BORIS Johnson has said it’s the “national priority” to get pupils back to school in September.
The Prime Minister is understood to have made clear schools should be the last sector to shut in any future local lockdowns.
A Downing Street source said Mr Johnson believes the harm being done to children’s education prospects and mental health by not being in the classroom is far more damaging than the risk posed to them by coronavirus.
Schools across the UK closed on March 20, except to children of key workers or vulnerable children.
On June 1, they began a limited reopening for Reception, Year 1 and Year 6.
This comes after Preston was plunged into local lockdown, after the council asked residents to follow a number of extra restrictions in a bid to halt the spread of the virus.
Authorities have urged people not to “kill granny” amid reports almost half of new cases in Preston were among those aged 30 and younger.
Meanwhile, the UK government have announced that the list of settings where face masks are compulsory has expanded to include hairdressers, cinemas, and more. Police can issue £100 fines for those caught breaking the rules.
This comes as deaths hit 46,566 after 55 deaths yesterday.
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BERLIN ARTISTS DEMAND MORE FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Artists are demonstrating today to demand more financial support to survive the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Many took to the streets of Berlin to perform as part of the protests.
Katharina Micada, one of the organisers, told a local newspaper: “Other people are getting help to get through this crisis but we’re being overlooked.”
Many are angry because large parts of a billion-euro aid programme have not yet been distributed and rules surrounding state handouts have made it harder for artists to qualify.
Juggler Fabio Zimmerman told Berliner Kurier: “Art is not seen as essential. Berlin’s diverse cultural scene is a jewel but in a crisis, the jewels are first to get sold.”
ENGLAND CORONAVIRUS HOSPITAL DEATH TOLL
A further 10 people have died in hospital in England, having either tested positive for coronavirus, or in cases where a positive test was not returned, but coronavirus was mentioned on their death certificate.
This brings the total number of confirmed deaths in hospitals to 29,411, NHS England said on Sunday.
The patients were aged between 45 and 89 and all had known underlying health condition
In two of the cases, the deceased had not tested positive for Covid-19, but Covid-19 was mentioned on their death certificate.
All deaths are recorded against the date of death rather than the day the deaths were announced, NHS England said.
UK CORONAVIRUS HOSPITAL DEATH TOLL INCREASES BY 10 TO 34,037
The coronavirus death toll in the UK’s hospitals has increased by 10 to a total of 34,037.
On Sunday, a further 10 deaths by Covid-19 were reported in hospitals in England.
No new deaths were reported in Scotland or Wales.
Northern Ireland is yet to report its figures today.
MALAWI CRACKS DOWN ON ‘ALARMING’ VIRUS SURGE
Malawi has shut bars and churches in new restrictions to limit the “alarming” spread of coronavirus, three months after a court blocked the government from imposing a full lockdown.
Since the first positive case was detected on April 2, confirmed cases have nearly doubled over the past four weeks to hit over 4,624, including 143 deaths as of Saturday.
Malawi had not been placed under a lockdown after a court in April blocked the government from enforcing a full lockdown because it had failed to announce any measures to cushion the vulnerable.
INDONESIA REPORTS 1,893 NEW CASES
Indonesia reported 1,893 more coronavirus infections on Sunday, taking the total tally to 125,396 infections, the country’s Covid-19 taskforce website showed.
The number of death rose 65 on Sunday, bringing the total number of deaths to 5,723.
SECOND DEATH LINKED TO CHINA’S BUBONIC PLAGUE OUTBREAK
A Bubonic plague outbreak in China has seen the second victim die in days from the horror bug known as the “Black Death”.
The victim, who was from northern China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, died from multiple organ failure on Friday, the Bayannao’er city health commission said on its website.
A total of seven close contacts of the deceased, who has not been named, have been placed under medical observation but all have tested negative for the plague and had no symptoms.
On Thursday, the Baotou city health commission confirmed another person died of a different form of the disease four days earlier.
UK TO SUFFER ECONOMIC BLOW TWICE AS BAD AS UNITED STATES’
The UK will suffer the heaviest Covid-19 impact of any major country this week as signs of faltering spending raise fears that the recovery is already running out of steam.
City forecasters predict official figures will show a 21.3pc collapse in output between April and June, when the economy languished in lockdown.
The slump will wipe 23pc off the UK’s £2.2 trillion economy in the first half of 2020, after a 2.2pc hit in the first quarter.
The damage to the UK is expected to be twice as severe as the 10.6pc blow taken by the US economy.
TEACHERS AND PUPILS NEED WEEKLY COVID TESTS
Teachers and pupils should receive weekly coronavirus tests to prevent schools being forced to close again by outbreaks, the Children’s Commissioner for England has said.
Anne Longfield suggested the move as she warned that shutting schools again should be “an absolute last resort” rather than a “default option”.
She said it appeared children had been “forgotten in the relaxation” of restrictions and said she had been “dismayed” when ministers prioritised reopening shops, theme parks and zoos ahead of schools.
However she welcomed Boris Johnson’s insistence that getting children back in the classroom was a top priority.
It comes as Prime Minister said it was a “moral duty” to reopen schools to all pupils from September – and suggested he would shut pubs and restaurants before schools in the event of fresh spikes of the virus.
PM TO HEAD TO SCOTLAND FOR FAMILY STAY-CATION
Boris Johnson is reportedly heading to Scotland for a summer holiday as quarantine rules during the coronavirus pandemic jeopardise trips abroad.
The Prime Minister has spoken about allowing a “brief staycation to creep into the agenda, if that’s possible” when quizzed about his plans for a getaway.
But The Sunday Times has now reported that Mr Johnson, fiancee Carrie Symonds and their son Wilfred will travel north of the border next weekend.
A No 10 source declined to comment but did not deny the report.
Their last known holiday was a luxury winter break to the private Caribbean island of Mustique.
The reported trip north of the border would come at a time Cabinet ministers are ramping up visits to Scotland amid concerns the Covid-19 crisis has strengthened the demand for independence in the nation.
COPS ONLY GIVEN OUT 33 FINES FROM 30,000 POTENTIAL PASSENGERS
Police have stopped nearly 30,000 passengers for not wearing face masks but given out just 33 fines.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced on June 15 is is mandatory for people to wear face coverings on public transport.
British Transport Police (BTP) have the power to fine rule breakers £100 if they fail to wear masks on trains, buses, trams, ferries and aircraft.
But data released by BTP under the Freedom of Information Act shows that only a tiny fraction of those caught without masks are fined, the Telegraph reports.
In the 12 days between July 13 and July 25, officers spoke to 28,964 people who were not wearing a face covering.
5 US STATES HAVE NEARLY HALF OF NATION’S 5 MILLION CASES
California, Texas, New York, Florida and Georgia account for more than 40 per cent of all cases in the US.
The nation is fast approaching a grim milestone of 5 million cases recorded.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious-disease expert, cautioned that despite the optimism from the Trump administration, the nation is still “knee-deep in the first wave” of the pandemic.
VIETNAM REPORTS 31 NEW CASES
Vietnam’s health ministry on Sunday reported 31 new COVID-19 cases and an additional death, taking the country’s total tally to 841, with 11 fatalities.
All of the new cases are linked to the central city of Danang, where the new outbreak began late last month, the Ministry of Health said in a statement.
There have been 355 cases since the virus resurfaced in Danang, with 11 deaths. Coronavirus infections have since been detected in at least 15 locations in Vietnam.
MEAT PLANT SUSPENDS WORK FOR 2 WEEKS AFTER SURGE IN CASES
A meat processing plant in Co Kildare is to remain closed for two weeks.
O’Brien’s Fine Foods at Timahoe halted production last week after dozens of workers tested positive for coronavirus.
It was announced on Friday night that Kildare, along with counties Laois and Offaly, will face further lockdown restrictions for the next fortnight following a spate of cases.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said he believes meat plants affected by the outbreak should not reopen on Monday.
He told RTE it is his personal view that it would be inappropriate for these factories to operate while other people are asked to restrict their movements.
In a statement on Sunday morning, O’Briens Fine Foods said it wished to reaffirm that in line with public health guidance, normal operations at its Timahoe plant will not resume for the 14-day incubation period.
It stopped production on Wednesday night after a number of workers tested positive.
The statement said: “In consultation with the HSE, our warehousing facility and minimal related operations will function at significantly reduced capacity levels to manage perishable goods.
“In line with public health guidance, in addition to testing undertaken to date, a further programme of employee testing will be conducted on days seven and 14 (as necessary). Only those employees who test negative and meet public health guidelines in full will return to work. All staff will continue to be paid in full.”
Some 87 workers had tested positive for the virus by Friday.
PHILIPPINES RECORDS 61 NEW DEATHS
The Philippines has recorded 61 new deaths, the highest daily increase in fatalities reported for three weeks.
This takes the country’s death toll to 2,270.
A health ministry bulletin also reported 3,109 new coronavirus infections, bringing the total confirmed cases to 129,913.
The Southeast Asian country leads the region in the most number of cases and is second to Indonesia in deaths.
CAMPING POPULARITY BOOM
Camp sites are sold out around Britain thanks to a surge in late bookings as families choose to take a break closer to home in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
And many people are sleeping under canvas for the first time.
With uncertainty over quarantine rules for trips abroad, families are resorting to the great British countryside for their summer getaway, resulting in a shortage of pitches and camping equipment.
MIDLANDS PUB COVID OUTBREAK
Tom Hitchenor Customers who attended a pub barbecue have been told to self-isolate amid a surge of Covid-19 cases linked to the Black Country boozer.
The Soho Foundry Tavern in Smethwick, West Mids, reported a coronavirus outbreak and made the decision to shut on Thursday.
Sandwell Council and Public Health England bosses are asking the 70 people who attended the event at the pub last Sunday to self-isolate.
Three people who were there, including staff, have since tested positive, the local authority has confirmed.
OBESE PEOPLE COULD NEED TO SHIELD INDOORS IN HOTSPOTS
Vulnerable Brits will be told remain inside to avoid mass lockdown if the country sees a sharp spike in cases over the next few months.
A Cabinet minister told the Sunday Telegraph that the government’s plan was a “stiletto not a sledgehammer” approach to tackling outbreaks.
Experts are currently looking at ways NHS data can be used to target people in vulnerable groups.
These include people who are aged over 50 and those who are obese.
According to the paper, they will be contacted and urged to stay indoors if the country experiences a second spike.
A Cabinet minister said: “They are understanding that age does come into it.
“The shielding cohort is way too broad – you can’t say that every fat person has to shield. It will be more subtle.”
DEAF TEEN PLEADS FOR SEE-THROUGH MASKS
A deaf 13-year-old girl has written to Boris Johnson pleading with him to make people wear see-through face masks so she can communicate again.
Emma Church, from Oxfordshire, said the vast majority of face coverings make lip-reading near impossible – leaving deaf people struggling to understand what is being said to them.
The 13-year-old is lobbying for more people to wear masks with a transparent panel to help deaf people communicate better during the pandemic.
The teen sent the Prime Minister a home-made see-through face mask along with a letter in the hope that he will understand the struggles she is facing.
Emma said: “The reason I’m writing to you is because of face masks.
“I was hoping to make you see what life is like for deaf people.
“There are other deaf people worse off than me. Being deaf is no joke, especially when we cannot communicate.
“You know what would be really cool, Mr Johnson, if you wore a clear face-mask in public, that way 12 million people would know that you care and understand what our life is like.”
NORTH KOREA BRINGS AID TO LOCKDOWN TOWN
North Korea’s ruling party has delivered special aid packages of food and medical equipment to residents of Kaesong, near the border with the South, after imposing a lockdown there due to COVID-19 concerns, state media said on Sunday.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared an emergency and imposed a lockdown on the small border town last month after a person, who defected to South Korea in 2017, returned to Kaesong across the highly fortified border showing coronavirus symptoms.
Pyongyang has not confirmed any coronavirus infections but has been taking strict quarantine measures and screening the town, while providing food, test kits and other medical equipment, according to state media.
State television on Sunday showed a train arriving at the Kaesong station and trucks delivering supplies to residents.
Separately, hundreds of people wearing masks and sitting apart from one another gathered at a party auditorium to thank authorities for the aid, with some breaking down in tears, footage showed.
LUXURY APARTMENT BLOCK USING ROBOTS TO ZAP VIRUS
A luxury apartment block has become the first in the US to deploy a coronavirus-killing robot.
Paramount Miami Worldcenter has “employed” Xenex LightStrike UV ray droid to fight off the pathogen.
The robot uses bursts of ultraviolet light to destroy the coronavirus and other infections – and is boasted to be the “most advanced” of its kind in the world.
It comes as Florida has become the second worst impacted US state – following only California – with 526,577 cases.
Paramount bosses said they wanted the residents to feel safe in their homes by deploying the robot – with properties in the block starting from $690,000.
Xenex claims the use of the UV robots can reduce infection rate from between 50 per cent to 100 per cent.
It claims it can disinfect an entire room in just 20 minutes with “germicidal UV pathogen killing intensity”.
Video shows the machine – which has a square body on wheels and a dome head – being deployed in one of the communal areas.
It raises up to reveal a UV light tube neck which then flashes repeatedly in pulses to kill the virus.
BRIT BOOKINGS SURGE FOR GREECE
Greece is now the top holiday destination for Brits after quarantine restrictions were imposed on travellers returning from Spain.
After the Government brought in a two week quarantine, data from bookings website Skyscanner shows Spain’s Mediterranean rival has surged ahead in popularity.
Crete, Corfu and Santorini have now overtaken Barcelona, Ibiza and Malaga in the top 10 most sought after routes on the site compared to this time last year.
Spain was the first country to be removed from the UK’s safe list, with holidaymakers given just four hours’ notice – and France is now in danger of following suit.
But UK still currently deems Greece safe for travel with no quarantine required when returning home.
JUST HALF OF BRITS ‘VERY LIKELY’ TO GET VACCINE
Just over half of Brits say it’s very likely they will take a vaccine against coronavirus if offered to them – amid warnings from a study that those fearful to get it could risk lives.
The study, based on 2,237 interviews with UK residents aged between 16-75, found that one in five would be willing to have a potential coronavirus vaccine.
One in six (16 per cent) said they are unlikely to have it or definitely will not.
Of those questioned, 53 per cent said they would be likely or very likely to get a vaccine against the virus, according to the study conducted by King’s College London and Ipsos Mori.
Those with a greater scepticism towards science are more likely to reject a future jab.
People opposed to masks were among the least likely to get a vaccine, including 37 per cent who thought coverings were bad for people’s health.
A third do not think masks are effective in reducing the spread of the virus and 34 per cent think that the government wants people to wear face coverings as a way of controlling the public.
Of the reasons given, 33 per cent do not trust scientific experts and over a quarter of people believe the government acted too slowly to control the spread of the virus.
Young people were more likely to say that they wouldn’t get inoculated – 22 per cent of 16-24 year olds compared to 11 per cent of those in the 55-75 age bracket.
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