Coronavirus news – live: Thousands join illegal ‘quarantine’ raves, risking virus spread, as UK records lowest daily death toll since lockdown began
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Thousands of people defied social-distancing rules to attend two illegal “quarantine raves” on Saturday night, prompting fears they will be spreading the coronavirus in the community.
About 4,000 people turned up for one event in Greater Manchester, where a 20-year-old man died from a suspected drug overdose, and a woman was raped at the other rave, which had 2,000 party-goers.
Police condemned the mass gatherings, and deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said those who went were irresponsible and should be ashamed.
Another 36 deaths of people with the virus in the UK have been recorded, in the lowest daily rise since lockdown began on 24 March.
The fall in cases has given the government "more margin for manoeuvre" in easing the two-metre social-distancing rule, Boris Johnson has said.
However, in China, where a fresh outbreak has emerged, Beijing officials confirmed the country’s highest daily total of coronavirus cases in two months.
Good afternoon and welcome to today's live blog on the coronavirus pandemic.
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Officials confirmed eight new cases in the first seven hours of Sunday.
The Xinfadi market on Beijing's southeastern side was closed on Saturday after more than 50 people in the capital tested positive. They were the first confirmed cases in 50 days in the city of 20 million people.
China, where the pandemic began in December, had relaxed most of its anti-virus controls after the Communist Party declared victory over the disease in March.
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The country fears a second wave of the pandemic as lockdown measures have been eased.
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Thousands defy rules to join illegal 'quarantine raves'
Thousands of people are thought to have attended illegal 'quarantine raves' in Manchester.
One event, at a beauty spot, ended with rubbish strewn over a country park.
Empty bottles, nitrous oxide canisters and plastic bags were left strewn across Daisy Nook Country Park in Oldham.
At the rave in Carrington in Trafford, empty beer crates, glass bottles and silver canisters covered the grass.
A sign reading 'quarantine rave' was left there, and residents launched a huge clean-up operation.
'Quarantine rave' crowds defy rules
Footage from one of two "quarantine raves" in Manchester shows crowds of hundreds of people close together in defiance of social-distancing rules.
On social media, those attending were branded "selfish and stupid" and accused of prolonging the virus and the lockdowns for everyone.
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