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.
Our chief political commentator John Rentoul imagines what was going through the prime minister's mind as he explained the tightening of coronavirus restrictions in this piece below:
Police will 'use enforcement if necessary' amid new face mask rules
In light of new guidance making face coverings mandatory in museums, cinemas and places of worship, John Apter, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: "We know the vast majority of the public will comply as the rules for where face coverings must be worn is broadened.
"Where people are not wearing coverings we expect the owner of the premises or local authority to advise and act.
"Where we are called to assist, as we have done throughout this pandemic, we will offer guidance in the first instance, but will use enforcement if necessary."
The United States has agreed a $2.1bn (£1.6bn) deal with two big pharmaceutical companies to produce 100 million doses of an experimental Covid-19 vaccine.
British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline and French counterpart Sanofi Pasteur announced the agreement with the US government today.
The deal is believed to be the largest such agreement to date, as countries start purchasing vaccine doses in the hope that one will complete trials.
Greater Manchester leaders call for greater clarity on new rules
Local leaders in Greater Manchester have called for greater clarity on new restrictions limiting gatherings in parts of the north of England from today.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, deputy mayor Bev Hughes and the leaders of the 10 Greater Manchester councils have released a statement asking the government for further details on "the ability" of businesses with outdoor areas to continue to operate, and how many people can gather in an outdoor public place.
They also accused the government of "sending mixed messages" to people shielding in Greater Manchester, calling for shielding to be extended in the area until the new restrictions are lifted, and for councils to be given extra financial support to help this group.
The statement claimed the group were originally informed the restrictions would apply to homes - but not gardens. They said they were "not convinced" the restrictions banning cross-household gatherings in gardens was "proportionate" and called for the government to provide further evidence or to amend the rules.
The leaders also said recently-opened hospitality businesses would need further support if separate households are not allowed to meet in them.
Their final request was for further improvements to the track and trace system, including the inclusion of workplace data to help identify potential workplace hotspots, financial support for those self-isolating for 14 days who will not be paid or fear losing their job, and quicker escalation of local cases where people can't be contacted.
Spain reports 1,525 new coronavirus in post-lockdown record
Spain's health ministry has reported 1,525 new coronavirus cases, marking the biggest jump since a national lockdown was lifted in June and beating the previous day's record rise.
It is third day in a row Spain has diagnosed more than 1,000 infections.
Cumulative cases, which also include results from antibody tests on people who may have recovered increased to 288,522 from 285,430, the ministry said.
Northern Ireland coronavirus deaths rise for first time since mid-June
Northern Ireland has recorded a rise in coronavirus-related deaths for the first time since mid-June.
Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate for seven deaths registered in the week ending 24 July, up five from the week before, according to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra).
This brings the total number of Covid-19 related deaths registered in the region in 2020 to 853.
Those aged 75 and over have accounted for 80.1 per cent of Covid-19 related deaths.
The number of deaths recorded by the Department of Health for the same period was 556.
Those figures are based on patients who had previously tested positive for the virus.
The department today said 10 more positive cases of coronavirus had been detected in the region, bringing the total number infected to 5,948.
No new deaths were recorded, leaving the total at 556, according to the department.
When I got polio on a farm in the middle of the Irish countryside in 1956, an Irish Health Ministry official visited our nearest neighbour, a farmer called Dick Cunningham, the next day, writes Patrick Cockburn.
He told him what had happened and advised him to keep his children at home. Other farmers in the area, none of whom had a phone, received similar visits and advice.
All epidemics are by their nature local events. A certain person at a certain address catches polio, TB or coronavirus. Such diseases can only be contained locally by well-organised and well-informed people able to respond at speed to identify, isolate and trace the contacts of the infected person.
Dr Anthony Fauci says that Europe’s more stringent shutdown rules allowed it to better manage the Covid-19 pandemic in comparison to the US.
Testifying before the congressional committee on the coronavirus he said: “We really functionally shut down only about 50 per cent in the sense of the totality of the country.”
Dr Fauci argued that US shutdowns didn’t go far enough and that states opened up too soon.
'Policing by consent'
Greater Manchester Police have said they will "continue with our approach of policing by consent" once legistlation comes into place regarding the new restrictions in Manchester.
"We will engage with people, explain the current circumstances and encourage people to do the right thing in complying with the government guidelines," the force's assistant chief constable said.
"We will only take enforcement action as a last resort, when people are not listening and putting others at risk."
Nick Bailey said Greater Manchester Police would increasing resources dedicated to stopping illegal raves and large gatherings this weekend.
Greater Manchester was one of the areas of northern England hit by new restrictions last night, after Matt Hancock announced househoulds in relevant areas must no longer mix with other households indoors from today.
Vietnam reports second coronavirus death on same day as first
Two people have now died in Vietnam, according to the health ministry.
Both deaths were reported on Friday.
The country has recorded 546 coronavirus infections since its first cases were detected in January.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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