Coronavirus news: Sport to return and groups of six can meet to exercise together says government, despite warnings on lockdown easing
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Elite sport can return behind closed doors from 1 June, the government announced as it eased coronavirus restrictions to allow groups of up to six people to exercise together outdoors.
Culture secretary Oliver Dowden described the move as “a significant moment” despite warnings from scientific advisers that Covid-19 “is spreading too fast to lift lockdown in England” with an estimated 8,000 infections per day.
With the new NHS test and trace system still “untested”, Professor John Edmunds accused ministers of making a “risky” and political decision, saying “Westminster clearly made a decision that this is the sort of level of incidence that they’re willing to tolerate”, despite it being “significantly higher” than similar European nations.
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Greater Manchester mayor warns of 'huge redundancies' if furlough scheme ends in October
"I have got a night-time economy adviser in Greater Manchester... and he texted me yesterday after the Chancellor's announcement to say that the stopping of the furlough scheme in October will lead to huge redundancies in the hospitality sector," Andy Burnham told the BBC.
"And, I would say, it almost undermines the point of having the furlough scheme in the first place."
He added: "If you are going to pull the rug on people in a sector like hospitality at that point, then we could see a huge number of businesses go bust and jobs lost."
Liverpool deputy mayor steps down amid inquiry into garden gathering
The city's Labour group is investigating after video emerged on social media of at least 12 people at the home of Lynnie Hinnigan, where a number of chairs were laid out.
Councillor Hinnigan said that no party took place because of the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, and guests had just dropped off gifts in a surprise event for her 50th birthday, organised by her daughter.
She told the Liverpool Echo: "I really wasn't aware that it was happening, it was genuinely a surprise.
"Everyone is finding lockdown hard, not seeing family and friends, but everyone should still follow the rules, stay alert, stay safe and socially distance, which is exactly what I told my daughter and the reason I never left the house.
"I am sorry if this has hurt anyone as it was never mine or my daughter's intention. Many other families in our city have struggled throughout this period. We still need to follow the guidance until we can meet face to face again."
The Labour group said Councillor Hinnigan had "voluntarily and temporarily" stepped down from her duties.
Two metre distance rule should be reviewed to save hospitality sector, senior Tories tell government
Greg Clark, chair of the Commons science and technology committee, called on the prime minister to consider reducing the two-metre limit to one and half metres in light of new evidence from the government's scientific advisers, Lizzy Buchan reports.
Mr Clark, a former cabinet minister, said documents recently published by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), indicate infection risk "falls sharply by 1.5m" and urged a review of the rules before non-essential shops begin to reopen in two weeks time.
In a letter to the prime minister, Mr Clark said: "At the liaison committee hearing, you expressed your hope that the 2 metre distance could be reduced, noting that Sage had updated its advice on other matters as the pandemic has developed and that you would ask Sage to consider again its advice in good time ahead of the planned return to business of shops on 15 June.
"I would therefore ask that you ensure that Sage urgently reviews the 2 metre guidance and publishes its updated analysis." He added: "Were Sage's updated analysis not to recommend reducing the advised distance, it would be important for it to clarify the rationale for 2 metres compared to 1.5 metres and why the guidance in the UK differs from so many international comparators."
David Davis, another former cabinet minister, tweeted: "Greg Clark's right, the government must look at easing the social distancing rules to help businesses, including shops, get back on their feet in the coming weeks. The WHO recommends only a 1m rule."
Commenting on remarks by some Sage members, Labour's shadow health minister Justin Madders said: "It is crucial for all of us that the government gets this right. Easing lockdown must be done as safely as possible.
"It will only work if there are effective, flexible and local systems in place that have the confidence of the public to ensure that we avoid a second peak of infections"
Pakistan resumes international flights as single highest overnight death toll recorded
Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority has announced international flights can resume in and out of Pakistan - even as it recorded its single highest overnight death toll of 78 and the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases soared beyond 66,000.
As of Saturday, Pakistan had recorded 1,395 deaths from the virus since mid-March and daily counts of new cases showed a jump of nearly 2,500
Pakistan has eased most of its lockdown measures and earlier this month the Supreme Court even ordered shopping centres to reopen. That came despite pleas from the country's medical profession and dire warnings of more deaths.
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Ireland to begin contact-tracing app testing next week
The Health Service Executive (HSE) of Ireland has announced that field-testing of a Covid-19 contact-tracing app will begin in the country next week.
The app will operate on a voluntary and opt-in basis. It is aimed at tracking down anyone who has been in close contact with positive cases of the virus.
A HSE statement said: ""The app is being prepared for field testing which is due to commence next week. This will validate the use of Exposure Notification Service (ENS) to trace close contacts.
"The Exposure Notification Service (ENS) has been developed by Apple and Google."
The app will be launched once it is fully operational and the necessary approvals have been received from the Data Protection Commissioner, health experts from the National Public Health Emergency Team, HSE and the Government.
The British Army’s information warfare unit has been drafted to combat a spike in propaganda and conspiracy theories on coronavirus being spread online, defence editor Kim Sengupta reports.
The 77th Brigade is part of the government operation against a coalition consisting of activists from anti-vaccine, anti-5G and hard-right movements who have been claiming the pandemic threat is bogus.
The brigade was previously used to combat misinformation spread by Isis and extremist political groups.
Read our report:
Chinese vaccine could be ready by end of the year, claims government body
A Chinese government body has said a vaccine for coronavirus could be ready for market as early as the end of this year or early 2021.
China’s state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) said in a social media post that more than 2,000 people have received vaccines as part of trials, developed by the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products and the Beijing Institute of Biological Products.
The clinical trials have entered Phase II. Both groups are affiliated with state-owned pharmaceutical group Sinopharm, which is managed by SASAC.
The body said in the post on WeChat that the production line will have an annual manufacturing capacity of 100 million to 120 million doses.
Reporting by Reuters
'Insert if there has been a bereavement': MP apologises over reply to constituent over Dominic Cummings saga
Tory MP Anthony Mangnall has apologised for making the "stupid" mistake of forgetting to delete a reminder to add "cut-and-paste condolences" to his response to a constituent who contacted him about Dominic Cummings and have lost loved ones in the pandemic.
An extract shared on social media of an email sent by the Totnes MP shows the third paragraph of his response read: "[Insert if there has been a bereavement: May I add my condolences to the recent loss of your family member.
"The current situation has made the ability to mourn the passing of loved ones all the more difficult. I send my best wishes to you and your family.]"
Mr Mangnall, who was elected last year, has said he "shares many of the concerns" of his constituents regarding Mr Cummings's stay in Durham and would not have taken the same "course of action" himself, but he did not call for his resignation.
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