Search found 450 matches for herd immunity

Summary for Wednesday, 22nd April

Hello and welcome back to our rolling coverage of the coronavirus outbreak. We're writing to you from Asia this morning and will be joined by our colleagues from London later on in the day. Here's a quick look at what's happened overnight:

• Missouri has become the first US state to sue the Chinese government over its handling of the outbreak, saying the Chinese response led to economic losses in the state
  
• The US will stop issuing green cards for 60 days, with President Donald Trump saying this would protect American jobs during the outbreak
  
• The WHO has dismissed theories that the virus was manipulated or produced in a Chinese laboratory, saying "all available evidence" suggested it had an "animal origin"
  
• The world is at risk of a widespread famine of "biblical proportions" because of the virus outbreak, the UN has warned. It says the number suffering from hunger could go from 135 million to more than 250 million.
  
• A staggering 177,200 people worldwide have now died from the coronavirus, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally. There are over 2.5 million cases worldwide
  

Missouri sues China over virus pandemic

The US state of Missouri is suing the Chinese government and the ruling Communist Party over what it calls deliberate deception leading to the global Covid-19 pandemic.
"The Chinese government lied to the world about the danger and contagious nature of Covid-19, silenced whistleblowers and did little to stop the spread of the disease," Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt said. "They must be held accountable for their actions."
The lawsuit seeks damages for the loss of life, human suffering, and economic turmoil that has occurred in the state.
China strongly denies mishandling the crisis.
While Missouri officials called the lawsuit "historic", observers say it will face significant legal and procedural obstacles as US law gives foreign governments immunity from such actions.

Should China be worried about the Missouri lawsuit?

The civil lawsuit brought by Missouri against China comes at a time when there is increased finger-pointing by the US at Beijing over the pandemic.
President Donald Trump had initially praised China for how it handled the virus, but after coming under pressure over the outbreak in the US, he raised the spectre that China might be responsible.
With US elections later this year, observers suggest the Missouri lawsuit - along with other suits brought by US companies - might serve a political end for Trump's Republican Party.
"We are seeing a lot of people on the political right focus on the China issue to cover up for the US government's own errors," Tom Ginsburg, a professor of international law at the University of Chicago told Reuters.
China itself will have little to fear from such lawsuits. Foreign governments are protected from being sued in US courts and if the US did want to bring claims against China, it would have to do so on an international platform where Beijing would have the right to respond.

UN warns of famines of ‘biblical proportions’

The world is at risk of widespread famines "of biblical proportions" over the virus, the UN World Food Programme (WFP )warns.
A new WFP report estimates the number suffering from hunger could go from 135 million to more than 250 million.
Those most at risk are in 10 countries affected by conflict, economic crisis and climate change: Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Nigeria and Haiti.
Even before the pandemic hit, parts of East Africa and South Asia were already facing severe food shortages.
Click here to read our full story on the famine warning

Sydney's Bondi Beach to reopen

People can return to Bondi Beach for exercise from next Tuesday


Good morning from Sydney, where more restrictions are being loosened as new cases slow to a trickle.

• The famous Bondi Beach will be reopened to swimmers and surfers next week after a month-long closure. It follows the reopening of a few neighbouring beaches on Monday
  
• Two people have died overnight bringing Australia’s death toll to 74. Rates continue to dwindle with the biggest state, New South Wales, reporting its lowest number yet – just five cases – while Queensland recorded zero new infections for a second day
  
• Canberra is defending its decision to let Virgin Australia crash into voluntary administration- saying interested investors wouldn’t come forward had the government stepped in
  
• And our longest-running soap opera Neighbours will resume filming next week. Producers say they’ll use a bit of “camera trickery” to mask the fact actors are projecting their lines over a 1.5m distance.
  

Just some detail on Bondi Beach reopening next week – this is the busiest, most-popular beach in Sydney and the source of a virus cluster.
It was shut down weeks ago after people kept flocking to the ocean, ignoring the newly-announced distancing rules. It then also emerged that the area was a virus hotspot with infections among backpackers and locals.
However, society has become much more used to the restrictions since then and after neighbouring beaches Coogee and Clovelly reopened this week, local council voted last night to bring down the barriers.
It’s a controversial decision as Bondi remains the most heavily infected area in the state, and there's evidence people are still breaking the rules.
But from Tuesday, people will only be given access for exercise and will have to follow a path straight to the water. The beach will also only be open on weekdays.

What's happening in Asia?

As much of Asia begins waking up, we take a look at what's happening across the region:

• China has seen a slight rise in the number of imported cases. It recorded 30 new cases on Tuesday, 23 of which were imported and seven of which were local cases in the border city of Heilongjiang. China had on Monday seen only 4 imported cases
  
• Japan’s Nagasaki prefecture says there are 33 cases of coronavirus infection on an Italian cruise ship that was docked for repair in the city, reported Reuters. Local media outlets say the Costa Atlantica is carrying 623 crew and no passengers
  
• Thailand has approved a second automatic visa extension for foreigners, in an effort to prevent long queues at immigration centres
  
• Around 500 people at the Presidential House in the Indian capital of New Delhi went into self-isolation after a worker's relative tested positive for the virus
  

US top health expert warns of second wave

A senior US disease expert has warned that a second wave of coronavirus cases could be worse than the current one, as it would probably coincide with the start of the flu season.
“There’s a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through,” Robert Redfield, head of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told the Washington Post.
He said that having two simultaneous respiratory outbreaks would put unimaginable strain on the health-care system.
His warning comes as several US states prepared to reopen their economies and he urged the coming months to be used to prepare for what lies ahead and that social distancing must continue.

China official calls Australian minister a 'US puppet'

Australian minister Peter Dutton has called for an investigation into China

In another war of words between China and the West, Beijing’s embassy in Australia has accused a senior government minister of being a lackey in the “propaganda war against China” by the US.
Washington has led calls in recent weeks for an investigation into the virus’ emergence and spread in China.
Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton echoed such calls for Beijing to show transparency. He fell sick with the virus in March, and last week emerged to say Beijing owed answers to the families of the dead.
“It would certainly be demanded of us, if Australia was at the epicentre of this virus making its way into society,” he told the Nine Network.
In response, a Chinese embassy official told a state newspaper that "obviously he [Dutton] must have also received some instructions from Washington”.
Beijing has also criticised foreign minister, Marise Payne, who has also called for an investigation. Canberra has stood by the calls, saying they're in Australia's national interest.

Singapore rushes to get bubble tea and haircuts

Bubble tea shops have become the latest casualty of the coronavirus outbreak in Singapore.
Long snaking queues were seen in front of popular bubble tea chains last night after the government announced that stores selling the sugary drink were among the shops that would have to close for at least two weeks starting today.
The new restrictions apply to F&B outlets that sell only beverages, packaged snacks or desserts. Restaurants and other food places will still be allowed to open for takeaway or delivery.
There were also similarly long queues seen at hairdresser shops and pet shops last night - who have also been deemed non-essential under the new rules.
It comes as Singapore extended its partial state of lockdown, which it refers to as a "circuit breaker", until 1 June, as the number of cases in the migrant worker community remain high.
  For any of you plebs out there who (like me) had to look up what is 'bubble tea'  ...

Bubble tea is a Taiwanese tea-based drink invented in Tainan and Taichung in the 1980s. Recipes contain tea of some kind, flavors of milk, and sugar. Toppings, known as "pearls", such as chewy tapioca balls, popping boba, fruit jelly, grass jelly, agar jelly, alovera jelly, sago and puddings are often added. Wikipedia

Calls for India's largest produce market to shut after trader dies

It is India's largest wholesale fruits and vegetable market

Sellers are demanding for Azadpur Mandi, one of Asia's largest wholesale fruit and vegetable markets, to be closed after a trader died of Covid-19 on Tuesday.
The 57-year-old man, who sold jackfruits and peas, tested positive on Monday, officials told the Hindustan Times newspaper.
They added that a team was looking at all the people the trader was in contact with.
Meanwhile, some traders want a complete lockdown of the market. “The authorities are being very negligent about Covid-19 spread in the market. We urge the government to shut the market for the time being," one of them said.
The market is spread across 78 acres in capital Delhi and would often attract more than 200,000 people on any given day.
It has remained open during India's lockdown and has been operating with social distancing measures in place, authorities say.

Tokyo theatre streams Kabuki plays

If you're bored at home with nothing to watch - here's some good news for you - the Phantom of the Opera's not the only theatre performance that's being streamed live on YouTube.
The Kabukiza theater in Tokyo is now streaming traditional Kabuki plays on Youtube - free for all to watch.
Kabuki is a form of Japanese musical drama, which has been characterised by its elaborate costumes and sets. In it, both male and female acting roles are played by men.
Catch this traditional art form here

Trump and Harvard quarrel over relief money

US President Donald Trump has demanded Harvard University pay back nearly $9m (£7.3m) in coronavirus relief aid.
He said it was wrong that an institution with a $40bn endowment should receive stimulus funds.
Harvard rejected Trump's demand, saying it planned "to direct 100% of the funds to financial assistance to students, and will not be using any of the funds to cover institutional costs".
The university said it received the grant through the educational relief program that was part of the $2.3tn stimulus passed at the end of March, which also included a larger fund for helping small businesses.

Netflix and (lockdown) chill

If you're a new subscriber to Netflix, or find yourself watching a lot more of its shows because of a lockdown where you live, you're not alone.
The company says almost 16 million people created accounts in the first three months of this year, almost double the rate of new sign-ups in the final months of 2019.
And it'll come as no surprise to anyone who's been near social media in recent weeks that the Netflix documentary series Tiger King has been a huge hit, reaching 64 million households.


But you might have noticed that the picture is not as clear as you might expect. That's because demand for streaming has been so high that Netflix last month said it would reduce the quality of its videos in Europe to ease strain on internet service providers.
All of that means, that while many companies have seen their share price slump as they're hit by the gloomy economic outlook, the home-entertainment giant's stock market value has jumped by around a third this year.
Read more here.

Indian migrants: When can I go home?

Geeta Pandey - BBC News, Delhi
Last week, when the lockdown in India was extended, thousands of migrant workers in Mumbai city thronged a railway station amid rumours of services restarting.
Outrage ensued in the capital, Delhi, when photos of several hundred migrants living under a bridge along the Yamuna river emerged.
These incidents, among many others, of stranded migrants have shone a spotlight on the plight of millions of poor Indians who've left villages to find jobs in cities.
Whether living in shelters, sleeping on footpaths or under flyovers, the migrants are restless and are waiting for restrictions to be eased so they can go home.
A few days back, I visited one shelter in east Delhi, located in a school building, run by the city government.
It's home to 380 migrants and I spoke to dozens of men and women there and the one question they all want answered is: "When can I go home?"
Read the full story here.

South Africa unveils $26bn Covid-19 relief package

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced an economic relief package worth $26bn (£21bn) intended to protect companies and three million workers during the coronavirus pandemic.
In a televised address, he said the assistance amounted to 10% of South Africa’s entire GDP.
Mr Ramaphosa said economic relief measures include tax relief, wage support through the unemployment insurance fund and funding to small businesses.
Mr Ramaphosa acknowledged that during just four weeks of lockdown, the number of people plunged into poverty and suffering food insecurity had risen dramatically.
He said the lockdown had allowed the government space to save tens of thousands of lives. But he said that after 3,400 confirmed infections and 58 deaths, the country was still in the early stages of the pandemic.

PPE equipment arrives in UK

A British RAF plane believed to be carrying a delayed consignment of personal protective equipment for UK medical workers has landed in the UK.
Flight tracker RadarBox showed the Airbus A400-M depart Istanbul and land just after 03:30GMT at the RAF Brize Norton, reports PA.
The consignment was originally due to arrive on Sunday but was hit by "unexpected delays".
It is a small part of a gigantic procurement of PPE for the NHS.
For more details, read our economics editor, Faisal Islam.

How has India been doing?

If you're tuning in from India this morning, you may be wondering just how things are holding up.
The lockdown was extended last week to 3 May - but it's still unclear exactly how effective it has been since experts don't know if cases in India have peaked yet.
But the time it takes for cases to double is growing - there are nearly 20,000 infections, and it took eight days to get there from 10,000. India has confirmed 640 deaths, according to data from the health ministry.
Some Indian states have also had to pause antibody testing after faulty testing kits from China displayed incorrect results. The antibody tests can help signal whether people may have built immunity to the virus.
Meanwhile, 69% of all positive cases in the country so far were asymptomatic, India's apex medical council said on Tuesday.
This ratio has raised questions over the future of India's testing strategy and whether the current one - focused mostly on those showing symptoms - needs an overhaul.

'He thinks everybody is panicking unnecessarily'

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has come under criticism for his response to coronavirus, most recently for attending an anti-lockdown rally where he was seen repeatedly coughing.
The BBC's South America correspondent Katy Watson looks at how Bolsonaro has responded to the virus.
Watch video here

UK morning headlines

• The UK government is facing fresh questions over the time it took to join an EU scheme to source medical equipment
  
• Health Secretary Matt Hancock says the UK government is "throwing everything" at developing a coronavirus vaccine, with human trials set to begin on Thursday
  
• An RAF plane carrying protective equipment has arrived in the UK after days of delays
  
• Deaths in England and Wales have nearly doubled above what would be expected, hitting a 20-year high, but experts believe the coronavirus peak may be over
  

Germany sees second day of slight rise in cases

Germany has seen 2,237 new positive tests over the past day, official numbers on Wednesday showed.
The official overall number is now 145,694, although around two-thirds of those have already recovered.
The daily increase marks a second consecutive day of new infections slightly rising.
Earlier this week, the country eased some of its lockdown measures, allowing smaller shops to reopen and some school classes to resume.
The reported death toll rose by 281 to 4,879.

Don't forget 'deeper emergency' says UN

We may be in the midst of a pandemic, but the UN doesn't want us to forget the "deeper environmental emergency" facing the planet.
That's the view of the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, in remarks released to celebrate Earth Day.
The toll taken by the virus is "immediate and dreadful," Mr Guterres said, adding that it's also been a wake-up call "to do things right for the future".
Coronavirus is the biggest challenged the world has faced since World War Two, Mr Guterres reiterated, but also pointed out that biodiversity is in "steep decline" with climate disruption approaching "a point of no return".
You can read more about his comments here.

London Tube operator could run out of money by May

Transport for London (TfL) will run out of money by the end of the month unless the government steps in, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has said.
TfL runs the UK capital's public transport systems, including the London Underground, but services have seen a dramatic drop in passengers because of coronavirus .
Khan said TfL is in discussions with the government about a grant but said it would not be able to pay staff and may have to cut services if that was not possible.
Khan told BBC London TfL is currently using cash reserves to keep running.

What explains South East Asia's low numbers?

Jonathan Head - BBC South East Asia Correspondent
The first case of Covid-19 outside China was announced in Thailand on 13 January. The prediction was that this region, with huge numbers of Chinese visitors, would be among the worst affected. But that has not happened.
Vietnam is the standout success with only 268 cases and no deaths. The communist party leadership recognised the threat very early, declaring in late January the need to fight the virus like a war, and deploying propaganda reminiscent of the conflict with the US to get the public on board. Vietnam was also ruthless in quarantining entire districts where the virus was detected. It has limited healthcare resources and lacks the testing capacity of advanced economies like South Korea. Vietnam’s achievement is likely down to containing Covid-19 early, and using an intrusive state apparatus effectively.
Thailand’s Covid-19 numbers are also strikingly low, fewer than 3,000, with just 49 deaths. Thailand too is unable to test widely. Only 140,000 have been conducted since January. Health officials say mass testing would be too expensive. But Thailand also got its population on board very early with measures like facemasks. It has been able to isolate and trace contacts for identified cases, and has a network of one million health volunteers across the country.
Infections - and deaths - are rising quickly in Indonesia, where measures have been minimal. In Myanmar, which has a testing capacity of just 300 a day, there are fears the official Covid-19 number is far too low.
But none of these countries has levels anywhere near those in Europe and the US. Health experts aren’t sure why. Weather may play a part, as may social behaviour. It is probably too soon to know whether South East Asia will escape the terrible scenes witnessed at hospitals in Italy and New York.

What's happening in sport

• Tottenham footballers Serge Aurier and Moussa Sissoko have apologised for training together despite the coronavirus restrictions. Aurier posted a video of the pair on social media - the third time Spurs staff have been caught doing something similar
  
• Dutch football authorities have said they intend to call off their league season after the government extended a ban on major events (Ajax and AZ Alkmaar are joint top)
  
• Most major European leagues, including the English Premier League, are hoping to complete their seasons later in the summer
  
• European football governing body Uefa is set to announce the 2021 Women's European Championship will be held in July 2022 after the men's tournament, and the Tokyo Olympics, were postponed to 2021
  

The 2021 Women's European Championships is due to be held in England

B&Q reopens dozens of UK stores

B&Q has reopened dozens of UK stores - despite lockdown measures remaining in place.
The DIY group says it has brought in "social distancing controls", such as capping the number of customers inside every store.
Other UK firms, such as luxury carmaker Aston Martin and housebuilder Taylor Wimpey, have also said they will return to work in May.
B&Q had been closed since the government introduced its lockdown measures at the end of March - although hardware stores were included on the government's list of essential retailers that were allowed to trade under the restrictions.
Read more here.

Czech Republic to decide on next steps

The Czech Health Minister, Adam Vojtech, says the latest statistics show there was no significant bump in coronavirus cases over Easter.
The country has confirmed 7,132 cases and 208 deaths so far. It was feared they could reach 15,000 cases by the end of the month, but those estimates have now been revised down.
The director of the Institute for Health Information and Statistics, Ladislav Dusek, said that life in the country could gradually begin returning to normal.
Nine locations around the country have started mass antibody testing today, the BBC's Prague Correspondent Rob Cameron reports. Further information about the next steps will emerge later, he adds.
The government is meeting today to discuss whether to extend a state of emergency into next month and how and when to re-open the country's borders.

Does reading help you get through lockdown?

Some people in the UK are turning to books to help them get through the lockdown, according to a new survey by The Reading Agency.
New figures, released on Thursday, suggest almost a third of people are reading more since lockdown restrictions were imposed last month. This number rises to almost half (45%) in young people aged between 18-24.
Many of those surveyed cited reading as a form of release, escapism or distraction during these uncertain times.
The survey was released for World Book Night and you can read more about it here.

Wearing masks 'makes sense' in some cases - GP leader

The UK government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) is expected to meet later to discuss whether the public should wear face masks.
Prof Martin Marshall, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme earlier that while there was no evidence to support wearing masks if you were fit and well, "it makes complete sense" if you were "coughing and spluttering" in order to protect other people.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says masks are useful in some settings, including when worn by those who are ill. However, it says "the wide use of masks by healthy people in the community setting is not supported by current evidence" and medical-grade face masks should be reserved for health care workers.
This is the position currently adopted by the UK and this morning Northern Ireland Secretary told BBC Breakfast no decision had been made on masks yet.
You can read more about the evidence on wearing masks here.

UK business secretary admits need for more loans

UK Business Secretary Alok Sharma has been speaking to the Commons Business Select Committee this morning. Here are some of the lines to emerge so far:

• Pressed on why other countries had given out more loans to businesses, Mr Sharma said it was important to look at the “totality” of the support the UK was offering, but acknowledged the need to “get more loans out there”
  
• He also said he would look into introducing temporary measures to ease commercial rent demand within the next week, aware that some landlords were “putting undue financial pressure with aggressive debt recovery tactics"
  
• Following reports some pregnant women had been dismissed or asked to take unpaid leave because of the pandemic, Mr Sharma said guidance was clear that they could be furloughed and, if they met the criteria, “there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be”
  

UK garden centres ‘still have plants to sell’

Angie Brown - BBC Scotland news reporter
Garden centres across the UK say they still have plants waiting to be sold, despite the impact of the coronavirus lockdown.
The industry warned last month that millions of plants may have to be thrown away after centres were forced to close.
But Matthew Bailey, general manager of Mortonhall Garden Centre in Edinburgh, said it was "ready to go" if the rules were relaxed.
And he stressed they had not been forced to destroy all their stock.
"We did give hundreds of flowering house plants away when the lockdown was announced to hospitals because we wanted them to be seen while they were flowering - but we still have thousands more high quality plants left," he said. Staff had continued to water, feed and tend to their plants.
Mortonhall is part of the Klondyke chain of family-run garden centres across Britain.
Read more

Merchant sailors - the pandemic's unsung victims

Joshua Cheetham - BBC World Online
An estimated 150,000 merchant sailors are currently stranded at sea - unable to leave because of travel restrictions, even though their contracts may have expired.
Rajnish Shah captains a bulk carrier docked in Chittagong, Bangladesh. He had planned to return to India after finishing a four-month contract. He's been aboard for eight months now - some crew have been there a whole year.
“As a Master I need to be in control of this situation, but as a father and husband I’m worried and sad,” he told the BBC.
Shipping firms insist they are taking steps to support sailors, but some groups say they're not doing enough.
“This is not the time to throw away hard-won and hard-fought-for civil, human rights, labour rights,” says David Hammond, the head of charity Human Rights at Sea. “We need to protect [seafarers] because they are ultimately keeping the world fed and supported.”

Flight for Britons stranded in Fiji

The UK government is arranging a special charter flight to Australia for around 40 British travellers stranded in Fiji.
The flight will depart from Nadi for Melbourne on 29 April, where passengers will be able to access a commercial flight to London. Spare seats on the flight will be offered to EU nationals who wish to return to their countries of residence.
There are currently no commercial flight options from Fiji - which has also been hit by Cyclone Harold this month - and the government is urging all British travellers who want to return home to book on the flight at the Fiji Travel Advice page.
The government has helped more than 1.3 million Britons fly back to the UK so far but tens of thousands are still stranded, the head of the Foreign Office said on Tuesday.

Latin America update: Amnesty for at-risk prisoners

Mexico's economy in the doldrums and some children return to school in Uruguay - here's the latest on the coronavirus pandemic in Latin America.

• Peru is going to release about 3,000 prisoners who are most at risk of contracting coronavirus. The justice minister said pregnant inmates, those with children and those 70 and older would be among those given an amnesty
  
• Confirmed cases of coronavirus in Mexico have passed the 10,000 mark. Mexico's president says he will increase spending on social programmes and infrastructure projects by more than $25.6bn (£20.7bn) with the economy expected to contract by as much as 10% this year
  
• In Uruguay, hundreds of primary schools have reopened after staying closed for five weeks. But it is up to parents to decide whether they want to send their children back to school.
  

Empty middle seat is idiotic, says Ryanair boss

The boss of Ryanair says the budget airline will not resume flights if it has to keep middle seats empty to fight Covid-19, calling the idea "idiotic".
Michael O'Leary said empty seats didn't ensure safe social distancing and were financially unviable.
You might remember that easyJet, Emirates and Delta in the US have all said they plan to keep middle seats empty.
But Mr O'Leary said that if the Irish government imposed it as a rule, it would have to pay for the middle seat "or we won't fly".
Read his comments in full here.

Scientific answers will take time

Norman Smith - Assistant political editor
The UK government is looking at setting up a tracking system to see how much of the population has had the virus, and what sort of immunity they have.
Around 300,000 people will be sent swab kits, and some may even be asked to do their own blood tests.
But this, like the hunt for a vaccine, is unlikely to bear fruit until next year. So the government is emphasising people need to continue with social distancing.
And piecing together the disparate advice on face masks, the general public are not being told to wear them. This might change for vulnerable groups and people who can't distance at work, but experts are currently more concerned that wearing a face mask could make people more relaxed about other, more important measures.

Children to be allowed to play outside in Spain

By the time children under 14 are allowed out of their homes again on Sunday, Spain's lockdown will have been in place for six weeks.
The government has now given details of how it'll work under a so-called 1-1-1 rule. Up to three children will be allowed out with one responsible adult for one hour and for up to 1km (0.6 miles) from their home.
Most families live in flats so for the 6.8 million children involved this is a big moment. They will be allowed to run or scoot, and play with a ball or other toys, between 09:00 and 21:00. But parks and playgrounds will stay out of bounds and social distancing will have to continue.
The government initially said children could only go to the shops with their parents but they relented when faced with a chorus of criticism and now say running, jumping and exercising will be allowed too.

People in care facilities need more protection - WHO

Some more quotes from Dr Hans Kluge, the World Health Organisation's regional director for Europe, who has said that almost half of the coronavirus deaths in Europe were residents in care facilities (see 11:14 entry).
Speaking at a news conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, Dr Kluge called for greater efforts to protect residents and said carers needed help and supplies.
He said: "Those dying in homes from Covid-19 have the right to be attended to and to receive end of life care including symptom relief with adequate medication surrounded by their loved ones.
"The dedicated, compassionate people working in long-term care facilities who are so often overstretched, underpaid and unprotected are the unsung heroes of this pandemic.
"We must do all we can to ensure those workers have personal protective equipment and other essential supplies to protect themselves and those they care for."

Dr Hans Kluge, the World Health Organisation's regional director for Europe

Arrogance will 'poison' cooperation - Chinese ambassador

China's ambassador to the UK says coronavirus "does not discriminate between races" and "blaming and scapegoating is futile" in the face of the current crisis.
Last month, US President Donald Trump was criticised for describing Covid-19 as the "Chinese virus".
Speaking at a news conference in London, Liu Xiaoming says: "Arrogance and insolence will only poison the cooperation between countries.
"It is against the human conscience to deliberately put various labels on a specific regime, and stigmatise a specific country.
"Such a move will only drive a wedge between countries, undermine international cooperation and harm the interests of all mankind."

58 more coronavirus deaths in Scotland

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirms that a further 58 people who have tested positive for coronavirus have died, taking the total number of deaths in Scotland to 1,120.
She extends her "deepest condolences" to those who have lost a loved one.

5,000 flowers for the NHS

A rainbow tribute to the NHS, made up of 5,000 flowers, has been organised by a team at University College London Hospital.
The original idea came from oncoplastic breast surgeon Cheryl Lobo, pictured below with the finished rainbow.

US attorney general compares shutdowns to 'house arrest'

In the United States, Attorney General William Barr has compared coronavirus shutdowns to "house arrest" and said the Justice Department could take legal action against states.
Speaking on radio programme The Hugh Hewitt Show, Barr said: "These are unprecedented burdens on civil liberties. The idea you have to stay in your house is disturbingly close to house arrest.
"We're looking carefully at a number of these rules and if we think one goes too far, we initially try to jawbone the governors into rolling them back or adjusting them. If they're not and people bring lawsuits, we [will] file statement of interest and side with the plaintiffs."
Barr's comments come after President Trump on Friday published a series of tweets calling for Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia to be "liberated". Protests have been held in those and other states with people pushing to end lockdown rules.
The United States has the highest number of coronavirus deaths of any country in the world, with more than 46,700 fatalities.

Lockdown is damaging economy, education and health - Sturgeon

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says the lockdown measures to contain the virus are doing damage to the economy, living standards, children's education and aspects of our physical and mental health.
Speaking at her daily briefing in Edinburgh, she says: "We cannot and we must not take our eye off the need to suppress the virus and minimise the damage that it does.
But she adds: "We must try to find a better balance than the one we have right now."
Sturgeon says the proposals she's publishing today are not a detailed plan of action but look in general at how to shift the balance between keeping necessary restrictions in place and re-establishing some sort of normality.

We are seeking to find a new normal - Sturgeon

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says "a return to normal as we knew it is not on the cards in the near future".
"What we will be seeking to do, is find a new normal. A way of living alongside this virus, but in a form that keeps it under control and stops it taking the toll that we know it can do." she says.
"Social distancing and limiting of contacts with others will be a fact of life for a long time to come, certainly until treatments and ultimately a vaccine offer different solutions.
"So that means possibly for the rest of this year, and maybe even beyond."

Women's Euro 2021 to take place in 2022

The women's football European Championship, which was due to take place next summer, has been moved to 6-31 July 2022.
The tournament - which will be held in England - would have clashed with the men's event which was delayed from this summer because of coronavirus.
The move also means it won't be played in the same summer as the Tokyo Olympics, which also has a women's football tournament.

Changes to social measures must be gradual - Sturgeon

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says changes to social measures aimed at containing the virus "will need to be careful, gradual, incremental and probably quite small to start with".
"We'll need to assess them in advance and monitor them in action - sometimes, as I said a moment ago, we may even have to reverse things," she says.
"I can't stand here and promise you that it's going to get a whole lot easier soon."
"But as I hope we have started to set out today, if we keep doing the right things and if we consider all of the options carefully and with the right objectives in mind, I do believe there will be a way through and we will find that way through."

Dutch death toll rises by 123

The death toll in the Netherlands has risen by 123 in the past 24 hours, reaching 4,177, officials say.
The country's Institute for Public Health (RIVM) says the number of infections increased by 887 to 35,729.

Latest from the UK

From discussions about whether the public should wear face masks to concerns about the impact of the lockdown on businesses - here are the latest coronavirus updates from the UK:

• 20,000 households in England are being contacted to take part in a study to track coronavirus in the general population
  
• The government’s scientific advisers are expected to present their findings to ministers later on whether the public should wear face masks
  
• A New Zealand nurse credited with helping to save Boris Johnson’s life has spoken about her experience of treating the prime minister for coronavirus
  
• The government is facing pressure to give businesses “hope” after a warning social distancing could last for the rest of the year
  
• It comes as the UK’s budget deficit is set to see “an absolutely colossal increase to a level not seen in peacetime”, according to the director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies
  
• Prince Louis has been photographed making a colourful rainbow poster - a symbol of hope during the lockdown - to mark his second birthday
  

Round-up of Nicola Sturgeon's press conference

We've been hearing from Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon - who is still taking questions from the press.
She focused on how Scotland might begin to lift the lockdown, but said the country would have to be flexible and change course as we got more evidence. She committed to giving continued updates on the Scottish government's thinking.
She said the government wanted to find a better balance between the negative effects of severe lockdown and protecting people's health. But she said restrictions would not be changed until the exponential spread of the virus was definitely under control.
Parts of the lockdown would last for months, Ms Sturgeon warned. She said some form of shielding for vulnerable people was likely to continue for a while, and large gatherings would continue to be restricted longer than other activities. She suggested different groups of children were likely to return to school at different times.
Ms Sturgeon urged the public to continue with social distancing.

Communication differences within UK

Vicki Young - Chief Political Correspondent
The four nations of the UK have been working together on the coronavirus crisis, but there have been differences in communication.
The Scottish government wants to give people and businesses some hope about the ending of lockdown restrictions, but also give them a sense of reality that we will not be going back to normality any time soon.
But in setting out a communication strategy, and a strategy for ending complete lockdown, Ms Sturgeon may be setting down a challenge for the UK government.

'Some of us with health conditions get better'

"Getting coronavirus is not a death sentence for everybody with underlying health conditions."
That was the message from a man with chronic pancreatitis who has recovered from Covid-19 and spoke to BBC News earlier today.
"I was scared to sleep as I didn't know if I would wake up," he added.
"But some of us can get through this and that's what has been missed out - that little bit of glimmer of hope. If you can spread that message, it will give people a little bit more hope and a little bit more fight."

Is the UK government at risk of treating the public like children?

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is now taking questions from the press, after outlining her ideas on how to ease the coronavirus lockdown in Scotland.
BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg asks if, given Ms Sturgeon has announced today's proposals in order to keep the public "in the know", the UK government is risking treating the public like children if they do not do the same.
Ms Sturgeon says "we all have a responsibility and desire to be as open as we can be with the public".
"This is the start of a process, the start of a conversation. There is a lot more detail that lies ahead."
She adds: "There are no absolute rights and wrongs on this."

A further 4.4m Americans file for unemployment benefits

Latest figures show another 4.4 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits in the last week.
More than 20 million Americans had filed new claims for unemployment in the previous five weeks, while a $349bn loan programme for small businesses ran out of money within two weeks.
The new applications have brought the total number of jobless claims since mid-March to 26.4 million - more than 15% of the US workforce.

• Stories of unemployment, fear and hope in the US
  

Car production resumes

Volkswagen has restarted its plant in Zwickau in eastern Germany, after a five-week standstill. The group is building a fully electric car there, and says it still plans to launch the new model this summer.
Car makers including Renault and Daimler - the maker of Mercedes Benz - have announced plans to kick off production again. But others are holding off, with dealerships shuttered worldwide amid the lockdown measures

PM Johnson making calls and in touch with team

The UK prime minister's spokesman said he could not "give a timetable" for Boris Johnson's return to work, as he continues to recover from coronavirus.
The prime minister has been at his official country residence, Chequers, since leaving hospital.
He has been speaking to his No 10 team and receiving regular updates on the coronavirus response, the spokesman said, but "he is not doing government work".
Mr Johnson spoke to the Queen last night.

Traditional greeting a big talking point in China

Kerry Allen - BBC Monitoring, Chinese Media Analyst
The promotion of a traditional Chinese greeting as a way of encouraging people to think about social-distancing has been gripping Chinese social media users.
Tuesday's video of primary school students in the eastern city of Quzhou performing the “zuoyi” led to animated discussion online, and today, the Global Times newspaper notes officials in the city are also being required to use it at government meetings.
The “zuoyi” is a formal custom - people stretch their arms out in front of themselves, link their hands, and bow their head.
It is not without controversy, though, dating back from China’s imperial era thousands of years ago.

Jockey banned for headbutting rival and breaching Covid-19 rules

An Australian jockey has been banned for six months after headbutting a rival rider and breaching social distancing rules.
Luke Tarrant injured Larry Cassidy during an altercation after a race at Doomben, in the state of Queensland.
Racing in Australia has continued during the coronavirus pandemic, behind closed doors and with strict protocols.
A stewards' report said Tarrant's helmet "made contact with the nose" of Cassidy and caused him an injury.
More on this story here.

Coronavirus deaths in Wales reach 641

A further 17 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus in Wales, bringing the total number of deaths there to 641, Public Health Wales says.
A further 234 people have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 8,358.
Dr Robin Howe, from Public Health Wales, says: “Based on the new case numbers there is emerging evidence suggesting a levelling-off in the number of new cases of Covid-19 in Wales, which may be an indication of the effectiveness of lockdown measures.
“However, it is still too early to tell for sure, and it is too soon to end the current social distancing rules."

Coronavirus deaths in England rise to 16,786

NHS England has announced 514 new coronavirus-related hospital deaths, bringing the total number of reported deaths in hospitals in England to 16,786.
Patients were aged between 31 and 100 years old. Sixteen of the 514 patients (aged between 37 and 92 years old) had no known underlying health condition.

Former world youth champion ditches darts to double hours for NHS

Frank Keogh - BBC Sport


A former world youth darts champion has ditched the sport to help out during the coronavirus pandemic.
Keegan Brown had already been working part-time as a medical laboratory assistant despite turning professional.
Now the 27-year-old from the Isle of Wight has stepped up his shifts at the island's only hospital since the crisis started.
"For now my skills are required in the laboratory, not on the dartboard, so my focus is there," the world number 30 told BBC Sport.

Sweden sees spike and admits data error

Madelaine Savage - in Stockholm
Sweden has seen its confirmed cases of Covid-19 jump from 16,004 to 16,755. The rise was much larger than in recent days, during which Sweden’s Public Health Agency had been cautiously celebrating a flattening of cases.
The agency's deputy state epidemiologist Anders Wallensten said the majority of the new cases were in Stockholm. Increased testing of healthcare workers could be a factor, he said, but scientists were looking into other potential reasons.
The agency also adjusted an earlier estimation that one-third of Stockholm residents will have been infected by the virus by 1 May, which was featured in a report released by the agency earlier this week and withdrawn after officials admitted errors in calculations.
“I don’t think this should be looked upon as something that is representative of Swedish statistics in general,” Wallensten told the BBC from the news conference via video link. “It was a mistake, I think many people understand that we are working hard these days... unfortunately this was not spotted before it went out.”
He said it was “too early to say” how much of an impact asymptomatic infection rates and the subsequent potential for immunity would have on the potential to lift social-distancing recommendations in Sweden in the near future, in comparison to places which have endured stricter measures.
Unlike other countries Sweden has not implemented strict social distancing measures.

The UK picture

We should be hearing from the UK government in the next 30 minutes, but let’s take a look at the latest from the country first:

• Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon set out a plan for a phased lifting of Scotland's lockdown, but she stressed it could change as evidence shifted
  
• The government is to ask 20,000 households in England to take part in a trial to track the spread of the virus and immunity levels
  
• The nurse who treated Boris Johnson said the prime minister was "just another patient"
  
• Tory MPs are pressuring the government to give "hope" to businesses on the end of the lockdown
  

Twins killed by pandemics 100 years apart

A 100-year-old man in the US has died of Covid-19 - more than a century after losing his twin brother to the 1918 flu pandemic, his grandson told CNN.
Philip and Samuel Kahn were born on5 December 1919. Samuel died of the flu just weeks later. The Spanish Flu is thought to have killed between 50-100 million people worldwide, and about 675,000 in the US.
Philip, a World War Two veteran, feared another pandemic would happen in his lifetime, his grandson Warren Zysman told CNN.
"I would have conversations with him and he would say to me, 'I told you history repeats itself, 100 years is not that long of a period of time.'"

103 UK healthcare workers believed to have died

Alex Murray
BBC News
Analysis by BBC News suggests some 103 healthcare workers are now believed to have died from coronavirus. 53 were men, 49 women.
Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people represent 65 of those deaths, where we have been able to establish ethnicity. 13 have been reported as Filipino.

• Are ethnic minorities being hit hardest by coronavirus?
  

We've been unable to verify whether these people tested positive for the virus. Instead, our information comes from public reports where the family or workplace have said their death was related to Covid-19.
Of the doctors who we believe were working in a hospital environment, all 16 were BAME and male, with a significant majority over 50.
Medical staff account for 22 deaths; nursing and midwifery 34 deaths; allied occupations 47 deaths.
It is unclear how many contracted the virus in the course of their work in the health sector.
Separate analysis by Health Service Journal suggest that the rate of death is "largely consistent with the number of healthcare workers in the population".

What did we learn from today's UK briefing?

The UK government briefing has now ended. Health Secretary Matt Hancock focused on testing, an issue where there has been significant criticism of the government.

• He said expanding capacity is now ahead of schedule, and stands at 51,000 today. He said any essential worker in England, and anyone in their household, can apply online for a test from tomorrow. Employers can also apply for tests for their staff. There will be mobile and home testing, in addition to testing at labs and hospitals.
  
• Prof John Newton, who is leading the testing effort, says testing has allowed two-thirds of isolating NHS staff who have had the test to return to work. He said the government is on track to reach its target of doing 100,000 tests a day by the end of April. But he emphasised that scientists are not sure how much immunity people acquire through having the disease.
  
• Mr Hancock said there will be a huge contact tracing effort, hiring 18,000 people to track who has had the virus and who they might have spread it to.
  
• Asked about pressure to set out how, not when, the lockdown could be listed, Mr Hancock did not give any details but said the "test, track and trace" strategy could eventually help the UK move to lighter restrictions.
  

UAE relaxes lockdown for month of Ramadan

Sameer Hashmi - Middle East Business Correspondent, BBC News
The UAE has announced it will be relaxing the 24-hour lockdown for the month of Ramadan. The new lockdown timings will be 10pm to 6am - allowing residents to step out during the day.
For the last three weeks, Dubai had imposed a strict lockdown, during which residents were asked to stay at home. The two main cities - Dubai and the capital Abu Dhabi - are also initiating a plan to reopen shopping malls soon.
They have issued a set of guidelines on the eve of Ramadan that include capping mall capacity to 30% and the management ensuring two-metre social distancing in all common areas. Visitors will be allowed to shop for a maximum of three hours and it will be mandatory to wear a mask at all times.
Restaurants will have to restrict seating capacity to 30% and maintain a distance of six feet between tables.The authorities in Dubai have also announced a plan that would allow residents to receive family members during Ramadan and leave home for “one outdoor activity" but the gathering cannot exceed 10 people.
Physical contact such as handshakes and hugging will be strictly prohibited during such gatherings, according to the guidelines issued. However, congressional prayers at mosques will still not be permitted across the UAE. Metro services in Dubai are also expected to start operations soon.
The UAE has reported 8,756 cases of Covid-19 and a total of 56 deaths.

'Vicious and dumb': New York governor lashes out at top Republican

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has hit back at Senate Leader Mitch McConnell for his suggestion that states declare bankruptcy, as the coronavirus outbreak continues to pummel local economies.
"This is one of the really dumb ideas of all time," Cuomo, a Democrat, said at his daily coronavirus briefing. "You want to see the market fall through the cellar? Let New York State declare bankruptcy."
McConnell - the top Republican in the US Congress - said this week that additional assistance for state governments should be "thoroughly evaluated", in a press release called "Stopping Blue State Bailouts" - referring to Democrat-leaning states.
"How ugly a thought," Cuomo said of McConnell's "obsessive political bias", before calling the senator "the self-proclaimed grim reaper".
New York State reported 438 deaths yesterday, continuing a gradual decline in its death toll. Nearly 20,000 people have died statewide since the outbreak began.
At Thursday's briefing, Cuomo also announced that the state would begin an investigation of nursing homes, to ensure they are following state guidance during the Covid-19 pandemic.

First patients injected in vaccine trial

Fergus Walsh - Medical correspondent
The first human trial in Europe of a coronavirus vaccine has begun in Oxford.
Two volunteers were injected - the first of more than 800 people recruited for the study.
Half will receive the Covid-19 vaccine, and half a control vaccine which protects against meningitis but not coronavirus.
The design of the trial means volunteers will not know which vaccine they are getting, though doctors will.
Read more about the trial here.

UK favourites to return for Big Night In

Sir Lenny Henry and Davina McCall are among the show's hosts

It's been a while since we saw favourites like Peter Kay, the Catherine Tate Show and Little Britain on all our television screens - but all three will return tonight for the BBC's Big Night In special.
The three-hour show aims to raise millions of pounds for vulnerable people around the UK who have been affected by the pandemic.
Children in Need and Comic Relief have joined forces for the first time for the event for UK viewers, which begins at 19:00 BST on BBC One.

• Read more about the charity show
  

Charter flights to bring 'thousands' more Britons home from India

The UK government has chartered 14 new flights to bring 3,600 more stranded British travellers back home, the Foreign Office says.
Once completed, these additional flights will bring the total number of people flown to the UK from India on government charter flights to more than 13,000, according to the department.
The flights, which leave from next week from Amritsar, Ahmedabad and Delhi, are for British nationals who normally reside in the UK and their direct dependants. Seats are only available for those who are already registered and on a waitlist.
More than 1.3 million travelling Britons have been helped to return to the UK on commercial flights - but "tens of thousands" are still stranded, officials said on Tuesday.

Moscow 'not even half way' towards peak infection rate

Sarah Rainsford - BBC Moscow Correspondent
The chief doctor at one of the main Moscow hospitals treating coronavirus cases has recorded a video of his ER department full of sedated patients hooked up to artificial ventilators, and warned that more people are being admitted to hospital requiring ventilation.
Dr Valery Vechorko said the hospital was seeing more 40-year-old patients in a serious condition. His comments came as the Moscow mayor said Russia’s capital was "not even half way" towards the peak infection rate, with a daily increase in cases at a pace that was "not dramatic", but persistent - from 8 to 15% daily.
Sergei Sobyanin said Moscow would be "fighting coronavirus" for several weeks. The assessment follows two days in which the total number of new infections in Russia has fallen slightly; a large percentage of the new cases are said to be asymptomatic – picked up through increased screening.
Moscow’s coronavirus headquarters says the number of patients has climbed significantly - 1,300 people were hospitalised daily last week, now 1,900. The mayor said the healthcare system was coping but the number of beds and medical staff would need to be increased.
"I ask everyone to treat this infection seriously," Dr Vechorko wrote on Facebook, urging people to stick to the strict lockdown rules that have been in place in Moscow since the end of March.
"Don’t try to treat yourselves, if you don’t want to end up on a ventilator!" he warned. His hospital is operating over its intended capacity - treating more than 1,000 Covid-19 cases, with 500 more in-patients suspected to have the illness and 81 on ventilators.

The latest from Asia

• A Chinese journalist has reappeared in a YouTube video almost two months after he went missing reporting in Wuhan - where the virus outbreak started
  
• China has pledged an additional $30m to the World Health Organization, one week after President Donald Trump suspended US funding of the body over its handling of coronavirus
  
• Indonesian transport officials have announced a temporary ban on some domestic and international air and sea travel to prevent further coronavirus spread
  
• Malaysian officials have extended curbs on travel and other restrictions for another two weeks to 12 May
  

Smog over Delhi vanishes during lockdown

The Indian capital is one of the world's most polluted cities but in lockdown the skies are strikingly clear.
The city experienced some of its worst days in history for pollution in November. But India has been under strict lockdown since March and experts say this closure of factories and airports has resulted in a dramatic reduction in smog.

What about testing key workers in rest of UK?

We've just heard Health Secretary Matt Hancock announce that all essential workers in England - and members of their households - are now eligible for coronavirus tests.
But what about other parts of the country?
Downing Street has clarified that it can only set the testing eligibility criteria for England and it's up to devolved administrations to decide what happens in the rest of the UK.
The Welsh government announced it was expanding testing to key workers, such as teachers and food delivery drivers, on Sunday.
Its online portal to book a slot at a testing site is expected to be available next week.
Meanwhile, Scotland is prioritising NHS staff but has yet to announce any expansion of testing to key workers.
Northern Ireland is expanding its testing programme to include frontline workers in the private sector who are delivering key medical, utility and food supplies.

UK applauds its key workers for a fifth time

For a fifth week in a row, people up and down the UK are applauding NHS staff and key workers.
Well-wishers have flocked to balconies, windows and doorsteps to make noise in appreciation for those on the frontline of the epidemic.

EU leaders agree huge rescue package

A plan for injecting billions of euros of emergency aid into Europe's struggling economies has been agreed by EU leaders.
At a video conference they agreed to set up a massive recovery fund, to be closely tied to the bloc's seven-year budget. The European Commission now has to work out the details.
They also confirmed that €540bn (£470bn) of financial support would be released through existing mechanisms, to ease the economic pain caused by coronavirus, from 1 June.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said the future recovery fund would mobilise €1 trillion of investment.
There has been bitter argument over how to fund the much-needed aid. But Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said "great progress" had been made on Thursday.
Italy - the worst-affected country in Europe to date - has urged its EU partners, especially the richer countries of northern Europe, to show more solidarity.

South Africa to ease restrictions

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says some economic activity will be allowed to resume on 1 May, when the country will ease coronavirus restrictions.
However, he says the nation must avoid a rushed reopening of the economy which could trigger a spike in infections.

South Africa's 'cautious' easing of lockdown

More on South Africa's decision to ease some restrictions on 1 May (see our 20:17 post), after a five-week national lockdown.
In Thursday's televised address to the nation, President Ramaphosa said the country would begin a "gradual and phased recovery" through a "deliberate and cautious approach to the easing of current lockdown restrictions".
The president stressed that many restrictions would remain in place after 1 May:

• A ban on travelling between South Africa's provinces
  
• Borders to be kept shut
  
• No public gatherings except for funerals
  
• A ban on sports and cultural events
  

South Africa currently has 75 confirmed coronavirus-related deaths and nearly 4,000 infections.

UN agencies in joint shipping plea

Three UN bodies have made a joint appeal to governments to facilitate trade by ship during the pandemic.
The statement by the International Maritime Organization, the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization says that shipping and seafarers must be allowed to deliver vital goods.
It says restrictions on international traffic should be based on evidence and proportionate with the level of risk.
The statement says seafarers should have access to proper medical care, and calls for an easing of limits on the movement of doctors and ship inspectors.

Canada Post warns of delays amid 'Christmas season' volume

Stuck at home amid the virus outbreak, many Canadians are taking their shopping online. Canada Post says it is processing and delivering parcels at levels only experienced during the busiest weeks of the Christmas season.
On Monday, the national postal service delivered more than 1.8 million parcels to Canadians.
It is now warning of delays as the surge in demand collides with new safety measures meant to maintain social distancing within processing facilities.
Canada has now reported 2,220 coronavirus deaths. Confirmed cases have climbed to 42,560, with larger concentrations in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today announced a new $780m (£630m) strategy to fight the virus, with funds allocated to vaccine and treatment research, clinical trials and expanded testing.

UK care homes share concerns over testing availability

Lewis Goodall - Policy Editor, Newsnight
BBC Newsnight has spoken to care home managers who say that, despite government promises and assurances, testing facilities for their residents and staff are not available.
Today, Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock repeated the claim that, "we’ve already expanded the availability of testing in care homes including to asymptomatic residents and it’s a very important part of the testing programme".
But the manager of a care home with a resident who died from Covid-19 has been told in explicit terms by Public Health England, that they are not in a position to carry out testing on the five other patients who have developed symptoms.
Newsnight has also spoken to several workers in domiciliary care (those treating vulnerable people in their own homes) who say they are being offered very little Personal Protection Equipment at work.
For the full story, watch Newsnight at 22:45 BST on BBC Two.

Ousted US vaccine director 'to file whistleblower report'

Dr Rick Bright, the ousted head of a key US agency working on coronavirus vaccine efforts, will file a whistleblower's complaint, his lawyers say.
The complaint will show Dr Bright was sidelined solely "because he resisted efforts to provide unfettered access to potentially dangerous drugs, including chloroquine, a drug promoted by the administration as a panacea, but which is untested and possibly deadly," the lawyers said in a statement quoted by Reuters.
President Trump has often touted chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine as possible treatments against Covid-19, though the World Health Organization and other experts have said there is no definitive evidence they work.
When asked about Dr Bright on Wednesday, President Trump said he'd never heard of him. On the claim he was driven out, the president said: "Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't."

What's happened in Europe today?

More than 110,000 coronavirus-related deaths have now been reported across Europe - here are the key developments in the past 24 hours:

• At a video-summit, EU leaders agreed a new €540bn (£470bn; $575bn) emergency fund to protect European workers, businesses and countries worst hit by the outbreak
  
• "Up to half" of deaths in Europe have been in care homes, the World Health Organization says
  
• German Chancellor Angela Merkel warns that "we'll have to live with this virus for a long time"
  
• The Czech Republic will end restrictions on free movement from Friday and allow groups of up to 10 people to meet in public, Health Minister Adam Vojtech says
  
• Italy reports 464 new deaths, but says the number of patients in intensive care has fallen
  
• In France, the death toll rises by 516 to 21,856 - but the number of intensive care patients also drops
  
• In Spain, a minister apologises to the country's children for confining them to their homes for weeks because of the outbreak
  

South Africa is tweaking lockdown, not ending it

Nomsa Maseko - BBC Africa, Johannesburg
The announcement that the sale of cigarettes will resume on 1 May has been welcomed by those who were angered by the prohibition since the lockdown began nearly a month ago. But many are still questioning the ban on alcohol sales which is still not allowed.
In essence, South Africa's lockdown has been extended indefinitely, with a few changes. The movement of people is still very much restricted - and it's now compulsory for people to wear masks in public areas. Some industries, particularly the manufacturing industry will benefit from the partial easing of the lockdown from next Friday. This is a very cautious approach which takes into consideration the need for the country’s economy to start working again.
President Ramaphosa took into consideration the seriousness of the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on the country. Some restrictions will help to contain the virus and protect lives.

Acehnese 'scared' but follow local fatwas

Resty Woro Yuniar - BBC News, Jakarta
Muslims in Indonesia’s Aceh flocked to the province’s grand mosque on Thursday night to attend mass Taraweeh prayers - an additional prayer at night during the Islamic fasting month Ramadan.
While many of them wore masks, they still prayed closely together, defying the Indonesian government’s physical distancing guidance.
“I’m scared of dying because of coronavirus, but I don’t let it stress me out and scare me out of praying. The most important thing is to maintain our personal hygiene by washing my hands and wearing masks,” Putri Sarah told BBC Indonesia.
Another congregation member, Wahyuka, said that he went to the mosque because his children forced him to.
“I myself am scared of praying together, that is why I prayed far from other people’s lines,” he said.
Marini Kristiani, a sociologist from Syiah Kuala University in Aceh, said that many Acehnese people pay more attention to fatwas, or Islamic rulings, issued by local religious figures than the central government.
Aceh is the only region in Indonesia that implements Islamic sharia law. The province also still carries out public flogging. The latest was on Tuesday, when six people were flogged for violating Islamic law - only one wore a mask.

Virus tests now available to millions in UK

Up to 10 million key workers in the UK and their family members will be able to register for a coronavirus test if they are showing virus symptoms.
Those who can register include NHS and social care workers, police officers, teachers, those in the justice system, supermarket and food production workers, journalists and transport workers.
Previously, only a smaller group of people whose work was deemed critical to the Covid-19 response were eligible for testing.
But the government remains some way short of its target of 100,000 tests a day by the end of this month.
Thursday's figures showed 23,560 tests were carried out, though Health Secretary Matt Hancock said capacity had now increased to 51,000 per day.
Read more about testing here.

Charged for breaking quarantine 30 mins early

A Singaporean man has been charged for leaving quarantine 30 minutes earlier than he was supposed to, according to a report by the Straits Times.
Tay Chun Hsien, 22, was ordered to be isolated in his flat until the 22 March at noon. But he's been accused of not being at home from around 11:30.
It's not clear why he had to be isolated or where he went after leaving home. Singapore has for some time been ordering contacts of confirmed cases to stay at home, and checking in on them with video calls at random times.
Tay, who has been charged under the Infectious Diseases Act, says he intends to plead guilty. If convicted, he faces up to six months in jail and a maximum fine of up to S$10,000 ($7,010; £5,670).

An unusual holy month for Muslims

Welcome if you're just joining us. We've been looking at Ramadan, which begins today and will be a very different experience for Muslims this year.
Outbreaks of Covid-19 around the world have been traced to religious gatherings, and governments in many Middle Eastern countries have imposed social distancing measures to limit the spread of the disease.
Many have closed mosques and instructed worshippers to perform the special prayers at home. They plan to provide virtual alternatives using TV, radio and social media.
Some have also put in place nighttime curfews and inter-city travel bans, which will limit the ability of people to break their fasts in large groups or away from their homes.
Communal meals traditionally organised for the poor have also been affected. Many mosques and charities plan to distribute pre-packed meals instead.
However, in Pakistan and Indonesia some mosques are going ahead with congregational prayers.

First patients injected in UK vaccine trial

Two volunteers in the UK have been injected with a potential vaccine - the first human trial to take place in Europe.
More than 800 people were recruited for the study.
Half will receive the Covid-19 vaccine, and half a control vaccine which protects against meningitis but not coronavirus. The volunteers will not know which vaccine they are getting.
The vaccine was developed in under three months by a team at Oxford University.
Sarah Gilbert, professor of vaccinology at the Jenner Institute, led the pre-clinical research.
Prof Gilbert previously said she was "80% confident" the vaccine would work, but now prefers not to put a figure on it, saying simply she is "very optimistic" about its chances.
Here's how the vaccine will work.

The woman who pushed for homemade masks in India

Pallava Bagla - Columnist, Delhi


Behind India's push for mass use of homemade masks for more than a billion people is a little-known female biochemist.
Shailaja V Gupta, 58, is a scientist in the office of India's principal scientific adviser. She helps draw up policy and advises the government on the best use of technology.
"Homemade masks were a very obvious solution to limit the chain of transmission, especially in crowded conditions," she says.
There continues to be debate around the efficacy of masks, and the World Health Organization (WHO) says there isn't much evidence to support wearing them. But many Asian countries have made them compulsory.
And in India, with PPE kits in short supply and the regular purchase of surgical masks not a viable option for many, Ms Gupta believes that homemade masks are a practical preventive measure.
You can read the full piece here

Italy's burgeoning mental health crisis

Italy’s coronavirus death toll is the second highest in the world, and its lockdown is the strictest and longest in Europe.
Doctors say both things are creating a mental health emergency. Psychologists are warning that Italy is not equipped to deal with the crisis, and that the rest of Europe must prepare.
The BBC has spoke to staff at a psychological help centre, and they say they’re overwhelmed by calls from people struggling.

Good morning to our UK readers

If you're joining us in the UK, good morning.
Here are the latest headlines:

• Up to 10 million key workers and their households can now book a coronavirus test online or through their employer
  
• The 'Big Night In' has raised more than £27m. The money will go to causes that support vulnerable people around the UK whose lives have been affected by coronavirus
  
• Two volunteers in the UK have been injected with a potential coronavirus vaccine. It is the first human test in Europe.
  
• US President Donald Trump said Boris Johnson sounded "incredible" after his recovery from the virus.
  

South Africa eyes easing lockdown

South Africa’s president has announced an easing of some lockdown restrictions beginning next month, citing economic concerns.
From 1 May, some businesses will be allowed to reopen, and a third of their employees can return to work. However, President Cyril Ramaphosa warned that most people should remain at home, public gatherings remain banned, and the country’s borders will stay closed.
Here's what else is happening across the continent:

• Night curfew hours in Egypt will be shortened during Ramadan. It will begin at 21:00 local time (19:00GMT), an hour later than usual
  
• Two people who fled a quarantine centre in Kenya have been arrested at a bar where they were found drinking despite social distancing regulations
  
• US President Donald Trump has held telephone conversations with the presidents of South Africa and Kenya, offering assistance to both countries.
  

South Korea reports no deaths in 24 hours

Laura Bicker - BBC News, Seoul
There have been no reported deaths from Covid-19 in South Korea in the last 24 hours - the first time in a month that's happened.
The Centre for Disease Control (KCDC) also reported only six new cases of the infection – the lowest recorded daily total since 18 February.
It is a remarkable turnaround in a country which was battling a spiralling number of cases in February.
The country used aggressive tracing and testing measures to find infected patients, isolate them and treat them. So far 240 people have sadly died, but that is still a low fatality rate in comparison to other countries. All of this has been achieved with no lockdown and no major movement restrictions.
But health officials say now is the time to remain vigilant.
In the last few days they have continued warning the public that it is inevitable this country will face further outbreaks until there’s a vaccine.
KCDC Deputy Director Kwon said South Koreans should brace themselves for an “unexpected, explosive spread of Covid-19 anytime, even tomorrow" and that officials were using this time to prepare long-term pandemic plans.

World's Muslims face very different Ramadan

Martin Bashir - BBC religious affairs correspondent
The coronavirus pandemic has disturbed the rituals and traditions of the vast majority of Islam’s 1.8 billion adherents, who will abstain from food and water during daylight hours for the next 30 days.
In most countries, mosques are closed and Ramadan’s traditional evening call to prayer will be heeded only at home, as Muslims experience the holy month in chastened circumstances.
During Ramadan, special evening prayers – known as Taraweeh – are traditionally said alongside the recitation of the Koran. Taraweeh derives from an Arabic word which means to rest and forms an essential part of congregational worship at this special time of the year.
The pandemic has cut to the heart of Islamic worship; vertically, in terms of prayer, and horizontally, by preventing the evening gatherings when people break the fast together, renew bonds of friendship and extend charity to those in need.
The coronavirus has impacted the holiest sites of Islam. The Grand Mosque in Mecca is silent, the mosque in Medina closed and the doors of Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque are bolted.
While most Muslim-majority nations have cancelled congregational gatherings, the prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, was forced to seek a compromise with clerics following protests.

No timetable for Johnson's return yet

The Daily Telegraph has been reporting that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be back in control at Number 10 on Monday after recovering from coronavirus.
But Downing Street are being clear that they have no official timetable for his return, says BBC political correspondent Leila Nathoo.
We’re starting to see signs he is back in action but there is no firm commitment for when he will be back in public, our correspondent adds.
Spokespeople say he is not doing government work although he has spoken to Dominic Raab, the first secretary of state who is deputising for him.
He has also spoken to the Queen over the phone and Donald Trump.
The US president has said Johnson sounded "incredible" during their phone conversation a few days ago - the "old Boris, tremendous energy, tremendous drive".

The economic price of the pandemic

The huge economic impact of coronavirus lockdowns should come as no surprise to anyone.
This week though we had some stark reminders of just how much the pandemic is hitting the global economy.
Just yesterday we learnt that European business activity suffered a massive blow this month as government restrictions to slow the spread of the virus saw businesses close their doors.
The data was a grim reminder for the region's leaders as they started to discuss a huge rescue plan for the bloc.
We also had data showing that Japan's services sector contracted at a record pace in April, while factories also fell silent as large parts of the world's third-largest economy went into lockdown.
In the US it was confirmed that in just five weeks the world's biggest economy has seen the job gains of the last 11 years wiped out. That's as new jobless claims for last week totalled 4.4m - taking the total number of jobless claims since mid-March to 26.4m.
This morning, new figures showed UK retail sales fell a record 5.1% in March, the steepest sales fall since the Office for National Statistics (ONS) started collecting the data in 1996.
For now at least, we are likely to see much more of this kind of gloomy data as governments around the world continue to enforce stay-at-home orders.

White House promotes sunlight research

The Trump administration is promoting research which suggests that sunlight can be a powerful weapon against the coronavirus.
Bill Bryan, head of science at the Department of Homeland Security, said the virus weakened quickly when exposed to sunlight, heat and humidity.
The research has not been published or externally examined.
Vice-President Mike Pence said the study raised hopes that the pandemic would recede in the summer.
During a press conference on Thursday, President Trump asked whether powerful light or injections of disinfectant could be used to treat coronavirus patients.
Health experts accused him of promoting dangerous misinformation.
The idea that hot weather might stop the coronavirus has been around for a while. Read our review of the evidence here.

Architect of Sweden's approach says it has worked

Anders Tegnell, Sweden's chief state epidemiologist, believes his country's decision not to impose strict lockdown measures has "worked in some aspects because our health system has been able to cope".
Sweden's approach has been controversial. It has seen more infections and deaths than its Nordic neighbours, with 2,021 deaths and 16,755 cases. But Dr Tegnell has told the BBC that at least half the deaths have been in nursing homes and "it's a bit unclear to us if a lockdown would have stopped this from happening or not". He also argued that the decision not to impose strict restrictions meant that there was an immunity level of up to 20% in the capital, Stockholm, "so we hope this will make it easier for us in the long run".

'I can't wash my hands - my water was cut off'

Aleem Maqbool - BBC News, Washington
Unlike in many European countries where it is illegal, US households have the water connection turned off for non-payment of bills.
That has left many Americans without water at a time when they are being told that one of the most important things they can do is wash their hands.
"I have been without water for about six months now," says Akiva Durr.
A mother of two girls, she lives in one of the most deprived neighbourhoods not just of Detroit but of the entire country.
Her family is among many in the US state who, in the midst of a public health crisis, have no water due to non-payment.
You can read the full story here.

BBC's Big Night In raises more than £27m

The BBC's Big Night In charity special has raised more than £27m.
A number of stars joined forces for the three-hour event to help raise money for charities across the UK that are helping people affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Peter Kay and Catherine Tate took part as did the Duke of Cambridge, who appeared in a surprise sketch with Stephen Fry.
Read more about the highlights from the night here.

UK contact tracers to start work 'in weeks'

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said a workforce of 18,000 people to trace contacts of those infected with coronavirus will be "up and running in a matter of weeks".
This "is just the start" and it will be combined with mass testing to help hold down the rate of transmission of the disease, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning.
He admitted the measures "work far better when there are fewer new cases" of the virus to trace - but if they do work the UK will be able to hold down the number of new coronavirus cases with fewer social distancing restrictions.

Vietnamese children donate masks to the UK

Two children in Vietnam have given 20,000 medical masks to the UK.
Nhan and Khoi, from the capital Hanoi, bought them with "lucky money" they had saved up over a few years.
The British Ambassador to Vietnam, Gareth Ward, wrote a letter to the pair thanking them for their donation. He confirmed the masks had been sent on a commercial flight last week that carried 100 British nationals home

Australia turns a corner

Shaimaa Khalil - BBC News, Sydney
Nearly four weeks ago, the government in Australia introduced tough social distancing measures - no more than two people anywhere and the closure of all non-essential services.
We were all getting used to a very different way of living. No loitering outside. I spent 23 hours a day at home and one walking around my neighbourhood. The beaches were off limits. At the time, the country was recording hundreds of cases a day.
It’s a very different picture now. Today, there are 13 new cases in the whole of Australia. Contact tracing and testing have been ramped up. In total, there have been 79 deaths.
Unlike Europe and the US, Australia has managed to get a handle on the spread of the virus through tight border controls and robust social distancing rules.
Despite the devastating effect on the economy, the government persisted with the restrictions and introduced stimulus packages for people and businesses. It has turned a corner but the leadership has warned against complacency.
For Australia to consolidate the gains it’s made in controlling Covid-19 and to avoid the risk of a resurgence in cases, the world’s most outdoorsy country will have to endure more of the indoors for some time.

How UK Muslims are adapting for Ramadan

The coronavirus pandemic means Muslims living in the UK will be observing Ramadan differently this year.
Normally many practising Muslims would fast from dawn to dusk for a month before getting together with families and friends in the evening for the Iftar meal. Many would also go to the mosque to pray.
However, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) says this year will be a “very different experience” and is urging people to fast and pray at home and share Ramadan digitally.
With the lockdown in place there will be no congregational acts of worship outside the home and the MCB suggests livestreaming sermons and virtual Iftars as alternatives.
Read more about how Muslims in the UK are observing Ramadan here.
And here's a piece from our health team about how to fast safely during the pandemic

Will the UK meet its testing target?

The UK government wants to do 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by the end of April. With a week to go it's managing around 20,000 but says it has the capacity to do just over 50,000 tests.
However, a number of organisations representing key workers have said there have been issues with the accessibility of testing centres – with some facing long journeys to be tested.
Earlier, Health Secretary Matt Hancock admitted testing had been “slow” at the beginning of the month because the country was still building the IT systems needed.
He told the BBC the government was ahead of its plan to hit the target “but nothing is guaranteed in life”.
You can read more about the government’s testing plan her

No English cricket before July

Cricket has always been one of the staples of the English summer but it will not start until at least 1 July, organisers have announced.
The County Championship - which usually starts in early to mid April - will have nine rounds of fixtures chopped off it.
The England men’s and women’s national teams will play all their matches between July and September, subject to government guidance.
England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive officer Tom Harrison says “we remain hopeful we can deliver some cricket this summer” but “there will be no cricket until it’s safe to play”

Summary for Saturday, 25th April

Good morning from our team here in London and welcome to our rolling updates on the pandemic.
Here’s what you need to know so far this morning:

• More than 2.8 million cases have been confirmed globally and more than 197,000 people have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University
  
• Nearly 60 new cases have been recorded among the crew of an Italian-registered cruise ship docked in Japan's Nagasaki
  
• Thousands in Australia and New Zealand have marked Anzac Day. With mass gatherings banned, households marked the day of remembrance on their driveways
  
• US President Donald Trump walked out of a shorter-than-usual daily press conference, refusing to take questions from journalists. He has faced controversy after he suggested injecting disinfectant could be beneficial to coronavirus patients
  
• In India, the government has allowed neighbourhood stores to reopen. The interior ministry said only 50% of staff should work and they should follow social distancing measures and wear masks
  
• Bookings on the UK government’s website for key workers to apply for coronavirus tests were filled within an hour of it reopening on Saturday - apart from some in Scotland
  

Doctors dismantle Trump's treatment comments

On Thursday, during the White House coronavirus taskforce briefing, President Donald Trump attracted widespread criticism after he suggested research into whether Covid-19 might be treated by injecting disinfectant into the body.
He also appeared to propose irradiating patients' bodies with UV light, an idea dismissed by Dr Deborah Birx at the briefing.
On Friday, President Trump said his comments had been made "sarcastically".
However, doctors warned that some people might take the president's comments to heart. Speaking to the BBC, Dr Jonathan Spicer warned that "these products have corrosive properties that melt or destroy the lining of our innards."

Video Journalist: Shrai Popat



Sergio Moro: Brazil's popular justice minister quits in Bolsonaro clash
Brazil's popular justice minister has resigned from President Jair Bolsonaro's government, accusing him of political interference.
Sergio Moro, a former judge who oversaw the country's biggest anti-corruption probe, quit after the president fired the federal police chief.
Mr Moro said Mr Bolsonaro demanded someone who would provide him with direct intelligence.
In a public address, the far-right president called the claims "baseless".
"The appointment is mine, the prerogative is mine and the day I have to submit to any of my subordinates I cease to be president of the republic," Mr Bolsonaro said flanked by most of his cabinet in the presidential palace in Brasília.
But Brazil's public prosecutor Augusto Aras asked the Supreme Court to allow an investigation into Mr Moro's allegations against the president.
More here

Coronavirus test website slots booked up within hour of site reopening
Coronavirus tests for UK key workers were booked up through the government website within an hour of it reopening, apart from some in Scotland.
The site had to close to new applicants within hours of launching on Friday, after 46,000 people tried to access it. Some 16,000 bookings were made.
Home testing kits became unavailable less than 15 minutes after bookings reopened on Saturday morning.
Tests at drive-through sites in England were booked up within an hour.
Requests for drive-through tests in Scotland are still currently available on the site.
No 10 has said appointments for tests at drive-through centres and home testing kits would become available each day from 08:00 BST, with their release staggered throughout the day.
More on this story

Japan cruise ship sees rise in infections

Nearly 60 new cases of coronavirus infections were confirmed among crew members of a cruise ship docked in Japan on Saturday.
The total number of cases onboard the Costa Atlantica now stands at about 150. There are said to be 623 crew members on the vessel.
The ship had no passengers on board and diverted to Nagasaki in January for repairs rather than continue on to China, owing to the virus outbreak.
The crew were meant to have been confined to the ship but local media reported that some left the vessel.
Japan is currently facing a growing coronavirus crisis. There are more than 12,800 confirmed cases and 345 people have died.
The head of the Japan Medical Association, Yoshitake Yokokura, recently warned Japan lacks enough hospital beds, medical workers and personal protective equipment.

Seek urgent medical care if needed, public told

Doctors and charities are urging people to seek medical care when they need it – and not be put off by the coronavirus pandemic.
They warn that anyone who delays seeking treatment – for example, for chest pain or symptoms of stroke - is putting their long-term health at risk.
Half the usual number of people are going to Accident and Emergency (A&E) at UK hospitals and treatment for heart attacks and strokes is down.
NHS England's medical director Stephen Powis suggested this was because people were worried about bothering the NHS or feared contracting the virus in a medical environment.
You can read more on this story here.

When can UK sport restart?

Dan Roan - BBC Sports Editor
The UK government plans to set up the first of a series of regular meetings involving senior medical directors of the major sports this week in a bid to return to action as soon as possible.
The move was described by a source close to the plans as a "quickening of the pace" and intended to help sport resume "within weeks", if progress was made.
The specifics of each sport would be examined by health experts to see what protocols would be needed to get each up and running as soon as possible, meaning some would return sooner than others.
And government officials have accepted that at this stage, sport would only be able to take place behind closed doors.
You can read more on this story here.

Australia and New Zealand mark Anzac day

Australia and New Zealand have commemorated Anzac Day, but on a much smaller scale than usual.
The day marks the anniversary of the first campaign that led to major casualties for the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzac) during World War One.
Usually, a number of commemorative events are held but with social distancing in place, people in both countries chose to stand in silence in their driveways to pay tribute.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was pictured with her father and her partner outside Premier House in Wellington.
Scott Morrison, Australia's Prime Minister, attended a closed ceremony in Canberra.

'No evidence' virus recovery stops reinfection, says WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that there is "currently no evidence that people who have recovered from Covid-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection".
It has been suggested that people who survive an infection may develop antibodies that can attack the virus and prevent reinfection.
In the UK, antibody blood testing and surveillance to determine the rate of infection among the public is one of "five pillars" of the government's testing strategy, designed to suppress the virus.
Antibody testing - to show if someone has had the virus in the past - is considered crucial in providing an exit pathway from the current lockdown, as well as providing data to those developing a vaccine.

Latest UK developments

Good morning. If you're just joining us in the UK, here are some of the latest news stories:

• People should seek medical care when they need it and not be put off by the coronavirus pandemic, say UK doctors, charities and the health service.
  
• Prime Minister Boris Johnson's chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, has attended meetings of the scientific body advising the government on the outbreak.
  
• Tests for UK key workers were booked up through the government website within an hour of it reopening on Saturday, apart from some in Scotland.
  
• NHS workers, police and firefighters must get better pay and treatment after they "see us through" this crisis, says the head of the Fire Brigades Union.
  
• Payouts to UK firms over coronavirus could cost £1.2bn, initial estimates from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) indicate.
  
• Around two million children in England face higher risks in lockdown, says the Children's Commissioner.
  

Quarter of staff at Cape Town factory test positive

Will Ross - Africa editor, BBC World Service
About a quarter of the entire workforce at the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) factory in Cape Town has tested positive for the coronavirus.
A spokeswoman said the 99 members of staff were all now in isolation.
On Tuesday, South Africa’s labour department suspended operations at the pharmaceutical company after an inspection found that there was a lack of personal protection equipment for staff.
The facility has since been given permission to reopen.
The spread of the coronavirus has been slowed by a month-long lockdown in South Africa.
But some have broken the rules and there are concerns that about 200 positive cases have been traced to three funerals that took place in the Eastern Cape.

Did Cummings participate in Sage meetings?

Prof Powis is pressed on what part in the meetings of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) Boris Johnson's chief adviser Dominic Cummings played.
Prof Powis says he himself has been attending the meetings - which advise the government - since February.
He does not specifically say what, if anything, Cummings said at the meetings. But he says that the advice and contributions to the government were made by scientists.
Downing Street earlier confirmed that Cummings had attended Sage meetings but denied a Guardian report that he was a member of the body.

Immunity passports ‘could increase virus spread’

Governments should not issue so-called "immunity passports" or "risk-free certificates" as a way of easing lockdowns, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.
It said there was "no evidence" that people who had developed antibodies after recovering from the virus were protected against a second infection.
Immunity passports could actually increase virus transmission, it warned.
People who assumed they were immune might stop taking precautions, the WHO said.
Some governments have considered permitting people who have recovered to travel or return to work.

• More on this story here.
  

Italy marks Liberation Day with flags and singing

People in Italy have marked Liberation Day by not going out and joining mass gatherings as they normally would. Instead, they've been waving flags from their windows and singing a resistance song.
Today marks the 75th anniversary of Italy's liberation from Nazi German occupation.
Usually veterans march through towns across the country, but these events were cancelled due to the lockdown. The entire country has been in lockdown since 9 March. Nearly 26,000 people have died.
At 15:00 (13:00 GMT) people sang Bella Ciao, the anthem of the resistance. In Rome, the Italian Air Force's aerobatics team conducted a flypast.
Italian Defence Minister Lorenzo Guerin called on people to overcome the crisis by drawing on the values of unity and solidarity shown in the resistance during World War Two.

Death toll slows in Italy

The coronavirus death toll in Italy has risen by 415 - the smallest daily tally since 17 March - to 26,384 people.
There has been a total of 195,351 cases, a rise of 2,357.
Italy has the second highest number of fatalities in the world after the United States.

What we learned from the UK briefing

• Home Secretary Priti Patel and officials set a sombre tone on the day that the hospital death toll passed 20,000 – but when asked, they declined to say whether the loss of life meant the UK should have adopted a different strategy
  
• While car crime, burglary and shoplifting had fallen, Ms Patel said some "sophisticated" criminals were seeking to exploit the situation. Online scams have cost the public £2.4m while criminals have also tried to sell fraudulent protective equipment and coronavirus testing kits, she said
  
• Prof Stephen Powis from NHS England stressed that social distancing was working, bringing down the numbers in hospital, but said that evidence of increased motor vehicle use was causing "a little bit of concern"
  
• Asked about the attendance of controversial Downing Street adviser Dominic Cummings at meetings of scientists advising on the pandemic, Prof Powis said the advice and contributions came from the scientists – but he did not reveal what, if anything, Mr Cummings said
  

New York pharmacies to conduct tests

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will sign an executive order to allow independent pharmacists to conduct coronavirus tests.
Governor Cuomo says the measure will "unlock a network of over 5,000 pharmacies as testing locations".
He says testing criteria will be expanded to include first responders, frontline healthcare workers and essential workers.
Coronavirus-related deaths in the state had risen by 437, compared with a rise of 422 the previous day, Governor Cuomo added.
However, he said the number of patients hospitalised because of the virus had fallen to about 1,100 per day - the same level as 21 days ago.

New York man charged with hoarding PPE and sanitiser

A man has been charged with hoarding personal protective equipment and sanitiser in New York state and selling it for excess profit.
Amardeep Singh, 45, has been accused of violating the Defense Production Act in the United States, which makes it illegal to accumulate such products and sell them at inflated prices.
According to authorities, his business was found to be hoarding more than 100,000 face masks, 10,000 surgical gowns and 2,500 full-body isolation suits along with other forms of PPE and sanitiser.
The complaint alleges he sold N95 masks for twice their value, disposable gloves for three times their value, and disposable face masks for $1 (£0.81) despite purchasing them for 7 cents (£0.06) each. If convicted, he faces up to a year in prison.
Singh’s attorney, Brad Gerstman, told CNN that the decision to prosecute him was “absurd” and said he was not price gouging.
There have been more than 271,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in New York, more than any individual country.

Belarus orphanage hit by virus outbreak

Many of the children at the orphanage have disabilities, some severe

At least 23 people, including 13 disabled children, have been infected with coronavirus at an orphanage in Belarus.
An Irish charity that supports the Vesnova orphanage, in the central Hlusk district, said that some of the children were already "extremely ill".
There are more than 170 children and young adults at the centre, many with severe disabilities and compromised immune systems.
Adi Roche, founder of the Chernobyl Children International charity, said the orphanage did not have enough medicine to treat the patients. The orphanage is appealing to the government to relocate the children.
Belarus's authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko has resisted calls for a nationwide lockdown, dismissing fears of the coronavirus epidemic as "psychosis". As of Friday there were 8,773 confirmed cases and 63 deaths in the country.

What the latest UK figures mean

Nick Triggle - Health Correspondent
In the early stages of the coronavirus epidemic in the UK, the government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said limiting deaths to around 20,000 would be a “good outcome” given the challenge ahead.
The fact we have now passed this grim milestone in less than two months is both a tragedy for the families affected and a worry to the rest of the country.
There are strong signs - at least in hospitals - that we have passed the peak of deaths. The fact that may have happened without the health service being overwhelmed in the way Italy’s was is at least some good news.
However, the deaths in care homes, which the daily figures from government do not include, are rising rapidly and could prove very difficult to get under control.
In fact, if we included them we would have passed the 20,000 mark some time ago.
Read full analysis here

A-level student does work experience on coronavirus ward

Leeoni Batty applied for work experience at her local hospital in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, while she studied A-levels in chemistry, biology and psychology.
Then the coronavirus pandemic hit.
She was asked if she wanted to become a member of the domestic services team, working on a coronavirus ward on her first day.
Her job involves cleaning and sterilising rooms, as well as serving tea and coffee to patients.
She tells the BBC that some of what she has seen has been "incredibly upsetting", but adds: "I have never been as proud as to be part of this fight."
Read the full story

Turkey sees death toll rise to 2,706

The death toll in Turkey has risen by 106 to 2,706, authorities said on Saturday.
The health ministry also confirmed another 2,861 infections taking the total to 107,773. It is the seventh highest number of cases in the world, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University in the US.
On Thursday, Turkey imposed a four-day lockdown across 31 provinces to try to stem the spread of the virus. It coincided with a national holiday and the beginning of Ramadan.
Correspondents say President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been trying to contain the virus without totally shutting down the economy. However, doctors, trade unions and the opposition have complained that he has not gone far enough.

Wales tightens rules on exercise

Authorities in Wales are tightening guidelines on physical exercise to cut down on unnecessary travel.
The updated restrictions say that, from Saturday, people must exercise "as close as possible" to home.
People should not drive away from home to exercise, with no journeys "of any significant distance". Cyclists are told they should travel no farther than a "reasonable walking distance from home".
The UK government has said it is not going to stop outdoor exercise, but has renewed warnings against sunbathing during the current restrictions.
Read more on the Wales restrictions here

Global death toll passes 200,000

The global coronavirus death tally has passed 200,000 people, according to the global tracker run by Johns Hopkins University, after France recorded 369 further fatalities.
A total of 22,614 people have now died in France.
Earlier on Saturday, the UK became the fifth country to pass 20,000 deaths in hospital from Covid-19, behind the United States, Italy, Spain and France.

Tattoo parlours and nail salons open in US

Some US states have begun to open non-essential businesses as part of a drive to bring an end to the lockdown.
Georgia, Alaska and Oklahoma have all lifted restrictions on businesses including salons, barbers and pet groomers.
Several people have shared pictures of themselves in empty restaurants enjoying a (very) quiet meal with nobody else around.
Some health experts have warned that the easing might be happening too soon and could cause another wave of infections.

Latest as global fatalities pass 200,000

This is what we have learned as the global coronavirus death tally moved beyond another sombre milestone:

• The global death toll currently stands at 200,698, according to a tracker run by Johns Hopkins University,
  
• after it was announced that France had recorded 369 further fatalities
  
• That took the total number of deaths in the country to 22,614, but the daily toll is falling, and the number in intensive care has dropped for the seventeenth consecutive day
  
• The UK become the fifth country to pass 20,000 deaths in hospital from Covid-19, behind the US, Italy, Spain and France.
  
• The death toll in Italy has gone up by 415 to 26,384, Europe's highest
  
• Spain's death toll has risen by 378, slightly more than recorded on Friday, bringing the overall number confirmed to have died of the virus to 22,902
  
• Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has warned governments against using so-called "immunity passports" or "risk-free certificates" as a way of easing lockdowns
  
• It said there was "no evidence" that people who had developed antibodies after recovering from the virus were protected against a second infection.
  

How Covid-19 has spread

100,000 deaths reported in past 16 days

It took 90 days from the first reported death in Wuhan, China, on 11 January for countries to record more than 100,000 confirmed coronavirus fatalities.
Just 16 days later, that total has passed 200,000. But which countries have been hardest hit?
The US has suffered the largest death toll, with more than 52,400 recorded.
Italy, for weeks the epicentre of Europe's pandemic, has seen 26,384 deaths and is now beginning to talk about a new "Phase Two", when it can start reopening society
Spain, France and the UK are the other countries to report death tolls above 20,000.
In Spain, children under 14 will finally be allowed outside for the first time in six weeks on Sunday. French PM Edouard Philippe has just said he will detail his country's plan to relax the lockdown on Tuesday.
Among the most severely affected countries, Belgium has the highest number of deaths per capita, with six deaths per 100,000 people compared with 4.9 in Spain and 1.6 in the US.
But, unlike many countries, Belgium records suspected coronavirus deaths in care homes while many other countries have reported these at a later stage.
There have been more than 7,000 deaths recorded in Asian countries and a similar number in Latin America, while in the Middle East the figure is over 8,800. The current toll in Africa stands at about 1,350.

Latest from US & Canada

• Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during a press conference today that Canada would not reopen until there was enough PPE (personal protective equipment) for all. “I don’t think we should be talking about reopening any parts of the economy if we do not have a strong plan to protect people working,” he said
  
• In the US, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said the state had seen a “continued flattening” of coronavirus cases, and that social distancing measures would continue
  
• And Michigan state Senator Dale Zorn has apologised for the “choice of pattern” on a face mask he wore yesterday. He trended on social media as people said the face mask resembled the Confederate flag.
  

  :tweet: :Left Quotes: Chad Livengood:
Republican state Sen. @DaleZornSenate denies he was wearing a Confederate flag face mask on Michigan Senate floor. @WLNSKiyerra interviewed Zorn, who acknowledged the design looked like the flag of the Confederacy. He thought it was Kentucky or Tenn. flag.https://www.wlns.com/news/local-news/it-was-not-a-confederate-flag-state-senator-explains-questionable-mask/ …

Driver clocked at 134mph in London

During Saturday's UK briefing, Home Secretary Priti Patel revealed that a driver was recorded travelling at 134mph (215kmh) in a 40mph zone in London.
Speeds of up to 151mph had been clocked on the M1 motorway, she said, with a warning against people breaking the law during the lockdown.
"Police are still responding to all sorts of crime that include some extrarordinary dangerous driving, with a minority of drivers using quieter roads as their own personal racetracks," she said.

Other developments around the world

• Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said the country should draw up economic plans based on a worst-case scenario of nearly a year's disruption from the coronavirus, as the death toll rose by 76 to 5,650
  
• In Nigeria, state governors asked President Muhammadu Buhari to make face masks compulsory in public places as confirmed coronavirus cases rose
  
• South Africa's trade minister Ebrahim Patel said the country planned to reopen its agriculture sector and allow some manufacturing and retail to start operating again, in an attempt to balance restarting economic activity with curbing the spread of the virus
  

Summary for Sunday, 26th April

   - Number of people known to have died from the coronavirus passes 200,000 - Johns Hopkins University
   - More than 20,000 deaths in hospitals in the UK - the fifth country to pass that milestone
   - UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is appearing on the Marr show to be quizzed about testing
   - The UK military is to begin testing essential workers in mobile units in "hard to reach" areas
   - World Health Organization says people who have recovered may not be protected against reinfection

Good morning and welcome

Our team in London will be updating you throughout the day on the latest developments around the world. Here are some of the main headlines:

• More than 200,000 people around the world have now died from Covid-19, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. There are 2.8 million confirmed cases globally
  
• New York state, the epicentre of the virus in the US, will allow testing to take place in pharmacies. Some 5,000 pharmacies will be able to conduct the tests
  
• Here in the UK, more than 20,000 people have died in hospitals alone. The government is coming under more pressure to make testing more widely available
  
• Children under the age of 14 in Spain are now able to leave their homes for an hour a day. Children have not been allowed out for six weeks
  
• President Trump has not held his daily coronavirus briefing at the White House, tweeting that it was not worth it
  
• Saudi Arabia is partially lifting its lockdown. The curfew will be lifted from 09:00 to 17:00. Shops will be allowed to reopen from Wednesday for two weeks during Ramadan. However a 24 hour curfew remains in place in Mecca.
  
• UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will return to work on Monday. He was discharged from intensive care two weeks ago, saying medical staff had saved his life.
  
• In Peru, 17 police officers have died from the virus while enforcing a nationwide lockdown. On Friday, the president sacked the interior minister, Carlos Moran, who had been criticised for failing to provide officers with masks
  

100,000 deaths in 16 days

It took 90 days from the first reported death in Wuhan, China, on 11 January for countries to record more than 100,000 confirmed coronavirus fatalities.
Just 16 days later, that total has passed 200,000. But which countries have been hardest hit?
The US has suffered the largest death toll, with more than 52,400 recorded.
Italy, for weeks the epicentre of Europe's pandemic, has seen 26,384 deaths and is now beginning to talk about a new "Phase Two", when it can start reopening society
Spain, Franceand the UK are the other countries to report death tolls above 20,000.
In Spain, children under 14 will finally be allowed outside for the first time in six weeks on Sunday. French PM Edouard Philippe has just said he will detail his country's plan to relax the lockdown on Tuesday.
Among the most severely affected countries, Belgium has the highest number of deaths per capita, with six deaths per 100,000 people compared with 4.9 in Spain and 1.6 in the US.
But, unlike many countries, Belgium records suspected coronavirus deaths in care homes while many other countries have reported these at a later stage.
There have been more than 7,000 deaths recorded in Asian countries and a similar number in Latin America, while in the Middle East the figure is over 8,800. The current toll in Africa stands at about 1,350.

UK Military to carry out 'pop-up testing'

The UK military will begin to test essential workers in "hard to reach areas across the country".
At least 96 pop-up facilities will travel to care homes, police and fire stations, prisons and benefit centres with plans to be up and running in May.
It comes as the government looks to reach its target of carrying out 100,000 tests per day by Thursday.

What's coming up this morning in the UK

The Andrew Marr Show
We’ve got a busy Sunday morning coming up in the UK packed with interviews and opinion.
The Andrew Marr show starts on BBC One at 09:00 BST and this morning and we will be hearing from:

• The first secretary of state, Dominic Raab
  
• The first minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon
  
• The shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Rachel Reeves
  
• Sweden’s deputy prime minister, Isabella Lovin
  
• German Foreign Office secretary, Andreas Michaelis
  

Where are fastest-rising outbreaks?

While the US and European nations have been at the centre of the pandemic for the past few weeks, other nations are also seeing cases rapidly rise.
In Ecuador, there are now 22,791 confirmed cases - up from six on 2 March. Officials have suggested the death toll, currently under 900, may be in the thousands and families have said they have struggled to bury their dead.
After recording its first case on 26 February,Brazil has reached 55,224 cases, with 3,762 deaths. Amid the largest outbreak in Latin America, President Jair Bolsonaro has been criticised for joining protesters against the restrictions designed to slow the virus’s spread.
Turkey confirmed its first case on 11 March and now has 107,773 - making it the seventh highest total worldwide. There have been 2,706 deaths.
And in Russia, the total number of confirmed infections reached 74,588, rising from about 1,000 on 28 March. The death toll has reached 681.

Doctor's diary: Inseparable in sickness and in health

They had been inseparable since they were 13. So when Michael and Mary Blessington were brought into hospital suffering from coronavirus, their son called the hospital to tell them to put them in adjacent beds.
In the latest of his coronavirus diaries Prof John Wright tells their story.

Angry Trump says briefing media 'not worth it'

President Donald Trump did not hold his daily briefing on Saturday, tweeting that it was not worth his "time or effort" and blaming the media for asking "nothing but hostile questions".
He was heavily criticised after suggesting at Thursday's White House news conference that disinfectant could potentially be used as a treatment for the virus.
The performance caused embarrassment even among some of his supporters, BBC North America correspondent Peter Bowes says.
Mr Trump's tweet appears to confirm reports that the conferences may be coming to an end because polls suggest they have not bolstered the president's popularity among voters, our correspondent adds.
His remarks on Thursday were condemned as dangerous by doctors and manufacturers, as disinfectants are hazardous substances and can be poisonous if ingested.
In New York City, calls to the hotline for exposure to certain household chemicals more than doubled in the 18 hours after Mr Trump's remarks - 30 cases compared to 13 for the same time frame last year.

Care home staff struggling to get tests

UK care home staff looking after thousands of vulnerable residents are struggling to get tested for coronavirus.
Out of 210 care providers spoken to by the BBC, 159 said none of their workers had been screened.
The government has said all those care workers showing symptoms as well as their families will be tested, but some have reported long journeys to reach testing centres.

All coronavirus patients discharged in Wuhan

The Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus was first reported, has no remaining cases in its hospitals, according to officials.
Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission, told reporters the last patient in a serious condition was "cured" on Friday.
They also confirmed that there are no new cases of the virus in the city.
Since the outbreak began in December, China has reported 82, 816 cases and 4,632 deaths.
Wuhan reported 46,452 cases, 56% of the total.

Branson invites urgent offers for Virgin Atlantic

Sir Richard Branson is seeking urgent offers for his stricken airline Virgin Atlantic.
The billionaire Virgin Group boss has asked the UK government for a commercial loan, believed to be around £500m and said his Necker Island home in the Caribbean could be used as collateral.
It comes as Virgin Group's airline in Australia enters administration.
The airline had asked the Australian government for £710 million but the request was denied.
The airline, which serviced domestic as well as short-haul international destinations, was founded in 2000 by Sir Richard and was one of Australia’s main aviation providers.
In a letter to the airline’s staff, which he tweeted, Sir Richard said it “is not the end for Virgin Australia, but I believe a new beginning”.

Father of 13 tests positive

As if being in lockdown with 10 children was not tough enough father-of-13 Roy Hann, from Dundee, has now tested positive for coronavirus himself.
The Hann family are known as one of the largest families in Scotland.
Nurse practitioner Roy said the illness had been "very mild" and that he had been surprised to test positive due to using protective equipment at work.

Immunity passports ‘could increase virus spread’

Governments should not issue so-called "immunity passports" or "risk-free certificates" as a way of easing lockdowns, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.
It said there was "no evidence" that people who had developed antibodies after recovering from the virus were protected against a second infection.
Immunity passports could actually increase virus transmission, it warned.
People who assumed they were immune might stop taking precautions, the WHO said.
Some governments have considered permitting people who have recovered to travel or return to work.

• More on this story here.
  

Labour MP 'heartbroken' at not being able to comfort families

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, Labour MP for Tooting and the party's spokeswoman on mental health, has told Sophie Ridge on Sunday she came home from hospital shifts “heartbroken” at not being able to comfort grieving families.
She said the UK entered lockdown “too late” and that the government was failing on “mass testing and contact tracing” as well as on access to PPE (protective personal equipment).
“It would have been impossible to save all the lives that we’ve lost but we did enter lockdown too late, we did not deliver PPE to the front line when it was needed, we did not follow global advice on self-isolation and we haven’t rolled out mass testing and contact tracing."
The government insists it is basing its decisions on science and that testing will reach 100,000 a day by the end of the month.

Saudi Arabia relaxes restrictions

Saudi Arabia eased some of its restrictions on Sunday.
A 24-hour curfew has been lifted and people will be able to move freely from 0900 to 1700 local time.
From Wednesday, shops will be allowed to open and some factories will resume operations.
The eased restrictions, which cover the first two weeks of Ramadan, won't apply to places where social distancing can't be maintained such as gyms and restaurants.
The cities of Mecca and Medina and previously quarantined neighbourhoods will remain under lockdown.
More than 16,000 cases have been confirmed and 136 people have died in the country.

Tests to be available in New York pharmacies

The state of New York, the epicentre of the Covid-19 outbreak in the US, is planning to allow pharmacies to carry out tests for the virus.
Governor Andrew Cuomo said some 5,000 pharmacies would be able to carry out testing, with the aim to provide 40,000 per day.
It is part of a drive to find out how widely the virus has spread across the state of 20 million people.
"Twenty-one days of hell, and now we are back to where we were 21 days ago," he said. "Testing is what we are compulsively or obsessively focused on now."
Healthcare staff and essential workers - such as police officers, firefighters, bus drivers and shop assistants - would be able to get tests even if they did not have any symptoms of infection, he said.
This was important not just for their own safety but also to protect the public, he said.
The US has more than 938,000 confirmed cases. Almost a third of the 53,751 deaths happened in New York City alone.
Read more - New York to allow virus tests in pharmacies

'Important we take people with us' on UK lockdown

The Labour Party's Rachel Reeves has told Andrew Marr it is "incredibly important" the government takes people with it by showing them a path to coming out of lockdown.
The Labour MP for Leeds West and shadow cabinet office minister said: "I think the vast majority of people support the lockdown and want to support the government and national effort.
"It is important that people continue to stick by the rules because it is only by doing that that we will defeat the virus.
"We must take people with us on this journey by giving them a greater idea of what comes next."
She also called for testing at community level in venues such as town halls or libraries so that people without cars could reach them.

Israel allows some shops to reopen, schools may go back

Israel allowed some businesses to reopen on Sunday and said it would consider reopening schools.
Shops with street access are allowed to open but shopping malls and markets must remain closed.
Under the new restrictions, restaurants are now allowed to offer take-away food in addition to delivery services.
However, officials have warned that the changes are reversible should the number of cases rise.
Israel has had 15,398 cases and 199 people have died.

Kipchoge takes part in the 2.6 Challenge

If this was an ordinary April, we would expect to see the world’s best distance runners and tens of thousands of others pounding the streets, taking part in the London Marathon.
But given the lockdown, that of course is no longer an option for the likes of Olympic champion and men’s world record holder, Eliud Kipchoge, who was due to race in the now rearranged event.
Instead, the Kenyan is encouraging people to get involved in the 2.6 Challenge, which aims to raise money for charity during the lockdown, with his focus on his home country.
In a post on Twitter, Kipchoge provided people with the incentive of bidding on a running vest from his sub-two-hour marathon in October and said, “I am happy to participate in the #TwoPointSixChallenge whereby today the London Marathon would have raised wonderful funds for charities. I want to invite you to join me in the challenge.”

'Up to 10% of UK population may have been infected'

Oxford University's Prof Christophe Fraser told the BBC's Andrew Marr between three and 10% of the population was predicted to have contracted coronavirus by this stage - up to six million people.
Prof Fraser is working on developing an app which would allow for tracing people who had been in touch with those with Covid-19.
Prof Fraser said the app helps deal with the problem of 50% of infections occurring before syptoms are showing.
He said with the software, people could be alerted if they had come into contact with a person with symptoms, in which case they should observe stronger social-distancing, or a confirmed case which would mean going into isolation.

Sweden: Pandemic is 'marathon, not a sprint'

Sweden has been more relaxed than many other countries in the restrictions it has brought in.
Deputy Prime Minister Isabella Lovin has been on the BBC's Andrew Marr programme.
She told him the pandemic was a “marathon and not a sprint”.
And she said it was a “great myth” that Sweden hasn’t taken serious steps to try and address the pandemic.
The country has limited gatherings to 50 people and banned people from visiting nursing homes.
Sweden has a higher death rate than neighbouring Scandinavian countries. More than 2,000 people have died compared with 193 in Norway.
She said: “I think every country needs to take its own measures but it’s a real fear that if you have too harsh measures, then they can’t be sustained all the time, maybe you can get a counter reaction and people will not respect the recommendations that need to be there for a really long time until we have a vaccine and until the pandemic has an end.
“We don’t want to fatigue the situation,” she added.
Read more: Has Sweden got its science right?

'Not where we want to be on PPE' - Raab

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who has been deputising for Prime Minister Boris Johnson while he was ill with coronavirus, admitted to Andrew Marr that "we are not where we would want to be on PPE".
Raab said 78 NHS workers and 16 care workers had died from the virus and it had been challenging to obtain personal protective equipment.
But the first secretary of state said the UK was now the "international buyer of choice" for PPE amid a global shortage.
"No stone is being left unturned," he said, both in terms of domestic production and globally acquiring kit.

Modi tells India to remain vigilant

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called on the country to stick to its lockdown as cases in the country continue to rise.
There has been an increase of 2,000 cases registered in the past 24 hours. So far, more than 26,000 cases have been reported and more than 800 people have died.
In a nationwide radio address, Modi called on people to maintain social distancing and to end the habit of spitting in public.
“I will urge you that we should not be trapped into over-confidence and nurse the belief that in our city, in our village, in our streets, in our office, coronavirus has not reached and that is why it will not reach,” he said.
On Saturday, small shops in the country were allowed to open with 50% of staff as long as social distancing can be maintained and staff wear masks.

Luck and extra intensive care capacity crucial in Germany

Germany has been held up as an exemplar for its response to the pandemic.
The latest figures from the Robert Koch Institute, the German public health agency, put the number of deaths in the country at 5,500, which is lower than the UK, Spain, Italy, France and the US.
Andreas Michaelis, a senior foreign ministry official, says that is in part down to "luck" and also his government’s decision maintain excess capacity in intensive care units.
Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show, he said the country had 40,000 intensive care beds, 30,000 of which can be used with ventilators.
“This is really a heritage of our health system – it is almost the core factor of our health system.
“A lot of experts were criticising us for having too much capacity, too much expenditure – I think the people of Germany can now say that’s an extra capacity they are very happy to have financed in the past.”

Scotland could diverge on lockdown lifting - Sturgeon

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she could lift the lockdown measures in Scotland at a diferent pace to other parts of the UK if necessary. But any such decision would not be political.
Sturgeon told Andrew Marr: "If, and it is an if, I'm not saying that we're likely to get in to this territory, the UK government took decisions that I thought were premature in terms of coming out of the lockdown then clearly I would want to make sure that Scotland did what I judged was best to protect the population."
She also agreed that pupils could return to school on different days to allow for social-distancing measures but said it would not be safe to do so yet.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab later told Marr he would not be drawn on what measures might be put in place for schools but said it was "inconceivable" schools would not return without measures like those currently in place for the teaching of essential workers' children.

Ramping up UK testing key for 'medium to long term' - Raab

Dominic Raab has said ramping up testing for coronavirus is key to the "medium-to-long-term" plan as he reiterated the UK government was on track to reach 100,000 daily tests by the end of April.
"We have certainly got to get the daily testing up to hundreds of thousands. That, along with tracking and tracing, will give us more flexibility to open up measures, open up access," he said. "That, along with vaccine and therapeutics will be the medium-long-term way to fight this virus."
When asked by Andrew Marr about reports the UK had ordered 30 million antibody tests amid a breakthrough in the technology, Raab said: "I'm not sure we have ordered those but we are certainly looking closely at it".
He said he was not sure if the antibody test, which would show if someone had had the virus and therefore possibly immunity, could be scaled up at this stage.

Police in Wales reveal bizarre excuses for essential travel

Buying drugs, nail clippers for the dog and not watching the news are just some of the bizarre excuses used for flouting the lockdown in Wales.
Police forces in the country have released examples of the reasons people have given for supposed “essential” travel.
The lockdown has been in place for five weeks to stop the spread of the virus.
Most people are following the advice to remain at home but police said a small number had "selfishly put others at risk".
People found breaking the rules can be fined a fixed penalty fee of £60 ($74).
Read more excuses here

Raab: My job was just to step up

Asked about whether he relished standing in for the prime minister, who is due to return to work tomorrow, Raab said his job had been to "step up just like the rest of the country".
"When your prime minister is stricken with the coronavirus, and particularly when we knew it was touch and go, you're thinking very much personally of him but also the role of leading the government," he said.
"I also think of the country, and the position it's in. And like all of those key workers, like the rest of the country, my job is just to step up to the plate."
Raab added Boris Johnson was "raring to go".

Coronavirus cases near 3 million worldwide

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases globally is approaching the three million mark, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
There are currently 2,971,831 confirmed cases and 206,542 deaths worldwide. The US has the highest number of cases with a staggering 965,910, followed by Spain at 226,629.
The real number of cases worldwide is likely to be much higher because of under-reporting and under-testing.

Worrying about pregnancy under lockdown

The National Childbirth Trust has said it has been contacted by lots of parents and pregnant women concerned about catching the coronavirus.
Megan Bungay, from Illogan in Cornwall, is 31 weeks pregnant and said she was missing the support of friends and family during the pandemic.
Shelly Hamilton, a new mother, said it was upsetting that it could be months before her family could hold her newborn son.

Millions download tracing app in Australia

More than a million Australians downloaded a coronavirus contact tracing app within hours of it being released by the government.
The COVIDSafe smartphone app uses a Bluetooth wireless signal to exchange a "digital handshake" with another user when they come within 1.5m (4.9ft). The app then logs this contact and encrypts it.
Users will be notified if they have had more than 15 minutes of close contact with another user who tests positive.
Australia has recorded 6,694 cases and 80 deaths from the virus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
The government says the data from the app will be stored temporarily and only used for contact tracing. But critics point out those protections aren't in law yet because parliament isn't sitting until mid-May.
Similar privacy concerns have been raised in the UK, where according to the health secretary a contact tracing app will be available for use within weeks.
You can read the full story here.

UK continuing antibody test trials

Junior health minister Edward Argar has said the UK is continuing to test antibody tests to determine who has already had the virus.
"The sign at the moment is positive but we're not there yet in saying this is 100% going to work," Argar told Talk Radio.
"We are continuing to research at pace... We are making very good progress now and I am hopeful we will see some positive news on that front."
An antibody test works by looking for signs of immunity generated when someone has had the virus. There has been speculation that successful antibody tests could prove decisive in determining who is allowed to return to work or move out from under other lockdown restrictions.

Too early to speculate about easing lockdown - UK minister

Junior health minister Edward Argar told the BBC he understood frustration with lockdown restrictions in the UK but "we're not in a place where the science says we can ease them".
He said it was "too early to speculate" on what changes might happen at the next review, scheduled for 7 May.
On who should wear face masks, he said the science was "mixed" - current advice is that they have value in a clinical setting, but not the same value for people going about their ordinary lives, though some research papers have taken a different view.

New face mask rules in Germany - Europe update

Face masks are now mandatory across Germany, and Italy has announced plans to ease its lockdown. Here’s the latest from Europe:

• Masks are now compulsory on public transport across Germany, with most states also making them mandatory when shopping. Officials are recommending people use simple coverings and leave medical masks for health professionals
  
• Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced an easing of lockdown restrictions on Sunday. From 4 May, people will be allowed to visit relatives, hold small funerals, go to parks and travel within (but not outside) their own region
  
• Hairdressers and garden centres have reopened in Switzerland, and students will return to school from 11 May
  
• Malta, the smallest country in the EU, reported no new cases of the virus over the previous 24 hours on Sunday – the first time this has happened in more than six weeks
  

Boris Johnson thanks country for 'stepping up'

Boris Johnson is speaking in Downing Street, the first time we have seen him at Number 10 since he recovered from the coronavirus.
He began by thanking "the people of this country" and "everyone who has stepped up".
"Every day I know that this virus brings new sadness," he said.
"It is still true that this is the biggest single challenge this country has faced since the war.
"It is also true we are making progress."

Johnson: I refuse to risk second peak of infections

Boris Johnson has warned that the UK is at the point of "maximum risk" with regard to the coronavirus, in his first public remarks since recovering from the virus.
Johnson said he would not "throw away the sacrifice of the British people" by easing lockdown restrictions too quickly.
"I know it is tough. I want to get the economy moving as fast as I can," he said.
"But I refuse to throw away the sacrifice of the British people ... and risk a second peak."

Johnson: We cannot say when lockdown eased

Johnson said the government could not yet spell out how changes to the lockdown policy would be implemented - or how quickly.
"We simply cannot spell out now how fast or slow, or even when, those changes will be made," he said.
"Clearly the government will be saying much more about this in the coming days.
"These decisions will be taken with the maximum possible transparency."
Johnson returned to work on Monday under significant pressure to map out an exit strategy from lockdown restrictions, and to answer questions about a shortfall in testing in the UK.

UK calls to domestic abuse hotline rise by nearly half

Calls to a domestic abuse hotline in the UK have risen by 49% and killings doubled in the weeks after lockdown restrictions began, a report by MPs shows.
Researchers at the Counting Dead Women Project told MPs 14 women and two children had been killed in the first three weeks of lockdown - the highest number in a three-week period for 11 years, and double the average rate, they said.
Read more about domestic abuse in lockdown here. If you or someone you know needs support for related issues these organisations may be able to help.

What's behind New Zealand's success?

One country that's been in the news for doing more than just "flattening" the curve is New Zealand.
It says it has stopped community transmission, and with just one case reported on Sunday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the virus was "currently" eliminated.
Fewer than 1,500 people have been infected among New Zealand's nearly five million population - and only 19 have died.
So how did New Zealand get to where it is now? Some experts point to it making an earlier start. Ardern announced strict lockdown measures in March - when only about 100 people had tested positive and no one had yet died.
The country's geography has also played a role in its success. A relatively small country, New Zealand has more control over who can come in than a larger country with more porous borders.
But many experts have attributed its main success to the clarity of the message coming from the government. Unlike nations that declared "war on Covid-19", the New Zealand government message was that of a country coming together. It urged people to "Unite Against Covid-19". Ardern has repeatedly called the country "our team of five million".
"Jacinda [Ardern] is a brilliant communicator and an empathetic leader," Prof Michael Baker from Otago University told the BBC.

Boris Johnson says this is moment of maximum risk
Watch Prime Minister Boris Johnson paying tribute to the UK for showing courage in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

Analysis: Johnson directly addresses concerns

Jessica Parker - BBC political correspondent
After weeks away, suffering with coronavirus, Boris Johnson wanted to show he was back behind the desk and taking charge.
His government has rejected any claims that his absence created a sense of drift, but the prime minister - like or loathe his politics - is capable of communicating in a way his cabinet colleagues can’t.
He directly addressed concerns that have increasingly been aired in recent days, including by his own MPs, about the effect the lockdown was having on the economy. He also addressed evidence that some were beginning to tire of the restrictions.
The overall message was that people needed to hold tight. “Contain your impatience,” he said. The risk of a second peak clearly remains a key driver in the government’s thinking.
But Johnson also made it clear the government understood that this couldn't go on forever, and he sought to reassure the public that an exit strategy was being mapped out, even if it wasn't being spelled out.

Why is there so much US resistance to the lockdown?

Aleem Maqbool - BBC North America correspondent
In these times, the sight of a public gathering of hundreds of people, mostly without face masks, is an alarming one. But that is exactly what could be seen at a demonstration against the shutdown measures in Washington State.
"We believe that the state governor has gone beyond his constitutional authority in shutting down businesses and ordering people to stay at home," organiser Tyler Miller told the BBC from the grounds of the state capitol.
In mid-March, Washington Governor Jay Inslee announced an emergency proclamation mirroring many issued around the world - closing restaurants and bars and banning large gatherings.
But protesters claim the emergency order was unconstitutional.
"The fact I am protesting does not mean I think it is a good idea to have gatherings, I just believe that the government has no authority to prohibit them," Miller said.
Read the full story here.

Stockholm bars shut after failing safety checks

Maddy Savage - BBC News, Stockholm
Five bars and restaurants in Stockholm have been closed by the city council after failing inspections on coronavirus safety.
The inspections took place following concerns that some venues weren’t doing enough to encourage social-distancing between customers.
More than a dozen other venues were given a warning by inspectors over the weekend. Checks were also carried out in the university city of Lund, where all venues passed their inspections.
Sweden has kept pubs, restaurants and cafes open since the start of the outbreak, but last month it asked venues to offer only table-service to stop customers from crowding around bars.

'We want to see a clear path' - MPs respond to Johnson

UK MPs have been responding to the prime minister's statement this morning.
Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood said he was “pleased to hear" that the prime minister planned to provide more detail in the coming days.
Ellwood said any exit strategy from social distancing measures would only come with a vaccine, and restrictions would "have to stay in place for many, many months".
"What we need to look at is how we can learn to live with Covid-19, whilst making sure we don't see a second spike but parts of our economy can come back to work," he said.
Opposition Labour MP Luke Pollard said he wanted to see the publication of an exit strategy.
“All of us want to see a clear path ahead – if we don’t have that clear path my fear is lockdown will start withering at the edges," Pollard said.

Reality check: Is Johnson right about critical care beds?

Reality Check
In his speech at Downing Street this morning, the prime minister said, “We did not allow our NHS to collapse."
He also said the health service had not run out of ventilators or intensive care unit beds.
He is correct.
At the end of last week, there were 3,000 spare critical care beds available in the UK, according to the government.
The health service across the UK had 7,199 critical care beds at the end of last week, not including the several thousand made available in emergency field hospitals, such as the NHS Nightingale hospitals in London, Manchester and other cities.
The government has also said that every patient who needs a ventilator has received one, but has not yet met the goal of 18,000 ventilators pledged at the beginning of the month.
Are the UK's targets being met?

UK offices set to remain closed 'for months'

As we continue to monitor the UK government briefing, here's some other news.
The Financial Times is reporting that thousands of UK office staff working from home are unlikely to return to their place of work anytime soon.
As the government prepares to set out plans for easing the lockdown in the next few days, the newspaper says that many offices will likely remain closed for "several months", in part to avoid overwhelming public transport.
We'll let you know if this is asked about at the briefing.

What will be done to support people 'shielding'?

More from the UK briefing now.
The BBC's Chris Mason asks what long-term plans are in place for people who were asked at the end of March to stricly quarantine themselves for a minimum of 12 weeks by staying home at all times and not seeing visitors.
Some 1.8 million people deemed most at risk of needing hospital treatment if they catch coronavirus have been doing this.
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick says: "We appreciate the huge emotional impact it has on people.
"We have tried to support people with practical steps for those with no access to family or friends."
He says there has been access to food boxes - which will continue to be delivered.
Local councils are being asked to share data on who people shielding are so more tailored support can be offered where appropriate.
Councils are being encouraged to start a check and chat service to ensure supplies are getting through as well as the offer of emotional support.
Read more: Who should be shielding?

US death toll passes 65,000

The United States has by far the most deaths globally connected to the coronavirus, though proportionally it has had fewer deaths relative to population size than several countries in Europe.
The death toll has now passed 65,000, with more than 1.1 million cases confirmed.
Here are some other developments from the US:

• The White House has blocked top health official Anthony Fauci from testifying to Congress on the government's coronavirus response. It said it would be “counterproductive” to have individuals involved in the response testify
  
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorised emergency use of the Ebola drug remdesivir for treating Covid-19
  
• More states, including Idaho and Alabama, are loosening lockdown measures. Texas has lifted stay-at-home orders for its 29 million residents
  

Can you catch coronavirus twice?

It's the question that everyone wants a clear answer to and has come up in today's UK government briefing.
Members of the public are allowed to submit questions to the briefing now and Ashley in Yorkshire asked whether people can catch the virus causing Covid-19 twice.
Dr Harries, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England replied: "The WHO (World Health Organization) position is very similar to the one we would have, which basically says we actually don't have enough information yet to be very clear on the immune status.
"We know that some people will have different status. We would normally expect to see some sign of immunity about 10-12 days after an infection, and then a very consistent pattern [at] about 28 days.
She added: "There's sometimes a delay in different individuals and we need to study this really carefully as we go forward. Our testing policy and the development of new antibody tests will help us do that."

UK government 'wants to support aviation industry'

A question from ITV at the daily briefing raised the spectre of aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce considering thousands of job cuts, with the British workforce potentially bearing the brunt. It follows the announcement of major job cuts by British Airways and Ryanair.
BA is looking at cutting 12,000 people from its 42,000-strong workforce, citing a collapse in business. The company thinks it will take several years for air travel to return to pre-virus levels.
Ryanair is looking at 3,000 job cuts - that's 15% of its workforce. Boss Michael O'Leary has also said it would take six months to refund passengers for flights cancelled.
Robert Jenrick, the minister fronting today's briefing, said the government wanted to support the UK's aviation industry, which he said was "an extremely important one strategically" as well as an industry which employs "a great deal of people".
"If there's more we can do, we will do so."

Schools could be re-opened 'in a phased manner'

Any return of UK pupils to school will be done carefully and "may well be in a phased manner" but only when the time is right, Robert Jenrick said at the briefing that finished a few minutes ago.
He said he was aware that home-schooling could be difficult and said there was anecdotal evidence that there was a huge range in terms of the quality of education that children are currently receiving at home.
"I am very focused upon those children who we know are vulnerable... and are at home and less visible," he said.
On the re-opening of schools, Dr Harries, England's deputy chief medical officer, said that children who get infected with the virus "tend to have less clinical disease" and that the disease is less likely to become severe.
She added there was some evidence to suggest younger children are less susceptible to the disease but further research was required.

No, Trump is not selling coronavirus coins

  Reality Check




A website called the White House Gift Shop has caused anger by selling coins "commemorating" the Covid-19 outbreak for $100 (£80) each.
US Senator Bernie Sanders was one of those infuriated by the coins. But the White House Gift Shop is a privately run online store with no direct connection to the White House or the Trump administration.
Its own website says it "operates independently of the US government".
The coins, however, do exist and are being sold online. They show a coronavirus germ superimposed over a world map, with slogans such as: "Together we fought the unseen enemy" and "Everyday heroes suited up". The website says profits will be donated to hospitals.
You can read more virus fact-checking from BBC journalists here

Italy reports surge in deaths but figure is misleading

Italy has experienced its largest daily death toll since 21 April with 474 fatalities reported, up on 269 the day before.
The total death toll now stands at 28,710, the Civil Protection Agency reported - second only to the United States.
But the increased figure is distorted and might actually mask positive news, La Repubblica newspaper reports, as 282 deaths not reported in April were only just registered and added to the toll.
That would put the most recent daily figure at 192 deaths - the first time it has dropped below 200 since 14 March, it says.
The news comes just two days before Italy plans to ease the restrictions it imposed seven weeks ago to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
From 4 May people will be allowed to visit their relatives in small numbers. Parks, factories and building sites will also reopen.

What did we learn from today's briefing?

The briefing was led by Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick alongside Dr Jenny Harries, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England.

• The total number of fatalities from coronavirus in the UK, across all settings, now stands at 28,131. The death rate is starting to come down "very gradually and very slowly"
  
• 105,937 tests were carried out on Friday, surpassing the government's self-imposed target of 100,000 tests a day.
  
• The government pledged a support package of over £76m to support victims of domestic abuse, vulnerable children and victims of modern slavery through the coronavirus crisis
  
• Dame Louise Casey will oversee a national effort to ensure rough sleepers have safe accommodation in which they receive support whilst self-isolating
  
• Any return of UK pupils to school will be done carefully and "may well be in a phased manner", but only when the time is right
  
• The fact that the rate of transmission is "significantly less" outdoors than indoors is likely to be taken into consideration when lockdown measures are lifted
  
• It is still not clear whether a person can catch coronavirus twice, but increased testing will help scientists in their conclusions
  

Will the UK investigate China?

The government was asked at the daily press briefing if the UK would try to claim "billions in reparations" if it was shown that a lack of transparency from China hampered efforts to prevent the pandemic.
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said while "there will come a time" to analyse the origins of the virus and consider what actions to take, the time was "not now".
It follows international calls for an investigation into how the virus - first documented in the Chinese city of Wuhan - emerged.
At a White House press briefing last week, US President Donald Trump appeared to undercut his own intelligence agencies by suggesting he had seen evidence coronavirus originated in a Chinese laboratory.
In the same week, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he would push for an investigation next month at the annual World Health Assembly, which is the decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO).
That body already plans to discuss calls for a "lessons learned" review of health emergencies.
Our science editor has looked in detail at the Wuhan lab theory and the lack of any evidence for it - have a read.

£76m for vulnerable as abuse charity warns of spike

  Reality Check
The news that the UK government is providing a £76m package to support "the most vulnerable" in society comes at a time when domestic abuse helplines are receiving a surge in calls.
The National Domestic Abuse helpline saw a 25% increase in calls in the first two weeks of lockdown, rising to 49% after three weeks, the charity Refuge says.
It is now receiving hundreds of extra calls for help every week.
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said that social distancing, while necessary, meant it was ‘’harder than before for victims of domestic abuse to reach out to friends, colleagues and neighbours for the support they urgently need’’.
The additional support for charities will ensure more safe spaces and accommodation for survivors of domestic abuse and their children, as well as fund the recruitment of additional specialists for victims of domestic violence.
Sally Field, chair of Women's Aid, said emergency funding is always welcome but she would wait for more detail of how the money could be accessed.
While calls to the national helpline increased, she warns the rest of the sector were receiving fewer calls because victims can no longer find a safe space to get in touch. After lockdown the charity expects an ‘’exponential increase" in calls for help.

Why Italy's daily death toll jumped today

Mark Lowen - BBC News, Rome
After a week where Italy’s daily death toll fell as low as 260, today’s official figure of 474 deaths in the past 24 hours seemed alarming.
The number seemed incomprehensible - especially given there are now just over 1500 patients in intensive care, down from a high of more than 4,000.
But then the explanation: 280 were previously unrecorded deaths from the northern region of Lombardy in April.
So the one-day death toll across the country in the past 24 hours is in fact 192, continuing the downward trajectory. It is the lowest daily rise since 14 March.
The number is still high and Italy remains the country with the second-highest number of deaths overall. But the figures are moving in the right direction and it seems Italy is gradually overcoming this killer.

Should you keep a coronavirus diary?

Helier Cheung - BBC News, Washington DC
Believe it or not, your personal musings right now could be valuable to historians of the future.
Archivists are urging people to keep diaries in written, audio, or video format because the coronavirus pandemic is a major event that historians will want to study in the years to come.
The Mass Observation Project is calling on volunteers to “help us create a record of the pandemic”, while Wright State University in the US says diaries "can also be extremely useful, therapeutic tools for the diary author as well”.
"Although many of us think history is about politicians and royalty, actually history is about everybody," says Rob Perks, director of National Life Stories at the British Library.
And if that's too remote for you, there's also a more immediate benefit: Jacinda Ardern has asked New Zealanders to keep diaries about their own movements to try and help officials with contact tracing.
You can read more about unusual ways to help during the pandemic here.

‘All society’ will have to help contact trace

  Reality Check
All of society will be expected to play a part when the UK launches a national contact tracing phone app in the coming weeks, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said this afternoon.
Contact tracing involves tracking down anyone with whom virus sufferers have been in prolonged contact with, to potentially ask them to self-isolate.
The UK is planning to roll out its contact tracing app and phone team by the middle of May. The method is already being used elsewhere in Hong Kong, Singapore and Germany. In Australia, more than four million people have downloaded a tracking app.
Contact tracing will start to form a key part of the UK government’s strategy in the coming months.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jenny Harries said the results of contact tracing would help us start to see where the lines of transmission are.
Read more here about what the public will be asked to do.

Just joining us?

Here's a round-up of some key coronavirus developments from across the globe:

• The death toll in the US - the country with the most deaths globally - has passed 65,000
  
• Adults in Spain have been running on the streets for the first time in seven weeks after restrictions were eased. Masks are being made compulsory on public transport
  
• Austria is allowing thousands of shops, hairdressers and beauty salons to reopen
  
• Ireland will allow people to meet friends and family in small groups outdoors from 18 May
  
• The Ebola drug remdesivir can now be used on people who are hospitalised with severe Covid-19 in the US following a clinical trial
  
• War-ravaged Yemen has recorded coronavirus cases in a third province after officially registering its first deaths this week
  

US virus deaths could be much higher

More than 65,000 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported in the US, but some experts fear the real figure could be much higher.
New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that total deaths in seven hard-hit states were almost 50% higher than normal during the period 8 March to 11 April.
Researchers fear as many as 9,000 additional deaths in the country could be attributed to the virus.
The US has by far the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths in the world but fewer relative to population than some European countries.

New French virus deaths drop to 166

We brought you the news earlier that Italy recorded just 192 deaths in the past 24 hours - the lowest daily rise since 14 March.
France has now reported similarly low figures. The national death toll in hospital and care homes has increased by 166, to a total of 24,760. It's a significant drop from the 218 deaths recorded on Friday.
There are still close to 26,000 people in hospital with Covid-19 in France but that figure has been going down for more than two weeks.
Earlier today, France extended a health emergency by two months, allowing the government to prolong anti-virus measures. The country plans to ease its lockdown from 11 May.

Will having the virus make me immune?

Rachel Schraer - BBC Health Reporter
During the UK government's daily news briefing earlier, a member of the public asked about what we know when it comes to immunity from the virus.
At the moment, the World Health Organization (WHO) says there isn’t yet good evidence that suggests having the virus once protects you from getting it again.
When the WHO say "no good evidence", they mean this hasn’t been properly studied yet.
We’d expect that having the illness would grant you some immunity, at least for a period of time. But the question is how much and for how long? Will a mild case now protect you if you’re exposed to a bigger dose of the virus later?
Lots of people are in the process of trying to answer these questions.
Countries including South Korea, Germany, Italy and the UK are beginning to test samples of their populations for antibodies.
This could provide more information about whether (and for how long) the disease gives immunity to those who have recovered.

Czech Republic envisages safe travel zone

Rob Cameron - BBC Prague Correspondent


Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek has laid out in a blog post how heintends to allow Czechs to travel again without restrictions.
From July, he would like the borders to be fully opened to fourneighbouring countries: Austria, Germany, Poland and Slovakia.
He also envisages unrestricted travel in July to countries that have dealt with the pandemic well.
The Czech Republic's ban on free movement, imposed to curb coronavirus, was lifted last month.
At present Czechs are in theory free to travel to any country in the world - if they can get there. But they must present either a recent negative Covid-19 certificate or do 14 days of quarantine on their return.
Even so, the foreign ministry is still advising against all but essential travel.

Blood pressure drugs 'do not increase risk' of catching virus

Medication widely prescribed to treat high blood pressure does not make patients more susceptible to coronavirus infection, three major studies have found.
The research primarily focused on angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs).
The findings are good news for millions of people who take the drugs. Rumours have been circulating that the medication could increase the risk of Covid-19 infection.
"We saw no difference in the likelihood of a positive test with ACE inhibitors and with angiotensin receptor blockers," Harmony Reynolds of New York University's Grossman School of Medicine, who led a study involving about 12,600 people, told the AFP news agency.
In the UK, the NHS advises that people keep taking blood pressure medicines as usual.

Images of life during a pandemic

The coronavirus has upended life for billions around the globe - and people have reacted in many different ways.
Here's a selection of some powerful news photographs taken this week amid the pandemic.

A display of signs thanking NHS staff and other key workers put up by local artist Peter Liversidge in east London


A health worker uses an infrared thermometer to measure the temperature of a labourer on a construction site in Ahmedabad, India


In New York, Gloria, 75, shows how big a hug she would give Father Pedro Gonzalez as a "thank you" for the help she is getting through deliveries from his church volunteer group


In Nablus in the West Bank, a man beats a drum to wake Muslims to have their pre-dawn meal during the holy fasting month of Ramadan


World War Two veteran Captain Tom Moore celebrated his 100th birthday on Thursday, after raising millions of pounds for the NHS, by walking laps in his back garden in Bedfordshire. Here, his grandson Benjie looks at more than 120,000 birthday cards from around the world

Letters of love to friends and strangers

Helier Cheung - BBC News, Washington DC
These can be lonely times - especially if you're separated from your family.
Alienor Duron, 22, started the project 1lettre1sourire (one letter one smile) encouraging people to write to isolated people in retirement homes in France, Canada, Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg.
"A letter is something you can touch, keep and read again, and put on your wall or bedside table - not like an email that's going to be deleted after a while," she says.

Handwritten notes in Chinese that say "we love you and are thinking of you"

Meanwhile, in New York, volunteer movement Heart of Dinner is providing boxes of hot food, along with handwritten notes that say "we love you and are thinking of you" to elderly Asian-Americans in care homes.
Founders Yin Chang and Moonlynn Tsai say they came up with the idea after they experienced racism and saw other Asian-Americans being harassed.
"A lot of the seniors in Chinatown are immigrants - many are unable to communicate in English. We want them to know they're still a part of the community," says Chang.
You can read more about ways people are helping others during the pandemic here.

How are UK deaths being counted?

Rachel Schraer - BBC Health Reporter
The death toll figures have become a sad daily ritual and on Wednesday the number jumped – not because there was a sudden increase in deaths but because for the first time the official daily figures included deaths outside of hospitals.
Although we had been getting a separate publication from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) once a week looking at coronavirus deaths outside of hospitals, in places like care homes, these were not included in the headline figure.
Now the daily total (today's was 621) tells you about the deaths of anyone who tested positive for coronavirus. So this is a larger group than just deaths in hospitals, but still doesn’t include all deaths in the community settings because not everyone who dies of coronavirus will have had a test.
As testing is expanded to more and more people, the death figures should get closer to the true reality.

NY governor holds firm on keeping state closed

Some are demanding New York ease lockdown measures


New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has pushed back against demands to re-open his state, saying he needs more information about the spread of the virus.
Around half of states in the US have now partially eased lockdown restrictions but Mr Cuomo said a lot more information was needed before opening up his state, which is the hardest hit in the country.
"Even when you are in uncharted waters, it doesn't mean youproceed blindly," Mr Cuomo said.
"Use information to determine action - not emotions, not politics, not what people think or feel, but what we know in terms of facts."
He also released the preliminary results of a survey which tested 15,000 people across the state for antibodies to see if they had previously had the virus. The results showed that 12.3% had been infected.
A previous test with a smaller cohort suggested that one in five New York City residents had contracted it.

Conspiracist David Icke's channel deleted by YouTube

English conspiracy theorist David Icke has had his official channel deleted from YouTube after violating its policies by posting misleading information about the coronavirus pandemic.
"YouTube has clear policies prohibiting any content that disputes the existence and transmission of Covid-19 as described by the WHO and the NHS," a spokeswoman told the BBC.
The Google-owned video service acted after Facebook decided to take down Mr Icke's official page.
His YouTube channel had more than 900,000 subscribers at the time it was removed. The last clip Mr Icke posted - about his Facebook ban - had about 120,000 views.

Madagascar ships unproven Covid-19 herbal tea cure

Equatorial Guinea has also received the tea

A batch of herbal tea has been dispatched from Madagascar, off the coast of East Africa, all the way to Guinea-Bissau in West Africa after the Madagascan president touted it as a powerful remedy against Covid-19. (There is no scientific evidence for the claim.)
The drink, which has been coined Covid-Organics, is derived from artemisia - a plant with proven use in malaria treatment - and other indigenous herbs.
Equatorial Guinea has also received a batch of the tea after Madagascan leader Andry Rajoelina promoted it as a potential treatment.
The World Health Organization says its effects have not been tested.
In Madagascar itself, the national medical academy has also cast doubt on the product.
It said it had the potential to damage people's health as its "scientific evidence had not been established".

Summary for Sunday, 3rd May

Hello and welcome to our continuing live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Here are the main developments to bring you up to speed:

• Churches in Germany are opening for Sunday services for the first time since the lockdown began in March, but singing is banned to prevent new infections
  
• British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has revealed that "contingency plans" were drawn up last month while he was seriously ill in hospital with coronavirus
  
• UK coronavirus deaths stand at 28,131, but the rate is slowing
  
• The pandemic has now infected more than 3.3 million people worldwide and caused more than 240,000 deaths
  
• Billionaire investor Warren Buffett says his company Berkshire Hathaway has sold all of its shares in the four largest US airlines. He said "the world has changed" because of the coronavirus
  
• More than 65,000 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported in the US, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally
  

• Portugal's six-week state of emergency has ended, but face masks are now compulsory on public transport and people are still being asked to stay at home where possible
  
• Thailand has reopened parks and small shops as authorities begin a phased easing of restrictions
  

Sassuolo first top flight football team in Italy to resume training

Sassuolo are set to become the first Serie A side to re-start training following the coronavirus shutdown.
The club, based in northern Italy, said its players could use the club’s facilities on an optional basis. They will train individually.
Professional teams will be allowed to train together from 18 May although they will still have to respect social distancing guidelines.
Italian football’s top flight has been suspended since 9 March and the league and the country’s federation (FIGC) both want to complete the season, although the government says it has not yet decided whether it will give permission.
Italy has suffered the heaviest death toll in Europe from coronavirus, at nearly 29,000.

Germany's faithful embrace the new normal

Damien McGuinness - BBC News, Berlin


Churches in Germany can now open their doors again to worshippers but services will be very different.
After weeks of negotiations with officials, religious leaders have come up with strict rules to prevent coronavirus infections.
Churches will restrict numbers attending and people will have to keep at least 2m (6ft) apart.
Singing, which officials say can spread the virus, is banned and priests will have to wear a mask when giving out communion.
Jewish and Muslim leaders are also introducing special hygiene rules for synagogues and mosques.
Religious leaders supported the government’s lockdown in March - but increasingly have been asking, if shops can open, why can’t places of worship?
They have welcomed the move to allow services. Particularly in the current situation, said one Jewish leader, people need the support and comfort of their faith.

Key developments from the UK

In case you missed it, here’s a round-up of the key developments in the UK overnight and yesterday:

• Boris Johnson has revealed that “contingency plans” were made while he was seriously ill with coronavirus in hospital, where he was given “litres and litres of oxygen”
  
• The government has pledged £76m to support vulnerable children, victims of domestic violence and modern slavery who have been “trapped” at home
  
• The British Chambers of Commerce has called on ministers to set out plans for a "carefully phased" lifting of lockdown conditions
  
• A reliable antibody test could be ready for mass production by June, a firm working with Oxford University has said
  
• Millions of people will be asked to track their movements by downloading a nationwide app in a few weeks’ time to limit the spread of the virus
  
• Eurostar passengers will be required to wear face masks or face coverings from Monday
  

Lifting UK lockdown shouldn't be 'arbitrary'

The UK government should not introduce an "arbitrary age limit" when lifting lockdown measures, the chairman of the British Medical Association (BMA) has said.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul acknowledged that older people were at a higher risk from coronavirus, but added that a “large number” of people under 70 could also have underlying health conditions, also putting them at risk.
“What’s really important if we are to ease the lockdown is to look at the risk of everyone rather than just have an arbitrary age limit," Dr Nagpaul told BBC Breakfast.
“We don’t want an arbitrary approach.”
He said that when easing lockdown, the government "should be assuring all of us that it is... safer for people to be going outdoors".
Staying indoors for prolonged periods can lead to other problems, he said, potentially affecting people's mental and physical health.
“You can’t just look in isolation at the Covid situation," he added.

Staggering work 'could avoid travel peaks'

Sky News
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says the "road map" for easing the UK lockdown promised next week will not mark an instant return to "business as usual".
He says staggering work times, for example, could prove "very important" in helping avoid "morning peaks" in transport usage.
Asked about reports that people might have their temperature checked before using public transport, he says that's a "moot point" as "people shouldn't be leaving home if they're not feeling well".
He says there will be a new rail timetable for May, although there will not be "anywhere near” the usual number of services.

Germany gradually reopens as death rate slows

The re-opening of churches is the latest easing of Germany's full lockdown restrictions in place since 22 March.
Last week, German authorities said playgrounds and cultural institutions such as museums and zoos would be given the green light to re-open.
It still remains a gloomy picture for hotels and restaurants though. Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that the federal and state governments will not make a decision on the hospitality industry at their next meeting on 6 May, but instead focus on further relaxing the rules for schools, childcare centers and sports facilities.
Germany's death toll rose by 74 to 6,649 in figures released on Sunday, while the number of confirmed coronavirus cases increased by 793 to 162,496, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed.

UK visitors could be required to have NHS app

Sky News
Asked about border restrictions, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says people coming into the UK could be required to download the NHS contract-tracking app currently being developed.
This will be trialled next week on the Isle of Wight, he says, then rolled out for the “population at large" later this month.
He says about 50-60% of the population will need to download the app to make the system work, and the "whole country" will be asked to participate.

Thai restaurants restart with plastic barriers between diners

Thailand has allowed businesses including markets, hairdressers and some sports venues to reopen as authorities begin a phased easing of coronavirus restrictions.
Restaurants have also reopened but with strict social distancing, even requiring clear plastic barriers between diners. The ban on alcohol sales is being lifted, but only for home consumption.
The BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok says the success of the new measures will be re-evaluated after two weeks.
In addition, any Thais returning from overseas must spend 14 days in state-designated quarantine facilities, such as hotels, and must pay the bills themselves, the Bangkok Post reported.
The country reported only three new infections on Sunday and no new deaths. Thailand has seen a total of 2,969 coronavirus cases and 54 deaths since the outbreak began.

'In children's interests to return to school'

It is in the interests of the "vast majority" of children if they return to school, the head of England's schools watchdog has said.
Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman told Sky News: “If we look at children, it is their interests.”
Ms Spielman said there is a "great deal of logic" in getting younger children back to school as a priority as they need a simple, structured routine.
"The youngest children are the ones who need the greatest of care and oversight," she added.
She also suggested that there could be a "mixed economy" for "some while", with some children returning to school while others learn at home.

UK death toll 'could be towards 30,000'

The Andrew Marr Show
There's been much discussion about the total number of deaths in the UK and how it compares to other countries.
Prof Sir Ian Diamond, Head of the Office for National Statistics, says the official death toll of 28,131 only includes people who have died after a positive test for Covid-19.
He says once deaths where Covid-19 is mentioned on a death certificate are included, that figure could be "towards 30,000".
But he cautions that comparisons between countries are "unbelievably difficult" - and a league table of the worst hit in Europe is "almost impossible to calculate".
He says he is currently "not prepared" to say the UK is "heading for the top".

Covid-19 patients suffer kidney problems

New figures show more than 2,000 patients with Covid-19 admitted to intensive care in England, Wales and Northern Ireland suffered kidney failure.
They all needed specialist renal treatment to keep them alive which, in turn, increased the demand for haemofiltration equipment.
Maurice, student and singer, spent 22 days on a ventilator. He told BBC News: "My kidneys failed several times. What people fail to realise is it's not just pneumonia, it does go for other organs."
Dr Graham Lipkin of The Renal Association said: "The virus can be seen in very fine structures of kidneys.
"It affects the stickiness of blood, with the blood becoming sludgy. Because kidneys are full of little blood vessels, sludges up in the kidneys and that's when they start to fail."

Welsh schools 'not able to reopen before June'

First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford says his "strong preference" is for UK nations to ease lockdown restrictions on the same timetable.
He says schools will require three weeks to prepare after being told to reopen, meaning "we are talking about the beginning of June" before they would be able to do so.
He cautions that schools will not be able to open "as they did before" if social distancing guidelines are to be respected, with children of the "greatest priority" returning first.
He says if people do not think it is safe to send their children back to school, they may "vote with their feet".

'Age discrimination' if older people can't go out post-lockdown

Asking older people to remain in lockdown longer as restrictions are lifted for the rest of the country would be "age discrimination", a Conservative peer has warned.
Baroness Ros Altmann said: "Using an age-based criteria would be fundamentally wrong and could potentially cost the lives of many people, and risk social unrest."
The former work and pensions minister added that "many" older people have told her "they would rebel and they would risk going to prison" if they were asked to isolate for longer than the rest of the population.

Iran mosques to reopen from Monday

Some mosques in Iran are set to reopen having been closed since mid-March because of the spread of coronavirus in the country.
Iranians have had to make do with attending drive-ins to watch sermons during the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
President Hassan Rouhani said mosques in 132 low-risk or "white" cities and towns had been given clearance to open their doors from Monday.
He added: "Friday prayer sermons will resume in those areas as well... However, all these steps will be taken by respecting the health protocols."
Rouhani said that a similar plan was in place for schools from 16 May.
The country - the worst affected in the region - has had 96,448 confirmed cases of coronavirus and a death toll of 6,156.

False positives 'caused by dead lung cells' - WHO expert

Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead on Covid-19 for the World Health Organization, is asked about reports from some countries that people have tested positive a second time after recovering from the virus.
She says what is actually happening in these cases is that, as people's lungs heal, some dead cells are showing up in the tests, triggering a positive result where there has been no re-infection.
But she says scientists are still "trying to understand" how strong a level of immunity people will have once they've had the virus.
On the origin of the virus, she says it has had a "natural origin" from bats, although the intermediate species that spread the virus from them to humans is not yet known.

Singapore reports more infections among migrant workers

Singapore has confirmed 657 new coronavirus infections, taking the total to 18,205.
The health ministry said on Sunday that most of the new cases were among migrant workers living in dormitories.
There was no word on any new deaths, with the toll for the city-state currently standing at 17. More details will be available later on Sunday, the ministry said.
Last month Singapore reported a surge of infections linked to industrial sites and tightly packed worker dormitories. About 300,000 low-wage workers, mostly from South Asia, work in Singapore in construction and maintenance.

'We know an underground network of hairdressers'

Most people in the UK are happy to observe lockdown restrictions, accepting that they are there for everyone's best interests. However, a minority continues to flout the rules.
The BBC spoke to three people who explained why they turned a blind eye to the guidelines.
Read Jim Reed's full report here

Care home infections falling, says UK minister

Asked whether care homes could become the new "epicentre" of transmission, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says he hopes "that won't be the case".
Infections in care homes "are now falling rather than rising," he adds.
He's also pushed on how many of the 18,000 contact-tracers the government wants to put in place have been recruited so far - but he says he "doesn't have a number".
He adds that it should be "relatively straightforward" to recruit the non-medical staff required, and it's "not a ridiculous ask at all".

Lockdown psychiatric care 'severely disrupted'

Sima Kotecha - BBC News
Isolation during lockdown is exacerbating psychosis in some patients, a consultant psychiatrist at a UK mental health trust has warned.
Steve Church said the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust had shifted its focus to crisis management.
He leads the psychosis recovery team, helping patients struggling with their mental health during the pandemic. Some have had to move homes to isolate, and many no longer visit the clinic.
Dr Church explained: "In normal times, and we're not in normal times, the whole treatment is about trying to help people not self-isolate, trying to help people to re-engage with society.
"Self-isolation is one of the red flag hallmarks of somebody becoming unwell in the first place, where they take themselves into a psychosis-induced lockdown."
You can read the full story here.

Premier League needs 'ingenious' solution

Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt says England's Premier League football should return if an “ingenious way” can be found to make it safe.
Representatives from Football, Cricket and Rugby are meeting the government today to discuss strategies to restart sport.
A June resumption has been mooted by the Premier League, which was suspended on 13 March.
“It can and it should (restart),” Hunt told the BBC.
“It’s a question of whether we can find an ingenious way of doing it behind closed doors that does not risk the safety of the players or the public.”
While current health secretary Matt Hancock says he is “open” to the idea, PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor said players were “not stupid” and will “put safety first” when presented with proposals next week.
Taylor added that halves of less than 45 minutes are among measures being considered to restart football

Fundraising ex-nurse, aged 101, to walk 102 laps of park

A former nurse in the UK is hoping to raise money for the NHS by walking 102 laps of her local park before her 102nd birthday.
Joan Rich will be walking the 560m loops of Allenby Park in Suffolk to fundraise for NHS Charities Together - the same charity that Captain Tom Moore raised nearly 33 million pounds for.
The centenarian, who walks with a frame, has already exceeded her £1,020 target - four months before her birthday on 11 September.
In her younger days, she was posted to the army and was a member of the Royal Military Police in Jerusalem where she helped prisoners of war returning from camps in Japan with rehabilitation.
Read more about her incredible life here

Coronavirus deaths rise in UK care homes

Virus-related deaths in UK care homes rose to 5,890 during the week ending 24 April, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS) - up 36% from the week before.
This accounts for around a third of all coronavirus deaths reported in the UK during the period. The majority continued to be in hospitals.

German ruling criticises EU bond-buying scheme

The mass buying of government bonds is a big part of the EU's armoury in helping European economies recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
This isn't the first time bonds have been used in this way. After the eurozone crisis, between 2015 and 2018, the European Central Bank (ECB) bought up €2.6 trillion (£2.2tn) of government bonds from eurozone member states.
On Tuesday the German constitutional court declared that the role of the German central bank, the Bundesbank, was partly unconstitutional as it didn't have enough oversight from the German government and Bundestag - Germany's parliament.
The decision does not affect the EU's €750bn bond-buying plan to help member states recover from the coronavirus crisis. But the court does say the Bundesbank must stop buying up government bonds in the next three months if the ECB cannot prove they are required.

Awkward handshake question for UK PM

David Shukman - Science editor, BBC News


One of the documents just released could raise an awkward question for Prime Minister Boris Johnson. It spells out how behavioural scientists were advising the UK government to stop people shaking hands or hugging.
They cite "evidence about the importance of hand hygiene,” in their report of 3 March.
“A public message against shaking hands has additional value as a signal about the importance of hand hygiene.
“Promoting a replacement greeting or encouraging others to politely decline a proffered hand-shake may have benefit.”
Yet on that very day, at the daily government briefing, Mr Johnson declared that he was continuing to shake hands with people.
He described how he was “at a hospital the other night” where there were coronavirus patients and he “shook hands with everybody, you’ll be pleased to know - and I continue to shake hands”.

Couple fined after driving 60 miles to 'smell the sea'

A couple from West Yorkshire who drove more than 60 miles (100km) so they could "smell the sea" have been fined for flouting coronavirus lockdown restrictions.


Whitby Neighbourhood Policing Team said the couple were stopped on Monday evening after driving from Boston Spa, near Leeds, to the North Yorkshire coast.
=68.ARDKYrgbPA90dhKCSrAUFY8ubrXCiq8m8gZURVGrUtlOxkvnDpIEt78ugu-XwNjnAVhCaO1nj68py40nWYKXSUK66syXRNTi2wdhDdx6s9g0spfZ4xFvxth4f4zb-o-MvXoJZBwE0VQ3o6I7nPDNFpED7Pb5dbURYQf6wMKzSMSnDTkUZ3CPZZlrGUKh2ta03ObT0BIpqP43J8CV0XTe-klM2psEg0GEQCSNB6vRGJUpGg4M5qW7HOvYbUcEoCj7CZpsd-LDnCNNP0Ly_EIVKvzpggzyucbhmZRcSYwwivSg3i5Bkb4CO6DpCx7e25GMubXMJAomW-sibsc-hR5HRQ&__tn__=-R]Writing on Facebook the force said: "This is not a reasonable excuse to travel into our area and they were told to return home immediately."
It comes a day after two bikers rode from Rochdale to Whitby on a 200-mile round trip to buy fish and chips.
Police said they'll continue to work hard with residents to keep the town safe.

UK adviser: Masks can be 'beneficial' in crowded areas

The UK government's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, is giving evidence to the Health and Social Care Committee this morning.
He told the virtual meeting that wearing face masks had a "marginal but positive" impact on the spread of infection and there may be times when it could be beneficial for people to do so.
"Where masks may have a role is where distancing isn’t possible, where there might be undue crowding," he said. "There may be times when wearing masks can therefore be beneficial to stop the spread."
Sir Patrick made it clear that social distancing and hand washing were vital and that wearing a mask should not replace either.
He added this advice has been given to ministers and he says it is "up to them to decide what to do".

UK car sales plunge to lowest level since 1946

New car registrations almost ground to a halt in April after coronavirus lockdown measures were introduced, the UK motor industry has said.
Figures from industry body the SMMT show only 4,321 cars were registered, the lowest monthly level since 1946.
April's figure marked a 97% plunge in sales from the same month last year.
The closure of car dealerships as part of measures to try to combat the disease has hit consumer registrations.
Read the full piece here

Indonesian folk legend Kempot dies of Covid-19

Resty Woro Yuniar - BBC News, Jakarta
Hugely popular Indonesian singer Didi Kempot passed away on Tuesday morning, a few weeks after he raised more than US$500,000 to help combat the pandemic.
The 53-year-old was a famous singer of a folk genre called campur sari - a blend of Javanese and modern music. He had been making music for three decades, but last year was catapulted back to fame after a video of young men looking sad while listening to his songs went viral on Instagram.
He held a concert on 11 April from his house, which was broadcast through a national TV channel and attended virtually by Indonesia's President Joko Widodo. The concert raised 7.6 billion rupiah ($500,000, £400,000) to help those who had lost their jobs to the crisis.
Kempot was dubbed the "godfather of the broken-hearted" by his fans, who in turn were dubbed sobat ambyar, friends of the scattered heart. They flocked to the internet today to express their mourning, with "Didi Kempot" and "Sobat Ambyar Berduka", or "mourning friends of the scattered heart", becoming worldwide trending topics on Twitter.

  :tweet: dzhulepoenya: :Left Quotes:
"rest in peace didi kempot, thank you so much for all of your songs that never fail made me cry when i listen it,"

US notably absent from vaccine funding conference

Jonathan Marcus - BBC Diplomatic and defence correspondent
The Trump administration’s absence from Monday's vaccine "pledging conference" was notable, and emblematic of a wider failure by the US to assume the mantle of global leadership since the outset of this crisis.
The US was not the only major absentee. Russia was not present either, and China’s EU ambassador attended but made no direct pledge to fund vaccine development and treatment research.
US officials stress that huge quantities of government and private funding is going into finding a vaccine. But the "go solo" approach of two giants of global pharmaceutical power – the US and China – sends a worrying signal.
The European view – backed by many other countries around the world – is that any vaccine must be treated as global public property. There is concern that what is developing is a kind of vaccine race.
The fear is not so much that China and the US will deny a vaccine to others.
It's more that the scale of providing the almost unbelievable number of doses required for the global population means concerted action is essential across research, manufacturing and distribution.
Donald Trump's approach is consistent with his "America First" credo – an outlook that is accentuated as his re-election battle moves into higher gear.

Vallance: UK still quite early in the epidemic

The UK's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance has been giving evidence to the Health and Social Care Committee.
He told the meeting that we are still "quite early" in the epidemic.
Although most countries are getting on top of the first peak in some ways it doesn't mean the whole thing's gone away," he said.
Sir Patrick also said:

• The R number - the reproduction rate of the virus - needed to be below one as this means the epidemic is reducing. It is currently between 0.6 and 0.9, with "a little bit of regional variation"
  
• R is thought to be lower in the community than in care homes and hospitals but it is hard to tell due to three routes of infection making it hard to tell the source
  
• On immunity, the evidence suggests the vast majority of people who have had the infection have "some form of antibody response" but that we do not know what degree of protection that gives
  

Read more about the R value here

'Travel bubble' plan to help kick-start flights

Australia and New Zealand are planning a "travel bubble", or corridor, that will allow the quarantine-free flow of people between the two neighbours.
Both countries have severely restricted international travel to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
However, if successful, the "bubble" could grow to include more countries that have a low number of cases.
A wider scheme is planned with Canada and other Asian economies to help supply chains and business travel.
The governments of Australia and New Zealand revealed their plans on Tuesday to set up a "trans-Tasman travel bubble", although no timeframe was given.
This quarantine-free travel zone could provide huge advantages to both nations, which have shown strong records in containing the virus.
You can read more details here

WHO warns more 'early cases' could emerge

The World Health Organization has warned that more early cases of coronavirus are likely to be uncovered in countries around the globe.
It comes after a French doctor said he had tested a sample from a patient diagnosed with pneumonia on 27 December last year, and found it was positive for coronavirus.
The development means Covid-19 may have arrived in Europe almost a month earlier than previously thought.
Speaking in Geneva, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said he was "not surprised" by the news.
He called on other countries to reassess their medical records from late 2019 to help to build a "newer and clearer picture" of the pandemic.

Aer Lingus 'reviewing procedures' after packed Belfast-London flight

Sean Mallon's photo shows no possibility for social distancing on Monday's nearly-full flight

Aer Lingus says it is reviewing procedures on its Belfast to London flights following a claim it was not observing social distancing.
Passenger Sean Mallon took photos on a flight to Heathrow on Monday, showing most passengers sitting close together.
He told the BBC that about 95% of seats were filled, and said passengers queued and boarded the plane just as they would have before the pandemic.
Mallon, who was travelling to England for work, said staff did not offer any guidance or advice other than telling passengers to wash their hands after landing - and no hand sanitiser was offered.
It is one of only two routes flying from Northern Ireland to London.
Aer Lingus said safety was its "top priority" and any necessary changes would be implemented urgently.
Read more here.

Hancock hits back at testing app 'surveillance' claims

England's Health Secretary Matt Hancock has dismissed warnings by civil liberties campaigners that a coronavirus contact tracing app could open the door to widespread "state surveillance".
Ministers have urged the public to sign up to the app - which is beginning trials on the Isle of Wight - as a way to exit the current lockdown and re-start the economy.
But they have run into opposition from some Tory MPs and campaign groups concerned about the potential for the state to monitor individuals' movements and contacts.
Matt Hancock insisted it is "completely wrong" to suggest the app is a threat to civil liberties.
Amnesty International UK has questioned why - unlike other European countries - Britain is establishing a central database to store information.
Read more about how the app works.

'Lack of capacity' behind initial UK testing approach

The UK switched from community testing and tracing to only focusing on testing hospital patients for coronavirus on 12 March.
Giving evidence to the Commons Health Select Committee, the deputy chief medical officer for England said the change in policy was partly due to a lack of capacity.
Dr Jenny Harries told MPs, “if we had unlimited capacity we would have done [it] differently”.
In Germany and South Korea mass testing continued and was seen to be a factor in controlling the spread of the virus.
Plans to expand testing capacity in the UK to 100,000 tests a day were adopted in early April, with Health Secretary Matt Hancock meeting his target on the last day of the month. However, the opposition Labour party said the government should not have counted tests which had been posted out but not yet taken among its figures.
In his evidence, the government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said “it would have been better to have ramped up testing quicker” - although he added testing on its own was not a solution to controlling the virus.
Read more: Mass testing earlier 'would have been beneficial'

Latest coronavirus headlines from around the world

A very warm welcome to those just joining us in the UK and globally. Here are some of the latest coronavirus news stories from around the world today:

• A patient in France had coronavirus on 27 December, a recent testing of a swab taken at the time has shown. That would mean coronavirus came to Europe almost a month earlier than previously thought
  
• New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the country will not have open borders with the rest of the world for "a long time to come" - although she discussed a possible arrangement to open up travel between Australia and NZ in a "trans-Tasman bubble"
  
• Chinese state media have accused US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of lying, after he said there was "enormous evidence" the coronavirus emanated from a laboratory in Wuhan
  
• The US has said it wants to borrow a record $3tn (£2.4tn) in the second quarter of this year, as coronavirus-related rescue packages blow up the budget
  
• There are concerns about privacy issues relating to the new app to track the spread of coronavirus in the UK, which is being rolled out as part of a trial on the Isle of Wight
  
• Workers who have developed Covid-19 antibodies could be given risky frontline roles in "adverse discrimination" by employers, according to a paper being considered by behavioural scientists advising the UK government
  
• A trial is under way in South Africa to test if the BCG vaccine against tuberculosis might also be effective against coronavirus - something for which the World Health Organization says there is currently no evidence
  

UK economy on track for 'deepest downturn in memory'

The UK economy is set for its deepest downturn "in living memory" as businesses suffer from lockdown, a survey warned.
The IHS Markit/CIPS found the UK's dominant services sector contracted at a record pace last month.
Around 79% of services, such as cafes and hairdressers, reported a fall in business activity amid mass shutdowns in response to the coronavirus.
IHS Markit warned UK GDP could fall by 7% and its economics director Tim Moore said the data highlighted that the downturn in the UK economy during the second quarter of 2020 "will be far deeper and more widespread than anything seen in living memory".

UK scientific advisers' fears over antibody testing

Naomi Grimley, BBC News
According to documents released today, Sage - the government’s scientific advisory body - is worried that antibody tests may not be accurate enough to be used to clear some of the population to return to work. Here is a summary of their concerns on the potential use of antibody testing:

• Some people may go back to work thinking they have immunity when they do not (due to false positives)
  
• People may stop washing their hands as much ("There is some evidence from previous public health crises that misunderstanding test results can affect adherence to risk-reducing behaviours," the body said)
  
• Those who a test showed were not immune might try to hide away and perhaps "seek to avoid attendance at work entirely"
  
• The potential for discrimination by employers on the basis of antibody status, for example only taking on new staff if they had confirmed antibodies
  
• This might prompt some people to try to seek out infection in order to fully integrate back into the workplace
  

Muted celebrations mark 75 years since Dutch liberation

The pandemic may have put a stop to the Netherlands' usual 5 May celebrations to mark freedom from Nazi occupation in World War Two.
But the message of Liberation Day sounds louder than ever, according to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte - because "security, solidarity and freedom are at the core of our lives".
The freedom flame was lit as usual in the town of Wageningen, but there are no freedom festivals because of the Dutch so-called "intelligent lockdown". But that hasn't stopped Dutch military medic Mohan Verstegen giving this rousing explanation of what freedom means on social media:
   Watch video here

Hours before Liberation Day began, King Willem-Alexander made a sombre remembrance speech in Amsterdam's Dam Square, addressing the role of Dutch Queen Wilhelmina during the occupation. The queen spoke to her nation by radio from London but rarely mentioned the Nazi deportation and murder of the Dutch Jewish population.
"Fellow human beings, fellow citizens in need, felt abandoned, unheard, and unsupported, if only by words. Also from London, and by my great-grandmother, despite her unwavering and fierce opposition. This is something that won’t let go of me," said the king.

The countries with rising - and falling - daily death tolls

While many countries are starting to see drops in the number of coronavirus deaths per day, the death tolls are still on the rise in plenty of places including Brazil, Russia, Mexico and Peru.
See more charts and graphs on the global coronavirus pandemic here.

Some Paris streets will only reopen to cyclists

About 30 miles (50km) of some of Paris's busiest roads will be open only to cyclists when the lockdown is eased next week in an effort to limit crowds on public transport.
Rue de Rivoli, which goes through the French capital, and the express tunnel under the Arc de Triomphe roundabout are two of the streets in question.
Another 30 streets will be made pedestrian-only.
Mayor Anne Hidalgo says some of the street closures could become permanent. "I know that the majority of Parisians do not want to see a return of cars and pollution," she said.
The French government has unveiled a €20m ($22m; £19m) package to boost cycling, including a €50 subsidy for bicycle repairs or maintenance

Virgin Atlantic to cut 3,000 UK jobs

Virgin Atlantic is to cut 3,000 jobs in the UK and stop its operations at London Gatwick Airport as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
The airline, which employs around 10,000 people, suspended its Gatwick services during the pandemic and says they will not restart.
Virgin Atlantic is in the process of applying for emergency loans from the UK government.
The company says it also plans to reduce the size of its fleet of aircraft from 45 to 35 by the summer of 2022.
The company says it plans to restore about 60% of its pre-pandemic flying capacity by the end of 2020.
Read more

UK government working 'resolutely' - Hancock

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the government is working "resolutely to defeat the coronavirus".
Responding to an urgent question on the pandemic from Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth, he said the scale of the national testing structure meant symptomatic staff and residents at care homes could now be tested and said the government was working to build "resilience" in the NHS.
"As a result, we are now able to start to restore some NHS services and we're in a position to be able to place the London Nightingale on standby," he said.
"This is good news because our NHS has not been overwhelmed by this crisis and remains open to those who need care."
Labour MP Catherine McKinnell described the current death toll as "devastating" and said many were wondering how the government could claim its response to be a success.
Hancock said the government was learning all the time.

Why did it take the UK so long to turbo-boost testing?

Nick Triggle - Health Correspondent
Much like the problems in getting personal protective equipment for staff, the UK’s record on testing is going to come under scrutiny for years to come.
There are many reasons why other countries, such as South Korea and Germany, had a better testing infrastructure to start with.
But what remains more difficult to understand is why the UK did not act sooner to rectify that.
Certainly rapid progress was made from the start of April when Health Secretary Matt Hancock set the 100,000-tests-a-day target.
But why it took until then to turbo-boost the effort is unclear. The first confirmed case was at the end of January.
By mid-March the UK had to virtually abandon testing in the community – it did not have the capacity so had to prioritise patients in hospital.
One school of thought is that because the policy at the time was to have a managed spread of the virus in the community, widespread testing was not needed to contain outbreaks and suppress the epidemic.

Has coronavirus been in Europe since late 2019?

Michelle Roberts - Health editor, BBC News online
Could coronavirus have been circulating in Europe in late 2019, many weeks before it was officially recognised and declared a threat there? That is the suggestion being made after a French doctor has revealed that he treated a patient in Paris with all of the symptoms of coronavirus just after Christmas.
How does this change what we know about the pandemic? It might be that the test result is an error and so does not change a thing.
But it if is correct, it could mean spread of the disease was going unchecked in Europe while all eyes were on the East in Wuhan.
Certainly, any laboratories in Europe with samples from patients sick with similar symptoms around that time might want to run a test for coronavirus to see what it reveals so that we can learn more about this new disease.

India records highest spike in cases

India has recorded its sharpest rise in daily cases with 3,900 fresh infections reported in the last 24 hours.
The total of number of people to get the virus now stands at 46,433, with the climb in numbers following an increase in testing.
More than 80,000 tests were carried out on Monday as India moves to ease the lockdown restrictions introduced on 24 March.
This has seen the opening of standalone shops, the re-opening of workplaces with reduced staffing, and the return of private vehicles in some areas. Public transport remains banned.
None of the new guidelines on relaxation apply to areas with high levels of infection that have been designated as containment zones.
Read more here

'Almost certain' lockdown restrictions will remain in Scotland

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed a further 44 people who had tested positive for Covid-19 have died, taking the total to 1,620 in Scotland.
Sturgeon said it was "almost certain" there would be no significant change to lockdown restrictions on Thursday.
She said there were estimated to be about 26,000 infectious people in Scotland, which was "too high" to consider the virus under control.
The Scottish government is considering measures which would allow people to leave their homes more often but only within their local area, she said.
Read more here

Virgin Atlantic cutting 3,150 jobs worldwide

Earlier we brought you the news that Virgin Atlantic was to cut 3,000 jobs.
The airline has clarified that 3,150 jobs are to be lost worldwide and while they cannot give a country-by-country breakdown the majority will be in the UK.

UK aviation facing a new reality

Tom Burridge - Transport correspondent
It was 28% at British Airways. Now 30% of jobs will be lost at Virgin Atlantic.
The UK’s aviation sector is shrinking in size.
Virgin Atlantic was Gatwick’s ninth largest airline so it’s a blow but not a knock-out punch. However British Airways, which is Gatwick’s second biggest customer, has indicated that it also might not restart its Gatwick operation.
If BA does pull out it would carry deeper ramifications.
Just a few weeks ago, several UK airports had elaborate, expensive and very controversial expansion plans in the pipeline. The big ones were operating at or very near capacity.
But the whole aviation sector is living a new reality.
When lockdown restrictions ease and flight schedules are increased again there will be fewer passengers, fewer and probably more expensive flights and sadly thousands of cabin crew, pilots and ground staff will have lost jobs.
It will take years for the aviation sector to bounce back to where it was before the pandemic.

Does the UK have the worst death toll in Europe?

Robert Cuffe - BBC head of statistics
Is 32,000 the worst death toll in Europe?
We don’t have the information to know. There are different ways of counting coronavirus deaths.
The figure of 32,000 comes from a measure that’s calculated once a week in the UK and isn’t available yet in many other countries.
It’s based on all death registrations in all settings and looking to see whether Covid-19 is mentioned.
The figure you hear about most days, announced at the UK government’s daily press conference or available on the comparison websites, is based on deaths of people who have tested positive for coronavirus.
It’s available more quickly but is less complete.
It’s difficult enough to make comparisons between countries based on these daily figures – definitions are slightly different, testing regimes are different and so it’s hard to be sure you’re comparing apples with apples.
For example, if testing is largely limited to people in hospitals in one country (as it was in the UK for a long time), then the figures will miss deaths in the community.
But going one step further and comparing the death registration figures in the UK with daily figures based on positive tests from other countries is comparing apples with bananas.

Eased Austrian restrictions did not bring increased infections

Bethany Bell - BBC News, Vienna
Austria’s Health Minister Rudi Anschober says the first relaxation of its coronavirus lockdown three weeks ago has not led to a new increase in infections.
Thousands of small shops, garden centres and DIY stores re-opened on 14 April.
"The situation is very, very constant, very, very stable and that is a really very, very positive, good situation,” Anschober said.
But he called on Austrians to be careful, after further steps to ease the coronavirus lockdown were introduced at the beginning of May.
"May will be the decisive month," he said.
All shops, hairdressers and beauty salons have been allowed to reopen in the second step of easing restrictions.
People are now free to leave their homes, although working from home is still encouraged.
Anschober called on people to continue to cover their mouths and noses, to maintain the distance of at least a metre and to wash their hands.

366 more hospital deaths in England

Earlier, we brought you the Office for National Statistics figures which include the number of deaths in care homes for which Covid-19 has been given as a contributing factor.
Now NHS England has put out the latest figures for coronavirus deaths in hospital.
There have been 366 more deaths recorded as of 17:00 yesterday, taking the total to 21,750.
The figures show that 65 of those people died more than a week ago.

Did Iranian airline help spread Covid-19 in the Middle East?

Even as news of Iran's deadly Covid-19 outbreak spread earlier this year, its largest airline continued to operate across the Middle East despite government flight bans, a BBC Arabic investigation has discovered.
Mahan Air - which is linked to the powerful Iranian Revolutionary Guard - continued to fly to China and a number of Middle Eastern countries even after bans were introduced.
Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Syria continued to allow the airline to land despite having stopped routine flights from Iran.
Sources within the airline told the BBC that dozens of cabin crew members showed symptoms of Covid-19 and that staff who tried to raise concerns about the airline’s management of the crisis and provision of safety equipment were silenced

Trump dismisses forecast of 3,000 US deaths per day

President Trump has told reporters travelling with him to a mask production factory in Arizona that a federal government report leaked yesterday, which forecast 3,000 US deaths per day by June, was not accurate.
“That report is a no mitigation report, and we are mitigating,” he said, referring to the memo from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema).
The president also defended state governors who have begun to loosen restrictions, saying residents of those states are continuing to social-distance and take virus mitigation measures.
Trump suggested that continuing lockdown measures would also take lives, through suicide and drug abuse.
This is one of Trump's first visits outside the White House in over a month. The Secret Service has taken extra precautions on his trip to the Honeywell aerospace facility in Phoenix, Arizona - a key battleground state in the 2020 presidential election.
"We have great testing or they wouldn't be allowed to travel with me," Trump says about those travelling with him on Air Force One.

Northern Ireland records 17 more coronavirus deaths

Northern Ireland has recorded 17 more coronavirus deaths, taking the nation's total to 404.
Six of the deaths occured in the 24 hours to 09:30 on Tuesday while 11 died previously, according to the figures from the Department of Health in Northern Ireland.
The department's figures mainly comprise deaths in hospital but do include some, but not all, deaths in other settings such as care homes.
There have been a further 45 new confirmed cases of the virus, bringing Northern Ireland to 3,881 cases overall.

16 further deaths, 266 additional cases of Covid-19 in Ireland
BY: Rachael O'Connor  - Irish Post
May 05, 2020

A FURTHER 16 people have died in Ireland after contracting coronavirus, the Department of Health have confirmed.
As of 5.30pm yesterday, Monday 4 May, an additional 16 deaths had been reported by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSPC), with their sad passing bringing Ireland's total number of coronavirus-related deaths to 1,319.
An additional 266 cases have also been confirmed in the Republic of Ireland, with the country's total now at 21,772.
The HSE are, as usual, working rapidly to trace any close contacts the newly confirmed cases may have had, in order to advise them and further slow the spread of the virus.
Data from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre has revealed that as of Saturday, 2 May, where 21,437 cases had been confirmed, 58% were female and 42% were male, with a median age of 49.
By that date, 13% (2,840) of all cases had been hospitalised, with 364 of those becoming seriously ill and being admitted to intensive care units.
Dublin remains the worst-hit county in the country, with just under half of all cases-- 10,561 (49%) followed by Kildare with 1,268 cases (6%) and Cork with 1,175 cases (6%).
Leitrim remains the least affected county in Ireland, with just 70 confirmed cases, or 0.3%, followed by Sligo at 119 (0.6%) and then Carlow at 127 (0.6%).
Last week, it was confirmed that well over half of Ireland's confirmed cases had made a full recovery, with an estimated 70% of cases recovered and the rate continuing to rise.

AER LINGUS have confirmed they will be conducting an internal review after photographs emerged of an extremely busy morning flight from Belfast to London.
The photographs, taken yesterday on a flight from Belfast City Airport to London's Heathrow Airport, shows a packed flight with no social distancing measures in place.
BBC journalist Kelly Bonner shared the photographs on social media where they quickly went viral, with many criticising the airline for not keeping the passengers or staff safe amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Passenger Sean Mallon, who took the original photographs, appeared on BBC Radio Ulster and said there was "no social distancing whatsoever", estimating that "there was about 95% of the seats taken on the flight".
Both Ireland and the United Kingdom have implemented lockdown measures in order to slow the spread of the virus, however both have stopped short of closing the borders for travel, in part due to the need for importing and exporting PPE gear.
Aer Lingus have released a statement confirming they will be conducting a review into the "unexpectedly high" passenger volume and assured the public that safety is their top priority.
The statement reads:
"In light of the unexpectedly high loads on the Belfast-London Heathrow service this morning and the level of demand for the route, Aer Lingus is reviewing its processes and procedures applicable to the operation of this service.
"The safety and security of Aer Lingus's customers and crew is our top priority and any process changes that are identified as being required will be implemented as a matter of urgency."

Wales passes 1,000 coronavirus deaths

More than 1,000 people have now died in Wales after testing positive for coronavirus, official figures show.
Health Minister Vaughan Gething used the milestone to ask the public to reflect on the "devastating grief" felt by families across the country.
He told a press conference in Cardiff that measures such as social distancing were helping to reduce the spread of Covid-19 but warned transmission would continue until a vaccine was developed or there was more widespread acquired immunity.
Public Health Wales said that 1,023 people in Wales have died with the virus, an increase of 26 on Monday's figures.
There are now 10,669 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country.

Sport bosses warn of huge financial losses due to virus

Sport bosses warned of huge financial losses due to the coronavirus pandemic when they appeared before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee of MPs.
English Football League chairman Rick Parry warned clubs could face a £200m hole by September while the English and Wales Cricket Board chief Tom Harrison said it could cost the body £380m.
Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney added cancelling England's Autumn Tests, against New Zealand, Tonga, Argentina and Australia, could cost £107m.
Parry also warned that the "lawyers are going to get wealthy" if the Premier League tried to stop three teams being promoted and relegated as part of plans to bring the season to a close.
Sport England chief executive Tim Hollingsworth said his organisation's Community Emergency Fund for grassroots clubs hit by effects of the Covid-19 outbreak was oversubscribed.
"We would expect 4,000 applications in a year - over the last five weeks we have had 7,500 applications," he told the DCMS committee.

Trump 'will report very definitively' on virus origins

US President Donald Trump has said he will release details to support the theory that coronavirus was released from a laboratory in the Chinese city in Wuhan, where the pandemic began.
"We will be reporting very definitively over a period of time," the president told reporters at the White House on Tuesday.
Early cases of the virus were linked to a food market in Wuhan late last year, and the head of US national intelligence has rejected conspiracy theories that the virus was intended for use as a weapon.
But information obtained by the Washington Post found that diplomats had sent two warnings to Washington about a Chinese research facility, over fears that the institute's research on bat coronaviruses could risk a new Sars-like pandemic.
China rejects the idea and has criticised the US response to the crisis.
Read more on this from our Science Editor Paul Rincon.

What’s happening in the UK?

We should be hearing from the UK government in the next 30 minutes, and we'll bring you the most important updates from the briefing then.
In the meantime, here's the latest from around the UK:

• Virgin Atlantic has announced it is to cut about 3,000 jobs in the UK and end its operation at Gatwick airport, amid the pandemic
  
• The UK’s chief scientific adviser has told MPs it would have been “beneficial” to have ramped up Covid-19 testing sooner
  
• The Scottish government has set out options for lifting the coronavirus lockdown
  
• Scientists advising the UK government have published some of their advice – with the documents suggesting there were fears about people buying fake test results if "immunity passports" were introduced
  
• And, as we heard in yesterday’s briefing, an NHS app that aims to track the spread of coronavirus is being rolled out for the first time, as part of a trial on the Isle of Wight
  

Little cause for optimism in Brazil as deaths spiral

Katy Watson - BBC South America correspondent
Brazil's coronavirus figures are issued at the end of each day - and every evening people are hoping for the best but expecting the worst.
The country is at the centre of the Latin American outbreak and is now the sixth worst-affected country in terms of recorded deaths. The total death toll currently stands at 12,400 after the highest daily rise in deaths so far.
Brazil does not have a lot going for it at the moment, when it comes to flattening the curve.
It has a president in Jair Bolsonaro who sows confusion by flouting global health guidelines - at the weekend he jumped on a jetski, mask-free and attended a floating BBQ - and government statistics that reveal residents in the worst-hit city São Paulo are increasingly failing to isolate.
São Paulo city has banned cars from circulating on particular days and tried to block roads in recent weeks, trying to dissuade people from commuting. Some badly-affected states in the north-east have introduced much tougher lockdown measures.
But they all feel like desperate attempts to reverse an inevitable course of spiralling deaths. With no federal leadership for people to look to, Brazil has resorted to a fragmented approach to an ever more worrying crisis.

The numbers from Europe

A further 83 deaths because of coronavirus have been reported in France, taking the country's total number of fatalities to 27,074.
The Directorate General of Health says 2,428 patients are in intensive care, with 69 new serious cases in the last 24 hours.
The relatively low number of deaths reported today comes after an increase of 348 on Tuesday and 263 on Monday.
The US, the UK, Italy and Spain are the only other countries to have reported more than 27,000 coronavirus fatalities.
France had overtaken Spain but slipped back to fifth highest in the world as Spain announced 184 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total there to 27,104.
Meanwhile, Italy reported 195 deaths on Wednesday, against 172 the day before, bringing the total to 31,106.

German coronavirus app takes different path to NHS

Germany's forthcoming coronavirus contact-tracing app will trigger alerts only if users test positive for Covid-19.
That puts it at odds with the NHS app in the UK, which instead relies on users self-diagnosing via an on-screen questionnaire.
UK health chiefs have said the questionnaire is a key reason they are pursuing a "centralised" design despite privacy campaigners' protests, although Germany ditched that model in April.
Chancellor Angela Merkel said there would be a "much higher level of acceptance" for a decentralised approach, which is designed to offer a higher degree of anonymity.

This virus may never go away, WHO says

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that Covid-19 may be here to stay.
"This virus may become just another endemic virus in our communities and this virus may never go away," Michael Ryan, the WHO's emergencies director, told a virtual press conference in Geneva.
"HIV has not gone away - but we have come to terms with the virus."
He said that, without a vaccine, it could take years for the population to build up sufficient levels of immunity to the virus. There are many attempts being carried out around the world to develop a vaccine but experts say there is a risk that one may never be created.
Meanwhile, as countries across the globe start easing lockdown measures, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the process could trigger new waves of infections.
Ryan said there was lots of "magical thinking" surrounding countries opening back up. He added that there was a "long, long way to go" on the path to returning to normal.

Domestic violence up in Canada since lockdown

At least nine women and girls have been killed in domestic homicides in Canada since the pandemic, a new report says.
There is no federal database, but the Battered Women’s Support Services, a non-profit, has been tracking them and tallied the numbers, which were confirmed by the Globe and Mail newspaper. It said three of the men involved also killed themselves.
On average one woman is killed by a domestic partner ever six days in Canada. The government says some parts of the country have seen a 20-30% increase in rates of gender-based violence and domestic violence.
The government has provided an additional $28m (£23.2m) to help address domestic violence during Covid-19.

'Total lockdown' ordered for Chilean capital

The Chilean government is to impose a total lockdown across the capital, Santiago, following a spike in the number of coronavirus infections.
A total of 2,260 new infections and 12 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. The current death toll is about 350.
The new restrictions will affect eight million people and come into effect on Friday evening.
Chile had limited lockdown measures to areas with higher rates of infection. The authorities were considering partially reopening the economy, but the country has now reported a 60% rise in the number of daily cases.

'Not safe to reopen schools,' warn teachers' unions

Plans to reopen primary schools in England do not have adequate safety measures and need to be halted, warns an alliance of school teachers' unions.
A joint education union statement called on the government to "step back" from a 1 June start date and said "classrooms of four and five-year olds could become sources of Covid-19 transmission and spread".
In the House of Commons, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson warned against "scaremongering" over safety, although his department's chief scientific adviser cast doubt on suggestions the virus spreads less among children.
"Sometimes scaremongering, making people fear, is really unfair and not a welcome pressure to be placed on families, children and teachers alike," Williamson told MPs.

South Africa's new rules on clothes sales queried

Andrew Harding - BBC News, Johannesburg
South Africa has the highest number of confirmed cases in Africa (11,350), and one of the world's strictest lockdowns. It is starting to ease restrictions, but some of the new rules are being queried - particularly those around what clothes shops can and cannot sell.
The new regulations are impressively detailed: shoes may now be sold - but not if they are opened toed. T-shirts are okay - but only if advertised and sold as undergarments. The same goes for sleeveless knitted tops… and so on.
There is a logic to all this. Winter is coming here - hence the green light for the sale of winter clothes.
But Dean MacPherson from the opposition Democratic Alliance is unimpressed. He called the regulations "quite frankly ridiculous and mad. More likely the sort of rules found in the Soviet Union and East Germany".
The crisis has exposed deep rifts in government - between ministers more inclined to authoritarian solutions, including an ongoing ban on all alcohol and cigarette sales, and those who now believe South Africans should be trusted with more individual freedoms - including the right to buy sandals and exposed knitwear.

A final global round-up

Here's a final round-up of some of the day's main developments:

• A top official at the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the coronavirus "may never go away", and that the global community needed to brace itself for a long battle
  
• UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak said it was "very likely" the UK was in a "significant recession", as figures showed the economy contracting at the fastest pace since the financial crisis
  
• Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick defended the UK handling of the spread of the virus in care homes while the government said it had missed its 100,000 tests target again
  
• Teachers' unions have warned that it is "not safe to reopen schools" and are urging the government to step back from the 1 June date
  
• As many countries are easing lockdown restrictions, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the process could trigger new waves of infections
  
• The European Commission has set out guidance for EU countries to resume travel and tourism from this summer onwards
  

We're pausing our live coverage

We're pausing our live coverage about the coronavirus pandemic.
Our teams in Singapore, Delhi, Washington and London will be back on Thursday with everything you need to know as well as contributions from our correspondents and experts around the world.

Sydney cafe reopens with cardboard guests

Sydney cafes and restaurants are reopening - but only 10 guests are allowed in at a time and they have to maintain social distancing. Don't fancy sitting in a half-empty restaurant?
Five Dock Dining in Sydney has come up with a solution: cardboard cutouts to fill the empty seats, along with background noise simulating the chatter of other guests to make up for the missing ambience.
Just don't ask them to pass the salt.

India's cricket league in limbo

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the world's top Twenty 20 cricket league, drawing the best cricketers from India and across the world. Its season usually takes place between March and June.
But for the first time in its history, the IPL was suspended indefinitely in April - weeks after India went into lockdown to curb Covid-19. Almost a month on, and we are no closer to having a possible date for the IPL this year.
There's been some chatter of restricting the league to only Indian players due to international travel restrictions, but not all teams have warmed to the idea. Sri Lanka offered to host the IPL last month but there's been no update on whether the league - if held - will be played outside India.
Cancelling the massively popular tournament would also mean a financial hit of up to $530m (£434m) for India's cricket board, an official told PTI news agency last week.

UK antibody test a 'positive development'

A test to find out whether people have been infected with coronavirus in the past has been approved by health officials in England.
Public Health England called the antibody test, developed by Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche, a "very positive development".
The blood test looks for antibodies created by the immune system when someone is infected by the virus. Antibodies usually offer some level of immunity, for a variable amount of time. Until now, officials were unsure over the reliability of these type of tests.
Professor John Newton, the national coordinator of the UK coronavirus testing programme, said: "Such a highly specific antibody test is a very reliable marker of past infection.
"This in turn may indicate some immunity to future infection, although the extent to which the presence of antibodies indicates immunity remains unclear."
Read more here

First antibody test to offer serious potential

Hugh Pym - BBC News Health Editor
An antibody test for coronavirus has long been seen as an important part of the toolkit for plotting a route out of lockdown restrictions.
If workers have already had the virus and gained immunity they are safe to go to work - especially health and social care staff.
Recent attempts to buy antibody tests in the UK have floundered because they have been deemed unreliable.
Sources say this latest test device, produced by Roche, is the first to offer serious potential.
Talks are under way with the government over whether it can be produced at scale and at a reasonable cost.
Understandably, Whitehall sources are not giving much away because they don't want to undermine their negotiating hand.

US warning over Covid-19 'cyber-theft' by China

Barbara Plett Usher - BBC News, Washington
US security agencies have said hackers backed by the Chinese government are trying to steal American research dealing with the response to the Covid-19 crisis.
The statement comes amid increased tensions between the two countries over the source of the outbreak.
The statement said the FBI was investigating digital break-ins by cyber-actors linked to China who were trying to steal data on vaccines, treatments and testing.
It warned scientists and public health officials to be on the lookout, but didn’t identify the institutions that had been targeted. The US authorities have long accused the Chinese government of cyber-espionage, which Beijing denies.
But this warning coincides with a much broader surge in cyber-theft and attacks by nations seeking advantage in the pandemic. Last week the US and Britain issued a joint statement about cyber threats to medical research, but didn’t name a specific country.

Taxi firms installing protective screens

Uber and Addison Lee in the UK have announced that perspex screens will be fitted in a number of their vehicles to protect occupants from coronavirus.
Addison Lee will install them in its 4,000 vehicles and Uber will pilot the safety measures in 400 cars. Both firms say they are distributing free safety equipment to workers.
Taxi drivers are included in a list of occupations with disproportionately high Covid-19 death rates, compiled by the Office for National Statistics. Many passengers too will be anxious about the risk of infection in taxis, now that increased movement outside is permitted under eased lockdown in England.

Wisconsin supreme court overturns lockdown order

The supreme court of the US state Wisconsin has overturned a coronavirus stay-at-home order issued by the state's democratic governor - with one justice comparing the restrictions to a "prison regime".
Governor Tony Evers had extended the order to May 26, but in a 4 - 3 ruling the state's top court reversed the extension, siding with Republican state politicians.
“This comprehensive claim to control virtually every aspect of a person’s life is something we normally associate with a prison, not a free society governed by the rule of law,” Justice Daniel Kelly, who is on the court's conservative wing, wrote.
Evers warned that the court's decision risked undoing "all the work we have done and all the sacrifices Wisconsinites have made over these past few months".
Public opinion across the US is divided over whether or not to reopen schools and businesses as the pandemic continues.
Dr Anthony Fauci, the country's top infectious diseases doctor, has warned that reopening the country too soon could trigger fresh outbreaks of the virus.

Burundi expels WHO representative

Political rallies in Burundi are going ahead despite the pandemic

Burundi has expelled its World Health Organization (WHO) representative and three other health experts, giving the team 48 hours to leave the east African country.
Burundi's foreign ministry did not give a reason for the expulsion.
The government there is facing criticism for going ahead with its election on 20 May amid the coronavirus pandemic. At rallies for presidential candidates, measures to contain infection are not observed.
The country has reported 15 cases including one death, but the humanitarian organisation International Crisis Group has questioned the official figures.

Community testing should have continued - Hunt

Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt has said it is “pretty clear now” that community testing for the virus should not have been abandoned by the government on 12 March.
Now chairman of the Health Select Committee, Hunt told the BBC on Thursday that he did not want to blame individuals, but asked why the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) “didn’t model the South Korean test, track and trace approach that we are now adopting right at the beginning?"
“The Government was given two very extreme options, the sort of extreme lockdown we’re just coming out of, or kind of mitigated herd immunity," he said.
“That middle way, the South Korean route, wasn’t modelled.”

Frankfurt Airport passengers down by 97%

As European countries begin to consider easing travel restrictions over the summer, Frankfurt Airport has released its passenger numbers for April.
There were 97% fewer passengers for the month compared to the previous year. Similar downturns have been recorded at other major international airports.

Indian minister pushes virus lab theory

Reality Check


The US has suggested the coronavirus came from a lab in Wuhan - something China strongly denies

The idea that the novel coronavirus originated in a laboratory continues to be pushed by some politicians, despite a lack of any scientific evidence.
A senior member of India’s government, the transport minister Nitin Gadkari, said in TV interview that “this is not a natural virus, it is an artificial virus… this is a virus from a laboratory.”
His remarks follow recent suggestions by the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo that the virus came from a lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan - an accusation that state media in China has strongly rejected.
Scientific analysis indicates the virus came from animals, and was not man-made.
The BBC's science editor, Paul Rincon, reports that there's currently no evidence that any research institute in Wuhan was the source of Sars-CoV-2 (which causes Covid-19)
A US study of the coronavirus genome published in March found no signs it had been engineered

Antarctica: 'Isolated within isolation'

Sam Proffitt - BBC News


Antarctica is cut off from the rest of the world for months at a time - and there's not been a single case of coronavirus. So why are research teams there following isolation rules to combat the virus, when it's probably not even on the continent?
"A case of Covid-19 here could be disastrous," Pradeep Tomar, on the Indian base, told the BBC.
"So we are taking lockdown measures, too. It feels like we are isolated within the isolation."
If there was an outbreak it would be devastating. There's nowhere else to go, medical facilities are limited - and the likelihood of spreading it to others would be high.
But most of the team members are still more fearful for people back home than for themselves.
"I truly wish I could serve my country in this time of need," Tomar said. "Nobody has ever witnessed something like the ongoing crisis. I hope to see the same world again when we go home."
Read the full story

Finland goes back to school and other Europe news

Finland goes back to school, as France worries about the US getting vaccine priority. Here are some of the latest developments in Europe.

• In much of Europe children remain stuck at home under lockdown, but in Finland schools have reopened. The Finnish teachers’ union warns that it may not be totally safe for staff or children, however. Children are back in class, under social distancing rules, for two weeks before the summer break
  
• It would be "unacceptable" for French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi to give priority to the US market if it develops a Covid-19 vaccine, French Deputy Finance Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher says. Earlier, Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson said "the US government has the right to the largest pre-order because it’s invested in taking the risk"
  
• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says he has double pneumonia and has given a grim description of his Covid-19 infection. He and his wife are in hospital. Mr Peskov called the virus “an absolute bloodsucker”, and said the hyperactive immune system “eats up your lungs”
  
• Germany has reported 933 new Covid-19 infections in the past 24 hours, making 172,239 in total. The Robert Koch Institute says 89 more people have died and the reproduction (R) rate has dropped to 0.8. Rates above 1.0 mean that on average one person infects more than one other
  
• In Montenegro there were clashes between police and hundreds of protesters angered by the arrest of a Serbian Orthodox bishop and seven priests suspected of violating the coronavirus lockdown
  

Why this ICU nurse treating virus patients could be deported

Stephanie Hegarty, populations correspondent

Guillermo and Jonathan Vargas Andres have been in the US for 18 years

At the beginning of April, a long line of police cars snaked slowly around a hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina with their blue lights flashing in the bright sun. It was a tribute, they said, to the healthcare workers risking their lives to treat patients with Covid-19.
But for Jonathan Vargas Andres, an ICU nurse treating Covid patients in that hospital, these grand gestures feel somewhat empty.
Jonathan is an undocumented worker who came to the US under the Daca "Dreamers" programme, and in the next few weeks he'll find out whether the country that he's risking his life to protect will decide to deport him.
"I try not to think about it because if I think about it for too long I get tired," Jonathan told the BBC. "I've basically had to zone it out for my own health."
Daca - or the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals is an Obama-era ruling from 2012 that shielded young people who were brought to the US illegally as children from deportation.
In 2017, President Trump decided to end the Daca programme. The Supreme Court is now considering a series of cases that challenge Trump's decision.
Read more about Jonathan and the Daca case

Laid off crane operator gives lockdown families a lift

A retirement home in Portugal allowed visitors to see relatives from a crane

We've seen a few stories since the pandemic began of people connecting with loved ones across balconies, from gardens outside care homes or just shouting across the street.
Now in Belgium one crane operator has taken things up a notch or two by offering his services to families separated by multiple storeys, reports Associated Press.
After losing his job, Tristan Van den Bosch drove his crane to homes in several towns and transported people to their relatives' windows.
“It’s been seven long weeks that I haven’t been able to see her,” one woman told AP after being lifted up to see her 88-year-old aunt in a care home. “It’s all quite emotional.”
Mr Van den Bosch isn't the only person to have the bright idea though. In Figueira da Foz, Portgual, two retirement homes offered the same service to their 150 residents earlier this month.

WHO dismisses 'mask health risk' claim

Reality Check
A claim being widely shared on social media that the prolonged wearing of masks can be dangerous is "not true at all", the World Health Organization has said.
An article making the claim first appeared online in Spanish towards the end of April. It circulated widely in Spanish-speaking countries, before a translation appeared on English outlets and a Nigerian news site.
The report alleged that prolonged breathing while wearing masks leads to inhalation of carbon dioxide, which makes people dizzy and deprives the body of oxygen.
It also claimed people should lift masks “every 10 minutes to continue feeling healthy".
Dr Richard Mihigo from the WHO told the BBC the claims could actually pose a health risk.
He said people could be exposed to contamination if they keep lifting masks to inhale.
He added that masks made following WHO guidelines should have two or more cloth layers to be effective, and "should allow you to breathe normally and prevent particles from passing through".
The only risk is for children under two years old whose lungs have not fully developed. They are not advised to wear homemade masks.

Not clear when antibody test available to UK public

Chris Morris - BBC Reality Check
Public Health England’s approval of a new antibody test for coronavirus is good news. Previous tests have proved unreliable, but officials say this one is different.
Antibody tests aim to find out if an individual has had the virus in the past, which may mean they have some immunity from reinfection.
But government ministers say they don’t know when the new tests will be available to the public.
Other European countries are ahead of the UK and have already been carrying out limited antibody testing programmes.
In Germany, the Accredited Laboratories for Medicine association (ALM) said 61,299 antibody tests were conducted last week. ALM warned that taking the test should not be a reason for ending social distancing measures.
And in Spain, the Health Ministry said yesterday that preliminary results of a study, based on more than 60,000 antibody tests around the country, suggested that about 5% of the population had been infected by coronavirus so far.

How Hong Kong tests and traces people flying in

Laurel Chor, a photographer, tweeted the step-by-step process she was instructed to take upon arrival at Hong Kong airport, offering a stark contrast with much laxer restrictions in other countries, including the UK.
Her widely-shared insight into the new normal of global travel describes a mandatory coronavirus test with a wait of several hours in a large hall for the results to come back, then having to put on a tracking bracelet and install an app on her phone to enable contact tracing.
Hong Kong has recorded just four deaths and about 1,000 confirmed cases of the virus.
In the UK, the government has suggested it may introduce a 14-day quarantine for arrivals from all countries except Ireland and France. But no start or end date for the measures have been announced.

India and Pakistan to make virus drug remdesivir

A US pharmaceutical firm has signed agreements with drug makers in South Asia to expand supply of the drug remdesivir for treating Covid-19.
The agreement between Gilead and five generic pharmaceutical companies in India and Pakistan will help make the medicine for 127 countries.
Remdesivir cut the duration of symptoms from 15 days to 11 in clinical trials at hospitals around the world. The antiviral drug was originally developed as an Ebola treatment.
A clinical trial of the drug by the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases led to favourable results.
But their impact on deaths is not as clear-cut and the BBC's health and science correspondent James Gallagher says it is also not yet clear who is benefiting from the drug.

• Read the full story here
  

Care homes 'completely abandoned' as virus hit

Care homes felt "completely abandoned" as the coronavirus crisis swept across the UK, the National Care Association has said.
Nadra Ahmed, chair of the association, told the BBC that advice to the UK government to prioritise the health service without adequately protecting elderly people in care homes may have been "wrong".
Ahmed said that care homes had been happy to support the NHS but struggled with a lack of protective equipment as well as with people being discharged from hospital into their facilities without being tested for coronavirus.
"Here we were, suddenly left completely abandoned. And we understand the mantra that was about save the NHS - but our concern was, at what cost was that going to happen?" she said.
The government has now said it will make £600m ($730m) available to improve infection control in care homes. Speaking to the BBC on Thursday, Health Minister Edward Argar denied the government had received "bad advice" on the risk to care home residents at the start of the pandemic.

• Read more on this story here
  

Emergency hospital visits in England fall to record low

Nick Triggle - Health Correspondent
Emergency hospital visits in England have halved since the coronavirus outbreak started, dropping to their lowest level since records began.
Before the pandemic, more than 2.1 million patients a month were visiting Accident & Emergency departments. In April that dropped to 916,581 patients.
Everything from cancer care to routine surgery has been disrupted by coronavirus, although ministers have called for services to be restored.
But restarting NHS services could take many months, experts say.

• Read more on this story here
  

BA job cuts plan unchanged despite furlough extension

Plans to make 12,000 British Airways workers redundant remain unchanged despite the UK government's extension of the coronavirus furlough scheme to the end of October, the airline's owner has said.
IAG chief executive Willie Walsh, in a letter to the Transport Select Committee where he gave evidence on Monday, said that British Airways had processed cash refunds on 921,000 bookings, with vouchers given on a further 346,000 bookings.
The furlough scheme is designed to help people put on leave due to the coronavirus outbreak and to prevent employers having to make mass redundancies.
UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced on Tuesday that employees would continue to receive 80% of their monthly wages up to £2,500 ($3,050) until October.
But he said the government would ask companies to "start sharing" the cost of the scheme from August.
A quarter of the workforce, some 7.5 million people, are now covered by the scheme, which is costing £14bn a month.

• What does it mean if I've been furloughed by work?
  

Antibody test a 'positive step' and other UK headlines

If you're just joining us, here are some of the latest updates from the UK:

• A test to find out whether people have been infected with coronavirus in the past has been approved by health officials in England. Public Heath England say it is a "positive step" but it is not yet clear if having coronavirus antibodies makes us immune
  
• It could take months for the National Health Service to return to normal, experts have warned. A&E visits in England have halved since the coronavirus outbreak started with many other important services disrupted
  
• The chair of a national body says care homes felt "completely abandoned" as the crisis hit. A health minister says the government did not receive "bad advice" on the risks to those in care
  
• A leading UK economist expects GDP to drop by 25% in the second quarter of the year. The economy shrank by 2% in the first three months of 2020 after just a few days of lockdown, with chancellor Rishi Sunak pointing to “a significant recession”
  
• Finally, the BBC says Top Gear and Eastenders will resume filming, but the stars will be socially distanced
  

London mayor hopes cycle lanes will help ‘strain’ on public transport

A pop-up cycle lane has opened on one of London's most prestigious roads in a bid to lower the numbers of people using public transport.
Bollards have been added to Park Lane (pictured above) to create a bike path as part of Mayor Sadiq Khan's London Streetspace programme.
The programme includes the rapid construction of a cycling network using temporary infrastructure to reduce crowding on the Tube, train and bus routes.
Some people in England returned to work as restrictions were eased on Wednesday, and many commuters in London reported finding social distancing impossible.
Khan said: "I'm determined to give Londoners more safe and sustainable alternatives to travelling by car, especially when our public transport system is under strain due to Covid-19."

How is the UK government's testing strategy developing?

Health officials in England have approved a test that will show if someone has had coronavirus in the past.
The UK government has been looking for a reliable antibody test for some time. In March, it was announced the government had bought 3.5 million antibody tests but these turned out to be ineffective.
There is an antibody test already in use at government research facility Porton Down, in Wiltshire, but it is not accurate enough to give individuals information about their infection status.
How does the new test work?
The new test - from Swiss pharmaceutical firm Roche - looks for antibodies in the blood to see if a person has had the virus and might now have some form of immunity.
Can I get tested?
If the Roche test becomes available in large numbers, it might first be used on health and social care staff.
What about the other type of test?
The Roche test is the "have I had it?" test.
The daily UK government update on testing refers to the "do I have it now?" test.
Those tests, which take a swab up your nose or from the back of your throat, have been the main focus of the government's efforts so far.

• Read the full explainer from our health reporter Rachel Schraer
  

Scotland's death toll passes 2,000

Another 34 people have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus, the nation's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said at her daily briefing.
This brings the total in Scotland to 2,007.
Sturgeon said 14,117 people have tested positive for the virus in Scotland, up by 188 from 13,929 the day before.
There are 71 people in intensive care with coronavirus or coronavirus symptoms, an increase of one on Wednesday, she added.

France resists idea of US getting vaccine first

It would be "unacceptable" for French drug giant Sanofi to give priority to the US market if it develops a Covid-19 vaccine, a French minister has warned.
Deputy Finance Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher was responding to comments by Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson, who said "the US government has the right to the largest pre-order because it's invested in taking the risk".
Many labs worldwide are involved in research to find a Covid-19 vaccine.
"For us, it would be unacceptable for there to be privileged access to such and such a country for financial reasons," Pannier-Runacher told France's Sud Radio.
Read more here

Woman aged 98 recovers from coronavirus in Lagos

A 98-year-old has recovered from coronavirus after receiving treatment at one of Lagos state’s isolation centres, authorities there say.
State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced on Wednesday that the woman was discharged along with 25 others who had previously tested positive for the virus.
“Today, we discharged a 98-year-old woman, our oldest #COVID19 patient in Lagos,” Mr Sanwo-Olu tweeted.

'A doctor called and said I should come to hospital immediately'

US folk legend John Prine died on 7 April, aged 73, after contracting Covid-19.
During his lifetime he was revered by many, including Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash.
His wife Fiona Whelan Prine has spoken emotionally on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme about their final moments together:
“At around midnight on 6 April, our wedding anniversary, a doctor called and said I should come to the hospital immediately. I felt like throwing up.
“I spent the next 17 hours with John, he was in deep sedation.
“In the end I told him my heart would be broken forever but that he could go on ahead and be with his mum and dad and be with his brother. I told him I would be okay and would hold our three boys close."

UK death toll rises by 384

A further 384 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK, the latest daily government figures show.
It brings the total death toll - including those reported in hospitals and the wider community - to 33,998.
The figures also showed that 133,784 tests were carried out or posted on Thursday.
It is the fourth time the government has met its 100,000 a day target, according to its criteria.

Tennis suspension extended by three weeks

Russell Fuller - BBC tennis correspondent
The suspension of professional tennis has been extended by a further three weeks until at least 31 July.
The majority of the men's ATP and women's WTA Tour events affected were due to take place on clay courts in Europe.
The WTA has formally cancelled four of its events, but left the door open to staging tournaments in Karlsruhe, Germany and Palermo, Italy at a later date.
The ATP has also not ruled out rearranging some events.There will be an announcement next month on the tournaments scheduled for North America in the run-up to the US Open, which is due to start on 24 August.

What do we know about diabetes and Covid-19?

Philippa Roxby - Health reporter, BBC News
A quarter of patients who died in hospitals with Covid-19 in England had diabetes, a condition that causes blood-sugar levels to become too high.
In the UK, about 90% of adults with the condition have type 2 diabetes. Being overweight can increase your risk of developing this type and is also known to increase the risk of being seriously ill with Covid-19.
Why? Because the more fat your body is carrying, the less efficiently the lungs and heart are working. Fatty tissue can also give rise to inflammation and cause the body's immune system to overreact.
Other risk factors for type 2 diabetes - such as having high blood pressure and being from a black, Asian or ethnic minority background - are also associated with risk of serious illness from Covid-19.
Although experts say the threat to people under 40 is very low, there have been calls for better support for people with type 2 diabetes, particularly if they are working outside the home.

Brazil loses second health minister in clash over coronavirus

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has lost a health minister for the second time in a month.
Nelson Teich resigned after less than a month in the job having replaced Luiz Henrique Mandetta, who was dismissed.
Bolsonaro on Monday declared gyms and hair salons as essential services that can stay open through the new coronavirus outbreak, but Teich said his ministry had not been consulted.
Brazilian media say the final straw appears to have been Bolsonaro's backing for chloroquine as a treatment, despite it being of no proven benefit.
Brazil is the hardest hit country in Latin America with a tally of over 200,000 confirmed cases of the virus and nearly 14,000 deaths, since the outbreak began, according to health ministry data.

UK news round up

We'll be bringing you the daily briefing by the UK government in about half an hour.
In the meantime, here's what's happening in the country today:

• The death toll rose by 384 to 33,998
  
• Teaching unions are demanding to see the scientific advice behind the government's plan to start reopening primary schools on 1 June
  
• The Welsh government laid out its plan for slowly lifting lockdown, amid suggestions that nations and regions could lift restrictions at different times. The Welsh government also complained it had not been told of the change in UK government advice from "stay at home" to "stay alert"
  
• Some NHS staff have said they have been told not to discuss shortages of protective equipment with the media
  
• Police have issued over 14,000 fines for breaches of lockdown
  

Infection rate rises again in UK

The infection rate in the UK has risen close to the point where coronavirus cases could begin to increase, government scientific advice says.
The so-called "R-number" shows the average number of people that one infected person will pass the virus on to. It needs to be below one to reduce the spread.
Health officials previously thought that the R was between 0.5 and 0.9.
But the revised figures from the scientific advisers group Sage suggest it now sits between 0.7 and 1.0.
The rate and the number of live cases help the government decide when and how much to ease lockdown restrictions.
Read more from our Health and science correspondent James Gallagher.

What did we learn from today's UK briefing?

Today's government press conference was led by Health Secretary Matt Hancock. He was joined by the deputy chief medical officer for England, Dr Jenny Harries, and Dr Nikki Kanani, a medical director with NHS England.
Here's what they told us:

• A further £600m ($730m) has been made available to care homes in England this week, on top of other injections of money over the past few months
  
• All care home residents and staff will be tested for coronavirus by June
  
• Each care home will have a named clinical lead from the NHS. They will also get help with accessing technology to help residents speak safely to GPs and other health workers
  
• Care homes should be transparent with families about the situation within the home
  
• Younger disabled people in care homes should have access to testing but the priority is older people because they are most vulnerable
  

• The R-number - or the average number of people infected by each infected person - is somewhere between 0.7 and 1
  

Analysis: Hints of wider reform to UK care sector

Helen Catt - Political correspondent
Opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer's accusation earlier this week that the government had moved too slowly to protect care homes ramped up the already significant pressure on its handling of this area of the pandemic.
Today's briefing was a reasonably robust response from the health secretary, insisting that the government had tried to throw a "protective ring" around care homes “from the start”.
But his defence was tempered by an awareness that many people have died and those with relatives living in such homes will be deeply worried.
So, we got another big pledge on testing.
A re-stating of a big cash injection for infection control.
And a hint too towards wider reforms.
These are all potentially steps forward and a deeper look at the care sector - considered by many to have been long neglected - is likely to be welcomed.
But the government will need to show a significantly improving picture - and quickly - to stem the concerns.

Trump touts 'Operation Warp Speed' for vaccine development

Trump is currently speaking about vaccine development, and has announced “Operation Warp Speed”.
“That means big and it means fast,” he said, calling it “unlike anything our country has seen since the Manhattan Project”.
“Its objective is to finish developing and then to manufacture and distribute a proven coronavirus vaccine as fast as possible," he said.
“We’d love to see if we can do it prior to the end of the year. We think we’re going to have some very good results coming out very quickly."
There are currently no vaccines to protect the body against the disease caused by coronavirus.
Trump said "Operation Warp Speed" will target more than just vaccine development.
“In addition it will continue accelerating the development of diagnostics and breakthrough therapies," he said. "The great national project will bring together the best of American industry and innovation, the full resources of the United States government, and the excellence and precision of the United States military.”
His comments come a day after a former top US health official leading the government agency trying to develop a vaccine told Congress the country could face its "darkest winter in modern history".

Brazil health minister resigns - world round-up

Here are the latest key global coronavirus developments:

• Nelson Teich has resigned from his position as Brazil's health minister after less than a month in the job following disagreements over the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis
  
• Germany's economy shrank by 2.2% in the first three months of this year as the coronavirus pandemic pushed it into recession, official figures indicate
  
• New York City extended a two-month lockdown, even as parts of the state began to open up on Friday. Governor Andrew Cuomo extended various emergency measures, some to 28 May and others to 13 June
  
• Slovenia became the first EU country to declare the Covid-19 epidemic over, but is leaving some protective measures still in place
  
• Air pollution is increasing again as traffic returns to the roads in Asian countries
  
• Babies born to surrogate mothers have been left stuck in Ukraine because of coronavirus lockdown measures
  
• The Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have opened their borders to one another, creating a coronavirus "travel bubble"
  

UK PM quizzed by backbench MPs over lockdown

Jessica Parker - BBC political correspondent
The UK prime minister is reported to have told a virtual meeting of the 1922 committee of Conservative backbench MPs that the government will be taking “grandmother steps” out of lockdown.
Asked about speculation around public sector pay freezes, Boris Johnson again suggested that there’s no intention of going back to “austerity”.
It is understood there was some criticism of the recent government messaging - and the fact that the prime minister chose to deliver his roadmap via a TV address on Sunday night rather than to Parliament.
There were also questions, from backbench Tory MPs, about the re-opening of churches and schools.
One senior Tory told the BBC that the overall mood of the meeting was “relief” that MPs were able to engage with the prime minister.

WHO wants further study of Kawasaki-like syndrome

The World Health Organization says it is studying a possible link between Covid-19 and a Kawasaki-like inflammatory syndrome that has affected children in Europe and the US.
"Initial reports hypothesise that this syndrome may be related to Covid-19," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. He called on clinicians worldwide to help "better understand this syndrome in children".
In April, NHS doctors were told to look out for a rare but dangerous reaction in children.
This was prompted by eight children becoming ill in London, including a 14-year-old who died.
Doctors are describing it as a "new phenomenon" similar to Kawasaki disease shock syndrome - a rare condition that mainly affects children under the age of five. Symptoms include a rash, swollen glands in the neck and dry and cracked lips.
Read more about the medical condition here

France not exempt from UK quarantine - PM's spokesman

Theo Leggett - BBC International Business Correspondent
The UK has denied that travellers from France will be exempted from its planned quarantine measures.
Under the plans - announced last weekend - people arriving in the UK from abroad will be obliged to isolate themselves for 14 days.
Initially, the two governments said the exemption would apply to any travellers between France and the UK, and any future steps would be taken in a concerted and reciprocal manner.
The policy attracted criticism from other governments and the EU. Some experts suggested it would be unworkable.
But today, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said there was no French exemption, and that the original statement referred to co-operation to manage the common border.
It now appears that those exempted from the policy could include freight drivers - to allow the flow of goods to continue - and people working on Covid-19 research, but not ordinary travellers.

Mass testing scheme begins in Moscow

Sarah Rainsford - BBC Moscow Correspondent
Moscow has launched a mass screening programme for coronavirus antibodies, inviting people chosen at random from various age groups to clinics across the city.
The hope is that the test results can allow the authorities to map their way out of lockdown, despite uncertainty over how much immunity to Covid-19 the antibodies actually provide.
Three dozen Moscow clinics are collecting intravenous blood samples, which are sent to laboratories for analysis overnight.
Russian doctors believe the method, known as IFA, is more accurate than express-testing used elsewhere.
It identifies the Immunoglobulin M antibody (IgM), which appears when the body is fighting a new infection, and Immunoglobulin G (IgG) which shows that someone has previously been infected.
Swabs for Covid-19 itself are taken at the same time.

How Vietnam kept virus at bay

How did a country with a population of 97 million people, record only just over 300 cases of Covid-19 and not a single death?
That country is Vietnam. It implemented extreme measures as soon as it recorded its first case on 23 January.
In came travel restrictions, close monitoring and then closure of the border with China. Health checks were increased at other borders.
"This is a country that has dealt with a lot of outbreaks in the past," said Prof Guy Thwaites, director of Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Ho Chi Minh City.
"The government and population are very, very used to dealing with infectious diseases and are respectful of them, probably far more so than wealthier countries," he said. "They know how to respond to these things."
Read more here

Club Bruges declared Belgian champions

The pandemic has left European football leagues in a state of flux as they figured out how to conclude their respective seasons.
Today, the Belgian top flight, like its Dutch and French counterparts, provided closure to its own competition by announcing Club Bruges as champions.
It was a fairly easy decision because the Club had a 15-point lead over Gent with one match left when the season was suspended.
It was also announced that Waasland-Beveren would be relegated while Gent would enter next season's Champions League.
The German Bundesliga restarts this weekend behind closed doors, while the English Premier League, Italian Serie A and Spain's La Liga are hoping to resume in the second week of June.

Police warn Londoners against weekend gatherings

Police have warned Londoners against taking part in "spontaneous or planned mass gatherings" in public this weekend.
"Games of football ...outdoor concerts or parties, protest, marches or assemblies are still not permitted", the Met's Ch Supt Karen Findlay said.
Officers "will engage and encourage people to comply" with public health regulations, the force added.
Some restrictions have been eased in England, where two people from different households are now allowed to meet in public, and sports in which people can keep apart are now allowed - such as tennis or golf.
Social distancing of two metres still has to be observed, although police do not enforce this guidance because it has not been written into the law.
The warning came as latest figures show police in England and Wales issued more than 14,000 tickets for alleged breaches of lockdown laws.
The minimum fine for breaches has recently increased from £60 ($73) to £100 (reduced to £50 if paid within two weeks), while repeat offenders can also face fines of up to £3,200.

Tobacco-based vaccine 'ready for human trials'

One of the world's largest cigarette companies, British American Tobacco (BAT), says it is ready to begin human trials on a tobacco-based coronavirus vaccine.
In a statement, the firm said it was using proteins from tobacco leaves, which have generated a positive immune response in pre-clinical trials.
The maker of famous brands such as Lucky Strike said human trials could begin in late June, pending approval by the US Food and Drug Agency.
It raised eyebrows after announcing plans for the jab in April, saying it could produce up to three million doses a week if it received government support.
But it's not the only tobacco firm to do so - industry rival Philip Morris International is also working on its own vaccine.

Are US states reopening ahead of White House guidelines?

Reality Check
At today’s press conference in the White House Rose Garden, President Trump talked up the reopening of the US, saying that “as of this morning almost every state has taken steps to begin reopening”.
He added: "Tomorrow will mark 30 days since we released the White House guidelines for a safe and phased opening of America - that's what we're doing."
But some states have eased restrictions before meeting the reopening criteria proposed by the Trump administration - and Dr Anthony Fauci, the White House's top infectious disease adviser, has said he's concerned some states are opening up too soon.
Read more in our piece on the reopening guidelines and whether states are meeting them.

Rugby summer tours postponed - sports round-up

• Celtic are expected to be crowned Scottish Premiership champions on Monday, BBC Radio 5 Live understands
  
• Club Bruges are named Belgian champions after the season is brought to a premature halt
  
• Professional tennis on the men's ATP and women's WTA tours has been suspended further. There will be no ATP events in July, while it is expected the WTA events in Palermo and Karlsruhe that month will also be cancelled.
  
• World Rugby has confirmed that this summer's tours have been postponed because of travel restrictions due to the pandemic. Wales were due to tour Japan and New Zealand, with England also travelling to Japan. Scotland were scheduled to visit South Africa and New Zealand, with Ireland heading to Australia
  
• Formula 1 and Silverstone have agreed a deal for two grands prix to be held at the British track this season. However, a new threat to the races has emerged in the UK government's plans to impose a two-week quarantine for all international arrivals
  

Health minister did not see eye-to-eye with Brazil president

Katy Watson - BBC South America correspondent
To lose one health minister was awkward, but to lose two in less than a month is not only embarrassing for Jair Bolsonaro but deeply worrying for Brazil.
The country has become the latest coronavirus hotspot and rather than politicians trying to tackle it together, the pandemic has turned political. The leader of the country is failing to provide direction for a population who really needs it.
Nelson Teich didn't give any reasons for his departure, merely saying "life is full of decisions and I decided to leave" - but he didn't see eye-to-eye with his boss on the use of chloroquine and his health ministry was excluded this week when Bolsonaro decided to include beauty salons, hairdressers and gyms as essential services.
It appears the job of health minister to Bolsonaro is a thankless task at the moment - but it’s a difficult job vacancy at the worst-possible time in Brazil.

Summary for Sunday, 17th May

• Former President Barack Obama addresses the US high school class of 2020, marking graduation in lockdown
  
• He also criticises his successor, President Donald Trump, for his handling of the pandemic response
  
• UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson acknowledges frustration over the "complex" easing of England's lockdown
  
• Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer calls for a unified approach from the four UK nations to relaxing lockdown
  
• Eurovision stars past and present joined a show on Saturday, the night this year's cancelled contest would have taken place
  
• Italy is taking a "calculated risk" in easing its lockdown measures, PM Giuseppe Conte admits
  
• More than 311,000 people globally have now died and more than 4.6 million are infected - Johns Hopkins University
  

Welcome to our live coverage

Good morning and thank you for joining us. Here’s a look at the latest headlines regarding the coronavirus pandemic in the UK.

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson has acknowledged frustration over the"complex" easing of England's lockdown, writing in the Mail on Sunday that more complicated messages were needed during the next phase
  
• It comes as No 10 pledges up to £93m to speed up a new vaccine research lab - the total number of UK deaths rose to 34,466 on Saturday
  
• Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called for a four-nation approach and says different plans across the UK nations are not going to "help us out of this crisis"
  
• Meanwhile, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham says the PM faces a "fracturing of national unity" if he ignores the regions, adding that mayors had not been told the lockdown was being eased
  
• Radiologists are "very concerned" patients may not be cured of serious illnesses when demand for services increases because of a lack of imaging equipment in the UK
  
• And the competition may have been cancelled but that didn’t stop Abba's Waterloo being named the greatest Eurovision song of all time by BBC viewers.
  

Labour: Work with teachers and unions on reopening schools

Schools were closed as part of the measures to curb the spread of the virus

Shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves has called on the government to work with teachers, parents and unions on reopening schools.
The government is planning to begin a phased reopening of schools in England from 1 June, but teachers' unions have said the date is too soon for this to be safe.
The Labour MP told Sky News "all of us want to see more children attending school" and "for the best possible education we want to see our children in the classroom".
But to safely reopen schools and gain the confidence of parents and teachers she said the government needed to be more transparent about the science behind its decisions.
"Instead of dialling up the rhetoric, we want government to work with teachers, parents and the teaching unions to get this right," she added.

Athletics may return to empty stadiums

Lord Coe says competitions may happen behind closed doors

World Athletics President Lord Coe has warned athletics may have to be held in stadiums without spectators when it returns.
The annual Diamond League of elite track and field athletic competitions is scheduled to return in mid-August after a revised calendar was announced a few days ago.
But Coe says the 11 events of the series are all likely to be held behind closed doors.
"In the short term we may have to compromise on that," he told Inside the Games website. "We can't be oblivious or tin-eared to what we're being told by local communities and public health authorities.
"I don’t think anybody is contemplating this as the ideal long-term solution - sport would wither on the vine quite quickly if that were the case.
"But that may well be a compromise we have to make in order to get the athletes back into competition, leagues finished, at least some kind of competition."

Former UK minister questions China's handling of virus

A number of Western officials have criticised China's handling of the coronavirus crisis, accusing the country of not being transparent enough at the beggining of the outbreak or of trying to cover up the true extent of the cases - accusations the Chinese government has consistently denied.
Add one more name to the list. Former UK International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has called on China to be more transparent and share data about the coronavirus with the World Health Organization (WHO).
"If we don't get these answers it will only increase the sense that China doesn't want to be a member of the family of nations," he told Sky News' Sophy Ridge programme.
He also pointed to scientific research that suggests the number of cases could have been reduced if China had acted earlier.
Last month, our security correspondent Gordon Corera reported that intelligence officials in the UK and the US believed that China's real casualty figure from the virus was much higher.

Obama criticises Trump's virus response: Latest world news

US President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus has come under a lot of criticism as the country has the highest numbers of cases - nearly 1,5 million - and deaths - almost 89,000.
His predecessor, Barack Obama, has again hit out at the administration's response. In an online address to graduating college students, he said the pandemic had shown that many officials "aren't even pretending to be in charge". We have more on what he said.
Meanwhile, here are some other developments around the world:

• Religious services have resumed in parts of Australia seven weeks after lockdown measures were introduced. New South Wales is the latest jurisdiction to allow places of worship - as well as cafes and restaurants - to reopen under strict conditions, with up to 10 people allowed to worship. Many churches, synagogues and mosques have decided to stay closed. The live streaming of religious services will continue
  
• Italy is taking a "calculated risk" in easing its lockdown measures, PM Giuseppe Conte has admitted. He said "the contagion curve" could rise again, but the country could not afford to wait for a vaccine
  
• Kenya has closed its land borders with Tanzania and Somalia except for cargo transport. Testing for the coronavirus at border posts will be compulsory for all drivers
  

Businesses 'worried' about quarantine plan for air travellers

The head of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has said businesses are "really worried" about potential plans to bring in a 14-day quarantine for those arriving in the UK via air.
Carolyn Fairbairn told Sky News the government should think "very carefully" about how this might be introduced. The new restriction is expected to take effect at the end of this month though few details are known.
It is also not clear whether there are plans to quarantine people arriving to the UK via other modes of transport.
Fairbairn called for collaboration with the aviation sector to make flying safe, noting that airports like those in Vienna and Hong Kong are introducing testing as an alternative to quarantines.
Getting people flying again would be "an incredibly powerful boost to our economy", she added.

Heathrow passengers fall by 97%

Heathrow Airport is usually one of the busiest in the world

The restrictions on our movement have hit the travel sector hard and we're starting to get a sense of its impact in numbers.
Passenger traffic at London's Heathrow Airport, one of the busiest in the world, has fallen by 97%, John Holland-Kaye, the airport's chief executive, has said.
Like other business leaders, Holland-Kaye has also expressed concern over plans to introduce a quarantine for people flying into the UK, saying the measure can't be in place for more than a relatively short amount of time "if we're going to get the economy moving again".
He called on the government to work with the EU and the US to create an international standard when it comes to quarantine rules, arguing that countries having different plans was creating confusion.
“It's no good having an immunity passport, if other countries have different systems,” he told Sky News.

Professional football returns in Germany

Erling Braut Haaland and his Borussia Dortmund colleagues celebrated their opening goal in a socially distanced fashion

Germany's Bundesliga resumed on Saturday, becoming the first major European league to return to action since lockdown restrictions began.
With no spectators present, the sound of the crowd was replaced by players and coaches shouting to one another and the satisfying thud of the ball hitting the back of the net - for fans of teams that won, that is...
Six games took place, with Borussia Dortmund beating Schalke 4-0 to close the gap to one point on leaders Bayern Munich, who play on Sunday.
New protocols saw teams arrive in several buses so they could socially distance on the journey to the game - players and staff had been quarantining in team hotels all week and are being tested for coronavirus regularly.
Facemasks were worn on the way into the ground while other people attending, including the media, had their temperatures checked and police patrolled to make sure no crowds gathered at venues.
Footballs were also disinfected by ball boys before the game and again at half-time.

Wear mask or face prison, Qatar warns

Qatar has made the wearing of face masks compulsory, with anyone defying the order facing a jail term of up to three years or a fine of up to $55,000 (£45,000) for those who repeatedly fail to cover up.
The country has one of the highest per capita infection rates in the world for coronavirus: more than 30,000 people have tested positive out of a population of less than three million.
Mosques, schools and shopping malls remain closed in the tiny Gulf state, one the world’s richest in terms of per capita income. Building sites are open with preventive measures in place in order to prepare for the 2022 Fifa World Cup.

UK economy already in recovery phase as 'worst is over'

The UK economy is now over "the worst" of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and is entering a recovery phase as restrictions are loosened, the chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility has said.
Robert Chote told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "The key worry is if you have not just a very sharp downturn in the economy but one that scars its future potential."
"The key issues are... how swift that recovery is and whether the economy is permanently scarred at the end of it. If we come out of this with the economy being smaller than we would have anticipated going in, that's a bigger question than exactly how deep it is at the worst point," he added.
If you want to know more about how the economy is expected to perform in the months to come, here are some charts with Bank of England's scenarios.

Britain's care home blame game goes public

Chris Mason - Political Correspondent
Witnesses appearing before parliamentary select committees often arrive with a briefcase full of carefully chosen language, euphemisms and pleasantries.
There's none of that at the Commons Health Select Committee this morning as it hears about Covid-19 in care homes.
Professor Martin Green, the chief executive of Care England, is particularly forthright. Care England represents care home providers in England.
Professor Green has just told MPs:
- "We have still got to the get the PPE situation sorted out". And personal protective equipment remains "extremely problematic"
- "We need a national strategy. We need some central direction"
- There is "endless guidance from various different agencies that has been changing by the day"
- Some services "might go under"
- "Public Health England understands the NHS, but doesn’t understand the social care workforce and what our needs are".

Another bank holiday for the UK?

Chris Mason - Political Correspondent
The head of Visit Britain says she’s had discussions with the government about the possibility of an extra bank holiday in October this year.
Patricia Yates has been giving evidence to a virtual session of the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee.
She told the MPs: “The idea that we could possibility have a bank holiday in October, because the industry has lost the benefit of the two May bank holidays, I think that’s an idea that’s being considered, to have a bank holiday around the October half term. Because what we’re going to need to do is not just stimulate people in July and August but really extend the season this year for the domestic market.”
At the start of the hearing, Patricia Yates said Visit Britain now estimated that the UK’s tourism sector had lost around £37 billion (£15bn from foreign tourists not visiting, £22bn from domestic tourists) as a result of the coronavirus lockdown.
So will the government say yes to another bank holiday? We'll ask the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman at the lunchtime briefing for political reporters.

Welcome to those just joining us...

Hello to everyone just joining our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Here's an update on the latest developments from around the world:

• China-US relations continue to deteriorate. China’s foreign ministry has accused the Trump administration of attacking the World Health Organization as a means of diverting attention from its own mishandling of the coronavirus crisis
  

• It came after Trump accused the WHO of showing an “alarming lack of independence” from China
  
• Trump has also shocked many by saying he is taking the drug hydroxychloroquine, even though there is no evidence it fights the virus
  
• The number of people claiming unemployment benefit in the UK soared last month, rising by 856,500 to just over 2 million. But the work and pensions secretary told the BBC that Britain "can cope" with rising joblessness
  
• The pandemic is making it harder for India and Bangladesh to evacuate millions of people from coastal areas ahead of an approaching super cyclone
  

UK sees almost 55,000 extra deaths

Figures released by the UK's national statistical agencies show that there were 54,437 more deaths up to 8 May than would normally have been expected by this time of year.
The figure is larger than the 34,796 people who died after a positive test result for coronavirus up to that date, or the 41,020 people whose death certificate mentioned Covid-19.
Robert Cuffe, the BBC's head of statistics, said the larger "excess deaths" figure was likely to capture the true impact of the virus, reflecting the numbers of people who died without a test or who died because of the strain on the healthcare system.

No British Grand Prix without quarantine exemptions

Formula 1 says it will be "impossible" to hold a British Grand Prix later this year if personnel are not given exemptions from plans to quarantine international travellers.
The UK government is set to require all arrivals from abroad to self-isolate for 14 days under quarantine rules expected to come into effect in early June.
An F1 spokesman added this would have an impact on tens of thousands of jobs.
Read more here.

British conservationists rescued from remote island

A group of conservationists have made it back to the UK after being rescued from one of the world's most remote islands - following a 12-day voyage and an RAF military flight.
Four Britons were part of a group of 12 from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds who became stranded on Gough Island, which is a British Overseas Territory about 1,700 miles (2,735km) west of Cape Town, South Africa.
They had arrived on Gough Island at the end of February to start work on a restoration programme, but the project had to be postponed amid the coronavirus outbreak.
To get back to the UK, they sailed for 12 days on a yacht to Ascension Island, and then got an RAF flight - which was delivering essential supplies to the island - back to the UK.

The conservationists flew back to the UK on a military flight

Poland hopes for downward trend next week

Adam Easton - Warsaw correspondent
Coronavirus infections in Poland may start to fall within a week, the country’s Health Minister Lukasz Szumowski says.
“I think that in a week we will be able to say that we have a downward trend,” Szumowski told a news conference.
The number of cases is not yet falling because of an outbreak among coal miners in Poland’s Silesian region.
As of Tuesday morning, 2,683 miners had tested positive for the virus. Five mines have suspended production due to the outbreak, but one partially resumed excavation on Monday.
The region of Silesia accounted for 77%, or 150 of all the 195 new cases confirmed on Tuesday morning. Poland has to date recorded 19,080 cases, 941 deaths and 7,903 recoveries. There are currently 2,490 people in hospital with the virus, according to health ministry figures.
Szumowski said the number of hospital beds occupied by patients with the virus had never exceeded 30% of the Polish health system’s capacity.
“This shows that we managed to avoid the scenario in Italy and France,” he said.
Poland has recorded far fewer Covid-19 cases and deaths than many western European countries. The authorities put this down to the swift closing of the country’s borders, which are to remain closed until 15 June.

The latest from around Europe

It's a mixed picture across Europe today, with bleak news for the car industry and fears that easing travel restrictions may still be premature:

• Car sales in Europe plunged by 76.3% in April – a record fall – compared with the same period last year, according European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA)
  
• An EU agency which monitors infectious diseases has been accused of underestimating the virus threat. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) considered coronavirus low-risk when it met on 18 February, just three days before the outbreak in northern Italy made headlines. Spain’s El País newspaper reports that the agency made no urgent recommendations for special measures and concludes, citing other medical experts, that it did not respond robustly enough
  
• The Czech Republic (Czechia) has reported its largest daily increase in cases for over a month with 111 new infections. The R rate is now 1.2 and 297 people have died. The country is now stockpiling medical equipment, to be ready for a possible second wave of the virus
  
• Germany has reported 72 more deaths, bringing its official total to 8,007. Its R rate is 0.9 - a rate above 1.0 means that on average a person can infect more than one other. And for 10 days in a row the respected Robert Koch Institute has reported fewer than 1,000 new infections daily
  
• The head of the World Medical Association, Frank Ulrich Montgomery, says it's still too early for Europeans to be planning summer holidays abroad. German and EU officials have spoken optimistically about restarting tourism and easing border controls. But Mr Montgomery told Funke Media “the new relaxations among European countries make me very worried”
  

Qatar denies serious outbreak in Doha jail

Qatar has confirmed 12 cases of coronavirus in a prison, but has denied suggestions of a more serious outbreak.
The government said two prisoners were seriously ill but none had died at Doha's Central Prison.
In a report, Human Rights Watch said six detainees had "described a deterioration in prison conditions" in what it called an "apparent Covid-19 outbreak". But the government said the report was "based on unfounded rumours and speculation from a small number of unverified interviews".

We cannot eradicate coronavirus, expert warns

The coronavirus cannot be eradicated, the House of Lords has heard.
Prof David Robertson, head of viral genomics and bioinformatics at the University of Glasgow, told the House's Science and Technology Committee that Covid-19 was a highly successful virus.
He said: "It is so transmissible, it's so successful, we're so susceptible, that actually it's a little bit of a red herring to worry about it getting worse, because it couldn't be much worse at the moment in terms of the numbers of cases."
He contrasted coronavirus with Ebola, which killed many more of the people it infected but was therefore easier to control as people stopped spreading it.
"This virus is infecting so many people with asymptomatic to mild symptoms that it's almost uncontrollable.
"I think we have to be clear that we're not going to be able to eradicate this virus. It's going to settle into the human population and in several years it will become a normal virus."
There was also a warning that people who have had coronavirus may not develop significant immunity.
John Edmunds, professor of infectious disease modelling at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said evidence from survivors of Sars (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, a different form of coronavirus) suggested immunity-giving antibodies reduced over time.
"So that's potentially bad news for us, that immunity may not last that long against this virus," he said.

Polish song on grieving 'censored'

Polish public radio has been accused of censoring an anti-government song which topped the charts and was then removed from the station's website.
Kazik's Your Pain is Better than Mine is widely seen as criticising the head of Poland's ruling nationalist party.
The song's theme is grieving and the lockdown of the nation's cemeteries during the coronavirus outbreak.
The host of the Trojka chart show has resigned along with two other DJs.
The station director has claimed the chart was fixed, but MPs from the ruling party as well as the opposition have condemned the song's removal.
Read more here.

12:57

Latest UK developments

It's lunchtime here in the UK, and it's been a busy morning. Welcome if you're just joining us.
Here are the main developments from the UK:

• The number of people claiming unemployment benefit soared during the first full month of the coronavirus lockdown. Official figures show there were 2.1 million people claiming benefits in April - up by 856,500
  
• Claims for universal credit - the benefit for working-age people in the UK - hit a record monthly level in the early weeks of lockdown
  
• Meanwhile, separate research suggests young people are most likely to have lost work or seen their income drop because of the pandemic. More than one in three 18-to-24-year-olds is earning less than before the outbreak, the Resolution Foundation claims
  
• Nearly 10,000 people have died with coronavirus in care homes in England and Wales, figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest
  
• And campaigners say UK towns and cities must be made cycle-friendly if a change to commuting habits is to succeed. People are being encouraged not to use public transport when they return to work
  

Jeremy Hunt 'holds hands up' for UK's response

Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt says he takes some responsibility for the UK government not being sufficiently prepared for a coronavirus pandemic.
The Conservative MP told the BBC: "We were preparing hard for a pandemic of flu – I have to hold my hands up as I was health secretary for six years when those pandemic preparations were done – and we weren’t thinking hard enough about pandemic coronaviruses like Sars."
He says coronaviruses have a long “incubation period” when people can spread the virus without showing any symptoms, adding that this means testing becomes "much more important".
He says it's for that reason that European countries and America, who were focusing on flu, have had "a less effective response" compared to countries in Asia which “really had their fingers burnt with Sars”.

Is Trump misguided or a trailblazer?

Michelle Roberts - Health editor, BBC News online

Hydroxychloroquine is used for diseases including malaria and lupus but can be damaging to the eyes and the heart

I’ll have what he’s having. No thanks – or rather, not yet.
US President Donald Trump says he is taking a malaria drug called hydroxycholorquine to ward off coronavirus, even though experts say, currently, there is no convincing evidence that it helps fight the virus and it can cause unpleasant and harmful side effects in some people.
Is Mr Trump misguided or a trailblazer?
Repurposing existing drugs to treat coronavirus is a very good and sound idea (unlike Mr Trump's previous ones about injecting disinfectant or hitting the body with “tremendous” UV light).
It may be our only hope, at least in the short term, until a vaccine can be found.
The UK government has been stockpiling some medicines that might be useful against coronavirus. That includes 16m hydroxychloroquine tablets. Clinical trials are under way in the UK and the US to assess the drug’s worth. The human guinea pigs taking part include frontline healthcare workers at high risk of exposure to the virus, as well as patients.
Experts agree that this work is worth doing, but they are concerned about advocating more general use of these experimental treatments before the proof is in.
Dr Stephen Griffin, Associate Professor in the School of Medicine at the University of Leeds, told me: “People that follow the president’s example might not only endanger themselves, but could also deprive patients with chronic autoimmune conditions of their much-needed medication."

Almost half of Swedish Covid-19 deaths linked to care homes

Maddy Savage - BBC News, Stockholm
In Sweden almost half of all those whose deaths are linked to Covid-19 were residents of care homes, according to figures given to the BBC by the Swedish public health agency.
Separate figures released by state-funded data agency Statistics Sweden show that a total of 10,458 people died in April, making it Sweden's deadliest month since 1993, when there was an outbreak of seasonal flu and 11,057 died.
Prior to that, the highest death toll in a month was in 1918, at the peak of the Spanish flu pandemic.
In another development, Gothenburg’s iconic blue and white tram services are being suspended this afternoon after union officials raised concerns about the health and safety of drivers during the pandemic. Kommunal, the union which represents tram workers, has told Swedish media that not all drivers’ cabins have been sealed off from passengers and that drivers are being forced to work on busy routes.

• What is going wrong in Swedish care homes?
  

Portuguese return to cafes and schools

Alison Roberts - BBC News, Lisbon
Portugal has reopened cafes, restaurants and many more shops, in a new phase of easing restrictions.
Creches have also reopened, with children removing shoes at the door and smaller groups in each room.
In schools, some face-to-face classes have resumed for older pupils, with caretakers in protective kit at the entrances, wielding hand sanitiser.
But school heads report that many children failed to turn up, under flexible rules allowing worried parents to keep them at home if they choose.
Portugal has been hit far less hard by coronavirus than its neighbour Spain.
But after two weeks in which smaller shops and salons reopened, surveys show many people are still reluctant to leave home except for work or essential purchases.
Prime Minister António Costa was shown on TV visiting shops and cafes in Lisbon at the weekend, and he urged citizens to come out into the streets.

Filipino cruise ship crew finally begin disembarking

Virma Simonette - Manila
At a public transport terminal, several buses have arrived carrying Filipinos who excitedly waved at us despite the scorching temperature of 34C.
This is the first batch of Filipino crew members from the Queen Elizabeth cruise ship, disembarking today after a month of quarantine.
The cruise ship, which set sail from Australia, arrived in the country on 20 April. A day after their arrival, the crew members were tested for Covid-19 and sent to 14-day mandatory quarantine.
But after that, they were still not allowed to leave the ship since test results were unavailable.
One crew member, Federico Marcos, said the problem was the Philippine government. He said they were tested a couple of times and were scheduled to leave the ship on 6 May but weren’t given any information on their disembarkation.
"We were quarantined and tested. After the quarantine, we are scheduled for another swab test? Why? For what?"
A Filipina ship stewardess also said she is "mentally not okay" and unsure of what the government is doing right now.
About 300 Filipinos are still onboard the ship, and waiting for their test results and certifications.

NHS England announces 174 more deaths

NHS England has announced another 174 coronavirus deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths in hospitals in England to 24,913.
In Scotland, a further 29 people have died with the virus. There were another 17 deaths in Wales, while seven more people died in Northern Ireland.
The tallies for individual nations can differ from the UK-wide total - which will be announced later this afternoon - because they are calculated on a different timeframe, and the UK total includes deaths in all settings.

UK needs to 'learn the lesson' from testing failures

Greg Clark, chair of the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, has been talking today about his letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson about the UK's failure to scale up testing fast enough.
The Conservative MP told the BBC "we need to learn the lesson", examine the response of countries such as South Korea and ensure that the same mistakes are not made with the roll-out of future measures - such as antibody tests or a vaccine.

Nurse out of intensive care after 45 days

A nurse in the UK has left intensive care after spending more than 45 days there with coronavirus.
Felix Khor, who is being treated at Southend University Hospital in Essex where he has worked for 15 years, gave a "thumbs up" as he was moved out and thanked those who helped to save his life.
The hospital said colleagues lined the main corridor and there were applause, cheers and a few tears as Mr Khor was moved to a ward.
Mr Khor said: "I'm incredibly grateful to all of the hospital staff who have helped keep me fighting, and for the huge love and support from colleagues and friends.
He added: "There is still a long road ahead but it has meant so much."

Large antibody study planned across US

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is planning a nationwide study to track how coronavirus is spreading across the US.
The study using blood samples from up to 325,000 people will test for antibodies which show that people have previously contracted coronavirus.
Researchers will take samples over the course of 18 months. The study should help researchers understand where outbreaks have spread in the US and if the immune system response changes over time.
There have been more than 90,000 coronavirus-related deaths in the US and more than 1.5 million cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Russia denounces Trump's WHO threat

Russia has denounced President Donald Trump's threat to pull the US out of the World Health Organization (WHO) over its handling of the pandemic.
The US president has blamed China for trying to cover up the outbreak and accused the WHO, the UN's health agency, of failing to hold Beijing to account.
"Yes there are opportunities to improve [the work of the health agency]," Russia's deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov, told a news agency.
"But we are against breaking everything that is there for the sake of one state's political or geopolitical preferences."
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has already agreed to a review into the global response to the pandemic.

Ryanair boss's face mask claim fact-checked

Reality Check
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has claimed that if everyone wore face masks on planes and public transport, it would reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus "by about 98.5%".
Mr O'Leary, who wants to restart flights in July, told the BBC’s Today programme the figure was from a study by Dublin’s Mater Hospital, but was unable to produce it.
Prof Paul Hunter from the University of East Anglia, who has conducted a review into mask studies, told us he could "find no valid data to support the claims," adding his "best guess" would be that wearing face masks would cut transmission by 10% to 15%.
Ryanair directed us instead to a tweet from a specialist surgery department at Dublin's Mater hospital showing a graphic suggesting that if two people wear face masks, risk of transmission is cut to 1.5%.
Similar versions of this image have been circulating on social media in various countries for about a month.
The next day, the department posted a reply to the tweet describing the cartoon as "hugely simplified".
Read more here.

Six Premier League staff have coronavirus

Six Premier League players or coaches have tested postitive for coronavirus.
Some 748 people on the playing or coaching staff of the league's 20 clubs were tested before starting non-contact training on Tuesday.
The individuals - who work for three different clubs - must now self-isolate for seven days.
The league is hoping to start next month but there is no set date for its return.
Read more here.

Will the UK get an extra bank holiday?

The government is considering the idea of an extra bank holiday in October, as suggested by the UK tourism industry body Visit Britain.
Its acting head, Patricia Yates, told MPs on Tuesday the industry had lost the benefit of two bank holidays in May because of the coronavirus lockdown.
She said an extra day in October, possibly around the time of half-term, would enable the UK tourism sector to extend the season.
Downing St said the government was supporting the tourism industry through this "challenging period" and would "respond in due course" to the proposal.
But the prime minister's spokesman said it was "worth acknowledging that extra bank holidays do come with economic costs".

11 further deaths, 64 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed in Ireland
Rachael O'Connor - Irish Post
A further 11 people have passed away after contracting coronavirus in Ireland, the Department of Health have confirmed.
Their sad passing brings Ireland's total number of coronavirus-related deaths to 1,571.
May they rest in peace.
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSPC) have also reported an additional 64 newly confirmed cases of the virus in Ireland, as of 6pm Wednesday 20 May, bringing Ireland's total number of confirmed cases to 24,315.
The number of confirmed cases are consistently dropping day by day, however the HSE continues to work rapidly to identify any close contacts the newly confirmed cases may have had, in order to advise them and further slow the spread.
As figures of new cases continue to drop, figures are rising elsewhere: as of 6pm Wednesday, 20 May, 87% of all people diagnosed with Covid-19 in Ireland have beaten the virus and fully recovered.
Dr. Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said:
"To date, 87% of confirmed cases diagnosed with COVID-19 have recovered. This is very positive news but should not deflect from the impact this disease has had on individuals and families. In addition, it does not change the risk for any one individual who is diagnosed with the disease today, or in the future.
"Public health advice is there to provide everyone with the best protection possible. Please follow it and continue to protect yourself and each other."

UK MPs demand answers on virus misinformation

MPs in the UK have asked tech giants Google, Twitter and Facebook to return to Parliament to answer questions about their content and coronavirus misinformation.
Julian Knight, chairman of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, said MPs had been "very disappointed" by the standard of evidence given by the three firms at their last meeting.
Only Facebook's head of global policy, Monica Bickert, has agreed to attend.
The committee has specifically requested the attendance of Google's Ronan Harris, managing director of UK & Ireland, and Dara Nasr, managing director of Twitter UK.
The committee wants clarity on a range of issues including:

• how Facebook deals with the spread of false narratives on WhatsApp
  
• how Twitter deals with influencers and celebrities in spreading misinformation such as 5G conspiracy theories
  
• concerns that YouTube allowed creators to effectively monetise the spread of misinformation through Super Chat revenue
  

Twitter recently introduced a labelling system for tweets that could potentially cause harm.
But its enforcement appears patchy, with some from 5G conspiracy theorists going unchallenged.
You can read more here

European beach crowds and other global headlines

If you're just joining us, in New York, Nice or Nairobi, or anywhere around the world, here are the global headlines:

• A surge in visitors to beaches in France, the Netherlands and England as lockdowns ease and temperatures rise has alarmed officials and experts
  
• A two-day-old baby has died with coronavirus in South Africa - one of the world's youngest victims of the virus
  
• Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has defended what his company has done to combat virus misinformation in a BBC interview, saying it would remove any content likely to result in "immediate and imminent harm" to users
  
• Sicily's coronavirus co-ordinator and nine other healthcare officials have been arrested and accused of taking bribes
  
• US roads have become more lethal even though Americans are driving less due to quarantine and stay-at-home orders, a new report has found.
  

How significant is the UK's antibody test deal?

Nick Triggle - Health Correspondent
Antibody testing attracts huge attention.
But the UK government's deal with a large pharmaceutical company needs to be kept in context.
We still do not know how strong any antibody response is and therefore the potential for long-term immunity.
So the logic in offering it to health and care workers first is to help with that research.
They will not suddenly be casting aside their protective equipment at work.
Instead, officials will be keeping an eye on whether those who have antibodies are at lower risk of re-infection.
The test may also help with surveillance in time.
A large sample of the population could be tested to look for signs of antibodies.
One of the great unknowns is just how many people have been infected but have not developed symptoms.

Latest from around the UK

The daily UK briefing, today led by Health Secretary Matt Hancock, is due in just under half an hour. We'll bring you all the updates here.
In the meantime, here's a round up of what's been happening so far today:

• A row has been brewing over the surcharge paid by non-EU nationals, including health workers, to use the National Health Service. Many MPs want it scrapped for health service staff and carers
  
• The government has reached a deal for the supply of antibody tests, which can detect if someone previously had the disease. NHS and care staff will be the first to get them
  
• NHS leaders have warned the UK is running out of time to avoid a second peak of cases by getting a track-and-trace system in place
  
• The Scottish government has published its roadmap for a phased lifting of lockdown measures
  

What did we learn from today's UK briefing?

Today's government press conference was led by England's Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
He was joined by England's chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, and Prof John Newton, who is co-ordinating the government's testing effort.
Here's what they told us:

• An extra £4.2m is going to mental health charities. The government recognises the challenge for mental health during this crisis and encourages people to seek help if they are struggling
  
• A new 20-minute test for coronavirus, that does not need to be sent to a lab, is starting large-scale trials today
  
• Ten million antibody tests, which can tell if someone has already had the virus, are being procured. Tests used in a survey indicate that 17% of people in London, and 5% of the overall population, have had coronavirus. The government hopes knowing who has antibodies will help it develop policy
  
• The rate of "all cause mortality" - that is, all deaths - is now down to what we would expect in an average winter, but being experienced during spring and summer
  
• The Conservative government wants to keep to its manifesto pledge to ensure people do not have to sell their homes to pay for care
  

What did the PM say about NHS charges U-turn?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced earlier that the government was waiving NHS charges for migrant health and care workers. Previously, the government had been planning to raise them from £400 to £624 a year.
After the U-turn was announced, Mr Johnson's spokesperson said: "[The PM] has been thinking about this a great deal. He has been a personal beneficiary of carers from abroad and understands the difficulties faced by our amazing NHS staff.
"The purpose of the NHS surcharge is to benefit the NHS, help to care for the sick and save lives.
"NHS and care workers from abroad who are granted visas are doing this already by the fantastic contribution which they make."

Spain's daily death toll down to 48

Spain's health ministry has confirmed that the country's latest daily death toll from coronavirus is 48.
The daily figure rose from 83 on Tuesday to 95 on Wednesday but this marks the first time it has dipped below 50 since 16 March, having peaked at 950 on 2 April.
The ministry said that the number of confirmed cases had risen by 482 to 233,037, with Spain's cumulative death toll now 27,940.
Despite the falling numbers, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez won parliamentary backing on Wednesday to extend the lockdown by another two weeks to 6 June. It is the fifth time Spain's state of emergency has been renewed.

The latest from Europe

US ventilators arrive in Russia and French children strike gold in lockdown.
Here are some of today’s stories from Europe:

• A US plane carrying dozens of ventilators arrived in Moscow on Thursday to help fight the outbreak in Russia. On Thursday the country's recorded death toll passed 3,000 while its confirmed cases rose by 8,849 to 317,554, still the second highest tally in the world after the US. Critics fear the death toll is in fact far higher – with the BBC’s Sarah Rainsford speaking to doctors in the hard-hit region of Dagestan
  
• Former EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has backed the bloc’s economic rescue package, and says that after the crisis “we’ll all be better people and better Europeans”. In an interview with German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, Juncker says people have learnt “one country alone will not beat this crisis”
  
• Two young brothers in France have discovered gold bars worth €40,000 (£35,800; $43,800) a piece while making a garden hut at their family home outside Paris
  
• And German football team Dynamo Dresden has reported two more cases of coronavirus. The club put its entire squad and coaching staff into quarantine for two weeks on 9 May after its recorded infections, and missed the restart of the Bundesliga 2 on 16 May
  

24 hours out of Slovakia

Rob Cameron - BBC Prague Correspondent
From Thursday, Slovaks can visit eight countries - including four of the country's five neighbours - without having to present a negative Covid-19 certificate or go into quarantine on their return. There's one condition: they have to be back within 24 hours.
Citizens and legal foreign residents of Slovakia can visit the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, Germany and Switzerland as long as they're back by the same time the following day.
Prime Minister Igor Matovic said the move was primarily to facilitate business meetings and family reunions. Those who take advantage of the scheme have to fill out a form on the border including the time of departure, which will be checked by police on their return.

Calls to US poison control centres on the rise

More than 3,600 cases of disinfectant exposure were reported in April to the US poison control centres, compared to 1,676 in February.
Experts warn against using cleaning products beyond their intended use, such as wiping down groceries.
Dr Kelly Johnson-Arbor from the National Capital Poison Center said there was no medical reason to be "drinking or bathing in disinfectants".
In April, President Trump seemed to suggest injecting bleach as way of "cleaning" Covid-19 from the inside. But the next day, he told journalists: "I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen."

NHS surcharge: How much will the change of policy cost?

Reality Check
The government has decided to make health and care workers from overseas exempt from paying an annual fee to use the National Health Service.
This comes after pressure from Labour, other opposition parties and some MPs from the ruling Conservative Party itself.
Workers from outside the EU currently have to pay a fee of £400 a year, called the Immigration Health Surcharge.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies has estimated that exempting health and care workers in England would cost £90m a year as things stand.
But from October, the fee will go up to £624 a year and, from January, exemptions for workers from the EU and some other countries will end.

Analysis: Hancock saved from awkward questions

Jonathan Blake - BBC political correspondent
This afternoon's government news conference was upstaged by a statement from Downing Street half an hour before it started.
As a result the health secretary did not face awkward questions about why the government was sticking to its policy of charging NHS workers from overseas to access the service themselves.
But, after the U-turn, he was asked why the prime minister had changed his mind.
Not unsurprisingly, there was no straight answer. But Mr Hancock said he was "pleased" to be asked by Boris Johnson to exempt NHS workers.
While the announcement the secretary of state wanted to dwell on - the purchase of 10 million antibody tests - is undoubtedly significant, he was careful not to overstate it.
Without proving that someone is immune to the virus, it cannot be the "game changer" the government is hoping for.

Can the UK government force people to be vaccinated?

Reality Check
Health Secretary Matt Hancock did not rule out compulsory vaccination, saying, "The question of whether it's mandatory is not one we've addressed yet."
Testing co-ordinator John Newton said, "Clearly mandation can be used in some instances."
The current legislation "makes explicitly clear that the power to make such regulations does not include mandatory treatment or vaccination", says Louise Hooper, a barrister at Garden Court Chambers in London.
The Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, which applies in England and Wales, explicitly states that regulations cannot require a person to undertake medical treatment, including vaccination.
The Coronavirus Act  introduced in March 2020 extended this prohibition to Scotland and Northern Ireland.
You can read more about the question of compulsory vaccines here.

English beach resort locals 'shocked and angry' at crowds

Southend beach had thousands of visitors on Wednesday

People across the UK have enjoyed gloriously sunny weather this week, with the country recording its hottest day of the year so far on Wednesday.
It comes ahead of the bank holiday weekend when people may be planning to spend more time outdoors.
England's lockdown's measures were changed earlier last week to allow unlimited outdoor exercise and "open-air recreation", such as sunbathing, provided people keep two metres (6ft) from anyone they do not live with.
But people living in seaside resorts have said they are "horrified" by the influx of visitors, as thousands of people have been seen on England's beaches.
In Southend, where photographs appeared to show people crowded on to the beach on Wednesday, councillor Martin Terry said the local authority had been nervous in anticipation of the hot weather.
"We've had days where we've had over 300,000 people come down here," he said.
Simon Stenning, a Southend local, told the BBC: "Hundreds die every day yet people think it's OK to have a jolly on the beach."

US reports nearly 23,000 new cases

The number of US coronavirus infections currently stands at 1,551,095, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports.
The latest tally increases the count by 22,860 cases.
The US death toll rose by 1,397 bringing the total to 93,061 Covid-related deaths.
Earlier today, CDC Director Dr Robert Redfield warned the US must be as "over-prepared as possible" for a coming second wave of infections.

UK's new swab test has huge implications

Nick Triggle - Health Correspondent
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced a new swab test for coronavirus will be piloted in Hampshire.
The current test requires samples to be sent off to a laboratory and they then take several hours to process.
This whole process has caused problems with some people waiting for days for test results.
This test can be processed where it has been taken with results returned in 20 minutes
That has huge implications for the future of test, track and trace. If cases can be identified quickly, it will be easier to contain future outbreaks.

Three killed as cash handed out in Sri Lanka

Three people were killed and at least eight others hurt when they were trampled during a handout of cash in Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo.
A businessman had started distributing money to those suffering difficulties in the outbreak, and hundreds had gathered at his warehouse in the suburb of Maligawatte.
Police said they were not informed in advance about his plan and it was unauthorised. Six people involved with the distribution have been arrested.
Some reports suggest the man was a Muslim and making a charitable gesture in the run-up to Eid, marking the end of Ramadan. Individuals tend to do so at mosques but large gatherings have been restricted.
Sri Lanka has so far reported 1,045 coronavirus cases, with nine deaths.

Trump: 'I tested positively negative'

Trump speaks before departing for Michigan



US President Donald Trump has just spoken to reporters on his way to tour an automotive plant in Michigan.
He says that he took a coronavirus test today, which came back "positively toward negative".
He said: "I tested very positively in another sense. So this morning, yeah, I tested positively toward negative.
"Right, so, I tested perfectly this morning. Meaning, I tested negative."
Trump is visiting later today a Ford factory that has been manufacturing ventilators. Earlier this week a company spokesperson said the president would be required to wear a mask during the tour.
Trump has yet to be seen wearing a face mask since the outbreak began.
Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence have been receiving daily tests after several White House staff members tested positive.

Schools exams to go ahead in Russia - with masks

Exams for Russia's final-year secondary school students will go ahead in June, President Vladimir Putin has announced. Students will be given masks, gloves and other protective equipment in the exam rooms.
The exams were originally supposed to take place on 25 May but the education ministry postponed them. Now, citing a "decrease in coronavirus cases", Putin told officials the exams would happen on 29 June.
Russia has more than 317,000 cases of coronavirus, the second-highest number in the world. Dagestan, in southern Russia, is said to be experiencing a "catastrophe"

Heathrow chief calls for checks on departure, not arrival

Heathrow launched a temperature screening trial on Thursday for arrivals in Terminal 2, but the airport's chief executive John Holland-Kaye has called for a "common international standard" to screen passengers on departure rather than arrival.
“Every country going into this crisis came up with their own policy for screening people. But as we come out – and we try to get people flying again – we need some consistency," he told the BBC.
"We’re calling on the UK government to work with other governments like the US and EU to establish a common international standard, so when you’re travelling you’re confident you’ll be accepted into the country you’re going to, and will be kept safe on your journey.
"And I think it’s important that the screen takes place at the airport on departure, rather than at your destination, because you don’t want to run the gauntlet of not knowing if you’ll be quarantined or turned around at your destination.”

Hancock: 17% of Londoners and 5% of rest of England have had coronavirus

Earlier, at the UK government's daily briefing, we heard news of a study which suggests that 17% of people in London and around 5% of the rest of the nation have virus antibodies.
The new data comes as the government agreed a deal with a large pharmaceutical firm for more than 10 million antibody tests, to see if people have had the virus.
The first in line for them will be health and social care staff, patients and care home residents.
It's still unclear what level of immunity people develop once they have had it, but some experts hope a degree of immunity would last a year or two.
However, there is no guarantee that having antibodies means a person will not pass the virus on to somebody else.
At the briefing, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said certificates were being looked at for people who test positive for coronavirus antibodies.
"It's not just about the clinical advances that these tests can bring," he said.
"It's that knowing that you have these antibodies will help us to understand more in the future if you are at lower risk of catching coronavirus, of dying from coronavirus and of transmitting coronavirus."

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov 'in hospital in Moscow'

Ramzan Kadyrov, 43, became president of Chechyna in 2007

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has been flown to hospital in Moscow with suspected coronavirus, Russian media report.
He is one of the most feared men in Russia, says our Moscow correspondent Steve Rosenberg.
The authoritarian leader of Russia's Chechnya region previously fought against Moscow as a Chechen nationalist but is now a key ally of President Vladimir Putin.
He is the latest latest high-profile Russian official to show symptoms of the virus.
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin only returned to work in the last few days after being treated in hospital for Covid-19.
Russia has the second largest number of infections worldwide.

'Best feeling': UK woman reunited with family after three months

A British woman who was stranded in Australia after falling ill has been reunited with her family after three long months.
Mother-of-three Jeanette Hall, from Sheffield, England, was visiting her sister in southern Australia when she developed sepsis.
But cancelled flights - due to the pandemic - meant there was no way to get back home.
She missed her son's 21st but said it was the "best feeling" to finally see her husband Steve and children after flying home on Sunday.
Read more on Jeanette's story here.

Steve and Jeanette Hall spent three months apart

Longtime White House butler dies at 91

Tara McKelvey - BBC News, Washington

Wilson Roosevelt Jerman finished his career caring for the Obama family

A White House staff member who cared for 11 US presidents has died with coronavirus at the age of 91, according to his family.
Wilson Roosevelt Jerman joined under President Eisenhower in 1957 and was a cleaner when First Lady Jackie Kennedy approached him and promoted him to butler. Years later a photo of him appeared in Michelle Obama's memoir Becoming after he had risen to the rank of maître d'.
His more than five decades of service have been studied by historians of African-Americans in politics.
Like other African-American men of his generation, says Ohio State University’s Koritha Mitchell, author of From Slave Cabins to the White House, he showed dignity while serving in one of the few positions that was available to him at the time.
She believes that he must have found it satisfying to end his career in the way that he did.
He was working for Obama, “a dignified president who was also African American”, she says, adding: “That must have felt like a victory.”
Read more

Trump claims to wear mask

"I think I look better in the mask," Trump said.

President Trump is touring a US auto plant that has been converted to make ventilators to fight Covid-19.
Speaking to reporters, he held up a mask and said he wore one during his tour, but is now standing in an area where is it not required. Earlier this week, a Ford company spokesperson said he would be required to do so, but he has so far never been pictured wearing one.
"I wore one in this back area but I didn't want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it," said Trump, adding that he wore goggles as well.
"I was tested this morning, so it's not necessary," he continued.
Asked why the car executives accompanying him are still wearing theirs, he said: "That's their choice."
The pool reporter travelling with Trump asked the Ford executive if he can confirm that Trump was told he did not require a mask in that part of the factory.
The executive shrugged and said, "It's up to him".

How can we know if one in six Londoners has had coronavirus?

More on that new data which emerged at today's Downing Street briefing suggesting about one in six Londoners and one in 20 people elsewhere in England have had coronavirus.
How did those figures come about?
Public Health England says it is carrying out a range of seroprevalence studies - where they measure antibodies in the blood of healthy people - to better understand past rates of infection across the population.
In this case, they took 1,000 samples between mid-April and early May from each region.
From this, they say they could make a crude estimate that between 4.5% and 13% of the population have coronavirus antibodies.
With further statistical adjustments, they found about 17% of London adults had been infected; this compares to only 4.3% in the north-east of England.
As antibodies can take up to four weeks to develop, it is likely that the level outside London will increase as more samples are tested in the coming weeks.
Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at Public Health England, said: “Early surveillance suggests that rates of infection were higher in London than the rest of the country – which is consistent with data collected through our other systems.
"London was affected earlier and our data suggests that more of the London population became infected before the lockdown took effect."

What travel to Greece looks like

Coronavirus travel: Airport tests and hotel quarantine for Greece arrivals

The tourism industry is vital to the economy of Greece. The season begins in June and international charter flights to popular locations will resume in July, according to the country's prime minster.
Greece has been praised for its handling of the pandemic. It has recorded 166 deaths and 2,850 confirmed cases.
But how easy will it be for tourists to enter Greece for their holidays?
The BBC's Quentin Sommerville arrived in Athens airport to see how things are working at the moment.

France's poorer children staying home despite schools reopening

Lucy Williamson - BBC's Paris Correspondent
The French education minister, Jean-Michel Blanquer, has told the BBC that poorer children are not returning to school as much as those from wealthier families.
He said that reopening schools was a “social emergency”, and that the lockdown had increased inequality in France. But so far, only 20% of primary school pupils have returned.
"It’s true that children of poor families are coming less than the others,” Mr Blanquer said.
“That’s why it was important to start in May not in June, because we know that it’s [a] step-by-step [process].”
Last week, France reopened 40,000 primary and nursery schools, and pupils returned to some middle schools on Monday.
It’s a voluntary process so far – a decision criticised by one mayor, who said it made things difficult for parents: “If they send [their children] to school and they get sick, they’ll feel guilty; if they keep them home and they fall behind, they’ll feel guilty. If you govern, you need to take the decision.”
The education ministry has issued 56 pages of detailed instructions to schools on how to keep premises clean and pupils safe, in the hope of building trust with parents.
There must be no more than 15 children in a class, no shared toys, and arrivals at the school must be timed. Older children must also wear masks.
There is so much that’s compulsory for schools, some say, while the attendance is not.

UK should have acted earlier, says leading scientist

A member of the UK government’s scientific advisory group, known as SAGE, has told the BBC he would have liked the government to have acted earlier in the fight against coronavirus.
Sir Ian Boyd, a professor of biology at St Andrews University, told the Coronavirus Newscast: “I would have loved to have seen us acting a week or two weeks earlier and it would have made quite a big difference to the steepness of the curve of infection and therefore the death rate."
He suggested that the government based its initial assessment on the transmissibility of the SARS virus, which is less infectious than this coronavirus.
He described the UK and other European countries as “a bit slower off the mark” and less prepared than countries that had experienced SARS in the early 2000s.
"I think some politicians would have loved to have reacted earlier but in their political opinion it probably wasn’t feasible because people wouldn’t have perhaps responded in the way they eventually did," he said.
Professor Boyd, who was the chief scientific adviser at the environment department from 2012-19, also called on ministers to stop saying they were “led” by the science as it was "slightly misleading".

When will I be able to go on holiday?

As the summer holiday period approaches, many of us in the UK might be wondering when we can enjoy a getaway - at home or abroad.
At the moment, the chances of going on a foreign holiday look unlikely. That's because Brits are being advised not to take any non-essential travel abroad, and various countries have restrictions which stop or limit foreign visitors.
The UK is expected to introduce a 14-day quarantine period in early June for visitors and UK residents returning home from abroad, making things more complicated.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has suggested that "air bridges" could be introduced, meaning travellers from countries with low infection rates could be exempt from quarantine. But this remains uncertain.
As for a domestic getaway, people in England are free to drive any distance to other destinations in England, like parks and beaches, but they are not supposed to stay overnight away from home (including in any second property they own).
Self-catering cottages, Airbnb properties, and UK campsites, hotels and holiday parks will remain shut until at least the beginning of July.

22:55

It's goodbye for now

We're pausing our live coverage, but our colleagues in Asia will soon take over from us here in London.
Today the number of confirmed cases passed five million worldwide - a far cry from January when the count was in hundreds. Almost 330,000 people have now died with Covid-19.
The top stories on Thursday:

• UK government data suggests around one in six people in London and one in 20 elsewhere in England have had coronavirus
  
• The UK government did a U-turn on its plans to charge migrant health workers a hefty surcharge for using the NHS
  
• In South Africa, a two-day-old baby has died with coronavirus - one of the world's youngest victims
  
• In Latin America, the outbreak worsens. Brazil, Peru and Mexico among the four countries globally with the fastest rise in deaths
  
• A catastrophe is unfolding in Yemen, charity MSF warns, where in one centre, 68 of 173 patients admitted died
  
• A surge in visitors to beaches in France, the Netherlands and England temperatures rise has alarmed officials and experts
  
• And in Spain the daily death toll was 48 - much lower than the worst days in the hard-hit country
  
• Finally, what has your lockdown yielded? In France, two brothers building a garden den discovered two gold bars worth €50,000 (£45,000) each
  

Our team of journalists around the world write this live coverge. On Thursday they were: Vicky Baker, Marie Jackson, Max Matza, Georgina Rannard, Ben Collins, Patrick Jackson, Lauren Turner, Saj Chowdhury, Kevin Ponniah, Mary O'Connor, Paul Seddon, Paulin Kola, Steven Sutcliffe, Alexandra Fouche, Joshua Cheetham, Anna Jones, Yvette Tan, Andreas Illmer.

Thanks for reading!

'We have to get off the medication,' says Australian PM

Frances Mao - Sydney
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has outlined plans to restore Australia's economy.
Even as a world leader in containing the virus (an achievement that shouldn't be downplayed, he says), the economic impact has been severe - with 10% unemployment and debt costing 30% of GDP.
Around five million people (in a nation of 25 million) are currently relying on about A$150bn (£80bn; $98bn) in emergency welfare payments - due to end in September.
"At some point you’ve got to get your economy out of ICU [intensive care unit]," Mr Morrison said.
"You’ve got to get it off the medication before it becomes too accustomed to it. We must enable our businesses to earn our way out of this crisis."
Part of that will be classic centre-right policies like cutting tax and red tape for businesses, but he's also advocating for industrial reform with unions.
There's also a push to produce more skilled workers domestically. For years, Australia has relied on incoming skilled migrants to grow - but the pandemic has clearly disrupted that flow.
Australia's wealth has also been reliant on trade - so no surprise that the PM says the nation will remain "outwards-looking and open" and won't "retreat into the downward spiral of protectionism".

Five-year-old Indian boy flies home alone

A five-year-old boy in India has flown home on his own after being away from his mother for three months.
The lockdown in the country, which came into effect in March, meant that all domestic flights were halted until Monday.
Vihaan Sharma flew from Delhi to Bangalore on Monday, where he was greeted by his mother. Photos showed the boy carrying a "special category" placard, meaning he will have got assistance throughout the journey.
"He travelled alone from Delhi," his mother told ANI news agency.
The boy was staying with grandparents in Delhi - but the lockdown meant the planned short break turned into a much longer one.

UK PM's aide's answers will not stop questions

Laura Kuenssberg - Political editor
Dominic Cummings' rose garden confessional was a bold move designed to take the drama out of a crisis.
But giving detailed answers to why he at the very least broke the spirit of the lockdown rules does not answer the fundamental question now - is his continued presence in Downing Street more of a hindrance than a help to Prime Minister Boris Johnson?
Tempers may have cooled slightly on the conservative backbenches, but there are still calls for him to go, both private and public.
The man respected by Johnson for judging the public mood has made himself famous for falling foul of that opinion.
His explanations may ease for some of the anger. But in Westminster and beyond, it will not disappear overnight.

• Read more analysis from our political editor here
  

Four months' prison for Korean quarantine-breaker

Laura Bicker - BBC News, Seoul
A 27-year-old man in South Korea has been sentenced to four months in prison for breaking coronavirus quarantine rules.
It’s the first conviction of its kind in the country.
The man - who has only been identified by his family name, Kim - was asked to self-isolate at home for two weeks after he was discharged from a hospital north of Seoul.
He was caught leaving his house two days before his 14-day quarantine was due to end. He was taken to a residential centre, but was caught once again trying to leave and was arrested for violating the Infectious Diseases Control and Prevention Act.
The country is cracking down on quarantine violators after an outbreak at a series of nightclubs in Seoul’s party district saw sporadic clusters of infections across the country.
The number of daily new infections continue to hover at around 20 per day.
There are more than 33,000 people across the country in self-isolation, most of whom have arrived from overseas. Those who violate quarantine rules are now ordered to wear electronic bracelets to track their movements. There are 17 people currently wearing the devices.
Meanwhile, more than 2.4 million students are due to head back to their classrooms tomorrow as part of a phased return to school.
Health officials fear that further spikes in infection rates may prevent some from re-opening.

What do we know about hydroxychloroquine?

Reality Check
As the WHO suspends trials of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, what is the confusion all about?
The BBC Reality Check team looked into the drug - which has been touted by both Donald Trump and Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro.

• Click here to read the full analysis
  

Germany records 432 new infections and 45 deaths

Germany has recorded 432 new infections over the past day, while 45 new deaths have been linked to Covid-19.
The overall totals are now 179,002 infections and 8,302 deaths. Around 90% of those infected have recovered already.
Like most of Europe, Germany is in the process of easing lockdown restrictions - and the state of Thuringia, which had only a few infections, is thinking about lifting them all.

First human vaccine trial in southern hemisphere

The first human trial of a vaccine in the southern hemisphere has begun today in Melbourne, Australia.
The vaccine being tested - with the catchy name of NVX-CoV2373 - was made by US company, Novavax. It will be tested on a group of 130 healthy adults with the first results expected in July.
There are more than 100 vaccines being developed around the world, and around a dozen have begun human testing.
The first in the UK began last month at Oxford.

• When will we have a vaccine?
  
• Australian scientists test vaccines on ferrets
  

UK sports events in March 'increased death'

More than 100,000 people flocked to Cheltenham for its annual horse racing festival in March

Uganda to begin easing of restrictions

Uganda will today begin easing coronavirus restrictions - with private cars allowed back on the roads, shops and restaurants reopening, and guidelines that everyone wears a mask.
President Yoweri Museveni last week delayed the easing until today, giving time for the public to acquire face masks.
The easing of restrictions will only apply in 95 out of 135 districts, with 40 border districts still restricted.
Public transport restrictions will be eased on 4 June, the same day guidelines on the reopening of schools will be announced.

Saudi Arabia's empty roads, highways and mosques

As we reported earlier, Saudi Arabia is lifting its curfew next month. While the severity of the curfew has varied at different times and in different places, it will mean normal life returning to the country after weeks of quiet.



Particularly in Mecca, the curfew made a drastic difference. During Ramadan, there would have been countless pilgrims across the city. Not this year, though.

Czech Republic begins to open borders

The Czech Republic is opening its border crossings with Austria and Germany today - although restrictions on who is allowed to enter the country remain.
Only returning citizens, foreign residents, and European Union students and business travellers will be allowed in. Police will carry out spot checks on cars, and passengers will need to provide a certificate proving they do not have Covid-19 - or else face two weeks of quarantine.
From Wednesday, the border with Slovakia will reopen, but visitors from either side of the border will have to return within 48 hours.
The Czech Republic was one of the first European countries to close its borders, doing so on 12 March.

What's the latest sports news?

• In the UK, the Women's Super League and Women's Championship seasons have been ended immediately, with the outcome of the WSL title - and promotion and relegation issues - still to be decided
  
• The Premier League will discuss close-contact training - as opposed to socially-distanced sessions - with club captains, managers and representatives from the Professional Footballers Association and League Managers Association on Tuesday. A vote will follow on Wednesday
  
• Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has written to France's prime minister and sports minister, calling for them to reconsider the decision to end the French football season early. Ligue 1 is the only one of the big five European leagues to have ended its season, with Lyon seventh, so they would miss European qualification
  
• Former boxing world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield is open to coming out of retirement to fight Mike Tyson for a third time. Both are now in their 50s and have planned returns for charity
  

Latam Airlines files for bankruptcy protection

Latin America’s largest airline has filed bankruptcy protection in New York after the coronavirus pandemic grounded flights across the region.
The move allows Latam Airlines Group to keep operating while it works out a plan to pay creditors and turn around the business.
The Chilean carrier said it continues to operate on a reduced schedule and has commitments for a loan of up to $900m (£736m).
Earlier this month Colombia's largest airline Avianca filed for bankruptcy, dragged down by a sharp drop in customers and large debts.

Pakistan may reimpose lockdown as cases rise

Pakistan's top health official has warned that lockdown might resume as cases and deaths rise.
Dr Zafar Mirza urged citizens to follow social distancing measures, warning that a "strict lockdown" was on the cards if infections continued to swell.
Pakistan lifted its lockdown in phases, starting earlier this month. The country has more than 57,000 confirmed cases and 1,197 deaths so far.
"I want to warn Pakistanis that if you don't take precautionary measures, this crisis could turn into a huge tragedy," said Dr Mirza.

WHO warns of ‘second peak’ as lockdowns are eased

Countries could see a “second peak” of coronavirus cases during the first wave of the pandemic if lockdown restrictions are lifted too soon, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.
Dr Mike Ryan, the WHO’s head of emergencies, told a briefing on Monday that the world was “right in the middle of the first wave”.
He said because the disease was “still on the way up”, countries need to be aware that “the disease can jump up at any time”.
“We cannot make assumptions that just because the disease is on the way down now that it's going to keep going down," Dr Ryan said.
There would be a number of months to prepare for a second peak, he added.
The stark warning comes as countries around the world start to gradually ease lockdown restrictions, allowing shops to reopen and larger groups of people to gather.
Read more: Five ways Europe is easing its lockdown
Experts say that without a vaccine to give people immunity, infections could increase again when social-distancing measures are relaxed.
Dr Ryan said countries where cases are declining should be using this time to develop effective trace-and-test regimes to “ensure that we continue on a downwards trajectory and we don’t have an immediate second peak”.

Varadkar denies park picnic was lockdown breach

Leo Varadkar's picnic did not breach lockdown rules, his spokesperson said

Ireland’s taoiseach Leo Varadkar did not breach coronavirus restrictions by having a picnic at a park with friends, his spokesperson has said, despite an official’s warning against such activity.
The spokesperson said on Monday that Varadkar “broke no laws, breached no regulations and observed public health guidance”.
The statement was issued after photos of Varadkar and his partner Matthew Barrett standing in Dublin’s Phoenix Park on Sunday were shared on social media. Both topless and wearing shorts, the pair appeared to be having a picnic with friends.
Under the current guidelines, four people who are not from the same household can meet up outdoors, provided they observe social distancing.
But last week, the assistant secretary to the taoiseach's department, Liz Canavan, urged people to avoid unnecessary trips outside, including picnics.
She said: "If you're visiting a public amenity try not to stay too long at the site or have picnics."
Some critics have compared Varadkar’s picnic outing to the conduct of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s most senior aide, Dominic Cummngs, who was accused of breaking lockdown rule

US brings forward Brazil travel ban

The Trump administration has brought forward new travel restrictions on Brazil, where coronavirus cases have risen sharply in recent days.
The White House said on Monday that the restrictions will come in effect at 23:59 local time on Tuesday, 26 May (03:59 BST on Wednesday, 27 May), not 28 May as originally planned.
Read more: US suspends travel from Brazil for foreigners
Brazil has the second highest number of coronavirus infections (374,898) and the sixth highest number of deaths (23,473) in the world, a tally by Johns Hopkins University shows.
The travel restrictions have been viewed as a blow to Brazil’s right-wing President Jari Bolsonaro, who is an admirer and ally of US President Donald Trump.
Like President Trump, Bolsonaro has played down the risks posed by the virus, and promoted unproven treatments.

Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity reopens

The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem has reopened as the West Bank eases its lockdown.
But only 50 visitors will be allowed in at a time, and they'll have to wear facemasks and ensure that they do not have a temperature.
The church in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ, is a major tourist draw for the Palestinian economy in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Concern that Cummings case could 'damage' confidence in UK guidelines

Today Programme - BBC Radio 4
NHS Confederation chief executive Niall Dickson has raised concerns about the potential "damage" to public confidence in official Covid-19 guidance due to the case of the UK government's senior aide Dominic Cummings.
Mr Dickson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Over the next few weeks, following guidance is going to be as vital as ever and actually it's going to be more complex because as lockdown eases the advice is, frankly, less binary and people have to exercise more discretion.
"So I think there is concern that this has been a distraction and that it's not been helpful, and the fear is that it has made people on the front line frustrated and fearful."
Mr Dickson added the incident could "undermine more generally staff confidence in government pronouncements".

Care home residents more than half of NI deaths

People residing in care homes have accounted for more than half of Covid-19 related deaths in Northern Ireland, official figures show.
The figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency show that by last Friday, 380 (53.1%) of the 716 deaths it recorded in total had been care home residents.

What's behind the rise in Russian deaths?

Sarah Rainsford - BBC Moscow Correspondent
Russia has reported its highest single-day rise in coronavirus deaths, with 232 fatalities. The surge appears to reflect an increase in people catching the virus in several regions earlier this month.
Outside of Moscow, the majority of deaths were recorded in the southern republic of Dagestan.
It emerged recently that doctors there had been struggling with overflowing wards, minimal protective clothing and a dire shortage of medicines. At least 50 deaths were added to the national count overnight.
The increase comes as the Health Ministry more than doubled its initial count of Covid-19 fatalities in Moscow in April, amid claims that Russia had been under-reporting its statistics.
The ministry said it was applying a "new methodology" and the tally now included cases where an autopsy revealed coronavirus, despite a negative test result. It also said it now included those cases where the virus was a "catalyst" to existing illnesses.
That revision is not yet reflected in the country's overall statistics.

New dates announced for FA Cup ties

England's Football Association has announced that the FA Cup quarter-finals have been rescheduled for the weekend of 27-28 June.
The semi-finals will take place on 11-12 July, with the final set for Saturday, 1 August.
On Thursday it was confirmed the Premier League season would resume on 17 June, subject to government approval.
"The competition has been an integral part of the English football calendar for nearly 150 years, and we’d like to thank the Premier League executive and clubs for their support in scheduling the remaining matches during this unprecedented time," said the FA's chief executive Mark Bullingham.
There have been no FA Cup ties since 5 March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The quarter-final draw, which was made on 9 March, is: Leicester City v Chelsea, Newcastle United v Manchester City, Sheffield United v Arsenal, Norwich City v Manchester United.

When will public toilets be reopened in the UK?

People have been returning to beaches, parks and beauty spots - and now each others gardens - to enjoy the warmer weather in England and Scotland.
But many are finding public toilets are still closed, leaving them with an urgent question - where do I go when I need to go to the loo?
Even when visiting other people's gardens people in England have been advised to wipe everything down if they do need to spend a penny. But in Scotland people have been urged not to go to other people's homes at all.
The British Toilet Association (BTA), said there would need to be a "complete rethink" of public toilets for the post-Covid age.
We've been speaking to those most affected by the loss of the public toilet and ask those most in the know - what is the future of the public toilet?

Study abroad dreams now in turmoil

Given the restrictions on international travel, it's no surprise that hundreds of thousands of students who were planning to study abroad this year have been left in limbo.
After China, India sends more students abroad to study than any other country.
The BBC's Nikita Mandhani spoke to some of those students who are worried about what will happen next.
"There's a lot of stress and anxiety and tension at this time but not enough clarity," said Meehika Barua, 23, who wants to study in the UK.
Another student said: "It feels a little unfair, especially after spending a year-and-half to get admission into one of these schools."
You can read more here.

Virtual Zoom grandstand allows fans to watch Danish Superliga

Is there anything we do not use Zoom for while social distancing measures are in place due to the cornavirus pandemic?
People have taken to the video conferencing platform for meetings, quizzes and generally keeping in touch with family and friends during lockdown.
Danish Superliga club AGF Aarhus used the technology to bring 10,000 fans to the side of their pitch, despite the season being played behind closed doors, on Thursday.
During their 1-1 draw against Randers, AGF installed a giant screen along the side of the pitch, creating what they call "the world's first virtual grandstand" so fans could support the team for free via Zoom.
Three screens were joined together to make a giant screen with space for 200 fan images at a time.

Pilot lands at military airfield in Wales 'to go to the beach'

The picturesque beach at Llanddwyn island, off the coast of Anglesey


A pilot of a private plane has landed at a military airfield in north Wales without permission, because he wanted “to go to the beach”.
He’d taken off from Fairoaks Airport in Surrey, and landed at the military site on the Anglesey coast on Monday, according to a report by safety officials.
Wales' restrictions are more stringent than England's - people have been told to stay local and not to drive - and tourists have been urged not to visit.
“The pilot informed the crew manager that he had flown from London to go to the beach", a report by the Defence Aviation Safety Occurrence Report read.
“When informed that this was a military airfield and that the coronavirus restrictions were still present in Wales, the pilot stated that ‘it was okay, because he had it two months ago’."
Scientists believe those who have had the disease may have some immunity to it but it is not known how much or for how long.
The unnamed man - and his aircraft - were allowed to leave the following day, the Royal Air Force (RAF) said.
A statement added: “Whilst irregular, it was assessed that there was no threat to station personnel or the wider public."

Parents shamed for back-to-school choices

Kirstie Brewer - BBC News

Blogger Harriet Shearsmith has said she won't be sending her children back when schools reopen in June

As some schools in England prepare to reopen on Monday, some parents' social media feeds have turned toxic.
Marsha's WhatsApp group went into overdrive as soon as it was announced that primary schools and nurseries would reopen for some children on 1 June.
There was outrage, relief, excitement, anxiety. Everyone seemed to have an opinion.
Marsha - not her real name - wrote that she'd be happy to send her son back to school. Then immediately another mum shared a news item about a teacher who'd tested positive for coronavirus.
"This is why I will be keeping Rosie safe at home with me - I'm not putting her life at risk," the other mum wrote.
Parents who have decided to keep their children at home haven't escaped the crosshairs either.
Blogger Harriet Shearsmith was told by some that she didn't care about her children's education, after she wrote that she wouldn't be sending them back when school's reopen in June.
Read more from Kirstie Brewer, who has been speaking to mothers who feel judged or shamed for their decisions.

South Africa's test backlog a serious problem

Andrew Harding - BBC News, Johannesburg
South Africa is wrestling with a huge backlog of coronavirus tests and doctors say this is undermining the country's entire testing scheme.
Tens of thousands of individual samples are being left for a week or more in laboratories before being tested. A shortage of equipment appears to be the main problem.
Doctors here say that such long delays render the results worthless. By the time a positive case is confirmed, that person could have passed the virus on to dozens of others and would probably no longer be infectious themselves.
It's clear that South Africa has developed a serious problem.
The country had some early successes in containing the pandemic, but the infection rate is rising. Cape Town’s hospitals are now close to being overwhelmed and experts say other major cities are likely to follow suit in the coming weeks.

Russia announces record daily death toll

Russia has reported 232 deaths in the last 24 hours, a record one-day total that has pushed the nationwide death toll to 4,374.
Officials said on Friday that 8,572 new infections had been confirmed, bringing the national tally to 387,623 - the world's third highest after the United States and Brazil.

UK chancellor urged to extend help for self-employed

A scheme to give financial support to millions of self-employed people in the UK is due to end this weekend.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is coming under pressure to extend the scheme, with a cross-party group of 113 MPs telling him it offers a "lifeline" to many workers.
Those who qualify get a grant of 80% of their average profits, up to £2,500, for three months. So far, 2.3 million have signed up to grants totalling £6.8bn.
Among them is musical director Yshani Perinpanayagam who said the self-employed have "a very difficult corner to fight".
“If people are missing mortgage payments, there is already an understanding that they need help without them having to prove anything," she said.
"But the self-employed will really have to justify why we can’t pay our bills if the government is not taking a stance that we are worthy of help," she said.
A similar scheme for furloughed workers has been extended to October.
Sunak is expected to set out plans later to ask employers to contribute towards this “furlough” scheme, which currently helps about eight million workers.

Japan air force salutes medical workers

The Blue Impulse aerobatics team of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force flew over Tokyo on Friday to salute medical workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
There have been 884 coronavirus-related deaths in the country and 16,636 cases, according to the Johns Hopkins University. "We have been working under strain for the past four months," said Shuichi Mikami, a spokesman for Tokyo’s Ebara Hospital. "I heard them [medical workers] saying the demonstration lifted their spirits."

Will I still get paid if I have to self-isolate? And other questions

People who've been in close contact with someone found to have Covid-19 in England and Scotland are now being traced by thousands of health workers.
BBC Reality Check has been answering some of your questions on how the schemes will work.
If you have to self-isolate will you only get statutory sick pay, or will your employer pay your salary?
The government advises that people who are self-isolating should work from home wherever possible and be paid as normal.
If they can’t work from home, employers must ensure any self-isolating employee gets sick pay or is allowed to use paid leave days if they prefer.
Employees in self-isolation are entitled to Statutory Sick Pay for every day they are in isolation, worth £95.85 per week, as long as they qualify.
However, employers can choose to pay staff their full wages during this period if they wish.
How will we know the difference between a genuine contact tracer and a potential scammer?
If you are concerned about whether a call, text or email is genuine, you can check the NHS England Test and Trace service website or the Scottish Government Test and Protect website or the Public Health Agency website in Northern Ireland.
Genuine contract tracers will never ask you for any financial information such as credit card or bank details.
They will also not ask you to set up a password or Pin over the phone, or to call a premium rate number, such as those starting 09 or 087.
If you don’t want to talk over the phone in England, you can ask for an email or text inviting you to log into the web-based service instead.
We've answered more of your coronavirus questions here.

Welsh first minister sets out changes to lockdown rules

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford has set out changes to lockdown rules in Wales.
He's already confirmed people from two different households will be able to meet outdoors from Monday.
They will need to stay in their local area - within five miles as a "general rule" - and remain two metres apart.
However, beauty and tourist spots will remain closed.
From Monday, weddings and civil partnerships will also be allowed to take place if the bride or groom is terminally ill.

Politicians targeted amid tensions in Italy

Italy is relaxing its strict lockdown measures but tensions have boiled over into sexist attacks and threats against politicians.
Education Minister Lucia Azzolina now has police protection. Her abusers include right-wing Senator Giuseppe Moles of Forza Italia, who warned her that credibility was like virginity and was "easy to lose".
A deputy health minister and a regional governor also have police guards now. The deputy minister, Pierpaolo Sileri, received threats linked to coronavirus aid.
Italy has recorded more than 33,000 coronavirus-related deaths, but most businesses in the country, including bars and hairdressers, are reopening after more than two months of nationwide lockdown measures.

Cybercrime reports surge during UK lockdown

Danny Shaw - BBC Home Affairs Correspondent
A new UK cybercrime service launched during lockdown to investigate suspicious emails says it has had more than 600,000 reports in its first five weeks.
It allows people to alert the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to online scams, including those offering fake Covid 19-related products.
As a result, the centre says it has removed 4,000 links to suspect websites and uncovered 1,100 scams - 20% more than before the system started.
Chief executive Ciaran Martin said many fraudsters and organised criminal gangs had taken advantage of the pandemic.
“Cyber-attackers always follow fear and they follow what people are concerned about,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
The NCSC - which is a part of the government’s listening centre GCHQ - said victims of scams should report the matter to Action Fraud.

'Stay away from crowded places' in Scotland - Sturgeon

Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has urged people to stay within the rules, after some lockdown restrictions were eased today.
Groups of up to eight from two different households are now allowed to meet outdoors. But Ms Sturgeon said that "ideally, it should be less than that".
She said people should bring their own plates and cutlery to barbecues, and that people should only travel within their own local area.
The first minister also asked people to consider whether beauty spots and tourist destinations were too crowded and to change their plans if so.
She told today's coronavirus briefing: "If you are in doubt about whether your plans are within the rules or not, err for now on the side of caution.
"Because however harsh these rules might feel right now ...abiding by them will never ever be as harsh as grieving the loss of a loved one."
If people did not follow the rules it could take Scotland "back to square one", she warned.
Her message came as latest daily figures for Scotland show a further 15 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus in hospitals.
It takes the total number of hospital deaths there to 2,331.
Follow further updates from the briefing here.

Reopening non-essential retail to be considered in Wales

First Minister Mark Drakeford said the Welsh government would also consider further easing at the next review of the lockdown on 18 June, including:

• Reopening non-essential retail
  
• Increasing capacity for childcare and public transport to support a wider return to work
  
• Facilitating moving house to boost the housing market
  
• Reopening outdoors sites, including outdoor markets, sports courts, outdoor showrooms and outdoor museums
  
• Reopening facilities for non-professional elite athletes to train safely
  

Decisions will depend on the scientific and medical evidence but Drakeford said shops should use the next three weeks "to begin the process of preparing to reopen".
Speaking at the Welsh government's daily briefing, he said the R number - the number of people that one infected person will pass the virus on to - was "no better today than it was three weeks ago" but the "good news" was the number of new cases had been steadily declining since the beginning of April.

Removing furlough scheme would be 'sheer lunacy'

It will be "sheer lunacy" and "massively disappointing" if the UK government attempts to remove the furlough scheme, a London restaurant owner has told the BBC.
The coronavirus job retention scheme covers 8.4 million workers, paying 80% of their salary, up to a maximum of £2,500 a month.
The scheme aims to keep jobs in place until businesses are allowed to reopen, and demand for products and services has returned.
A few weeks ago Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the scheme would run until October. Today, he is expected to give the bad news that the government will start reducing the amount they are willing to pay from August, with employers having to cover an extra share, and national insurance and pension contributions.
"It makes me deeply worried," David Moore, owner of the Michelin star Pied à Terre in London, told Radio 4's World at One.
"Will we have any money coming through the door to help contribute towards that? If not then a lot of businesses are heading down the pan.
"It would be a real shame if the retention scheme turned out to be a glorified waiting room for the unemployed."

Six-person meet-ups banned in England until Monday, government warns

Downing Street has warned people in England that new rules allowing groups of six to meet up outdoors do not come in until Monday.
Currently, people can only meet one other person from another household at a distance in a public place.
The prime minister's official spokesman said Boris Johnson had made the announcement on Thursday to "give a period of notice".
The reminder comes as much of the UK enjoys sunny weather, and on the same day that people in Scotland are given the go-ahead to meet in groups of up to eight.
When new rules do come in for England, people will be allowed to meet in parks and private gardens, as well as host barbecues, as long as households keep two metres apart.
Downing Street has confirmed that police do not have the powers to enter gardens to check on the six-person rule under coronavirus legislation, unless officers "believe serious criminality is taking place".
The PM's spokesman added that they were "sure that members of the public will show common sense and will want to abide by the rules".
But one behavioural expert has suggested the government has not been clear enough on the rules for maintaining social distancing during barbecues.
Professor Patricia Riddell, from the University of Reading, suggested people consider one-way systems around the grill and bringing their own condiments.
Further guidance is expected to be published tomorrow.

Six-person meet-ups banned in England until Monday, government warns

Downing Street has warned people in England that new rules allowing groups of six to meet up outdoors do not come in until Monday.
Currently, people can only meet one other person from another household at a distance in a public place.
The prime minister's official spokesman said Boris Johnson had made the announcement on Thursday to "give a period of notice".
The reminder comes as much of the UK enjoys sunny weather, and on the same day that people in Scotland are given the go-ahead to meet in groups of up to eight.
When new rules do come in for England, people will be allowed to meet in parks and private gardens, as well as host barbecues, as long as households keep two metres apart.
Downing Street has confirmed that police do not have the powers to enter gardens to check on the six-person rule under coronavirus legislation, unless officers "believe serious criminality is taking place".
The PM's spokesman added that they were "sure that members of the public will show common sense and will want to abide by the rules".
But one behavioural expert has suggested the government has not been clear enough on the rules for maintaining social distancing during barbecues.
Professor Patricia Riddell, from the University of Reading, suggested people consider one-way systems around the grill and bringing their own condiments.
Further guidance is expected to be published tomorrow.

Drop-off in fines since lockdown eased in England

Danny Shaw - BBC Home Affairs Correspondent
The number of people fined for alleged beaches of lockdown laws has reduced significantly in the past two weeks since the measures were eased.
In England, 841 fixed penalty notices have been issued since 13 May, when some curbs were relaxed and the minimum fine was raised from £60 to £100.
In total, 15,552 fines have been recorded by police forces in England since the lockdown began in late March. In Wales, 1,395 fines have been issued.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council says most fines were issued to young men, aged 18 to 24.
Among the main reasons for fines, the NPCC listed driving with non-household members, house parties, large gatherings and camping.

Nigeria hospitals 'refusing to treat patients'

The head of Nigeria's coronavirus task force says more people are dying because they are not receiving hospital treatment for other diseases than are being killed by the virus.
Boss Mustapha told reporters that it was sad and unacceptable that both private and government hospitals were rejecting patients due to fears of contracting Covid-19.
He said the health ministry was ordering hospital chiefs "to continue providing regular medical services so that we do not end up with avoidable deaths", Punch newspaper reported.
"Truth be told, we are having more deaths from non-attendance to other diseases than Covid-19," he added.
Nigeria has nearly 9,000 confirmed cases of the virus and 259 reported deaths, although experts say a lack of testing means the true figures are likely to be much higher.

Polish football fans allowed back on 19 June

Poland will let fans back into stadiums to watch professional football from 19 June, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has said.
The stadiums hosting matches from the top-tier league, the Ekstraklasa, will be no more than a quarter full to allow for social distancing. Matches will be broadcast in 16 countries.
"For me, football is more than just a game, it is something more than just sport. It is a great, excellent promotion of Poland, Polish business and of our will to fight," Mr Morawiecki said.
The Ekstraklasa resumes its season today but without fans. Poland began easing its lockdown on 20 April, when parks were allowed to reopen. Hotels, shops, museums and galleries reopened on 4 May and primary schools restarted earlier this week.

Sage member questions easing of lockdown in England

A scientist on the UK government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) has suggested he does not agree with easing the lockdown at this stage.
In a briefing to health journalists Prof John Edmunds, from the London School of Tropical Hygiene and Medicine, said that 8,000 new infections a day in England, as calculated by the Office for National Statistics, was “a very high incidence” level.
"Many of us would prefer to see incidence down to lower levels before we relax measures," he said.
He said that with an "untested" test and trace system "we are taking some risk here" and "even if we keep it flat, that’s still quite a level".
“Lifting the lockdown is a political decision. Lifting it now, means we’re keeping incidence at this level," he added.

Daily death toll rises in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

A further 149 people have died in hospitals in England after testing positive for coronavirus, latest daily figures from Public Health England show.
It brings the total number of hospital deaths to 26,383.
In Wales, a further 10 people have died with Covid-19, taking the total number of deaths to 1,317.
In Northern Ireland, three more deaths were reported in a day, bringing the total death toll 521.
Earlier, Scotland reported a further 15 hospital deaths - increasing the total number to 2,331.
UK-wide figures are expected shortly.

Denmark and Norway exclude Sweden from travel deal

Norway and Denmark say they will open up tourism between their two countries from 15 June, but will maintain restrictions for Swedes.
Sweden, unlike its Nordic neighbours, did not impose a lockdown and more than 4,000 people have died from Covid-19 there - far more than elsewhere in Scandinavia.
Sweden's 10 million population is also bigger than that of Denmark (5.8 million) or Norway (5.4 million).
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen argued that Denmark and Sweden were in different places concerning the coronavirus pandemic.
And at a joint video news conference with her, Norwegian PM Erna Solberg said: "We can't open too suddenly, that would jeopardise everything we've accomplished."
Denmark is also allowing tourists from Germany and Iceland to visit, though they cannot stay in Copenhagen, which has the most coronavirus cases.
Danes can travel to those two countries too, without having to go into quarantine on their return.

Greece to admit tourists from 29 countries - but not UK, Spain, Italy and France

Greece is to open its doors to visitors from 29 countries from 15 June as it tries to relaunch its vital tourism industry.
However those countries do not include the UK, Italy, Spain and France - which have been badly hit by the pandemic.
The countries are: Germany, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Cyprus, Israel, Switzerland, Japan, Malta, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Australia, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Albania, Estonia, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Hungary, South Korea, Serbia, Montenegro, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Finland.
Greece imposed a strict lockdown early on in the outbreak which helped to contain the numbers of infections and deaths to relatively low levels. Since easing restrictions it has put tourism - vital to its economy - at the centre of its plans.

• Read more: Greece and Croatia take action to save the summer
  

Internet issues see some UK workers hit a buffer

Numbers of people working from home have rapidly increased across the world

Internet issues are the scourge and fear of millions of people who have been working from home during the coronavirus pandemic.
And many in the UK were left frustrated on Friday morning when their TalkTalk connection went down, for more than an hour in some cases.
Customers from all over the country - including London, Stockport, Wrexham and Brighton - complained to the firm, who said the problem was fixed about 11:30 BST.
No reason for the outage has been given.

Paris cafes and bars reopen - but will people return?

Hugh Schofield - BBC News, Paris
It's been a weekend of frenetic activity to get their premises ready for business. They shut so quickly back in March that for some the first job was pouring away the stale beer. Others have been hastily putting up a bit of decking to qualify as a terrace.
Now they are open (outside at least), Paris cafe and bar owners have a hope, and a fear.
The hope is that people will be so desperate to resume their old lives - and have pockets so full of unspent cash - that they will come back to their old haunts in droves.
The fear is that lingering Covid anxiety will be a turn-off. Will people still want to come out if it means being served by waiters in masks, and being discouraged from talking to fellow customers?
Luckily on day one, the sun is hot and the sky is clear. There is, at last, just a whiff of optimism in the air.

Lake District visitors pose 'significant problems'

Many have been taking advantage of the lockdown easing in England and heading to beauty spots and beaches to enjoy the warmer weather.
But some visitors to the scenic Lake District, in Cumbria, have been causing "significant problems", including blocking roads with parked cars and leaving the ground strewn with rubbish, police have said.

Some visitors made fires and left litter in beauty spots

Abandoned cars stopped emergency vehicles getting through some roads, and some visitors have been camping, which is banned under lockdown rules, Cumbria Police said.
The force said people were using disposable barbecues and lighting fires "at a time of extreme fire risk".
Police urged visitors to respect the area and act responsibly.

Cumbria Police said cars were "abandoned" by visitors to the Lake District

Meanwhile, the owners of the Haweswater reservoir, also in the Lake District, said they were "appalled, shocked and saddened" by the state campers left the reservoir in.
They said trees had been felled, dry-stone walls damaged and barbecues and litter left.

What prompted the Ikea queues?

BBC Radio 5 Live
Thousands of shoppers queued for hours to get into Ikea stores after the furniture giant reopened 19 shops in England and Northern Ireland on Monday.
With many of us left wondering why you'd put yourself through that experience, author and behavioural expert Judi James told BBC Radio 5 Live that "scarcity creates and intensifies desire".
She said the sight of the queues "will have started to create a bit of an impulse" for people, and then "when you get there, the sight of all those other people with the same desire - that validates our choice."
James added that "for some people the queue almost becomes a social event".
"There are a lot of people there that will probably just have been enjoying the event and being out in a large group," she said.
"It wasn't a crowd because they were socially distanced, but it's the same group-think thing that people are probably missing from not being able to go to football matches and things like that."

If you are just joining us...

Here are some of the key developments from around the world so far today:

• The UK government is looking at ways to relax the 14-day quarantine rule for people entering the country over the coming months
  
• Mexico has become the seventh country to have recorded more than 10,000 Covid-19 related deaths. The US has the highest number of fatalities with more than 105,000
  
• Phase two of the easing of coronavirus restrictions in France began today, including an end to a 100km (62-mile) travel limit
  
• Secondary school pupils in the Netherlands have returned to classes, with social distancing in force
  
• India has registered a new record daily spike in cases, with 8,392 fresh infections, even as the country eases lockdown restrictions
  

Huge queues of traffic as Abu Dhabi enforces entry ban

Images from Tuesday in Abu Dhabi show huge queues of cars at a security checkpoint between the emirate and neighbouring Dubai.
Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, has enforced a one-week ban on traffic into and out of the emirate as a whole.
The ban, in place from today, also stops people from travelling between its main cities. However movement within cities is allowed as long as people stick to the night curfew.
People can apply for permits in exceptional circumstances, according to The National. That includes essential workers and patients with chronic diseases who have medical appointments.
At the same time, the emirate is reopening hotel beaches, museums and sports activities.
Overall the UAE has recorded more than 36,000 cases of coronavirus and 66 deaths.

Mass-testing in Wuhan accomplished, China says

Authorities in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where Covid-19 was first discovered, have confirmed that the two-week programme to test the city’s entire population was “successful”.
The Hubei provincial health commission said that between 14 May and 1 June it tested 9.89 million people. Wuhan’s population is regularly cited as being around 11 million. You can read about Wuhan's mass testing drive here.
The official People’s Daily newspaper said that about 300 people tested positive for the virus but had exhibited no symptoms (approximately 0.003%).
It said that 900m yuan ($126m; £100m) was spent on the tests. The deputy mayor of Wuhan has confirmed that the government will foot the bill.
Wuhan was the original epicentre of the virus outbreak, with more than 50,000 confirmed cases. Its citizens spent 76 days in lockdown during the peak of the outbreak.

How are Latin America's children faring?

Children in Panama have been able to enjoy more time outdoors since Monday

Four of the 10 countries across the world with the highest number of new coronavirus infections are in Latin America, a World Health Organization official said on Monday. How are children there affected?

• Hundreds of children have been infected in Santa Cruz, the worst-hit region in Bolivia. Of more than 7,000 confirmed cases, 500 are under the age of 12, regional health official Marcelo Ríos said. "These children are not going out shopping or walking. They're not going to school or to work, so they must catch it from their parents and elderly people in their household," Ríos added
  
• In Peru, a three-year-old girl was the first in the country to show symptoms similar to those of Kawasaki disease shock syndrome. Read more about the disease here
  
• In Panama, lockdown measures were relaxed on Monday allowing children out of their homes between 16:00 and 19:00 as long as they are accompanied by a parent or guardian
  

Italy eases lockdown further in effort to boost tourism

Mark Lowen - BBC News, Rome
The first country in the world to impose a national lockdown almost three months ago is now lifting the last remnants of it.
From today, restrictions on travelling within regions of Italy have been removed, with no more need for the forms justifying the trip.
All travel to and from the European Union, the Schengen zone and the United Kingdom is now allowed, although not yet for visitors travelling via those countries but starting their journey from elsewhere.
With more than 33,000 deaths and 230,000 cases, Italy has been ravaged by the virus and is one of the worst-hit countries in Europe.
But the rate of new infections is at its lowest since the start of the pandemic and with 13% of its economy based on tourism, Italy is desperate for visitors to return.

Tokyo issues warning after sudden rise in cases

Authorities in the Japanese capital, Tokyo, have issued an alert after 34 new coronavirus cases were confirmed on Tuesday.
It comes a day after restrictions were eased on businesses such as gyms and department stores.
"The purpose of this alert is to make residents aware of our precarious situation and urge them to be cautious," Governor Yuriko Koike said.
She said that if cases continued to increase, she would consider reactivating a shutdown.
It is the first time the number of infections has risen above 30 since mid-May. Officials said this was caused by several factors, including nightlife in the Shinjuku area.
Japan has confirmed more than 16,800 cases and 900 deaths from Covid-19.

What's the latest from the UK today?

The UK briefing is due to start in 20 minutes. We'll bring you all the updates here.
In the meantime, here's a round-up of the latest news:

• A review has found that people from ethnic minority backgrounds are disproportionately affected by coronavirus, but it is not clear why
  
• The UK's statistics watchdog has criticised the government over its handling of coronavirus testing data. The UK Statistics Authority said the presentation of figures appeared to be aimed at showing "the largest possible number of tests, even at the expense of understanding"
  
• The government is looking at ways to relax the 14-day quarantine rule for people entering the UK. The rule comes into force on Monday
  
• MPs have debated how Parliament will work over the coming months, with the opposition calling the government's plan "discriminatory"
  

Another 324 UK virus deaths

Another 324 people have died with coronavirus in the UK as of 17:00 BST on 1 June, according to the latest Department of Health and Social Care figures. It brings the total UK deaths from the virus so far to 39,369.
As of 09:00 BST on 2 June, there have been 4,615,146 tests, with 135,643 tests on 1 June.
Some 277,985 people have tested positive for the virus.

What did we learn from today's UK briefing?

The daily press conference was held by Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who was joined by Prof John Newton, who leads the UK's testing programme.
Here's what they told us:

• In order of significance, demographic factors which affects people's susceptibility to coronavirus include: Age, sex, living in a city, and ethnic background. The government is looking at how to close these gaps, with work led by the equalities minister, Kemi Badenoch
  
• Other health inequalities, linked to occupation, income and deprivation, also apply and may partially explain the effect of ethnicity
  
• Each day, just over 40,000 antibody tests, which can tell whether someone has previously had the virus, are being administered to NHS and care staff. The government wants to roll them out to the public but Mr Hancock stressed that we do not yet know whether antibodies convey significant immunity
  
• After criticism from the statistics watchdog, the government committed to working with the watchdog to publish its statistics in the best way
  
• If someone tests negative while isolating due to an instruction from a contract tracer, they must still complete the isolation period. This is because it is possible to test negative while incubating the virus
  

No more empty skies between US and China?

Robin Brant - BBC News, Beijing
The worsening relationship between the US and China includes empty skies. American passenger flights haven’t flown here for months.
Now US President Donald Trump said he will ban all Chinese airlines from travelling to the US.
In response to that decision China has signalled an easing of its restrictions. The civil aviation administration said "qualifying" airlines will be allowed to fly once a week to a city here of their choosing.
It also announced that all airlines coming to China will be allowed to increase flights to twice weekly if passengers all test negative for Covid-19 for three weeks in a row.

Prince Charles 'got away lightly'

The UK's Prince Charles has said he "got away with it quite lightly" when he contracted coronavirus earlier in March.
The 71-year-old had self-isolated after testing positive for the virus and only experienced mild symptoms.
"I was lucky in my case," he told broadcaster Sky News. "But I've had it and I can so understand what other people have gone through."
Prince Charles, who is heir to the throne, recovered from the virus after spending seven days in quarantine at his home.
The prince said the experience made him more determined to "push and shout and prod" as he called for nature to return to the "centre of our economy".
"Before this, nature has just been pushed to the peripheries, we've exploited and dug up and cut down everything as if there was no tomorrow, as if it doesn't matter."
Read more on his experience here

What's the latest in the UK?

If you’re joining us from the UK and Europe, good morning and welcome to our rolling coverage of the global coronavirus pandemic. Our UK team is taking over the page from our colleagues in Singapore, and here are the latest headlines from around the UK:

• Business Secretary Alok Sharma is self-isolating at home after becoming unwell in Parliament
  
• Three former chancellors warned of severe unemployment aheadwhen they were quizzed by MPs about the effects of coronavirus on the economy
  
• Thousands of homeless people who have been housed during the pandemic could return to the streets by the end of June, a charity has warned
  
• Premier League clubs will have their most thorough discussion to date about what should happen if the season is curtailed at their latest meeting on Thursday
  
• The Prince of Wales has said he "got away with it quite lightly" when he contracted coronavirus at the beginning of the UK's epidemic in March
  

George Floyd had coronavirus

African American George Floyd, whose death in police custody triggered a wave of protests across the US, tested positive for the virus weeks before his death.
A 20-page autopsy report released by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office shows he had the virus on 3 April.
However, because the virus's genetic code can remain in someone's body for weeks, it is likely that he was asymptomatic at the time of his death but showed a "persistent positivity from previous infection", said the medical report.
Dr Michael Baden, a former New York City medical examiner who was one of two doctors who conducted a private autopsy for Floyd, told the New York Times that county officials had not informed him that Floyd had tested positive for Covid-19.
"If you do the autopsy and it’s positive for the coronavirus, it’s usual to tell everyone who is going to be in touch with the body. There would have been more care," he said.

Study casts doubt on hydroxychloroquine as Covid-19 therapy

Hydroxychloroquine did not prevent Covid-19 in a study of 821 participants who had been exposed to patients infected with the virus, according to research from the University of Minnesota Medical School.
The findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, are from the first large, controlled, clinical trial of the controversial drug, say local reports.
Study participants were sent either placebo or hydroxychloroquine pills and told to take them for two weeks.
Results showed that there was little difference in who developed Covid-19 symptoms.
"The take-home message for the general public is that if you’re exposed to someone with Covid-19, hydroxychloroquine is not an effective post-exposure preventive therapy,” said the lead author of the study, Dr David R Boulware, from the University of Minnesota, according to a New York Times report.
The anti-malarial drug has been repeatedly promoted by US President Donald Trump, who said he had taken it himself
Read more on what we know about the drug here.

Stalled vaccine schemes put children's lives at risk

Tulip Mazumdar - Global Health Correspondent
Millions of children could die from preventable disease because of severe disruptions to vaccination programmes caused by coronavirus, experts warn.
At least 68 countries have been affected - with some stopping vaccination campaigns completely.
The World Health Organization advised many countries to suspend vaccinations to help slow the spread of coronavirus.
But now the WHO itself is one of several groups expressing concern about the long-term impact.

• Click here to read Tulip's full article
  

UAE to resume connecting flights

Connecting flights will soon be allowed to travel through the United Arab Emirates again, the country's government said on Twitter.
The tweet, posted earlier this morning, doesn't say exactly when transit flights are going to be resumed.
Flights stopping over in the Gulf state's airports were suspended in March, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Today's UK newspapers

The news that a new suspect has been identified in the missing person case of Madeleine McCann dominates most of the front pages of today's UK national newspapers but the Metro leads with a grim statistic, reporting that the number of people who have died in the UK with coronavirus has now reached 50,000.

The Metro's front page also says the total UK death toll comes after new figures from Scotland were released and added to the data from England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The paper says Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted he was "very proud" of the government's handling of the virus.



Besides the Madeleine McCann update, the Daily Telegraph reports that Boris Johnson is pushing ahead with his quarantine policy, despite criticism from the Tory backbenches for forcing “unnecessary economic isolation”




The Times' top story is on Boris Johnson's plan to quarantine everyone entering the UK for two weeks from Monday. Leading scientists have warned the plan makes "no sense", the Times says, adding the government's group of scientific advisers were not consulted on the decision.


The Guardian's top story says the government's push to reopen primary schools in England on Monday "has fallen flat", saying figures show thousands of schools did not open. In large parts of the north-east of England, not a single primary school opened, the paper says.

Tokyo 2020 officials consider scaled back Olympics

Organisers of the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics are apparently looking at a way to scale back next year's Games.
The Games were postponed until July 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, bringing the additional unplanned-for costs of rescheduling everything.
Because of this, Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike told reporters, organisers are considering ways the Olympics can be "rationalised and simplified".
Local media say this could mean cutting the number of spectators allowed to go to indoor competitions, and reducing participation in the opening and closing ceremonies.

Two Pakistani lawmakers die as cases surge

Two lawmakers in Pakistan died from Covid-19 on Wednesday just as the country reported its biggest daily spike yet with 4,772 new infections, Dawn newspaper reports.
Mian Jamshed Din Kakakhel, 65, a lawmaker in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, died while receiving treatment. Two more lawmakers from the province also tested positive for Covid-19 on the same day.
Later on Wednesday, a lawmaker in Punjab province, Shaukat Manzoor Cheema, also died from the virus, the newspaper. says.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Imran Khan defended lifting the lockdown, saying it was devastating the economy and that citizens would have to "live with the virus". The country has more than 83,000 cases and 1,688 deaths.

What's the latest sports news?

• Premier League clubs will have their most thorough discussion to date about what should happen if the season is curtailed at their latest meeting on Thursday. All clubs will be given a say over how to finalise the league table if the season cannot be completed, though it is widely expected that relegation will not be scrapped. A fixture list for the first few rounds of the rebooted season is also due to be confirmed, along with kick-off times and broadcast plans
  
• Irish football club Bohemians admitted it was an "error" for two groups of three of their players and a coach to have trained at the same venue in Dublin. The Premier Division club was reacting after a video of the players training at Fr Collins Park was shared on social media
  
• Some football fans appeared to ignore social distancing guidelines during the Hungarian Cup final on Wednesday. Only the lower tier of the Puskas Arena was open, with fans encouraged to sit apart during Budapest Honved's 2-1 win over Mezokovesd-Zsory but rival groups gathered behind each goal. Hungary became the first European country to allow fans to attend games since the pandemic on 31 May
  

The latest from Europe

Germany announces a massive economic stimulus while Austria reopens its borders – but not to Italy. Here’s the latest from Europe:

• After marathon talks with coalition partners, Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel unveiled a €130 billion ($146bn; £116bn) economic recovery package, including a cut in VAT to boost consumer spending and a €300 stipend per child for struggling families. Ms Merkel called it a “package for the future”
  
• Austria has unilaterally opened its borders, with foreign minister Alexander Schallenberg describing it as a return to “pre-corona” times. But the frontier remains closed with Italy, which fully reopened all its borders on Wednesday. Foreign minister Luigi Di Maio said “individualist” approaches by different countries risked damaging the EU
  
• The president of Spain’s Balearic Islands, Francina Armengol, has told a German newspaper group that partying tourists face a very different holiday after the virus. “We want to guarantee that holidays in Mallorca are safe,” she said. “Bucket drinks are history”
  
• And North Macedonia is imposing a strict curfew in certain cities, running from 9pm tonight until 5am on Monday, after a recent spike in infections
  

HK protesters find ways to mark Tiananmen despite virus ban

People across Hong Kong are still finding ways to mark the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown - despite the official vigil being banned due to coronavirus.
The Hong Kong Alliance - which organises the annual vigil - has called on people to mark the date with a home-based commemoration.
They are asking people to light a candle at 20:00 local time "no matter where you are", followed by a minute's silence, songs, and "chanting of slogans".
The ban comes comes as Beijing has proposed a new security law for the city, one that critics say would remove Hong Kong's freedoms and spell the end of the "one country, two systems" way of life.
They also fear the bill could mean no more Tiananmen Square vigils in Hong Kong - even after the virus threat has eased.
Read more about the situation in Hong Kong here.

'Vaccines are more important than ever' - Bill Gates

Bill Gates is expected to give a speech during a virtual Global Vaccine Summit, hosted by the UK later

US billionaire Bill Gates has called for any successful coronavirus vaccine found in the future to be distributed "on a global basis”.
Gates was speaking to the BBC ahead of a virtual vaccine summit later in which world leaders and some of the wealthiest companies and individuals aim to raise upwards of $7.4bn (£5.9bn) to boost vaccine production.
He said help for vaccines was "more important today than it's ever been" and that every donation means "we can save more lives".
Any funds raised will be used to help get any successful coronavirus vaccine to the world's poorest countries, while also helping immunise against deadly diseases such as polio, typhoid and measles.
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted vaccination campaigns worldwide, meaning about 80 million babies have missed out on routine immunisations.
But Gates warned that disinformation about vaccines (more on that here) posed a threat to efforts to tackle diseases - including Covid-19.
"Eventually, when we have the vaccine - we will want to develop the herd immunity to have over 80% of the population taken," he added.
"If they’ve heard its a plot or that vaccines are bad, and we don't have people willing to take the vaccine then that will let the disease continue to kill people."

UK quarantine will do 'untold damage' to tourism - Ryanair boss

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary

Ryanair chief Michael O'Leary has joined a growing backlash over plans for new UK arrivals to go into isolation for 14 days.
The UK did not follow many other European countries in imposing such a move as outbreaks first hit the continent months ago.
And some senior Conservative MPs have questioned the timing of the decision to implement this now, when other countries are relaxing travel restrictions.
Now budget airline boss O'Leary has told the BBC the move will be "ineffective" and warned it will do "untold damage" to British tourism.
"We don't understand, as an industry, why the British government doesn't follow the European science that says it is perfectly okay to fly as long as you all wear face masks," he said.
But cabinet minster Brandon Lewis has defended the plans and the government's timing, saying such a move would only now be effective because the UK infection rate has dropped.
"That’s why this is the right time to bring this in."

Israeli parliament suspends activities after MP tests positive

Israel’s parliament has suspended most of its activities for the day after a lawmaker tested positive for coronavirus. Staff at the Knesset have been asked not to come into work unless it is essential, while committee meetings have been postponed.
The infected lawmaker, Sami Abou Shahadeh, entered self-isolation two days ago after his driver tested positive. But he told public broadcaster Kan that he had met thousands of people over the past two weeks.
“I went to comfort mourners and also to family events and demonstrations,” he said, according to the Times of Israel. “I was on committees, in the [Knesset] plenary and even the cafeteria.”
Mr Abou Shahadeh has urged people who have been in close contact with him to self-isolate and get tested. "The virus is still among us and a return to so-called routine helps the virus spread with greater magnitude and speed," he tweeted.
Photographs circulated by Kan showed him not wearing a face mask at a mourning tent set up by the family of Iyad Halaq, an autistic Palestinian man shot dead by Israeli police on Saturday.

Demands grow for 'green industrial revolution' after pandemic

Greenpeace has joined a growing list of organisations demanding that the UK government puts protecting the environment at the heart of any post-Covid-19 economic stimulus package.
The campaign group has produced a detailed "manifesto" with measures to boost clean transport and smart power.
The document follows a comparable call from some of Britain's most powerful business leaders earlier this week.
Last week, the prime minister Boris Johnson expressed a similar ambition, saying he wanted to see a "fairer, greener and more resilient global economy" after the pandemic and that "we owe it to future generations to build back better".
More on all this from our environment correspondent, Justin Rowlatt, here.

Aston Martin and Lookers cut 2,000 car jobs

Car dealership Lookers has announced it will cut up to 1,500 jobs with the closure of more showrooms in the UK.
The company reopened its showrooms on Monday after the government lifted lockdown restrictions.
Luxury carmaker Aston Martin also announced 500 redundancies, a week after naming a new chief executive.
It comes as the SMMT trade body said only 20,000 new cars were registered in May - down 89% year-on-year - in the worst May performance since 1952.

Paris cancels Bastille Day parade

The French capital has cancelled its famous military parade for Bastille Day on 14 July because of coronavirus.
Instead, the Elysee says in a statement, they'll hold a ceremony at the Place de la Concorde in central Paris.
The annual parade usually takes place on the Champs-Elysées, and is the biggest event on the French calendar.

German state plans €130bn economic boost

The German government says it will provide a stimulus package worth €130bn (£116bn; $146bn) to kick-start the economy, stricken by the coronavirus pandemic.
The package, to be spread into 2021, includes a €300 payment per child for families and a six-month cut in the VAT rate, from 19% to 16%.
The government is also earmarking €7bn for hydrogen technology to help cut carbon emissions.
Anyone buying an electric vehicle will be entitled to a €6,000 government subsidy towards it – double the current subsidy.
Germany is heading for its worst recession since World War Two because of the pandemic.
The EU already has plans for more than €1 trillion in aid for Europe’s ailing economies, but there are political tensions over the huge spending plans.

Iran reports record number of new cases

Another 3,574 people have been confirmed as having coronavirus in Iran over the last 24 hours, its health ministry has announced - the highest daily figure since the outbreak began in February.
This is also the fourth day running that the number of new cases has been higher than 3,000.
Previously, the highest daily number of new cases was 3,186 - recorded on 30 March, at the height of the country's initial outbreak.
Health Ministry Spokesman Kianush Jahanpur also said in a live phone interview with news channel IRINN that 59 people had died in the last day, and that the total death toll now stands at 8,071.

Quarantine rules a 'killer blow' for travel sector

More concern about UK quarantine rules - we heard from Ryanair earlier.
Now, the boss of the UK's biggest airport services company Swissport has warned the measure could deliver a "killer blow" to the travel sector.
From 8 June all passengers arriving in the UK must self-isolate for 14 days.
Swissport chief executive Jason Holt said the plan would deter people from travelling and put ground staff jobs at risk as a result.
Speaking to the BBC's Today programme, he said: "If it's so important and it's so relevant to the virus, and we all want the country to be safe, why wasn't this done in March? That's why everybody's quite confused on this."
Read more here

Turkey ready to resume international flights

Turkey plans to resume flights to 40 countries this month - and has reached provisional reciprocal agreements with 15 countries.
Germany, Switzerland, South Korea and Qatar are among the destinations for flights starting this month.
Turkey, which resumed domestic flights on 1 June, is talking to 92 countries in total about international travel.

The strange new rules of cycling in Japan

Rupert Wingfield-Hayes - BBC Tokyo correspondent


In Japan, like elsewhere, there has been a big increase in cycling during the Covid-19 pandemic. Why? Office workers keen to avoid the crowded subway systems and a big increase in home food deliveries (among other factors).
In response, the government has approved an enforcement order tightening regulations on dangerous bicycle riding. The strange thing about these new regulations is what they prohibit: ringing a bell to annoy other cyclists, unnecessary braking and blocking pathways.
As a daily cyclist in Tokyo these are not what come immediately to mind as primary threats to public safety. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of dangerous cycling in Japan. Lots of cyclists barrel down sidewalks, which is a legal grey area, and many completely ignore traffic lights, which is not. Little is done to stop them.
However, from 30 June, if you’re caught ringing your bell too much you could end up having to take a mandatory traffic safety course, or face a US$500 (£395) fine, unless you’re under 14 years old – in which case carry on ringing!

Almost nine million covered by UK government furlough scheme

Figures released by the UK Treasury show 8.9 million workers are having 80% of their monthly salary (up to a maximum of £2,500) covered by the government's furlough scheme, at a cost of £19.6bn.
The programme was introduced at the start of the coronavirus lockdown in a bid to avoid the loss of millions of jobs because firms couldn't trade. It was originally intended to last until the end of July, but has been extended until the end of October.
In addition, a scheme aimed at helping self-employed workers has had 2.6 million claims, worth £7.5bn.
For more on the government's schemes to support employment, we have an explainer here

Just joining us?

Here are some of today's coronavirus headlines from around the world...

• The plan for all primary school years in England to go back to school before the end of term is to be dropped by the government
  
• An apparent surge in traffic outside hospitals from August 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan suggests the coronavirus may have hit the area earlier than reported, a study says
  
• The West Indies cricket team have arrived in England and will now be in quarantine in a "bio-secure" environment in Manchester before a three-Test series that begins on 8 July
  
• New Zealand's research institute in Antarctica is scaling back the number of projects planned for the upcoming season, in an effort to keep the continent free of coronavirus
  
• The mayor of South Africa's biggest city, Johannesburg, has gone into self-isolation after a member of his staff tested positive for coronavirus
  

Nearly 64,000 excess UK deaths since March

Robert Cuffe - BBC head of statistics
Since the middle of March, just over 200,000 people have died in the UK - that figure is nearly 64,000 more than would be expected at this time of year.
This number is larger than the deaths total we hear announced by the UK government in its daily briefing because that figure only includes people who died after testing positive for coronavirus.

Malaysia detains refugees who couldn't dock due to lockdown

Rohingya refugees arriving in Malaysian waters

Malaysia has detained nearly 270 Rohingya refugees whose boat had drifted for nearly two months because of coronavirus lockdowns.
They fled southern Bangladesh in April but had been unable to dock. Dozens of those on board tried to swim to land when their trawler was intercepted by the Malaysian coastguard on Monday.
In recent years large numbers of Muslim Rohingya have fled Myanmar, where they face persecution.
More than one million have settled in neighbouring Bangladesh, but many have gone to Malaysia, which has been seen as a safe haven. However Malaysia has now refused to allow refugee boats to land, citing the pandemic as a reason.
On 31 May an elderly Rohingya man became the first person to die from Covid-19 in a refugee camp in Bangladesh.
At least 29 refugees have tested positive for the virus in the camps, although very little testing has been carried out.

Half of English primaries reopened to more pupils last week

Figures show that 52% of primary schools in England opened their doors to pupils in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 when the lockdown was eased last week.
According to the Department for Education, 11% of primary school children attended classes in schools last week.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said he was encouraged by the number of schools which reopened.
Williamson is due to speak in the House of Commons shortly, and is expected to confirm that the government is dropping its plan to have all English primary school pupils return to classes for the final four weeks of the summer term.
Here's what parents think

Wales recommends three-layer face coverings

People in Wales are being asked to wear three-layer face coverings in situations where social distancing is not possible - including on public transport.
The recommendation was announced by Health Minister Vaughan Gething at a news conference on Tuesday.
It follows a similar statement by the World Health Organization last week.
The UK government has announced that from 15 June people must wear face coverings while travelling on public transport in England. From the same date, hospital visitors and outpatients in England will also have to wear face coverings and staff must use surgical masks.

Seven further deaths from Covid-19 in Scotland

There have been a further seven deaths of people who tested positive for coronavirus in Scotland - but First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says the figures show "further indication of a clear downward trend".
Speaking at Scotland's daily briefing, she said a total of 15,653 people have now tested positive for Covid-19, an increase of 14 from Monday.
There were 1,011 patients in hospital with a suspected or confirmed case - down 31, with 21 being treated in intensive care.
There have been a total of 2,422 deaths.
There had been two consecutive days of zero deaths registered - but Sturgeon says the new figures are "not a surprise" given the lag in registering deaths at weekends.
Last Tuesday 12 deaths were reported.

Williamson confirms primary schools full return dropped

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has confirmed in the House of Commons that the UK government is not going ahead with its plan to see all English primary school pupils return to classes for four weeks before the current term ends in July.
While children in Nursery, Reception and Years 1 and 2 were able to go back - in smaller classes - last week, head teachers have warned over the feasibility of having more pupils in school while maintaining social distancing.
More than half of primary schools in England admitted pupils from those year groups last week, Williamson tells MPs.
Some schools in areas including the North West are worried about the rate of transmission, he says, adding that scientists say the R rate is below one.
From 15 June, secondary school pupils in Years 10 and 12 will get some face-to-face support, Williamson says.
He says the Department for Education has published advice on hand-washing and social distancing, and safety remains his top priority.
There will also be a test and trace approach to schools, where pupils show symptoms of coronavirus.
Williamson says the government continues to work on the next steps so that those schools that can accept more children in reduced class sizes will be able to.
And the education secretary confirms that exams will take place next year.
There are separate rules for managing the threat of coronavirus in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Lockdowns in Europe saved millions of lives, says study

Lockdowns have saved more than three million lives from coronavirus in Europe, a study estimates.
The team at Imperial College London said the "death toll would have been huge" without the restrictions.
But they warned that only a small proportion of people have been infected with Covid-19, and we are still only "at the beginning of the pandemic".

China warns students about studying in Australia

China has warned students to "exercise caution" before deciding to study in Australia over fears of racist attacks.
A statement from China’s ministry of education said: “During the pandemic, Australia has seen multiple incidents of discrimination targeting those of Asian descent. The spread of the global Covid-19 outbreak hasn't been effectively controlled, and there are risks in travel and open campuses."
Australia had led calls for an independent inquiry into the origins of the pandemic, which was first detected in China before spreading to other countries.
Australian Education Minister Dan Tehan denied that his country was unsafe for students, saying: "Australia is a popular destination for international students because we're a successful, multicultural society and provide a world-class education.
"Our success at flattening the [coronavirus] curve means we're one of the safest countries in the world for international students."
In 2019, there were more than two million Chinese students studying in Australia.

Chechnya ruler gives bride money to hard-up grooms

The strongman ruler of a Russian region is offering to help men struggling to make traditional pre-nuptial payments because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bridegrooms in the predominantly Muslim republic of Chechnya are required to make a payment either to the bride herself or her relatives, according to long-standing custom.
But because of the impact of the coronavirus epidemic, many Chechen men cannot afford to make the payment known as "urdu", local media report.
As a result, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov "has made bride money available to 207 grooms who have been left in need by the quarantine", Russia's official news agency RIA Novosti reports.
Each groom will get a payment of 50,000 roubles (£570), it says.
Read more here

School closed after pupil tests positive in southern England

A school in The New Forest, in southern England, has been closed after a pupil tested positive for Covid-19.
Pennington Infant School said staff were made aware that a child had the virus over the weekend.
Deputy headteacher Amy Wake said the "difficult decision" to close was based on "precautionary advice".
The affected pupil is in isolation with their immediate family. Others within the child's "bubble" have been told to self-isolate.

Face masks to remain compulsory in Spain

Wearing face masks will be compulsory in Spain until the coronavirus epidemic is over, Health Minister Salvador Illa says.
The measure will "remain in place until we permanently defeat the virus, which is when we have an effective treatment or vaccine against it", he added.
Since 21 May, it has been compulsory for everyone aged six and over to wear a mask in public where it is not possible to maintain a 2m (6ft) security distance from other people.
When the state of emergency formally ends on 21 June, the measure will remain in place, with the government introducing a fine of up to €100 (£89) for non-compliance. The new regulation will, however, slightly reduce the security distance to 1.5m.
The virus has killed more than 27,000 people in Spain but with the epidemic under control, the country has been easing out of lockdown.

Let us reopen, London Zoo urges government

London Zoo has been closed since 21 March

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.

Analysis: Schools dilemma worrying for families, troubling for government

Jessica Parker - BBC political correspondent
The warnings came early that plans to reopen primary schools to all children may not be possible. But if there were suggestions that ministers had been overambitious, there are now also suggestions that they haven’t been ambitious enough.
How is it, some are asking, that non-essential retail is set to get the green light to reopen this month while the majority of children continue to be off school?
Downing Street would undoubtedly resist claims that it’s prioritised the economy over education.
And their watchwords, when it comes to schools, have been about taking a “phased” and “cautious” approach.
But there are fears that with every day that goes by, some young people are falling further and further behind, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
And while the education secretary expressed an ambition to get all children back in September, it appears to be just that - an ambition.
There’s a question: if bringing primary schools back now isn’t practical, with all the social distancing that’s required, what will have changed in three months’ time to allow all young people to return?
It’s a deeply worrying situation for families, and a dilemma for a government that’s put spreading opportunity, or “levelling up”, at the heart of its agenda.

Prosecutor probes France's handling of coronavirus crisis

Paris prosecutor Rémy Heitz has opened an inquiry into the French state's management of the coronavirus crisis.
The investigation will be a judicial response to complaints received by the Paris public prosecutor's office during the lockdown, Mr Heitz told the agency.
Mr Heitz said the aim of the inquiry was not to "assign political or administrative blame... but to uncover possible criminal offences" by national decision-makers. Potential charges include endangering the life of others, homicide and involuntary injury and failure to assist a person in danger.
President Emmanuel Macron, as head of state, is not a target of the inquiries and has immunity from prosecution.

League One and Two football seasons ended in England

Clubs have voted to end the League One and League Two football seasons early in England.
Tables will be settled by a points-per-game format, while promotion, relegation and play-offs all remain.
Coventry and Rotherham go up to the Championship, but "ongoing disciplinary matters" mean it is not yet certain who will drop out of League Two.
Stevenage are currently bottom of the league, but they could yet be reprieved after Macclesfield Town were handed a fresh misconduct charge on 1 June.

Nepal police use water cannon during Covid-19 protests

Police in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu have used water canon to disperse hundreds of people protesting against the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis.
The demonstrators were demanding better testing and quarantine facilities for returning migrant workers, along with greater transparency in government spending.
Ten protesters who gathered near the prime minister's residence were arrested, police said.
Tens of thousands of migrant workers have returned to Nepal from India and the Middle East after losing their jobs.
A nationwide lockdown imposed in late March is due to end next week. About 4,000 people have tested positive so far, and 14 deaths have been recorded.

Airlines 'set for worst financial year ever'

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) says it now expects global airline revenues this year to be $419bn (£329bn) lower than in 2019.
The projected fall is more than $100bn greater than previously forecast, and is expected to lead to a net loss for the industry of $84bn.
IATA says that, financially, 2019 will go down as the worst year in the history of aviation, thanks to the lockdowns and closures of international borders which forced airlines to ground entire fleets. At its lowest point in April, global air traffic was 95% down on last year’s levels. Although traffic is slowly recovering, IATA says airlines are burning through cash and state support remains crucial.
On Tuesday, Cathay Pacific secured a $5bn bailout largely funded by the Hong Kong government. Meanwhile France has unveiled a $17bn funding package to support its aerospace industry, which has been badly hit by a major fall in demand for new planes.

Summary for Friday, 19th June

• The UK lowers its coronavirus alert level from four to three
  
• The new level means the epidemic is in "general circulation" and allows social distancing to be relaxed
  
• South Asian people are most likely to die from coronavirus in hospital in Great Britain, a major analysis shows
  
• Leading US government expert Dr Anthony Fauci tells AFP news agency he doesn't see the country returning to lockdowns
  
• Chinese officials say a coronavirus strain in an outbreak in Beijing may have come from Europe
  
• The World Health Organization hopes millions of vaccines can be produced this year and 2bn by the end of 2021
  
• Japan allows more businesses back to work and Singapore also lifts some restrictions
  
• Globally, there are almost 8.5m cases and more than 453,000 deaths with the coronavirus
  

Hello, and welcome back to our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. As ever, we'll be bringing you the latest developments across the world throughout the day, with analysis from our correspondents and other experts, links to our stories about the coronavirus and information about how you can protect yourself and each other.
The main developments today:

• The top US health expert Dr Anthony Fauci has said the US does not need to enforce more lockdowns to contain the virus
  
• Singapore moves into "phase 2" of its partial lockdown on Friday, with shops opening and gatherings of up to five people allowed
  
• Widespread testing has found no further cases in New Zealand after two people tested positive this week
  
• A study in Great Britain finds that among people admitted to hospital with Covid-19, South Asian people are most likely to die
  
• Johns Hopkins University's latest count says there have been almost 8.5m cases worldwide and more than 453,000 people with coronavirus have died.
  

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.

• How does the Covid-19 alert system work?
  

Steady decrease in cases across UK - medical officers

More now on the news that the UK Covid-19 alert level has moved down from four to three.
In a statement, the chief medical officers for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland say they have reviewed the evidence and agree with the recommendation to lower the alert level.
"There has been a steady decrease in cases we have seen in all four nations, and this continues," the statement says.
"It does not mean that the pandemic is over. The virus is still in general circulation, and localised outbreaks are likely to occur.
"We have made progress against the virus thanks to the efforts of the public and we need the public to continue to follow the guidelines carefully to ensure this progress continues."

How does the Covid-19 alert level system work?

The Covid-19 alert level, which has just been reduced from level four to three, is designed to help the UK government decide how tough social-distancing measures should be.

• Level five (red) - a "material risk of healthcare services being overwhelmed" - extremely strict social distancing
  
• Level four - a high or rising level of transmission - enforced social distancing
  
• Level three - the virus is in general circulation - social distancing relaxed
  
• Level two - the number of cases and transmission are low - minimal social distancing
  
• Level one (green) - Covid-19 is no longer present in the UK - no social distancing
  

The level is determined by the reproduction R number, a scientific measure of how fast the virus is spreading as well as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases at any one time.
All four chief medical officers of the UK nations opposed the prime minister's hopes of lowering the Covid-19 alert level last month, according to BBC economics editor Faisal Islam.
The government pressed on with the modest easing of the lockdown, even after the Boris Johnson promised that any relaxation would be conditional on a lowering of the alert level.
Read more on how the alert system works here

Fauci doesn't see the US returning to lockdowns

US top coronavirus expert Dr Anthony Fauci can't see the country returning to lockdowns despite the country's infection rate remaining high.
"I don't think we're going to be talking about going back to lockdown," he told news agency AFP. "I think we're going to be talking about trying to better control those areas of the country that seem to be having a surge of cases."
While the former US epicentre in New York appears to have controlled the outbreak, infection rates are still rising in other states.
Dr Fauci said there should be a localised approach to reopening the country, so that areas where there's no new cases could reopen schools, while other parts of the country should wait.
The White House adviser on the pandemic also said he was optimistic there would be a vaccine soon, describing early trial results as "encouraging".

WHO hopes for millions of vaccine doses soon

The World Health Organization (WHO) hopes that hundreds of millions of Covid-19 vaccine doses could be produced by the end of the year and be targeted at those most vulnerable to the virus.
There is no vaccine yet, but WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said experts worldwide were working on more than 200 possibilities. Around 10 potential vaccines are currently undergoing human trials.
"I'm hopeful, I'm optimistic," she explained.
"But vaccine development is a complex undertaking, it comes with a lot of uncertainty The good thing is, we have many vaccines and platforms so even if the first one fails, or the second ones fails, we shouldn't lose hope, we shouldn't give up."
"If we're very lucky, there will be one or two successful candidates before the end of this year," she said. The priority recipients would probably be frontline workers such as medics, those vulnerable because of age or illness and those who are in high-transmission settings like care homes or prisons.

New Zealand goes back to being virus-free

It's back to zero new virus cases for New Zealand today - days after two women who travelled from the UK were found positive, ending a previous 24-day clean streak.
Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said 6,273 tests had been carried out across the country on Thursday in response to those cases but none were positive.
However a man in his 60s who was in an isolation facility after arriving from overseas had yesterday been found positive. All arrivals in New Zealand are required to quarantine for 14 days.
The three cases are the only active virus cases in the country - and bring the total number of confirmed cases to 1,507.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had earlier this week slammed the "unacceptable failure of the system", after finding out about the country's two new cases. They had been given permission to leave quarantine early for family reasons but then travelled across the country before falling ill.
"It should not have happened and it cannot be repeated," she said

California makes face masks compulsory

If you're in California remember to put your mask on before stepping out - because they've just been made compulsory.
Under a new law passed on Thursday by Gov Gavin Newsom, residents have to mask up while in public or high-risk settings - including when shopping, on public transport or in medical care.
Children under two are exempt from the rules, as are people eating or drinking in restaurants.
"Our numbers are going up, not down. Hospitalisation numbers are starting to creep back up and I'm very concerned by what we're seeing," Newson told news outlet ABC7.
It's not clear how this will be enforced but it's likely to be met with some pushback.

Take note guy in white shirt - you'll now have to wear a mask in public

American Airlines removes non-masked passenger

Not everyone is embracing the idea of face masks. American Airlines removed a passenger from one of its flights after he refused to wear a mask in compliance with its Covid-19 policy.
Brandon Straka, who had been on a flight from New York to Texas, said there was no federal law that required him to wear a face covering.
He added that it was the first time something like this had happened to him.
American Airlines said it would ban him until "face coverings are no longer required for customers".
Face masks are currently not compulsory under federal law, but all major US airlines have been enforcing face covering rules for passengers and crew since mid-May.
Read more about the mask row here

Restaurants, gyms resume as Singapore reopens

Yvette Tan - BBC News, Singapore
It's the start of a brand new day in Europe but here in Singapore, people have already been rushing out as the country starts re-opening.
Under Singapore's "Phase 2" non-essential retail stores, gyms and most businesses that had been shut for more than two months are allowed to re-open. Dine-in services in restaurants and cafes will also resume.
Gatherings of more than five people however, aren't allowed, and people still have to don their masks and stick to social distancing rules.
But it's likely these measures aren't going to deter most from going out this weekend. There's a triumphant mood in the air - many seem eager to make up for two months' worth of inactivity.
I'm not sure if I'll be one of those rushing out, however - part of me genuinely wants to join a queue for bubble tea, but at the same time, I don't want to invalidate the last few months we've spent in lockdown. The number of locally transmitted cases are low, but they are still present.
That said, I am still very much tempted by my favourite restaurant that's now re-opened. I might just don my mask and take my chances - we'll see.

S Asian people most likely to die in GB hospitals

James Gallagher - Health and science correspondent, BBC News
South Asian people are the most likely to die from coronavirus after being admitted to hospital in Great Britain, major analysis has shown.
It is the only ethnic group to have a raised risk of death in hospital and is partly due to high levels of diabetes.

• Why are more people from BAME backgrounds dying?
  

The study across England, Scotland and Wales is hugely significant as it assessed data from four in 10 of all hospital patients with Covid-19.
The researchers said policies such as protecting people at work and who gets a vaccine may now need to change.
Read more here

South Korea's battle against virus continues

It once looked like the worst was over, but the virus is very much still present in South Korea.
The country recorded 49 new cases on Friday - 32 of which were local infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 12,306.
Most of the locally transmitted cases were recorded in the capital, Seoul, and its nearby metropolitan areas, where around half of the country's 50 million population lives.
And according to news site Yonhap, infections in the region are showing no clear signs of a slowdown.
South Korea's health minister has warned the country could return to tough social distancing measures if cases remain high.
South Korea had eased its strict social distancing rules in early May after cases started to fall. But a rise in infections - linked to a nightclub district and one distribution centre - meant cases quickly began stacking up again.

Latest from Europe

As the day begins in Europe, we bring you the latest of what's happening around the continent in the fight against coronavirus.

• Leaders of EU countries are to hold a videoconference later on Friday to try to resolve divisions over a coronavirus recovery fund. Several northern European nations are opposing part of the EU Commission plan which involves offering €500bn (£450bn) in grants to countries worst affected by the pandemic
  
• Hungary's PM Viktor Orban says he will not hesitate to take the necessary steps in case of a second wave of the virus, Reuters reports. Hungarian lawmakers voted in favour of repealing extraordinary powers granted to Mr Orban to fight the virus on Tuesday
  
• In the UK, after people experienced shortages of toilet rolls, hand sanitiser, pasta and flour, it seems bikes are now the latest item to be in short supply.
  

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.

Delhi out of lockdown but fear keeps us home

Krutika Pathi - BBC News, Delhi
As I write this from my home in Delhi, I have the air conditioning and fan on at full blast. The sun is beaming harshly as temperatures have been touching 45C recently.
But this is what's expected for summers here - another sign that normality is seeping back into our lives after India eased out of its stringent lockdown earlier this month.
Things have jumped back into action - cars have started clogging the roads as more and more shops open, drawing customers in. And yet, at least in my apartment in Delhi, it feels like the lockdown is still very much in place.
The situation continues to be unrelenting in Delhi, which has nearly 50,000 cases. Technically, I can step out, hop in a taxi and go wherever I'd like to in the city - but I don't. It feels even scarier to do so now, as infections have only been climbing, raising our anxieties as they go up.
And so the days roll by as they did under lockdown - weekdays are consumed by working from home while weekends are spent staying indoors at home. The only difference is the constant thrum of the AC, which is switched on all day and night now.

Beijing cluster 'may be European strain'

Chinese officials have released genome data for the coronavirus traced to a recent cluster in Beijing, saying they noted similarities to a European strain.
China has shared the data with the World Health Organisation amid pressure to make the findings public.
This comes after Beijing reported nearly 200 fresh Covid-19 infections after months. Tens of thousands are being tested in the city, where neighbourhoods are under lockdown and schools shut. The cluster has been traced to a sprawling wholesale market in the city.
But scientists are cautious over drawing early conclusion about the link.
"It is possible that the virus now causing an outbreak in Beijing travelled from Wuhan to Europe and now back to China," Ben Cowling, a professor at the University of Hong Kong's School of Public Health, told AFP news agency.
But he added that patient zero hadn't been identified yet and that it may be too late to find out how the latest cluster started.

UK banks told to extend credit card 'holidays'

Simon Gompertz - Personal finance correspondent
Banks have been told to give even more time to millions of people struggling with credit as a result of the coronavirus.
Credit card, store card, catalogue credit and personal loan customers will be able to ask for a further three-month deferral of repayments and interest. The help was first given in April.
Although the deferrals have been called payment holidays, the money will have to be paid back after the end of the deferral period.
So the financial regulator, the FCA, says if borrowers can resume their payments they should, to avoid getting into more serious difficulty later on.
Current account users have been offered interest-free overdrafts of up to £500. These have been extended for three months as well – and applications can now be made up to 31 October.
Banks have until Monday to comment on the plans, which will be implemented soon after.

More lockdown restrictions to be lifted in Wales

Wales' First Minister, Mark Drakeford, says lockdown measures have been succeeding, meaning more restrictions can be eased over coming weeks.
From Monday, non-essential retail shops will be allowed to open, provided they can do it safely and on 29 June, schools in Wales will reopen.
From 6 July, the "stay local" guidance to only travel within a five-mile area will be lifted, provided coronavirus cases continue to reduce. In the meantime, if people have a "compassionate reason" to visit a family member who doesn't live locally they can do so, the first minister says.
From 13 July, self-contained accommodation, such as cottages and static caravans, will be able to start taking bookings.
More details will be given at Wales' daily press conference later, Drakeford tells BBC Radio Wales' Breakfast programme.

Irishwoman emerges from 79 days on life support

A woman in the Republic of Ireland has been moved out of intensive care after spending 79 days on a ventilator.
Mary Sullivan was admitted after suffering a heart attack on 11 March and tested positive for Covid-19. She then developed respiratory failure and her condition deteriorated, leading her to require life support.
Doctors at the hospital in Cork where she is being treated believe she has spent the longest time on a ventilator of any Covid-19 patient in Ireland or the UK.
Broadcaster RTE showed staff applauding her as she left the hospital's intensive care unit on Thursday.

South Asians on Covid wards 'much likelier' to have diabetes

We've been hearing this morning that people with South Asian heritage are more likely to die from coronavirus after being admitted to hospitals in Great Britain compared with other ethnic groups, according to a new study.
Dr Ewen Harrison, professor of surgery and data science at the University of Edinburgh, who led the study, says: "We have shown a clear 20% increase in the risk of death in South Asian people who are in hospital with Covid-19.
"South Asian people look very different in hospital to other groups, in particular, white people," he tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"They're younger - 12 years younger on average - less likely to have pre-existing conditions such as lung disease, dementia or obesity, but much more likely to have diabetes.
"In fact, 40% of the South Asians in hospital with Covid-19 have diabetes. We think this is quite a significant contributor to their increased likelihood of death."
The findings were made public online ahead of being formally published in a medical journal.

• Why are more people from BAME backgrounds dying?
  

EU giant rescue plan faces heated debate

EU leaders are gathering virtually for a video summit focused on an ambitious €750bn (£676bn; $840bn) EU recovery fund to deal with the coronavirus crisis.
Several northern European nations are resisting part of the EU Commission plan because it involves collectively raising €500bn as grants for countries worst hit by the pandemic, notably Italy and Spain.
The BBC’s Gavin Lee in Brussels says this fund, called Next Generation EU, is unprecedented in scale.
Traditionally the EU helps member states through loans, which have to be paid back, though the terms can be generous.
A group known as the “frugal four” - Sweden, Denmark, Austria and the Netherlands - have made clear their continued opposition to grants. There are also divisions over the proposed €1.1 trillion EU budget.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron however firmly back the Commission’s plan.
Diplomats say there will be no real compromise until leaders are able to meet face to face, in July.

Questions over Pakistan's 'smart lockdowns'

M Ilyas Khan - BBC News, Islamabad
Countrywide "smart lockdowns" have been put in place in Pakistan to combat coronavirus spread, but the country’s medical community is questioning just how smart the lockdowns are.
Starting on Tuesday, the government has enforced the lockdowns in hundreds of places with high Covid-19 rates. Those under lockdown have been asked to stay at home, and all businesses have been ordered to be closed, except for essential services like pharmacies and food shops.
But many opposition groups and healthcare workers point out that tens of thousands of other areas remain open.
Dr Qaisar Sajjad, secretary of the Pakistan Medical Association, has called the move a “non-serious measure”.
Doctors’ associations and opposition groups are instead pushing for a countrywide lockdown. And the World Health Organization has suggested a 15-day on, 15-day off lockdown across Pakistan.
But Pakistan’s battle against the coronavirus has been mired in controversy right from the start. When the Sindh local government – which is the only provincial government run by an opposition party – went for a province-wide lockdown in March, Prime Minister Imran Khan famously warned that "if you try to save people from corona, they will die of hunger".
Khan also controversially claimed that Covid was only a form of flu, and was seen to favour the concept of herd immunity as a way to defeat the virus.
It is widely believed that when infection rates rose, it was the military that stepped in to impose lockdowns, but those lockdowns were undermined by consistent opposition from the prime minister.
Critics say his wavering attitude rendered lockdowns a controversial and non-serious measure in the eyes of the general public. And they fear, as the virus now spreads, that those in the least affected areas will not take notice until it arrives on their doorstep.

Virus 'was already in Italy in December'

Coronavirus was already present in northern Italy in December 2019, some two months before the first known case was diagnosed, according to a study by Italy's national health institute, the ISS.
Traces of the virus were detected in samples of waste water in the cities of Milan and Turin at the end of last year, and in Bologna in January, the ISS said.
The institute carried out an analysis of waste water collected from October 2019 to February 2020 before Covid-19 officially hit Italy.
Samples from October and November 2019 were negative, showing the virus had yet to arrive, ISS water quality expert Giuseppina La Rosa said.

Summary for Sunday, 21st June

• Spain is today reopening its tourism industry by lifting travel restrictions for foreign visitors
  
• Visitors from the EU and Schengen zone countries and Britain will not have to isolate on arrival
  
• Face masks still have to be worn in public spaces where social distancing is not possible
  
• In the UK, a review into the two-metre social-distancing rule will conclude "within the coming days", the culture secretary tells the BBC
  
• Greta Thunberg tells the BBC the world needs to learn the lessons of coronavirus and treat climate change with similar urgency
  
• The authorities in Mexico City have delayed a planned reopening of the economy by a week
  

Good morning and welcome to our coverage of the coronavirus pandemic - thanks for joining us. We will bring you updates from the UK and around the world throughout the day.
Here is a recap of the latest key developments:

• Spain has ended its three-month state of emergency, allowing tourists from the EU and Britain to visit the country during the summer months, a vital period for its economy
  
• US President Donald Trump has told a rally in Oklahoma that he asked officials to slow down testing for Covid-19 because so many cases were being detected
  
• India’s coronavirus cases have jumped by 15,413 to more than 410,000 infections, the biggest daily rise since the epidemic began in the country
  
• The Australian state of Victoria has extended its state of emergency for four weeks, after seeing the biggest spike in cases for more than a month
  
• Serbia will hold Europe’s first national election since the pandemic began on Sunday, as the country goes to the polls to vote in a new parliament
  
• Another 48 new coronavirus cases have been reported in South Korea, where health authorities are struggling to get to grips with an outbreak in the capital, Seoul
  
• American comedian Darryl Lynn Hughley says he tested positive for Covid-19 after collapsing onstage during a performance in Nashville, Tennessee
  

Spain opens up to foreign tourists

Spain is reopening its tourism industry by lifting travel restrictions for foreign visitors from European Union and Schengen zone countries and the UK.
All arriving passengers will have their temperature taken at the airport, submit information on whether they have had the virus, and provide their contact details.
The move comes as Spain marks the end of its three-month state of emergency, allowing free travel across the country. Face masks have to be worn in public spaces where social distancing is not possible.
Spain introduced its lockdown in mid-March as it sought to bring one of the most severe coronavirus outbreaks in Europe under control.
The country has recorded more than 245,000 infections and 28,000 deaths from its coronavirus epidemic to date, among the highest tallies in the world.
Spain normally attracts 80 million tourists a year, with tourism providing more than 12% of the country's GDP.
Opening up the holiday market again before the summer season is over is seen as crucial to the Spanish economy.
Read more here

India reports record daily infections

India has reported 15,413 new coronavirus cases, the biggest daily increase since the start of its epidemic, as the country struggles to grapple with rising infections.
Sunday’s record daily increase brings the total number of cases in India to 410,461, the fourth highest in the world after Russia, Brazil and the US.
A further 306 deaths were reported nationwide on Sunday, taking the total tally to 13,254.
The true numbers of both infections and deaths are thought to be much higher owing to insufficient testing and reporting issues.
Most of the cases are concentrated in the capital Delhi and the states of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu - they account for nearly 60% of all infections.
In an address on Sunday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi advocated the use of yoga exercises to help strengthen “our respiratory and immune system” against the disease.
"If our immunity is strong, it is of great help in defeating this disease”, he said.

Trump told officials to slow down testing

US President Donald Trump has told a rally in Oklahoma that he asked officials to slow down testing for coronavirus because so many cases were being detected in the country.
"Here is the bad part: When you do testing to that extent, you are going to find more people, you will find more cases," he told the cheering crowd. "So I said 'slow the testing down'. They test and they test."
The coronavirus, Trump said, had many names, including "Kung Flu", a xenophobic term that appears to be a reference to China, where Covid-19 originated.
Almost 120,000 people have died with Covid-19 in the US since the pandemic began, a number that health experts say could have been much higher had testing not been ramped up.
Trump’s remarks were later described as a joke by a White House official, who said he was "only kidding".


Video from Al Jazeera

Australian state extends state of emergency

The Australian state of Victoria has extended its state of emergency for four weeks, until 19 July, after seeing the biggest spike in cases for more than a month.
The measure gives authorities legal powers to restrict movement on health grounds.
"It's a timely reminder that in a population that is non-immune to the virus, to Covid-19, that we'll get, from time to time, outbreaks and clusters as we've seen in Victoria," Australia’s deputy chief medical officer Dr Nick Coatsworth said.
The south-eastern state has detected a cluster of new coronavirus infections in recent days. The state premier blamed family-to-family transmission for the spike in new cases.
On Saturday, the state said it would delay the lifting of some lockdown measures and reimpose social-distancing restrictions, including limiting household gatherings.

Labour 'would back dropping' two-metre rule

The Andrew Marr Show
The UK Labour party's Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth has told the BBC's Andrew Marr show that Labour would be prepared to back a dropping the two-metre social distancing rule in England "under certain circumstances".
But he said "other mitigation measures" would need to be in place, such as greater wearing of face masks, more face shields and for the UK's test-and-trace system to be properly up and running.
"We cannot be complacent," he said.
The government is due to announce in the coming week whether the two-metre social distancing rule in England will be relaxed.

Polls open amid pandemic in Serbia

In Europe’s first national election since the pandemic began, parliamentary and local elections are taking place in Serbia, where the populist governing coalition is hoping to strengthen its majority.
Voting is taking place under coronavirus restrictions with people urged to wear face masks and use hand sanitiser after casting their ballots. The country has confirmed nearly 13,000 cases of Covid-19 and 260 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking the disease globally.
The fears of infection may lead to a low turnout. Opposition parties have also called for a boycott, saying President Aleksandar Vucic's firm hold on the media means the vote will be neither free nor fair.
As our Balkans correspondent Guy Delauney reports, his party is hoping to bring Serbia closer to EU membership while maintaining close ties with Russia and China - a balancing act made more difficult by Western pressure for Belgrade to recognise the independence of Kosovo.

Pubs in England may be asked to register customers, Hancock says

Pubs in England may be required to register their customers as part of the coronavirus test-and-trace strategy, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.
"That's the sort of thing we're looking at for how do you make it safe to open things," Hancock told Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday. "And things like wearing a face mask, which reduces the transmission clearly, about how the seating is arranged because face-to-face is much more dangerous than back-to-back and there's more transmission than side to side."
Hancock said other countries had taken a similar approach, mandating bars, nightclubs, restaurants and other venues to register their customers.
South Korea, whose testing regime has been praised internationally, has required "high-risk" facilities such as bars, clubs, gyms, karaoke rooms and concert halls to use smartphone QR codes to register customers.
However, there has been opposition to such methods in other countries on data protection grounds. Earlier this month, a Belgian minister said ordering coffee and restaurant owners to register their customers for contact-tracing purposes would be illegal, the Brussels Times reported.
Hancock said he would not rule out a customer-registration system, but did not elaborate on data protection or the precise details.

'Real vigilance' required to avoid 'large UK second wave'

The Andrew Marr Show
Sir Ian Diamond, the UK's National Statistician, says there has been a "steady decline" in coronavirus cases right across the country, but "not as fast perhaps as many of us would have liked".
He tells the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that "we're moving into a new phase" but that "the virus certainly hasn't gone away".
"We need to move into a period of surveillance and real vigilance to identify any outbreaks and move to get on top of them really quickly," he says.
Prof Diamond says there are still around 3,000 new infections a day, which is a relatively low level, but fresh outbreaks have already occurred in places like Anglesey.
"My own belief is that this virus is going to be with us for a long time. We need to be quick in acting to ensure we don't get a large second wave."
Around 3.5 million people have had Covid-19 or have natural antibodies against the disease, he said.

UK to move to next phase in early July - Hancock

The UK government will announce the next step of its plan to gradually ease the country's lockdown within days, Matt Hancock told the BBC.
The health secretary suggested the government's two-metre social-distancing rule may be relaxed, allowing businesses such as pubs, restaurants and hotels to reopen in early July.
"We're about to see another step in the plan," Hancock told the Andrew Marr Show.
"This week we will announce further details of the measures we can take to relieve some of the national lockdown measures at the start of July, including on 4 July.”
Earlier this morning Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth told the BBC that Labour could support dropping the two-metre rule.
On Saturday Chancellor Rishi Sunak said dropping the rule would "make an enormous difference" to businesses "keen to see a change".

More than 1,000 workers infected at German meat plant

Damien McGuinness - BBC News, Berlin
More than 1,000 employees at the Tönnies meat processing plant in the western German state of North Rhine Westphalia have tested positive for Covid-19. Thousands of workers are still being tested, so that number could rise still further.
More than 7,000 workers and their families have been quarantined in an effort to prevent the virus spreading into local communities.
One German politician says this is the largest outbreak in the EU and the German army has been called in to help.
The outbreak has been blamed on poor working conditions, which are described as cramped and unhygienic, and there are calls for the the company’s meat products to be boycotted. Officials are not ruling out reimposing a lockdown across the region.

Comedian tests positive after collapsing on stage

US comedian and actor Darryl Lynn Hughley has tested positive for Covid-19 after collapsing during a stand-up show in Nashville, Tennessee on Friday night.
Hughley, 57, said he "lost consciousness" during the performance at Zanies Comedy Night Club. He was taken to hospital, where he was treated for extreme exhaustion and dehydration, and released on Saturday.
At the hospital, Hughley said doctors "ran a battery of tests, and I also tested positive for Covid-19, which blew me away".
"I was what they call asymptomatic," he said in a video posted to his Twitter account, meaning he did not exhibit any of the tell-tale signs of being infected with Covid-19.
Footage posted to social media shows Hughkley sliding off his stool. When he falls to the floor, people rush to the stage to help him.
Hughley said he would go to his hotel room to quarantine for 14 days and thanked his fans for wishing him well.

What is a second wave and is one coming?

Coronavirus is far from over. Some countries are still dealing with large epidemics, but even those currently controlling the virus fear "the second wave".
The second phase of Spanish flu a century ago was deadlier than the first.
So, is a second wave inevitable? And how bad could it be?
Find out more

South Korea infections rise

South Korea is the latest country to report a rise in locally transmitted infections after virtually eliminating the coronavirus.
A further 48 cases were confirmed on Sunday, most of which were local infections, as the country tries to curb outbreaks in the capital Seoul and Daejeon, two of the country's largest cities.
The increase brings South Korea's total caseload to 12,421, a relatively low number by international standards. No new deaths were reported, so the total remained 280.
The country has been praised for its aggressive test-and-trace regime, which has been credited with keeping infections down to manageable numbers.
But as the country eased its lockdown in April, clusters of infections began to take root once again in cities.
In late May, authorities had to reimpose some lockdown measures after a spike in cases in Seoul, a city of almost 10 million people. Those restrictions were lifted on 14 June.

UK quarantine rules completely useless, says leading scientist

Naomi Grimley, BBC News

Prof Piot is credited with helping discover Ebola

One of the UK's leading scientists has deemed the quarantine measures for anyone arriving in the country "completely useless".
Prof Peter Piot, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the UK rules - which see new arrivals or those returning from abroad quarantined for 14 days - should be dropped "as soon as possible".
The world-famous scientist, acclaimed for his work on Ebola and HIV/Aids, said the quarantine policy would only have made sense at the start of the pandemic, when case numbers were low. The measure will be reviewed in late June.
He also argued that the current two-metre social-distancing rule gives people a "false sense of security" and that greater mandatory mask-wearing in public could be more useful.
The professor suggested Prime Minister Boris Johnson should appoint a Covid-19 "tsar" to co-ordinate policies across government, adding that so far the logistical response to the crisis had "not been done very well".

Why some guide dogs might have forgotten their skills

New one-way systems may confuse guide dogs not familiar with the route

If there's one type of access worker that does not always follow the rules, it is guide dogs. So has pawsing their usual routine for three months meant they have lost vital skills?
Pete Osborne from the UK charity Guide Dogs says while his guide dog has enjoyed playing at home, he is confident that older dogs will not forget their training. Recently-qualified dogs, however, may forget some skills.
Owners should "keep things as normal as possible when exercising" to keep skill levels up, he says.
Some transport hubs are adapting their layouts to include one-way systems. So Pete says guide dog owners should ask about any such changes before trying the journey out, because "if your dog's not familiar with it they can lose confidence".

Kyrgyzstan mulls state of emergency measures

Kyrgyzstan's government has said it will decide today whether to declare a state of emergency in the capital, Bishkek, and other regions of the country due to a renewed coronavirus outbreak.
Deputy Health Minister Madamin Karataev told reporters that "all factors need to be taken into account".
The central Asian country issued a state of emergency earlier this year, ending in May, which led to lockdowns and curfews in several cities.
Nearly 4,000 infections have been confirmed in Kyrgyzstan since its outbreak began - the majority of them in Bishkek.

UK antibody testing 'not very meaningful'

A group of scientists and doctors has written to the British Medical Journal to express concern about the roll-out of coronavirus antibody tests for medial staff.
The tests - which can show if someone has had the virus in the past - could burden the National Health Service, they say.
University of Nottingham virologist Will Irving told the BBC: “Laboratories are being asked to test healthcare workers in very large numbers at short notice seven days a week...
"The results of tests on these samples are not very meaningful: if a test comes back as antibody-positive it tells us an individual has been infected but it doesn’t tell us for sure that person is protected against further infection or, if there is protection, how long that might last.
"We don’t know what leads to immunity and the way antibody tests are being rolled out is taking up huge resources to produce results that do not alter behaviour or management of a patient.”

Royal Mail to cut 2,000 jobs

Royal Mail is to cut 2,000 management jobs as is struggles to deal with the effects of the coronavirus crisis.
The postal service had already been in serious financial difficulties before the pandemic, and saw a sharp fall in letter volumes after the UK introduced lockdown measures on 23 March.
Royal Mail has also faced criticism from its own staff over alleged shortages of gloves, masks and hand sanitiser during the UK's outbreak.

Brothels and local outbreaks – the latest from Europe

Prostitution is allowed in Austria again as Spain deals with another spike in cases. Here’s the latest from Europe:

• Austria is reopening its brothels from 1 July, the latest European country to make the move – Greece reopened its brothels last Monday with strict social distancing and hygiene rules. The sex industry has been hit hard by the pandemic, and workers fear for their health and livelihoods
  
• Lockdown restrictions are back in four districts of north-east Spain after an outbreak of the virus among fruit pickers
  
• Growing case numbers in the Balkans have forced Croatia, the EU's newest member, to reimpose a 14-day quarantine on arrivals from Bosnia, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia
  
• Belgium is further easing its restrictions on Thursday, reopening swimming pools and cinemas and extending the size of a social bubble from 10 to 15
  
• French Guiana, one of France's overseas territories located in South America, is experiencing a marked increase in cases. Annick Girardin, the Minister of Overseas France, warned lockdown measures could be brought back “if the signs of an acceleration of the virus persist”
  

Human trial of new vaccine begins in UK

About 300 volunteers are being injected with a Covid-19 vaccine over the coming weeks, as part of a trial led by Prof Robin Shattock and his colleagues at Imperial College London.

Secret Service agents quarantined after Trump rally

Many Secret Service agents who attended President Trump's rally in Oklahoma last weekend have been quarantined as a precaution after some tested positive for coronavirus, US media report.
The story was first reported by the Washington Post, and an unnamed law enforcement official told CNN that the number of those in quarantine was in the "low" dozens.
Before the event, the president’s campaign team said six staffers - including two Secret Service agents - had tested positive after travelling to Tulsa, where the rally was held. Another two staffers tested positive afterwards.
An unnamed source told CNN that the recent decision to quarantine Secret Service agents was made after two tested positive - but it is unclear if they are the same pair whose infections were confirmed before the rally.
President Trump drew criticism after going ahead with the election rally despite rising cases in Oklahoma. Attendees were given temperature checks and hand sanitiser, but were not required to wear masks.
The campaign said it had received a million ticket requests, but only 6,200 people turned up at the 19,200-seat stadium.

Greece eager to welcome UK tourists

The UK government is seeking to agree travel corridors or “air bridges” with European countries with low infection rates, so travellers can avoid quarantine requirements.
At present, people arriving in the UK, including Britons returning home, must quarantine for 14 days.
Greek Tourism Minister Haris Theoharis says he hopes an announcement “in the next few days” will allow tourists to travel freely between the UK and Greece from 1 July, as the popular holiday destination eases its border restrictions.
He told the BBC: “Greece is a safe country. We’ve proven that during this crisis and we feel that the risk of someone contracting the disease in Greece is much lower than in the rest of Europe and indeed the rest of the world.
“In the first few days that we have opened our borders we have had very few cases being imported to our country so this is a welcome sign, a good sign that we are not unduly increasing the risk."

France's Eiffel Tower reopens

France's iconic Eiffel Tower has opened again to guests after its longest closure since World War Two.
But the Paris monument isn't returning to normal operations just yet. Visitor numbers will be limited, face coverings mandatory for anyone aged over 11, and everywhere above the second floor will be closed to the public.
To soak in the sights of the capital, guests will also have to use the stairs since lifts are out of use until 1 July.
The tower, completed in 1889, hosts around seven million visitors every year - approximately three-quarters of them from abroad - according to its website.

Alarm at crowded beaches as heatwave hits UK

As the UK looks forward to another day of temperatures over 30C (86F) in some places, images of packed beaches have been raising concerns about the risk of spreading Covid-19.
Tobias Ellwood, MP for Bournemouth East in southern England, warns that the 2m (6ft) social distancing rule is still in place until 4 July and says that if the UK is to avoid a "second spike" people need to act responsibly when visiting places such as beaches.
"What we saw on Bournemouth beach was completely irresponsible," he said.
Meanwhile, Vikki Slade, leader of Bournemouth Council, pleaded yesterday for visitors to stay away until tourist facilities open early next month.

Huge crowds flocked to Bournemouth beach on the south coast of England as temperatures exceeded 30C


But other images of the same beach suggested people were trying to keep their distance


Signs at Margate beach in Kent asked visitors to stay 2m apart from other groups

Hong Kong records seventh Covid-19 death

Hong Kong has recorded another Covid-19 death, taking its total to seven.
The 55-year-old man, who returned from the Philippines on Tuesday, suffered a stroke last month, tested positive on his return, and died after complications, the South China Morning Post reported. The city, which is a special administrative region of China, has largely kept the virus at bay, with just 1,179 confirmed cases.

Antibody tests not wasteful, UK adviser insists

A leading immunologist has defended the UK's use of antibody tests, following criticism that they waste resources.
Prof Sir John Bell from Oxford University, who has advised the government on the tests, said the 14 academics quoted in a letter to the British Medical Journal had “underestimated” their value.
He told the BBC: “We do need to know how many people out there have been infected and the only way to do that is antibody testing."
The information could be used by hospitals to manage their workforce and understand who had been affected by the virus, and to change the course of the epidemic by changing behaviour, he suggested.
But he acknowledged that it could not justify "immunity passports" for people who test positive. “You can’t advise an individual that they’re protected from the disease because we don’t have that data at the moment," he said.

'Communist dictatorship orders' - Florida residents argue against masks

Before holding a vote this week on wearing masks in public places, Palm Beach County commissioners in Florida heard from residents.
Some accused the officials of obeying the devil, imposing a communist dictatorship, or dishonouring the American flag. Others backed the measure.
Despite the dissent, the measure was approved, and comes into force on Thursday.

'Mass closure' warning for UK nurseries

Nursery schools in England have warned they are facing huge losses that could force "mass closures" because of coronavirus restrictions.
It could leave parents struggling to find childcare when they return to the workplace as lockdown restrictions ease.
Childcare providers were ordered to close until 1 June, but since then have only been able to operate at 37% of capacity, an analysis for the Early Years Alliance revealed.
There are predicted to be significant shortfalls if parents start to send their children back in greater numbers.
"Unless urgent action is taken, we are going to see many, many more settings forced to close their doors over the coming months," said the alliance's chief executive Neil Leitch.

New laws to ease drinking rules in England and Wales

Pubs and restaurants will more easily be able to turn pavements, terraces and even car parks into outdoor eating and drinking areas under proposals to boost the hospitality industry in England and Wales.
Under temporary laws, businesses would be able to apply for "pavement licences" more easily so they could put tables and chairs outside their premises.
Outdoor markets and summer fairs will also no longer need planning permission as rules are relaxed.
The government says it will make socialising safely outdoors easier when the hospitality industry reopens, which it is due to do in England from 4 July.
However, no date has yet been set for when pubs can reopen in Wales. It is the only one of the UK nations without a planned reopening date for the pub trade.

An MP's answer to social distancing in pubs? Very long glasses

A yard of ale could be used to keep fellow drinkers at bay, suggests Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg

With pubs in England due to reopen on 4 July, there have been plenty of concerns about how drinkers will maintain social distancing.
But Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg has an idea. He suggested pub-goers should "go back to drinking a yard of ale" – a traditional tall glass containing 2.5 pints (1.4 litres) and nowadays most associated with student drinking games.
Asked what could be done to support the reopening of pubs, the Leader of the House of Commons said: "If they drink a yard of ale they will maintain social distancing while enjoying an extra large drink to celebrate the fact that they are back in the pub.”
Social distancing rules are being reduced on the same date pubs reopen - to one metre, or just over a yard.
Read the full story

Can't say for sure we'll get a vaccine - WHO chief

There is no guarantee that scientists will be able to develop an effective vaccine against Covid-19, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.
Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus told the EU Parliament's health committee on Thursday that even if a vaccine was developed, it would probably not be available for at least a year.
"It would be very difficult to say for sure that we will have a vaccine," Dr Tedros told EU lawmakers via video link.
"We never had a vaccine for a coronavirus. So this will be, when discovered, hoping that it will be discovered, it will be the first one."
Vaccines help the body's immune system to recognise and fight pathogens like viruses. They are considered one of the most effective ways to prevent diseases such as Covid-19 from spreading, as they help communities build up immunity.
More than 100 trials of possible vaccines are under way across the world, including a human study led by Imperial College London in the UK.
Read more: How close to developing a vaccine are we?

Antibodies found in over 40% of Austrian ski resort's residents

More than 40% of residents in Ischgl, an Austrian ski resort village that was once at the heart of Europe’s coronavirus outbreak, have developed antibodies against Covid-19, a study has found.
Thousands of people, many of them European tourists, were infected there in early March.
Researchers from the Medical University of Innsbruck conducted antibody tests on 1,473 people, about 79% of Ischgl's population.
The study found that 42.4% of those tested had antibodies for Covid-19.
Antibodies are tiny proteins that our immune systems produce in response to bacteria and viruses.
The director of the university's Institute of Virology, Dorothee von Laer, said Ischgl had the highest prevalence of antibodies “ever proven in a study”.
“Even though at that rate herd immunity cannot be assumed, Ischgl's population should be protected [from the virus] to a large extent," she said.
Austria has recorded more than 17,000 infections and almost 700 deaths to date, both relatively low numbers compared to its European neighbours.
Read more: Ischgl resort at heart of Europe’s outbreak reopens

New York City on track to reopen bars and salons

New York City is on track to enter its third phase of reopening by 6 July, Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced.
The city only entered phase two this week, but a number of regions elsewhere in the state are moving into the final phase of reopening on Friday.
“The data is telling us ‘yes’ right now, so we want to start getting people ready for it,” de Blasio told reporters.
When the city enters phase three, outdoor athletic facilities like basketball and tennis courts will reopen. Restaurants will be allowed to have indoor dining at 50% capacity, and bars will also be allowed to operate as long as social distancing can be followed. Personal care businesses like nail salons will also be allowed to open.
The city saw thousands of deaths due to the virus, but now has one of the lowest transmission rates in the country.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Thursday that the state had fewer than 1,000 people sent to hospital over the virus for the first time since mid-March.
On Wednesday Cuomo, along with the governors of neighbouring New Jersey and Connecticut, enacted a mandatory 14-day quarantine order for anyone visiting the region from hotspot states, like Florida, North Carolina and Texas.

Trump to visit New Jersey but won't quarantine

US President Donald Trump is to visit his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, this weekend, but the White House says he won't be following a regional travel advisory requiring visitors from hotspots to self-quarantine for 14 days.
On Tuesday Trump visited Arizona - a state experiencing a rise in Covid-19 cases that's on New Jersey's quarantine-needed list.
The quarantine requirement was announced by the governors of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut on Wednesday.
"The President of the United States is not a civilian," spokesman Judd Deere said, adding that anyone who is in close proximity to the president gets tested.
Deere said the White House had ensured Trump did not come into contact with symptomatic or untested individuals during his Arizona trip.
"Anyone travelling in support of the president this weekend will be closely monitored for symptoms and tested for Covid and therefore pose little to no risk to the local populations," he said.

Virginia votes to create work safety rules

Elsewhere in the US, Virginia has become the first state in the country to start creating new Covid-19 safety rules for the workplace.
Employers may soon be required to bar any employees with virus symptoms from coming to work, notify staff of potentially infected co-workers within 24 hours, and practice social distancing.
Some companies have already opposed the new rules, saying they will add to the burdens on a struggling business community.
A 14-member health and safety board voted 9-3 to move forward with finalising the rules on Wednesday, the Washington Post reported.

Michael Rosen was told he 'might not wake up' from Covid-19

Author Michael Rosen has told the BBC that doctors warned him he "might not wake up" while he was being treated for Covid-19.
The former Children's Laureate, 74, spent three months in hospital - 47 days of which were on a ventilator - after contracting coronavirus in March.
He told the BBC that at one point doctors "handed me a piece of paper and said you've got a 50/50 chance".
The We're Going On A Bear Hunt writer is now recovering at home with his wife, radio producer Emma-Louise Williams.

Chinese military to get coronavirus vaccine

Michelle Roberts - Health editor, BBC News online
An experimental coronavirus vaccine has been approved for use by the Chinese military.
The Ad5-nCoV vaccine is one of 150 being investigated around the world to see if immunisation can protect people against the pandemic virus by teaching the body to recognise and fight off the disease.
This particular jab, developed by Can Sino Biologics and the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology in the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, was the first one to enter a clinical trial with human volunteers.
That study, involving 108 adults, found the vaccine was safe and appeared to generate a response by the body’s immune system, The Lancet medical journal reported in late May.  It’s unclear whether this means people who get the vaccine will then have immunity against coronavirus.
Giving it to military staff could help scientists answer this vital question. No vaccine has yet been approved for widespread commercial use against coronavirus.

Klopp urges Liverpool fans to wait to celebrate

Liverpool fans must wait until "the time is right" to celebrate the club's first Premier League title together, says manager Jurgen Klopp.
Thousands of people celebrated on the city's waterfront on Friday, despite restrictions on gatherings because
of the coronavirus pandemic.
Firefighters extinguished a small fire at the Liver Building and 34 people were injured, three seriously.
Klopp said he "did not love" the scenes at Pier Head.

Georgia breaks record in new cases

For the third day in a row, the US state of Georgia has broken its record for new coronavirus cases in a single day.
On Sunday, the state reported 2,225 confirmed cases - topping 2,000 for the first time.
Georgia was among the most aggressive states to reopen, lifting its shelter-at-home order on 30 April, and allowing customers to return to barbershops, salons, bars and restaurants.
But since then it has seen a persistent uptick in new cases.
Georgia has now recorded more than 77,000 cases and 2,778 deaths.

Penalty fines for missing school next term

Sean Coughlan - BBC Education correspondent
Parents in England who do not send their children back to school in September will face fines, says the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson.
"Unless there's a good reason for absence… we'd be imposing fines on families," he said.
But head teachers said fining parents was not the "right approach" at first.
"There will be many frightened and anxious parents out there," said Geoff Barton, leader of the ASCL head teachers' union.
Read more here

Latest figures for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Scotland has recorded no new deaths from people who have tested positive for coronavirus for a fourth consecutive day, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed.
She said the "recent figures demonstrate, beyond any doubt, how much progress Scotland has made in tackling Covid and that is down to the efforts and sacrifices of everyone across the country."
The death toll for those who have tested positive for Covid-19 remains at 2,482.
Elsewhere, a further 19 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 28,672, NHS England said.
Patients were aged between 60 and 96 years old and all had known underlying health conditions.
In Wales, a further three people have died after testing positive for Covid-19, taking the total number of deaths to 1,507.
One additional death involving Covid-19 has been reported in Northern Ireland, the Department of Health said, bringing the total there to 551.
Separate UK-wide figures will be released by the UK government later today.

US warning on herd immunity

Dr Anthony Fauci, the top disease expert in the US, has warned that the US is "unlikely" to develop herd immunity to the coronavirus once a vaccine is available.
He said this was due to the combination of a vaccine that is only partially effective, and the large number of Americans who will refuse to get it.
Dr Fauci, who leads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he would happily "settle" for a vaccine that is only 70% to 75% effective.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), herd immunity is reached when "a sufficient proportion of a population is immune to an infectious disease (through vaccination and/or prior illness) to make its spread from person to person unlikely".
Last week, Fauci predicted that a Covid-19 vaccination would be available by early 2021.

Analysis: Data can't show what is behind Leicester 'surge'

We have been reporting today on the news that pubs and restaurants in Leicester may stay closed for two more weeks due to an apparent surge in coronavirus cases.
But the BBC's head of statistics, Robert Cuffe, said it was not possible to tell from testing data what was behind this apparent increase in cases - a rise in infections or simply more testing.
He said the government's official testing statistics missed the "spike".
Figures released by Leicester Council on Sunday showed there have been 2,987 positive cases in Leicester since the pandemic began, with 866 of those - 29% - reported in the two weeks to 23 June.
The government's own figures - which did not include commercial tests and had come from testing done largely in hospitals and on health workers - had recorded around 1,000 cases, with an increase in the last two weeks of about 8%.
In Bradford, Rochdale and Barnsley, there has also been a higher level of cases than the rest of the UK in recent weeks when all kinds of testing are included, he said.
"If you're living in any of those places you want to know - is it more testing - what's really happening here? But we don't have the information available to us to tell that."

UK reports 25 further deaths

A further 25 people have died with coronavirus in the UK, across all settings.
The number of deaths announced are often lower on Mondays due to reporting lags over the weekend.
Last Monday, for example, the number fell as low as 15 - the lowest figure since lockdown began.

Summary for Tuesday, 30th June

• As cases soar in the US, more states decide to halt easing lockdown measures
  
• Arizona abruptly reverses course on reopening its economy as coronavirus cases spike there and nationwide
  
• With July 4 celebrations approaching, Texas and parts of California also direct bars to close again
  
• The EU names 14 countries whose citizens can enter from 1 July, but the US, Brazil and China are excluded
  
• A new strain of flu that has the potential to become a pandemic has been identified in China
  
• Stricter lockdown measures have been announced in the British city of Leicester because of a rise in cases
  
• Globally there are 10.2m cases and there have been more than 504,000 virus-linked deaths
  

Hello and welcome to today’s rolling coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
Six months since the virus was first reported to the WHO by China, it has claimed at least half a million lives. There have been more than 10 million reported cases worldwide. In several places, restrictions on movements that were being lifted are being put back in place causing further economic anxiety.
As ever this page will bring you all the latest developments from around the world and analysis from our correspondents and other experts, as well as advice on how you can protect yourself and others.

Arizona reverses course on reopening

The US state of Arizona is one of the US states reversing course on reopening its economy due to a spike in cases.
The state’s governor has ordered the closure of bars, nightclubs, gyms, cinemas and water parks. The directive will last until at least 27 July and also prohibits gatherings of more than 50 people.
Governor Doug Ducey warned: “We’re not going back to normal any time soon”.
It comes after the state set a single-day record for new coronavirus cases on Sunday at 3,858.
Read more here

EU reveals 14 countries deemed to be 'safe'

The European Union (EU) has revealed 14 countries whose citizens are deemed “safe” to be let in from 1 July.
Those on the list include Australia, Japan and South Korea.
However the US, Brazil and China are excluded from the list. Diplomats say that the EU is ready to add China if the government offers a reciprocal deal for EU travellers.
The EU procedure to formalise the list, and criteria by which countries are judged safe or not, are to be finalised by midday on Tuesday.
Read more here

New flu with pandemic potential found in China

Scientists in China have identified a new strain of flu that has the potential to become a pandemic.
It emerged recently and is carried by pigs, but can infect humans, they say.
Researchers are concerned that it could mutate further so that it could spread easily from person to person.
While it is not an immediate problem, they say, it has "all the hallmarks" of being highly adapted to infect humans and needs close monitoring.
As it’s new, people could have little or no immunity to the virus.
Read more about the new discovery here

WHO warns worst could still be to come

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned the worst could still be to come in the Covid-19 pandemic.
WHO leader Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned the virus would infect many more people if governments did not start to implement the right policies.
He said his message remains "Test, Trace, Isolate and Quarantine".
More than 10 million cases have been recorded and 500,000 people have died since the coronavirus emerged in China last year.
The virus is now spreading rapidly in Latin America and is also badly affecting South Asia and Africa.
Read more about the warning from the WHO here

Australian states lock out Victorians

South Australia and Queensland have cancelled plans to open their state borders to all Australians as an outbreak in Victoria gathers pace.
Victoria has recorded double-digit increases in infections each day for two weeks, including 64 in the past 24 hours.
The cases - concentrated in several areas of Melbourne - have become Australia's biggest concern in almost three months.
Fears are growing that the outbreak could spread to other states, all of which have far fewer or no infections.
In announcements today, South Australia cancelled plans to fully reopen its borders on 20 July, while Queensland said it would open on 10 July but not to Victorians.
Though her state remains open, New South Wales Gladys Berejiklian told locals today: "Do not allow anyone from a hotspot in Melbourne or from greater Melbourne to come into your home - you have the right to say no."
Australia has had more than 7,500 cases in total and 104 deaths.

Two India states lock down as cases rise

More on those lockdowns coming back in around the world.
India has officially entered the second part of its "unlocking" phase but two states on Monday announced that they were locking down again.
Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra have become the latest to go back into lockdown mode as the entire country battles against rising infections. The two states will be in lockdown until 31 July, officials said.
A few other states like West Bengal, Jharkhand, Nagaland and Assam have already announced lockdown measures.
States across India have been on high alert as cases appear to be growing at an alarming rate. According to local media, the country added around 100,000 new infections in just the past week. Daily infection spikes have been on the rise too - with nearly every other day's count a new record.
More than 18,000 fresh cases were reported in the last 24 hours in India, taking the total tally to over 565,000 including 16,893 deaths.

UK PM to announce £5bn infrastructure scheme

The UK PM Boris Johnson is expected to announce plans to "bring forward" £5bn ($6.1bn) of spending on infrastructure to boost the economy.
Johnson will be in the West Midlands on Tuesday where his team have said he'll say he wants to use the coronavirus crisis "to tackle this country's great unresolved challenges".
The prime minister's speech comes as BBC analysis found that the UK was the hardest hit of all the G7 major industrialised nations by the virus in the weeks leading up to early June.
In April, the UK economy shrunk by a record 20.4% as a result of the spread of coronavirus and the subsequent lockdown measures.
You can read more about the government's plans here and we'll bring you analysis and reaction through the day.

Virus overwhelms war-ravaged Afghan hospitals

As the coronavirus spreads in Afghanistan, the cracks in the country's healthcare system - already weakened by decades of war - are starting to show, the BBC's Secunder Kermani reports.
Concerns have been raised about the supply of oxygen and other resources to government hospitals. One doctor in Kabul described patients' families having to "fight for oxygen" when cylinders arrived, before bringing it to the intensive care unit themselves.
Another doctor told the BBC even staff members at his private hospital were unable to get their own family members treated.
"A doctor rang and said, 'One of my relatives is having breathing problems, we are sending him to you, please admit him.' I asked him for forgiveness… We couldn't look after his relative, so think what happens to ordinary people who come here?"
Read more from Secunder here: Coronavirus overwhelms Afghanistan’s war-ravaged hospitals

Human trial of India coronavirus vaccine announced

Volunteers in India will be immunised with a new locally made coronavirus vaccine in July.
An unspecified number of people will have the vaccine, as part of a trial by Hyderabad-based firm Bharat Biotech.
Tests in animals suggest the vaccine is safe and triggers an effective immune response.
The trials are among many across the world - there are around 120 vaccine programmes under way. Half a dozen Indian firms are developing vaccines.
This is the first India-made vaccine and developed from a strain of the virus that was isolated locally and weakened under laboratory conditions.

• Click here to read more
  

Lockdown tightened in Leicester as cases rise

Leicester has become the first place in the UK to have tighter lockdown measures reimposed because of a rise in coronavirus cases in the city.
Non-essential shops are to close from today and schools will be closed to most pupils from Thursday.
The reopening of pubs, restaurants and hairdressers - due to take effect across the rest of England from Saturday - will not happen in the city and in surrounding areas.
Leicester City Council said the new "stricter lockdown restrictions" would be in place for "at least two weeks".
Our political editor Laura Kuenssberg says the move is "a reminder that the risk to our health from the coronavirus crisis is neither gone, nor forgotten". Read her full analysis here.

Indian man dies after frantic hospital search

A 52-year-old man has died in the southern Indian city of Bangalore after going to 18 hospitals and calling up 32 more looking for treatment.
The man had complained of breathlessness and was running a high temperature over the weekend.
After nearly 36 hours of visiting and calling up hospitals and pleading with them to admit him, one hospital finally agreed. But before they could take him in for treatment, he died "at the doorstep of the hospital," the man's nephew told the Times of India newspaper.
Even though he was tested, his family are still waiting for the results.
"We don't know whether our uncle was infected with Covid-19 or if we lost him to an atmosphere of fear created by the virus," the nephew said.
Bangalore has been in the news recently as cases have started to climb. A big, metropolitan city, it had managed to avoid the surge of infections being seen in other cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. But this might be changing as it added nearly 1,000 new infections over the weekend.

What's the latest?

Hello and thanks for following our live coverage of the global pandemic. If you're just joining us, here are some of the biggest recent developments:

• More than 10.3m cases of coronavirus have not been confirmed worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of those who's died after contracting the virus has also climbed to over half a million.
  
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged governments to take appropriate steps to contain the virus, warning that the pandemic is speeding up and "the worst is yet to come"
  
• The US continues to be the hardest-hit, with 2.5m infections and 126,000 virus-related deaths. In response, several states are backtracking on the easing of their lockdowns
  
• Human trials of a new vaccine will be taking place in India next month. Hyderabad-based firm Bharat Biotech says tests in animals suggest the vaccine is safe and triggers an effective immune response
  
• Stricter lockdown measures have been announced in Leicester here in the UK because of a rise in coronavirus cases in the city. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said non-essential shops will shut on Tuesday, and schools will close for most pupils on Thursday.
  

South Korea dismisses 'herd immunity' hopes

Laura Bicker - BBC News
Health officials in South Korea have concluded that the idea of a community forming herd immunity from Covid-19 is "wishful thinking".
The Deputy Director of the Korean Centre for Disease Control (KCDC), Kwon Jun-wook, said the organisation had come to that conclusion after analysing both domestic and international data.
South Korea has started antibody tests in random samples of the population to find out the true infection rate within the country. The serology tests will examine the blood of around 6,000 people to find out who has immunity to the virus. These tests will be conducted every two months and will be completed by the end of the year.
So far, in random blood tests of over 1,500 people, officials found that 0.1% of the samples had anti-bodies for Covid-19.
This would suggest that nearly 50,000 people have had coronavirus in South Korea when only 12,800 have so far tested positive for the disease.
The KCDC has emphasised that these are only initial findings and not conclusive at this stage.

UK economy hit worse than first thought

The UK economy shrank more than first thought between January and March, contracting 2.2% in the joint largest fall since 1979, official figures show.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) revised down its previous estimate of a 2% contraction, with all the main economic sectors dropping. There was a significant economic impact in March, as the coronavirus pandemic began to have an effect.
The data comes as the prime minister is set for a major speech on the economy.

Death rate back to normal in the UK

The number of deaths in the UK returned to normal in the week of 19 of June.
There were 10,681 deaths across the UK, eight fewer the five-year-average for that week.
There were 849 Covid-19 registered deaths, which was the lowest since the first week of lockdown.

Cautious optimism as UK death rate 'back to normal'

Robert Cuffe - BBC head of statistics
There were 10,681 deaths registered across the UK in the week of 19th June.
That’s just eight fewer than the average number for that week over the last five years.
When we’ve seen single weeks with thousands of deaths more than would be expected, these is welcome news.


There were still hundreds of Covid-19 deaths during the week - 849 - but that’s the lowest since the first week of lockdown.
There are two notes of caution.
After a mild winter, we had seen fewer deaths than expected by March, so it’s hard to say where we would have been by now without coronavirus.
And when you look back at deaths in countries that are through the first wave, among whom we can start to make early comparisons, the UK features consistently in the hardest hit.

Afghanistan’s war-ravaged hospitals overwhelmed

Secunder Kermani - BBC News
As coronavirus spreads in Afghanistan, the cracks in the country's healthcare system - already weakened by decades of war - are starting to show.
Concerns have been raised about the supply of oxygen and other resources to government hospitals. One doctor in Kabul has described patients' families having to "fight for oxygen" when cylinders arrived, before bringing it to the intensive care unit themselves.
About 31,000 infections have been recorded in Afghanistan to date. Close to half of all tests conducted so far have been positive, one of the highest rates in the world.
Read more here.

Senegal lifts coronavirus state of emergency

Seydina Alioune Djigo - BBC News, Dakar
Senegalese President Macky Sall has said a state of emergency and nighttime curfew imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus will be lifted from Tuesday.
In a televised address, the president also announced the resumption of international flights from 15 July but under stringent safety measures.
The closure of public markets one day per week for cleaning will continue. Wearing face masks remains mandatory in public spaces, workplaces, public transport and shops.
The president is himself under a two-week quarantine after he came into contact with an infected person. His quarantine ends next week.
Senegal has so far confirmed 6,698 cases and 108 deaths.

A recap on the remdesivir buy-up

In case you're just joining us, here's a reminder that the US has secured almost all of the forthcoming global supply of a drug shown to help people recover faster from Covid-19.
Remdesivir is produced by the US firm Gilead Sciences and is the first drug to have been approved by authorities in the US to be used to treat the disease.
The US administration is set to receive 500,000 doses - or 100% of the company's supply production in July, 90% of it in August and 90% in September.
On average, a course of remdesivir requires 6.25 vials.
A statement from the Department of Health and Human services praised President Donald Trump's "amazing deal" with Gilead.

'Hundreds' of five-a-side footballers flout lockdown in Scotland

Chris McLaughlin - BBC Sport Scotland

CCTV footage shows players taking part in full-contact games

Hundreds of people are flouting lockdown rules every week by breaking into five-a-side pitches to play football, BBC Scotland has been told.
The owner of one complex in Glasgow says vandals have burned their way through perimeter netting and even stolen astroturf.
An unofficial tournament featuring up to 50 teams also had to be broken up.
The Scottish government has said lockdown restrictions mean pitches will not reopen until at least 24 July.
But CCTV footage from one football centre shows players taking part in full contact games.
They can then be seen further breaching hygiene and social-distancing rules by shaking hands at the end of their match.
Read more here.

Another 50 people die with coronavirus in England

Another 50 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total to 28,759, NHS England said.
Patients were aged between 52 and 97 years old.
Two patients, aged 52 and 63, had no known underlying health conditions.
No deaths were recorded in the South West region in the latest figures.

Global cases pass 10.5 million

The number of coronavirus infections worldwide has now surpassed 10.5 million.
The US has by far the largest number of confirmed cases of any country, with 2.6 million, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
More than 127,000 people have also died there.
Brazil, meanwhile, has recorded 1.4 million cases and almost 60,000 fatalities.

Immunity may be more widespread than tests suggest

Rachel Schraer - BBC Health Reporter
People testing negative for coronavirus antibodies may still have some immunity, a study has suggested.
For every person testing positive for antibodies, two were found to have specific T-cells which identify and destroy infected cells.
This was seen even in people who had mild or symptomless cases of Covid-19.
But it's not yet clear whether this just protects that individual or if it might also stop them from passing on the infection to others.
Researchers at the Karolinksa Institute in Sweden tested 200 people for both antibodies and T-cells.
Some were blood donors while others were tracked down from the group of people first infected in Sweden, mainly returning from earlier affected areas like northern Italy.
This could mean a wider group have some level of immunity to Covid-19 than antibody testing figures, like those published as part of the UK Office for National Statistics Infection Survey, suggest.
Read more here

Families of children with special needs 'abandoned' during school closures

Families of children with special educational needs feel they have been "utterly abandoned" during school closures, an MPs' committee has been told.
Those with extra educational, physical or emotional needs saw support "fall off a cliff" during the coronavirus.
Risk assessments for Covid-19 were used by some schools to prevent special educational needs and disability (SEND) pupils from attending, the committee heard.
There was also concern national catch-up plans did not mention SEND children.
Ali Fiddy, chief executive of the Independent Provider of Special Education Advice, said her organisation was seeing families who were "very clearly struggling".
There was definitely not enough support being offered for parents, she said, with many families feeling "utterly abandoned".
Children with special needs plans were part of the group of children who were invited to continue schooling.
But, Fiddy said, in some cases the risk assessment process tied to the coronavirus outbreak was being used as an excuse to offer no services and keep pupils out of school.
Read more here

Wigan Athletic go into administration

Wigan Athletic have gone into administration, becoming the first English professional club to do so since the coronavirus pandemic began.
The administrators said the suspension of the Championship season because of the coronavirus pandemic has had a "significant impact on the recent fortunes of the club".
The English Football League has said Wigan will be deducted 12 points. The sanction will be applied at the end of this season if the Latics, 14th in the Championship, finish outside the bottom three after 46 games.
Should Wigan finish in the relegation zone, the penalty will be applied during the 2020-21 season instead.
Wigan have won all three of their league games since the resumption of the Championship season on 20 June.
Read more here

First pantomimes cancelled ahead of make-or-break Christmas

Ian Youngs - Entertainment and Arts Reporter, BBC News
Oh yes it is. Oh no it isn't. The big question facing many theatres at the moment is - is panto season cancelled?
Norwich Theatre Royal became one of the first to call off its pantomime this week, saying the risk was "too great" after three months with no income.
Venues in Buxton and Welwyn Garden City have also cancelled, while Leicester Curve has scrapped its festive musical.
Pantos are crucial to theatre earnings, and this Christmas could prove to be make or break for some venues' futures.
Conservative MP Giles Watling, a former actor and panto dame, warned of the impact if festive shows are scrapped. "I think many provincial theatres will go to the wall, frankly, because that's the time they can make the money," he told BBC News.
"It puts money in the coffers to support the rest of the cultural offer. I can see massive problems ahead if something isn't done and soon."
Read more here.

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Catch up on the day's developments

That brings our updates on the global coronavirus picture to a close for the day.
Here are the main updates you need to know about this evening.

• In the UK, at least 11,000 people are set to lose their jobs after multiple firms announced cuts over the past 48 hours. They're mainly in aviation and High Street retailers
  
• The US is buying nearly all the next three months' projected production of Covid-19 treatment remdesivir from US manufacturer Gilead. While the drug cuts recovery times, according to tests, it's not clear if it improves survival rates
  
• Local authorities in the UK are to be given access to postcode-level data about the number of people testing positive for coronavirus in their areas after it was agreed with the Department of Health. It comes after Leicester became the first city to enter a local lockdown
  
• Uganda has opened part of its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo to allow in thousands of people who fled their homes in May after clashes. They were previously unable to cross into Uganda because the country closed its borders to control the spread of coronavirus
  
• The UK must "prepare for the worst" this winter, instead of relying on the development of a successful coronavirus vaccine, Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at Oxford University, has told MPs
  
• People testing negative for coronavirus antibodies may still have some immunity, according to a Swedish study
  

Scroll up for more on what's been going on this Wednesday.
And while the live updates are coming to an end, our colleagues around the world will continue to keep you up to date on our main stories.

Summary for Friday, 3rd July

• People arriving in England from dozens of nations will no longer need to quarantine from 10 July
  
• A full list of 'low risk' countries is set to be published on Friday but will include France, Spain and Germany
  
• UK PM Boris Johnson will urge the public to act responsibly ahead of lockdown being eased
  
• The governor of Texas has ordered face coverings to be worn in public as virus cases rocket
  
• With 53,000 new cases recorded on Thursday, the US set a new one-day record for new infections
  
• Globally there are 10.8m virus cases and there have been more than 520,000 deaths
  

Hello and welcome back to our rolling coverage of the coronavirus outbreak. Here's a quick glance at the latest headlines:

• People arriving in England from dozens of countries will no longer need to go into self-quarantine from 10 July. A full list of these "low-risk" countries is set to be published later today
  
• Over in the US, the governor of Texas has issued an order requiring residents to wear a face-covering in public spaces. It comes as the state marks record numbers of new infections - seeing more than 8,000 cases on Wednesday alone
  
• And it's not just Texas. The US has now reported its largest single-day jump in new cases since the start of the pandemic - with more than 53,000 reported on Thursday
  
• Globally, more than 10.8 million people have been infected with the virus and more than 520,000 people have died as a result of it
  

England scraps quarantine for 'low-risk' countries

People arriving in England from countries including France, Spain, Germany and Italy will no longer need to quarantine from 10 July, the Department for Transport (DTF) has confirmed.
A full list of exempt countries posing "a reduced risk" from coronavirus will be published later today.
About 60 countries are expected to be included on this list, according to BBC Newsnight's political editor Nick Watt.
Currently, most people arriving into the UK from anywhere, apart from the Republic of Ireland, have to self-isolate for two weeks.
Ministers have been under pressure to ease quarantine measures because of the impact on the travel industry, and a number of holiday companies and airlines had been urging the government to drop the arrangement.
The list of exempted countries will be kept "under constant review", so that if the health risks increase, self-isolation measures can be re-introduced, said the DTF.
Read more here

Delivery driver interview praised in China

Kerry Allen - BBC Monitoring, Chinese Media Analyst
Beijing broadcaster BTV has been praised for taking the stigma out of having Covid-19 by showing an interview with a delivery driver surnamed Kong, who tested positive in late June.
Today, he has been cured and discharged from hospital. But last month, there was huge concern when he contracted the virus, given that he was delivering food to around 50 people a day.
After he tested positive, Global Times reported that more than 104,000 other delivery personnel were ordered to be tested.
But seeing him today, speaking of how he “was worried that he had harmed everyone”, has got Chinese netizens commenting on how they should feel more grateful about front-line workers, and that he shouldn’t feel guilty.
He is the third patient to be discharged in Beijing; more than 329 people have so far tested positive in the city since one individual case on 11 June.

Texas mandates face masks as cases surge

The governor of Texas has ordered face-coverings to be worn in public as virus cases in the state continue to rocket.
The directive applies to counties with 20 or more Covid-19 cases - which covers most of the 254 counties in Texas.
Texas hit a record of more than 8,000 cases on Wednesday alone - up from about 2,400 two weeks ago.
It was one of the states that had initially led the charge in loosening lockdown measures. Its governor Greg Abbott had allowed his initial stay-at-home order to expire on 30 April.
But as the virus surged, he began to walk back on this - ordering all bars shut last week and cutting restaurant capacity.
Mr Abbott had initially resisted a state-wide order on masks, going so far as to ban local governments from requiring facial coverings.
Read more about the situation in Texas here

Tokyo cases top 100 again

The number of virus cases in the capital city of Japan has topped 100 for the second straight day, worrying health authorities.
Tokyo reported 124 cases on Friday, according to local media reports - the highest daily tally since a national state of emergency was lifted in late May.
There is now growing concern about a resurgence in the capital - the city's governor said infections could be seen in many places such as "households, workplaces and elderly care facilities".
According to the Japan Times, many of the recent cases are people in their 20s and 30s who have visited nightlife areas in the capital.

What's gone wrong in Melbourne?

Australia has been a relative success story but an outbreak in Melbourne is at a "critical stage", experts say.
Infections have surged in the past few weeks - there are now 482 active cases in the state of Victoria.
The numbers remain below Australia's March peak, but what's concerning now is that most cases are being spread locally rather than by people arriving from overseas.
In every other state, the virus has been dramatically slowed or eradicated. So what's gone wrong in Victoria?
We've put together this explainer on five of the key reasons.

Could 'immunity passports' work?

It is a concept that would have been unthinkable months ago - but it is something some governments around the world are now considering.
We are talking about "immunity passports" - a document that would certify that you have had coronavirus and will not carry or contract the disease again. This could potentially open a way out of lockdown restrictions for the holder.
But will it create a niche group of antibody-carrying people that can date, travel and work as they wish - while others are still limited by health precautions?
One psychology professor says such a concept could create "a mutli-tier society and increase levels of discrimination and inequity".
Read more about the idea.

North Korea's handling of virus a 'shining success'

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has praised his country's handling of the coronavirus, calling it a "shining success".
In a politburo meeting, he said the country had "maintained a stable situation and prevented the inroad of the malignant virus".
But he added that the country still needed to stay on "maximum alert... without relaxation on the anti-epidemic front".
North Korea maintains that it has zero virus cases - though mosts analysts say this is unlikely.
However, the country did act quickly against the virus, closing its borders and putting thousands into quarantine from as early as January.
More on North Korea's handling of the virus here

Protest, rally or eating out - Where is riskier?

Many US states have started the process of reopening, which means larger numbers of people are venturing out to attend protests, rallies, or dine at a restaurant.
Dr Georges Benjamin, the Executive Director at the American Public Health Association, breaks down the risks.
Video journalist: Cody Melissa Godwin. Senior producer: Phoebe Frieze.