Expand travel's green list, tourism bosses tell Sajid Javid

04:38 PM

Roundup of today's news

Here is your evening roundup of today's news:

• Robert Jenrick has said July 19 will see the end of the Government "telling the public what to do" as he claims face masks will become "a personal choice".

• Coronavirus cases have surged over the past week to make Scotland the Covid capital of Europe.

• Wimbledon chiefs are to welcome full capacity crowds from Tuesday after organisers won the green light to fast-track a scale-up in spectator numbers

• Robert Jenrick, who has pledged to abandon his own face mask after July 19, said life will "return to normality as far as possible".

• Six former Conservative work and pension secretaries have written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak urging him to make the £20-a-week Universal Credit uplift permanent.

• Over 50 business leaders have written to the prime minister, Boris Johnson, urging him to encourage people in England to return to the office.

• Brazil has suffered more than 500,000 Covid-19 fatalities and thousands with thousands taking to the street on Saturday to protest against President Jair Bolsonaro, who faces an investigation over an allegedly corrupt vaccine deal.

04:29 PM

Sri Lanka reopens restaurants, hotels and indoors sports centres

Sri Lanka's health ministry on Sunday gave permission to re-open restaurants, hotels and indoor sports centres that had remained closed for several weeks due to a surge in the Covid- 19 cases.

Gyms, salons and barber shops are also allowed to re-open the under new guidelines issued on Sunday.

But places of worship, cinemas, casinos and night clubs will continue to be closed.

However, the health ministry said the relaxed restrictions will be reviewed after two weeks.

The easing of some of the restrictions came a week after Sri Lanka came out from a month-long lockdown.

Sri Lanka has seen a sharp increase of positive cases and deaths since April. The increases were attributed to celebrations and shopping by people during the traditional new year festival.

04:11 PM

South Africa's new coronavirus cases surge to record levels

South Africa's resurgence of Covid-19 is setting record numbers of new daily cases, centered in Johannesburg and driven by the delta variant, health officials said Sunday.

More than 26,000 new cases were reported on Saturday, up from 24,000 the previous day, according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, surpassing the highest number of new cases in previous waves and quickly bringing many hospitals to capacity.

More than 13,800 Covid-19 patients are currently in South African hospitals where some facilities are cancelling elective surgeries to free up beds and health care workers.

South Africa's official death toll has risen above 63,000, although statistics on excess deaths suggest the country's actual number of virus fatalities may be more than 170,000.

The country's two million cases account for more than 30 per cent of the cases reported by Africa's 54 countries, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

03:42 PM

Biden marks 'independence' from Covid but pandemic woes persist

President Joe Biden prepared to throw a huge Independence Day party Sunday to hail America's defeat of Covid-19, amid lingering concern that pockets of the country with low vaccination rates remain in the grip of the pandemic.

The president and First Lady Jill Biden will welcome 1,000 military personnel with their families and essential workers for the largest in-person event at the White House since he took office.

A fireworks display that traditionally draws thousands to the National Mall - echoed by similar events across the country - will allow the president to mark what he is calling "independence from this virus."

During last year's holiday, with the pandemic near its summer peak and towns across America reeling from protests over racism and police brutality, Washington saw a fraction of the visitors it usually welcomes.

Over 600,000 have died from the virus in the US.

03:27 PM

Italy reports 12 new deaths and 808 new cases

Italy reported 12 coronavirus-related deaths on Sunday, down from 22 the day before, while the daily tally of new infections fell to 808 from 932, the health ministry said.

The country has registered 127,649 deaths linked to Covid-19 since its outbreak emerged in February last year, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the eighth-highest globally.

Italy has reported 4.26 million cases to date.

The number of patients in hospital with Covid-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 1,364 on Sunday, down from 1,394 a day earlier.

There were seven new admissions to intensive care units, up from two on Saturday, while the total number of intensive care patients fell to 197 from 204.

03:18 PM

Nearly 25,000 news cases in UK

There had been a further 24,248 lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases in the UK, Downing Street has said.

A further 15 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Sunday, bringing the UK total to 128,222.

Separate figures published by the Office for National Statistics show there have been 153,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

03:14 PM

Wales records 535 new cases but no deaths

Wales has recorded another 535 positive cases of coronavirus and no deaths in the latest figures.

Public Health Wales (PHW), updated the information on Sunday, July 5, showing the overall Covid death toll remains at 5,575, and the total number of cases now stands at 219,831.

Meanwhile Wales' infection rate has risen to 81.1 per 100,000 population based on the seven days between June 22 and June 28 - up on the 71.7 on Friday.

The figures are based on the date a test was done, not the date a test was put on the system, meaning it is an accurate reflection of how fast the virus is spreading in Wales.

03:00 PM

Myanmar reports daily record 2,318 Covid-19 cases

Myanmar's health ministry reported a daily record of 2,318 new cases of Covid-19 on Sunday, as well as 35 deaths.

A new outbreak has grown rapidly in the Southeast Asian country, where the health system and anti-coronavirus measures have stalled since a military coup in February.

02:53 PM

Link between infections, hospitalisations and deaths is 'weakened but not broken'

Professor Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, said the link between coronavirus, severe hospital admissions and deaths is "weakened" but not entirely "broken".

Speaking to Andrew Marr on BBC One, he said: "Public Health England are monitoring the data carefully and are reporting that vaccines give over 90% protection against severe disease, in other words, hospitalisation, so the link is not totally broken, but it's severely weakened."

Professor Powis added some habits would be "really good" to keep after the pandemic, such as people washing their hands more frequently and not going into work if they're feeling unwell.

"I think most people recognise that Covid will become an endemic disease, in other words, it will become one of the many viruses that we see particularly over the winter when the frequency is higher," he said.

"We deal with flu every year, we will have to deal with Covid. Of course, key to that is the autumn vaccine booster programme, which may well have to continue in coming years as well."

02:36 PM

Luxembourg PM admitted to hospital after testing positive

The Luxembourg prime minister, Xavier Bettel, who tested positive for coronavirus last week, was admitted to hospital on Sunday morning.

RTL news agency said: "He is undergoing additional tests and analyses.

"The ministry of state confirmed this afternoon that out of precaution, the prime minister will remain under observation for 24 hours, unless otherwise advised by doctors.

Bettel tested positive a week ago, on 27 June.

02:23 PM

Headteacher fears for safety of pupils when restrictions are lifted

The head of a school in Worcestershire has said she fears what will happen in schools when Covid measures are lifted.

Government ministers have called for the system, where groups of pupils have to self-isolate if one tests positive, to be scrapped by autumn.

Hanley Castle High School head Lindsey Cooke said those systems had "served schools really well" in the pandemic.

The British Medical Association is also calling for the continued use of face masks and new ventilation standards beyond 19 July when all legal restrictions are due to be lifted.

Ms Cooke told the BBC: "What I am really worried about is that the infection rate is rising really quickly and the systems which have served schools really well over the last year to keep the children safe.

"They are talking about getting rid of all of those systems and that makes me very nervous at this point.

"I think it would be very interesting for them to come into our schools and sit in our lessons where you have 30 students with no mask and a teacher with no mask and to think, well, would they want their child to be sat in a lesson next to a child who has coronavirus.

Or would they want to be teaching a class where there are children who have coronavirus."

02:06 PM

Nearly 100 per cent of all Covid deaths in US are from those unvaccinated

America's top infectious disease expert says 99.2 per cent of recent Covid-19 deaths in the United States involved unvaccinated people.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said it was "it's really sad and tragic that most all of these are avoidable and preventable."

He said: "It's frustrating "where you have a formidable enemy" in coronavirus and "yet we do have a countermeasure that's highly, highly effective.

"And that's the reason why it's all the more sad and all the more tragic why it isn't being completely implemented in this country."

But he said the country does "have the tools to counter" the pandemic and is urging people to "put aside all of those differences and realise that the common enemy is the virus."

The United States has registered over 605,000 deaths in the pandemic, the highest national toll in the world.

01:53 PM

Greek economy won't close again because of Covid-19, PM says

Greece's economy would not close again because of the pandemic if it was just to protect an unvaccinated minority, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said.

A recent resurgence in infections has forced the country to impose lockdown restrictions since November which have cost many billions of euros to an economy slowly emerging from a decade-long crisis.

Greece has been easing restrictions as infections fall, but concerns are rising about the spread of the more contagious Delta variant.

With about 35 per cent of its 11 million population fully inoculated, the government last week offered young people cash and phone data to boost vaccination rates.

Mitsotakis said: "When we imposed across-the-board measures, there were no vaccines. We do have vaccines now."

01:48 PM

Thailand to ease Covid-19 curbs on some construction projects

Thailand plans to allow some construction projects to resume in its capital and surrounding provinces although most sites and workers' camps will remain closed as the Southeast Asian country deals with its biggest outbreak to date.

The national Covid-19 task force has agreed to relax curbs on construction projects where they could cause damage or danger, the government said on its Facebook page on Sunday.

It cited underground projects, scaffolding and those related to traffic safety as examples.

Construction projects related to Covid-19 control, such as field hospitals, will also be allowed to go ahead.

Movement of construction workers will be allowed for outbreak containment such as health screening and vaccinations, the government said, adding that further details would be announced later.

01:44 PM

Nearly 300,000 jabs given in single day

A total of 66,220,122 Covid-19 vaccinations had taken place in England between December 8 and July 3, according to NHS England data, including first and second doses, which is a rise of 287,253 on the previous day.

NHS England said 37,981,485 were first doses, a rise of 121,588 on the previous day, while 28,238,637 were a second dose, an increase of 165,665.

01:12 PM

Former Tory work and pension secretaries call on Sunak to make universal credit permanent

Six former Conservative work and pension secretaries have written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak urging him to make the £20-a-week Universal Credit uplift permanent.

Former Tory leader and instigator of Universal Credit Sir Iain Duncan-Smith, along with five of his successors - Stephen Crabb, Damian Green, David Gauke, Esther McVey and Amber Rudd - have penned a letter in a bid to persuade the Treasury chief to stick with the £5 billion investment even after coronavirus restrictions have been eased.

They said: "The UC uplift has rightly been allocated into the standard allowance of UC as many have not been able to work and it has been right to protect people whilst they cannot work.

"But as the economy reopens, and the Government re-evaluates where it has been spending money, we ask that the current funding for individuals in the Universal Credit envelope be kept at the current level."

01:04 PM

July 19 will see end of state 'telling you what to do'

A cabinet minister has said July 19 will see the end of the Government "telling the public what to do" as he claims face masks will become "a personal choice" after this date.

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said the data on current infection rates are looking "very positive" and is enabling the country to progress to a "much more permissive regime".

Downing Street is expected to lift the majority of coronavirus restrictions, including the one-metre-plus rule in hospitality venues, from July 19 onwards.

Mr Jenrick told Sky News: "We are going to now move into a period where there won't be legal restrictions - the state won't be telling you what to do - but you will want to exercise a degree of personal responsibility and judgement.

"So different people will come to different conclusions on things like masks, for example."

Dr Mike Tildesley, a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling, which provides evidence to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said July 19 is "probably the right time" to consider ending the wearing of face masks.

12:47 PM

Aviation bosses call on Javid to throw businesses a lifeline in easing travel restrictions

Tourism and aviation bosses have called on new Health Secretary Sajid Javid to throw businesses a lifeline by easing travel restrictions.

In a letter written by Tim Alderslade, head of trade body Airlines UK, they urged the Cabinet minister to expand the green list of foreign countries to which tourists can travel without having to quarantine on their return.

The letter noted that the UK is the third most internationally connected country in the world, and that the travel industry generates around £53 billion in domestic spending each year.

"The pandemic has been a catastrophe for our industry and the wider economy," it said.

It added that international travel sustained 1.5 million jobs prior to the pandemic, but warned "hundreds of thousands of jobs have now been lost, and many more remain at risk".

12:42 PM

Israel negotiating Pfizer surplus with other countries, official says

Israel is in talks with other countries about a deal to unload its surplus of Pfizer/BioNtech Covid-19 vaccines, doses of which are due to expire by the end of the month, a health ministry official said on Sunday.

Hezi Levi, the ministry's director-general, did not provide details about the number of doses Israel was looking to hand over in an apparent swap arrangement.

In an interview with Radio 103 FM, he confirmed that such a deal had been discussed with Britain last week but said an agreement had not materialised and was "a thing of the past".

Local papers have estimated that a million doses are expected to be handed over.

12:28 PM

Brazil suffers over a half a million deaths with thousands taking to the street in protest

Brazil has suffered more than 500,000 Covid-19 fatalities and thousands with thousands taking to the street on Saturday to protest against President Jair Bolsonaro, who faces an investigation over an allegedly corrupt vaccine deal.

It was the third day of demonstrations against the government, which is accused of mishandling the pandemic.

Physician Lima Mendes took part in Rio de Janeiro and blamed the government for the high death toll.

"This government has killed more than 500,000 people through its spurious decisions, fake news, lies and now this absurd corruption scandal over the vaccines," she said,

12:12 PM

Delta variant surges around the world

Russia on Sunday counted more than 25,000 new daily infections after a week of record deaths tolls as the highly contagious Delta variant propels a global resurgence of the pandemic.

The virus has killed nearly four million people worldwide, forcing numerous nations to reimpose restrictions well over a year after the outbreak of the pandemic.

In the Middle East, Iran is fghting the region's deadliest outbreak, warning it could be about to be hit by yet another wave of infections.

"It is feared that we are on the way to a fifth wave throughout the country," President Hassan Rouhani told Iran's anti-virus taskforce, warning the public to be careful as "the Delta variant has spread" in southern provinces.

The variant, first identified in India and now present in at least 85 countries, has driven outbreaks in places that had previously been able to escape the pandemic's ravages.

Meanwhile in Fiji, which went an entire year without recording any community coronavirus cases until Delta arrived in April, recorded its biggest-ever infection increase on Saturday.

Authorities reported two deaths and warned of more to come as the virus threatens to overwhelm the South Pacific nation's health system.

11:55 AM

Keir Starmer: 'We have have seen the very best of Britain' during pandemic

Keir Starmer has said "we have seen the very best of Britain" over the past 18 months and has urged the public to harness this energy for a "fairer and more united county."

In a video commemorating the UK's first National Thank You day, the Labour leader praised the countless numbers of volunteers, key workers, nursing staff and scientists who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic.

11:34 AM

Landmarks lit up in blue to pay tribute to staff on NHS anniversary

Landmarks across England were lit up in blue on Saturday evening to thank NHS staff for their role in fighting the coronavirus pandemic on the health service's 73rd birthday.

The Wembley arch, the Liver building in Liverpool, Salisbury Cathedral and vaccination centres across England were among more than 70 sites to join the tribute.

11:19 AM

Calls for 'rethink' of child contact tracing

A senior politician has called for an "urgent rethink" of the contact tracing system for children.

Scrutiny head Senator Kristina Moore from Jersey in the Channel Islands wrote to ministers asking them to find a "simpler solution".

More than 3,000 people, nearly three per cent of Jersey's population, are currently self-isolating after being contacted.

The testing system is also under strain, with many people experiencing delays to results - preventing them from leaving isolation.

The Government of Jersey apologised on Saturday for the delays and said it was "working hard to reduce the backlog" caused by "technical issues".

Currently, nursery and primary aged children identified as a contact must isolate until they test negative for the virus.

Secondary school children, however, must isolate until they test negative for a test on day five after being contacted.

11:05 AM

British Medical Association petitions for retention of restrictions amid rise in cases

The possibility of a wholesale easing of restrictions will come as a blow to senior doctors, with the British Medical Association petitioning for some measures to remain in place to arrest the "alarming" rise in Covid-19 cases in England.

The latest Government figures show that, as of 9am on Saturday, there had been a further 24,885 lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases in the UK, while a further 18 people had died within 28 days of testing positive.

It comes after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that cases in England nearly doubled in a week, with one in 260 people in private households having Covid in the week to June 26 - the highest level since the week to February 27.

10:54 AM

Bulgaria considers offering vouchers to boost ailing vaccination drive

Bulgaria is considering offering incentives to encourage people to get vaccinated against Covid-19, interim Prime Minister Stefan Yanev said on Sunday.

Bulgaria is one of the few countries where people can choose between four different jabs approved in the European Union.

But only 14.5 per cent of the nation's adults are fully vaccinated, putting the country far behind its EU peers.

"We do not plan to force anyone. But we are considering the possibility to offer people who are getting the second shot some vouchers," Yanev said.

The country's capital has opened special vaccination sites in parks to make it easier for busy people to get jabbed and is urging Roma communities to take up the vaccine.

10:42 AM

Firms urge PM to back returning to the office

Over 50 business leaders have written to the prime minister, Boris Johnson, urging him to encourage people in England to return to the office.

Current guidance tells people to work from home where possible.

In a letter organised by lobby group London First, the business leaders say:

At this critical moment, we believe that it is essential that the government is unambiguous in its communications that when the stage four restrictions lift, public transport is safe, offices are safe, and working from home is no longer the default.

Signatories included Heathrow and Gatwick airport chief executives John Holland-Kaye and Stewart Wingate, Capita chief executive Jon Lewis and BT boss Philip Jansen.

Despite their initiative, almost all of 50 of the UK's biggest employers questioned by the BBC in May said they did not plan to bring staff back to the office full-time.

10:35 AM

Serbia's Olympic rowing team member tests positive

A member of Serbia’s Olympic rowing team tested positive for the new coronavirus on arrival in Japan, an official said today.

It is the third Covid infection confirmed among Olympic team members visiting for the Tokyo Games starting this month.

A member of Uganda’s Olympic squad tested positive for the virus on arrival last month and a second member was confirmed as having the virus a few days later.

One of Serbia’s five-member rowing team tested positive during a screening at Haneda airport last night, said Takashi Ikeda, an official at the sports section of the central Japan city of Nanto, which had been scheduled to host the Serbians’ training camp.

The man in his 30s was sent to a medical facility, while the other four were isolated in a separate facility in Tokyo, Ikeda told Reuters. “Since they are expected to be isolated for two weeks, the Serbian rowing team is unlikely to come to Nanto for training before the Games,” he said.

10:19 AM

Iran reimposes virus restrictions as Delta variant spreads

Iran has announced it is reimposing Covid-19 restrictions on major cities, as the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant spurs fears of another devastating surge in the nation.

After over a year battling the worst virus outbreak in the Middle East, Iran ordered the closures of non-essential businesses in 275 cities, including the capital of Tehran.

The shutdown of all public parks, restaurants, dessert shops, beauty salons, malls and bookstores applies to the country's "red" and "orange" zones, or municipalities ranked as having an elevated risk of Covid-19.

The government said it was also imposing a travel ban between cities with high infection rates.

Iran's new restrictions are designed to slow the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant first detected in India, which on Saturday President Hassan Rouhani warned was driving a potential "fifth wave" of infections in the country.

Reports of new cases have risen steadily in recent weeks, nearly doubling from from mid-June to early July.

10:07 AM

After year of pandemic, Americans celebrate July Fourth with a bang

US President Joe Biden will mark the nation's 245th birthday on Sunday with a traditional celebration looking forward to a rebound from the coronavirus pandemic.

After a holiday spent buying cherry pies in Michigan before spending a quiet night at his family home in Delaware, Biden is returning to the White House to host around 1,000 people at the White House for burgers and fireworks.

It's a sweet dose of nostalgia for a country weary of pandemic restrictions and hardship, burdens that have eased but not disappeared with widespread availability of vaccines.

The pandemic forced cancellation of nearly all celebrations last year and led to a toned-down January inauguration for the Democratic president, who had to do without traditional black-tie galas and bipartisan comity as Republican former President Donald Trump disputed his election loss.

09:57 AM

England primed to 'return to normality' on July 19 with restrictions rolled back

Life will "return to normality as far as possible" after July 19 in England as the country moves into the "final furlong" of coronavirus restrictions, a senior Government minister has said.

Rumours were abound in the Sunday newspapers that Boris Johnson, who is due to update the nation this week on plans for unlocking, is due to scrap social distancing and mask-wearing requirements on so-called "Freedom Day".

Communities Secretary appeared to all but confirm those reports as he said the impact of the vaccine on preventing serious illness meant it was time to "roll back" the "difficult" restrictions that have been in place for the past 16 months.

Robert Jenrick told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "It does look as if, thanks to the success of the vaccine programme, that we now have the scope to roll back those restrictions and return to normality as far as possible."

According to The Sunday Times, mask wearing will become voluntary in all settings and the one metre-plus rule in hospitality venues will end, meaning a return to drinking at the bar without the requirement for table service.

09:44 AM

Russia records highest number of virus cases since early January

Russia on Sunday reported more than 25,000 new cases, the highest number of daily infections since early January as the country battles the surging Delta variant.

Figures have soared since mid-June against a background of reluctance among many to get inoculated and suspicion of home-grown vaccines.

Russia on Sunday announced 25,142 new infections, the highest figure since January 2 when the country was emerging from a second wave of the pandemic.

This week Russia also reported record numbers of coronavirus deaths for five days in a row, registering 697 Covid-19 fatalities on Saturday.

09:34 AM

Economy adviser 'encouraged' by planned ending of requirement to give personal data in pubs, bars, and restaurants

Sacha Lord, night time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, said he was "encouraged" by reports which say customers will no longer need to give their personal data when entering hospitality settings from July 19.

"The need for hospitality venues to capture the personal data of each customer not only put unnecessary pressure on staff to implement new systems, but has undoubtedly led to a reduction in trade as customers became disgruntled with the ritual," he said.

"I believe this process misled the public to believe hospitality venues were greater transmitters of the virus, when in fact there has been little to zero tracing protocols implemented in other settings and therefore incomparable data."

He added he is also waiting for other measures in venues, such as capacity limits, one way systems and people banned from going to the bar to make orders, to be dropped.

09:27 AM

NHS preparing to vaccinate children, says medical chief

Professor Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, said he believed people would naturally be more cautious and may continue to wear face masks after July 19 out of choice.

He told Andrew Marr on BBC One: "I think some people will choose to be more cautious. Some people may choose to wear face masks in particular circumstances, such as crowded environments, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Those habits to reduce infections are a good thing to keep."

Discussing long Covid, he said the NHS has established 89 clinics across the nation to manage demand from people suffering from long-term effects of the virus.

He also confirmed children can also get long Covid and the NHS is prepared to vaccinate children against coronavirus if the Government chooses to.

"Some children can get symptoms that persist beyond the infection," he said. "That's why we are in addition to those 89 clinics putting in a number of paediatrics of children's hubs for long Covid across the country.

"The NHS is prepared to vaccinate children. Of course, that is a decision for the Government based on guidance from JCVI."

09:21 AM

Indonesia ramps up oxygen output after scores die amid scarcity

Indonesia has ordered oxygen makers to prioritise medical needs amid growing demand from Covid-19 patients, after more than 60 people died in a hospital where supply of the life-saving gas was almost exhausted.

The world's fourth most populous nation is battling one of Asia's worst Covid-19 outbreaks, with Saturday's 27,913 infections becoming the newest of many peaks during the last two weeks.

In a statement, the Sardjito hospital on the island of Java said 63 patients died after it nearly ran out of oxygen over the period from Saturday until early on Sunday, when fresh supplies arrived.

A hospital spokesman could not confirm if all the dead had suffered from Covid-19, however.

09:13 AM

Robert Jenrick urges Scotland and Wales to act in tandem with England on lifting restrictions

The Communities Secretary said he hoped that the UK could move together when lifting Covid restrictions but acknowledged the picture was different across the Union.

Robert Jenrick, asked whether Wales and Scotland would follow England's example on July 19, told BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "I don't know.

"We would like the whole of the Union to move as one. We are going to work with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to try and be as co-ordinated as possible.

"Cases are slightly different in each of the four nations but certainly in England, our view is that things are looking positive for July 19."

Mr Jenrick said the Government was "still looking at the data" in terms of allowing those who have been fully vaccinated to be able to holiday quarantine-free in countries on the amber list for international travel.

09:07 AM

Government in position to 'roll back restrictions' and 'return to normality', says Robert Jenrick

Robert Jenrick has said the Government was in a position to "roll back" coronavirus restrictions in England and "return to normality as far as possible", despite rising cases.

The Communities Secretary told BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "We have been living now for 18 months with extraordinary restrictions of one kind or another.

"It does look as if, thanks to the success of the vaccine programme, that we now have the scope to roll back those restrictions and return to normality as far as possible.

09:04 AM

NHS chief says link between infections and hospitalisations 'not completely broken'

The head of NHS England has said the link between infections, hospitalisations and deaths for Covid-19 is not totally broken but it is "severely weakened".

Professor Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, said some habits would be "really good" to keep after the pandemic, such as people washing their hands more frequently and not going into work if they're feeling unwell.

He added it was "too early to say" if Covid would be different each year in the same way the flu virus changes.

His comments come after over 122,000 people were vaccinated yesterday with nearly 80 million doses now administered across the UK.

08:33 AM

New infectious variants to happen again in UK if pandemic goes 'unchecked around the world'

Professor Adam Finn said he is most worried about the global situation in terms of the virus, as that is also what will most likely cause problems in the UK.

He told Sky News' Trevor Phillips On Sunday programme: "There are obviously countries where they're in fourth and fifth waves now, and I'm worried about that not just out of a sense of fairness for the people around the world, but actually also for us in the UK.

"We've had this experience in the last two months of importation of a much more infectious virus from India."

Prof Finn said that will happen again if the pandemic goes forward "unchecked around the world", causing a worse problem.

08:27 AM

Government adviser on vaccines says he will continue to wear face mask 'indefinitely'

Professor Adam Finn, from the Government's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), said he will continue to wear a face mask "indefinitely" despite plans to end enforced mask wearing.

He told Sky News' Trevor Phillips On Sunday programme: "Well on a personal level I shall certainly be continuing to wear a mask if I've got any symptoms or if I'm in an enclosed space with lots of other people for a prolonged period of time, indefinitely in fact."

Prof Finn explained: "I think we learned, as paediatricians, we learned that we can avoid massive problems with children getting sick in the winter by doing these kind of measures.

"We simply didn't see the epidemics of respiratory viruses last winter that we've seen every year throughout my career.

"So I actually now completely understand it, whereas I was puzzled before when I saw Asian people in the Tube wearing masks in the pre-pandemic era.

"So I think mask wearing is obviously something we've learned is extremely valuable to do under certain circumstances. That doesn't mean I'll wear a mask all the time but it does mean I will some of the time."

08:24 AM

Big cats, bears and ferrets get Covid-19 vaccine at US zoo

A zoo in San Francisco is inoculating its big cats, bears and ferrets against coronavirus as part of a national effort to protect animal species using an experimental vaccine.

Tigers Ginger and Molly were the first two animals at the Oakland Zoo to get the vaccine this week.

The doses were donated and developed by veterinary pharmaceutical company Zoetis in New Jersey.

Alex Herman, vice president of veterinary services at the zoo, said none of the animals have gotten the virus, but they wanted to be proactive.

Tigers, black and grizzly bears, mountain lions and ferrets were the first to receive the first of two doses. Primates and pigs are next on the list.

Great apes share 98 per cent of their DNA with humans and are especially susceptible to the virus as are felines.

Confirm Covid-19 cases include gorillas, tigers and lions at zoos, and domestic cats and dogs.

08:15 AM

Infectious diseases expert hopes UK can have a 'flu relationship with Covid'

Dr Mike Tildesley said he hopes that as we move into the autumn we can have more of a "flu relationship with Covid".

He was asked about the importance of personal responsibility and the lack of social distancing among football fans, and he told BBC Breakfast: "I think it's understandable that people are obviously very excited yesterday but of course there has to be some level of responsibility going forward.

"I hope when we move into the autumn we can start to have a little bit more of what I call the flu relationship with Covid."

He said the wave of Covid over the last 12 months was "far greater than influenza epidemics we've had in previous years", adding: "But hopefully with a successful vaccination campaign we can get more into that kind of mindset and look to sort of mitigate the worst risks of Covid by vaccination, by hand washing practices and advisory strategies and of course supporting people to be at home when they are sick.

08:07 AM

People will want to exercise personal responsibility after Freedom Day, says Robert Jenrick

Cabinet Minister Robert Jenrick has said people will want to "exercise personal responsibility" on whether to wear a face mask when restrictions are lifted on July 19.

The Communities Secretary added that "he does not particularly want to wear a mask".

08:02 AM

Half of parents willing to have jab given to children under 17

More than half of parents with children aged 17 or under are willing to have them vaccinated against Covid-19 if jabs are offered to under-18s, a survey shows.

A YouGov poll of 938 parents found that 53 percent would get their child vaccinated, rising to 59 percent of parents who have already had, or were planning to get, the jab themselves.

However, one in five (18 percent) of all parents said that they would not vaccinate their children, while another 29 percent were unsure.

Even among those having the vaccine themselves, 29 percent of parents were uncertain about jabbing their offspring, while 12 percent said they would not do it.

07:47 AM

July 19 is 'probably right time' to abandon face masks, says Sage member

Dr Mike Tildesley, a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling, which provides modelling evidence to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said July 19 is "probably the right time" to consider ending the wearing of face masks.

He told BBC Breakfast: "It's an interesting one. If we are going to do that I think probably this is the right time to consider that.

"We know that of course masks have helped throughout the pandemic in terms of reducing the risk a little bit, but they're part of a number of measures that do help to reduce the risk."

He said he has been worried about some commentators suggesting masks might be around for a long time, as he pointed out they can be difficult for people who are hard of hearing and those who struggle with their mental health.

07:40 AM

Many people may continue to wear face masks beyond Freedom Day, says GP

Many people may continue to wear face masks even if they are no longer mandatory, a GP has said.

Dr Ellie Cannon told BBC Breakfast: "It's a very easy win for us to be wearing face masks, not all the time and not necessarily in the classroom.

"But I think particularly popping on a face mask if you are going into hospital to visit a relative, coming to my GP surgery, getting on a bus, I think that's an easy win.

"And I actually think there will be many people who will continue to wear face masks, myself included, even after July 19 if the mandate is lifted.

"I've heard a lot of people say to me, who travel on the bus or the London Underground particularly in the winter, that they would absolutely put on a face mask, particularly in the winter because we all get used to having these coughs and colds and flu and if you can do something very simple to prevent that, why wouldn't you?"

07:10 AM

Oxygen shortage hits Bangladesh hotspot

Empty oxygen cylinders are piling up almost as fast as bodies in the city of Khulna, which has become Bangladesh's coronavirus hotspot in a dire new surge.

The government has ordered a strict week-long nationwide lockdown in a bid to halt the spread of Covid-19, but Khulna's hospitals can not cope. Neither can relatives of the dead.

Mohammad Siddik leaned against empty cylinders under a hospital emergency porch, tearfully telling relatives in phone calls that his 50-year-old brother had died.

The 42-year-old businessman brought his brother to hospital as his condition deteriorated. But there was no bed and no oxygen.

05:33 AM

Portugal to ramp up vaccination after surge in Delta variant

Portugal said it hoped to vaccinate a further 1.7 million people against Covid-19 over the next two weeks, as authorities scramble to contain a surge in infections caused by the more contagious Delta variant.

Cases in Portugal, a nation of just over 10 million, jumped by 2,605 on Saturday, the biggest increase since February 13, taking the total cases since the pandemic began to 887,047.

New cases are being reported mostly among unvaccinated younger people so daily coronavirus deaths, currently in single digits, remain well below levels in February, when the country was still under lockdown after January's second wave.

Portugal has fully vaccinated around 35 percent of its population, and those aged 18 to 29 can start booking vaccination appointments on Sunday.

05:00 AM

How changes to the job retention scheme will affect you

The furlough scheme is starting to unwind despite the Prime Minister's four-week delay in lifting remaining Covid restrictions.

The Job Retention Scheme, known as furlough, has acted as a lifeline to millions of households and will continue to run until the end of September. However, from today, employers are being asked to contribute 10pc towards the wages of furloughed workers for hours their staff do not work, rising to 20pc in August and September.

Employees will continue to receive 80pc of current salary capped at £2,500 per month until the scheme ends.

More than 2.4 million people continued to rely on the Government to pay their wages at the end of May 2021, with three in 10 employers still furloughing staff. This is down from 5.1 million at the height of lockdown in January.

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03:57 AM

Olympic cloud hangs over Tokyo vote

Voters in Japan's capital are electing the Tokyo city assembly amid worries about health risks during the Olympics, opening in three weeks, as coronavirus cases continue to rise.

In Sunday's balloting, 271 candidates are vying for 127 seats. Eligible voters total 9.8 million people in the megacity with a population of nearly 14 million.

Public opinion surveys show most people want the Games canceled or postponed again. Behind the fears is the lagging vaccination rollout, with only about 10 percent of the population fully vaccinated.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike called in sick two weeks ago, citing exhaustion, and was not seen in public until Friday. Her routine role would have been to stump for her party, Tomin First, the biggest with 46 seats in the assembly heading into the election.

02:58 AM

Fall in new cases encouraging, says NSW Premier

Australia's most populous state reported a fall in new daily coronavirus cases on Sunday, following two days of record 2021 infections, as officials implored Sydney residents to follow rules so they could end a lockdown next week.

New South Wales recorded 16 new infections on Saturday, of which 13 were already in isolation. That was down from 35 new cases on Friday - the highest number of daily cases so far this year for the state - and 31 on Thursday.

"Whilst the numbers overnight are very encouraging, we know they have potential to bounce around. The next few days are absolutely critical," NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

The outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant over the past few weeks has alarmed authorities amid a sluggish nationwide vaccination drive, and sent three state capitals into lockdown last week.

02:38 AM

Angry Brazilians protest 'corrupt' vaccine deal

Thousands of Brazilians took to the streets Saturday to protest against President Jair Bolsonaro, who faces an investigation over an allegedly corrupt Covid vaccine deal.

It was the third day of demonstrations against the government, which is also confronting mounting pressure from a parliamentary inquiry into its handling of the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed more than 500,000 lives in the country.

Lima Mendes, a 47-year-old physician taking part in a Rio de Janeiro protest, squarely blamed the government for the high death toll.

"This government has killed more than 500,000 people through its spurious decisions, fake news, lies and now this absurd corruption scandal over the vaccines," she said.

01:37 AM

Bears and big cats vaccinated as zoo moves to protect species

A San Francisco Bay Area zoo is inoculating its big cats, bears and ferrets against the coronavirus as part of a national effort to protect animal species using an experimental vaccine.

Tigers Ginger and Molly were the first two animals at the Oakland Zoo to get the vaccine this week, the San Francisco Chronicle reported on Saturday. The doses were donated and developed by veterinary pharmaceutical company Zoetis in New Jersey.

Alex Herman, vice president of veterinary services at the zoo, said none of the animals have gotten the virus, but they wanted to be proactive. Tigers, black and grizzly bears, mountain lions and ferrets were the first to receive the first of two doses. Next are primates and pigs.

01:16 AM

South Africa infections continue record-breaking run

South Africa hit a record of 26,000 fresh Covid-19 cases on Saturday, its second record-breaking tally in as many days, as a rampant third wave of infections coursed through a largely unvaccinated population.

The rampant rise in infections in Africa's most industrialised nation has stretched health services to breaking point, with hospitals out of beds and medics to man them, and forced the government to impose partial lockdown restrictions.

South Africa has recorded more than two million cases and 61,500 deaths so far during the pandemic, the data from the Department of Health showed, while 3.3 million people have been vaccinated — about 5 percent of the population.

The low vaccination rate has resulted from a mixture of bad luck and bureaucratic failures. The government had to destroy two million contaminated Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses earlier this year, while efforts to replace them have run up against global supply bottlenecks.

12:35 AM

Landmarks light up to thank NHS staff

Landmarks across England were lit up in blue on Saturday evening to thank NHS staff for their role in fighting the coronavirus pandemic on the health service's 73rd birthday.

The Wembley arch, the Liver building in Liverpool, Salisbury Cathedral and vaccination centres across England were among more than 70 sites to join the tribute.

Football stadiums, town halls, churches, hospitals and bridges in different parts also followed suit.

It comes as events are being held across England to commemorate health workers who have lost their lives to the virus.

11:19 PM

Today's top stories

• Boris Johnson has signed off on plans to end the compulsory wearing of face masks from July 19, The Telegraph understands, as the Prime Minister prepares to declare this week that the link between Covid-19 infections and hospitalisations has finally been broken.
• School bubbles and the requirement to self-isolate are “paralysing” society and risk prompting a further lockdown by the back door, a senior government vaccines adviser has said.
• Sajid Javid accused world leaders of “herd behaviour” in their response to the coronavirus pandemic and likened them to panicked shoppers who hoarded toilet paper, The Telegraph can reveal.
• Heathrow Airport is at risk of defaulting on its £15bn debt mountain after talks stalled over the return of flights between Britain and America.
• The furlough scheme is starting to unwind despite the Prime Minister's four-week delay in lifting remaining Covid restrictions.