by Summary for Tuesday, 12th May
Hello and welcome back to our rolling coverage of the coronavirus outbreak. We're writing to you from Singapore this morning, and will be joined by our colleagues across Asia and London later on today. Here's a quick look at what's happened overnight:
Staff have been told to cover their faces at all times except when seated at their desks, socially distant from colleagues.
But Trump said he did not need to follow the rule because he kept "far away from everyone".
He added that the White House was "doing a good job containing [the virus]".
Three members of the White House virus task force, including top medical officer Dr Anthony Fauci, have gone into self-isolation for two weeks after possible exposure to the virus.
"I think wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, dictators, kings, queens... I don't see it for myself," he said.
The White House has since made staff wear masks in the West Wing - though Trump says they are unnecessary for him as he keeps his distance from others.
The new spike comes after the government began relaxing social distancing rules - and shows just how difficult it is to control infections after returning to normal life.
Authorities have now delayed this week's planned re-opening of schools.
South Korea, through extensive testing and contact tracing, had managed to bring daily cases down to single digits without enforcing a national lockdown.
But contact tracing the new cluster is made more difficult by the fact that some of the clubs draw in customers from the gay community.
Some guests are thought to provide false names or numbers when entering, as homophobia remains widespread in South Korea. Health officials are now offering anonymous tests.
There were also no additional deaths, leaving the death toll at 21. Two people remain in hospital, although neither of them is in intensive care.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is further easing restrictions this week, opening retail shops, cinemas, playgrounds and gyms - although social distancing rules remain in place.
Schools will resume normal classes on 18 May, while bars will be allowed to open on 21 May.
But a lack of adhering to 1.5m physical distancing rules has raised concerns.
Brisbane shopper Richard Low described the rush as similar to "Christmas crowds".
In normal times, the budget would be delivered today. Instead Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will deliver an economic forecast to parliament. Already we know the pandemic is costing A$4bn (£2bn; $2.5bn) a week, and the unemployment rate is expected to double to 10%.
But in good news on the health front, New South Wales has recorded no new cases for the first time - a milestone for the most populous state which has seen 45% of Australia's 6,900 cases.
Restaurants there will re-open by the end of the week, while students went back to school yesterday. Neighbouring Victoria - which has been more cautious - has announced its schools will reopen from 26 May.
"The young population under 45 years old are physically healthy and they have high mobility," said Doni Monardo.
"If they are exposed [to the coronavirus], they might not get sick because they show no symptoms."
According to a Jakarta Post report, at least 2.8 million people in Indonesia have lost their jobs.
But it's not clear what prevention methods are in place to stop young people spreading the virus to older family members - in Asia, it's common for several generations of a family to live together.
The country has 14,625 cases with 991 fatalities, said the paper.
The country's National Health Commission said the new case in Inner Mongolia was imported.
China reported 17 new cases on Monday - five in Wuhan, the city where the virus first emerged last year - triggering fears of a second wave.
Prior to the new cluster, Wuhan had seen no new cases for over a month.
There were 830 deaths in the past 24 hours, slightly higher than the 776 of the previous day.
In terms of confirmed infections, the US has seen 1,347,88 positive tests - 16 times more than China, where the virus emerged.
At the time, Nathan Cleary - who's a star player for the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League (NRL) - claimed the women were only at his place for 10 minutes while they waited for an Uber. Still, he was fined $10,000 (some of it suspended) by the sport's regulators for breaching the rules.
The next day, two videos surfaced on TikTok showing the player attempting group dances with the girls. The NRL swung into action again, penalising Cleary and his housemate Tyrone May, a Panthers teammate.
Cleary has now been given a $30,000 fine (US$19,300; £15,700) and a two-match ban.
"[We] allege that the players were untruthful in relation to material matters," said the NRL on Monday, adding the players would get a chance to appeal.
This is just the latest incident of Australian rugby players breaking the rules - and not a good look as the league lobbies government to allow the sport to resume at the end of May.
"Whoever is sedentary at home is increasing their cholesterol levels, stress... if they could go to a gym - they will have a healthier life," declared the president, who has said the virus is nothing more than "a weak case of the flu".
Critics have called Bolsonaro the biggest threat to the virus in Brazil - the president has repeatedly clashed with state governors who have imposed lockdowns.
He also joined an anti-lockdown rally where he was seen coughing without covering his mouth.
But Bolsonaro's declaration might have no practical effect - Brazil's Supreme Court earlier ruled that the power to implement such measures lies exclusively with state governors.
Some 11,625 have died of the virus in Brazil, with over 169,000 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The businesses include hairdressers, cake shops and laundry services. Staff and visitors have to check in and out using a government app to allow contact tracing.
Singapore was initially praised for controlling the virus, but then introduced a lockdown after a massive outbreak among its low-paid migrant workforce. The city state now has more 23,000 cases - the highest number in South East Asia.
The overwhelming majority of new infections are among the foreign workers' dormitories. Of the latest 486 cases, only three were outside those tightly-packed living spaces.
Despite the slight easing of the lockdown, Singapore continues to enforce social distancing. There's even a "robot dog" monitoring traffic density and broadcasting social distancing reminders.
The country has seen nearly 70,000 cases in total - including more than 20,000 patients who have recovered or been discharged, as well as 2,206 who have died.
Infections have been steadily climbing, with almost 8,000 new cases reported in the last two days.
India is past the half-way mark in its third lockdown, which is set to end on 17 May. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a six-hour-long meeting with various chief ministers on Monday, where many expressed a desire to ease rules - while saying the lockdown shouldn't be lifted entirely.
With services shut for nearly two months, it's no surprise that tickets sold quickly - around 30,000 were bought within three hours, the Times of India newspaper reported.
On Tuesday, trains will depart the capital, Delhi, to go to 15 cities, including Bangalore, Mumbai and Chennai. Passengers must wear masks, not exhibit any symptoms, and maintain social distance.
Earlier this month, the government also organised special trains for stranded migrant workers who wanted to return home.
Officials told local media that more than 500 of these trains have transported 600,000 migrant workers since the start of May.
The latest data is a marked increase over the previous day's 357 new cases. Germany has begun lifting its lockdown and is nervously eyeing the daily increase for signs of a second wave.
But the strong fluctuation might be explained by delayed reporting over the weekend - which would explain why Monday's numbers were lower and Tuesday's were unusually high.
The official death toll rose by 116 over the past day, taking the total to 7,533.
Terminal 2 was suspended for 18 months from 1 May, and now Terminal 4 is following for an unspecified period of time.
The airport said the decision was "in view of the steep decline in passenger traffic and the likelihood that air travel demand will not return to pre-Covid-19 levels in the near term".
Some 101 people have now tested positive for the coronavirus after a cluster outbreak at clubs in Seoul’s party district of Itaewon.
Containing this latest surge in cases is a huge challenge for South Korea’s “track, trace and test” measures which have so far proved successful.
All club-goers were required to put down their names and contact numbers at the door. It was one of the guidelines for re-opening on 19 April - along with wearing masks and using hand sanitiser.
Some of the clubs at the centre of the investigation were run for and by the LGBT community. And in conservative South Korea, LGBT people face daily discrimination.
"Coming out" can often mean losing your life as you know it - your family, your job. Some of the names and numbers left at the door of the club were false - which is making it difficult for officials to track everyone down.
A Protestant-run newspaper in Seoul was the first to run with the headline that the outbreak came from “gay nightclubs”, a term health officials were deliberately trying to avoid.
Amnesty International has today hit out at some of the media coverage and said that “stirring up hatred and branding a certain group is the biggest obstacle to effective disease prevention".
Now, health officials have said that people being tested do not have to give their name. They also believe that there is more than one person at the source of this infection.
A team of over 8,500 police are tracking down nearly 11,000 people who were in Itaewon on that holiday weekend. They have phone numbers based on network towers and they’ve been checking credit card records.
Texts have been sent in English and Korean urging people to get a test. The Korean Centre for Disease Control has clarified to the BBC that anyone who was in the area at the time, including foreigners, can be tested for free. So far, more than 7,000 people have come forward.
Public health was valued over privacy at the height of this outbreak. In efforts to be transparent, some local governments, including Seoul, were releasing the last names, ages and occupations of those who tested positive in press releases to hundreds of journalists.
But now this country is learning that privacy is a matter of public health, if this outbreak is to be brought under control.
GDP is expected to shrink more than 10% - or A$50bn (£26bn; $32bn) - in the three months to June. This will be the biggest fall on record, says Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Also:
The "Trump Death Clock", created by filmmaker Eugene Jarecki, was installed on the roof of a Times Square building.
As of Tuesday, the website Trump Death Clock shows the figure 48,586.
The website says that Trump "declined to act until 16 March", adding that epidemiologists said that "had mitigation measures been implemented one week earlier, 60% of American Covid-19 deaths would have been avoided".
More than 80,000 people in the US with Covid-19 have died since the outbreak began.
The FT's leader article says Mr Johnson's approach suggests a "cavalier attitude towards the welfare of blue-collar workers".
Meanwhile, the Daily Telegraph highlights the prime minister advising the public to use "good, solid common sense".
And BBC Sport has learned the clubs were warned on Monday that figure could rise if the season is curtailed or if relegation is scrapped.
In other developments:
"The 12 teams agreed to make efforts so that the season can start in the latter half of June, on the condition that all necessary preparations can be made while carefully monitoring the spread of the infection," Atsushi Saito, commissioner for Nippon Professional Baseball, said in a statement.
Baseball is hugely popular in Japan, with even youth leagues getting television coverage.
Germany's Bundesliga will be the first of the world's top football leagues to resume playing this Saturday - also to empty stadiums.
The summer solstice is one of the rare occasions when the public is given full access to the Stonehenge site
This year's summer solstice celebrations at Stonehenge in southern England have been cancelled because of the ban on mass gatherings prompted by the coronavirus.
Traditionally about 10,000 people gather at the Neolithic monument in Wiltshire, on or around 21 June, to mark midsummer.
English Heritage said it was cancelling the event "for the safety and wellbeing of attendees, volunteers and staff".
The occasion will instead be live streamed on the charity's social media accounts.
Read more here.
Traffic jams in Karachi on Monday after the lockdown was eased
Rows and rows of bumper-to-bumper traffic were seen across cities in Pakistan on Monday after the lockdown was eased, local media reported.
People also flocked to markets in cities, which opened for the first time in more than a month. The government earlier announced that it would lift its lockdown in phases to give some relief to the economy.
While public transport is still shut, factories and offices have opened, reported the Dawn newspaper.
“We opened today after almost two months; I am almost bankrupt and owe workers their salaries,” said Muhammad Sattar, a garment shop owner in Karachi.
But the easing of the lockdown comes amid concerns that cases are not receding in Pakistan. In fact, daily infection rates continue to grow. The country has witnessed more than 32,000 infections and 706 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
- South Korea says there are now 101 new cases of coronavirus linked to a nightclub district in Seoul
- Wuhan draws up plans to test all 11 million residents, Chinese state media report, amid new cluster fear
- Five Russian Covid-19 hospital patients killed in fire linked to ventilator short-circuit
- UK government publishes further guidance on reopening workplaces, public transport and schools
- White House staff have been ordered to wear masks in the West Wing after two aides tested positive
- President Trump stalks out of press briefing as US deaths surpass 80,000
- Iran is reopening all mosques for three days to commemorate specific nights during Ramadan
- Singapore is allowing some businesses - such as hairdressers and cake shops - to reopen from Tuesday
Hello and welcome back to our rolling coverage of the coronavirus outbreak. We're writing to you from Singapore this morning, and will be joined by our colleagues across Asia and London later on today. Here's a quick look at what's happened overnight:
- At least 94 infections in South Korea are linked to a growing cluster traced to bars and clubs in Itaewon, a nightlife district in Seoul. The first patient is said to have visited at least five clubs and bars
- White House staff have been ordered to wear masks when entering the West Wing after two aides tested positive for coronavirus. All staff have been told to cover their faces at all times - though President Trump said he did not need to abide by the rules because he kept "far away from everyone"
- The number of deaths in the US has now passed 80,000 according to figures from Johns Hopkins University. Globally, the death toll stands at 285,945, with more than 4.17 million cases worldwide
- People in England have been advised to wear face coverings while in enclosed spaces, where social distancing is not possible
White House staff ordered to wear masks
Staff in the White House have been ordered to wear face masks when entering the West Wing, after an aide for Vice-President Mike Pence and a valet for President Trump fell ill.Staff have been told to cover their faces at all times except when seated at their desks, socially distant from colleagues.
But Trump said he did not need to follow the rule because he kept "far away from everyone".
He added that the White House was "doing a good job containing [the virus]".
Three members of the White House virus task force, including top medical officer Dr Anthony Fauci, have gone into self-isolation for two weeks after possible exposure to the virus.
Trump on why he doesn't want to wear a mask
"I just don't want to wear one myself," is what Donald Trump said in April."I think wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, dictators, kings, queens... I don't see it for myself," he said.
The White House has since made staff wear masks in the West Wing - though Trump says they are unnecessary for him as he keeps his distance from others.
South Korea nightlife cluster nears 100
There are now 94 infections linked to a cluster that emerged in Seoul's nightlife district.The new spike comes after the government began relaxing social distancing rules - and shows just how difficult it is to control infections after returning to normal life.
Authorities have now delayed this week's planned re-opening of schools.
South Korea, through extensive testing and contact tracing, had managed to bring daily cases down to single digits without enforcing a national lockdown.
But contact tracing the new cluster is made more difficult by the fact that some of the clubs draw in customers from the gay community.
Some guests are thought to provide false names or numbers when entering, as homophobia remains widespread in South Korea. Health officials are now offering anonymous tests.
Elon Musk breaks rules to restart production
Tesla boss Elon Musk says the company's electric car factory in California will resume production immediately - despite the local county saying he shouldn't. He said he would join the production line himself, and was willing to be arrested.Zero cases as New Zealand eases lockdown further
New Zealand has reported no new infections for Monday. The total number remains at 1,497 with more than 90% of those already recovered.There were also no additional deaths, leaving the death toll at 21. Two people remain in hospital, although neither of them is in intensive care.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is further easing restrictions this week, opening retail shops, cinemas, playgrounds and gyms - although social distancing rules remain in place.
Schools will resume normal classes on 18 May, while bars will be allowed to open on 21 May.
Crowd concerns as Australian lockdown eases
Australians flocked to shopping centres this weekend as coronavirus restrictions began to ease.But a lack of adhering to 1.5m physical distancing rules has raised concerns.
Brisbane shopper Richard Low described the rush as similar to "Christmas crowds".
Parliament resumes in Australia
As Australia's biggest states open up this week, the national conversation is focused on how the economy will fare.In normal times, the budget would be delivered today. Instead Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will deliver an economic forecast to parliament. Already we know the pandemic is costing A$4bn (£2bn; $2.5bn) a week, and the unemployment rate is expected to double to 10%.
But in good news on the health front, New South Wales has recorded no new cases for the first time - a milestone for the most populous state which has seen 45% of Australia's 6,900 cases.
Restaurants there will re-open by the end of the week, while students went back to school yesterday. Neighbouring Victoria - which has been more cautious - has announced its schools will reopen from 26 May.
Indonesia set to allow under-45s to work
Indonesia is set to allow people under the age of 45 to work outside their homes to prevent more layoffs, the head of the country's virus task force has said."The young population under 45 years old are physically healthy and they have high mobility," said Doni Monardo.
"If they are exposed [to the coronavirus], they might not get sick because they show no symptoms."
According to a Jakarta Post report, at least 2.8 million people in Indonesia have lost their jobs.
But it's not clear what prevention methods are in place to stop young people spreading the virus to older family members - in Asia, it's common for several generations of a family to live together.
The country has 14,625 cases with 991 fatalities, said the paper.
China reports one new virus case
China reported just one new coronavirus case on Tuesday, down from 17 a day earlier, bringing the confirmed number of cases to 82,919.The country's National Health Commission said the new case in Inner Mongolia was imported.
China reported 17 new cases on Monday - five in Wuhan, the city where the virus first emerged last year - triggering fears of a second wave.
Prior to the new cluster, Wuhan had seen no new cases for over a month.
US death toll passes 80,000
The number of deaths linked to Covid-19 in the US now stands at 80,397, almost as many as the next three countries - the UK, Italy and Spain - combined.There were 830 deaths in the past 24 hours, slightly higher than the 776 of the previous day.
In terms of confirmed infections, the US has seen 1,347,88 positive tests - 16 times more than China, where the virus emerged.
Rugby player caught lying about TikTok party
Last month, an Australian rugby league player was caught breaking distancing rules after it emerged he had five female guests at his house during lockdown.At the time, Nathan Cleary - who's a star player for the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League (NRL) - claimed the women were only at his place for 10 minutes while they waited for an Uber. Still, he was fined $10,000 (some of it suspended) by the sport's regulators for breaching the rules.
The next day, two videos surfaced on TikTok showing the player attempting group dances with the girls. The NRL swung into action again, penalising Cleary and his housemate Tyrone May, a Panthers teammate.
Cleary has now been given a $30,000 fine (US$19,300; £15,700) and a two-match ban.
"[We] allege that the players were untruthful in relation to material matters," said the NRL on Monday, adding the players would get a chance to appeal.
This is just the latest incident of Australian rugby players breaking the rules - and not a good look as the league lobbies government to allow the sport to resume at the end of May.
Gyms and hair salons 'essential' in Brazil
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has declared gyms and hair salons essential services that are allowed to open in states and cities currently under lockdown - saying "health is life"."Whoever is sedentary at home is increasing their cholesterol levels, stress... if they could go to a gym - they will have a healthier life," declared the president, who has said the virus is nothing more than "a weak case of the flu".
Critics have called Bolsonaro the biggest threat to the virus in Brazil - the president has repeatedly clashed with state governors who have imposed lockdowns.
He also joined an anti-lockdown rally where he was seen coughing without covering his mouth.
But Bolsonaro's declaration might have no practical effect - Brazil's Supreme Court earlier ruled that the power to implement such measures lies exclusively with state governors.
Some 11,625 have died of the virus in Brazil, with over 169,000 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Singapore eases lockdown slightly
Singapore is allowing some businesses to reopen today, as it begins to slightly ease lockdown measures introduced last month.The businesses include hairdressers, cake shops and laundry services. Staff and visitors have to check in and out using a government app to allow contact tracing.
Singapore was initially praised for controlling the virus, but then introduced a lockdown after a massive outbreak among its low-paid migrant workforce. The city state now has more 23,000 cases - the highest number in South East Asia.
The overwhelming majority of new infections are among the foreign workers' dormitories. Of the latest 486 cases, only three were outside those tightly-packed living spaces.
Despite the slight easing of the lockdown, Singapore continues to enforce social distancing. There's even a "robot dog" monitoring traffic density and broadcasting social distancing reminders.
India reports its biggest daily spike in cases
India confirmed its biggest number of daily infections yet on Monday, as 4,213 fresh cases were reported by the health ministry.The country has seen nearly 70,000 cases in total - including more than 20,000 patients who have recovered or been discharged, as well as 2,206 who have died.
Infections have been steadily climbing, with almost 8,000 new cases reported in the last two days.
India is past the half-way mark in its third lockdown, which is set to end on 17 May. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a six-hour-long meeting with various chief ministers on Monday, where many expressed a desire to ease rules - while saying the lockdown shouldn't be lifted entirely.
Trump responds to 'ask China' row
Mr Trump has since referred to the row on Twitter - blaming the "lamestream media" for "conspiring" against him.:tweet: :Left Quotes: Donald J. Trump:
The Lamestream Media is truly out of control. Look how they work (conspire!) together. They are the Enemy of the People, but don’t worry, we will WIN in November!
Tickets sell out as India's trains resume
Some Indian inter-state railway services are resuming today - and a rush to book tickets online meant many journeys were sold out within minutes.With services shut for nearly two months, it's no surprise that tickets sold quickly - around 30,000 were bought within three hours, the Times of India newspaper reported.
On Tuesday, trains will depart the capital, Delhi, to go to 15 cities, including Bangalore, Mumbai and Chennai. Passengers must wear masks, not exhibit any symptoms, and maintain social distance.
Earlier this month, the government also organised special trains for stranded migrant workers who wanted to return home.
Officials told local media that more than 500 of these trains have transported 600,000 migrant workers since the start of May.
German new cases jump to almost 1,000
The number of daily infections in Germany has jumped to 933, taking the overall figure to 170,508.The latest data is a marked increase over the previous day's 357 new cases. Germany has begun lifting its lockdown and is nervously eyeing the daily increase for signs of a second wave.
But the strong fluctuation might be explained by delayed reporting over the weekend - which would explain why Monday's numbers were lower and Tuesday's were unusually high.
The official death toll rose by 116 over the past day, taking the total to 7,533.
Singapore's Changi airport closes another terminal
One of the world's busiest airports, Singapore Changi, is closing another terminal.Terminal 2 was suspended for 18 months from 1 May, and now Terminal 4 is following for an unspecified period of time.
The airport said the decision was "in view of the steep decline in passenger traffic and the likelihood that air travel demand will not return to pre-Covid-19 levels in the near term".
Privacy is a matter of public health in Seoul
Laura Bicker - BBC News, SeoulSome 101 people have now tested positive for the coronavirus after a cluster outbreak at clubs in Seoul’s party district of Itaewon.
Containing this latest surge in cases is a huge challenge for South Korea’s “track, trace and test” measures which have so far proved successful.
All club-goers were required to put down their names and contact numbers at the door. It was one of the guidelines for re-opening on 19 April - along with wearing masks and using hand sanitiser.
Some of the clubs at the centre of the investigation were run for and by the LGBT community. And in conservative South Korea, LGBT people face daily discrimination.
"Coming out" can often mean losing your life as you know it - your family, your job. Some of the names and numbers left at the door of the club were false - which is making it difficult for officials to track everyone down.
A Protestant-run newspaper in Seoul was the first to run with the headline that the outbreak came from “gay nightclubs”, a term health officials were deliberately trying to avoid.
Amnesty International has today hit out at some of the media coverage and said that “stirring up hatred and branding a certain group is the biggest obstacle to effective disease prevention".
Now, health officials have said that people being tested do not have to give their name. They also believe that there is more than one person at the source of this infection.
A team of over 8,500 police are tracking down nearly 11,000 people who were in Itaewon on that holiday weekend. They have phone numbers based on network towers and they’ve been checking credit card records.
Texts have been sent in English and Korean urging people to get a test. The Korean Centre for Disease Control has clarified to the BBC that anyone who was in the area at the time, including foreigners, can be tested for free. So far, more than 7,000 people have come forward.
Public health was valued over privacy at the height of this outbreak. In efforts to be transparent, some local governments, including Seoul, were releasing the last names, ages and occupations of those who tested positive in press releases to hundreds of journalists.
But now this country is learning that privacy is a matter of public health, if this outbreak is to be brought under control.
Australia braces for largest GDP fall on record
Australian lawmakers are back in parliament chambers for the first time in weeks. While Australia has succeeded in subduing the virus, lockdown and the forced closure of businesses have been brutal for the economy.GDP is expected to shrink more than 10% - or A$50bn (£26bn; $32bn) - in the three months to June. This will be the biggest fall on record, says Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Also:
- Unemployment will double to 10% or 1.4 million people
- Air travel is down by 97%
- Australia's stock market lost a third of value in four weeks
- A third of jobs were lost in accommodation and food services, and a quarter of jobs in arts and recreation
'Trump Death Clock' goes up in New York City
A new sign in New York's Times Square shows the number of US coronavirus deaths that its creator says are down to inaction by President Trump.The "Trump Death Clock", created by filmmaker Eugene Jarecki, was installed on the roof of a Times Square building.
As of Tuesday, the website Trump Death Clock shows the figure 48,586.
The website says that Trump "declined to act until 16 March", adding that epidemiologists said that "had mitigation measures been implemented one week earlier, 60% of American Covid-19 deaths would have been avoided".
More than 80,000 people in the US with Covid-19 have died since the outbreak began.
Latest from the UK
On Monday, people in England got more information about what the easing of the lockdown would entail.- The government wants people who can’t work from home to return to work from Wednesday, but said they should avoid public transport
- Some of the limits on outdoor activities in England are also being lifted
- People are being asked to wear face coverings in enclosed spaces where they can't socially distance
- The government plans to introduce quarantine for those coming from abroad as soon as possible, but gave no fixed date
- The governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own guidelines, which are more cautious than those for England
- Meanwhile, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak is due to reveal the future of the UK government's job retention scheme later
UK papers: 'Flexible' lockdown or 'no clear direction'?
"Johnson under attack for risking staff safety in back-to-work dash" is the front-page headline on the Financial Times.The FT's leader article says Mr Johnson's approach suggests a "cavalier attitude towards the welfare of blue-collar workers".
Meanwhile, the Daily Telegraph highlights the prime minister advising the public to use "good, solid common sense".
Premier League clubs face £340m bill
Premier League clubs have been told they could have to repay an estimated £340m to domestic and international broadcasters - even if the season resumes behind closed doors.And BBC Sport has learned the clubs were warned on Monday that figure could rise if the season is curtailed or if relegation is scrapped.
In other developments:
- No professional sport, even behind closed doors, will be staged in England until 1 June at the earliest, the UK government has announced
- The British Grand Prix is under threat this year because of a financial stand-off between Formula 1 and Silverstone
- English and French clubs have written to World Rugby in a bid to be formally involved in the establishment of a new rugby union schedule post-coronavirus
Japanese baseball to resume in June
Japan's baseball league is due to begin in June, having been delayed since March by the pandemic."The 12 teams agreed to make efforts so that the season can start in the latter half of June, on the condition that all necessary preparations can be made while carefully monitoring the spread of the infection," Atsushi Saito, commissioner for Nippon Professional Baseball, said in a statement.
Baseball is hugely popular in Japan, with even youth leagues getting television coverage.
Germany's Bundesliga will be the first of the world's top football leagues to resume playing this Saturday - also to empty stadiums.
Stonehenge solstice gathering axed over virus
The summer solstice is one of the rare occasions when the public is given full access to the Stonehenge site
This year's summer solstice celebrations at Stonehenge in southern England have been cancelled because of the ban on mass gatherings prompted by the coronavirus.
Traditionally about 10,000 people gather at the Neolithic monument in Wiltshire, on or around 21 June, to mark midsummer.
English Heritage said it was cancelling the event "for the safety and wellbeing of attendees, volunteers and staff".
The occasion will instead be live streamed on the charity's social media accounts.
Read more here.
Traffic jams and crowded markets in Pakistan
Traffic jams in Karachi on Monday after the lockdown was eased
Rows and rows of bumper-to-bumper traffic were seen across cities in Pakistan on Monday after the lockdown was eased, local media reported.
People also flocked to markets in cities, which opened for the first time in more than a month. The government earlier announced that it would lift its lockdown in phases to give some relief to the economy.
While public transport is still shut, factories and offices have opened, reported the Dawn newspaper.
“We opened today after almost two months; I am almost bankrupt and owe workers their salaries,” said Muhammad Sattar, a garment shop owner in Karachi.
But the easing of the lockdown comes amid concerns that cases are not receding in Pakistan. In fact, daily infection rates continue to grow. The country has witnessed more than 32,000 infections and 706 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
Reality Check
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