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    Coronavirus - 7th June

    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    Coronavirus - 7th June Empty Coronavirus - 7th June

    Post by Kitkat Sun 07 Jun 2020, 09:56

    Summary for Sunday, 7th June


    • The number of people confirmed to have died of coronavirus globally has reached almost 400,000
    • Big anti-racism rallies have taken place around the world despite warnings about the spread of the virus
    • As many as 60 million people could be pushed into "extreme poverty" by Covid-19, the World Bank warns
    • Brazil has removed months of virus data from a government website amid criticism over its handling of the outbreak
    • A far-right rally in Rome against the Italian government's response to the pandemic has turned violent


    Good morning and welcome to our rolling coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
    We'll keep you posted on developments worldwide and in the UK.
    Here are some of the latest news stories:

    • Big - largely peaceful - protests have taken place in cities around the world against racism and police brutality sparked by the death of African American George Floyd. The demonstrations went ahead despite advice against mass gatherings due to Covid-19
    • Some of the biggest were in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and San Francisco
    • In the UK, rallies were held in London, Manchester, Cardiff, Leicester and Sheffield. Some held signs referring to the pandemic, including one that read: "There is a virus greater than Covid-19 and it's called racism"
    • The number of people around the world confirmed to have lost their lives due to coronavirus has reached almost 400,000, according to Johns Hopkins University in the US. Infections are close to 6.9 million
    • Brazil, which has the world's second-highest number of cases and has recently had more new deaths than any other nation, has removed months of data on Covid-19 from a government website, amid criticism of President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the outbreak
    • The World Bank has warned that 60 million people could be pushed into "extreme poverty" by the effects of coronavirus. It defines "extreme poverty" as living on less than $1.90 (£1.55) per person per day
    • Meanwhile, famous cultural venues have been reopening in European cities, including the Palace of Versailles outside Paris, and the Prado museum in Madrid.


    France to increase fine on discarded masks

    Coronavirus - 7th June 6fe98910

    One of the more repulsive sights to emerge in recent weeks on the streets of France and elsewhere is abandoned, single-use masks, and now the French government has decided to get tougher on anyone caught throwing them away.
    There's already a fine of €68 if you do throw a mask or a cigarette butt on the floor - that's now set to increase to €135 (£120; $150). It also applies to discarded gloves or other waste.
    Environmental transition minister Brune Poirson told AFP news agency that everyone "has to understand that all waste thrown on the ground often finds its way in the ocean".

    'UK protests risk spreading infections' - Hancock

    England's Health Secretary Matt Hancock has warned that the Black Lives Matter protests taking place across the UK risk increasing coronavirus infections.
    Speaking on the Sophy Ridge on Sunday show on Sky News in the past few minutes, Mr Hancock said that he supported the argument being made by demonstrators for more equality, but that "gathering in large groups is temporarily against the rules, precisely because it increases the risk of spreading this virus".
    "Please don't gather in groups of more than six people because there is a pandemic that we must control," he said.
    Mr Hancock is appearing on the BBC's Marr show and you can watch that at the top of this page.

    Paris returns to cafe life with new normal

    Lucy Williamson - BBC's Paris Correspondent
    Fear isn't something 88-year-old Mathilde gives into easily. Sitting on the terrace of her local bistro in Paris, hours after it reopened, she sipped a fizzy drink, as the morning sunshine drew perspiration from her glass.
    "I've been waiting for this," she said. "To be surrounded by people, not to be alone anymore!"
    Mathilde had dressed for the occasion: a printed dress, perfectly styled hair.
    Public life here has always demanded a little extra effort. For its cafes and restaurants that means new rules on seating, new cleaning procedures, hand sanitiser everywhere you look.
    Many people have expressed relief that Paris's bars and cafes are open again, but the gradual return to normality is also creating familiar frictions.
    Read more from Lucy here

    'No room for complacency' in UK virus R rate - expert

    In the UK, there are concerns that the R number of the coronavirus - the number of people each infected person, on average, passes the virus onto - could be creeping up, particularly in the north-west and the south-west of England.
    Prof John Edmunds, who sits on the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) group and specialises in infectious disease modelling at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, has told the BBC the epidemic has been concentrated around specific settings, including hospitals, care homes and other enclosed locations like prisons.
    He explains that the R number is less than 1 and as the epidemic has "shrunk" there have been outbreaks in these settings, meaning the slope of the number of cases "has flattened off".
    The R number is now "creeping up", he believes, because it's "reflecting this flattening off of the slope". But he wonders: "Does that mean we are seeing an increase in community cases or is this just a reflection of ongoing outbreaks in hospitals and care homes?"
    He says scientific estimates of the R number are "fairly crude", partly because the number of cases are low, so they have to look at other data, such as the weekly Office of National Statistics (ONS) survey.
    He says that suggests 5,000 people in the community in England are being infected every day, which he says is "still a lot of infection", adding there's "no room for complacency".

    Russia's death toll continues to rise

    Russia has reported 8,984 new Covid-19 infections in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 467,673.
    The number of recorded deaths rose by 134 to 5,859 over the same period, according to the official figures from Moscow.
    Russia, like many countries, is also suffering acute economic hardship after weeks of coronavirus lockdown. As a result, President Putin’s approval rating has fallen to an all-time low.

    Hard-hit Brazil removes data amid rising death toll

    Coronavirus - 7th June F9a3f510
    Brazil has already recorded almost 36,000 coronavirus-related deaths

    Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's has been criticised repeatedly for his response to the coronavirus pandemic - from opposing lockdown measures to attending rallies without a face covering.
    Brazil has the world's second-highest number of cases, but has now removed months of data on Covid-19 from a government website.
    The health ministry said it would now only be reporting cases and deaths in the past 24 hours, no longer giving a total figure as most countries do.
    Brazil has more than 670,000 confirmed infections, but the number is believed to be much higher because of insufficient testing. Almost 36,000 people have died - the third-highest toll in the world, after the US and UK.
    Read more on this story here
    Kitkat
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    Coronavirus - 7th June Empty Re: Coronavirus - 7th June

    Post by Kitkat Sun 07 Jun 2020, 13:58

    Football crowd noise created for TV viewers - sport roundup

    Coronavirus - 7th June Ee574111
    Viewers watching Bundesliga matches could hear artificial crowd noise on Saturday
    ( Me (Kitkat): - wtfcat  Seriously! facepalm Whoever thought that one up needs to get a life...  Rolling Eyes )

     back to topic :

    The German Bundesliga continues behind closed doors with three further matches on Sunday. They come a day after UK viewers were treated to some atmosphere thanks to the TV wizardry of broadcasters BT Sport, who added artificial crowd noise to matches featuring Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
    The Danish, Austrian, Greek and Portuguese football leagues also continue in Europe. In other sports news:

    • Newmarket hosts the second British horse racing Classic of the season - the 1,000 Guineas. There will be no crowds present
    • Men's tennis world number one Novak Djokovic has called the coronavirus safety protocols planned for the US Open "extreme"
    • There were no positive results for coronavirus from 1,195 tests in the latest round of Premier League testing. The league is set to resume on 17 June


    Nandy: Protests must be safe but activists are 'right' to raise voices

    In the UK, Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy has been asked whether she thinks people are right to attend Black Lives Matter protests given the potential risk of coronavirus spreading.
    She told the BBC's Andrew Marr that she wanted people to protest safely, stressing the need for social distancing and taking other precautions, but insisted she was "very proud" of the young people coming out and "speaking up".
    She described her personal experience with racism in the UK and argued people needed to take an "active stance" against it.
    She said: "You cannot be silent in the face of racism and police brutality and those young people are right to raise their voices and demand change."
    She criticised the "silence" from Prime Minister Boris Johnson and "the refusal of Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to comment" on the issue, saying it had "really upset people".
    Asked about the small number of violent incidents during protests in London, she said it was "completely wrong" to attack police officers and urged people to stop.
    She warned such incidents could "dampen" the voices of those calling for change, particularly by distracting the media attention.

    Virus death toll passes 400,000

    The number of coronavirus-related deaths recorded around the world has now reached 400,013, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
    The US university - which started compiling its data soon after the outbreak began in China late last year - says there have been more than 6.9 million confirmed cases.

    We locked down UK at the 'right time' - Hancock

    Asked about comments earlier by Prof John Edmunds - a epidemiologist and government Sage adviser - that he wished the UK had gone into lockdown “earlier” so that more lives could have been saved, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he disagreed with him, insisting “we took the right decisions at the right time”.
    He told the BBC's Andrew Marr there was a “broad range” of scientific opinions on the Sage scientific advisory committee and the government had been “guided by the science” and the balance of those opinions.
    Challenged on whether the timing of the lockdown had cost lives, Mr Hancock insisted he was "sure" that taking into account everything that was known at that moment, the government "made the right decisions at the right time".
    He added any further easing of the lockdown would have to be done very cautiously with a "safety first" approach.

    'China trying to sabotage vaccine research,' says US senator

    US Republican Senator Rick Scott has accused China of trying to "sabotage" the development of a coronavirus vaccine.
    Speaking to the BBC's Andrew Marr programme, he said that China had "decided to be an adversary".
    "We've got to get this vaccine done. Unfortunately we have evidence that communist China is trying to sabotage us or slow it down," Scott said.
    "If we, or England does it first, or anybody in Europe, we're all going to share. China won't share."
    Responding to a question about what evidence he had to justify his comments, he said: "There's evidence... it came through our intelligence agency... there's evidence that they've been trying to sabotage or slow it down.
    "It's frustrating what China did to all of us... they lied about this, and we could have prepared better."
    China says it briefed the US about the coronavirus as early as 4 January, when the disease was still largely unknown.
    President Xi Jinping has also said that a vaccine - if or when it is created by China - will be distributed globally, "which will be China's contribution to ensuring vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries".

    Relaxing Sunday trading laws is wrong, says Labour's Nandy

    Lisa Nandy, Labour's shadow foreign secretary, says her party is against the relaxation of Sunday trading laws in the UK.
    According to a report in The Times, the government is producing legislation to enable larger supermarkets to open for more than six hours on Sundays.
    "No, this is the wrong thing to do," Ms Nandy told the BBC's Andrew Marr show
    "I'm not convinced this will help get the economy back on track. We've been applauding our frontline workers, and supermarket workers are among those.
    "They are worried what this will mean in terms of time with their families. It could hit our high streets hard because of Covid-19."

    Brazil's domestic workers cut adrift in pandemic

    Katy Watson - BBC South America correspondent
    Days after Brazil registered its first coronavirus death in March, the country began to close down. Businesses and restaurants were shuttered and people were told to stay home.
    That's when Rosangela Jesus dos Santos's life changed unimaginably. The 47-year-old diarista, or daily housekeeper, was fired by most of her employers.
    "They said it was because of the virus," she says. "I went to a different house every day of the week and some clients are elderly, I understand."
    Rosangela is scared. She hopes she can return when the outbreak is over but, for now, she's been left working just one day a week. Her remaining employer gives her a mask but at no point have they told her to stay home for her safety. She's wary of the virus but she knows if she doesn't work, she won't get paid. Brazil has now seen more than 670,000 cases and almost 36,000 deaths.
    "I need to work - my family is big, that's the truth," she says, adding: "I would like to be working and I'm used to it, going out early and coming home late."
    Read more from Katy Watson here

    UK could see local lockdowns if virus rate spikes - Hancock

    The UK could see further localised actions if there is a spike in the rate of infection, Health Secretary for England Matt Hancock has said.
    He stressed the government did not want to see the R rate - the number of people that one infected person will pass the virus on to, on average - go above 1.
    The government is committed to taking "local action" in the first instance to address local outbreaks, he said, citing the example of Weston-super-Mare, where the hospital was shut to new admissions after a spike in infections, and testing of asymptomatic people was introduced.
    He said this case could be a "model" for similar actions "if necessary", but insisted No 10 did not want to do this, which is why they were taking a "cautious" approach in further moves to ease the lockdown.
    Asked if he would, for example, cut off a whole city from the rest of the UK should it see a spike in infections, he insisted that, while No 10 did have the legal powers to do this, "it's not our starting point".
    He stressed it would more likely be on a much smaller scale, in a "much more localised" location - such as one hospital within a part of a city.

    El Salvador president vetoes easing measures

    Coronavirus - 7th June 4c7c5210
    President Nayib Bukele has for the second time vetoed the easing of lockdown measures

    The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, has vetoed emergency coronavirus legislation that would have seen the easing of restrictions and a gradual reopening of the country's economy.
    The law had already been backed by the Central American country's Congress.
    President Bukele said the law breached a number of constitutional guarantees, including the rights and health of workers who might be exposed to infection.
    It is the second time that the president has clashed with lawmakers over such legislation.
    The president, who imposed strict measures in efforts to control the outbreak, earlier tweeted: "There are smart companies that know how to adapt, that in the midst of crises find opportunities.
    "There are also foolish and slow companies. Those are almost always doomed to failure."

    In detail: UK lockdown timing cost lives - scientist

    A little more detail now on those comments earlier from Prof John Edmunds, who attends meetings of the UK government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).
    He said lives would have been saved had ministers acted sooner to put the country into lockdown.
    Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced strict curbs on daily life on 23 March, when there were an estimated 100,000 new infections every day in England.
    But Prof Edmunds told BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show: "We should have gone into lockdown earlier."
    He said it would have been "hard to do it" as the data ministers had in the early part of March and "our kind of situational awareness" was "really quite poor".
    "I think it would have been very hard to pull the trigger at that point but I wish we had - I wish we had gone into lockdown earlier. I think that has cost a lot of lives unfortunately."
    Some 40,465 people have died with the virus in the UK, according to the latest government figures. Prof Edmunds said the epidemic "is definitely not all over" - warning there is an "awful long way to go".
    But Health Secretary Matt Hancock has insisted No 10 made the "right decisions at the right time" and had been guided by a "balance" of scientific opinions on the issue.
    Asked if he was sure that the timing of the lockdown had not cost lives, he said: "I am sure, as I keep looking back on that period, I'm sure that taking into account everything we knew at that moment - my view is that we made the right decisions at the right time."

    'Crowds during pandemic worry me' - German health minister

    Coronavirus - 7th June 9da42110

    German Health Minister Jens Spahn has urged peaceful anti-racism protesters taking to the streets across the country this weekend to "keep your distance, wear a mask, and take care of each other".
    "The fight against racism needs our common commitment," he wrote in a post on Twitter.
    "But crowds of people in the middle of the pandemic worry me."
    While the demonstrations in support of Black Lives Matter in Germany were largely peaceful throughout the day on Saturday, riots later broke out in Berlin and Hamburg.
    There are more than 185,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country, with 8,685 recorded deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

    Coronavirus 'a devastating blow for world economy'

    World Bank President David Malpass has pulled no punches by declaring that the coronavirus pandemic is a "devastating blow" for the world economy and that the economic fallout could last for a decade.
    In May, Malpass warned that 60 million people could be pushed into "extreme poverty" - living on less than $1.90 (£1.55) per person per day - by the effects of Covid-19.
    However, in an interview on Friday, Malpass said that they could now find themselves with less than £1 per day to live on.
    He has told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend: "Both the direct consequences, meaning lost income, but also then the health consequences, the social consequences, are really harsh."
    He added: "We can see that with the stock market in the US being relatively high, and yet people in the poor countries being not only unemployed, but unable to get any work even in the informal sector. And that's going to have consequences for a decade."
    Read more here

    Large protests risk lives - Hancock

    Health Secretary Matt Hancock said attending large gatherings currently "risks lives" because of coronavirus, after he was asked by the BBC's Andrew Marr about the recent Black Lives Matter protests.
    "There is a reason why we have laws in place, temporarily, to say that gatherings over six people should not happen and that's because the virus spreads," he said.
    "I hope people make the argument [against racism], and I will support them in making that argument. I hope they make that case strongly, but please don't gather in groups of more than six. In groups of more than six that risks spreading the virus and that risks lives."

    Worldwide infections near seven million

    Coronavirus - 7th June 28c34610
    The graph shows the latest figures as of 6 June

    The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide is now above 6.9 million, according to latest figures collated by Johns Hopkins University. The US has by far the largest number of cases, accounting for almost 30% of the global total. It also has the world's highest death toll, followed by the UK and Brazil.
    In Europe, Italy, France and Spain have also been badly hit while in China - where the virus was first detected - the official death toll is some 4,600 from about 84,000 confirmed cases, although critics have questioned whether the country's official numbers can be trusted.
    Meanwhile, Brazil has removed from public view months of historical data on its epidemic and stopped giving a total count of cases.
    Globally, the true number of cases is thought to be much higher than reported figures, as many of those with milder symptoms have not been tested and counted.
    Have a look at the charts and graphics tracking the global outbreak here.

    Churches reopening is 'great blessing' - Archbishop

    Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster, says it is a "great blessing" that English churches will soon be able to open their doors to worshippers again.
    The government is set to announce next week that all places of worship in England can allow private individual prayer from 15 June.
    Nichols said: "Not every Catholic church will be open on 15 June. Local decisions and provision have to lead this process. But it is a great blessing for individuals and for the benefit of all in society, that church doors will again be open to all who long to pray there for the peace and grace we need today."
    According to The Sunday Times, the government might soon also allow outdoor weddings, currently limited to Jews and Quakers. The report also claims restrictions on weddings and funerals will be eased to enable up to 10 people to attend such occasions indoors from early July.

    No longer coronavirus cases in Vatican City - Holy See

    The Vatican has announced there are no more cases of coronavirus among Holy See employees - the governing body of the Catholic Church - and others inside Vatican City.
    Matteo Bruni, Holy See press chief, said: "The last person declared sick with Covid-19 in recent weeks has been tested negative. To date, there are no longer any cases of coronavirus among the employees of the Holy See and in the Vatican City state."
    The last of the 12 positive cases was reported in early May. However, addressing a wider audience of pilgrims on Sunday, Pope Francis warned people not to let their guard down. "Be careful. Don't cry victory too soon."

    Afghanistan records biggest daily death toll

    Afghanistan has recorded 30 coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours - its biggest daily rise.
    The total number of confirmed cases has also increased to 20,342.
    The capital, Kabul, suffered its worst day, with an additional 23 deaths. The city's governor, Mohammed Yaghoub Heidari, warned that the actual number of infections in the city could be much higher than official figures show.
    From Sunday, the wearing of masks in public places is compulsory in Afghanistan; two-metre physical distancing must also be maintained.

    Moscow book fair draws crowds despite restrictions

    Hundreds of Moscow residents ventured to an open-air book fair in Red Square on Saturday in a small sign of the gradual efforts to open up the Russian capital.
    Although there is still a ban on public events, the book fair was permitted to go ahead under tight restrictions, such as chairs being spaced one metre apart and temperature checks at the entrance.
    "You either mourn that the industry is in crisis or go and take part in the book fair with all the precautions in place," said Natalia Eihwald from the Kompas-Gid children's publishing house, one of about 180 publishers with stalls at the fair.
    Some publishers did opt to stay away, however. "We don't want to put our employees and our authors as well as our readers at risk," said Pavel Podkosov, director general of the Alpina Non-Fiction publishing house. "Taking part would be like staging a carnival in a hospital ward, which doesn't sound like much fun to us."
    Russia has recorded more than 458,000 cases of coronavirus, including 5,725 deaths.

    Sam Mendes 'positive' about UK theatres' prospects

    Many UK theatres are struggling after they had to shut their doors during the coronavirus lockdown, sapping box office takings.
    Some theatres including in Southampton and Southport have already gone into administration, with others warning of dire consequences if their incomes and funding dry up.
    But the acclaimed film and stage director, Sir Sam Mendes, is optimistic about potential solutions being found to help the ailing industry.
    Earlier this week, the Skyfall and 1917 director put forward suggestions for how to stop theatres going under.
    He told the BBC's Andrew Marr today that he felt "positive" that there's "a way through here". He said believed his proposals were being "listened to" and "over the next couple of weeks this might begin to have some purchase".
    He said the situation facing the sector was "very serious indeed", and "whole communities [are] now beginning to be deprived of the possibility of live performance for the future".
    The continuation of job retention schemes, tax relief and government investment in productions could all help to ensure theatres do not permanently close, he said.
    In his Financial Times article, Sir Sam also called on streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon that are "making lockdown millions" to help the theatre industry.

    Greece extends migrant camps lockdown

    Coronavirus - 7th June B5473510

    Greece has extended a lockdown on its migrant camps by another two weeks until 21 June.
    More than 33,000 migrants and asylum seekers live in five camps on the Aegean islands and some 70,000 in other facilities on the mainland, but no coronavirus deaths have been reported.
    Overall, Greece has reported just 180 deaths and 2,980 cases. The country was quick to introduce strict confinement measures on migrant camps on 21 March and imposed a more general lockdown on 23 March.
    The country has started to relax some measures as it prepares to revive its tourism-dependent economy. Yesterday, restaurants and hotels were allowed to open indoor dining areas while further restrictions will be eased over the next few days.
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    Post by Kitkat Sun 07 Jun 2020, 14:43

    Afghanistan records biggest daily death toll

    Afghanistan has recorded 30 coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours - its biggest daily rise.
    The total number of confirmed cases has also increased to 20,342.
    The capital, Kabul, suffered its worst day, with an additional 23 deaths. The city's governor, Mohammed Yaghoub Heidari, warned that the actual number of infections in the city could be much higher than official figures show.
    From Sunday, the wearing of masks in public places is compulsory in Afghanistan; two-metre physical distancing must also be maintained.

    Coronavirus UK news round-up

    Here's a round-up of the coronavirus news in the UK from this morning, as well as the anti-racism protests in the wake of the death of George Floyd in the US.

    • An infectious disease expert and member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies says he believes a delay in implementing a lockdown "cost a lot of lives" in the UK. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has insisted the government made the “right decisions at the right time”
    • A total of 27 police officers have been injured during a series of anti-racism protests.
    • Labour's Lisa Nandy has said people "cannot be silent in the face of racism" but urged demonstrators to take precautions and socially distance
    • However, Hancock said protests risked spreading the virus and urged people not to gather in groups of more than six
    • And places of worship will be allowed to open for private individual prayer under government plans to be announced next week


    Plan to reopen places of worship 'lacks clarity' for Muslims

    Coronavirus - 7th June 4128bc10
    Some families offered their Eid al-Fitr prayers at home to mark the end of the month of Ramadan, while mosques remained closed

    The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has criticised the government's plan to reopen places of worship in England, saying it “lacks clarity for Muslim communities”.
    Harun Khan, secretary general of the MCB, said: "Mosques are provisioned primarily for congregational worship, so there is currently significant uncertainty and concern from mosque leaders on how the new regulations can actually be implemented."
    He urged the government to give "clear and unambiguous guidance" so those involved in the running of mosques "have the clarity they need to plan effectively to ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone".

    North-west mayors sound concern over local lockdown plans

    Coronavirus - 7th June 43dd3810
    Liverpool City region mayor Steve Rotherham (left) and Greater Manchester's Andy Burnham (right)

    Two Labour regional mayors have criticised the government's plans for local lockdowns.
    Andy Burnham, the mayor for Greater Manchester, said the government's talk of local lockdowns is "not helpful" and the plan would be potentially "unenforceable" for some local authorities.
    Speaking during a virtual press conference with Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram, Burnham said they both wanted to work with Westminster but didn't rule out imposing their own measures if the government continued to "ignore" them.
    It comes amid concerns the coronavirus infection rate is on the rise in north-west England.
    Rotheram urged the government to publish any plans for how local lockdowns would work - but said he was "doubtful" they had "detailed plans they claim to have".
    The pair said if No 10 was "determined to proceed" with its local lockdown plans then "significant support needs to be put in place" for English regions, including a local furlough scheme and funding for councils.
    Burnham said they were not trying to "challenge" or "undermine" the government but they felt relaxations in the North West had "come too early".
    Read more about the regional variation in infection rates here.

    What's happening across the world?

    These are the latest headlines globally as the coronavirus death toll continues to rise, and while protests take place in the US and many other countries against racism and police brutality.

    • The number of people confirmed to have died of coronavirus has passed 400,000, according to the latest figures from the Johns Hopkins University.
    • Brazil has removed months of data on Covid-19 from a government website amid criticism of President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the outbreak. The country has already recorded more than 35,000 coronavirus-related deaths.
    • Big rallies have taken place across the US and have continued on Sunday in Rome and Copenhagen against racism and police brutality. The protests were sparked by the death of George Floyd.


    • The Vatican has announced there are no more cases of coronavirus among Holy See employees - the governing body of the Catholic Church - and others inside Vatican City.
    • The pandemic is a "devastating blow" for the world economy, according to World Bank President David Malpass.


    Pope: Don't sing victory too soon

    Pope Francis has urged Italians to remain vigilant over coronavirus and to continue to observe rules on social distancing and the wearing of masks.
    Addressing several hundred people in St Peter's Square at the Vatican for his Sunday blessing, the pontiff said: "Your small presence in the square is a sign that Italy has overcome the acute phase of the epidemic.
    "But be careful. Don't sing victory too soon.
    "We still have to follow the rules in place because they are rules that help us avoid the possibility that the virus will progress."
    Italy has entered the final phase in easing lockdown restrictions, allowing domestic travel between regions and opening its international borders.
    Shops, cafes and restaurants have already opened their doors again, and tourist sites have begun welcoming tourists.
    Earlier, the Holy See said there were no longer any cases of coronavirus in Vatican City.

    Alcohol sales in South Africa add to hospital strain

    South Africa's decision last week to lift an alcohol ban - imposed to stop the spread of the coronavirus - has led to a sharp rise in trauma admissions at hospitals, reports say.
    A specialist at a hospital in Durban told South Africa's Sunday Times newspaper that there had been many more stabbings, accidents and assaults, which he said were linked to the resumption of alcohol sales.
    Another member of staff, Prof Elmin Steyn, told the newspaper that patients awaiting surgery were having to go to intensive care units (ICU).
    "The problem is the ICU beds are filled with gravely ill Covid-19 patients," Prof Elmin Steyn said.
    Hospitals have also reportedly seen an increase in car accident victims.
    During the first two months of the lockdown, when alcohol was banned, some hospitals reported a 70% reduction in trauma admissions.

    Analysis: Mistakes undoubtedly made in UK's response

    Nick Triggle - Health Correspondent
    Looking back now, it is clear the virus was much more widespread than was realised in February and March.
    It is estimated that by the time lockdown was announced on 23 March there were 100,000 new cases a day.
    At the time, testing and surveillance were picking up only a small fraction of them. When the scale of the outbreak was realised, scientists advising the government pushed for lockdown – and ministers subsequently agreed.
    It is easy to criticise both the failures of science and the decisions of ministers in hindsight.
    Other countries had already moved to lockdown ahead of the UK, but still we held out for a few weeks.
    The key question is should we have known more at the time and should we have been better prepared?
    This is all likely to be pored over in a public inquiry at some point – and that will no doubt show mistakes were made. The government’s chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, has admitted as much himself.
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    Post by Kitkat Sun 07 Jun 2020, 16:14

    Saudi Arabia cases top 100,000

    The number of coronavirus cases in Saudi Arabia has passed 100,000, according to official figures.
    The ministry of health reported 3,045 new cases on Sunday, taking the total number of cases in the country to 101,914.
    The number of new daily cases exceeded 3,000 for the first time on Saturday.
    The official number of deaths from the virus is 712, according to the Sunday figures. The figures are clear from the ministry's Twitter feed, which has the details in English as well as Arabic.

    No new deaths in Scotland and Northern Ireland

    No new coronavirus deaths have been reported in Scotland and Northern Ireland, latest government figures show.
    A total of 2,415 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for Covid-19, according to details released on Sunday.
    This is no change on Saturday's figure and the first time the death toll has remained the same since March 20.
    Scottish Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said she would offer a "note of caution" about reading too much into Sunday's figures, as fewer deaths tended to be reported at the weekend.
    The Scottish government figures also show that 15,621 people have tested positive for Covid-19, an increase of 18 on Saturday.
    Meanwhile, the Department of Health in Northern Ireland has recorded no deaths linked to Covid-19 since Saturday, with the total recorded remaining at 537.
    It is the second time during the pandemic that the daily statistics released by the department have featured no deaths.
    The figures mainly comprise of deaths in hospital and include some, but not all, deaths in other settings. There have been six new confirmed cases in Northern Ireland.

    Malta allows migrants ashore after kidnap threat

    Malta has allowed four boats carrying more than 400 migrants to dock - despite closing ports to such vessels during the coronavirus pandemic - after a group threatened to kidnap the crew of their vessel.
    In a televised interview, Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela said a member of the crew on board the tourist boat Europa Two had urged him personally for help, adding that the group making the threats "gave us half an hour to act".
    The migrants, who had been at sea since the end of April, stormed the kitchen, grabbed knives and warned that they would start a fire with a gas cylinder unless they were brought ashore, the prime minister said.
    The idea of military personnel boarding the vessel by force was ruled out over safety concerns, he added.
    Malta had earlier chartered the four tourist boats to hold the migrants at sea after they were transferred from the ships that had rescued them off Libya.

    Mosques urged not to reopen despite UK government plan

    A senior imam has advised mosques not to open in the UK until they can hold congregational prayers, despite government plans for places of worship to reopen.
    The government is expected to announce that churches, mosques and synagogues in England can open their doors for private prayer from 15 June but full services and weddings will still be banned.
    As mosques are primarily for congregational prayers Muslim leaders have warned against reopening.
    Imam Qari Asim, chairman of the Mosques & Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB), said opening them would "cause more challenges".
    He said: "The fundamental difference between mosques and some other places of worship is that mosques are first and foremost used for congregational prayers.
    "Individual prayers can be performed anywhere, primarily at homes."

    Black Lives Matter protests continue despite virus fears

    Coronavirus - 7th June Cacb0c10
    Thousands gathered outside the US Embassy in Nine Elms, London

    Black Lives Matter demonstrations have been continuing today with further protests in many European cities, including London where thousands gathered outside the US embassy.
    It follows those seen in the US in reaction to the death of George Floyd while in police custody.
    In Bristol, protesters tore down the statue of a prominent 17th Century slave trader, Edward Colston, whose landmark in the city centre had been defaced previously.
    Coronavirus - 7th June 0dacc510
    Protesters in Bristol tore down the statue of slave trader Edward Colston

    Earlier England's Health Secretary Matt Hancock reiterated the UK government's advice against large gatherings because of coronavirus fears. Germany's health minister, Jens Spahn, said the fight against racism needed common engagement but big crowds in the middle of a pandemic worried him.
    There were similar crowds to those in London at the US embassy in Madrid.
    Alba Garcia, an 18-year-old psychology student, said: "What brought me here is when I saw George Floyd's murder video - I was in a lot of pain."
    In Rome, protesters stood apart but filled the city's Piazza del Popolo and kneeled in silence with their fists in the air to call for justice for Floyd. There were also marches in Copenhagen and Brussels.
    Coronavirus - 7th June 69f9c610
    This was the scene in the centre of Copenhagen on Sunday

    Holidaymakers defy border restrictions to head for Italian beach

    European tourists are reportedly defying travel and border restrictions to visit Italy, with many passing through Switzerland to avoid quarantine.
    Austrian holidaymakers looking for a break at an Italian beach are turning up in the north-eastern seaside town of Jesolo, near Venice, Austria's public broadcaster ORF says. Austria annoyed Italians last Thursday by opening its borders to all its neighbours bar Italy.
    "A Salzburg guest who has been with me since childhood has decided to travel to Italy with his girlfriend via Switzerland to visit us here in Jesolo," the broadcaster quotes Antonio Vigolo, owner of the Cavalieri Palace hotel, as saying. "On the way home, he wants to travel the same route to avoid the two-week quarantine."
    Meanwhile, dozens of German tourists have also travelled to Jesolo, passing through Switzerland, and have wound up at the same hotel, according to Italy's Ansa news agency.
    Jesolo, one of the largest holiday resorts in Italy, eased coronavirus restrictions and reopened its beaches on 23 May.

    Lowest daily death total in UK since lockdown began

    There have been a further 77 coronavirus deaths reported across the UK, the lowest daily total since lockdown began on 23 March.
    The Department of Health says the total number of deaths was at 40,542 as of 17:00 BST on Saturday.
    Death figures are normally lower at the weekends due to a lag in testing and reporting.
    Once again the government did not provide figures for the number of people tested for Covid-19, but said 142,123 had been delivered in the past day.

    Scotland follows rest of UK on quarantine for travellers

    Coronavirus - 7th June C7e19710

    People arriving in Scotland from abroad will have to quarantine for 14 days or face a £480 fine, the Scottish justice secretary has announced.
    Humza Yousaf confirmed that Scotland would be following the rest of the UK by introducing a quarantine for travellers. The UK government's quarantine starts on Monday.
    All arrivals will be required to fill out forms detailing where they will be isolating and give their contact details. Border Force officers will be carrying out spot checks, with fines of up to £480 for giving false information or flouting the quarantine rules.
    People believed to be repeatedly breaching the quarantine could face criminal prosecution, with fines of up to £5,000, although Mr Yousaf said this would be done "as a last resort".
    Other announcements made at Scotland's daily briefing include:

    • Health Secretary Jeane Freeman announced £305,000 of extra funding to support young carers
    • She also urged people to avoid travelling to beauty spots
    • Humza Yousaf encouraged people to avoid mass gatherings, despite giving his support to the Black Lives Matter movement. He said the chief constable had told him there was good social distancing in place at protests


    Algeria's small businesses reopen

    Algeria has allowed a number of businesses to reopen today as part of its plan to end the coronavirus lockdown.
    Vegetable and fruit markets, pastry shops and barbershops have been able to resume trading.
    The second stage of the lockdown relaxation will start on 14 June, when more businesses will be allowed to resume.
    Algeria has had 698 deaths and 10,050 cases of coronavirus, according Johns Hopkins University.
    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    Coronavirus - 7th June Empty Re: Coronavirus - 7th June

    Post by Kitkat Sun 07 Jun 2020, 21:47

    Updates from Al Jazeera

    US coronavirus deaths top 110,000: Live updates
    Number of cases approach two million as nationwide protests against racial injustice spark fears of resurgence of virus.
    by Ted Regencia, Usaid Siddiqui & Umut Uras
    35 minutes ago




    KEEP READING



    • Global death toll from the coronavirus surged past 400,000, according to Johns Hopkins University. About 30 percent of those cases, or two million infections, are in the US. Latin America has the second-largest outbreak, with more than 15 percent of cases. There are more than 6.9 million cases globally.


    • The novel coronavirus has killed more than 110,000 people in the United States, as confirmed cases approach two million.


    • The number of coronavirus cases in Saudi Arabia has exceeded 100,000, following a rise in new infections over the past ten days.
    • The World Health Organization (WHO) has changed its position on face masks and is now encouraging people to wear them in crowded places, citing anecdotal evidence that supports their value in stopping the spread of the novel coronavirus.


    Here are the latest updates:

    Sunday, June 7


    19:30 GMT - Liberia set to ease virus restrictions

    Liberia has made good progress in containing the spread of coronavirus and will open its international airport and hotels on June 21, the government said.
    A state of emergency that was declared in April and due to expire on June 21 would not be renewed, President George Weah said in a statement.
    Restrictions such as a night-time curfew would remain in place, though it would start later, according to the statement released.

    18:30 GMT - US coronavirus deaths top 110,000

    The novel coronavirus has killed more than 110,000 people in the US, according to Johns Hopkins University data, as nationwide protests against racial injustice spark fears of a resurgence of the virus.
    Total US coronavirus cases are approaching two million, the highest in the world followed by Brazil with about 672,000 cases and Russia with about 467,000.
    Several southern US states reported sharp increases in COVID-19 infections, with Alabama, South Carolina and Virginia all seeing new cases rise.
    Coronavirus - 7th June 708cd3e8ce7d4ba9af463f68b973d11c_18
    Ongoing protests against racial injustice spark fears of a resurgence of the virus in the US [EPA] 

    18:00 GMT - France reports 13 more coronavirus deaths, total at 29,155

    France's coronavirus death toll, the fifth-highest in the world, has gone up by 13 to 29,155, the government said.
    The number of people in hospital intensive care units fell by six to 1,053, a smaller decrease than the previous day but extending a steady drop in critical cases since a peak of over 7,000 in early April, according to data posted on a government website.
    The total number of people being treated in hospital for COVID-19 fell by 18 to 12,461. The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, rose by 343 to 153,997.

    17:20 GMT - In Pictures: Burying COVID-19 victims on Peru's hilltop cemetery

    As the number of COVID-19 deaths in Peru rapidly mounts, the Virgen de Lourdes cemetery outside Peru's capital has become a monument to the pandemic's devastating toll among the poor.
    The cemetery is among the biggest in the world - with more than a million tombs - and it is located in one of Lima's most impoverished neighbourhoods.
    See the picture gallery here.
    Coronavirus - 7th June F129646eb96a40b6b6279e94519ef234_8
    The cemetery is among the biggest in the world - with more than a million tombs [AP]

    16:45 GMT - Canada's coronavirus death toll edges up by less than 1 percent

    The total number of Canadians killed by the coronavirus has edged up by 0.9 percent to 7,773 from 7,703 on Saturday, the public health agency said, further evidence that the worst of the pandemic has passed.
    In a statement, the agency said the total number of cases rose to 95,057 from 94,335. Canada's 10 provinces have all started to reopen their economies and relax restrictions on social gatherings.

    16:20 GMT - Italy reports 53 new COVID-19 deaths and 197 new cases

    Italy has reported 53 new COVID-19 deaths against 72 a day earlier and 197 new cases, down from 270 the day before, the Civil Protection department said.
    The total death toll since the outbreak emerged stands at 33,899, the agency said, the fourth-highest in the world after those of the US, the UK and Brazil.
    With a total number of confirmed cases at 234,998, Italy now has the seventh-highest global tally. People registered as currently carrying the disease fell to 35,262 from 35,877 the day before.

    15:55 GMT - Thailand takes live music festival to Zoom amid pandemic

    Rock fans in Thailand watched their favourite bands play via video-meeting platform Zoom as a live music festival went online.
    Public gatherings have been banned in Thailand since mid-March to prevent the spread of coronavirus, but the six-hour-long show gave people a chance to see and interact with artists from afar. 
    Some music fans gathered in small groups - permitted under the coronavirus restrictions - to watch the event, for which about 3,000 tickets were sold at 499 baht ($15.84) apiece.
    Coronavirus - 7th June 2f388a46181f4b738262a9833eba8d1d_18
    The six-hour-long show gave people a chance to see and interact with artists from afar.[Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters] 

    15:20 GMT - UK coronavirus death toll rises 77 to 40,542

    The UK's death toll from confirmed cases of COVID-19 has gone up by 77 to 40,542 as of 16:00 GMT on June 6, according to government data published.
    Scotland and Northern Ireland earlier reported no COVID-19 deaths in the previous 24 hours.

    14:55 - S Africa government, private hospitals agree deal on COVID-19 patients

    The South African government has agreed on how much it will pay private hospitals and medical practitioners to treat severely ill COVID-19 patients if public hospitals run out of space, a senior health official told the Reuters News Agency.
    The government has been in talks for months with private firms and medical associations ahead of a probable scenario where public hospitals run out of critical care beds.
    An agreement has been reached on a daily fee of up to 16,000 rand ($950) for COVID-19 patients that get treated in critical care beds in private hospitals, said Anban Pillay, the health ministry's deputy director-general for national health insurance.
    Coronavirus - 7th June 7b8447b95efc422e909d706ce7c6d834_18
    South Africa had recorded 45,973 cases of the new coronavirus as of Saturday, the highest in Africa [Reuters] 

    14:35 GMT - Scotland, N Ireland report no new COVID-19 deaths in past 24 hours

    Scotland has recorded no deaths of patients who have tested positive for the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, Scottish health minister Jeane Freeman said.
    Northern Ireland's health department also said it had no new COVID-19 deaths reported in the 24 hours to 09:00 GMT on Sunday.
    "I would offer a note of caution about reading too much into today's figure. We know that fewer deaths tend to be registered at the weekend," Freeman said at a news conference.
    "It is still very likely that further COVID deaths will be reported in the days ahead."

    14:10 GMT - Don't celebrate victory over coronavirus yet: Pope

    Pope Francis has warned Italians to not let their guard down against the coronavirus now that infection rates have fallen and urged them to obey government rules on social distancing and wearing masks.
    Francis, addressing several hundred people in St Peter's Square for his Sunday blessing, reacted to applause that broke out when he said their presence, albeit reduced, was a sign that Italy had overcome the acute phase of the pandemic.
    "Be careful. Don't cry victory too soon," he cautioned them, departing from his prepared text.
    Nearly 34,000 people have died in Italy from the coronavirus, the fourth-highest toll in the world after the United States, the UK and Brazil.

    13:50 GMT - New Delhi reserves hospital beds for residents as cases surge

    The city of New Delhi ordered many of its hospital beds to be reserved solely for residents of the Indian capital, as the number of COVID-19 infections continued to surge.
    India on Sunday registered 9,971 new coronavirus cases, taking its tally to 246,628 cases, with 6,929 deaths. The case numbers now lag behind only the US, Brazil, Russia, the UK and Spain.
    New Delhi alone has registered more than 10 percent of the total cases, making it the third-worst affected part of the country after the western state of Maharashtra, home to financial capital Mumbai, and southern Tamil Nadu state.
    Coronavirus - 7th June 0d461b73eadb4c95a7826e3a3fbacca3_18
    New Delhi alone has registered more than 10 percent of total coronavirus cases in India [Getty Images] 

    13:30 GMT - Saudi Arabia's coronavirus cases exceed 100,000

    The number of coronavirus cases in Saudi Arabia has exceeded 100,000, following a rise in new infections over the past 10 days.
    The Saudi Ministry of Health reported 3,045 new cases, taking the total to 101,914, with 712 deaths. The number of new daily cases exceeded 3,000 for the first time on Saturday.
    The country of 30 million people recorded its first COVID-19 infection on March 2. Health authorities said in April the virus could eventually infect between 10,000 and 200,000 people in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom topped 50,000 cases on May 16.
    Coronavirus - 7th June B5eda92044e94413a291fc3918accf38_18Saudi authorities recently eased coronavirus lockdown measures [Ahmed YosriReuters] 



    Hello, this is Umut Uras in Doha taking over from my colleague, Ted Regencia.



    12:45 GMT - New York mayor lifts curfew ahead of pandemic 'reopening'

    New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has lifted a curfew he had imposed on the city for nearly a week as anti-racism protests raged there and nationwide.
    "Yesterday and last night we saw the very best of our city," de Blasio tweeted in announcing that the curfew was over "effective immediately."
    The 8:00 pm to 5:00 am curfew - the city's first in 75 years - ends a day early on the eve of the city's "reopening" on Monday after more than two months of sheltering-at-home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    12:30 GMT - India sees almost 10,000 new cases ahead of reopenings

    India has reported 9,971 new coronavirus cases in another biggest single-day spike, a day before it prepares to reopen shopping malls, hotels and places of worship after a 10-week lockdown.
    India has now surpassed Spain as the fifth-hardest hit country, with more than 247,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, including nearly 7,000 deaths.
    Coronavirus - 7th June 94b81603ae5f48fc87ebdcbf5d63cd98_18
    New Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad are among India's worst-hit cities. Six of the country's 28 states account for 73 percent of the total cases [Narinder Nanu/AFP]

    12:15 GMT - Afghan cricket team starts training despite coronavirus fear

    Afghanistan's national cricket team has kicked off a month-long training camp, even as the coronavirus was spreading widely across the country and an international aid organisation warned it was on the brink of a humanitarian crisis.
    Afghanistan has officially recorded more than 20,000 cases countrywide, but the actual number is believed to be much higher.

    11:55 GMT - Iran says virus uptick due to increased testing

    Iran's health ministry has said a surge in newly reported coronavirus infections was due to increased testing rather than a worsening outbreak.
    After hitting a near two-month low in early May and lifting of tough movement restrictions, COVID-19 cases have been rising in the Islamic republic which is battling the Middle East's deadliest outbreak of the disease.
    "The main reason for rising numbers is that we started identifying (infected people) with no or light symptoms," said Mohammad-Mehdi Gouya, the health ministry's head epidemiologist.
    Coronavirus - 7th June 192b7cfa3eb84682bceceaf9244f18dd_18
    Iranians wear protective face masks, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as they ride on their motorbikes in a crowded street, in Tehran, Iran [File: Ali Khara/West Asia News Agency/Reuters]

    11:35 GMT - Istanbul residents ignore virus rules on first weekend out

    Istanbul residents have flocked to the city's shores and parks on the first weekend with no coronavirus lockdown, prompting a reprimand from the country's health minister who warned that the COVID-19 pandemic still poses a threat.
    Images on social media and in the news media showed crowds picnicking and partying on Saturday night without heeding social distancing or wearing masks.
    Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted "let's not normalize too much" and urged people to wear masks and keep their distance.





    Turkey cracks down as cybercrime rises amid pandemic (5:35)

    11:20 GMT - Pope warns 'be careful' after lockdowns lifted

    Pope Francis is cautioning people in countries emerging from coronavirus lockdowns to keep following authorities' rules for COVID-19 containment.
    "Be careful, don't cry victory, don't cry victory too soon," he said.
    Italy's gradual easing of stay-at-home rules now allows the public to gather in St Peter's Square on Sundays for the pope's noon blessing, and Francis was clearly delighted to see several hundred people gathered in the square below his window, standing safely either individually or as families.

    11:00 GMT - Brazil stops publishing coronavirus deaths, infections

    Brazil's government has stopped publishing a running total of coronavirus deaths and infections in an extraordinary move that critics have called an attempt to hide the true toll of the disease in Latin America's largest nation.
    Saturday's move came after months of criticism from experts saying Brazil's statistics are woefully deficient, and in some cases manipulated, so it may never be possible to gain a real understanding of the depth of the pandemic in the country.
    Read more here.

    10:40 GMT - Portuguese economy to shrink nearly 7 percent 

    Portugal's tourism-dependent economy is expected to shrink by nearly 7 percent this year due to the effects of the coronavirus outbreak, the government said in its economic and financial stability programme published late on Saturday.
    "A strong contraction of the Portuguese economy is expected as a result of the economic shock caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the containment measures implemented," it said, describing the 6.9 percent predicted fall as the "biggest contraction registered in recent decades".




    09:55 GMT - Indonesia reports 672 new coronavirus infections, 50 deaths

    Indonesia has reported 672 new coronavirus infections, taking the total to 31,186, a health ministry official has said.
    There were 50 new deaths, taking the total to 1,851, while 10,498 people have recovered, the official, Achmad Yurianto, said.
    Coronavirus - 7th June 7881b4e19f184954bf76e16bd487a112_18
    A health worker checks the ID of woman as she waits to takes a nasal swab sample during public testing for the coronavirus conducted at a market in Bali, Indonesia [Firdia Lisnawati/AP] 

    09:40 GMT - Russia reports 8,984 new coronavirus cases, 134 deaths

    Russia has reported 8,984 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours, pushing the total number of infections to 467,673.
    Officials said 134 people had died during the same period, bringing the official nationwide death toll to 5,859.

    09:15 GMT - UK health secretary: Attending protests undoubtedly a risk

    UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said attending protests during the coronavirus pandemic was "undoubtedly a risk".
    "The virus itself doesn't discriminate and gathering in large groups is temporarily against the rules precisely because it increases the risk of the spread of this virus", Hancock told British broadcaster Sky.
    Coronavirus - 7th June Aa727ea80ad04e44a724cc00214a7f8b_18
    Demonstrators during a Black Lives Matter protest in London, following the death of George Floyd who died in police custody in Minneapolis [John Sibley/Reuters]

    08:55 GMT - UK places of worship to open for private prayer

    The British government will allow places of worship to reopen on June 15 - but only for private prayer.
    Weddings and other services will not be permitted under the latest easing of the coronavirus lockdown.
    People are expected to adhere to physical distancing rules.
    Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said it has been a "priority" to get places of worship to open again. He said people of all faiths have "shown enormous patience and forbearance" during the lockdown, unable to mark Easter, Passover, Ramadan or Vaisakhi in the traditional way.

    08:30 GMT - Malaysia to reopen most economic activity with virus outbreak 'under control'

    Malaysia has said it would reopen nearly all economic activity and allow interstate travel starting June 10, lifting coronavirus restrictions imposed nearly three months ago as it moves to revive an economy battered by the pandemic.
    Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced in a televised address the novel coronavirus outbreak was "successfully" under control and Malaysia would begin a new recovery phase until August 31.
    "I am aware the government cannot control your lives forever to control the virus," Yassin said.
    Coronavirus - 7th June 34edb859472746f3a8ece51090ff7cfd_18
    People gather by the store with KL Tower seen in the background in Kuala Lumpur [Mohd Rasfan/AFP]

    08:10 GMT - Migrant worker virus exodus plunges India's factories into crisis

    An acute shortage of workers means thousands of factories in India are struggling to restart after an exodus of migrant workers during the virus lockdown.
    India is slowly emerging from strict containment measures imposed in late March as leaders look to revive the battered economy, but manufacturers do not have enough workers to man the machinery.
    The big cities - once an attractive destination for workers from poor, rural regions - have been hit by reverse migration as millions of labourers returned to their far-flung villages, some uncertain if they will ever go back.

    07:40 GMT - China will make any vaccine 'global public goods'

    Chinese officials on Sunday promised to make any Chinese vaccine "global public goods" once available.
    Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang said China is involved in international cooperation on vaccine development and clinical trials.
    Wang made the comment at a news conference to release a report on the nation's response to the coronavirus pandemic.





    07:10 GMT - Bangladesh minister tests positive for coronavirus

    A Bangladeshi minister has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, local media reported.
    Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing, the Chittagong hill tracts affairs minister, is the first in the country's cabinet to have tested positive for the virus.
    "Minister Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing was suffering from coronavirus like symptoms for the last nine days and we got confirmation on Saturday night that he had contracted COVID-19," Dr Aung Swi Prue Marma, a civil surgeon at Bandarban district, told Anadolu Agency.

    06:50 GMT - Australian anti-racism protestors defying health rules 'self-indulgent': minister

    Australians who defied public health rules and rallied in support of the US's Black Lives Matter movement were reckless and self-indulgent, Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said.
    More than 20,000 people protested in Sydney and other cities on Saturday, in solidarity with US anger over the death of a Black man in police custody and calling for an end to similar deaths of Indigenous Australians.
    "I think it is incredibly selfish," Cormann told Sky News. "It's incredibly self-indulgent."
    Coronavirus - 7th June 02ac3bccc322443bbec9c7b913020b8a_18
    Cormann said the protesters risked a second outbreak of the novel coronavirus [Lisa Maree Williams/Getty]

    06:20 GMT - OPEC, allies agree to extend deep output cuts through July

    OPEC members, led by Saudi Arabia, and other key oil producers agreed on Saturday to extend historic output cuts through July, as oil prices tentatively recover and coronavirus lockdowns ease.
    The 13-member cartel and its allies, notably Russia, decided to extend by a month deep May and June cuts agreed in April to boost prices, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said in a statement.
    But Mexico, which had already made clear ahead of the talks that it "could not adjust... production further", announced that it would not be complying.

    05:55 GMT - China denies delay in sharing virus information: AP

    The Chinese health minister has denied delays in sharing coronavirus information in response to an Associated Press investigation that found the WHO was frustrated by a lack of transparency by Beijing during the early days of the virus outbreak.
    At a news conference on Sunday, where China issued an official report on the fight against COVID-19, Ma Xiaowei, director of China's National Health Commission, denied China stalled or attempted a cover-up during the virus outbreak, saying the AP report "seriously violated the facts".
    "It took time to accumulate evidence, deepen understanding, and grasp the characteristics of the novel coronavirus," Ma said.
    Coronavirus - 7th June Aa5e69870bce4658b42630961289a823_18
    The internal recordings of WHO meetings, documents and interviews AP obtained showed China sat on releasing the genome of the virus for more than a week after the data had been fully decoded [File: Thomas Peter/Reuters]


    Hello, this is Usaid Siddiqui in Doha taking over from my colleague Ted Regencia



    05:35 GMT - US CDC reports 1,891,690 coronavirus cases

    The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported 1,891,690 cases of the new coronavirus as of the end of Saturday, an increase of 29,034 cases from its previous count, and said the number of deaths had risen by 1,128 to 109,192.

    04:55 GMT - Thailand reports eight new cases, zero new deaths for 13 days in a row

    Thailand on Sunday reported eight new cases and no new deaths, taking its total to 3,112 infections and 58 deaths since the outbreak began in January.
    The new cases were returnees - five from the United Arab Emirates, two from Kuwait and one from India - and had been in quarantine, where most of Thailand's recent cases have been detected, said Panprapa Yongtrakul, an assistant spokeswoman for the government's COVID-19 Administration Centre.
    Thailand has recorded zero new deaths for 13 days in a row, she said.

    04:39 GMT - Shanghai drug company begins human test for COVID-19 drug

    Shanghai Junshi Biosciences has started an early-stage study to test its potential antibody treatment against coronavirus in healthy people, Reuters reported on Sunday quoting the official paper Liberation Daily's online channel.
    The experimental drug, JS016, is expected to begin human study in the United States in the second quarter of this year, through collaboration with Eli Lilly and Co, with which Junshi announced a partnership last month.

    04:18 GMT - Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 301 to 183,979

    The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 301 to 183,979, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Sunday.
    The reported death toll rose by 22 to 8,668, the tally showed.

    03:27 GMT - El Salvador's Bukele sustains veto of coronavirus legislation

    Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has for the second time vetoed emergency legislation passed to regulate the Central American country's coronavirus policy and usher in a gradual reopening of its economy, his legal team said.
    Bukele's legal counsel, Conan Castro, said Bukele had vetoed the law backed on May 30 by Congress because it breached a number of constitutional guarantees including the rights and health of workers and cooperation between organs of government.
    Bukele, who has been at loggerheads with Congress for weeks over coronavirus policy, had vetoed a similar law in May on the grounds it put the public's health at risk. El Salvador has about 2,934 coronavirus cases and 53 deaths reported.
    Coronavirus - 7th June 8247ccd9b70f4a43b9361a20217b3408_18
    El Salvador has about 2,934 coronavirus cases and 53 deaths reported [Jose Cabezas/Reuters]

    03:03 GMT - China would make a coronavirus vaccine a "global public good"

    China will increase international cooperation if it succeeds in developing a novel coronavirus vaccine, the science and technology minister said on Sunday.
    China would make a vaccine a "global public good" when it is ready, Minister Wang Zhigang was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency during a news conference in Beijing.

    02:32 GMT - Brazil takes down COVID-19 data, hiding soaring death toll

    Brazil has removed from public view months of data on its COVID-19 epidemic, as President Jair Bolsonaro defended delays and changes to official record-keeping of the world's second-largest coronavirus outbreak.
    Brazil's Health Ministry removed the data from a website that had documented the epidemic over time and by state and municipality.
    The ministry also stopped giving a total count of confirmed cases, which have shot past 672,000 - more than anywhere outside the US - or a total death toll, which passed Italy this week, nearing 36,000 by Saturday.
    "The cumulative data ... does not reflect the moment the country is in," Bolsonaro said on Twitter, citing a note from the ministry. "Other actions are under way to improve the reporting of cases and confirmation of diagnoses."
    Bolsonaro has downplayed the dangers of the pandemic, replaced medical experts in the health ministry with military officials and argued against state lockdowns, hobbling the country's public health response.

    02:06 GMT - Second day of 50-plus cases in South Korea virus spike

    South Korea has reported 57 additional cases of the coronavirus, marking a second day in a row that its daily jump is above 50, as authorities struggle to suppress a spike in new infections in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, the Associated Press news agency reported.
    Figures released on Sunday by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took the country's total to 11,776 cases, with 273 deaths. The agency says 10,552 people have recovered while 951 remain in treatment.
    South Korea's caseload peaked in late February and early March, but a later significant easing amid aggressive tracing, testing and treatment prompted authorities to loosen strict social distancing rules. The country has since seen an increase in new infections, mostly in the Seoul region.

    01:43 GMT - China reports six new COVID-19 cases, five asymptomatic cases

    China reported six new cases of the novel coronavirus on Sunday, three more than the previous day.
    Five of the new cases, recorded by late Saturday, involved travellers arriving from abroad, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on its website. One locally transmitted case was found in the southern island province of Hainan.
    The NHC also confirmed five new asymptomatic cases, or people who are infected with the virus but do not show symptoms, compared with two the previous day.
    The total number of infections in China, where the virus first emerged late last year, stands at 83,036. With no new deaths reported, the death toll remained 4,634.

    01:34 GMT - Brazil reports 904 new coronavirus deaths in 24 hours -health ministry

    Brazil reported an additional 904 coronavirus deaths and 27,075 new cases over the last 24 hours, Reuters news agency reported on Sunday, quoting the country's health ministry.
    The country has registered 35,930 total coronavirus deaths and 672,846 confirmed cases.
    Coronavirus - 7th June 574aacb698cf4a3ba61d38ba42a31cdf_18
    Brothers Carlos Alexandre and Wagner Cardninot, attend the burial on Saturday of their father, 76- year-old Jose Herminio de Farias, who died from COVID-19 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil [Pilar Olivares/Reuters]

    01:08 GMT - Sri Lanka to reopen for international tourism on August 1

    Sri Lanka says it will reopen for international tourists starting August 1 after a "successful containment" of the novel coronavirus.
    The country's airports had been closed since March because of the global pandemic.
    Sri Lanka Tourism said in a statement on Saturday that all precautionary measures recommended by global health and travel authorities have been put in place to keep visitors and residents safe.
    Sri Lanka has reported 1,810 confirmed cases, including 11 deaths.

    00:34 GMT - Mexico reports 3,593 new cases, 341 new fatalities

    Mexico's health ministry has reported 3,593 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 341 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 113,619 cases and 13,511 deaths.
    The government said the real number of infections is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.

    00:01 GMT - Russia reports second-highest one-day death toll

    Russia has reported its second-highest one-day death toll even as the number of new coronavirus infections remained steady.
    The national coronavirus task force said 197 people died during the past day, sharply up from 144 a day earlier. The highest one-day death toll was 232 on May 29.
    There were 8,855 new infection cases overall. Russia has recorded more than 458,000 cases, including 5,725 deaths.




    Round-up from today's BBC Live updates:

    Today's headlines



    As we conclude our live coverage for today, here is a reminder of Sunday's headlines:

    • No new deaths of patients who have tested positive for coronavirus have been registered in Scotland in the past 24 hours, for the first time since 20 March.
    • Health Secretary Jeane Freeman says it is "positive news" but that "the room for manoeuvre within that progress remains small".
    • Thousands of anti-racism campaigners have taken part in demonstrations across Scotland despite being urged to avoid mass gatherings.
    • New measures will be come into force tomorrow for anyone arriving in Scotland from abroad. Travellers must isolate for 14 days and provide details of where they will isolate and how they can be contacted, or face a possible fine of up to £480.
    • A chain of Scottish hotels - the Crieff Hydro group - has given notice that 241 staff face redundancy at the start of August.
    • Jeane Freeman says not all hospital workers are yet being regularly tested for Covid-19, and testing of care home staff is not happening fast enough in every area.
    • The health secretary insists she is “not trying to conceal anything” after being repeatedly asked about an alleged discrepancy in figures of people suspected of contracting Covid-19 after they were admitted to hospital for other conditions.
    • The Scottish government will provide £305,000 of extra funding in support for young carers.

    We'll be back with more live coverage in the morning, as we begin a 12th week under lockdown. Have a good evening and stay safe.

      Current date/time is Thu 28 Mar 2024, 20:25