A further 138 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus, bringing the UK death toll to 44,968.
The latest figures, released today by the Department of Health and Social Care, covers fatalities in all settings, including hospitals, care homes and the wider community.
Meanwhile, wearing face coverings in English shops and supermarkets will be made mandatory next week, No 10 has announced.
From July 24, any customers who do not comply with the new rule could face a fine of up to £100.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock is expected to make a full statement on the fresh legislation on Tuesday.
- This live blog has now ended. For the latest Covid-19 news and updates, visit our most recent coronavirus live blog.
- Another 138 people die with coronavirus bringing UK death toll to 44,968
- Face coverings to be made compulsory in shops in England from next week
- World Health Organisation warns coronavirus crisis can still get ‘worse and worse’
- Woman with no symptoms infects 71 people after using apartment lift
- Michael Gove seen without mask in Pret despite calling it ‘basic good manners’
- Another pub forced to shut for 72-hour deep clean after customer contracts virus
Here, we bring you the live updates on the latest news, developments and guidance on the Covid-19 pandemic.
This live blog has now ended. For the latest Covid-19 news and updates, visit our most recent coronavirus live blog.
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Fresh coronavirus restrictions have been imposed on the residents of Blackburn with Darwen following a spike in positive cases. Concerns have been raised that the Lancashire county could become the next area to be locally locked down, following Leicester, prompting officials to implement stricter measures in a desperate bid to avoid a shutdown. More »
Donald Trump said he holds China ‘fully responsible for concealing the virus and unleashing it upon the world’ at a White House press conference today. The President has also signed an executive order sanctioning the People’s Republic for digging its claws into Hong Kong with its draconian new security law. More »
Airbnb has been slammed for asking customers if they’d like to donate money to previous hosts who have lost income during the coronavirus pandemic. People who can’t afford houses of their own asked the rental site why they should treat landlords paying off their second homes like they are charities, accusing them of contributing to rising prices in their neighbourhoods. More »
Face coverings, which are already mandatory on public transport in England, are set to also become mandatory in shops. From 24 July, people in England will have to wear a mask or face covering if they are in a shop or risk having to pay a fine. More »
Tube commuters can expect a more scenic journey from now on as Banksy has unveiled his latest artwork on the London Underground. In a video posted to Instagram on Tuesday afternoon, the elusive graffiti artist – renowned for his thought-provoking political works – revealed his latest coronavirus-inspired piece, titled: ‘If you don’t mask, you don’t get’. More »
A further 138 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus, bringing the UK death toll to 44,968. The latest figures, released today by the Department of Health and Social Care, covers fatalities in all settings, including hospitals, care homes and the wider community. More »
Sales assistants are significantly more likely to die from coronavirus, Matt Hancock told MPs today as he confirmed face masks would become mandatory in shops and supermarkets. The Health Secretary said the Covid-19 death rate among male shop workers is 75% higher than the general population, and 60% higher in women, underlining the urgent need for face coverings in public to protect the spread of coronavirus. More »
As the UK Government moves to make face coverings in public more widespread during the coronavirus pandemic, many have been left scratching their heads wondering what exactly is deemed as an acceptable covering. While the Government has advised against the use of medical grade face masks in public in order to sustain valuable NHS supplies, cloth coverings are encouraged. More »
After months of lockdown, just seeing a row of plane seats on a flight from London Gatwick to Ibiza was exciting. Many of us have felt the pull of wanderlust as we were itching to take to the skies once again. More »
Face coverings have become commonplace in the wake of coronavirus – and are set to become more so following the news that they will become compulsory in shops in England from 24 July. The move will bring England in line with Scotland, where it is already mandatory to wear face masks in shops – and adds shops to the list of places where face coverings are already compulsory, including public transport and hospitals. More »
Michael Gove has been pictured without a face covering inside a Pret in London – despite calling it ‘basic good manners, courtesy and consideration’ to wear one. The minister for the Cabinet Office was spotted not wearing a mask in a Westminster branch of the lunch chain on Monday, the day after No 10 announced it would be made compulsory to wear one from July 24. More »
Supermarkets were one of the few essential shops allowed to remain open during the UK’s lockdown – although the whole shopping experience was very different, with reduced hours and queues forming due to customer limits in store. The main chains also introduced priority hours, in order to help the elderly and essential workers during the pandemic, as panic buying set in. More »
As lockdown measures continue to be rolled back across most of the UK, travel restrictions have also been eased. The Government has shared a list of ‘air-bridge’ countries for which quarantining for 14 days on your return to England will not be required. More »
Shop staff can refuse entry to people not wearing face masks and even call the police on those who do not comply with the new rules, the Health Secretary has said. Speaking in the Commons today, Matt Hancock confirmed that face coverings would become mandatory inside shops and supermarkets in England from July 24. More »
A cancer nurse whose scheduled cervical screening was cancelled amid the coronavirus lockdown has been diagnosed with a tumour ‘as big as a tennis ball’. Destiny Wade, 28, was supposed to have a smear test in March, but it was cancelled by her GP due to lockdown measures put in place because of the virus. More »
A US Army veteran who dismissed the coronavirus outbreak as ‘hype’ and refused to wear a ‘damn mask’ has died of it aged just 37. Richard Rose died on July 4, three days after being diagnosed with the condition in Port Clinton, Ohio. More »
Ask any woman in your life if she has ever been subjected to unwanted touching, and the answer is probably ‘yes’. Whether that means a light squeeze on the back of her hips as she moves through a club, a man rubbing himself against her on a packed tube, or something much, much more aggressive — the feeling of being touched without consent is hauntingly familiar for many of us. More »
Yet another pub has been forced to shut down for a deep clean after a customer tested positive for coronavirus. The Crown and Anchor in Aveley, Essex has shut its doors for 72 hours after a person with the illness had been there for a drink over the weekend. More »
From 24 July, the UK Government will follow Scotland, Germany, Spain, Italy and Greece in implementing a new rule that will require the wearing of a face covering in shops. Those who fail to do so risk a fine of up to £100. More »
New rules making the wearing of face masks compulsory in shops will be ‘nigh-on impossible’ to enforce, police officers have said. The Government announced last night that it will become mandatory for people to wear face coverings in shops and supermarkets across England from July 24. More »
