The main points from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's Covid update:

• She confirms there are no changes to the current Covid levels for areas around the country
• There were 974 new cases yesterday. There are 137 people in hospital and 17 in intensive care.
• Two further deaths were reported yesterday.
• Covid cases have risen by one-fifth in the past week and are now five times higher than in early May.
• However, new cases are rising much faster than hospital admissions.
• Double-dose vaccination provides a high level of protection against hospitalisation, Ms Sturgeon says.
• Vaccination is weakening the link between a rise in cases and a rise in people being admitted to hospital.
• Younger people are making up more of the new admissions for Covid. People in their 30s and 40s are the highest number of admissions.
• The first minister says we need more time for the vaccination programme to get ahead of the virus, so we must be cautious.
• She says it is “unlikely” that there will be any loosening of restrictions which had been planned for 28 June (a decision will be made next week).
• Despite a “pause” to the routemap out of Covid restrictions, the government will publish its plans for returning to greater normality.

Read our full story here.

Sturgeon says the Scottish government will publish a paper on what life will look like beyond level zero restrictions - the "nearly normal level".

She says: "While we have had to pause the routemap, we do still hope that vaccination will allow us, over the summer, to move beyond level zero and back to a much greater degree of normality."

The government will also publish the outcome of a review into social distancing measures, which Sturgeon says will help hospitality businesses and places such as theatres and cinemas.

"I know the current situation is difficult and frustrating for everyone. We all want to see the back of all restrictions as soon as possible," she says.

"The current situation is not what any of us want - but equally it is not lockdown."

A three-week pause to easing of restrictions is likely while "we press ahead as fast as possible with vaccinations" Sturgeon continues.

She says vaccination is "changing the game in the fight against this virus" but there still needs to be some more analysis of the data.

"We do need time to get people vaccinated with both doses," she says.

This is because of the added protection against the Delta variant of Covid-19, first identified in India, that having both doses gives.

She adds that in the race between the vaccine and the virus, "we mustn't let the virus get too far ahead".

It is unlikely that any part of Scotland will move down to level zero on 28 June - although a final decision will be made next week, Nicola Sturgeon says.

All parts of Scotland were due to move to level zero of its the government's restrictions plan on 28 June.

But cases are rising with the more transmissible Delta variant, and vaccines still to be administered.

The delay in Scotland follows UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's announcement that plans to end restrictions in England on 21 June are to be delayed by four weeks.

See Scotland's restriction levels here.

As far as the current case situation in Scotland goes, the daily coronavirus figures show a further 974 people have tested positive for Covid-19, which is 5% of the tests carried out yesterday.

The total number of positive cases in Scotland is now 248,515.

There are 137 people in hospital and 17 people in intensive care.

There have been two more deaths registered in the past 24 hours of people who tested positive in the last 28 days.

That means the total number of deaths by that measure is 7,683.

In just a few minutes we're expecting to hear from Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as she gives an update on easing lockdown.

She's likely to announce some delay to the plans to move the whole of Scotland to Covid restriction level zero, or "nearly normal", on 28 June.

Cases have been rising in many parts of Scotland, with eight council areas now exceeding the threshold of infections for level four - the level for lockdown.

See Scotland's restriction levels here.

Chris Mason
Political Correspondent

Take a read of what the prime minister's official spokesman has just told Westminster reporters.

"We are likely to see higher case rates and hospitalisations by the 19th of July."

He added that the link between hospitalisations and deaths, with the new Delta variant, is "unclear".

And he repeated that the prime minister is "confident" that "we will be able to unlock" on the 19th of next month as "that is what the modelling shows and the advice we have received".

What this highlights is the coming test for ministers, and indeed for society.

Inevitably, in a pandemic, there is a laser-like focus on the Covid statistics.

So, if they go up - infections, hospitalisations, deaths - at what level are these things deemed acceptable, relative to the freedoms that have been given back to us?

And at what point are they deemed unacceptable?

Chris Mason
Political Correspondent

I've just come off the daily briefing call for Westminster reporters with Downing Street.

Boris Johnson has seen the footage of Newsnight's Nick Watt being abused at a Covid demonstration on Whitehall last night.

The prime minister's official spokesman said "he has seen it" and the footage was "deeply disturbing".

Journalists should never face that kind of behaviour. The right to protest is fundamental, but violence and threats are never acceptable," the spokesman told us.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Nightclub venue owners and live performers have been speaking to the BBC about how the delay to reopening in England is affecting them, after the prime minister confirmed a four-week delay to the planned 21 June ending of restrictions.

Louise Holly, who owns two clubs - Mash in Cambridge and Chalk in Brighton - told Radio 5 live's Wake Up to Money programme the continued postponement to reopening clubs was "like being stuck in forever limbo".

"It's going to cause a huge problem," she said.

"I'm hoping in the next few days that the government will give some extra funding to clubs specifically - because they legally cannot open."

Nightclubs have been closed since March 2020.

A flash survey from the Night Time Industries Association found the latest delay could see at least one in four clubs closing as a result.

It's a tough time for DJ Meg Ward, who says she's had to move back home to live with her mum because of lost income due to live venues being closed.

"It's horrendous," she said.

Meg said she's lost £3000 in earnings she would have received from her DJ sets.

"Even though I knew 21 June was going to be delayed, it's still disheartening.

"We've made the plans - you have to."

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, PA Media

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin says there has been an "explosive growth" of Covid-19 cases in his city, where he says the number of cases has increased by 80% in recent days.

The number of patients taken to hospital in a serious condition has meanwhile grown by 70% “over the past few days”, he is quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency, external on 15 June.

Residents of Moscow "are getting too relaxed, they think it's over", he says, adding: "Covid has a treacherous history behind it."

Due to the worsening coronavirus situation, all public events are being cancelled in areas surrounding Moscow, the local authorities say.

The ban will stay in place until 15 July, Moscow Region governor Andrei Vorobyov says.

He told a meeting of local officials that the number of new Covid-19 hospitalisations had nearly doubled from 500 to 950 patients a day.

"If we said earlier that older people were in the risk zone, now young people are falling ill increasingly more often, and they have it bad: 60% of new cases and 33% of hospital admissions are under 50," he said, according to TASS news agency, external.

The developments come as Russia's second-largest city St Petersburg is hosting Euro 2020 football championships.

On 15 June, the highest number of cases reported by Russia were in Moscow (6,805), Moscow Region (1,135), and St Petersburg (902).

There are fears that the actual number of new cases and deaths may be higher, as the Russian authorities have been accused of under-reporting Covid-19 statistics.

Image source, Reuters

Home Secretary Priti Patel has condemned the "appalling and distressing" abuse received by a BBC journalist, who was harassed and chased by protesters outside Downing Street.

Video footage posted online shows demonstrators filming and haranging Newsnight political editor Nicholas Watt on Monday.

Watt was forced to run past anti-lockdown protesters as they shouted "traitor" at him and accused him of "lying" about lockdowns being legal.

The crowd had gathered on Monday to oppose the government's decision to delay the final stage of the roadmap out of lockdown by four weeks, amid rising cases of the Delta variant.

Patel said on Twitter that the video of Watt being "abused by a mob is appalling and distressing".

“This behaviour is never acceptable,” she said. “The safety of journalists is fundamental to our democracy."

She said the government had launched a consultation into the nature and extent of threats and abuse against UK journalists.

The BBC said in a statement: "This behaviour is completely unacceptable.

“All journalists should be able to carry out their work without intimidation or impediment.”

The Metropolitan Police said it was investigating the incident.

Image source, PA Media

The surge in Covid-19 cases in Blackburn with Darwen looks to have peaked, with case rates stabilising for the first time in over a month, new figures suggest.

A total of 897 coronavirus cases were recorded in the local authority in the seven days to 10 June - the equivalent of 599.2 cases per 100,000 people.

Although this is up week-on-week from 548.4, it is below the figure of 666.7 recorded for the seven days to 7 June, which was the highest for the area since the middle of January.

Since 7 June, the seven-day rate of new cases has dropped on each successive day - according to calculations by the PA news agency which are based on Public Health England data.

Blackburn with Darwen was one of the areas to be hit by the spread of the Delta variant of Covid-19, which was first identified in India, and has been battling a sharp rise in cases since early May.

By the end of last month it had the highest rate in the UK, overtaking neighbouring Bolton, which has experienced a similar jump in cases.

It remains the area with the highest rate of cases in the UK, with the rest of the top five all in Lancashire.

Surge testing is taking place in Leek in Staffordshire after more than 100 people linked to cases across four schools tested positive for Covid-19.

More than 60 of these cases have been confirmed as the Delta variant, first seen in India, with the majority of other positive cases also expected to be of the variant, the county council says.

Around 1,000 pupils and a small number of staff have been asked to self-isolate since the start of the outbreak.

People in the area are being encouraged to get a test today and tomorrow at Brough Park Leisure Centre.

Image source, Getty Images

Ahead of Nicola Sturgeon giving an update on restrictions in Scotland, universities are calling for greater clarity from the Scottish government on arrangements for in-person teaching for the next academic year.

The sector says it needs more detail to help timetable the education of more than 250,000 students from September.

Universities Scotland says the return of small group in-person teaching, lab and field work can be done safely.

The Scottish government has said it is hopeful that the student experience in the autumn will look more normal.

The vast majority of university students are undertaking their learning online as a 2m physical distancing rule has ruled out most in-person teaching.

Universities Scotland says it is concerned that "a tipping point" has been reached in terms of the negative impact home learning is having on student wellbeing.

Read more here.

Image source, Reuters

With England having already delayed to its lockdown easing, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is expected to announce later whether restrictions will be relaxed in the face of rising infections.

The Scottish government had suggested it hoped to move all areas to its lowest level of restrictions - level zero - on 28 June.

That means life would return to "nearly normal", although at this level there are still some rules on physical distancing and limits on capacity on hospitality.

But since then, Covid-19 cases have been rising rapidly, driven by the spread of the Delta variant, with eight council areas now above the threshold for level four restrictions - which is the lockdown level.

The number of patients in hospitals is also rising, but there are indications in some areas with high levels of infection that hospital admissions are stabilising at a lower level than in previous waves.

Read more about Scotland's Covid patient numbers.

Image source, Jon Kent

Bars and pubs in Bristol are reacting to the news that lockdown rules will remain in place until at least 19 July.

Josh Spokes, manager of the Hunters Cafe Bar, says it could be another "nail in the coffin" for hospitality.

"The immediate impact will be the loss of revenue and a loss of confidence for everyone," he says, suggesting that initiatives like Eat Out to Help Out could be revived to help protect jobs.

Alex Black, manager for Bristol venue Thekla, said the delay in lifting lockdown restrictions meant his business would take a financial hit, with most nights fully booked next week in expectation of the rules changing.

"The way we are currently operating is covering costs at best, so not having that income is going to be a massive blow," he says.

Image source, EPA

The coronavirus is spreading faster than the global distribution of vaccines against the disease, the chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference on Monday that he was concerned about "a worrying increase in cases and deaths in many countries".

He said at least 70% of the world's population needed to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to end the pandemic.

"To do that, we need 11 billion doses," he said.

He welcomed an announcement by the G7 group of major economic powers, which pledged to donate one billion vaccines to poor countries.

But, he said, "we need more, and we need them faster".

"More than 10,000 people are dying every day. During this press conference alone, more than 420 people will die," Dr Tedros said.

"These communities need vaccines, and they need them now, not next year."

Image source, Getty Images

If you are just joining us here is what has been happening today.

• Minister Michael Gove has expressed confidence the government will be able to ease restrictions on 19 July following Monday's announcement that the end of lockdown is delayed by four weeks
• It comes as businesses in the hospitality sector warn they are in serious trouble due to continued rules on social distancing, and the entertainment industry struggles
• NHS England chief Sir Simon Stevens says the health service will "finish the job" of the vaccination programme to the "greatest extent possible" over the next four weeks with over-18s to be invited to come forward by the end of the week for jabs
• The number of deaths from Covid-19 remains low across the UK, with death registrations down 4% on the five-year average
• Meanwhile, the jobs market is "showing signs of recovery", official figures suggest, with the unemployment rate falling and the number of job vacancies rising
• France is beginning vaccinations for 12-17-year-olds today, with both parents needing to agree and one being present for a child to be given a jab

Image source, Reuters

Now let's turn to the US, which has seen a marked increased in the number of disruptive incidents on flights during the pandemic.

Airlines have reported about 3,000 cases of unruly passengers to US aviation authorities this year.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said 2,300 of those reports were about people who refused to wear masks.

Videos of rows over mask requirements on flights have been going viral. Tempers have flared as passengers have challenged the enforcement of the rules.

This year has also seen a record number of possible violations of the law on flights in the US.

The FAA said 394 cases of passengers allegedly "interfering with the duties of a crew member" had been reported - twice as many as last year.

Returning now to comments from Cabinet minister Michael Gove this morning. He spoke about the new rules for weddings in England following the PM's announcement yesterday.

Despite the four-week delay to the final easing of England's lockdown, Boris Johnson announced that the 30-guest limit for weddings will still be lifted from 21 June, meaning there will be no maximum number of guests that can be invited.

Gove told Good Morning Britain there will be a "common sense" approach to the enforcement of restrictions around dancing at weddings.

He adds: "It is the case that the bride and groom are expected, allowed, encouraged to have a first dance, but it's also the case that we're not opening dance floors for weddings because we're not opening them elsewhere as well."

Some restrictions on weddings will still remain, including:

• Venues must comply with social distancing rules, which will limit how many people they can host. They must also provide table service
• Face coverings must be worn indoors by everyone (aged 11 and over) when not eating or drinking, unless they are exempt
• Couples holding a wedding in a private setting - such as a garden - must complete a risk assessment to determine how many guests they can host safely.

You can read a full explanation of the rules in our guide here.