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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Your support makes all the difference.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:
'It's not over until there is no virus anywhere in the world'
The World Health Organisation has urged people to continue to take precautions against coronavirus as lockdown restrictions are eased.
"We have seen in countries around the world when the lockdowns ease, when the social distancing measures ease, people sometimes interpret this as 'OK, it's over'," WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told a UN briefing in Geneva.
"It's not over. It's not over until there is no virus anywhere in the world," she said, adding that US protesters must also take precautions when gathering.
Fiji declares itself free of coronavirus
All 18 people who have tested positive for Covid-19 in Fiji have now recovered, prompting the island nation to declare itself free of the coronavirus - at least for now.
Prime minister Frank Bainimarama said on Twitter: "Even with our testing numbers climbing by the day, it's now been 45 days since we recorded our last case. With no deaths, our recovery rate is 100 per cent."
He added: "Answered prayers, hard work, and affirmation of science!"
Fiji, which has a population of 900,000, imposed a lockdown in some areas in April and put in place ongoing border restrictions.
EU wants all borders reopened by end of June
All EU member states should lift their temporary coronavirus travel restrictions each other by the end of the month, Brussels has said.
A coordinated ban on non-essential travel from outside the EU was imposed at the start of the crisis by the 27 member states.
The UK has belatedly imposed its own restrictions on incoming travellers, requiring almost all incoming passengers to quarantine at home for two weeks, including returning UK residents - despite the fact the UK is now reporting a much higher infection and death rate than all of its neighbours.
Police turn away 1,000 cars from Brecon Beacons in two days
A police force in Wales has reminded English visitors of its different lockdown rules after turning away 1,000 cars from a beauty spot in just two days.
Dyfed-Powys Police said they have stopped tourists ftravelling to a picturesque area in the Brecon Beacons known as "waterfall country" last weekend.
The force said many of the drivers stopped in the village of Ystradfellte claimed they did not know Wales has a five-mile limit for non-essential journeys.
A spokeswoman said: "Police in Powys are reminding people to check the rules before they travel, as tourists from the Midlands, London and Bristol continue to visit despite lockdown restrictions.
"Many of those stopped claimed they thought the rules around travel were the same as in England, while others had deliberately flouted them."
Offenders include a doctor from London who travelled to Brecon to buy lamb, a group from Devon who made a 350-mile round trip to Wisemans Bridge, Pembrokeshire, to "look at the beach", and a birthday party from Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, who came to Elan Valley, Powys, for a barbecue.
Police ask CPS to review evidence in Belly Mujianga case
British Transport Police has asked the Crown Prosecution Service to review evidence into the death of railway worker Belly Mujinga from coronavirus.
The force said it was doing so in "recognition of wider public interest" - but was not reopening the case.
Last week the BTP announced it was taking no further action after finding no evidence that a suspect had spat at Ms Mujinga. The suspect, a man in his 50s, had also tested negative for coronavirus and so could not have passed it to the railway worker during the incident at Victoria Station, it added.
The force has now issued a longer statement, saying: "Having thoroughly reviewed all statements from key witnesses including co-workers and closely reviewing the CCTV footage, the investigating officers concluded there was insufficient evidence to support a prosecution based upon the allegation that the man spat deliberately on Mrs Mujinga or said that he had the virus.
"It was therefore determined that there was insufficient evidence to pursue charges of Common Assault or a Public Order Act offence. Without those precursor elements there is insufficient evidence to link the alleged actions with Mrs Mujinga contracting coronavirus.
"Where the police do not think there is sufficient evidence to support a prosecution, the initial threshold is not met and a referral to the CPS is not made.
"Nonetheless, in recognition of the wider public interest in the circumstances of this case, we have invited independent review by the CPS of the available evidence, and whether there are any further lines of enquiry and opinion in relation to BTP's position on the prospect of meeting the general principle of a successful prosecution."
EHRC launches inquiry into racial inequalities exposed by virus in UK
The equalities watchdog will launch a statutory inquiry into the “entrenched racial inequalities” laid bare by the coronavirus pandemic in the UK.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said it would use its legal powers to probe “deep-rooted inequality” faced by people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (Bame) communities, which have been thrown into sharp focus by the Covid-19 crisis.
Face mask rule 'long overdue'
Doctors, unions and opposition politicians have questioned why it has taken more than two months for the government to make face coverings compulsory on public transport and called for the policy to be extended to all places where social distancing is not possible.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps on Thursday announced that face coverings must be worn in England on buses, trams, trains, coaches, aircraft and ferries from 15 June – more than 10 weeks after the pandemic took hold in the UK.
Brazil overtakes Italy with third-highest death toll
The coronavirus outbreak in Brazil has steadily worsened as the number of infections rose to nearly 615,000 and it overtook Italy as the country with the third-highest number of Covid-19 deaths, reports Kate Ng.
On Thursday, Brazil’s health ministry reported a daily record of 1,473 fatalities, taking its death toll to more 34,021. The countries with higher death tolls than Brazil are the US, which has the most number of fatalities, followed by the UK.
Scotland reports 14 more deaths
First minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced the deaths of a further 14 people, bringing the total in Scotland to 2,409.
Speaking at the Scottish Government's coronavirus briefing in Edinburgh, Ms Sturgeon said 15,582 people have tested positive for the virus across Scotland, up by 29 from 15,553 previous day.
There are 995 patients in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, a fall of 26 in 24 hours, marking the first time since March 30 this figure has been under 1,000. Of these patients, 23 were in intensive care.
Victoria's Secret goes into administration
The UK arm of lingerie brand Victoria's Secret has slipped into administration, raising fears for more than 800 employees.
Shop closures during the pandemic had already resulted in 785 of the firm's staff being furloughed.
There area 25 stores across the UK. Administrators will try to find a buyer for its assets, or re-negotiate its rents.
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