That’s all from our UK live blog for today but please follow the developments worldwide on our global blog.
Summary
Thank you following the blog today. Below is a summary of the key stories.
- UK official death toll rises by 48 since yesterday – The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said 44,650 people had died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Thursday – up by 48 from 44,602 the previous day.
- 22 Covid-19 deaths in England – A further 22 people in England have died after testing positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 29,013, NHS England said.
- In Wales there were no new coronavirus deaths recorded, with the number remaining at 1,540, Public Health Wales said.
- Nicola Sturgeon announced there were no new coronavirus deaths in Scotland for the second consecutive day. Up to eight people are allowed to meet indoors as Sturgeon also urged people to continue to wear face coverings in Scotland.
- Boris Johnson has urged Britons to go back to work if they can, in a shift from the government’s policy of asking people to work from home. He ended today’s #PeoplesPMQs with: “I do want people to start to go to work now if you can, but remember to follow the guidance because that is the way to save lives.”
- The PM also hinted there may be stricter rules on face coverings to come. He said: “We need to be stricter in insisting that people wear face coverings in confined places, transport and shops where they are meeting people they don’t normally meet.”
- 16 homeless people known to have died with coronavirus – Analysis by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has found that 16 homeless people are known to have died with coronavirus in England during the first three months of lockdown.
- Six in 10 adults would feel ‘uncomfortable’ eating indoors at a restaurant – In a poll of 1,788 adults in Britain carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) between 2-5 July, 21% of adults said they would feel comfortable or very comfortable doing so, with 60% feeling the opposite.
- Boris Johnson has thanked school leavers for making “sacrifices” that will have saved many lives amid the coronavirus pandemic.
- Leading charities have told the government relatives of dementia patients should be treated as key workers so they can visit their family members and be tested for coronavirus where necessary.
Updated
Our new Commissioner, Andy Byford has been looking at measures underway to make the transport network cleaner than ever
— Transport for London 🚶🚴 (@TfL) July 10, 2020
👉 Extensive cleaning regime with hospital-grade cleaning substance
👉 Trial of UV cleaning of escalator hand rails
👉 1,000 hand sanitiser points pic.twitter.com/hVRCKv9Rn2
Boris Johnson has been pictured wearing a mask, seemingly for the first time in public, during a visit to local businesses in Uxbridge today.
It was great to visit some local businesses in Uxbridge today, and see how they’ve been working hard to make their premises COVID-19 Secure.
— Boris Johnson #StayAlert (@BorisJohnson) July 10, 2020
If you’re out this weekend be sure to follow the guidelines on social distancing. #StayAlert pic.twitter.com/54eCyvOa9D
Earlier today culture minister Caroline Dinenage said she wears a mask “all the time” during an interview with Radio 4 after the government came under pressure to answer why more senior figures had not been pictured wearing face coverings.
Social media users raised concerns this week after the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, was pictured serving food to customers at a Wagamama restaurant in central London without a face covering.
Updated
Sadiq Khan has reacted to Boris Johnson stating there may be stricter regulations regarding face masks during the #peoplesPMQs session this afternoon.
The PM says we need to be stricter on face masks..
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) July 10, 2020
..so why don't the Government get their act together and make face masks mandatory in shops and enclosed spaces?
Once again, we are behind the rest of the world in our response to this virus. https://t.co/HhokM4WpTg
Boris Johnson is being urged to apologise for historical comments he made about the Srebrenica massacre. Tony Lloyd MP has written to the prime minister, with support from over 30 cross-party MPs, calling on him to apologise for remarks he made in 1997 about the genocide, ahead of its 25th anniversary tomorrow.
Johnson wrote: “All right, I say, the fate of Srebrenica was appalling. But they weren’t exactly angels, these Muslims.”
In July 1995, 8,000 mostly Muslim men and boys were taken by Serbian forces from a “safe enclave” of Srebrenica protected by Dutch UN peacekeepers and murdered.
Lloyd said:
As we commemorate the 25th anniversary of the atrocity, it is unthinkable that you would publicly attend national memorial events without having apologised for such comments.
There can be no excuse for in any way blaming the victims of a genocide for its perpetration, not even for a prime minister.
Meanwhile, to attend such events without reflection on your previous comments is an insult to the victims and their families who continue to suffer the consequences to this day.
Moreover, considering your long and significant history of racist, Islamophobic and prejudicial statements, your comments about Srebrenica cannot be seen as an isolated incident.”
You can read more on the Srebrenica massacre here:
Updated
Sadiq Khan has urged Londoners to wear face masks when they are in enclosed spaces. The Mayor of London was in Borough Market this afternoon visiting local business that are reopening for the weekend.
LONDON: Enjoy supporting your local businesses this weekend, but stay safe - lives depend on it.
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) July 10, 2020
This includes wearing a face covering on public transport, in shops and where you can't keep a social distance.@PoliticsJOE_UK #FridayFeeling 😷pic.twitter.com/TFHKx4DN7g
Updated
An increase in confirmed cases of young people with coronavirus in south Liverpool has led public health officials to warn that the illness can infect anyone. There have been around 30 cases in the area over the last fortnight, half of them in people aged 15-24.
Places affected include Belle Vale, Childwall, Woolton, Knotty Ash, Allerton and Hunts Cross, as well as Haleswood in Knowsley.
Matt Ashton, Liverpool’s director of public health, said:
Everyone is at risk of Covid-19, but we know that there is a perception among younger people that they are less at risk.
The easing of the lockdown means this is a really dangerous moment for case numbers and we need people not to let their guard down and throw away all of the sacrifices we have made since March.
We owe it to each other to take precautions and look after each other, regardless of their age.”
Updated
PM urges Britons to go back to work 'if they can' in shift from 'stay at home' message
Boris Johnson has urged Britons to go back to work if they can, in a shift from the government’s policy of asking people to work from home.
The PM concluded the #PeoplesPMQs with the following message:
I do want people to start to go to work now if you can, but remember to follow the guidance because that is the way to save lives.
I think everybody has sort of taken the ‘Stay at home if you can’ … I think we should now say, well, ‘Go back to work if you can.’ Because I think it’s very important that people should try to lead their lives more normally.
I want to see more people feeling confident to use the shops, use the restaurants, and get back into work – but only if we all follow the guidance.”
Updated
Could the UK economy afford another nationwide lockdown, or will there be more local lockdowns in the event of a spike?
“We won’t if we can possibly avoid it,” the PM said, suggesting the “whack-a-mole” method of local lockdowns where there are spikes, as in Leicester, would be preferred. I’m pro-mole, but it’s the way forward.”
Johnson added:
It’s in the winter when we really have to be on it, we’re going to have flu, and a risk the virus will come back again.”
Updated
A university student planning to start his course in September asked what the government have planned to help universities and their incoming students.
They’ve [universities] had to cope by saying they will have to do a lot of teaching online through Zoom.
The best thing for universities is for them to get back to normal life as close as possible. To get our universities prospering again we need to get them back to life as normal
I would like to see universities come back in the Autumn like schools. It should happen, it must happen.”
The PM then echoed the government’s advice to follow hand washing and social distancing guidance to reduce infection numbers. The student then asked if “bubbles” of students could return, similar to how schools have returned but the PM suggested different guidance regarding universities returning will be produced in the near future.
Updated
UK official death toll rises by 48 since yesterday
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said 44,650 people had died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Thursday – up by 48 from 44,602 the previous day.
The government figures do not include all deaths involving Covid-19 across the UK, which are thought to have passed 55,000.
The DHSC also said that in the 24-hour period up to 9am on Friday, 160,970 tests were carried out or dispatched across all pillars, with 512 positive results. Overall, a total of 288,133 cases have been confirmed.
Johnson hints stricter rules on face coverings may come
The PM hints there may be stricter regulations coming to encourage people to wear face coverings in public.
He said:
We need to be stricter in insisting that people wear face coverings in confined places, transport and shops where they are meeting people they don’t normally meet.”
Johnson said expert opinion on face coverings had shifted over the course of the pandemic and that he was
“very keen to follow that”.
Updated
Boris Johnson is answering pre-selected questions from people across the UK. Jason in Kettering is asking on behalf of his dad who worked in manufacturing and was made redundant during lockdown.
Johnson said:
Someone in the manufacturing industry is a massive asset to this country. The best we can do for him is to get things moving and to get the manufacturing industry moving again.”
Updated
A small outbreak of Covid-19 has been reported at an accommodation centre for asylum seekers and refugees in Wakefield in West Yorkshire, the BBC reports.
Wakefield Council said a number of residents at Urban House, run by the private company Mears Group, had tested positive for the virus. Those affected have been isolated and given treatment and support at another location.
Anna Hartley, Wakefield Council’s director of public health, said: “A mobile testing unit is being set up at the site and we’re continuing to work closely with Mears Group, the Home Office and Public Health England to help limit any further potential spread.
“Please be reassured that the risk to those in the local area is very low, however, we ask everyone to please continue to follow government guidance on regular handwashing and social distancing to help keep yourself and others safe.”
A co-founder of fashion giant Boohoo has links to the Leicester factory accused of paying less than the minimum wage and failing to protect staff from the coronavirus, my colleague Rob Davies reports.
Boohoo has confirmed that the factory at the heart of the allegations is run by Morefray Ltd, a Manchester-owned firm with ties to the separate “I Saw It First” fashion brand. The I Saw it First business was set up by Jalal Kamani, 60, who jointly founded Boohoo with his brother Mahmud, 55.
The public filings raise further questions of Boohoo after a report by the Sunday Times that claimed staff at one of the fashion company’s suppliers were paid less than minimum wage and did not have masks to protect against coronavirus. An undercover reporter working at the Morefray factory was told to expect pay of £3.50 an hour, compared with the national minimum wage of £8.72 for over-25s.
Boohoo launched an urgent investigation into its supply chain this week, saying conditions at the Leicester warehouse were “totally unacceptable and fall woefully short of any standards acceptable in any workplace”.
Radio presenter Evan Davies muses on Twitter why there hasn’t been a “livelier” debate about the wearing of masks/face coverings in the UK, given that some scientists think that they could save tens of thousands of lives:
I'm not sure of the answer, but paradoxically it maybe the fact that masks have not been very politicised here, nor brought into a culture war (*which most would regard as a blessed relief) that means journalism struggles to find the arguments very interesting.
— Evan Davis (@EvanHD) July 10, 2020
2/2
The director of public health in Blackburn has written an interesting column in the Lancashire Telegraph on current infection patterns locally, with clusters emerging in multi-generational terraced houses in the town’s South Asian communities.
For the first few months of lockdown Dominic Harrison was frustrated not to have access to any detailed data from the so-called “pillar 2” tests — those done in the community at drive-through testing centres or via post. On 29 June he finally got his hands on that data and it showed that Blackburn has higher than average infection rates.
Most new cases in Blackburn diagnosed in the past two weeks are from south Asian heritage communities, he writes:
There is a clustering of cases in larger multi-generational households in areas characterised by smaller terraced housing. In some ways it looks like this pattern of spread has returned to the start - smaller numbers with an index case infecting their whole family through household transmission.
Pennine Lancashire has a much higher percentage of households with five or more members than the UK, he notes:
Blackburn with Darwen has 11.7%, Pendle 8.8%, Hyndburn 7.3% - the north-west regional average is 6.4%. The average age of infection is also falling and there is some evidence of younger people struggling more than most to maintain social distancing guidelines. So there is a raised risk here for multi-generational households – particularly those where older or clinically vulnerable members will be at more risk of serious effects.
Updated
The mayor of Salford has written to the health secretary, Matt Hancock, to complain that it is “simply not true” to say councils have access to all the testing data on Covid-19 they need, the Manchester Evening News reports:
"We are writing to raise our concerns about your statements on the Andrew Marr Show on
— Jennifer Williams (@JenWilliamsMEN) July 10, 2020
Sunday 5 July on which you stated that councils had access to the COVID-19 data they need.
This is simply not true."
Salford joins the fray on Covid datahttps://t.co/N6UUxh8IKw
Updated
22 Covid-19 deaths in England
A further 22 people in England have died after testing positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 29,013, NHS England said.
Patients were aged between 52 and 99 years old. All patients had known underlying health conditions.
The number of deaths of patients with Covid-19 by region are as follows:
East of England 2
London 2
Midlands 1
North East & Yorkshire 2
North West 8
South East 5
South West 2
Wales: no new coronavirus deaths recorded
There are no new deaths of people who tested positive for coronavirus in Wales, with the number remaining at 1,540, Public Health Wales said.
The total number of cases in Wales increased by 10 to 15,939.
Famous faces should deliver public health messages after public slump in trust for government, say scientists
Sports stars and celebrities should be enlisted to deliver public health messages because a slump in government credibility on the pandemic risks official communications being ineffective, scientific advisors have told ministers.
The recommendation, revealed in documents released by the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), is part of detailed advice given on how the government should deliver messaging in the event that some lockdown measures need to be reintroduced. Depending on their success, the government is told to expect responses from the population ranging from “silent compliance” to “visible resistance”.
The scientists, on Sage behavioural science subgroup, warn that “given the recent decline in the credibility of, and trust in, the government in relation to the pandemic, a communications campaign that focuses simply on giving information is likely to be ineffective”. Instead, the scientists recommend, influential figures such as sports, music and media celebrities should be recruited to “help endorse and deliver the communications”.
The government should also develop “new motivational messages” that are targeted and tailored for subgroups of the population so that communications resonate with people’s specific beliefs and social norms.
The document also recommends that the public need to be made aware now of the possibility that measures might need to be reintroduced in the future, to encourage adherence to existing rules and to ensure that any reintroduction is seen as legitimate.
The scientists note that the public mood is markedly different now to at the outset of the pandemic, with Cabinet Office polling pointing to a steady decline in trust in government communications since early April, though trust may have started to increase again since early June. They also warn that many people are “confused by rapidly changing government guidance and do not fully understand the rationale for it” making them less likely to be motivated to comply with guidance.
The nature of what measures are being reimposed will also influence the likely public response, the scientists note. If schools are among the last to reopen and the first to close again during a resurgence, this is likely to cause anger, the scientists suggest and regional lockdowns could also give rise to resentment.
Updated
A range of premises in England have been allowed to resume operating this week, including beauty parlours, swimming pools and indoor gyms. Helen Pidd reveals some of the things people will and won’t be allowed to do:
Updated
Watch the wonderful moment @ListerICU said goodbye to #COVID19 patient Ray on the #NHSBirthday. Well done Ray, and thank you to all #OurNHSPeople for your continued dedication to looking after us all — during the pandemic and always. 💙 #ThankYouNHSpic.twitter.com/dI2HtHbjJ4
— NHS England and NHS Improvement (@NHSEngland) July 10, 2020
Share your feedback about health and social care services in Liverpool with us here: https://t.co/9WGIAQ4Hxe#BecauseWeAllCare https://t.co/WChlWWOEr7
— Healthwatch L'Pool (@HW_Liverpool) July 8, 2020
Summary of morning news
Good afternoon, below is a look at the latest updates from this morning. If you want to follow me or contact me on Twitter to share insights or to send tips, I’m on @Gregoryjourno or you can send me an email at gregory.robinson@guardian.co.uk
- 16 homeless people known to have died with coronavirus - Analysis by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has found that 16 homeless people are known to have died with coronavirus in England during the first three months of lockdown.
- Nicola Sturgeon announced no new coronavirus deaths in Scotland for the second consecutive day. Up to eight people are allowed to meet indoors as Sturgeon also urged people to continue to wear face coverings in Scotland
- Six in 10 adults would feel ‘uncomfortable’ eating indoors at a restaurant – In a poll of 1,788 adults in Britain carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) between 2-5 July, 21% of adults said they would feel comfortable or very comfortable doing so, with 60% feeling the opposite.
- Boris Johnson has thanked school leavers for making “sacrifices” that will have saved many lives amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Prime Minister @BorisJohnson’s address to United Kingdom students finishing school in 2020. pic.twitter.com/VvgiBRTCmV
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) July 10, 2020
- Today is the last day to register for free meals during the school summer break and access the Covid-19 summer food fund, which will allow schools to order free school meals vouchers for eligible children to cover the summer holidays. Details for registration are here.
- Leading charities have told the government relatives of dementia patients should be treated as key workers so they can visit their family members and be tested for coronavirus where necessary.
Updated
My colleague Damian Carrington has reported that air pollution has remained at lower levels in UK towns and cities despite a return to near-normal traffic levels after the easing of coronavirus restrictions.
More here:
Updated
Sturgeon says number of new cases highest in three weeks
Nicola Sturgeon has warned easing lockdown restrictions must not lead to Scots letting down their guard, as she revealed the highest number of new cases of the virus for three weeks.
The first minister said 18 people have tested positive for Covid-19 since Wednesday - taking the total to 18,333.
While the number of new cases remains “very low”, she said, the rise is being “looked at very closely” and serves as a reminder the virus has not gone away.
Scotland: up eight people allowed to meet indoors as Sturgeon urges face mask compliance
Nicola Sturgeon has provided more information on the rules regarding face coverings in public. This comes after Sturgeon announced no new coronavirus deaths have been recorded in Scotland for the second day running.
The law coming into force today should not need to be enforced, but the police can issue fines if necessary.
But I am asking everybody to stick to the law, not from a fear of enforcement, but because it is the right thing to do, it helps keep us and other people safe.
I encourage people to see wearing a face covering, for the foreseeable future, when you go to the shops to become as automatic as putting a seatbelt on is in a car already.”
Sturgeon added that wearing a covering was “one of the ways we can show care for and solidarity with each other and allow each other to live less restricted lives without seeing a resurgence in the virus”.
Please everybody comply with this, because it is for the good of all of us. It will help keep us safe and protect everybody.”
Other changes to lockdown in Scotland allow for up to 15 people from five households to meet up outdoors - while “limited indoor gatherings” of up to eight adults from three households can now also take place.
Sturgeon also said it was recommended people avoid meeting with more than four different households in any day.
She said:
The ability to meet indoors even in small numbers is a simple pleasure that has been hard earned by all of us, so enjoy it.
Updated
Culture minister Caroline Dinenage said she wears a mask “all the time” after the Government came under pressure to answer why more senior figures had not been pictured wearing face coverings.
Dinenage told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:
I wear mine all the time. I have a fashion design student as a son who has run me up a few on his sewing machine and I wear them all the time. A lot of us are out there wearing them as we go about our daily lives.”
Social media users raised concerns this week after the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, was pictured serving food to customers at a Wagamama restaurant in central London without a face covering.
There have also been no public sightings of Boris Johnson wearing a mask.
Updated
The Welsh government has given more details of how lockdown restrictions are to be lifted in the coming days and weeks.
From Monday (13 July) the following will be able to open, subject to following guidance about coronavirus-safe ways to operate:
- Hairdressing salons and barbershops, including mobile hairdressers.
- Pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes outdoors.
- Outdoor cinemas.
- Indoor visitor attractions, but a small number of underground visitor attractions will remain closed for the time being because of the higher risks associated with these environments.
- Places of worship. Faith leaders can begin to gradually resume services when they are ready to do so safely.
The Welsh government is also making changes to the regulations to allow larger gatherings of up to 30 people outdoors only where these are organised and supervised by a responsible person for sports and other leisure activities and classes.
This will allow sports and leisure activities, such as fitness and dance classes to take place outdoors, as well as collective worship.
From 20 July, playgrounds, community centres and outdoor gyms will be able to reopen gradually over the following weeks as and when safety checks and mitigations are put in place.
The government is also calling on other businesses and sectors to prepare for re-opening from 27 July:
- Close contact services, including nail and beauty salons and businesses providing tanning services, massages, body piercings, tattooing, electrolysis or acupuncture.
- Indoor cinemas, museums, galleries and archive services.
- Tourist accommodation with shared facilities, such as camping sites. Opening would be from 25 July.
- Reopening the housing market fully.
The government also said that provided the reopening of outdoor hospitality goes well, and the state of the virus allows, indoor opening for pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants will resume from 3 August.
A final decision about reopening these sectors will depend on conditions and feedback from the initial opening of the tourism industry, indoor attractions and hairdressing sector.
Updated
No new coronavirus deaths recorded in Scotland
No new coronavirus deaths have been recorded in Scotland for the second day running, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.
The first minister told the Scottish government’s coronavirus briefing that 2,490 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for Covid-19, which marks no change since Wednesday.
Sturgeon said 18,333 people have tested positive for the virus in Scotland, up by 18 from 18,315 on Thursday.
This was the highest rise in positive cases in almost three weeks, she said, and the government would be “looking very closely” at it.
There are 668 people in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, up 22 in the past 24 hours.
Of these patients, 12 were in intensive care, a rise of three.
Updated
Boris Johnson is about to answer questions as part of today’s #PeoplesPMQs which will feature pre-selected questions from the public.
Tomorrow I’ll be hosting another episode of the #PeoplesPMQs.
— Boris Johnson #StayAlert (@BorisJohnson) July 9, 2020
Send me your questions here: https://t.co/lZOlW960OF pic.twitter.com/ybK17NjvPq
16 homeless people known to have died with coronavirus - ONS
Analysis by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has found that 16 homeless people are known to have died with coronavirus in England during the first three months of lockdown.
The deaths were registered between 26 March and 26 June. The ONS cautioned that the figure may be an underestimate of the true number of homeless people who have died with the virus.
The ONS defined homeless people as those who were sleeping rough, using homeless shelters and direct access hostels, or housed in emergency accommodation due to the pandemic at or around the time of death.
The majority of the homeless people identified were men, six lived in London and three in the north-west. The average age of death was 58 for the homeless men – considerably lower than the average age at death involving Covid-19 for men in the general population, at 79.
Details of the homeless women who died were not given to prevent people from being identified due to the low numbers.
Jon Sparkes, from the Crisis charity, said:
When the outbreak started, it was a stark reminder of the risk people who are homeless face from the virus – with no access to a place to self-isolate nor, in some cases, basic sanitation.
We need emergency homelessness legislation to guarantee everyone experiencing homelessness has the security of a safe and settled home. Without this, people risk being forced back on our streets or into crowded shelters, with the danger posed by the virus still very real.
Updated
Deborah Meaden and Simon Thomas are among the celebrities who are backing a campaign led by Blood Cancer UK. The campaign is calling for the government to provide support for people with blood cancer who are unable to go back to work safely due to coronavirus.
Lets keep our MPs busy doing good things.....#saveourshielders https://t.co/bEIldkn7TS
— Deborah Meaden (@DeborahMeaden) July 9, 2020
Some people really shouldn’t be going back to work because for those with #bloodcancer it is too risky; but no financial support means they’ll have to. Please support @bloodcancer_uk ‘s #SaveOurShielders by worrying to your MP. Link 👇 https://t.co/alyp1dAjEi
— Simon Thomas (@SimonThomasTV) July 8, 2020
Updated
Police in England and Wales have not issued fines to people for breaching qurantine rules after arriving from abroad, PA reports.
Only 10 tickets were handed out to passengers for not wearing face coverings on public transport, according to the data released by the National Police Chiefs’ Council on Friday.
Face coverings became mandatory on public transport on June 15 in England and passengers caught not complying with the regulations can be being fined £100 and removed from services.
The figures come as quarantine rules for people returning to or visiting the England, Wales and Northern Ireland from a list of countries, including popular holiday destinations, were relaxed from today.
The 14-day self-isolation policy for UK arrivals, bar a handful of exemptions, was introduced on 8 June, with breaches punishable by fines of between £100 and £1,000. It was met with criticism over the impact on the UK’s travel, tourism and hospitality industries.
The NPCC said:
Up to 22 June, no fines were issued by territorial forces in England and Wales for breaches of the requirement to quarantine following international travel.
The figures do not include fines given by Border Force, who have issued three penalties.
The NPCC figures show the only force in England and Wales to issue fines was the British Transport Police, which handed out 10 penalties up to June 22.
Updated
Six in 10 adults would feel ‘uncomfortable’ eating indoors at a restaurant - ONS
In a poll of 1,788 adults in Britain carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) between 2-5 July, 21% of adults said they would feel comfortable or very comfortable doing so, with 60% feeling the opposite.
The findings come ahead of the government’s meal deal scheme to encourage dining out.
Pubs and restaurants in England were able to reopen from Saturday 4 July. The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, announced a meal deal scheme this week to encourage more people to dine out in August to help the economy recover.
Half-price meals will be offered to diners eating out every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday during August as part of the Eat Out To Help Out scheme.
The peri-peri chicken chain Nando’s today became one of the first major UK restaurant groups to confirm it was signing up to the scheme.
Updated
The list of countries UK holidaymakers can visit without restrictions on arrival has been updated. Starting from today France is expected to lift requirements for UK arrivals to carry out a “voluntary quarantine” for 14 days.
You can find the full list here:
Updated
Boris Johnson has thanked school leavers for making “sacrifices” that will have saved many lives amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In a video posted online he said: “And now, as many of you are missing out once again on parties, festivals, presentations, perhaps even long-planned holidays, I want you to know that your efforts have been worth it. Because of you, because of your sacrifice, we’ve saved hundreds of thousands of lives.
“And that’s not something many generations will be able to say about their final weeks of school, not your elder siblings, certainly not your parents.”
Prime Minister @BorisJohnson’s address to United Kingdom students finishing school in 2020. pic.twitter.com/VvgiBRTCmV
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) July 10, 2020
Updated
Not a single person has been fined by police in England and Wales for breaching quarantine rules after arriving from abroad, according to new figures.
Just 10 tickets were handed out to passengers for not wearing face coverings on public transport, according to the data released by the National Police Chiefs’ Council on Friday.
The figures do not include fines given by Border Force, which has issued three penalties.
Two British nationals were fined at Coquelles, near Calais, in northern France, on 28 June, while a European person was issued a penalty in Hull the following day.
Updated
A trial is under way to use UV light to clean the handrails on escalators on the London Underground and is being assessed by Transport for London with a view to rolling it out more widely.
The device is connected to the escalator handrail and uses its motion to power a UV bulb that breaks down surface contamination to sanitise the handrail.
Andy Byford, London’s new transport commissioner, said: “A huge range of measures are in place across the transport network to ensure it is cleaner than ever, including the use of new hospital-grade substances, 1,000 hand sanitiser points, and a new trial of UV technology to sanitise hand rails.”
Updated
Today is the last day to register for free meals during the school summer break and access the Covid-19 summer food fund, which will allow schools to order free school meals vouchers for eligible children to cover the summer holidays.
Details for registration are here.
Boris Johnson was forced last month into a humbling U-turn over providing the food vouchers for some of England’s poorest families after a campaign launched by the footballer Marcus Rashford threatened to engulf his government in another crisis.
Guidance for how to apply for the COVID Summer Food Programme 👇🏾https://t.co/samSQUcbGq
— Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) June 26, 2020
Deadline for applications is July 10th.
Please share!
Updated
Deaths of 16 homeless people with Covid-19 may be underestimate - ONS
The deaths of 16 homeless people involving coronavirus were registered in England between March 26 and June 26, according to the Office for National Statistics.
But it stressed that the figure may be an underestimate of the true number of homeless people who have died with the virus.
It defined people as homeless who were sleeping rough, using homeless shelters and direct access hostels, or housed in emergency accommodation due to the pandemic at or around the time of death.
The 16 death certificates, mainly for homeless men, mentioned Covid-19 either as an underlying cause or a contributory factor.
Updated
Relatives of dementia patients should be key workers, say charities
Relatives of dementia patients should be treated as key workers so they can visit their family members and be tested for coronavirus where necessary, leading charities have told the government.
The heads of organisations including Dementia UK and the Alzheimer’s Society have signed a letter to the health and social care secretary, Matt Hancock, calling for visits to resume safely and for relatives to be given the same “key worker” access to care homes and coronavirus testing as staff, the BBC reported.
The letter reportedly argues the care given by family members is essential to the overall wellbeing of dementia patients, and that the social distancing restrictions have contributed to a “hidden catastrophe” in care homes, which have been closed to non-essential visitors since March.
Hancock said on Thursday that the government would be setting out details “in the next few days” of how Covid-secure care home visits could resume.
Today, dementia charities across the country are uniting with a single, urgent message in #OneDementiaVoice.
— Alzheimer's Society (@alzheimerssoc) July 10, 2020
We're calling on the Government to give designated family carers Key Worker status so they can safely visit their loved ones in care homes: https://t.co/2gLKw6sHxJ pic.twitter.com/gjUBpQFcR0
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The peri-peri chicken chain Nando’s has today become one of the first major UK restaurant groups to confirm it is signing up to the government’s “Eat out to help out” scheme anounced by the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, in his summer statement on Wednesday.
Diners will get a 50% discount off their restaurant bill - up to £10 per head - during August under plans to bolster the embattled hospitality sector. The deal will only apply from Monday to Wednesday and restaurants and pub chains must sign up to the scheme via a government website being launched next week. It is open to restaurant and pub chains as well as independent businesses.
A Nando’s spokesperson said: “We will be taking part in the ‘Eat out to help out’ campaign so our fans can look forward to great savings on their peri-peri soon. We’re just working through the details and will have more to announce shortly.”
To get the best value for money, customers are likely to be drawn to “value” restaurants, and ordering meals costing no more than £20 a head. Children’s meals are covered, but not alcoholic drinks. Most restaurants reopening to diners after the lockdown are generally offering reduced menus.
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The Gym Group, one of Britain’s largest operators of low-cost gyms, has set out plans to reopen almost all of its establishments in England from 25 July, with Covid-19 measures including apps for customers to check if gyms are busy.
Initially, 160 of its 179 branches will open on the first date permitted under government guidelines issued on Thursday, with the remainder – in Leicester, Scotland and Wales – to follow when restrictions are relaxed.
There will be a trial of 24-hour opening in a small number of establishments at first while new operating procedures are tried out, including spacing out equipment, limiting users at any one time, temperature checks on staff, improved ventilation and sanitation, and cleaning kit after each use.
The group will also encourage people to use gyms and leisure facilities at quieter periods by providing members with a live “gym busyness” online tracker and recent usage patterns.
The Gym Group has lost more than 20% of its membership during the four months of lockdown, despite freezing all payments, and has just under 700,000 remaining customers, with an average age of 32. It said it would give options for all members to continue to freeze payments if necessary.
There’s been unease in some quarters today at reports that the UK government has rejected the chance to join the European Union’s coronavirus vaccine programme due to concerns over “costly delays.”
The EU is planning to spend around €2bn (£1.8bn) on the advance purchase of vaccines that are undergoing testing on behalf of the 27 member states.
Negotiations with Brussels have been ongoing but Alok Sharma, the business secretary, is believed to have opted out of the opportunity, according to The Daily Telegraph. The European commission is expected to be notified today.
Ideology trumps strategy
— roger kline (@rogerkline) July 10, 2020
UK has opted out of EU coronavirus vaccine programme, sources say https://t.co/CdGrVqLo9H
Though here’s another way of putting it:
More accurate and correct to say that the UK has chosen not to ask to join the EU vaccine programme. You don’t get to opt out when you’re not in by default. pic.twitter.com/xzSD5yA1zq
— Chris Kendall (@ottocrat) July 10, 2020
A government minister has been reacting to fury from the beauty sector at government guidance that allows salons to open but which still prohibits facial treatments such as eyebrow threading and tinting.
Some detect double standards in the form of rules which allow for beard trimming to take place.
Caroline Dinenage, a minister at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, insisted the guidance on beard trimming was “actually quite tight” and said the scientific advice for now unfortunately meant that the restrictions on facial treatments had to remain.
@10DowningStreet why is it possible that men can get their beards pampered in salons but the beauty therapy industry - a £7 billion industry!!! - can not offer facial treatments for women?!!! If this isn’t modern day sexism and misogyny I DON’T KNOW WHAT IS. #beautysalons
— Dizziana Gosney (@dizziana) July 10, 2020
The minister added: “Of course I want these services to be opened as quickly as anybody - I haven’t had my eyebrows done in months.”
“I totally understand the challenges and the frustrations, but we just have to err on the side of caution and keep people safe.”
Dinenage was also pressed on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on what some view as an apparent reluctance on the part of some senior government figures, including the prime minister, to be photographed or filmed wearing face masks.
Dinenage said told the BBC’s Mishal Hussein she would “have to ask them”, while insisting ministers had been photographed and filmed wearing masks. She was not able to name others when asked.
The exchange came after the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, faced criticism for not wearing a mask while taking part in a publicity stunt at a branch of Wagamama following the unveiling of an economic package this week.
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Northern Ireland is moving ahead of the rest of the UK today by allowing the reopening of gyms 15 days ahead of England. No dates have been set for Scotland or Wales.
Welcome back 😁🏆#fitness #FitnessMotivation #FitnessGoals #gym #Belfast #healthy pic.twitter.com/vrZI5u9lwZ
— Spartanfitness_belfast (@Spartafitness1) July 6, 2020
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The Scottish government will scrap free university tuition for EU students next year – one of its key pledges after the 2016 referendum – as institutions continue to cope with a financial burden from the pandemic
Higher education minister Richard Lochhead said ministers had taken the decision with a “heavy heart”, blaming the “stark reality” of Brexit for the decision.
Referring to the financial stresses brought about by the impact of Covid-19, he said the money saved – which he estimated to be up to £19m for 2021-22 – will be kept within the higher education sector and the number of university places for Scottish students will rise as a result.
Students from EU countries have been eligible for free tuition since fees were scrapped, as is still the case for Scottish students.
Lochhead said: “That is the stark reality of Brexit and a painful reminder that our country’s decisions are affected by UK policies that we do not support and did not vote for. Our internationalism remains a key strength of higher education in Scotland.
“EU students who have already started their studies, or who start this autumn, will not be affected and will still be tuition-free for the entirety of their course.”
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Theatres and music venues in England will be able to host physically distanced outdoor performances from Saturday 11 July under new government guidance, but industry figures are calling for more clarity on when full-capacity indoor performances can return.
The culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, announced the relaxing of restrictions at Thursday’s 5pm press conference where he said performances can now take place as long as they are “outside and with a limited and socially distanced audience”.
“As I’ve seen for myself at the Royal Academy this morning, the National Gallery and as we’ll see shortly from the National Museums Liverpool, our cultural institutions are beginning to welcome back visitors,” he said.
“I’m really urging people to get out there and to play their part, buy the tickets for outdoor plays and music recitals, get to your local gallery and support your local businesses.”
British government follows Scotland on quarantine for travellers from Serbia
The British government is removing Serbia from its list of countries from which people can return to or visit England without going into quarantine, bringing England into line with Scotland.
A spokesman said: “The Joint Biosecurity Centre together with Public Health England have updated their coronavirus assessments of Serbia based on the latest data.
“As a result, the government has decided to remove Serbia from the list of countries from which passengers arriving in England are exempted from the need to self-isolate.
“We’ve always been clear that we would act immediately to remove a country where necessary. Both our list of exemptions and the FCO travel advice are being updated to reflect these latest risk assessments.”
I’m going to seek some clarity in relation to the position in Wales.
Update: A spokesperson for the Welsh Government tells me that Wales is aligning with England on this.
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A quick glance at the morning papers covering Covid-19 developments on their front pages now, and plans to allow the reopening of beauty salons, gyms and pools make the Telegraph and the Sun although the Mail gives voice to unhappiness about cruises having to remain shut.
Friday’s Daily TELEGRAPH: “Salons reopen as normality edges closer” #BBCPapers #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/4APKEMYtVT
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) July 9, 2020
Friday’s Daily MAIL: “They’ve Sunk Our Cruises” #BBCPapers #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/xU8UVsDFe4
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) July 9, 2020
The Guardian has the warning from the World Health Organization (WHO) that the virus is accelerating, while the Mirror focuses on the economic carnage wrought in the UK
Friday’s GUARDIAN: “Coronavirus pandemic is accelerating, warns WHO” #BBCPapers #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/UzzFztwEax
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) July 9, 2020
Friday’s Daily MIRROR: “Jobs Hell At High St Icons” #BBCPapers #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/9PJLu5ZVZx
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) July 9, 2020
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More than nine in 10 commuters are complying with rules requiring face coverings on public transport, a Guardian snapshot has found – though conspiracy theories, confusion over public messaging and concerns over lack of enforcement are prompting concern.
In Glasgow on Wednesday, compliance with the measure to control coronavirus was almost 100% on buses, overground trains and the subway. The Guardian saw only one passenger with a bare face out of a total of 160.
In Manchester, 91% of 184 passengers surveyed on trams and buses were wearing face coverings. Around 99% of 225 passengers observed on London underground and at overground stations were wearing face coverings – including two moving from carriage to carriage on the tube with a paper cup, begging for small change.
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Good morning and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of coronavirus developments in the UK.
It’s a big day for the travel and hospitality sector – as well as would-be holidaymakers – with quarantine rules for people entering Britain from countries deemed “safe” being relaxed today, though the Scottish government is retaining a 14-day quarantine restriction for travellers from Spain.
Meanwhile, the accelerator is being pushed down on lockdown easing following the announcement that gyms, swimming pools and leisure centres in England will be allowed to reopen within the next two weeks.
In Scotland, the wearing of masks becomes mandatory today.
At around midday, Boris Johnson will take questions from the public as he hosts another edition of his so-called “People’s PMQs”, answering pre-selected questions about the government’s handling of the pandemic and other issues.
All of the above takes place against a bleak economic background, with many today digesting the latest job losses announced yesterday at Boots and John Lewis, who have plans to cut 5,300 jobs and close stores.
I’m Ben Quinn: you can tweet me at @BenQuinn75 or email ben.quinn@theguardian.com if you’d like to flag up developments that we should be picking up on.
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