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As it happenedended

Coronavirus news: Education secretary insists ‘no child should be out of school’ after government issues long-awaited guidance on pupils returning to classroom

Follow the latest updates

Jon Sharman,Samuel Osborne,Peter Stubley
Thursday 02 July 2020 22:03 BST
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School attendance mandatory from September, Williamson announces

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Schools have been given new guidance that says teachers should socially distance from one another and older pupils from September. Officials have also set out how mobile testing units will respond to outbreaks at schools.

Meanwhile, a coronavirus outbreak that forced the reimposition of lockdown conditions in Leicester has no obvious source, Public Health England has said. The embattled body suggested the spike could have been driven by community transmission.

In the US, officials recorded the country’s biggest-yet daily rise in Covid-19 infections with about 50,700 new cases on Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. Donald Trump said yesterday he hoped the virus would “sort of, just disappear”.

Louisiana governor confirms staff member has coronavirus

Thirteen staff in the office of Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards are in quarantine after one of them tested positive for coronavirus.

The governor's office says Mr Edwards isn't isolating because he hadn't recently been within 6 feet of the person for at least 15 minutes.

"We are monitoring our team and, should it become necessary, will be offering testing to our staff members and tracing their contacts to determine who needs to self-quarantine and who could be at risk," Edwards said in a statement.

One of Edwards' staff members, April Dunn, died from a coronavirus infection three months ago.

Peter Stubley2 July 2020 21:54
Peter Stubley2 July 2020 21:58

That's it for our live coverage of the pandemic today. Thanks for reading.

Peter Stubley2 July 2020 22:00

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