Coronavirus news: Boris Johnson postpones further lockdown lifting as Scottish people told not to visit areas of northern England
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Boris Johnson has postponed the next stage of easing lockdown restrictions planned for Saturday, which would have seen the return of casinos, bowling alleys, skating rinks, indoor performances and wedding receptions for up to 30 people.
The prime minister also announced pilots of sporting events with crowds and gatherings in conference centres will be delayed.
Face coverings will become mandatory in places such as museums, galleries, cinemas and places of worship in England from 8 August, Mr Johnson said on Friday.
Meanwhile, Nicola Sturgeon warned Scottish people not to travel to parts of northern England hit by a spike in coronavirus cases unless their trip is “absolutely essential”.
Her comments come after the UK government imposed tougher lockdown restrictions in the areas affected, with people from different households in Greater Manchester, parts of East Lancashire and West Yorkshire banned from meeting each other indoors again.
The UK health secretary said these new restrictions on gatherings – which were announced shortly before the Muslim festival of Eid-al-Adha – were not aimed at curtailing celebration, but that ”immediate action” was needed in these areas.
Muslim leaders slammed the government for giving ”shockingly short notice” for the ban on different households mixing inside their homes or gardens in parts of northern England.
Vietnam records first death after virus surge
Vietnam has confirmed its first death from coronavirus, state media reported on friday.
A 70-year-old man died after testing positive in Danang, the city where the virus re-emerged last week after 100 days of quiescence.
Vietnam is battling a new outbreak of the virus following months of successful countermeasures which saw the country keep its coronavirus tally to just a few hundred cases.
Authorities reported 45 new infections on Friday, marking Vietnam's biggest one-day increase and bringing the total to 509.
Hong Kong elections may be delayed, reports say
Hong Kong may postpone legislative elections scheduled for 6 September due to a worsening Covid-19 outbreak, according to local media reports.
An announcement could come as soon as Friday evening, multiple Hong Kong newspapers and TV stations said. They all cited unnamed sources.
It would be a blow to the pro-democracy opposition, which hopes to capitalise on disenchantment with the current pro-Beijing majority to make gains.
A group of 22 politicians issued a statement accusing the government of using the outbreak as an excuse to delay the vote.
The city of 7.5 million people has seen a surge in coronavirus infections since the beginning of July. There were more than 3,100 infections as of Thursday, more than double the tally at the start of the month.
Jet2 flight cancellations - what do they mean for you?
Jet2 has cancelled many flights home from Spain, with implications for travellers, writes Simon Calder.
Dutch airline cuts 5,000 jobs despite bailout
Dutch airline KLM is to cut up to 5,000 jobs because of coronavirus , it said on Friday.
The move comes after the European Commission approved a bailout package of €3.4bn (£3bn) in loans offered by the Dutch government to help the company navigate the crisis.
The company said in a statement that in addition to cutting 1,500 roles, it would decline to review some 1,500 temporary contracts and that 2,000 further jobs would go via a voluntary redundancy scheme.
The group also expects "natural attrition through retirement" to help cut an extra 500 jobs.
KLM said it does not expect demand to fully recover before 2023 or 2024 and said further staff reductions are possible "given the high level of uncertainty."
New rules don't target Muslims, Hancock says
New restrictions placed on gatherings the day before the Muslim festival of Eid are not aimed at curtailing celebrations, the health secretary has said, writes Jon Stone.
Matt Hancock denied Muslims were being targeted by the measures, which restrict gatherings of separate households at home in Greater Manchester, east Lancashire and parts of West Yorkshire.
Eyebrows were raised by the fact the measures leave pubs and restaurants open in the affected locales while targeting gatherings at home – a key part of festivities.
French authorities can mandate mask-wearing
Local government officials in France will now be able to make wearing face masks in outdoor public spaces mandatory to curb the spread of Covid-19.
"This decision can be taken locally, depending on the situation of the epidemic in each region," Olivier Veran, the health minister, said on Twitter.
French authorities reported 1,377 additional confirmed cases of the new coronavirus on Thursday, bringing the total to 186,573.
Indonesia update
Indonesia reported 2,040 new coronavirus infections and 73 additional deaths, on Friday. This brought its total number of confirmed infections to 108,376 and deaths to 5,131.
Republicans tell Trump he can't delay election
Donald Trump’s suggestion that the 2020 election be delayed was instantly dismissed by many top Republicans, crushing the idea almost immediately and forcing the president to moderate his position, writes Andrew Naughtie.
Their reaction came as the president’s idea faced unanimous condemnation from the Democratic side, with some members of the president's own party also decrying the move.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio, a former Republican presidential candidate himself, said Mr Trump “can suggest whatever he wants” but that “the law is what it is. We’re going to have an election that’s legitimate, it’s going to be credible, it’s going to be the same as we’ve always done it”.
Tui extends holiday suspension
Tour operator Tui has extended the suspension of holidays for UK customers to mainland Spain until 17 August, and the Balearic Islands and Canary Islands until 10 August.
The company said it would instead add more flights to Greece and Turkey "following the overwhelming demand from customers to still get away this summer".
Shielded population in NI told they can now venture out
The shielding period for some 80,000 vulnerable people in Northern Ireland has ended.
People with serious medical conditions like multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis can go out for the first time since March as coronavirus restrictions ease.
Ministers are encouraging shoppers to wear face masks to limit virus spread and the measure could be enforced by law later next month if not enough people comply voluntarily.
Robin Swann, the Stormont health minister, said: "Many of those who have been shielding will understandably be nervous about leaving their homes for sometimes what will be the last time so we can all play our part in assuring them by showing kindness and consideration."
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