Coronavirus news - live: 'Completely wrong' to say Boris Johnson's mass testing plan will save Christmas, Vallance warns
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England’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance poured cold water on Operation Moon Shot, warning it is “completely wrong” to say that ministers’ proposed mass coronavirus testing regime could allow for a return to semi-normality by Christmas - just minutes after Boris Johnson touted hopes that it could.
Speaking at Downing Street, the prime minister tightened England’s coronavirus restrictions, making it illegal from Monday for people to gather in groups larger than six, with some exemptions.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Donald Trump came under fire after it was revealed he had downplayed the potential severity of the virus to ‘avoid panic’.
And case numbers continue to rise around the world - with India reporting 90,802 new confirmed infections in a 24 hour period, the nation’s highest daily spike so far.
Slovenia reports highest daily cases
Slovenia, which was the first European state to declare an end to the coronavirus pandemic in May, has reported its highest daily count of new infections since registering its first case in March.
The government today reported 79 new coronavirus cases compared to 43 a day earlier, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 3,312.
Analysts said the surge could be due to the government conducting more coronavirus tests on Tuesday than before, at 2,560 compared to 1,581 on Monday. They said the start of the school year on 1 September also contributed to the spread of the virus.
So far Slovenia, which has 2 million citizens, recorded a total of 135 deaths due to the coronavirus.
Over the past weeks Slovenia has introduced obligatory two-week isolation for most people coming from a number of countries where coronavirus cases are on the rise, including neighbouring Croatia.
Beauty salon police investigation
A beauty salon that reportedly told customers coronavirus does not exist is being looked into by the police.
Skin Kerr salon in Bootle had put posters up outside that read "you can't catch what doesn't exist" and told visitors staff would not be wearing masks, according to pictures shared on social media.
According to a picture of the sign obtained by the BBC, it described the salon as “Covid free” and said: “No masks, we take cash, Covid talk is banned" and added hashtags #voodoovirusisbullshit and #wedonotconsent.
Beauty salon that told customers coronavirus ‘doesn’t exist' to be visited by police
Salon had posters outside saying 'you can't catch what doesn't exist’
Business travellers should be used to pioneer trans-Atlantic flying, leading bosses say
As Lufthansa announces the expansion of its coronavirus testing centre at its Frankfurt hub, pressure is growing on the UK government to allow alternatives to two weeks of quarantine, our travel correspondent Simon Calder reports.
The German airline is increasing capacity from 4,500 to 10,000 passengers a day. But the UK government has yet to agree to any use of testing to limit the current 14 days of self-isolation for arrivals from most countries.
Virgin Atlantic’s chief executive, Shai Weiss, told the BBC’s Today programme: “The economy, which is already in deep recession, will not take off unless we have travel and tourism back on track.
“The only way to do that, I believe, in the interim period before treatment and a vaccine are made available, is through testing.”
He advocates testing on arrival until pre-departure testing with near-instant results becomes feasible.
Boris Johnson and other ministers have rejected the concept of a single test on arrival, claiming it will pick up only seven per cent of infected travellers.
Their assertion, which is a misrepresentation of the conclusions of a theoretical study by Public Health England three months ago, has been rubbished by one of Britain’s leading statisticians.
Lufthansa says that one per cent of passengers have tested positive in the Frankfurt airport tests.
Airline bosses increase pressure to open transatlantic travel
Exclusive: ‘We know exactly who these customers are, we know where they sat on the aeroplane, we know who picked them up at the airport,’ says Drew Crawley of Amex
Scotland records 159 new cases
Speaking at the Scottish Government's daily briefing, Nicola Sturgeon said 21,878 people have now tested positive for coronavirus in Scotland - a rise of 159 in the past 24 hours.
Provisional figures indicate 63 are in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 29 in Lothian, 19 in Lanarkshire and 10 in Forth Valley.
No new deaths have been recorded, with the toll of people who died within 28 days of their first positive Covid-19 test remaining at 2,499.
Seven more people have been admitted to hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, bringing the total to 274 - six of whom are in intensive care.
The Netherlands records highest surge in new cases since April
Dutch health authorities have recorded 1,140 new cases in the past 24 hours.
It is the highest number of new cases since April, when new infections reached a peak of 1,335 in a single day.
This number fell as low as 22 in early July, but has been steadily rising since, official figures show.
Speaker accuses government of 'total disregard' for parliament after new rules given to media before MPs
Lindsay Hoyle has reprimanded the government for failing to deliver a statement to the Commons on new coronavirus restrictions, urging Matt Hancock to apologise to MPs.
After No 10 changed guidance on social gatherings in a briefing on Tuesday evening, the Commons speaker said: “I accept decisions have been taken in a fast moving situation but timings for statements are well known to ministers.
“It’s really not good enough for the government to make decisions of this kind in the way in which show insufficient regard for the importance of major policy announcements being made first to this House and members wherever possible.
“Can I say to him I’ve already sent a letter to the secretary of state. I think the total disregard for this chamber is not acceptable.”
He added: "I expect the Secretary of State to apologise to members and make sure that this chamber knows first of when he was fully aware of what was going to be said later.
"And let me say, if this minister wants to run this chamber ragged I can assure you now I'm sure a UQ (urgent question) every day might just begin to run him ragged."
Follow our breaking story here:
Nigel Farage suggests people should ignore government’s ‘draconian’ ban on gatherings of more than six people
The Brexit Party leader’s tweet is the first hint of right-wing unease over the new rules, which are aimed at preventing a similar number of infections and deaths as seen at the pandemic’s peak.
Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick has more details below:
Nigel Farage says public should break law banning social gatherings of more than six
Law ‘will not be respected by protestors and those going to raves, so why should the rest of us comply’, says Brexit Party leader
‘Disgusting’ to criticise school for sending year group for testing
An assistant headteacher at a primary in Leicestershire said Matt Hancock's criticism of a school that sent an entire year group for testing was "disgusting".
She told the PA news agency: "The government had months to consider how the return of schools might affect testing capacity and yet nothing has been done about it.
"Teachers and children, alongside NHS staff and carers, need to be given testing priority."
The teacher said her school had already had six members of staff forced to stay at home due to a lack of available testing, out of a total of around 45 - a loss which makes a "huge difference" to their teaching provision.
This meant learning support assistants, who were supposed to give closer attention to children with special educational needs, were instead having to cover teaching shortages.
"Teachers are putting themselves at risk with no complaint... to give the best life chances by teaching pupils in person in school," she added.
"Teachers want children in school but the lack of adequate availability for teachers and children not only means that teachers can't teach their class but children are needlessly missing out on face-to-face lessons."
Temporary suspensions of vaccine trials ‘not unusual’
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said safety is paramount in vaccine clinical trials and temporary suspensions are not unusual to evaluate any unexplained illness in a participant.
The comments come after global trials of a coronavirus vaccine from AstraZeneca, developed in partnership with the University of Oxford, were paused after a UK volunteer suffered an unexplained illness as a side effect.
WHO told Reuters:"We are pleased to see vaccine developers assuring the scientific integrity of the trials and abiding by the standard guidelines and rules for the development of vaccines."
The organisation also recommended "strict adherence to established testing protocols in all vaccine trials to ensure the safety of volunteers and the eventual safety and efficacy of vaccines".
Scotland could follow England’s lead on restricting gatherings
Nicola Sturgeon has said she cannot rule out changing the number of people allowed to gather together in Scotland, as has been announced in England.
The first minister said the average number of daily positive cases has trebled from three weeks ago and the country is "currently at a very dangerous point".
She added "We can't rule out the need to make changes to the numbers of people allowed to gather together, like those were announced in England last night.
"We are carefully reviewing existing guidance and regulation, as well as considering what new steps may be necessary to keep Covid under control."
A maximum of eight people from three households can meet indoors in Scotland, except in areas subject to tighter restrictions, while up to 15 people from five households can meet outside.
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