Coronavirus news – live: Face coverings will not be made in compulsory in shops, Michael Gove says as Herefordshire farm in lockdown
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Face coverings will not be made mandatory in shops, Michael Gove said – two days after Boris Johnson hinted that England could copy Scotland by introducing the rule.
The cabinet office minister also stepped up calls for people to return to work following reports that the government was set to ease restrictions on using public transport.
It came as a Herefordshire farm went into lockdown after 73 vegetable pickers tested positive for coronavirus. The 200 staff are being kept in isolation in mobile homes at the site.
Meanwhile Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon said she would be prepared to impose a border quarantine with England to prevent the spread of the virus if necessary, though there were no “immediate plans” to do so.
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England’s 20 areas ‘most at risk of new coronavirus outbreaks’ revealed
Sheffield, Bradford and Kirklees have been identified as the English areas most at risk of a renewed coronavirus surge, according to a leaked government document.
The three Yorkshire councils were classed as needing “enhanced support” in a list of 20 authorities that are facing potential Covid-19 spikes.
Six other areas were considered to be of “concern”: Blackburn with Darwen, Rochdale, Oldham, Rotherham, Barnsley and Bedford.
Leicester — currently experiencing the UK’s first local lockdown — remains the only place considered in need of intervention.
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MPs launching inquiry into government's coronavirus response
MPs are launching an immediate inquiry into the government's response to coronavirus, with final recommendations set to be released by the end of the summer.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus (APPG) will take evidence from bereaved families, health experts, professional bodies and the public.
It comes amid growing calls for the Government to launch an independent inquiry into its handling of the crisis.
The APPG is chaired by Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran, with vice-chairs from the Conservatives, Labour, the SNP, Green Party and Plaid Cymru.
Ms Moran said: "From the neglect of care homes to the lack of an effective testing regime, each day brings more evidence of mistakes in the handling of this pandemic - and there is every indication that we will see a potential second spike this winter.
"The country and the NHS cannot afford for these errors to be repeated. There is no time to waste when it comes to learning the lessons from the UK response to the pandemic. This is why we are launching our parliamentary inquiry and will be taking evidence immediately."
Pelosi accuses Trump of 'messing with children's health'
US house speaker Nancy Pelosi has accused Donald Trump of "messing with" children's health while saying that federal guidelines on reopening schools amid the coronavirus outbreak should be mandatory.
The Democrat sharply criticised the Trump administration for advocating a return to school in the fall as coronavirus infections surge across the country, particularly in states that reopened their economies earliest during the pandemic.
The federal government can make the Centers for Disease Control guidelines for reopening schools mandatory, like some state governors have done with anti-coronavirus measures, she said. Critics of the Trump administration's pandemic response have long called for a national strategy on mitigation efforts.
"Going back to school presents the biggest risk for the spread of the coronavirus," Ms Pelosi said on CNN's "State of the Union" program. "If there are CDC guidelines, they should be requirements."
"They should be mandates."
WHO sees another record day for cases
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported another record in the increase in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases over a 24-hour period, at over 230,000.
The UN health agency said Sunday the United States again topped the list among countries, with more than 66,000 cases recorded.
The figures don't necessarily account for delays in reporting of cases, and are believed to far underestimate actual case totals.
Still, the trend line of confirmed cases continues to increase — with three largest counts coming in over the last three days.
The previous record was Friday, with more than 228,000 newly recorded cases worldwide in a 24-hour span.
Overall, the WHO has counted more than 12.5 million confirmed cases and more than 561,000 deaths from Covid-19.
Police enforcement of coronavirus laws at lowest level since lockdown started
Police enforcement of coronavirus laws in England and Wales is at the lowest level since the lockdown started, figures show.
Only a handful of fines have been handed out since the start of July, compared to almost 2,500 a week before restrictions were relaxed.
More than 15,500 fines were issued in England before the law changed to allow groups of six to meet on 1 June, and fewer than 500 since.
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South Africa resumes alcohol ban as hospitals overwhelmed by cases
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says the country will immediately return to a ban on the sale of alcohol to reduce the volume of trauma patients so that hospitals have more beds open to treat Covid-19 patients.
Confronted by surging hospitalisations due to the coronavirus, South Africa is also reinstating a night curfew to reduce traffic accidents and made it mandatory for all residents to wear face masks when in public.
Mr Ramaphosa said in a nationally televised address that top health officials warn of impending shortages of hospital beds and medical oxygen as South Africa reaches a peak of Covid-19 cases, expected between the end of July and September.
He said some hospitals have had to turn away patients because all their beds are full.
G20 urged to extend and expand debt payment freezing
The International Chamber of Commerce, a global trade union and civil society groups have urged the G20 to extend and expand a freeze in debt service payments to help not just the poorest, but also middle-income countries, weather the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout.
The ICC, International Trade Union Confederation, and Global Citizen, a group pushing to end extreme poverty by 2030, also called on G20 finance ministers - who will meet online on 18 July - to take additional steps to boost the participation of private creditors, who have been slow to engage.
In an open letter to be published tomorrow, the groups said further steps were needed since the global economy was facing an even deeper downturn than projected in April, when the G20 and Paris Club of creditors announced a freeze in debt service payments for the world's 73 poorest countries through year-end.
Top global finance officials last week said debt restructuring may be needed on a country-by-country basis to help heavily indebted countries hit hard by the outbreak.
Metal band apologises for unmasked concert
Metal band Great White has apologised for performing at an outdoor North Dakota concert where the crowd didn't wear masks despite the ongoing threat of the coronavirus.
The band drew criticism on social media after the performance Thursday night as part of the "First on First: Dickinson Summer Nights" concert series in Dickinson, in the southwest of the state. Spin magazine posted video showing the crowd packed in and not wearing face masks.
"We have had the luxury of hindsight and we would like to apologise to those who disagreed with our decision to fulfill our contractual agreement. The Promoter and staff were nothing but professional and assured us of the safety precautions," Great White said in a statement Saturday.
Although North Dakota health officials recommend social distancing and wearing masks when possible, there is no legal requirement to do so in the state and Great White said the band nevertheless was "not in a position to enforce the laws."
Spanish authorities return region to lockdown
Regional authorities in northeast Spain have tightened a health lockdown and confined over 140,000 people to only leaving their homes for work and other essential activities.
Catalan authorities announced the confinement on Sunday, a week after they had already limited travel to and from the county of El Segria, population 210,000, because of an outbreak of the virus that causes Covid-19.
Lleida, with 138,000 residents, is one of the municipalities in which people are confined to their homes.
"We must break the chain of contagion," said regional health authority Alba Verges. "We must limit our contact to those people we live with."
Record daily increase of 230,000 coronavirus cases worldwide, WHO reports
The World Health Organisation has reported a record increase in coronavirus cases around the world for the third time in eight days, with the total number of infections rising by 230,370 in a 24-hour period.
The spike was down to large increases in positive Covid-19 cases from the United States, Brazil, India and South Africa, as the nations grapple to curb the pandemic.
The previous WHO record for new cases was 228,102 on Friday, 10 July. That broke a previous record set six days.
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