Afternoon summary
- Sir Keir Starmer has said that more pupils in England would be back in school now if the government had provided better leadership on this issue. (See 4.03pm.) He made the claim as the Department for Education published detailed guidance intended to show how all pupils in England would be able to return to school in September. (See 10.34am.) Ministers have accused Labour of not supporting the return of pupils, but Starmer sought to counter that charge by saying “many more children could be back now if there had been a better plan and better leadership”. As Richard Adams and Sally Weale report, the welter of recommendations and advice in the DfE guidance has led headteachers to complain of “mind-boggling” practical difficulties. At a No 10 news conference this afternoon, Williamson also confirmed that school attendance will become mandatory again from the autumn. (See 5.08pm.) But earlier No 10 suggested that headteachers should use their discretion in enforcing the law that can see parents fined for keeping pupils at home. (See 1.58pm.)
- Overseas holidays and visits to up to 90 countries will be possible for Britons from Monday without the need to quarantine for 14 days on return. As Kate Proctor reports, the Foreign Office is expected to lift its ban on non-essential travel to nearly all EU countries, British territories such as Bermuda and Gibraltar, and Australia and New Zealand.
That’s all from me for tonight.
But the coverage continues on our global coronavirus live blog. It’s here.
Decline in coronavirus infections levelling off, ONS survey suggests
The decline in the number of people testing positive for Covid-19 has levelled off in recent weeks, according to the Office of National Statistics, with an estimated 25,000 people in England having the infection in the past two weeks.
The findings, which reveal a snapshot of infections in the community, excluding hospitals, care homes and prisons, raise questions over the impact of easing lockdown and the risk of the virus spreading more easily now people are mixing more.
Swabs tests from volunteers enrolled in the survey show that an average of 1 in 2,200 people had the infection at any given time between 14 and 27 June, down from 1 in 1,700, or 33,000, between 31 May and 13 June.
The number of new cases appears to have fallen from mid-May to early June and then flattened out, said Prof Sarah Walker, who is jointly running the survey at Oxford University’s Nuffield department of medicine. The latest figures point to 3,500 new infections per day, but the number may be rising. Any rise will be likely to become clear in next week’s data, Walker said.
“It has come down an awful lot. The challenge for us is to work out whether it’s going to come down further, carry on at this level, or start to rise,” she said.
Updated
The Department of Health in Northern Ireland has issued its latest estimate of R, the reproduction number, in the region. It is between 0.3 and 0.8, it says.
The Gavin Williamson press conference is now over.
The Mirror’s Dan Bloom says what Gavin Williamson said about it being “totally, totally untrue” to say the curriculum was being slimmed down (see 5.23pm) is contradicted by his own department’s guidance.
Gavin Williamson tells @AVMikhailova it's "totally, totally untrue” there'll be a slimmer curriculum - "There is not going to be a watered-down curriculum. It is going to be a full and total curriculum."
— Dan Bloom (@danbloom1) July 2, 2020
Looking at his own dept's guidance, his claim seems, well, totally untrue.. pic.twitter.com/I0ojI8YfrM
Q: You said all primary pupils would be back before the summer but could not deliver because some heads objected. How do we know that won’t happen again?
Williamson says he is working closely with the sector. He has absolute confidence they will deliver for pupils.
Q: Could schools have to close again?
Harries says a second wave is “quite a possibility”. And a second peak cannot be ruled OUT, she says.
She says it is possible there could be further waves after that.
She says the focus now is on ensuring that a second wave does not become a second peak.
She says it could be necessary for schools to close for short periods.
Williamson says they want to avoid the need for another national shutdown.
Updated
Q: The curriculum is being watered down and pubs are opening before schools. Have you let pupils down?
Williamson says it is “totally, totally untrue” to say that the curriculum is being watered down.
And he says 1.6 million children are back in school already.
He says there is no one who would have been more keen on seeing all pupils back than him. But that was not possible, he says.
UPDATE: But DfE guidance says the curriculum could be watered down. See 5.31pm.
Updated
Q: [From Channel 4 News] We have surveyed headteachers and more than half say they have not received their laptops.
Williamson says there are 10,000 orders that have not yet been delivered. And he says some schools have yet to submit their orders.
Q: Why has it taken you four months to come up with these plans?
Williamson says 1.6 million pupils have already returned.
But now they are in a position to send more children back, he says.
Q: Are you telling parents there is absolutely no risk?
Williamson says what we have seen with schools is the creation of safe environments. That is what will happen everywhere in September, he says.
Harries says she would have been worried if pupils had gone back earlier. Now the health professionals have a much better understanding of risk, she says.
Schools are very controlled environments, she says. She says safety is built in.
Williamson says we should not forget the value of children being in school.
Updated
Williamson says if the government needs to take action for local lockdowns, it will.
Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer for England, says younger children are at less risk from coronavirus than others.
Q: If you have lots of teenagers together who have not seen each other for months, they won’t socially distance, will they?
Williamson says he appreciates the problem. But children have to go back to school. That is why a system of controls has been introduced, to reduce the chance of the virus being transmitted.
He also says, as the father of two teenager daughters, that he thinks school has more control over them than they do.
Updated
Leanne asks how breakfast clubs will work if school groups cannot mix.
Williamson says the guidance covers this point. The government wants to see breakfast clubs reopening alongside the full reopening of schools.
Updated
Jamie from Manchester asks what is being done to ensure pupils have better access to online learning, particularly because of the risk of local lockdowns.
Williamson says this is why the government has been rolling out 200,000 laptops for disadvantaged pupils.
Attendance at school in England will be mandatory in September, says education secretary
Williamson says from September attendance in school will again by mandatory.
He says this is essential if pupils are going to catch up with what they have missed.
Updated
Williamson is summarising what was announced earlier.
Here is our coverage of the guidance issued this morning.
Gavin Williamson's press conference
Gavin Williamson, the education secretary for England, is holding a press conference now. It is the first No 10 press conference since the daily ones were abandoned last week.
He starts by thanking the parents of pupils who have returned to school for putting their trust in schools and teachers.
Schools 'not significant drivers of transmission' for coronavirus, says Scottish government report
Schools are “not significant drivers of transmission” for coronavirus, according to a report published today by the Scottish government’s Covid-19 advisory group. The short report summarises the evidence on “superspreading”. Here’s an extract.
The virus seems to transmit better indoors, particularly in damp, cold places. The latest evidence indicates that large clusters are associated with religious events spanning a number of days, worker dormitories, care homes, hospitals, prisons, ships, bars, conferences and food processing plants. Few clusters were reported in schools ...
The evidence suggests that schools, and in particular children, are not significant drivers of transmission. Most “outbreaks” are very small (index case + 1) and in the larger ones the teachers were more involved than the children.
There have now been a number of very large outbreaks associated with meat processing plants, both in North America and Europe. These are not yet fully understood. Larger numbers of people brought into close proximity indoors seems likely to be the main factor. One theory is that the plants are noisy and so people come close and shout at each other, which may increase transmission of infection. Other factors may include a low-income workforce, often living in dormitories.
In addition to locations, individuals and occupations can be the focus of superspreader events. As well as analysis of superspreader occupations involving large numbers of interactions with people from different networks (such as supermarket workers, security guards, cleaners and care workers), there is a wealth of social science network analysis which looks at individuals who form the hub of multiple networks. This needs to be taken into account alongside location risks.
Updated
Sinn Féin has rejected a DUP call for Michelle O’Neill to step aside as Northern Ireland’s deputy first minister over her attendance at an IRA funeral that drew hundreds of people on to the streets. (See 11.19am.) A party spokesman said:
Michelle O’Neill will not be stepping aside as deputy first minister under any circumstances.
Updated
There seems to be a common theme to the response from teaching unions to the plan from the DfE for all pupils in England to return to school in September. This is from the statement from Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, echoing the “plan B” line used by the NAHT (see 10.19am) and by the ASCL (see 1.40pm). Courtney said:
We are concerned that the government does not have a plan B if these guidelines do not work or if cases are higher by the time we get to September. That is why we have been arguing, via our 10-point education recovery plan, for the government to find extra classroom space, mobilise supply teachers, beginner teachers finishing college, and those colleagues who have left the profession. If the government could build and staff the Nightingale hospitals then it should be able to build and staff Nightingale classrooms to ensure our children can get back to school.
Public Health England has published its latest weekly coronavirus surveillance report. It covers the week ending on Sunday 28 June.
Here’s an extract from the summary.
Covid-19 activity continued to decline in England across a range of surveillance indicators during week 26 with just over 4,100 cases detected, compared to close to 5,800 in week 25. Over 75% of cases are now detected through testing outside of hospitals. Case detections are highest in the East Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber and North West. The increase in detections in Yorkshire and Humber in weeks 24 and 25 has reversed in week 26. At a local authority level, activity remains highest in Leicester, though the weekly incidence of confirmed cases has stabilised since week 25. Case detections are highest in adults aged 75 and older and in 15-44 year olds. There has been a small increase in positivity among 0-4 year olds through Pillar 1 (NHS and PHE) testing.
In an article for the Guardian, a paramedic working for NHS test and trace says the system is “a shambles” and that they are being paid to do nothing. Here’s an extract.
For the past two weeks I have been able to log in, but I have sat in front of my computer with nothing to do. Initially, 400 shifts a day were advertised, varying between four and 12 hours. I booked between 20 and 30 four-hour slots. I’m supposed to have a line manager but I still don’t know who it is.
My experience may be different from others but I don’t think I’m alone in experiencing technical problems and not having much work to do. This may be a good sign or it may suggest the system is not working.
It is a scandal that this system has been described as a success, and an embarrassment that an influenza pandemic has been on top of the national risk register in terms of impact and likelihood for more than a decade, yet no real provision was put in place.
NHS test and trace is too little, too late. It seems ridiculous that I, a trained healthcare professional, am being paid to do a job that anyone can do. I don’t understand why it is felt healthcare professionals are needed to read a script over the phone. It’s a waste of money.
And here’s the full article.
Updated
In Scotland one new coronavirus death has been reported today.
In Wales another eight deaths have been recorded.
And in Northern Ireland one further death has been recorded.
Starmer says more pupils in England would be back now if government had shown better leadership
Sir Keir Starmer has said that many more children could be back in school now if the government had shown more leadership on this issue. Commenting on the plan announced today for all pupils in England to return in September, he said in a clip for broadcasters:
I want all children back in school as quickly as possible, and certainly by September, and I think that’s achievable. I actually think that many more children could be back now if there had been a better plan and better leadership ...
We’ve been calling for a national plan. We’ll look at the details of this plan. What’s important now is confidence, confidence of teachers and of staff and of parents, and we need to build that confidence. Get everybody around the table, and let’s implement a plan that will actually work, because there’s a consensus; we want all of our children back in September. That will only happen with leadership.
Starmer’s comment follows repeated claims by Boris Johnson and other ministers, heard again at PMQs yesterday, that Labour does not support children going back. The claim is based on comments made by party figures earlier this year questioning whether it was safe for pupils to return. The Conservative attack line clearly stung, because Starmer has been stressing recently how firmly the party is now committed to pupils going back. Today he is effectively trying to outbid Johnson on this issue.
High court hears legal challenge to England's lockdown restrictions
The government’s lockdown that has closed schools, premises and companies while limiting free movement is the “most sweeping and far-reaching” restriction on fundamental rights since the second world war, the high court has been told. As Owen Bowcott reports, in a challenge to the legality of emergency legislation, the businessman Simon Dolan, whose Jota Aviation company has been delivering personal protective equipment (PPE) to the NHS, is testing the full extent of the powers under which England has been confined for the past 101 days.
Here is Owen’s full story on the opening of the hearing.
Updated
Here is a question from a reader in the comments.
This came up at the No 10 lobby briefing. The prime minister’s spokesman said that, although the Leicester lockdown was announced on Monday night, effectively it was only advisory for the first day or so because the legislation did not get signed until Wednesday. He said:
[Shops] were closed initially on the very firm advice of the health secretary who obviously set out the health reasons for why we were asking non-essential retail to close.
And then as soon as the regulations come into place they are prevented by law from opening.
But I think businesses did the right thing and they followed the guidance and request of the health secretary to close straight away.
Earlier I posted the figures from the government’s latest test and trace bulletin showing that it is not yet meeting its target of getting all test results delivered within 24 hours. (See 11.50am.)
The figures in the document cover “pillar 2” tests – those provided by commercial partners for members of the population at large. They do not cover testing in “pillar 1” – in NHS hospitals and Public Health England laboratories – because the data is not available for PHE laboratories.
But NHS England has been in touch to say that on average its laboratories produce test results within 14 hours. And 90% of them produce results on average within 24 hours.
Updated
Welsh government announces plans for partial reopening of tourism
A “partial reopening” of the tourism sector in Wales is to take place over the next few weeks as long as rates of coronavirus continue to fall, the Welsh government has announced.
The Labour-led government has asked visitors to enjoy their time in the country – but to respect local communities.
Bars, restaurants and cafes with outdoor spaces are set to be allowed to re-open from 13 July.
The final decision about outdoor re-opening will be made at the next Welsh government review on 9 July.
Future decisions about indoor re-opening will be made later and depend on the success of outdoor opening.
The “stay-local” instruction in Wales is due to lifted on Monday, which will allow outdoor attractions to re-open from then.
The date from which owners of self-contained accommodation in Wales can accept bookings is being brought forward to 11 July from 13 July, to help with the pattern of Saturday-to-Saturday bookings.
The minister for international relations and the Welsh language, Eluned Morgan, said:
Tourism is a vital part of the Welsh economy at a national, regional and local level. I’d like to thank all our industry partners for working with us to carefully reopen the visitor economy.
A successful, safe and phased return will give businesses, communities and visitors confidence to continue with the recovery of the visitor economy.
We ask everyone who travels to and around Wales to enjoy their time here, but always to respect local communities. We are looking forward to welcoming visitors back to Wales – but we want everyone to visit Wales safely.
Morgan defended the government’s cautious approach to bars, cafes and restaurants re-opening.
She said: “If we open too quickly we will have to go back into lockdown. That is why we are taking this step-by-step controlled approach.”
The two-metre social distancing in Wales will remain for pubs but Morgan said the government was working with the industry on additional measures for circumstances when the two-metre rule could not work.
Additional measures may include a designated person being in charge of making sure premises were Covid-19 safe and taking names of customers so they could be traced if needed.
NHS England has recorded a further 35 coronavirus hospital deaths in England. The full figures are here.
For comparison, here are the equivalent daily figures announced by NHS England over the past fortnight.
Thursday 18 June - 62
Friday 19 June - 46
Saturday 20 June - 71
Sunday 21 June - 26
Monday 22 June - 20
Tuesday 23 June - 46
Wednesday 24 June - 51
Thursday 25 June - 55
Friday 26 June - 67
Saturday 27 June - 78
Sunday 28 June - 18
Monday 29 June - 19
Tuesday 30 June - 37
Wednesday 1 July - 50
Updated
The Local Government Association says the extra support for English councils announced by Robert Jenrick earlier (see 9.43am) does not go far enough. Here is an extract from the statement from the LGA chairman, James Jamieson. He said:
Councils continue to work all day and night to protect the most vulnerable from Covid-19, support local businesses and try and keep normal services running. This package offers some positive measures and recognises the pressures councils are facing, but more is desperately needed to fully address the severe financial challenges facing councils and our local services as a result.
Updated
Downing Street lobby briefing - Summary
Here are the main points from the Downing Street lobby briefing.
- No 10 suggested headteachers should use their discretion in deciding whether parents who don’t sent their children to school in England in September should be fined. Asked if fines should always be imposed, the prime minister’s spokesman said:
Returning to school in September will be mandatory. It’s always the case that headteachers do have some discretion. They know their pupils and their family situations.
But, in general, children need to get back in to school and get back learning again.
- Boris Johnson will give a press conference tomorrow, the spokesman said. He said Johnson also wants people not to “overdo it” when pubs reopen in England on Saturday. The spokesman said:
We do want people to be able to enjoy themselves but at the same time, now we have got coronavirus under control we need to keep it under control.
The guidance is there, we want people to follow it and then we can make more progress together in the fight against coronavirus.
The PM has said that it is important that people don’t overdo it.
- The spokesman said some councils had been slow in obtaining postcode-level coronavirus data because they had been late returning data agreements. He said:
Since 11 June, an operational data dashboard has been made available for all local authorities to give them a clear picture in their local areas, and this included the counts of total tests, total positive and a rolling average for pillar two.
Last week we started securely sharing postcode-level and individual case testing data with all local authorities - that’s available to them at any time.
I think there has been an issue with councils not returning data agreements to Public Health England - I think that is the case with one of the councils which has featured in the media this morning, Rochdale ...
All of the data made available has been distributed at the highest level that information governance rules will allow. Local authorities receive both upper and lower-tier local authority level data regularly, and identifiable data when there is an outbreak.
Making more detailed data widely available does run the risk of revealing patient identifiable information, therefore it is only shared with local authorities who have data sharing agreements in place to protect the confidentiality of the data.
Updated
Johnson signals furlough scheme will not be extended beyond October
Boris Johnson has used an interview with the Evening Standard to signal that the furlough scheme will not be extended beyond October. He has been under pressure to extend it, particularly for workers in sectors like the performing arts, where there is as yet no prospect of theatres and other venues being able to return to normal. But Johnson said the scheme had to end eventually. He told the paper:
I’ve got to be very, very blunt with you. We’ve spent £120bn supporting people, it’s a huge commitment and we have put our arms around people ... But I think people need to recognise that the particular restrictions that furlough places on you are not, in the long-term, healthy either for the economy or for you as an employee ...
You are keeping people in suspended animation ... I am being absolutely frank with you, we are pushing it out until October, but in the end you have got to get the economy moving.
The OBR estimates that the scheme will have cost the government £60bn by October.
Updated
The Association of School and College Leaders has said that trying to follow the guidance set out for schools in England for September will be “mind-boggling”. In a statement Geoff Barton, the ASCL general secretary, said “a sense of reality” was needed. Headteachers would do their best, he said. But, echoing what the NAHT union said (see 10.19am), Barton said ministers should develop a “plan B” too. He said:
It will be immediately apparent to anyone reading this guidance that it is enormously challenging to implement. The logistics of keeping apart many different ‘bubbles’ of children in a full school, including whole-year groups comprising hundreds of pupils, is mind boggling ...
There just needs to be a sense of reality about what is possible. School leaders will do their best, as they always do, and ASCL will support them all the way, but this is not going to be perfect. It will be hard for everyone concerned to implement and become accustomed to difficult and complicated systems, and it will not work smoothly all the time.
And while we share the ambition of bringing all pupils back to school in the autumn, we would urge the government to have in place a national plan B in the event that we arrive at September and it becomes clear that a full return is just too risky.
Updated
This week’s Brexit talks have been concluded earlier than expected. While “useful”, David Frost, the UK chief negotiator, said they showed “significant differences” still remained. He said:
We have completed our discussion of the full range of issues in the negotiation in just over three days. Our talks were face to face for the first time since March and this has given extra depth and flexibility to our discussions.
The negotiations have been comprehensive and useful. But they have also underlined the significant differences that still remain between us on a number of important issues.
We remain committed to working hard to find an early understanding on the principles underlying an agreement out of the intensified talks process during July, as agreed at the HLM [high-level meeting] on 15 June.
Sturgeon says wearing face coverings in shops to be made compulsory in Scotland
And this is what Nicola Sturgeon said about face masks being made compulsory in shops. She said:
Face coverings in shops will be compulsory from the end of next week but please don’t wait until then, get into the habit now.
In England face coverings are compulsory on public transport, but not in shops (despite people like Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, calling for this.)
Scotland to relax 2-metre rule in some areas, Sturgeon says
Here is the document (pdf) from the Scottish government summarising the latest moves announced by Nicola Sturgeon for the relaxation of the lockdown.
This is what it says about how the 2-metre rule will be relaxed for some sectors.
Consistent with the advice set out from the advisory group ... we will retain 2-metres as the default physical distancing requirement for phase three, as it has been in previous phases of the route map. We are, however, intending to make exceptions to this 2-metre requirement for a limited number of sectors and settings, following agreement of appropriate and necessary mitigating measures. These exceptions would take into account the wider harms caused by the 2- metre rule – to broader health, the economy and society – as well as transmission risk, particularly in known high-transmission risk settings. In such sectors and settings where the exception applies, individual workplaces, premises or settings may be permitted to move to 1-metre distancing only where agreed risk mitigation measures are in place.
The document says public transport, outdoor hospitality, indoor hospitality and retail are the sectors where the two-metre rule will be waived, subject to mitigating measures being used.
The Scottish government has also published today the report (pdf) from the advisory group that reviewed the 2-metre rule for Sturgeon. The review concluded:
A value judgement must be taken as to whether reducing the physical distancing to one metre is a tolerable risk. If this is a policy decision, it must be accompanied by clear guidance on spacing in any indoor environment, emphasis on surface cleaning, hand hygiene and cough etiquette. Messaging must be clear that the virus is still present and a continued threat.
Updated
Sturgeon says lockdown easing postponed in some Scottish towns with outbreaks
Nicola Sturgeon has announced there will be a temporary freezing of lockdown rules around a number of towns in Dumfries and Galloway after an outbreak of cases, after an outbreak straddling the border with England.
While many rules would be easing across Scotland this weekend, Sturgeon said people living around towns including Gretna, Annan, Dumfries, Lockerbie and Canonbie were still required to stay within five miles of their homes, while outdoor restaurants and care homes would remain closed to visitors.
She said 10 new cases had emerged, with three businesses affected, and mobile testing units were being deployed while local health officials launched a concerted contact-tracing effort. Those restrictions would remain in place until next week at the earliest.
For the rest of Scotland, outdoor cafes and beer gardens will be allowed to reopen from Monday, after the R number, the rate of infection from coronavirus remained at 0.6 to 0.8, with only about 1,500 people in Scotland thought to be infected.
From 10 July, face masks would be mandatory in all Scotland’s shops, she added, following similar requirements (which anecdotal evidence suggests has been frequently ignored by passengers) on public transport and in taxis.
Sturgeon said there would be no immediate cuts in the 2 metre physical distancing rules to 1 metre or 1.5 metres, because her government’s scientific advice showed the risks of transmitting Covid-19 were too high. That would be eased soon, with customers warned they were entering a 1-metre zone.
Sturgeon also urged residents of south-west Scotland to avoid travelling to pubs and restaurants in England while the local lockdown was in place.
Updated
Returning schools to normal 'critical to national recovery', Williamson tells MPs
Here are the main points from Gavin Williamson’s opening statement to MPs about the new guidance for all pupils in England to return to school in September.
- Williamson said having schools return to normal was “critical to our national recovery”. He said:
Returning to normal educational routines as quickly as possible is critical to our national recovery too.
- He said “as a minimum” whole year groups would have to be kept separate.
- He said all schools and colleges would be issued with a small number of testing kits for pupils or staff who develop symptoms. He said:
These will be taken home by children or staff who develop symptoms while on site but who would struggle to access a testing centre. This is so that they can have a test quickly and that they can get results back quickly.
All schools will have direct access to support and advice from their local Public Health England health protection team to deal with any cases that may occur. They will be advised on what steps need to be taken.
- He said it was his intention for Ofsted inspections to resume from January 2021.
- He said from 20 July nurseries and childminders would no longer have to place limits on the number of children able to learn and play together.
Updated
According to the DfE guidance, schools should consider holding music lessons or classes outside, perhaps with pupils sitting back to back. It says:
Schools should note that there may be an additional risk of infection in environments where you or others are singing, chanting, playing wind or brass instruments or shouting. This applies even if individuals are at a distance. Schools should consider how to reduce the risk, particularly when pupils are playing instruments or singing in small groups such as in music lessons by, for example, physical distancing and playing outside wherever possible, limiting group sizes to no more than 15, positioning pupils back-to-back or side-to-side, avoiding sharing of instruments, and ensuring good ventilation. Singing, wind and brass playing should not take place in larger groups such as school choirs and ensembles, or school assemblies.
In the Commons Richard Burgon, the Labour MP, asks for an assurance that government scientists have signed off today’s advice as safe.
Williamson says Public Health England has signed off the new guidance.
National Education Union says plan for exams to go ahead next summer largely as normal 'unrealistic'
The National Education Union says that Ofqual is being “unrealistic” in assuming that exams in England can go ahead next summer largely as normal, despite the months of teaching time lost as a result of the lockdown. In a response to the Ofqual consultation announced today (see 10.47am), Nansi Ellis, the NEU assistant general secretary, said:
The NEU is seriously concerned about the minimal suggestions made in Ofqual’s proposals for exams in summer 2021. It is welcome that the options for each subject have been considered based on the nature of that subject, as opposed to suggesting generic changes that may not suit each one. However in the majority of subjects the expectation that the full specification can be covered by next summer, after many months of lost teaching time, still remains.
This expectation is unrealistic – delaying exams by 2 or 3 weeks next summer can’t make up for the months already lost, never mind any further potential time that may be lost due to subsequent waves of the virus or local spikes and lockdowns. The changes suggested to help reduce some tasks which take up large amounts of teaching hours sound generally helpful, but the Department for Education and Ofqual need to go further with changes to exam content otherwise they risk driving inequality in the system and undermining the results awarded next summer.
Labour’s Helen Hayes asks how tutoring can take place over the summer when many of the most disadvantaged pupils do not have access to a laptop.
Williamson claims 202,000 laptops are being provided to pupils in this category.
Robert Halfon, the Conservative chair of the Commons education committee, says he welcomes the announcement today.
Referring to research saying four in 10 pupils have not been in regular contact with teachers during the lockdown, he asks if Williamson will investigate why this was.
Williamson says he will ask Ofsted to investigate. He says this is important because there will be further local lockdowns.
Williamson is responding to Green.
He says the Covid catch-up fund will involve new money. He says schools will get more details in due course.
He says £350m of the extra money going to schools for catch-up is being ring-fenced for the most disadvantaged children.
On consultation, he says the government continues to consult widely, and not just with the unions.
Kate Green, the shadow education secretary, is responding to Williamson now.
She says for too long the government has been asleep at the wheel. Today’s guidance comes just three weeks before the end of term, she says.
Today’s announcement finally recognises the desperate pleas of heads, staff and governors for information and certainty about plans for the next academic year.
For too long, the government has been asleep at the wheel. The announcement today comes just three weeks before the end of term and an immense amount needs to be done to prepare.
She says staff will need a break over the summer.
What consultation has there been with teachers?
Will there be support for parents if schools have to close?
Will Ofqual address the gap between pupils who have had teaching during lockdown and those who have not?
Does Williamson agree that, if schools have to fund 25% of the cost of the catch-up tutoring programme, wealthier schools will benefit?
What is in place for the summer break?
Updated
Williamson: returning to normal education is critical to national recovery
Williamson told MPs “education recovery is critical for this generation” of schoolchildren, adding in a statement to the Commons:
Returning to normal educational routines as quickly as possible is critical to our national recovery too.
He said the government is working to ensure all pupils can return to schools and colleges full-time in September, noting: “With Covid-secure measures in place so they have the opportunity to thrive and fulfil their full potential.”
He said schools will continue minimising contact between children, including through grouping them in “bubbles” and encouraging older children to distance. He went on:
As a minimum, this will mean keeping whole year groups in schools and colleges separate.
This is in addition to the other protective measures we know are so important for infection control, such as regular cleaning and hand washing.
Updated
Gavin Williamson's statement to MPs about all English pupils returning to school in September
Gavin Williamson, the education secretary for England, is making a Commons statement now about the new guidance for schools on how all pupils can return in September.
He says all schools will be provided with a small number of home testing kits for pupils or staff who develop symptoms.
Updated
Latest figures show PM's 24-hour test results target not being met in mid-June
Today’s bulletin (pdf) with the weekly test and trace figures contain, for the first time, data from the government on how many coronavirus tests are completed within 24 hours. Boris Johnson promised that by the end of June all results would be delivered within 24 hours, “except for difficulties with postal tests or insuperable problems like that”.
Today’s figures do not show whether or not that target was met, because they only go up to the week ending 24 June. But at that point the government was still quite some way off reaching it.
For regional test sites (drive-through and walk-through testing centres), 71.8% of test results were delivered within 24 hours of the test being taken in the week ending 24 June.
For mobile testing units, the figure was 60.6%.
The figures were much lower for satellite test centres (21.5%) and for home testing kits (9.3%) - but these are reliant on the postal service (which means they are arguably not covered by the Johnson promise).
However, in the report there is a hint that the government is redefining what a 24-hour results target actually means. On regional test sites, it says this:
In the week 18 June to 24 June, 71.8% of test results were received within 24 hours of the test being taken. If we consider the day the test was taken, this means that 98.0% of tests results were received the next day after the test was taken. 96.1% of test results were received within 48 hours of booking a test.
That implies “within 24 hours” is being redefined to mean “by the end of the following day”.
UPDATE: NHS England says the tests carried out by its laboratories, which are not included in the figures quoted above, are almost all completed within 24 hours. See 3.14pm for more details.
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Labour calls for cross-party taskforce to help schools in England prepare for all pupils to return
Kate Green, the new shadow education secretary (replacing Rebecca Long-Bailey, who was sacked last week), has called for the creation of a cross-party taskforce to help schools in England prepare for all pupils to return in September. In a statement she said:
All children must be safely back in school by September. By then, they’ll have suffered a six- month gap in their learning. Officials in the Department for Education have warned this could lead to a widening of the attainment gap of up to 75% as children from disadvantaged backgrounds have lacked access to resources to learn at home.
Teachers, school leaders, staff, and parents have achieved a huge amount throughout this crisis, and now they desperately need the support of the government. With only three weeks to go before the end of term, there is an enormous amount to prepare: finalising health and safety arrangements, ensuring there is space for children to learn, restructuring the school day and providing reassurance to parents.
The government has been asleep at the wheel, but heads and staff cannot be left to do this alone. Labour is calling for a cross-party taskforce to focus urgently on getting the necessary arrangements in place so that all students can return safely in September.
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The Department of Health and Social Care has published its latest weekly test and trace figures.
NHS Test and Trace data [18 June - 24 June]
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) July 2, 2020
➡️ 6,183 positive cases transferred to service
➡️ 75% reached to provide contacts
➡️ 23,028 contacts identified
➡️ 73% of identified contacts were reached and advised to self-isolate
Read the full report ⬇️https://t.co/RYwAO4VUsS
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Northern Ireland's deputy first minister under pressure to stand aside over physical distancing breaches at IRA funeral
In Belfast the row about Sinn Féin’s involvement in the funeral of the IRA veteran Bobby Storey, which saw large crowds gathering in apparent breach of physical distancing regulations, is escalating. The DUP and the SDLP have both said that Michelle O’Neill, the Sinn Féin leader in Northern Ireland, should step aside from her role as deputy first minister pending an investigation.
The DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson said:
The law on these matters is clear and what happened at that funeral has sent out a very, very bad message to people in Northern Ireland.
In light of the failure of Sinn Féin yesterday to grasp the opportunity to apologise, it is our view that the deputy first minister must now step back from her role while these matters are investigated by the [Police Service of Northern Ireland].
And the SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said:
The point isn’t that [O’Neill] accidentally broke some obscure piece of guidance - she broke the guidance that she set out, that she argued for, that she stood over and made the case for, rightly and sensibly, but then decided to set that all aside because, I think, for Sinn Féin, they believe that there is one rule for them and one rule for everyone else.
Yesterday O’Neill said she was satisfied that her own actions in regard to the funeral were “within the regulations and the public health guidance”.
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These are from my colleague Peter Walker on the DfE guidance.
Guidance for schools re-opening in September is out, and it's basically a case of:
— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) July 2, 2020
• Keep kids in bubbles where possible.
• Lots of hand-washing and cleaning.
• Report cases promptly.
• Covid infections are falling, let's hope for the best.https://t.co/1B0mUru3pk
There is a section on how schools could use more outdoor physical activity to help with distancing. I'd love to think this could spark a shift to a more, say, Finnish-style emphasis on active learning, particularly for younger kids, but it feels like a bit of an afterthought. pic.twitter.com/nPYyGx9SfK
— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) July 2, 2020
(Peter has a book coming out next year on the health benefits of physical activity. It sounds terrific.)
Whole school closures in cases of outbreaks 'not generally necessary' if controls being followed, says DfE guidance
And the DfE guidance says whole-school closures may not be necessary in England if there are a number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 on site. It says:
If schools have two or more confirmed cases within 14 days, or an overall rise in sickness absence where coronavirus (Covid-19) is suspected, they may have an outbreak, and must continue to work with their local health protection team who will be able to advise if additional action is required.
In some cases, health protection teams may recommend that a larger number of other pupils self-isolate at home as a precautionary measure – perhaps the whole site or year group. If schools are implementing controls from this list, addressing the risks they have identified and therefore reducing transmission risks, whole school closure based on cases within the school will not generally be necessary, and should not be considered except on the advice of health protection teams.
In consultation with the local director of public health, where an outbreak in a school is confirmed, a mobile testing unit may be dispatched to test others who may have been in contact with the person who has tested positive. Testing will first focus on the person’s class, followed by their year group, then the whole school if necessary, in line with routine public health outbreak control practice.
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Teachers should distance themselves from each other and older students when a full return to school takes place in September, the DfE guidance for all pupils to return to school In England in September says. It says:
All teachers and other staff can operate across different classes and year groups in order to facilitate the delivery of the school timetable. This will be particularly important for secondary schools. Where staff need to move between classes and year groups, they should try and keep their distance from pupils and other staff as much as they can, ideally 2 metres from other adults. Again, we recognise this is not likely to be possible with younger children and teachers in primary schools can still work across groups if that is needed to enable a full educational offer.
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Ofqual floats plan for GCSE exams to start late next summer to allow more time for teaching
GCSE exams could be delayed next year and more optional questions could be used in test papers under proposals unveiled by England’s exams regulator, PA Media reports.
Ofqual has launched a two-week consultation on their plans for the GCSE and A-level exam series in 2021 after students have faced months of school and college closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The watchdog is considering how next year’s exam timetable could be changed to allow more time for teaching - and one of the proposals being looked at is postponing starting GCSE exams until June 7.
Full list of new guidance from DfE relating to education and coronavirus in England
The Department for Education has released a whole set of documents this morning with guidance relating to coronavirus and education, not just the main document featured earlier. (See 10.09am.) Here is the full set.
The news release summarising the plans
The guidance for mainstream schools
The guidance for special schools and other specialist settings
The guidance for early years and childcare providers
The guidance for FE colleges and providers
A letter (pdf) from the DfE to Ofqual about plans for exams next year
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Limits on group sizes will be lifted in nurseries, childminders, and other early years providers from later this month, the Department for Education has said.
As PA Media reports, early years providers in England have been able to open more widely to children since 1 June, but there have been restrictions on group sizes. From July 20, these restrictions will be lifted so that providers can increase the number of children they admit from the start of the summer holiday.
Limits on attendance in schools and colleges will be lifted from the autumn term, so all pupils can return to the classroom.
— Department for Education (@educationgovuk) July 2, 2020
From 20 July, nurseries will have group size restrictions lifted, allowing more children to be cared for during the holidays. https://t.co/34jQ3uEIG4 pic.twitter.com/g4yThkHgFq
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Ministers need 'plan B' in case full school opening in England not possible, says headteachers' union
The NAHT, the union for headteachers, has put out a statement saying that, although it supports the aim of getting all pupils in England back to school in September, it thinks the government also needs a “plan B” in case that is not possible. Here is an extract from the statement from the NAHT general secretary, Paul Whiteman. He says:
What is clear is that school will continue to look and feel different for the foreseeable future. This will certainly not represent a return to normality for pupils, parents or staff.
Whilst a model of larger group sizes is perhaps the only feasible way to get all pupils back to school on a full-time basis, no-one should underestimate the scale of the challenge school leaders will now face in making these plans work in practice, especially in secondary schools. Significant time will now need to be spent implementing the new measures government is asking schools to take.
Throughout the current crisis, school leaders have demonstrated a remarkable ability to transform their schools and adapt to the latest guidance, there is no doubt that they will be able to do so again.
Today’s announcement represents government’s plan A for a full return in September. The situation seen in Leicester this week has demonstrated that this crisis is far from over, and there will be further disruption ahead. It is therefore essential that government continues to monitor the data when it comes to school return and that it also has a credible plan B in place should it be required.
NEW: @PaulWhiteman6 comments on @educationgovuk guidance for #September #schoolreopeninguk https://t.co/u3XUcy5uUO pic.twitter.com/zXvRZFWknQ
— NAHT (@NAHTnews) July 2, 2020
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Government publishes its plan for all schools in England to open full time for all pupils in September
The Department for Education has just published its guidance for schools in England on how they should open in full from September. The document is here. It starts:
It is our plan that all pupils, in all year groups, will return to school full-time from the beginning of the autumn term.
Here is my colleague Sally Weale’s preview story based on the leak of a draft of this document available earlier in the week.
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PM's father defends trip to holiday home in Greece in apparent breach of FCO travel advice
The Daily Mail has a good scoop. It says Stanley Johnson, the prime minister’s father, has flown to his holiday home in Greece - despite current Foreign Office advice saying Britons should avoid “all but essential international travel”.
Johnson had to fly via Bulgaria because Greece is not accepting direct flights from the UK, the Mail reports.
Asked to justify his trip, Johnson told the paper:
I’m in Pelion on essential business trying to Covid-proof my property in view of the upcoming letting season.
I need to set up distancing measures at the property because they’re taking it very seriously here.
The Greeks are trying to stop bulk arrivals from the UK but they were quite happy to have me coming in.
All they wanted to know where I was coming from and what I was doing. Then I had my temperature taken and was swabbed twice.
We must get these air bridges set up as soon as possible. From what I’ve seen the arrival of the British will not be a danger to the Greeks because they’re so careful here.
Johnson posted a picture of himself at the airport on Instagram:
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Jenrick announces £500m for English councils, plus compensation scheme for lost income
Good morning. I’m Andrew Sparrow, taking over from Amelia Hill.
Robert Jenrick, the communities secretary, has just announced that the government is giving an extra £500m to councils in England to help them deal with the coronavirus crisis.
He has also announced two further measures to help local authorities: a plan to cover roughly 75% of lost council income; and a scheme to allow them to spread tax deficits over three years instead of one.
In a news release from his department Jenrick said:
Councils are playing a huge part in supporting their communities during this pandemic. From supporting the most vulnerable and keeping vital services running to operating local track and trace, council workers have been at the forefront of this great national effort and are the unsung heroes of this pandemic.
Today I am providing a further package of support that takes our support for councils during this pandemic to £4.3bn to help meet the immediate pressures councils are facing.
And this is what the news release said about the scheme to reimburse councils in England for lost income.
Recognising the unprecedented impact the pandemic has had on councils’ income from car parks, museums and other cultural assets, the government is introducing a scheme to compensate them for these losses.
This means that all relevant losses, over and above the first 5% of planned income from sales, fees and charges, will be compensated for at a rate of 75p in every pound.
This balances the need to provide compensation given the scale of the income losses, encouraging councils to manage and minimise loss where they can and giving them the certainty they need.
In the next spending review, we will determine what support councils need to help them meet the pressures of income loss from council tax and business rates.
These measures do not offer councils as much as they claim they need. Earlier this week the Local Government Association published an analysis saying councils faced a funding gap of £7.4bn. But with Jenrick due to address the LGA this afternoon (see 8.18am), this will at least give him some good news to announce.
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Handing over now to Andrew Sparrow, our political correspondent. Here’s wishing a good morning to you all.
Lord Heseltine added:
The glaring omission in the prime minister’s speech is any attempt to draw the leaders of the local economies into the dialogue - and they are the elected mayors.
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Heseltine says he was 'deeply disappointed' by PM's 'new deal' speech
Boris Johnson’s economic investment response to the coronavirus crisis has been heavily criticised by Tory former deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine, who told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:
What we have is a twin crisis, which is the crisis of the corona epidemic ... and it is over with the crisis of Brexit.
It is a crisis of unprecedented scale and it is going to get worse.
So, the question really is how is the government responding, how should it respond?
Heseltine went on to criticise Boris Johnson’s “new deal” speech.
And I have to say I was deeply disappointed in the speech the prime minister made in Dudley.
It was simply the sort of speech with a lot of proposals which were remarkably similar to what all governments have done faced with rising unemployment.
They announce packets of money in housing and transport and repairs for the health service ... but they lack the one thing that is essential, and that is the local enthusiasm, energy and enterprise.
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Here’s a lovely video piece from Birmingham that we’ve done on what its like going back to school. Well worth a quick look:
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News just in from Severin Carrell, our Scotland editor, that the Scottish National party is to hold a deputy leadership election at Westminster after its current deputy, Kirsty Blackman, stood down citing the pressures of lockdown on her mental health.
Blackman, the MP for Aberdeen North who was reprimanded by Commons officials for bringing her baby into a committee meeting in 2016, and criticised the lack of child-friendly working at Westminster, said she wanted to focus on her family and constituency work.
“Like many others, I’ve struggled with the impact that lockdown has had on my mental health,” she said.
There has been some speculation Blackman was considering running for Holyrood in the 2021 elections.
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Hopes of a Covid-19 vaccine breakthrough have given the stock markets a lift this morning. For more on this and all the latest business news, join Graeme Wearden on the business live blog:
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So. Putting glitz and glamour firmly put back in its box, let’s look at what’s happening in Westminster today.
The under-fire housing secretary (he’s facing accusations of making an unlawful decision to help a Conservative donor dodge a multimillion-pound tax bill), Robert Jenrick, will address the Local Government Association conference this afternoon at an online event.
He’ll be grilled by councillors at a Q&A - expect questions about the upcoming changes to planning laws (as well as why Jenrick failed to listen to the objections of councillors over the controversial Westferry development.)
Perhaps worth noting is that an announcement on local government funding is expected today. Jenrick has a written statement listed on the Commons order paper.
Meanwhile, Jenrick is also facing a demand to appear before a parliamentary committee to respond to unanswered questions about his relationship with Tory donor Richard Desmond.
My colleague Rajeev Syal has the full details here:
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I’m struggling to get some cheery glitz and glamour into today’s live blog - we all like a bit of glamour - but my best effort is a letter penned by Paul McCartney, who has joined 1,500 other artists, including the Rolling Stones and Iron Maiden, to urge Oliver Dowden to step in and help support a music business battered by the pandemic, after festival season was cancelled. The BBC has a write-up. Dowden tweeted a response last night. Penpals in the making, perhaps? One of the perks of being culture secretary.
I understand the deep anxiety of those working in music & the desire to see fixed dates for reopening
— Oliver Dowden (@OliverDowden) July 1, 2020
I am pushing hard for these dates & to give you a clear roadmap back
These involve v difficult decisions about the future of social distancing, which we know has saved lives
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In what is hardly a break for good news, it might nevertheless be worth stepping back from this morning’s breaking news for just a moment to flag a damning scoop from Channel 4 last night, which revealed the Department of Health issued safety warnings and orders to frontline staff to bin tens of thousands of protective masks and respirators that were deemed unsafe.
Something else that isn’t happening - at least any more - is a tweet from the Treasury that invited Brits to “grab a drink and raise a glass” when pubs open on Saturday. Forced to delete it last night, a screenshot has ensured the department can be still be roundly criticised for the tweet amid fears of alcohol-fuelled carnage at the weekend. TV arguments man Piers Morgan was among those expressing outrage.
If you missed it, here’s the tweet:
The UK Treasury now seems to have deleted its "let's get on it, lads" tweet to mark pubs reopening on Saturday pic.twitter.com/2F18LQA6XN
— Graeme Demianyk (@GraemeDemianyk) July 1, 2020
And here is our full report:
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Air bridge announcement delayed
Now. Before we turn to else is happening today, let’s look at what isn’t happening.
The government has yet again delayed its announcement on which countries Britons can travel to and from without having to quarantine for 14 days on their return.
My colleague Kate Proctor has this report on growing pressure on the government to release the list of countries and end the confusion among holidaymakers:
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The British government should prioritise spending on green projects to create jobs and kickstart the economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis, the International Monetary Fund’s chief economist has said.
Gita Gopinath, the IMF’s economic counsellor, said that mounting unemployment triggered by the Covid-19 crisis would require swift action to prevent lasting damage, and that spending on low-carbon projects could be used in response.
Speaking to MPs on the commons Treasury committee, she said countries such as the UK had an opportunity to “do public investment that also addresses the need for a greener planet, and at the same time as a jobs-rich recovery”.
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Plans for non-jury trials to speed up efforts to tackle a backlog of more than 40,000 crown court cases appear to have been sidelined as the Ministry of Justice opts instead for extended opening hours, emergency “Nightingale” courts and, possibly, smaller juries.
Announcing a courts “recovery” plan on Wednesday to cope with the backlog, exacerbated by the coronavirus lockdown, the justice secretary, Robert Buckland, said: “I have already identified 10 additional sites for so-called Nightingale courts, to allow for better social distancing; we are looking at whether courts will need to stay open for longer to increase the number of cases that can be heard safely on any given day.”
He added: “The standard of video technology continues to improve, with new tech being rolled out across all courts from this week; and I am exploring means of getting jury trials moving at pace once more.”
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Other papers note that the government will be hoping the headlines today focus on schools - and not on unemployment and local lockdowns. It’s already fighting what might turn out to be a losing battle on that front: the papers this morning aren’t exactly holding back, with the Express screaming “VIRUS HOTSPOTS ON THE BRINK OF LOCKDOWN” on its front page and the Metro reporting, in its own splash, that the UK could be “days away” from further local restrictions.
EXPRESS; Virus hotspots on the brink of lockdown #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/8J5Yrh3YhC
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) July 1, 2020
There’s also a lot of fake information going around to combat too, as the BBC reports. But what isn’t fake news is polling for the ITV Peston show by JL Partners, which found three-quarters of people believe there will be a second lockdown this year - and more people would blame the public for a second coronavirus wave than the government’s handling of the crisis.
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In case you missed it yesterday, the challenges of homeworking can lead to some entertaining television.
After more than three months of the pandemic, parents across the country are familiar with the challenges of juggling home working with childcare.
But those perils were exposed in epic style when an expert being interviewed on the BBC News channel was interrupted by a young girl waving a picture of a unicorn.
A similar thing happened to Sky’s foreign affairs editor Deborah Haynes, whose son timed his biscuit request perfectly to coincide with her live broadcast:
ABSOLUTE SCENES ON SKY NEWS pic.twitter.com/EkdJTinkTW
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) July 1, 2020
Here’s our full take:
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With hotels and campsites set to reopen on Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people across England are preparing for their first night outside of their own home in months.
But some areas will profit more than others from the expected staycation boom. Plymouth and the Isle of Wight, for example, are set to be two of the UK’s big winners while visits from foreign travellers continue to dry up.
New research from Colliers International has revealed that the hotel sector in Plymouth is expected to recover at a faster rate than any other in the UK as holidaymakers flock to the South West.
However, it said that some traditional tourist hotspots, such as London, will be hard hit by the dearth of visitors from abroad due to travel restrictions.
Exeter, Norwich, Blackpool and Cornwall are also expected to recover more quickly, according to experts at the commercial real estate specialists.
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While schools are getting used to the new normal, one in three nurseries in the most disadvantaged areas of England could close ddown entirely due to financial difficulties aggravated by the coronavirus lockdown, a report by the Sutton Trust has found.
The trust, an educational charity, warned that permanent closure of early-years education providers would be hugely damaging for young children from poorer families, and urged the government to spend £88m to protect the sector in line with the support for schools.
Many early-years providers were already facing financial problems before the pandemic struck and have relied on emergency government support to stay afloat.
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My colleague Aamna Mohdin is heading up our global coronavirus live blog. For all the latest Covid-19 news from around the world, head here:
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According to the latest reports in the Telegraph, schools will have to close if just two pupils get the virus - although hopefully the year group ‘bubbles’ will lessen the chance of that happening. Today’s government guidance will include orders to improve online learning so a full curriculum can be taught if pupils are sent home temporarily due to a local outbreak. Schools will also see health protection teams waiting on the sidelines, poised to sweep in to conduct mass testing if case numbers look concerning.
Politico’s Playbook has a good primer on all the latest on schools.
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Gavin Williamson will host an ad-hoc Downing Street press conference this afternoon. It’s the first since the daily update was ditched over a week ago.
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Agenda for the day
There’s a lot of coronavirus news coming up today, starting with the expectation that the government will tell schools in England to overhaul the curriculum, stagger break times and group children into “bubbles” when they return to the classroom in September.
At 9.30am, the Office for National Statistics will release data on its coronavirus infection survey, economic impact and housing indicators. A test and trace update expected late morning.
At 11.30am, the education secretary, Gavin Williamson, will give that speech on the autumn opening of education settings.
At 12.30am, the Royal Society of Medicine will discuss the impact of Covid-19 on the elderly.
Moving on to this afternoon, at 2pm Public Health England will publish its coroanvirus surveillance report on cases up to 28 June - and at the same time, the joint human rights committee will launch its report into the life of children whose mothers are in prison during coronavirus.
In Scotland, the Scottish affairs committee will report on the impact of lockdown at 2.30pm.
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Good morning. This is Amelia Hill unveiling the news for this morning.
Our top story is that China has hit back at Boris Johnson’s pledge to honour a promise of the right to settle in the UK to nearly 3 million Hong Kong residents who hold British national (overseas) status. Beijing’s ambassador in London vowed his country would take “corresponding measures” to stop such a move
Big job cuts hit the high street – The full force of the pandemic seems to be emerging as huge job cuts hit major high-street retailers. More than 6,000 were lost on Wednesday, bringing the total this week to at least 10,000. The latest casualties will include workers at Arcadia group, SSP, Harrods and John Lewis.
The news comes as the International Monetary Fund’s chief economist said the UK should should prioritise spending on green projects to create jobs and kickstart the economic recovery. Gita Gopinath said mounting unemployment would require swift action to prevent lasting damage. The Treasury seemed to regret its push to get people to spend in pubs, when it deleted a tweet calling on patrons to “raise a glass” when doors reopen on Saturday in England. Critics said it was in poor taste, given the 43,000 deaths during caused by the pandemic. A&E doctors pleaded with revellers not to “get plastered” on so-called “Super Saturday”, as the NHS is already overstretched. Police will step up patrols and also urged patrons to drink responsibly.
Abroad, and the US has recorded another daily high in cases, this time 52,000 for Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins figures. It came after Donald Trump told Fox Business he still believed the virus would disappear, adding: “And I think we’re going to have a vaccine very soon too.” California ordered the closure of restaurants, bars and indoor venues.
There’s more in our Coronavirus Extra section further down … and here’s where you can find all our coverage of the outbreak – from breaking news to factchecks and advice.
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Andrew (or anyone else), when the Leicester local lockdown was announced on Monday govt said the legislation needed to enforce it would be enacted in "the next day or two". It's now Thursday and I haven't seen anything, did I miss it? Or is the current local lockdown merely govt advice (and legally unenforceable)?