Coronavirus news: Sport to return and groups of six can meet to exercise together says government, despite warnings on lockdown easing

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Coronavirus: UK death toll reaches 38,376

Elite sport can return behind closed doors from 1 June, the government announced as it eased coronavirus restrictions to allow groups of up to six people to exercise together outdoors.

Culture secretary Oliver Dowden described the move as “a significant moment” despite warnings from scientific advisers that Covid-19 “is spreading too fast to lift lockdown in England” with an estimated 8,000 infections per day.

With the new NHS test and trace system still “untested”, Professor John Edmunds accused ministers of making a “risky” and political decision, saying “Westminster clearly made a decision that this is the sort of level of incidence that they’re willing to tolerate”, despite it being “significantly higher” than similar European nations.

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Key Points

• Government to allow groups of six to meet to exercise
• Sport to return behind closed doors on Monday
• Liverpool deputy mayor steps down amid probe into lockdown garden party
• Adviser says government risking 'tens of thousands' of lives over Cummings' job
• Three Sage advisers warn against lifting English lockdown
• 'Huge redundancies' if furlough scheme lifted in October, Burnham warns

[30 May 2020 22:56 · Peter Stubley]

Government relaxes shielding advice for most vulnerable

More than 2.2 million people who have spent the last 10 weeks “shielding” themselves from coronavirus can leave their homes from Monday, Boris Johnson has announced.

Patients classed by the government as “extremely clinically vulnerable” will be able to go outside with members of their household or, if they live alone, to meet with one person from another household.

[30 May 2020 23:56 · Peter Stubley]

Labour MP apologises for breaching lockdown rules

Rosie Duffield, Labour MP for Canterbury, has admitted breaching coronavirus guidelines by meeting her partner while they were living separately.

Ms Duffield told the Mail on Sunday they met for a long walk in her constituency in April but claimed they observed social distancing rules. The newspaper also reported that she failed to deny he visited her home.

In a statement Ms Duffield said: "My partner and I have been attempting to navigate a difficult personal situation as responsibly as possible. I apologise that during that process, we breached the guidelines.

"A relationship breakdown is difficult at the best of times, let alone during a pandemic.

"I hope people can understand why I took the steps I did and know that I take responsibility for the breaches that occurred and for which I apologise."

[30 May 2020 23:59 · Peter Stubley]

That's it for the live blog for today. Thanks for reading.