Coronavirus news – live: Covid ‘support bubbles’ begin in England and NI, as Brazil death toll surpasses UK’s

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UK coronavirus death toll rises by 202 to 41,481

Adults living alone and single parents living with children can form “support bubbles” with one other household in England and Northern Ireland from Saturday – ending weeks of isolation under the lockdown.

It comes as Brazil’s death toll from Covid-19 topped the UK’s with 41,828 recorded fatalities after reporting 909 more deaths on Friday, taking according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Many anti-racism protests have gone ahead across Australia today despite warnings over fears of a second wave of Covid-19 after a man in his 30s who attended a rally in Melbourne last Saturday tested positive for the disease.

Key Points

• Covid 'support bubbles' begin in England and NI
• Brazil's death toll surpasses UK's

[13 June 2020 11:00 · Chiara.Giordano]

Bring singing back to churches once safe, Church of England urges

 

(iStock)Singing should be allowed in churches as soon as it is considered safe, the Church of England has said.

Current government guidance says singing and playing instruments - with the exception of the church organ - should be avoided, as officials continue to review scientific and medical advice around how those activities can be managed safely amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Last month, communities secretary Robert Jenrick referred to the particular problem of exhalation spreading droplets further during the singing of hymns.

The Church of England, together with the Royal School of Church Music, has encouraged the Government to be proactive in ensuring music-making can resume in churches and cathedrals once it is safe to do so.

Churches and other places of worship will open for private prayer from Monday, while full resumption of services are not expected until at least 4 July

PA

[13 June 2020 11:14 · Chiara.Giordano]

New Zealand welcomes thousands of fans into packed sports stadium

(Dianne Manson/Getty)New Zealand has become one of the first nations in the world to welcome hordes of fans back into a packed sports stadium, thanks to the country's remarkable success in eliminating the coronavirus.

As countries try to reopen after lockdowns, more than 20,000 fans poured into the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin with no face masks or social distancing required as they watched today's match between the local Highlanders and the Chiefs, who had travelled from Hamilton.

After instituting a strict lockdown in March, New Zealand has not reported any new cases of the coronavirus for more than three weeks, and says all those who contracted the disease have now recovered.

Earlier in the week, the country removed just about every remaining virus restriction, with the notable exception of keeping the border closed.

AP

[13 June 2020 11:24 · Chiara.Giordano]

'Coronavirus may trigger diabetes in previously healthy people'

Experts fear ccoronavirus may be triggering diabetes in previously healthy people.

New cases of the blood sugar condition have been repeatedly diagnosed in patients who have tested positive for Covid-19, a group of 17 leading clinicians have said in an open letter published.

Here's the full story from Colin Drury: