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UK coronavirus live: Tory MPs call for Dominic Cummings to go Conservative MPs call for advisor to resign amid revelations of further breaches of lockdown rulesNew witnesses cast doubt on Dominic Cummings’s lockdown claimsDominic Cummings must resign, says Tory MP Steve BakerGlobal coronavirus updates - live 12.48pm BST An unnamed Bournemouth player has tested positive for Covid-19, the Premier League club announced Sunday, becoming the eighth case involving an English top-flight club. Bournemouth added the player’s identity would not be disclosed due to “medical confidentiality” and that he would self-isolate for seven day, according to AFP. 12.43pm BSTSNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford told Sky: “[Cummings] has to go and the prime minister has to sack ...

Coronavirus live news: Wuhan lab had bat viruses but not Covid-19 strain; Russia reports highest daily death toll Lab says none of three bat viruses match Covid-19; new witnesses cast doubt on UK advisor’s lockdown claims; WHO says pandemic ‘taking different pathway’ in AfricaWuhan lab says its bat strains were not Covid-19 as US nears 100,00 deathsNew witnesses cast doubt on Dominic Cummings’s lockdown claimsUK coronavirus updates - liveCoronavirus latest: at a glance 12.43pm BSTI’m taking a lunch break now but my colleague, Aaron Walawalkar, will steer you through the next hour or so. 12.32pm BSTWhat do we now know about Covid-19 – and can you get it twice? Nicola Davis has answers to your questions, based on current knowledge and the latest researc...

Poll reveals half of parents unconvinced that school is safe for their children's return Teachers’ union leader warns situation ‘untenable’ as health officials say track and trace system has been left too lateCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageParents are divided over the prospect of sending their children back to school, a new poll has revealed, as parent groups warned that mixed messages and poor communication had caused widespread anxiety about returning.With school leaders still grappling with the practicalities of reopening primary schools for some year groups in just a week’s time in England, an Opinium poll for the Observer found that 43 per cent of primary school parents and 54 per cent of secondary school parents feel anxio...

'Incalculable loss': New York Times covers front page with 1,000 Covid-19 death notices As US Covid-19 death toll nears 100,000, Times presents a tribute to some of the Americans to fall victim to the diseaseCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAs the US approaches the grim milestone of 100,000 coronavirus deaths, the New York Times has filled the entire front page of Sunday’s paper with the death notices of victims from across the country.In a decision the paper said was intended to convey the vastness and variety of the tragedy, the front page is a simple list of names and personal details taken from obituaries around the US. Continue reading... Go to Source

Explainer: what do we now know about Covid-19 – and can you get it twice? Your questions answered based on current knowledge and the latest research from scientistsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThat remains unclear. A key question is whether antibodies produced by the body following an infection with the coronavirus provide some level of immunity, and if so, for how long. Continue reading... Go to Source

New witnesses cast doubt on Dominic Cummings’s lockdown claims Exclusive: eyewitness says top No 10 aide left isolation to go 30 miles to popular tourist townDevastating new claims have emerged that Dominic Cummings further breached the lockdown rules, as Downing Street came under sustained pressure to fire the prime minister’s most senior adviser.The new testimony suggests Cummings left the home where he was staying in Durham to visit a town 30 miles away on 12 April. Continue reading... Go to Source

Trump tees up controversy as he plays golf in a pandemic President visits own golf club in Virginia as US coronavirus death toll approaches 100,000Coronavirus – live US updatesLive global updatesDonald Trump teed up fresh controversy on Saturday, by leaving the White House for his golf course in Virginia.Early on a fine morning in Washington DC, the president was seen by reporters “in his typical golf wear of white polo shirt and white baseball cap … before he departed the White House” for an undisclosed location. Secret Service agents accompanying the president were photographed wearing masks. Trump was not seen to cover his face. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: UK police contradict No 10 claims over lockdown warning Durham police say they did contact PM’s top aide over alleged breach of lockdown. Spain to welcome foreign visitors from July and restart football league in early JuneSpain to reopen to overseas tourists from JulyDominic Cummings clearly broke rules, says ex-police chiefCoronavirus latest: at a glance 12.44am BSTHi, Helen Sullivan with you now. I’ll be taking you through the latest global developments in the coronavirus pandemic for the next few hours. Please do get in touch on Twitter @helenrsullivan or email: helen.sullivan[at]theguardian.com. 12.37am BSTTransport secretary Grant Shapps appeared visibly flustered when answering journalists’ questions on government aide Dominic Cummings&rs...

Global report: Muslims face curfews ahead of Eid amid Covid-19 crisis Pandemic subdues Ramadan festivities as Taliban declares ceasefire; Spain and Greece to welcome touristsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMuslims worldwide prepared to celebrate Eid under lockdown, with the strictest governments bringing in 24-hour curfews for the holiday – but across the world the slow march is continuing out of coronavirus quarantine.For the first time since the beginning of the outbreak, China said it had recorded no new cases of the virus; Spain joined Greece in saying it would be reopening to foreign tourists from July, and also said its football league would start again next month. Continue reading... Go to Source

Lockdown row: key points Cummings and Johnson must address As demands grow that the PM sack his chief aide, both men have questions to answerTimeline: Cummings in lockdownCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe Guardian first asked Downing Street on 5 April about whether Dominic Cummings had travelled to County Durham during the height of the lockdown. The response was: “It will be a no comment on that one.”Over the last seven weeks, neither Cummings nor No 10 have wanted to provide any on-the-record explanation about his whereabouts. Continue reading... Go to Source

Grant Shapps backs Dominic Cummings over lockdown breach ‘In moments of crisis, we seek to have our family around us,’ says transport secretaryCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe transport secretary, Grant Shapps, has defended the behaviour of Downing Street aide Dominic Cummings, who drove from London to Durham during the lockdown, saying: “In moments of crisis, we seek to have our family around us.”Cummings travelled to his parents’ property at a time when he believed he may have been infected with Covid-19. Continue reading... Go to Source

Dominic Cummings: No 10 accused of covering up lockdown breach Opposition parties demand answers after reports No 10 knew about trip six weeks agoStay at home: what ministers have said about lockdown rulesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage Downing Street is facing accusations of a cover-up over Dominic Cummings’s trip to Durham at the height of the national lockdown, amid reports that No 10 knew he made the 264-mile journey after developing symptoms of coronavirus.Opposition parties have called for Boris Johnson to sack his chief adviser over the apparent lockdown breach, which was revealed in an investigation by the Guardian and the Mirror. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: Covid-19 'taking different path in Africa', says WHO China reports no cases on mainland for 22 May as US president says worship ‘essential’ and Muslims worldwide prepare for EidTrump orders governors to allow places of worship to reopen | US newsMan in his 60s died in Victoria taking Australia’s Covid-19 death toll to 102Hydroxychloroquine: Trump’s ‘cure’ increases deaths, global study findsCoronavirus latest: at a glance 12.38pm BSTThe Malaysian health ministry has confirmed another new cluster of coronavirus cases at a detention centre for undocumented migrants. The Semenyih detention centre near the capital, Kuala Lumpur, which houses around 1,600 detainees, has reported 21 new cases of Covid-19. 12.15pm BST Continue reading....

UK coronavirus live: No 10 accused of trying to cover up Cummings lockdown breach - latest updates Pressure for prime minister’s top adviser to go follows report he breached lockdown rules in March. Follow the latest developments as they happenPressure on Dominic Cummings to quit over lockdown breachCoronavirus – latest global updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage 12.44pm BSTAmid calls for his resignation after he was found to have travelled 264 miles across the country days after lockdown was imposed with his wife and child while symptomatic, Dominic Cummings has been snapped outside his home gesturing to members of the media to observe social distancing guidelines. Yes, really. Cummings has insisted, “I behaved reasonably and legally” and when asked by repor...

Donald Trump orders governors to allow places of worship to reopen President declares churches, mosques and synagogues ‘essential services’ but has no authority to order a reopeningCoronavirus – latest US updatesCoronavirus – latest global updatesDonald Trump has declared churches, mosques and synagogues “essential services” and threatened to override governors who refuse to reopen them this weekend – a power he does not possess. Related: The US churches and pastors ignoring 'stay-at-home' orders Continue reading... Go to Source

Pressure on Dominic Cummings to quit over lockdown breach Exclusive: PM’s adviser was with parents away from London home when he had coronavirus symptomsTimeline: Cummings in lockdownCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coveragePolice spoke to Dominic Cummings about breaching the government’s lockdown rules after he was seen in Durham, 264 miles from his London home, despite having had symptoms of coronavirus, the Guardian can reveal.Officers approached Boris Johnson’s key adviser days after he was seen rushing out of Downing Street when the prime minister tested positive for the virus at the end of March, a joint investigation by the Guardian and the Mirror has found. There are now calls for his resignation. Continue reading... Go to Source

Business groups brand UK's quarantine plan for arrivals 'isolationist' All incomers – including British citizens – must disclose where they will be staying, Priti Patel saysCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBusiness groups have accused the government of pursuing an “isolationist” policy after the home secretary, Priti Patel, confirmed that arrivals in the UK will have to quarantine themselves for a fortnight or face a £1,000 fine.From 8 June, almost everyone arriving at ports and airports, including UK citizens, will be required to travel directly to an address they provide to the authorities, where they must then self-isolate for a fortnight. Continue reading... Go to Source

Ministers rejected school reopening plan recommended by Sage experts Documents reveal that PM’s current plan was not among those modelled for scientistsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageSchool leaders said the government’s publication of scientific advice failed to make a convincing case for the early reopening of schools in England, as the government’s chief scientific adviser said an effective testing and tracking system was necessary for more pupils to return to the classroom.After pressure from teaching unions, the government published 12 documents presented to its Sage committee of scientific advisers looking at the effect of coronavirus on children and how schools could safely reopen to more pupils. Continue reading... Go to Sou...

Distancing advice in England could change to allow closer contact Precautionary 2 metre guidance out of step with advice of other countries, which typically recommend 1 metreCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBritain’s physical distancing advice to stay 2 metres from other people is a “precautionary approach” and could change to allow closer contact, top officials from Public Health England have said.The guidance is out of line with advice in most other countries and with recommendations from the World Health Organization, which says people should stay just one metre apart. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus US live: experts urge caution on first holiday weekend of summer as deaths pass 94,000 Biden draws criticism for saying voters who back Trump ‘ain’t black’Pictures show Donald Trump wearing mask after Ford factory rowDisney World staff go weeks without unemployment benefitsWhy coronavirus is devastating California’s Pacific IslandersCoronavirus – latest global updatesGet a fresh perspective on America – sign up to our First Thing newsletter 6.55pm BSTDonald Trump says “America needs more prayer, not less.” The president just demanded places of worship reopen for in-person services and he talked about guidelines being issued for “communities of faith”. 6.50pm BSTPress briefing with Donald Trump begins.The president ...

Why we might not get a coronavirus vaccine Politicians have become more cautious about immunisation prospects. They are right to beCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIt would be hard to overstate the importance of developing a vaccine to Sars-CoV-2 – it’s seen as the fast track to a return to normal life. That’s why the health secretary, Matt Hancock, said the UK was “throwing everything at it”.But while trials have been launched and manufacturing deals already signed – Oxford University is now recruiting 10,000 volunteers for the next phase of its research – ministers and their advisers have become noticeably more cautious in recent days. Continue reading... Go to Source

Scientists warn 1 June is too early for schools to reopen in England Independent Sage committee says more time is needed to set up coronavirus track and traceCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA group of senior scientists has warned that 1 June is too soon for schools to reopen safely in England and that more time is needed to set up an effective track and trace system to contain future outbreaks.The Independent Sage committee, which is separate from the government’s official advisers and is chaired by the former government chief scientist Sir David King, says new modelling of coronavirus shows the risk to children will be halved if they return to school two weeks later than ministers propose. Delaying until September would further reduce the risk. C...

The NHS surcharge debacle reveals a government both cruel and useless | Jonathan Freedland During a pandemic the public expects compassion and effectiveness. They seem to be in recklessly short supplyVoters will occasionally forgive a government they deem heartless, if they reckon it has the steel to get the job done. They might even, though rarely, forgive a government they deem incompetent, if they believe its heart is in the right place. What they will never forgive is a government that is both uncaring and useless. And yet that is precisely the judgment that now hovers over Boris Johnson and the administration he leads.Johnson had surely intuited as much when he performed his rubber-burning U-turn late on Thursday, ditching his previous insistence, reiterated 24 hours earlier, that ...

Coronavirus live news: China abandons GDP target for first time due to 'great uncertainty' Beijing tells regions to ‘tighten their belts’ amid Covid-19 fallout; Trump appears at Michigan factory without mask; Italy death toll could be 60% higher than assumed. Follow the latest updatesChina abandons GDP targetTrump pushes for churches to reopenCoronavirus latest: at a glanceAustralia – live updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage 6.40am BSTHere’s a brief look at some of the UK newspaper front pages.The Guardian splashes on No 10’s u-turn the surcharge on foreign National Health Service workers. GUARDIAN: ⁦@BorisJohnson⁩ in U-turn on surcharge for foreign NHS workers #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/glhyavQLzpTHE TIMES: immunity forms planned...

UK Covid-19 saliva test to be trialled on 5,000 key workers Alternative to nasal swab to be tested on police and army staff in next two weeks Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA potentially “game-changing” spit test for coronavirus is set to be trialled by the government on 5,000 police and army staff amid growing concern about the accuracy of invasive nasal swabs.The two-minute test requires someone to spit in a tube, and is thought to be as accurate, if not more so, than the throat and nose swab that detects if someone has Covid-19. Continue reading... Go to Source

Global report: Indonesia cases top daily record as Muslim world prepares for 'saddest' Eid President bans people returning home for festivities to mark end of Ramadan; China abandons GDP target; Trump defies mask pleaCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIndonesia has reported its highest number of daily coronavirus cases as millions of people in the world’s fourth most populous country prepared to mark the festival of Eid al-Fitr without the usual celebrations and gatherings.This year’s festivities will be dampened by the economic hardship for many as Indonesian migrant workers, who usually send money back home to their families, have been left stranded and with no income. Continue reading... Go to Source

Johnson forced to drop NHS surcharge for migrant health workers Downing Street bows to pressure from opposition and backbench Tories amid crisisCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageDowning Street has bowed to concerted pressure from the opposition and Conservative backbenchers to scrap the NHS surcharge for migrant health workers.After backbenchers including the former health secretary Jeremy Hunt criticised the government’s position, a No 10 spokesman said Boris Johnson had asked the Home Office and the Department for Health and Social Care to remove NHS and care workers from the scheme as soon as possible. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: Spain reports lowest Covid-19 daily death toll in over two months East Africa facing ‘triple menace’ of Covid-19, floods and locusts; Italy’s death toll reaches 32,486; Wuhan bans eating wild animals; global case total passes 5m Social distancing a week earlier ‘could have saved 36,000 US lives’Italy: lockdown has taken heavy toll on mental health‘If I don’t have sex I’ll die of hunger’: Covid crisis of Rio’s trans sex workers‘All psychoses of US history’: how America is victim-blaming Covid deadCoronavirus latest: at a glance 6.48pm BSTMeanwhile, in the United States, Donald Trump, the president, has announced that he has tested positively negative for the coronavirus. Trump on his latest cor...

Just 7.3% of Stockholm had Covid-19 antibodies by end of April, study shows Official findings add to concerns about Sweden’s laissez-faire strategy towards the pandemicCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageJust 7.3% of Stockholm’s inhabitants had developed Covid-19 antibodies by the end of April, according to a study, raising concerns that the country’s light-touch approach to the coronavirus may not be helping it build up broad immunity.The research by Sweden’s public health agency comes as Finland warned it would be risky to welcome Swedish tourists after figures suggested the country’s death rate per capita was the highest in Europe over the seven days to 19 May. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK's pub gardens could host distanced drinking from 4 July, says trade body More than half of pubs have outside space and these should be first to reopen, says BBPACoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe UK has 27,000 pub beer gardens that could host physically distanced drinking as soon as 4 July, the industry’s trade association has said.Of the UK’s 47,000 pubs, more than half have outside space, according to the British Beer & Pubs Association (BBPA). Continue reading... Go to Source