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Coronavirus news – live: Face coverings will not be made in compulsory in shops, Michael Gove says as Herefordshire farm in lockdown

Follow the latest developments in the UK and worldwide

Peter Stubley,Vincent Wood
Sunday 12 July 2020 17:00 BST
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Coronavirus in numbers

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Face coverings will not be made mandatory in shops, Michael Gove said – two days after Boris Johnson hinted that England could copy Scotland by introducing the rule.

The cabinet office minister also stepped up calls for people to return to work following reports that the government was set to ease restrictions on using public transport.

It came as a Herefordshire farm went into lockdown after 73 vegetable pickers tested positive for coronavirus. The 200 staff are being kept in isolation in mobile homes at the site.

Meanwhile Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon said she would be prepared to impose a border quarantine with England to prevent the spread of the virus if necessary, though there were no “immediate plans” to do so.

Follow our live coverage below

Latest: Herefordshire farm on lockdown

Here's our developing story on the coronavirus outbreak at Rook Row Farm in Herefordshire.

The council is arranging deliveries of food and other supplies to the 200 workers in quarantine at the site.

Peter Stubley12 July 2020 15:53

US outbreak 'is not out of control', says White House official

A member of the White House coronavirus task force said the situation "is not out of control" despite a surge in cases and deaths across the country.

Brett Giroir, assistant secretary at the Health and Human Services Department, said it's going to take "a lot of effort and everybody's going to have to do their part" to combat the pandemic.

He said that "we have to have people wearing a mask in public. It's absolutely essential."

When Mr Giroir was asked about whether states that are seeing a spike in cases should consider more stringent lockdowns, he said: "Everything should be on the table."

Peter Stubley12 July 2020 16:09

Masks to be compulsory at city events in Nice

The mayor of the Mediterranean resort of Nice has announced that face masks will be mandatory at all of the city's events following criticism of crowds dancing at a DJ's outdoor set last night.

Many of the partygoers didn't wear masks or stay apart, fuelling fears of a second wave of infections after the relaxation of the lockdown.

Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi defended the decision to allow the concert, tweeting that efforts were made to limit the crowd-size to 5,000 people and ask them to respect social distancing guidelines.

He added: "We regret that these instructions were not sufficiently respected."

The mayor asked the government to make the wearing of masks obligatory at crowded events, including those outdoors and said masks would now be required "for all our events" in Nice.

 

People gather on the Baie des Anges to hear the set of French DJ and producer The Avener during a concert, the first public show in Nice since the shutdown (AFP)

Peter Stubley12 July 2020 16:18

Record day for new cases in Florida

Florida reported a record increase of more than 15,000 new cases of COVID-19 in a single day on Sunday as the growing outbreak forces state authorities to close some businesses and beaches.

If Florida were a country, it would rank fourth in the world for the most new cases a day behind the United States, Brazil and India, reports Reuters.

Its daily increases have already surpassed the highest daily tally reported by any European country during the height of the pandemic there. Florida has also broken New York State's record of 12,847 new cases on 10 April when it was the epicentre of the US outbreak.

Peter Stubley12 July 2020 16:20

Pilot returns home after 65 days on life support in Vietnam

A pilot who was Vietnam's most critical Covid-19 patient has returned home to Scotland.

Stephen Cameron flew out of Ho Chi Minh City's airport on Saturday and landed in Scotland shortly before midday on Sunday, Glasgow Airport said.

The 42-year-old was met by a waiting ambulance and is now recovering at University Hospital Wishaw in North Lanarkshire.

Mr Cameron was working for national carrier Vietnam Airlines when he tested positive for the coronavirus in March and went on to become critically ill, spending 65 days on life support.

In a video released by Cho Ray Hospital, where he was last treated, Mr Cameron said: "I'm overwhelmed by the generosity of the Vietnamese people, the dedication and professionalism of the doctors and nurses."

Stephen Cameron leaves hospital in Vietnam after recovering from Covid-19 (AP)

Peter Stubley12 July 2020 16:31

UK deaths up by 21 to 44,819

The UK coronavirus death toll has risen by 21 to 44,798, according to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

A further 650 cases have been confirmed, bringing the total to 289,603.

The official statistics also reveal that 207,387 tests were sent out or made available, and 134,890 were processed, in the 24 hours up to 9am today.

Peter Stubley12 July 2020 16:53

Heathrow Airport relies on one runway until October

After decades of insisting it needs three runways, Heathrow airport will make do with just one ⁠— with closure of the southern runway either partially or fully until October.

A “Notice to Airmen” (Notam) has been issued to pilots and airlines warning that the runway, known as 09R/27L, will close at one minute to midnight on Sunday 12 July until the same time on 30 September.

Peter Stubley12 July 2020 17:15

Florida records biggest single-day increase in coronavirus cases in US state

Florida has reported the largest single-day increase in positive coronavirus cases in any one US state since the beginning of the pandemic.

According to state Department of Health statistics, 15,299 people tested positive, for a total of 269,811 cases.

California had the previous record of daily positive cases — 11,694, four days ago. New York had 11,571 on 15 April.

More below:

Vincent Wood12 July 2020 17:27

Bollywood star 'in stable condition' at hospital

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan is in a stable condition in an isolation unit with mild symptoms of coronavirus, the Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital in Mumbai has confirmed..

His son, Abhishek Bachchan, 44, daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, also a Bollywood actress, and their 8-year-old daughter have also tested positive, according to Maharashtra state Health Minister Rajesh Tope.

With an unparalleled standing in the world of Bollywood, Mr Bachchan has been a mainstay of the nation's cinematic output since 1969 - appearing in around 200 films.

Peter Stubley12 July 2020 17:42

Dengue prevention hampered by coronavirus pandemic

To slow the spread of the coronavirus, governments issued lockdowns to keep people at home. They curtailed activities that affected services like rubbish collection. They tried to shield hospitals from a surge of patients.

But the cascading effects of these restrictions also are hampering efforts to cope with seasonal outbreaks of dengue fever, an incurable, mosquito-borne disease that is also known as “breakbone fever” for its severely painful symptoms.

Peter Stubley12 July 2020 17:59

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