
Parents and staff are still confused over the wearing of face coverings in schools, says Unison, and clearer guidance is needed on face coverings in schools in England.
The union has written to the education secretary, Gavin Williamson, urging him to allow all school staff to be allowed to wear face coverings if they choose.
The union also supports calls to let pupils wear face coverings, given emerging evidence that transmission rates among secondary school children could be equal to those for adults.
Employers must also provide safety kit, such as masks where necessary, to staff found to be at higher risk of Covid-19 following an individual assessment, they said today.
The union’s intervention comes ahead of updated government guidance coming into effect this weekend which makes face coverings compulsory for all inside public spaces from Saturday.
Current Department for Education guidance to schools needs an immediate review to ensure measures to protect staff, pupils and the wider community are improved, says the union.
Unison’s senior national officer for education, Ruth Levin, said: “Parents, staff and the public are suffering needless anxiety because of the government’s confused messages around face coverings.
“We’re just weeks away from a return to the classroom and staff and pupils need to know where they stand. Unison believes they should be allowed to wear face coverings if they want to.
“It’s been a shambles from the start on what the rules are. The government must act urgently to sort out this mess and ensure the reopening of schools is as safe as possible for staff, pupils and the public.”
Updated
Updated
Ahead of a visit to Scotland intended to highlight the benefits of schemes put in place by the UK government, Rishi Sunak has said government schemes to support businesses recovering from coronavirus have paid out £2bn in Scotland.
The loan schemes have assisted some 65,000 businesses across Scotland, the chancellor announced on BBC Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland radio programme.
The bounce-back loans scheme, which was announced in April, offers between 2,000 and 25% of the turnover of small and medium businesses.
The government also guarantees the loans, which have no interest for the first year before the rate rises to 2.5% after 12 months.
Since its inception, the Treasury says that 63,469 loans have been approved, totalling £1.8bn.
In the case of the coronavirus business interruption loan scheme, more than £587m has been paid out to date, to 2,693 small and medium businesses looking for up to £5m.
The government pledged to guarantee up to 80% of the loan and will pay interest in fees inside the first year.
Sunak is the fourth minister in recent weeks to visit Scotland, with his deputy, Steve Barclay, the business secretary Alok Sharma, and Boris Johnson all making the trip north.
Updated
The Office for National Statistics has released its weekly report on the coronavirus and the social impacts on Great Britain.
The main findings are:
- Almost all adults (96%) who had left their homes said they had worn a face covering to slow the spread of the coronavirus – an increase from 84% last week and 71% the week before.
- This differs between nations as 97% report wearing one in England, with 94% and 74% in Scotland and Wales (it should be noted that the guidance around the mandatory wearing of face coverings differs between countries).
- Almost four in 10 adults (37%) said they would feel comfortable or very comfortable eating indoors at a restaurant this week, an increase from last week (34%).
- Of those adults who had left their homes this week, more than one in five (21%) said they had visited a pub, restaurant or cafe, an increase from 10% three weeks ago.
- Over four in 10 adults (41%) reported that the coronavirus was affecting their wellbeing this week; of these adults, 14% reported that they were worried about a possible job loss.
- Over half of adults (53%) reported they currently see family members less than they did before the coronavirus pandemic, despite the easing of restrictions.
- Almost seven in 10 adults (69%) said they would feel comfortable or very comfortable to attend an appointment with a healthcare professional in person; however, fewer people reported that they would feel comfortable or very comfortable if they were attending a hospital appointment (61%) or A&E (55%).
Updated
The NHS test-and-trace system should work like jury service, with full pay, according to the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham.
People are not handing over the names of contacts in the test and trace programme for fear of putting friends and family in a “really difficult position”, he added.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Burnham said people were worried about taking 14 days off work knowing they will not be paid, or be at risk of losing their job.
Burnham said the system was “not good enough yet”. “So when I say not yet, it’s because in Greater Manchester, when you look at the contacts of people who are testing positive, the wider group of friends and family, only 52% of people are being reached by the national test-and-trace system.
“And I think one of the reasons for that, there’s a number of reasons, but one is a number of people in our poorer communities are finding it very, very hard to agree to a request to take 14 days off work when they know they won’t be paid, or worse, they will lose their job.
“And this of course particularly affects people who are self-employed, or who are on zero-hours contracts.”
Burnham added: “The average rate the last time I checked was that people were giving the names of two and a half contacts, which suggests to me that some people are not producing names because they know their wider group of friends and family would be put in a really difficult position.”
Updated
UK adds more countries to quarantine list
So, to draw together Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s warnings to holidaymakers of the risk of travelling abroad during the coronavirus crisis amid concerns France may be the next nation to be added to the quarantine list.
This morning, he has said ministers will “not hesitate” in ordering travellers coming back from countries with high Covid-19 rates to isolate for 14 days, as Belgium, Andorra and the Bahamas lose their exempted status.
Travellers returning to the UK from those three nations from Saturday must enter quarantine, and there are fears those coming back from France could be next, with cases there increasing.
Sunak told Sky News: “It’s a tricky situation. What I can say to people is we’re in the midst of a global pandemic and that means there is always the risk of disruption to travel plans and people need to bear that in mind.
“It’s the right thing for us to do to keep everything under review on a constant basis talking with our scientists, our medical advisers, and if we need to take action as you’ve seen overnight we will of course not hesitate to do that and we’re doing that to protect people’s health.”
Earlier the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said rising Covid-19 infection levels in Belgium, Andorra and the Bahamas meant they would be added to the quarantine list.
The measure will come into force in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland from 4am on Saturday after they were introduced in Wales today.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office also updated its travel advice to warn against all but essential trips to the three countries.
Brunei and Malaysia have been added to the government’s travel corridor list, following a decrease in confirmed cases of coronavirus, meaning arrivals from these countries no longer need to quarantine.
Figures released yesterday show Belgium has suffered a consistent increase in cases in recent weeks, rising to 27.8 new cases per 100,000 people.
This towers over the UK’s latest rate of 8.4 per 100,000, and is higher than Spain’s 27.4 level around the time the UK introduced travel restrictions there.
The UK’s move to add Spain to the quarantine list on 26 July sparked a diplomatic row with the nation and caught out holidaymakers who had already flown there, including Shapps.
It also angered transport bosses who have called for increased testing to reduce the isolation period.
Updated
Dr Sakthi Karunanithi was also asked if he had any evidence that contacts of coronavirus cases did indeed self-isolate.
The director of public health at Lancashire county council told the BBC: “It’s a very tricky choice. We’re asking people to restrict their movements, to limit their livelihoods in a way; generally people do follow our advice and stay at home.
“But, in some areas, particularly where we are seeing more numbers of cases, these are all deprived areas, people may be sole bread-winners in their family.
“So, we think, to encourage that isolation behaviour, perhaps we need to go the extra mile to provide the extra economic incentive as well as the general guidance.”
Chancellor Rishi Sunak earlier defended the government’s “significant measures to support people’s incomes when they’re isolating”.
He said: “We did this right at the beginning of this crisis ... changed how most of our benefits work and indeed how statutory sick pay works.
“We made other improvements, generosities and strengthenings to our safety net to make sure that that support is both more accessible and more generous and particularly covers those who are isolating.”
Updated
Preston 'could be next local lockdown'
Officials in Preston have warned it could become the latest area to face a local lockdown amid rising infection rates, with 47 new cases in the past week.
Dr Sakthi Karunanithi, the director of public health at Lancashire county council, said the city had taken action ahead of an expected announcement by the government and Public Health England today.
He told BBC Breakfast: “We’re not waiting for others to tell us what to do here in Preston, we’ve already activated our plans, making more tests available and asking people to avoid social contacts.”
He said contacts of people with coronavirus symptoms were being encouraged to come for tests even though they may not have symptoms “so that we can find the virus that is hiding in close contacts and stop the transmission”.
Updated
The BBC is reporting that schools in England can appeal if they can show this year’s GCSE and A-level results do not reflect recent improvements.
But Ofqual, the exams watchdog said individual pupils will not be able to challenge their grades.
Ofqual’s announcement comes after concern that the way grades are calculated in the absence of exams could penalise some pupils.
In Scotland, there were claims that a similar system marked poorer pupils down more heavily.
With exams cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, A-level results on 13 August and GCSE results a week later are being calculated by combining teachers’ estimates for individual pupils with a statistical model based on their school’s past results.
Updated
The chancellor said a forthcoming “Kickstart scheme” will offer government-subsidised jobs for young people at risk of long-term unemployment, which will provide at least the national living wage and 25-hours per week of work, along with training.
He told BBC Breakfast: “That will help a generation of young people get into the labour market. Young people, in particular, are most at risk in a crisis like this and we want to protect their prospects for the long-term.
“If they don’t have a job early in their career that will have a negative impact on them for many years to come.
“We also significantly increased the cash incentives for businesses to take on new apprenticeships, £2,000 to take on a young apprentice, £1,500 to take on an apprentice over the age of 25. That’s a great way for people to get into work and earn and learn at the same time.”
Updated
Sunak said the same thing when asked by BBC Breakfast whether he is “completely ruling out” extending the furlough scheme to hard-hit job sectors such as travel and theatre.
“This has been one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make,” he said. “But if you look at it from start to finish of the furlough scheme, the government will have been stepping in to pay people’s wages for eight months.
“I think most reasonable people will say ‘gosh, that’s not something that can carry on forever’. In common with almost all countries around the world … their versions of this are slowly being wound down toward the end of the year.”
Asked if the furlough scheme would be extended if a second wave hit and resulted in another national lockdown, Sunak said: “I don’t think it’s helpful to sit here and speculate on every potential situation that might arise.
“It’s not something that we want to see happen and we’re doing everything we can … to stop that from happening.”
Updated
Sunak has also said winding down the furlough scheme supporting jobs during the coronavirus crisis is “one of the most difficult decisions” he has made as chancellor.
He told Sky News:
It’s one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make in this job. I don’t think it’s fair to extend this indefinitely, it’s not fair to the people on it. We shouldn’t pretend there is in every case a job to go back to.
This is what we need to do now, it’s to look forward, provide the opportunities for tomorrow. Yes, there is hardship ahead for many people, we know that, but they shouldn’t be left without hope.”
Updated
Sunak: 'always risk of disruption' for holidaymakers
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is speaking to Sky News at the moment about quarantine. When asked whether France could be the next nation to be added to the quarantine list, he told holidaymakers “there is always the risk of disruption” during the pandemic:
It’s a tricky situation. What I can say to people is we’re in the midst of a global pandemic and that means there is always the risk of disruption to travel plans and people need to bear that in mind.
It’s the right thing for us to do to keep everything under review on a constant basis talking with our scientists, our medical advisers, and if we need to take action, as you’ve seen overnight, we will of course not hesitate to do that, and we’re doing that to protect people’s health.”
Updated
And some more morning snippets for you, courtesy of PA Media:
In politics, the news agency is reporting that ministers have been told that businesses want better communication, extra support and improved coronavirus test and trace services to help cope with the impact of local lockdowns.
New research shows Dominic Cummings’s trip to Durham at the height of lockdown while suffering from Covid-19, drastically undermined public trust in the government’s handling of the pandemic.
Amid fear of what will happen to jobs when the Treasury’s furlough programme comes to an end, the government has said their schemes to support businesses recovering from coronavirus have paid out £2bn in Scotland.
Almost two-thirds of staff at a London NHS trust had lost their sense of smell before anosmia was added to national guidance as a coronavirus symptom, a study indicated.
Still on the virus and health, a disturbing new study spanning four generations has found that young women are the most likely to have experienced high levels of anxiety, depression and loneliness during the coronavirus lockdown.
Another health snippet: Just 3% of medical research charities are eligible for government funding and that is causing life-saving work to be cancelled, Labour has claimed.
And finally, some good news: the British Museum is set to reopen its doors to visitors on 27 August. For anyone brave enough, their website promises an exhibition about Tantra: “Centring on the power of divine feminine energy, Tantra inspired the dramatic rise of goddess worship in medieval India and continues to influence contemporary feminist thought and artistic practice. From its inception to the present day, Tantra has challenged political and sexual norms around the world.”
Updated
Morning summary
Good morning to you all on what promises to be an extremely hot day. I’ll be ferreting out the news today so you can just kick back with a cool bowl of cereal. So let’s kick off with the....
Morning summary:
We’re leading on the story that doctors’ and surgeons’ leaders have warned that the NHS must not shut off normal care to tens of thousands of patients when a second wave of Covid-19 hits. Dr Chaand Nagpaul from the British Medical Association (BMA) said: “If someone needs care – for example for cancer, heart trouble, a breathing condition or a neurological problem – they must get it when they need it.
The Times has “Britons on their way to France risk quarantine”. The paper says that British tourists planning to visit France are being warned that they may have to quarantine on their return amid fears of a second wave of coronavirus there.
Holidaymakers should only book trips that can be easily rearranged at 24 hours’ notice, a senior aviation source said last night, adding that France was “bubbling” with cases.
One leading travel consultant predicted that France had only five days to bring its infection numbers down or the British government would add it to its quarantine list.
The Times is also reporting as the outcry over £150m of worthless facemasks prompts a spending inquiry.
The National Audit Office is to investigate government contracts for protective equipment awarded at the height of the pandemic amid an outcry over the decision to spend more than £150 million on unusable facemasks.
The Times revealed yesterday that about 50 million masks bought without a tender process from Ayanda Capital, a London-based investment company with no experience of government contracts, had been deemed unusable for frontline healthcare workers.
The government has admitted during legal proceedings that concerns about the safety of the masks meant that they could not be used under current NHS requirements.
The Telegraph is reporting that lockdown easing did not lead to rise in coronavirus infections in England.
The paper says that new research shows Covid-19 cases in the community went down after restrictions were relaxed.
The largest swab testing survey carried out to date has found that although there are fears that releasing measures too soon has led to localised spikes in some areas, new data suggests that there was no overall rise after primary schools returned and non-essential shops reopened.
According to Imperial College London and Ipsos Mori, community prevalence actually fell after lockdown measures were relaxed, decreasing from 12 infections per 10,000 people in May to eight in 10,000 by mid-June to early July.
The BBC is carrying a story that chemotherapy in cancer patients with Covid-19 ‘not a risk’.
Continuing chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatment in cancer patients with Covid-19 is not a risk to their survival, a study suggests.
It also recommends further research into the drug hydroxychloroquine, which appeared to benefit some patients.
The findings, from 890 infected cancer patients in the UK, Spain, Italy and Germany, could help identify who is most at risk from coronavirus.
Breast cancer patients had half the death rate of other patients.
The Imperial College London researchers who led the study - involving 19 different hospitals across Europe, including Hammersmith Hospital in London - say they now want to find out why.
They are also keen to investigate why UK cancer patients with Covid-19 in the study were more likely to die than in the three other countries.
The BBC is also reporting on how Leicester’s pubs and restaurants are set for reopening weekend.
Pub-goers have been warned not to “throw away all the hard work” by ignoring rules as Leicester’s bars prepare for their first Friday and Saturday nights in months.
Pubs, bars and restaurants were allowed to reopen in the city from Monday for the first time since March as the local lockdown was eased.
Some told the BBC they were ready and excited to welcome customers back.
But authorities have urged people to remember to be “responsible”.
Updated
