Coronavirus in UK

[MenInG]

Lowest daily death total in UK since lockdown began
There have been a further 77 coronavirus deaths reported across the UK, the lowest daily total since lockdown began on 23 March.

The Department of Health says the total number of deaths was at 40,542 as of 17:00 BST on Saturday.

Death figures are normally lower at the weekends due to a lag in testing and reporting.

Once again the government did not provide figures for the number of people tested for Covid-19, but said 142,123 had been delivered in the past day.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">As of 9am 7 June, there have been 5,581,073 tests, with 142,123 tests on 6 June. <br><br>286,194 people have tested positive. <br><br>As of 5pm on 6 June, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 40,542 have sadly died.<br><br>More info:<br> <a href="https://t.co/xXnL3FU15k">https://t.co/xXnL3FU15k</a> <a href="https://t.co/0NwwsU4JMt">pic.twitter.com/0NwwsU4JMt</a></p>— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSCgovuk/status/1269638459209191425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Firebat]

No Covid-19 deaths in London over 24 hours

London hospitals have recorded no deaths among those to have tested positive for coronavirus over 24 hours.

Across England, a further 59 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus, during the same period.

That is the lowest number since before lockdown was announced on 23 March.

 

[Firebat]

Travellers give verdict on new UK quarantine rules

BBC transport correspondent Tom Burridge has been speaking to passengers arriving at London Stansted Airport from Eindhoven in the Netherlands about new quarantine rules that came into force today.

The measures require all travellers arriving in the UK, except those arriving from the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, to self-isolate for 14 days. Many passengers said they were happy to comply.

One told the BBC: "For some people it might be inconvenient but for me it’s OK because I’ve come to the country and the rate is high here so I think it’s sensible.”

But others pointed out the effectiveness of the measures could be undermined by individuals travelling by public transport to the place where they are quarantining.

"If I’m a carrier now how would they control it? How would you know if I’d spread it to anyone else?" one said.

 

[Firebat]

New UK travel quarantine rules a stunt, says Ryanair boss

New rules requiring all people arriving in the UK to self-isolate for 14 days have come into effect.

Those arriving by plane, ferry or train - including UK nationals - must give an address where they will self-isolate. Rule breakers will be fined.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has said the laws were designed "to prevent a second wave" of coronavirus.

But the boss of Ryanair has said the rules are a "political stunt" and are not a quarantine.

Michael O'Leary told the BBC: "You could be in Sainsbury's, you could be on the beach, you could be on the golf course in the unlikely event the Home Office calls you - all they will have is a mobile number."

He claimed even the Home Office acknowledged the rules were unenforceable.

Some industries have warned they will be severely impacted by the rules, and Mr O'Leary warned of devastation.

Despite criticism from businesses, Ms Patel has said the measures are "proportionate" and being implemented "at the right time".

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-52959118

 

[Firebat]

UK COVID-19 death toll grows by 55: lowest rise since March 22

LONDON (Reuters) - The United Kingdom’s death toll from confirmed cases of COVID-19 rose by 55 to 40,597 as of 1600 GMT on June 7, the lowest rise since a lockdown was imposed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in March, according to government data published on Monday.

The last time such a low daily increase was reported was on March 22, when the toll rose by 35, according to government data. Johnson imposed a stringent lockdown on the United Kingdom the next day.

A broader measure of the death toll which includes suspected cases, shows the United Kingdom’s death is likely to be above 50,000, according to a Reuters tally of official data sources.

That makes the United Kingdom the second worst-hit country in the world, according to official statistics, after the United States.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...y-55-lowest-rise-since-march-22-idUSKBN23F1P1

 

[Firebat]

Pub gardens in England 'could reopen this month'

Pubs and restaurants in England could re-open earlier than planned after warnings of huge job losses.

Firms have been preparing to start serving customers outdoors from 4 July, but 22 June is now being considered by ministers - as first reported by the Financial Times newspaper.

Pub chain Wetherspoons said it would be a "psychological boost", but trade body UK Hospitality told the BBC that reducing social distancing from two metres to one metre would be far more important for the industry's survival.

The Cabinet may discuss the issues on Tuesday. Read more here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52964669

 

[MenInG]

The UK has reported 55 more coronavirus-related deaths, the lowest number since 22 March, AFP reports.

It is the lowest daily total since the country went into lockdown on March 23, although figures on Mondays are usually low due to weekend reporting practices.

With 40,597 deaths among people testing positive for coronavirus, The UK is the hardest hit nation in Europe and second in the world behind the US. Scotland, which has seen 2,415 deaths after positive tests, recorded no new fatalities for the second day in a row.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">As of 9am 8 June, there have been 5,731,576 tests, with 138,183 tests on 7 June. <br><br>287,399 people have tested positive. <br><br>As of 5pm on 7 June, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 40,597 have sadly died.<br><br>More info:<br><a href="https://t.co/xXnL3FU15k">https://t.co/xXnL3FU15k</a> <a href="https://t.co/oVY0QrKFAC">pic.twitter.com/oVY0QrKFAC</a></p>— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSCgovuk/status/1269981670737874946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[The Viper]

What did we learn from today's UK briefing?

Today's press conference was held by Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who was joined by David Pearson, the new chair of the government's coronavirus social care taskforce.

Here's what they told us:

Despite some speculation over the weekend that the R-number (the rate of reproduction of the virus) is above one in some regions, the government's official figures estimate it is below one in every region. This means each infected person passes the virus, on average, to fewer than one other person

The government will be drawing up a new plan for social care as lockdown eases. The new taskforce will connect government, local authorities and care providers and focus on infection prevention

All old-age care home residents and staff have been tested - and this is now being rolled out to 6,000 other adult care homes

Mr Hancock says it is safe for families to put their relatives into care homes. He said the proportion of care home deaths in the UK is lower than in other countries

He also denied that, when thinking about lifting lockdown measures, there is a trade off between deaths and the economy. He said a second spike in cases would be very damaging to the economy

 

[MenInG]

 

[Firebat]

Let us reopen, London Zoo urges government

London and Whipsnade Zoos say they face permanent closure if the government does not reverse its decision to keep zoos shut as lockdown restrictions are eased.

The charity the Zoological Society of London, which runs both attractions, said the sites are reliant on income from visitors to care for their animals and fund global science and conservation projects.

ZSL said it did not qualify for government help and has been spending £1m a month on expenses.

ZSL head Dominic Jermey said: "Unlike shops, museums and pubs, we couldn't just shut the gates, press pause, and wait for the green light to return.

"Our zookeepers, veterinary teams and facilities teams have continued to come to work every day to ensure our precious animals remain healthy and cared for."

ZSL says measures have been put in place so visitors can return to the zoos safely.

The issue is to be discussed in a parliamentary debate on Thursday.

 

[Abdullah719]

 

[MenInG]

What did we learn from today's UK briefing?

Today's government press conference was led by Business Secretary Alok Sharma, joined by Sarah Albon, CEO of the health and safety executive.

Here's what they told us:

As had been planned, non-essential shops can open from Monday, as long as they comply with coronavirus guidelines

Local authorities and the health and safety executive will be able to take enforcement action against shops which do not follow the guidelines for keeping people safe

The plan to re-open bars, restaurants and pubs remains pencilled in for 4 July

The government does not have plans to reduce the 2m social distancing rule as some businesses have asked, but it is committed to keep it under review

The government is still focusing on the national situation, and the national rate of infection, rather than regional measures to determine the level of restrictions.

 

[Abdullah719]

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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-stylermal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div></a> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBP0ARplM4S/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-stylermal; font-weightrmal; line-height:17px; text-decorationne; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Missing our home in SA a lot - @umganulodge! These quarantine rules & travel restrictions starting to actually really **** ME OFF! NZ back to normal! Australia heading that way, but here in the UK(an island), it’s still a shocker!!!!! As positive as I want to be about the light at the end of the tunnel, I’ve got a feeling that this government is going to come under extreme pressure when they’re held to account. How on mothers earth could so many people have died in the UK??? South Korea stopped it! South Africa done a good job in locking down! NZ sorted it! Australia almost back to normal! Germany sorted it! Lots of other places too...! I want to, just as much as other want to get back to work! I want our kids to go back to normal. There’s going to be some very tough questions for the UK government for sure! It’s been an absolute shambles & I’m voicing a bit of negativity, cos I cannot be positive about this utter shambles anymore. It’s been made clear to me over the last week when watch NZ/Aus, that we should be almost back to a normal life, if we’d dealt with this properly! But, we’re not. Lost lives, lost jobs, kids suffering without friends!!! Complete & utter shocker! &#55358;&#56620;&#55358;&#56620;&#55358;&#56620;</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-spacewrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kp24/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-stylermal; font-weightrmal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Kevin Pietersen &#55358;&#56719;</a> (@kp24) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-06-10T0754+00:00">Jun 10, 2020 at 12:59am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

 

[Rana]

Thorpe Park to reopen on the 4th of July but schools are still too dangerous to reopen

My God!

 

[Firebat]

Coronavirus came to UK 'on at least 1,300 separate occasions'

Coronavirus was brought into the UK on at least 1,300 separate occasions, a major analysis of the genetics of the virus shows.

The study, by the Covid-19 Genomics UK consortium (Cog-UK), completely quashes the idea that a single "patient zero" started the whole UK outbreak.

The analysis also finds China, where the pandemic started, had a negligible impact on cases in the UK.

Instead those initial cases came mostly from European countries.

The researchers analysed the genetic code of viral samples taken from more than 20,000 people infected with coronavirus in the UK.

Then, like a gigantic version of a paternity test, the geneticists attempted to piece together the virus's massive family tree.

This was combined with data on international travel to get to the origins of the UK epidemic.

They found the UK's coronavirus epidemic did not have one origin - but at least 1,356 origins. On each of those occasions somebody brought the infection into the UK from abroad and the virus began to spread as a result.

"The surprising and exciting conclusion is that we found the UK epidemic has resulted from a very large number of separate importations," said Prof Nick Loman, from Cog-UK and the University of Birmingham.

"It wasn't a patient zero," he added.

The study showed that less than 0.1% of those imported cases came directly from China. Instead the UK's coronavirus epidemic was largely initiated by travel from Italy in late February, Spain in early-to-mid-March and then France in mid-to-late-March.

Cases that started outbreak mostly came from Europe
80% occurred from 28 Feb-29 Mar


"This happened later than perhaps we would have expected," added Prof Loman.

The study estimates 80% of those initial cases arrived in the country between 28 Feb and 29 March - the time the UK was debating whether to lockdown.

After this point, the number of new imported cases diminished rapidly.

The earliest one could be traced back to the beginning of February, but it is possible there were cases even earlier that could not be picked up by the analysis.

The study also says the controversial football match between Liverpool and Atletico Madrid, on 11 March, probably had very little impact on bringing the virus into the country.

An estimated 3,000 fans flew in from Spain to watch the game, but there were 20,000 people flying in from Spain every single day in mid-March.

"[It] shows that individual events such as football matches likely made a negligible contribution to the number of imports at that time," the study says.

The imported cases each started off a chain of transmission where the virus is passed from one person, to the next, to the next and so on.

However, the study shows lockdown has massively disrupted the spread of the virus.

"If there's good news here, these chains of transmission were and are being suppressed and going extinct as a result of social distancing and we continue to see that now," Prof Loman said.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-52993734

 

[Firebat]

Scottish tourism sector could reopen on 15 July

Scotland's tourism businesses have been told to prepare to reopen on 15 July.

Tourism Secretary Fergus Ewing said the date was conditional on moving to the third phase of the route map for easing lockdown restrictions.

He said businesses needed clarity to be able to plan for reopening and he announced a new taskforce.

But he warned that "absolutely nothing can be guaranteed" and this date may change if the evidence on Covid-19 requires it.

Mr Ewing told MSPs the pandemic had left the industry facing unprecedented challenges.

'Exceptional circumstances'

But he said the new taskforce would focus on the sector's recovery needs, actions being taken by the UK government and the development of a new domestic visitor marketing campaign.

It is in addition to the £2.3bn package of support for businesses across the country which includes measures specific to the sector, such as a full year's non-domestic rates relief and specific grant schemes that are not available elsewhere in the UK.

Mr Ewing said: "The coronavirus pandemic has presented challenges across the entirety of the Scottish economy, but it is very clear there are exceptional circumstances facing this sector that must be recognised.

"We have acted as quickly as we can to address the significant financial challenges faced by businesses and provide a comprehensive package of support."

He also said the Scottish government was putting pressure on the UK government to do more, including a review of VAT rates and to consider extensions to schemes such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Mr Ewing added: "I've been engaging with businesses since the beginning of the outbreak and I have heard their calls for more clarity which today I can provide.

"Businesses should start to prepare for a provisional return to trading - with appropriate safety guidelines - on the 15th July 2020.

"This date cannot be definitive and is conditional on public health advice and progression to Phase 3 of the route map. Businesses must now use this time to satisfy the necessary regulations and adapt to the new way of living."

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-52998176

 

[MenInG]

Support bubbles are the first steps in allowing SOME households to mix in England, but in a very limited way.

It will mean adults living alone can join with ONE other household; such as family or friends. It will also apply to single parents.

They won't have to follow social distancing rules; so they can stay the night at their chosen household. They could hug people in the other household too.

That means, for example, that a single grandparent could go and stay at one of their children's house.

A single person could go and stay with a partner who lives alone.

If anyone in the bubble gets coronavirus symptoms, everyone will have to self-isolate.

The government is not advising people who are shielding to do any of this, however.

 

[MenInG]

 

[MenInG]

 

[MenInG]

There's a question about whether the two-metre social distancing rule will need to be relaxed to get all children back in school.

Boris Johnson says the rule is "not the issue" in primary schools, but rather the size of the classrooms.

Asked whether relaxing the rule is a political decision, the PM says there is a "balance of risk to be struck".

Patrick Vallance says the requirement is not a scientific rule and there are other "mitigating factors" to keep in mind.

He says these will make up an "overall risk assessment" that informs policy - adding the advice is not, and has never been, "two metres or nothing".

 

[The Viper]

What did we learn from today's Downing Street briefing?

Today's UK coronavirus briefing was hosted by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was joined by Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical adviser, and Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser.

Here is what we learnt:

The PM said the UK has met all the government's five tests for the lockdown to be eased and could proceed with further adjustments to the rules

From Saturday certain single people in England, such as a grandparent living on their own, will be able to abandon social distancing and interact freely with another household

Zoos and drive-in cinemas will be allowed to reopen in England, with certain restrictions

There would be a new national "catch-up programme" for school pupils in England, after it was confirmed many children will not return to classrooms until September. More details are to be announced by the education secretary next week.

On the two-metre social distancing rule, the PM says there is a "balance of risk to be struck" before it is loosened

Chris Whitty says it is important to learn lessons from what happened in the outbreak, saying the issue of whether testing could have been sped up very early on in the epidemic would have to be addressed

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">As of 9am 11 June, there have been 6,240,801 tests, with 197,007 tests on 10 June. <br><br>291,409 people have tested positive. <br><br>As of 5pm on 10 June, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 41,279 have sadly died.<br><br>More info:<br> <a href="https://t.co/xXnL3FU15k">https://t.co/xXnL3FU15k</a> <a href="https://t.co/Cj7lhQIk8N">pic.twitter.com/Cj7lhQIk8N</a></p>— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSCgovuk/status/1271064694128816130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>



UK death toll rises by 151

The latest government figures show that 151 people in the UK who tested positive with coronavirus have died over the past 24 hours.

It means as of 17:00 BST on 10 June the total death toll from coronavirus, across all settings, has risen to 41,279.

As of 09:00 BST on 11 June, there have been 6,240,801 tests, with 197,007 tests undertakes on 10 June - 291,409 people have tested positive.

 

[MenInG]

A total of 41,279 people have died after testing positive for the virus, a rise of 151 from yesterday's figure

Minsters are facing calls from Tory backbenchers to drop the 2m (6ft) social distancing rule in England

New figures from NHS England reveal the major disruption to cancer care during the pandemic

More than 17,000 fines for alleged breaches of lockdown laws have been issued in England and Wales

 

[The Viper]

What did we learn from today's UK briefing?

Today's government news conference was held by Health Secretary Matt Hancock, joined by Dido Harding, who is chairing the NHS test and trace programme in England.

Here's what they told us:

Anyone who has coronavirus symptoms can get a test by calling 119. The test and trace scheme relies on people reporting their symptoms and following instructions from the
NHS

In the first week of the test and trace programme, more than 8,000 people had their contacts traced. More than 31,000 contacts were traced, and nearly 27,000 of them (85%) agreed to self-isolate. The government is not planning an enforcement mechanism for people who do not follow an instruction to self-isolate but is not ruling it out

If businesses follow the government's Covid-secure guidelines, it may help employees avoid having to self-isolate if one of the employees tests positive. Social distancing is crucial to this

Contact tracers are adapting to make the scheme more effective, for example by changing what time of day they get in touch with the public. The tracing app is still being tested on the Isle of Wright and will be rolled out when human contact tracers are at their most effective

ONS survey data suggests 70-80% of people who have coronavirus antibodies - indicating they have had the disease - did not have symptoms. This is why people are being told to isolate for the full 14 days

 

[MenInG]

 

[MenInG]

The number of people testing positive for coronavirus in England is continuing to fall, according to estimates from the Office for National Statistics.

Around one in 1,700 people were infected between 25 May and 7 June, or 33,000 individuals, compared with one in 1,000 before then.

The figures are based on 20,000 swab tests from private households.

 

[Firebat]

UK death toll rises by 202

A further 202 people have died after testing positive for Covid-19 in the UK, the latest daily government figures show.

It brings the total number of deaths - in all settings - to 41,481.

 

[Firebat]

R number risen above 1 in parts of England – Sage

The reproduction number, or R, of coronavirus across the UK remains between 0.7 and 0.9, while across England it is 0.8-1.0, according to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies.

Sage also published regional values for R in England for the first time, with the South West having the highest range at 0.8-1.1.

The East of England is at 0.7 - 0.9, London, the Midlands, the North West and the South East at 0.8 - 1.0, and the North East and Yorkshire at 0.7 - 1.0.

But experts cautioned against the use of regional R values - the average number of people an infected to pass the disease on to - saying that as the number of infections falls, regional R values become less reliable.

Instead, from next week the government will publish the growth rates for regions that are based on data and make fewer assumptions.

 

[Firebat]

NHS England said another 70 people who tested positive for Covid-19 have died, bringing the total number of confirmed, reported deaths in hospitals in England to 27,860.

The number of deaths of patients with Covid-19 by region are as follows:

East of England 4

London 8

Midlands 13

North East & Yorkshire 8

North West 23

South East 11

South West 3

Total: 70

 

[Rana]

UK needs to half the 2 meter rule. Not sure how they are planning to open all shops considering the large amount of space they need for outdoor queues

 

[Firebat]

Further 80 deaths across UK nations

A further 80 people have died from the coronavirus, official figures show.

NHS England announced 67 new deaths had been registered in hospitals as of 17:00 BST yesterday, taking the total in England to 27,926.

There were six deaths announced in Wales bringing the total to 1,441 and five in Scotland, bringing the total there to 2,447.

The daily figures for Northern Ireland showed a further two deaths - taking the total there to 541.

The UK's Department of Health will publish their overall figure later, which usually differs from the nations' total due to variations in how the data is collected.

 

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[MenInG]

 

[Firebat]

UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said people should feel confident that it is safe to go shopping when non-essential shops reopen in England on Monday

Labour's David Lammy has said it is a "scandal" that the recommendations of a report on the impact of coronavirus on people in black, Asian and minority communities have been "buried"

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has commissioned a review into the 2m social distancing rule

 

[Firebat]

Further 27 coronavirus deaths in England

A further 27 people have died in hospital in England after testing positive for coronavirus, taking the total number of confirmed deaths in hospitals to 27,954, NHS England has said.

UK-wide figures - which use a different timeframe to those of individual nations and also include deaths in the community and care homes - are expected to be published by the Department of Health later.

 

[Firebat]

Greater Manchester illegal raves: Man dies, woman raped and three stabbed

A 20-year-old man has died, a woman has been raped and three people have been stabbed during two illegal "quarantine raves" that attracted 6,000 people.

Thousands flocked to Daisy Nook Country Park and Carrington in Greater Manchester late on Saturday.

The man at the country park died of a suspected drug overdose and the stabbings and the attack on an 18-year-old woman took place in Carrington.

Police said the illegal raves have had "tragic consequences".

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes condemned them as a clear breach of coronavirus legislation, adding officers "were met with violence, resulting in items being thrown and a police car being vandalised".

He asked "anyone with footage that could assist our enquiries" to give it to police.

Police said about 4,000 people were at the Droylsden rave, where there were no reported crimes.

There were however three separate stabbings at the Carrington site - one of which left an 18-year-old man with life-threatening injuries.

Spoiler

*** Ch Con Sykes said officers "managed to safely enter the crowds, locate the man and administer life-saving first aid before paramedics arrived."

Two other men, aged 25 and 26, were hurt in separate stabbings and a 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon.

"We are also investigating the rape of an 18-year-old woman... and we have specialist officers supporting her and her family", police said.

Streams of young people were seen on their way to an area just off Common Lane in Carrington late on Saturday evening.

There was a large Greater Manchester Police presence at both sites.

Images and footage were also being shared on social media show densely-packed crowds of people dancing and singing at the outdoor raves.

A large sign reading "Quarantine Rave" can be seen in background of one video.

Sacha Lord, who is night-time economy adviser for the region, said the "morons" and "selfish idiots" that attended "are a disgrace" who have put the people they love "at risk".

Mr Lord tweeted: "I've seen some of the footage. You aren't clubbers. Just selfish idiots."

The MP for Ashton-Under-Lyne, Angela Rayner, said she had joined Oldham Street Angels at the Daisy Nook site during the rave.

The group offers support and pastoral care to partygoers and others that need it during the night-time.

Ms Rayner tweeted that she had "just finished my shift at Street Angels in Oldham" and had been "dealing with the illegal rave at Daisy Nook liaising with the police".

Volunteers have spent Sunday morning clearing away rubbish left scattered across the fields at the Daisy Nook site with help from Oldham Council.

Empty bottles, plastic bags, gas canisters and abandoned gazebos cluttered the beauty spot.

Oldham Council leader Sean Fielding tweeted thanks to the "dozens of volunteers there this morning helping to clean up the mess".

In a statement, *** Ch Con Sykes said: "These raves were illegal and I condemn them taking place - they were clearly a breach of coronavirus legislation and guidelines, and have had tragic consequences."

He said the force had seen huge demand including a 60% surge in emergency calls from 17:00 BST on Saturday to 04:00 on Sunday and hoped "the public can recognise the challenges we are facing."

He said the "gatherings were carefully monitored" but "we needed to balance the present public health emergency and our overall demand with ongoing incidents".

"We have to ensure that we strike the right balance of proportionality and fairness with our overall coronavirus response", he added.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-53040827

 

[Firebat]

Department of Health says a further 36 people with Covid-19 have died in all settings in the UK bringing the total number of deaths to 41,698

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">As of 9am 14 June, there have been 6,772,602 tests, with 144,865 tests on 13 June. <br><br>295,889 people have tested positive. <br><br>As of 5pm on 13 June, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 41,698 have sadly died.<br><br>More info:<br><a href="https://t.co/r2YbE2e3O8">https://t.co/r2YbE2e3O8</a> <a href="https://t.co/1SejuJ9rou">pic.twitter.com/1SejuJ9rou</a></p>— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSCgovuk/status/1272175482566594562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

UK facing period of hardship as pandemic hits jobs and livelihoods - Chancellor Rishi Sunak

A further 36 deaths reported in the UK in all settings - lowest daily rise since 22 March

UK PM Boris Johnson launches review of the 2m distancing rule, after warnings it could cripple hospitality industry

 

[MenInG]

 

[The Viper]

WHO's Kluge warns against further lifting of lockdown in England - Guardian

The coronavirus induced lockdown in England should not be further lifted until the government’s contact-tracing system proves to be “robust and effective”, the World Health Organization’s regional European director Hans Kluge said.

In an interview (bit.ly/2MYn0hK) with the Guardian newspaper, Kluge also cautioned that Britain remained in a "very active phase of the pandemic" and warned against rushing into reopening the economy.

Britain said on Sunday it was reviewing its two-metre (6.5-foot) social distancing rule ahead of the next stage of lockdown easing planned for July 4.

England’s test and trace system identified nearly 32,000 people who had been in close contact with someone who had tested positive for COVID-19 in its first week of operation, but the government admitted that the system is not perfect and would need to do better.

“Contact tracing is key especially as the UK starts to relax the social and physical distancing measures. There has to be a robust track-and-trace system in place of operation,” Kluge told the Guardian.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government, which has faced heavy criticism for its handling of the pandemic, has touted the system as the way to ease lockdown measures while keeping the coronavirus spread in check.

Britain has reported 41,698 coronavirus-related deaths as of 1600 GMT on June 13, third highest in the world after the United States and Brazil, according to government data.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-h...ckdown-in-england-guardian-idUKKBN23L0RF?il=0

 

[MenInG]

Hundreds of people have been queuing outside shops after a relaxation of England's coronavirus lockdown allowed all retailers to reopen with strict safety measures. In Northern Ireland, non-essential shops reopened on Friday, but there is still no date for Scotland. The Welsh government is considering the reopening of non-essential shops, with the next lockdown review expected to be announced on Friday

A new rule requiring most people to wear face coverings while travelling on public transport has come into force in England today. Travellers - except the disabled, children under 11 and those with certain health conditions - will need to wear one or face being refused onboard or fined £100

No new coronavirus deaths have been reported in Scotland in the past 24 hours, the third time the figure has remained the same since lockdown began, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced. A total of 2,448 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for the virus

Johan Lundgren, the boss of EasyJet, said he would feel "100% safe" flying on full planes as the airline resumed a limited number of flights after a 10-week hiatus, with passengers and crew wearing masks and planes being regularly deep-cleaned

Rank-and-file police officers are calling for the home secretary to ban all protests in England and Wales while coronavirus remains a threat, after more than 100 people were arrested in a second weekend of demonstrations - including the anti-racism rallies sparked by the death of George Floyd in the US and counter-protests involving far-right activists

 

[Firebat]

Today's key developments in the UK

Hundreds of people have been queuing outside shops after a relaxation of England's coronavirus lockdown allowed all retailers to reopen with strict safety measures. In Northern Ireland, non-essential shops reopened on Friday, but there is still no date for Scotland. The Welsh government is considering the reopening of non-essential shops, with the next lockdown review expected to be announced on Friday

A new rule requiring most people to wear face coverings while travelling on public transport has come into force in England today. Travellers - except the disabled, children under 11 and those with certain health conditions - will need to wear one or face being refused onboard or fined £100

No new coronavirus deaths have been reported in Scotland in the past 24 hours, the third time the figure has remained the same since lockdown began, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced. A total of 2,448 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for the virus

Johan Lundgren, the boss of EasyJet, said he would feel "100% safe" flying on full planes as the airline resumed a limited number of flights after a 10-week hiatus, with passengers and crew wearing masks and planes being regularly deep-cleaned

Rank-and-file police officers are calling for the home secretary to ban all protests in England and Wales while coronavirus remains a threat, after more than 100 people were arrested in a second weekend of demonstrations - including the anti-racism rallies sparked by the death of George Floyd in the US and counter-protests involving far-right activists

Meanwhile in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, an Elvis Presley tribute act had to cancel a concert in his garden amid concerns about social distancing

 

[Firebat]

Latest death updates in Wales, NI and Scotland

In Northern Ireland, the Department of Health has recorded no new deaths linked to Covid-19 since yesterday.

In its daily update, it said the total number of coronavirus deaths there remains at 541. This mainly comprises deaths in hospital and includes some, but not all, deaths in other settings.

In Wales, four more people with coronavirus are reported to have died in Wales, taking deaths there to 1,448.

In Scotland, no deaths of people who tested positive for Covid-19 have been registered in the past 24 hours, the third time the figure has remained the same since lockdown began, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced. A total of 2,448 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for the virus.

The Department of Health and Social Care has yet to release the latest UK wide figures.

 

[Firebat]

Ikea planning to repay furlough payments

Ikea has said it is planning to repay salaries paid by governments around the world under furlough schemes.

It is set to repay nine governments, including the US and Ireland.

However, it does not include the UK as although the furniture chain furloughed 10,000 UK workers it did not claim back their salaries from the government.

Other firms are also refunding furlough pay, with Games Workshop and the Spectator magazine both saying they will repay the UK government.

Governments across the globe have set up schemes to pay workers who could not do their jobs because of the lockdowns that were designed to control the spread of coronavirus.

In the UK, furloughed workers are being paid 80% of their pay under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

'Feeling hopeful'

Ikea said it started the lockdown by paying 90% of wages for workers it furloughed.

In the UK it said: "We furloughed around 10,000 co-workers in the UK. At such an uncertain time, we had initially anticipated putting a number of co-workers on furlough under the job retention scheme. However, we did not claim for or accept any money under the job retention scheme, and we will not be doing so."

Now that stores are re-opening, it says it does not plan to take any more government money from the countries where it had availed itself of government support: "Although no one knows how things will continue to develop, or what the impact on our business or the economy will be, we are feeling more hopeful and clearer about the decisions we need to take for the future," Ikea said in a statement.

The countries in which it received support are Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain and the US, the Financial Times reported.

On Friday, Games Workshop - the company that makes Warhammer toy soldiers - said it would aim to repay furlough money after sales recovered by more than it had expected.

Earlier this month, the Spectator magazine said the financial hit it had suffered during the coronavirus outbreak was not as bad as feared, and that it would repay the funds it had received under the furlough scheme.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53047895

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Department of Health says a further 38 people with COVID-19 have died across all UK settings bringing the total number of deaths to 41,736</p>— Sky News Breaking (@SkyNewsBreak) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak/status/1272552090724950020?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[The Viper]

Coronavirus: Isle of Man becomes first in British Isles to live without lockdown

The Isle of Man has become the first place in the British Isles to scrap social distancing and embrace what the chief minister called the "new normal".

The island has seen no new cases of coronavirus since 20 May, leading the government to dispense with most of its lockdown restrictions.

As such, Monday has seen people enjoying pubs, restaurants, shops and gyms for the first time since March.

One shopper said it was "wonderful" to be able to see friends freely again.

At the regular coronavirus briefing, Chief Minister Howard Quayle announced that all restrictions on the number of people who could gather together had also been lifted.

The lifting of the majority of guidance means Tynwald will sit in person on Tuesday for the first time since the start of April and from 22 June, all children will return to school and the island's speed limits, which had been limited to a maximum of 40mph, will return to normal.
Outdoor sporting fixtures are also allowed to resume.

Mr Quayle also said pubs, clubs and swimming pools would be able to reopen fully from Thursday, though he expected it to be up to a further two weeks before pools were ready to take swimmers again.

However, the island's border will remain closed and social distancing will still be required at care homes and in healthcare settings.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-53049117

 

[The Viper]

What did we learn from today's UK briefing?

The UK daily press conference was led by Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. He appeared without any of the government's scientific advisers.

Here's what he told us:

The government has provided extra money to schools to widen summer programmes for the children of key workers, who won't be able to access their usual childcare, such as grandparents and summer schemes.

He rejected the claim that information on the effects of coronavirus on people from ethnic minority backgrounds is being withheld. He said the government wanted to provide concrete advice.

Mr Raab said medics and scientists will continue to attend the press briefings but did not say why none were in attendance today.

 

[The Viper]

<a href="https://imgbb.com/"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/0qdmLBq/18b0b026-9f8d-4d70-bd5f-3e2f81680991.jpg" alt="18b0b026-9f8d-4d70-bd5f-3e2f81680991" border="0"></a>

At the UK's daily government briefing, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has been talking about the current alert level on the five-point scale.

“That’s decided independently by the Biosecurity Centre and we’ll take their advice on the alert level, but that’s not decided by the politicians," he said.

On 3 June, Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England referred to “the alert level, which is set independently… by the Joint Biosecurity Centre advising the four chief medical officers”.

The idea of the Joint Biosecurity Centre is to bring together expertise from scientists and from across government to track the rates of infection across the country.

While ministers do not set the alert level, they do decide when aspects of lockdown may be eased.

 

[MenInG]

 

[MenInG]

Early estimates from the taxman suggest 163,000 people lost their jobs in May, on top of 449,000 the previous month, as the coronavirus crisis lockdown took its toll on the UK economy.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) data covering the number of paid employees suggested a fall of almost 2% last month compared to May 2019.

 

[MenInG]

 

[MenInG]

Department of Health says a further 233 people with covid-19 have died in all settings in the UK bringing the total number of deaths to 41,969

 

[MenInG]

 

[MenInG]

 

[The Viper]

What did we learn from today's UK briefing?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson led today’s government press conference.

He was accompanied by the government's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, and Peter Horby, professor of emerging infectious diseases and global health at the University of Oxford.

The government says that it has adequate supplies of a drug, dexamethasone, that has shown success in saving the lives of people who become seriously ill from coronavirus, including enough for any second peak of cases

The drug does not have an effect on patients who do not have breathing difficulties, but reduces the risk of death for those who require oxygen or ventilation

Treating eight intensive care coronavirus patients with the drug will cost £40 and on average save one life
Sir Patrick emphasised that the drug does not stop people catching the disease or going into hospital, so does not lessen the need for social distancing

Doctors can prescribe the drug from today, as it is already in stock in hospitals and can be quickly manufactured

 

[MenInG]

Banking giant HSBC has said it will resume plans to cut around 35,000 jobs worldwide over the next few years after putting the redundancy programme on hold amid the coronavirus crisis.

In an internal memo to its 235,000 staff, chief executive Noel Quinn said the cuts first announced in February are “even more necessary today”.

He said the group would will also freeze the “vast majority” of external recruitment.

Quinn said: “We could not pause the job losses indefinitely - it was always a question of ‘not if, but when’.”

 

[MenInG]

A further 184 people have died with the coronavirus across all settings in the UK, taking the country's total death toll to 42,153.

The Department for Health and Social Care said an additional 1,115 people tested positive for Covid-19 in the 24 hours to 09:00 on Wednesday.


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">As of 9am 17 June, there have been 7,121,976 tests, with 140,359 tests on 16 June. <br><br>299,251 people have tested positive. <br><br>As of 5pm on 16 June, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 42,153 have sadly died.<br><br>More info:<br> <a href="https://t.co/xXnL3FU15k">https://t.co/xXnL3FU15k</a> <a href="https://t.co/XprhDFro7c">pic.twitter.com/XprhDFro7c</a></p>— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSCgovuk/status/1273267733665374208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

UK briefing: What did we learn?

The daily Downing Street press conference has just finished. Here’s what happened:

Oliver Dowden said he hoped football clubs would be able to welcome “some fans” back to grounds by the start of next season

The culture secretary however appealed for fans not to congregate outside stadiums after the Premier League season resumes from this evening

He confirmed non-professional sport would not resume until the start of July “at the very earliest”

He said theatre figures and medical experts would meet over the next week to look at “innovative ideas” to permit socially-distanced live performances

But he said it would still be “immensely challenging” for theatres to reopen whilst social distancing rules are still in place

 

[MenInG]

China, Russia and Iran exploiting pandemic - UK government

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has accused Russia, China and Iran of attempting to exploit the coronavirus pandemic to further their global interests.

Speaking to Sky News, he said the virus had "created an opportunity or a perceived opportunity for various different state and non-state actors through cyber, through other means.

"I think we've seen it in relation to Hong Kong, I think some people are arguing... the national security legislation that is being put forward, is being done at a time when the world's attention has been on coronavirus."

Raab also accused Russia of engaging "systematically in misinformation and propaganda, through cyber and other ways".

But he said what foreign actors were doing had not had a significant impact in the UK, adding: "I don't think they've made a material difference to our response in health terms."

 

[MenInG]

The Bank of England, the UK’s central bank, has announced £100bn in fresh stimulus to support the UK economy.

It also kept the benchmark interest rate on hold at 0.1% - a historic low.

The new stimulus will take the form of quantitative easing, with the government buying up billions of pounds of government bonds to artificially keep interest rates low across the economy.

It follows a £200bn boost to its bond buying programme back in March.

 

[Firebat]

Newborn baby among latest Covid deaths in UK

A 13-day-old baby is among the latest to have died after testing positive for coronavirus.

The four nations of the UK have published their latest death figures.

The NHS in England said a further 62 deaths had been reported, including the baby.

In Wales, a further five people died, while there have been two more deaths in Scotland. Northern Ireland reported no new deaths.

While this adds up to a total number of new coronavirus deaths of 69 across the UK, the UK government has not yet published its official figures today. Its total often varies because of differences in the time frame for recording deaths.

 

[Firebat]

N Wales chicken plant shuts amid outbreak

A chicken processing plant in North Wales has suspended production and closed for a fortnight after a coronavirus outbreak.

Public Health Wales said there were 51 confirmed Covid-19 cases at 2 Sisters in Llangefni on Anglesey, with 110 people said to be self-isolating - about a quarter of the 500-strong workforce.

The company produces from a number of sites about a third of all the poultry products eaten each day in the UK. It said it was temporarily shutting down the Llangefni unit to "demonstrate how seriously we take this issue".

2 Sisters Food Group is one of the largest food producers in the UK, with brands including Fox's Biscuits and Holland's Pies.

Health Minister Vaughan Gething said the outbreak was a "concern".

 

[Firebat]

Department of Health says a further 135 people with Covid-19 have died in all settings in the UK bringing the total number of deaths to 42,288

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">As of 9am 18 June, there have been 7,259,555 tests, with 136,516 tests on 17 June. <br><br>300,469 people have tested positive. <br><br>As of 5pm on 17 June, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 42,288 have sadly died.<br><br>More info:<br> <a href="https://t.co/xXnL3FU15k">https://t.co/xXnL3FU15k</a> <a href="https://t.co/zTkXbHosV6">pic.twitter.com/zTkXbHosV6</a></p>— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSCgovuk/status/1273620446404059136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Firebat]

Department of Health says a further 135 people with Covid-19 have died in all settings in the UK bringing the total number of deaths to 42,288

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">As of 9am 18 June, there have been 7,259,555 tests, with 136,516 tests on 17 June. <br><br>300,469 people have tested positive. <br><br>As of 5pm on 17 June, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 42,288 have sadly died.<br><br>More info:<br> <a href="https://t.co/xXnL3FU15k">https://t.co/xXnL3FU15k</a> <a href="https://t.co/zTkXbHosV6">pic.twitter.com/zTkXbHosV6</a></p>— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSCgovuk/status/1273620446404059136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

What did we learn from today's UK briefing?

The daily press conference was held by Matt Hancock, the health secretary, and Dido Harding, chair of the UK's test and trace systems.

Here's what they told us:

Last week, for the first week since mid-March, the number of people who died was no higher than is normal at this time of year

AstraZeneca has agreed to produce a vaccine being developed by Oxford University, so stocks will be ready as soon as the vaccine is approved

People should ensure they get their children vaccinated for other diseases

Mr Hancock acknowledged the government has had challenges developing its contract tracing app, including an issue with using the app on Apple systems

The government is now pooling resources with the Apple-Google model, but he declined to put a date on when the app could be ready

Everyone who is shielding will receive a personal letter from the NHS outlining next steps before the scheme finishes at the end of the month

 

[MenInG]

 

[The Viper]

Coronavirus: Baby aged 13 days dies with Covid-19

A 13-day-old baby with no known underlying health conditions has died with Covid-19, NHS England has said.

The baby is thought to be the youngest to die with the disease in the UK.

It comes as Sheffield Children's Hospital confirmed a child died on Monday after being admitted in a critical condition.

The hospital, which has not confirmed the child's age, said the victim tested positive for Covid, but the cause of death was yet to be determined.

Earlier it was announced a further 62 people aged between 13 days and 96 years, who tested positive for coronavirus, had died in hospitals in England.

The 13-day-old baby was the only person under 20 years of age recorded as dying.

In a statement, Sheffield Children's Hospital, said: "Sadly on Monday June 15, a child passed away... having been brought in to the hospital in a critical condition. Attempts at resuscitation were unsuccessful.

"The cause of death is not yet known. Tests have confirmed that the child had Covid-19, but it isn't yet clear if it was a contributing factor."

Previously, the youngest person to have died with the virus in the UK with no pre-existing health problems was Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab who was 13 and from Brixton in south London.

In May, a six-week-old child who did have underlying health conditions died.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-53097646

 

[The Viper]

UK PM to announce deals for 'air bridges' with few countries on June 29 - Telegraph

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce on June 29 that agreements have been reached for air bridges with a “small number” countries with low levels of the coronavirus outbreak, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on Thursday.

UK ministers want to set up air bridges to nations seen as “most advantageous” to the UK economy like France, Spain, Greece and Portugal, the newspaper reported, citing sources.

The policy of air bridges is meant to enable people from other countries who have achieved lower levels of coronavirus infection to come to Britain.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-h...tries-on-june-29-telegraph-idUKKBN23P3MQ?il=0

 

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Retail sales jump up as lockdown eases

UK retail sales volumes jumped 12% in May compared with the all-time record falls in April during lockdown, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Sales were still down by 13.1% on February, before the coronavirus lockdown began.

Non-food stores saw the biggest jump in sales - up 42% as DIY stores and gardening centres opened their doors in May.

Meanwhile, online sales rose to their highest proportion on record. They accounted for 33.4% of total spend, compared with 30.8% in April, the ONS said.

 

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UK Covid-19 alert levels drops from four to three

The UK Covid-19 Alert level has moved down from four to three, BBC home affairs correspondent Daniel Sandford reports.

Level four represents a high or rising level of transmission, while level three means the virus is in general circulation.

 

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The UK's coronavirus alert level has been lowered from four to three.

This means that whilst the virus is still in "general circulation" in the community, there can be a gradual relaxation of restrictions.

The alert level is primarily set by two things: the virus’s reproduction (R) rate and the number of confirmed cases at any one time.

As of 12 June, the UK’s R rate stood at 0.7-0.9; this means that the average person is infecting less than one person. However, it was estimated to be slightly higher in some parts of the country, such as the South West of England.

On cases, the Office for National Statistics' latest estimate is that 33,000 people have the virus in England. That's around one in 1,700 people and a sharp decline from the estimate of 149,000 infected people in mid-May.

 

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In the last couple of hours, the UK's chief medical officers announced the coronavirus alert has been downgraded from level four to level three. Under level three, the virus is considered to be "in general circulation" but there can be a "gradual relaxation of restrictions".

The next big story of the day is about education. The PM has announced a plan to help children in England catch up on the teaching they've missed while schools have been closed. With a total of £1bn in funding, the most disadvantaged pupils will be able to get tutored, with schools receiving money to spend on one-to-one and group tuition

New analysis shows that South Asian people are the most likely to die from coronavirus after being admitted to hospital in Great Britain - the only ethnic group to have a raised risk of death in hospital and it is partly due to high levels of diabetes

The UK's debt is now larger than the size of its economy for the first time since 1963. New data shows the government borrowed a record amount in May, sending its debt surging to £1.95 trillion (that's 1,950,000,000,000, if that helps get your head around it)

But figures show that the UK's retail sales partly recovered in May, thanks to DIY stores and garden centres reopening amid the lockdown
Yesterday, Scotland and Northern Ireland both gave details of their next stages of lifting lockdown. Today, it's Wales' turn. The announcement will likely include allowing shops to open on Monday and promising to review the "stay local" travel rule

 

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BBC News has been told the government is planning to relax its travel quarantine in early July for some people arriving into the UK.

Discussions are still ongoing between UK officials and officials in a number of European countries, including Portugal.

However, the UK hopes to make an announcement on 29 June that it has secured a number of "travel corridors".

The government had previously said the quarantine would be reviewed every three weeks - 29 June marks the end of the first three-week period.

A travel corridor would mean that people travelling in both directions between two countries would not have to self-isolate after they travel.

However, the broader travel quarantine is expected to remain in place.

A senior aviation source has told the BBC that the quarantine could remain in place throughout the summer for anyone arriving from countries who do not have a travel corridor with the UK.

 

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Boris Johnson 'sure' all pupils can be back at school full-time from September

The prime minister has announced he is "sure" all children can be back in school full-time from September.

Boris Johnson hinted social distancing rules in classrooms could be relaxed to help more pupils return faster, as he told people to "watch this space".

Asked about calls from some Conservatives to cut the recommended two metre gap to one metre to help more pupils join lessons, he said: "We will be putting in further changes as the science allows."

He was also asked if the return to school plan would see kids return full-time from the autumn instead of just going in for some or half days.

Mr Johnson confirmed: "Absolutely... Provided we can make the classroom safe, and I think we can, I want every child, every student, every pupil back in September and I'm sure we can get it done.

"I'm making no bones about it - I think that's the right way forward for our country."

Hours after the UK's coronavirus alert level was lowered, the prime minister said on a visit to a school in Hertfordshire: "We have to start thinking of a world in which we are less apprehensive about this disease.

"Yes it has been a horrible shock for the country and for the world, and I think the British people have worked incredibly hard to drive it down...

"I hope, as we go forward into the autumn, people will be much, much more confident."

The levels of COVID-19 across the country are "really diminishing amongst us all", he added.

Concerns about emergency measures having to be strengthened again were also dismissed by Mr Johnson, when asked about the threat of a second peak.

He said the government would use its test and trace programme to "take the preventative measures necessary on the spot, rather than going back to the national lockdown approach".

Schools in England have been reopening further to pupils from 1 June, although some did not meet the deadline over safety fears for children and staff.

Mr Johnson sought to convince parents it is safe for teaching to continue, telling them on Friday: "Schools are safe to come back to - early years, reception, year one, year six in primary, year 10 and 12 in secondary - now is the time to come back."

It comes after news a £1bn catch-up programme for children who have missed out on months of education has been announced by Downing Street.

https://news.sky.com/story/boris-jo...l-distancing-in-schools-could-be-cut-12010396

 

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BREAKING: Number of UK daily deaths rises by 173

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">As of 9am 19 June, there have been 7,433,114 tests, with 169,600 tests on 18 June. <br><br>301,815 people have tested positive. <br><br>As of 5pm on 18 June, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 42,461 have sadly died.<br><br>More info:<br> <a href="https://t.co/xXnL3FU15k">https://t.co/xXnL3FU15k</a> <a href="https://t.co/jkxbyXBiEy">pic.twitter.com/jkxbyXBiEy</a></p>— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSCgovuk/status/1273975785498566657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Official figures from the UK government show a daily rise of 173 deaths of people with coronavirus - that's higher than Thursday's figure which was 135. This takes the total to 42,461.

The individual nations have also been announcing their own totals. Those figures differ to the UK government's total because of variations in the time-frame used to record deaths.

In Wales a further four people have died, while Northern Ireland reported one new death.

Scotland announced its daily figures earlier, with a further six deaths.

 

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Coronavirus infections fall across UK by between 4% and 2% a day, but could be increasing in London
The rate of spread of the coronavirus infection across the UK is shrinking, new figures published by the government show.

For the UK as a whole, the current growth rate is minus 4% to minus 2% and the estimate of the reproduction number, referred to as R, remains at 0.7 to 0.9.

Until the figures were published for the first time today, the government had only been giving details of the R value of the disease - the average number of people an infected person is likely to pass it on to.

R estimates do not indicate how quickly an epidemic is changing and different diseases with the same R can result in epidemics that grow at very different speeds.

Neither measure - R or growth rate - is better than the other but each provides information that is useful in monitoring the spread of a disease, and experts say each should be considered alongside other measures of the spread of disease.

For the NHS England region, the R value is 0.7 to 0.9, and the growth rate is minus 4% to minus 1%. The R values and growth rate for the following regions are:

- East of England: 0.7-0.9, minus 6% to minus 1%
- London: 0.7-1.0, minus 5% to plus 1%
- Midlands: 0.8-1.0, minus 4% to 0%
- North East and Yorkshire: 0.7-0.9, minus 5% to minus 1%
- North West: 0.7-1.0, minus 4% to 0%
- South East: 0.7-0.9, minus 5% to minus 1%
- South West: 0.6-0.9, minus 6% to 0%

It is most likely that the estimates are somewhere towards the middle of this range.

Last week, the South West of England had the highest R value range at 0.8 to 1.1, while the East of England had the lowest at 0.7 to 0.9.

London, the Midlands, the North West and the South East have R values of 0.8 to 1.0, and the North East and Yorkshire are at 0.7 to 1.0.

Figures this week show the R value in the South West has dropped below 1.0, meaning it no longer has the highest value.

 

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A further 173 people who tested positive with coronavirus have now died in the UK, bringing the total number of deaths to 42,461

The UK’s Covid-19 alert level has been reduced from four to three

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a £1bn fund to help England's children catch up on what they have missed while schools have been closed

Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford announced a number of changes to lockdown, including ending travel restrictions on 6 July

New rules on meeting members of different households in Scotland have come into effect

The Northern Ireland Executive confirmed it would extend its free school meals scheme during the summer break

 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This morning the UK COVID-19 alert level was lowered from Level 4 to Level 3.<br><br>It is critical that you continue to wash your hands and keep a safe distance from others.<br><br>Read the latest NHS advice:<br> <a href="https://t.co/xSoOI6zprL">https://t.co/xSoOI6zprL</a> <a href="https://t.co/o8efdKGES0">pic.twitter.com/o8efdKGES0</a></p>— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSCgovuk/status/1273946217605738497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

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Gavin Williamson, the education secretary for England, took the government's daily briefing today. He's a summary of his key points:

Children from all age groups would return to schools in England in September

Further social distancing guidelines would be available "within weeks"

Advice for people who are shielding would be given soon

Online teaching was improving, with many schools doing an "excellent" job

The pattern of Covid infections and deaths was "similar" around the whole UK