Coronavirus news – live: WHO says everyone must wear face masks in public as Matt Hancock urges people not to attend George Floyd protests
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The World Health Organisation has updated its coronavirus guidance in response to recent research to say everyone should wear face coverings in public where there is a risk of virus transmission.
The change came as Matt Hancock, the health secretary, announced all hospital visitors would have to wear face coverings from 15 June and urged the public to not attend upcoming George Floyd protests due to concerns about the potential for large gatherings to spread Covid-19.
Meanwhile, as the official UK death toll passed 40,000, scientists halted a trial of the anti-malaria drug touted by Donald Trump after researchers at the University of Oxford found hydroxychloroquine was ineffective as a treatment for coronavirus.
Follow the latest developments in the liveblog below:
Australia seeks Covid-19 ban on George Floyd protests
The New South Wales state government is taking legal action to stop a Black Lives Matter protest in Sydney on Saturday - on the grounds that it risks an outbreak of coronavirus.
Police had originally approved the protest on the understanding there would be fewer than 500 participants - but thousands are now expected to attend.
"The New South Wales government would never, ever give the green light to thousands of people flagrantly disregarding the health orders," NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney.
The NSW Supreme Court will hear the matter this afternoon.
Prime minister Scott Morrison has already urged the public not to attend the gathering and similar rallies in Melbourne and other major cities.
Australia has reported low numbers of new Covid-19 cases in recent weeks and has 490 active cases, with just 25 people in hospital.
UK house prices fall during lockdown
The average house price fell for the third month in a row in May, according to the Halifax index.
Across the UK, a 0.2 per cent month-on-month decline in property values in May took the average house price to £237,808.
It followed monthly falls of 0.6 per cent in April and 0.3 per cent in March.
However house prices were 2.6 per cent higher compared with a year earlier.
Russell Galley, managing director at Halifax, said: "With the full impact of lockdown measures taking a firm grip on the UK property market by May, the average house price fell by 0.2 per cent to £237,808."
UK death toll set to top 40,000 today
Yesterday the UK reported another 176 deaths, taking the official total to 39,904.
It suggests Britain will pass the 40,000 mark today. The UK has the second highest death toll in the world, behind the US.
Israel's main airport shut down
Workers at Israel's main airport went on strike to demand compensation for wages lost due to the coronavirus crisis.
Ben Gurion Airport, near Tel Aviv, put about 2,500 airport workers on unpaid leave in early March and is currently only handling a small number of daily passenger and cargo services.
The workers' strike, which would have affect 37 flights on Friday, including 17 outbound and 20 inbound, was called off after a few hours following a request for negotiation from Israeli transportation minister Miri Regev.
"The workers that were placed on unpaid leave have now stopped receiving unemployment benefits. We need the government to find a solution," said Gali Gabbay, spokesperson for the Israel Airports Authority's workers' union.
Russia cases rise to nearly 450,000
Russia has reported another 8,726 cases of coronavirus, pushing the total number of infections to 449,834 - the third highest in the world.
Officials said 144 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the official nationwide death toll to 5,528.
'We are facing the greatest crisis the industry has ever seen'
Willie Walsh, head of International Airlines Group, has told Sky News that no final decisions have been taken about redundancies at British Airways.
BA plans to make up to 12,000 of its 42,000 staff redundant, and to change the employment conditions of those who keep their jobs. It blames the collapse of demand created by the coronavirus pandemic.
Asked about plans for redundancies and wage cuts, Mr Walsh said it was being put out for consultation and added: 'We have not taken any decision'.
He said: "We are facing the greatest crisis the industry has ever seen."
IAG is the parent company of British Airways, and also runs Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling.
British Airways considers legal challenge to quarantine plan
Willie Wash said that IAG, parent company of British Airways, may try to challenge the UK government's quarantine plan in court.
He said there had been no consultation with the industry prior to the legislation being brought in, and that the new rules would "torpedo" the airline's chances of flying in July.
"We think it is irrational, we think it is disproportionate and we are giving consideration to a legal challenge to this legislation," Walsh said.
British Airways was not able to apply for state aid, unlike other airlines in Europe, he added.
He said they were instead relying on a £300m loan from the Bank of England.
39,000 new infections per week in England
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has released figures on how many people at any given time are infected with Covid-19 across England.
It said: "At any given time between May 17 and May 30, we estimated that an average of 0.10 per cent of the community population had Covid-19.
"This equates to an average of 53,000 people in England.
"Modelling of the trend over time shows evidence that the number of people in England testing positive has decreased in recent weeks.
"There were an estimated 39,000 new Covid-19 infections per week in England between April 26 and May 30, equating to an incidence rate per week of 0.07 new cases per 100 people."
Quarter of excess deaths 'did not involve coronavirus'
New analysis from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has found that 28 per cent of excess deaths registered between March 7 and May 1 in England and Wales did not involve coronavirus - a total of 12,900 deaths out of 46,380.
Excess deaths refers to the number of deaths that is above the average total for this period in the previous five years.
The non-Covid-19 excess deaths identified by the ONS have occurred mainly in older age groups, particularly for frail elderly people with underlying health conditions.
The ONS said that "undiagnosed Covid-19 could help explain the rise in these deaths".
Turkey cancels weekend lockdown
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has cancelled the weekend curfew planned for 6/7 June following a public backlash.
He said the measure was announced to reduce the spread of the disease after a rise in the number of cases.
"The evaluations we received from our citizens led us to reconsider the decision," Mr Erdogan announced on Twitter.
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