There have been a flurry of announcements today - here are the main ones:

• From 16 August, if it has been two weeks since you were fully vaccinated, you will not need to self-isolate if you come into contact with a positive Covid case
• This same rule will apply to under-18s to help their education, and to reduce the need for school groups to self-isolate when one person tests positive in a classroom
• Wearing a face mask indoors will no longer be legally required from 19 July, although individual businesses may still enforce the rule
• Pubs in England will be allowed to open late during the Euro 2020 final, until 11:15pm on Sunday 11 July - whether or not England get to the final

The live page writers today have been Tiffany Wertheimer, Emma Harrison, Jennifer Meierhans, Richard Morris and Ella Wills. It was edited by Claire Heald, Jenny Matthews and Lauren Turner.

Thank you for joining us.

Reality Check

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth asked in Parliament about the numbers of people who could suffer from long term symptoms, generally known as long Covid, if cases rise as high as 100,000 cases a day - as the health secretary warned.

“With infections running at 100,000 a day that will translate into around 5,000 people a day developing long term chronic illness - long Covid,” he said.

The difficulty with these figures is that there is not an agreed definition of what long Covid is. Chief Medical Officer Prof Chris Whitty said at the news conference on Monday that it was “several different syndromes, almost certainly”. Symptoms can range from fatigue and headaches to chest and muscle pain.

Labour confirmed that Mr Ashworth was referring to research from October 2020 by King’s College London that found that one in 20 people with Covid were likely to suffer symptoms for eight weeks or more, external.

More recently, the React study at Imperial College London found that 37% of people who said they had had Covid reported having at least one symptom that lasted for 12 weeks or more, implying a total of more than two million people have suffered with it.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has also been running a survey of people with ongoing symptoms, external. Its latest figures estimated that 962,000 people in the UK had experienced symptoms lasting for more than four weeks in the four weeks to 6 June 2021, which was down from 1.02 million the previous month.

Image source, Reuters

From 19 July, wearing a face mask will become a matter of "personal choice" says Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

It seems, however, that companies intend to view these rules differently. Some airlines have confirmed face masks will still be compulsory after 19 July, while shops, pubs and hairdressers are altering policies.

The World Health Organization still advises masks continue to be mandatory on public transport, in shops and in crowded places.

You can read more on plans from across companies here.

A loneliness network in Northern Ireland has installed "chatty benches" to combat loneliness and isolation during the pandemic.

Childminder Janice Nelson meets her friend at a bright yellow bench in Carrickfergus, County Antrim most days.

They say hello to strangers who walk by and often that turns into longer conversations.

Should we worry about the Lambda variant?published at 17:13 British Summer Time 6 July 2021

17:13 BST 6 July 2021

Michelle Roberts
Health editor, BBC News online

Image source, Reuters

Lots of people have been Googling to find out what this new(ish) variant of Covid is and what threat it might pose.

It’s yet another mutated version of the pandemic virus. Experts are certainly keeping an eye on it, but they are not worried enough just yet to move it onto the "variant of concern" list that Delta and Alpha belong to.

Lambda, or C.37, was first identified in Peru in 2020. It’s since been found elsewhere, including in the UK, which has recorded eight cases so far, external.

Importantly, Lambda hasn’t outcompeted other variants that are circulating, despite possessing some genetic changes that could potentially help it transmit more easily than original Covid, external.

New variants will keep emerging. Many will be of little or no consequence. But some could potentially threaten how well our vaccines work. That’s why it is so important to keep them in check.

Image source, Reuters

The Portuguese are being told to maintain hygiene and social distancing as the country battles a fourth wave of coronavirus.

The more infectious Delta variant is now causing nearly 90% of new cases, the national health institute said. The infection rate jumped in mid-May when Portugal opened to visitors from the EU and Britain, and the cases are now back to the numbers seen in February, when the country was in lockdown.

A night-time curfew was put in place last week in 45 municipalities including Lisbon, Porto and Albufeira, and restaurants and non-food shops must close earlier at the weekend in some areas.

Image source, Reuters

Authorities in Spain's Catalonia region have also said restrictions will be imposed there to try to control a surge in cases.

From this weekend, nightclubs will be closed and a negative Covid-19 test or proof of vaccination will be needed to take part in outdoor activities involving more than 500 people.

"We can't pretend to have defeated the virus," a spokeswoman for the regional government said.

"The pandemic has not ended, the new variants are very contagious and we still have significant segments of the population that are not vaccinated."

Image source, Getty Images

Trade union Unite is seeking urgent meetings with London's mayor Sadiq Khan and Transport for London (TfL) over the rules on face masks.

The union, which represents more than 20,000 London bus workers, wants passengers in the capital to continue to be required to wear face coverings even when England's coronavirus restrictions end, which is expected to be on 19 July.

More than 50 bus workers in London have died after testing positive for coronavirus.

Unite regional secretary for London Pete Kavanagh says bus workers are "rightly worried for their safety following the government's reckless announcement".

On Monday, Khan said discussions were planned between TfL, the Department for Transport and other transport providers "before we decide our next steps".

Read more: Unions warn workers at risk if face masks rules dropped.

Image source, PA Media

NHS Test and Trace are to take over notification of contact with a positive Covid case from nurseries, schools and colleges.

The system of "bubbles" for school years will end, stopping the need for all children to isolate if there is a positive case.

From mid-August, under 18s will only have to self-isolate if they themselves test positive for Covid-19.

From 19 July, it'll no longer be required to wear masks in schools, and start times for different year groups will no longer be staggered.

In Scotland and Northern Ireland, secondary school pupils must wear masks even in classrooms.

In Wales, students must wear masks in areas where social distancing cannot be maintained.

Image source, Reuters

While the government has confirmed rules will be relaxed from 19 July, the current guidance remains the same. You must continue to follow the current guidance and rules in order to stay safe while enjoying the football - including when England play Denmark in the Euro 2020 semi-final tomorrow.

Up to six people from six households , external(or two households of any size) can meet in a pub in England, or 30 in a pub garden. Different groups must not mix.

In England, guidance remains on using "personal judgement" on whether or not to hug friends and family.

You can have friends over, but you must keep the room well ventilated and adhere to the six people from six households (or two households of any size) rule.

There are special areas to watch matches outdoors in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and other cities.

What are the rules elsewhere?

• In Scotland, it depends where you are, external. You should maintain social distancing in public places, but you do not need to physically distance from friends in private homes
• In Wales, the government recommends not hugging people you don't live with, unless they're in your extended household, external. Up to six people from six households can meet outdoors
• In Northern Ireland, people are asked to be "cautious and careful" about hugging. Up to six people from two households can meet indoors

Image source, Reuters

Organisers have rolled out the red carpet - literally - in preparation for the Cannes Film Festival's opening ceremony tonight.

Film stars have started to arrive in the French Riviera town, and there are strict health measures and testing in place to keep the return of the iconic festival virus-free.

The event was cancelled last year because of the pandemic, and its return is seen as symbolic of cinema's bounce back.

The opening film is the musical Annette, starring Marion Cotillard and Adam Driver and directed by Leos Carax.

Follow the latest on the Cannes Film Festival here.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

In most places from 19 July, wearing a face mask will not be legally required.

But England's chief medical officer Chris Whitty, and chief scientific advisor Sir Patrick Vallance have said they will continue to wear masks in crowded settings, if asked to, or as a common courtesy to those who are uncomfortable.

The British Medical Association has said it makes no sense to stop wearing masks in enclosed spaces.

Businesses can still refuse service if you will not wear a mask, if you do not have an exemption.

And the legal requirement to wear masks will remain in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Nearly 80m vaccine doses have now been given in the UK.

A total of 79,302,857 jabs have been given, according to the government's daily figures., external

That's 45,428,681 first doses and 33,874,176 second doses.

The rules on self-isolation will soon change for those who have had both jabs - here's how to prove you've had yours.

Professor Chris Whitty has urged the nation to "push hell for leather" to reduce coronavirus infection rates and roll out the vaccines to prevent a significant increase in long Covid.

England's chief medical officer told the Local Government Association's annual conference: "Since there's a lot of Covid at the moment and the rates are going up I regret to say I think we will get a significant amount more long Covid, particularly in the younger ages where the vaccination rates are currently much lower.

"Fundamentally the two ways to prevent long Covid in my view are to keep Covid rates right down and make sure everyone is vaccinated so they get very mild disease and I think we really just need to push hell for leather for those two.

"The deaths from Covid I think are mercifully going to be much lower in this wave compared to the previous ones as a proportion of cases but long Covid remains, I think, a worry.

"We don't know how big an issue it's going to be but I think we should assume it's not going to be trivial."

There have been a further 37 coronavirus-related deaths in the UK, according to the government's daily figures., external

That brings the total number of deaths in the 28 days following a positive Covid-19 test to 128,268.

There have also been another 28,773 new infections recorded in the last 24 hours.

Image source, Getty Images

The Bank of England is asking staff to come in to the office from September, starting with a minimum of once a week.

Its cautious approach contrasts with other companies in the City of London and the wider country who are keener to return to pre-pandemic office hours.

The government says people can return to the office after 19 July, if Covid restrictions in England are lifted as planned.

Government guidance that people who can work from home should do so is set to end with other restrictions.

Read more on this story.

Food chain Pret says it is now selling its Christmas sandwich - five months early, or seven months late, depending how you look at it - after it was closed over some of the festive period in 2020 because of the pandemic.

Pret says the sandwich will be available to buy for one month.

Just days before Christmas 2020, new restrictions to combat growing number of Covid cases were brought in in England and Wales.

Measures included being told to stay at home, while non-essential shops and businesses had to close.

Image source, Emily Lansdown

We've had a quite a few coronavirus rule changes outlined to us today so here's a recap of what they mean:

Schools

• The system of sending classroom bubbles home after a positive case will stop at the end of summer term
• The need for face masks, social distancing and staggered start and finish times will also end
• And the Covid testing regime for pupils will be transferred to the NHS Test and Trace system

Self-isolation

• From 16 August, anyone who is a close contact of someone who tests positive for Covid will no longer have to self-isolate if they are fully vaccinated
• Instead adults who've been in close contact with a positive case will be "advised" to get a PCR test as soon as possible
• People who have a second vaccine dose close to 16 August must wait two weeks after the jab before following the new rules

For more details see our explainers on school rules and self-isolation.

Kerry Allen
BBC Monitoring, Chinese Media Analyst

Image source, Getty Images

In the past 48 hours, there has been a fresh outbreak of Covid-19 in the city of Ruili in southwestern China.

Ruili, in Yunnan province, sits next to the border with Myanmar. Three people tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday, and today a further three symptomatic cases have been recorded, along with two asymptomatic cases. The majority of those affected are Burmese nationals.

Yesterday, a mass testing drive was launched in the city, which has a population of 210,000 people.

The bridge that connects China with Myanmar has been closed and the residential areas where patients have tested positive have gone into lockdown.

This is not the first time that Ruili has experienced an outbreak - the city has had four waves of the virus throughout the pandemic. The most recent outbreak happened in March-April, affecting some 100 people.

The national Global Times newspaper says that “the long border and the Delta virus strain that is widespread among South Asian countries may have contributed to the epidemic resurgence”.

Previous outbreaks have largely been blamed on “illegal” border crossings. However, since its last major outbreak, Global Times notes that local officials and militias have been mobilised to guard the villages at the border.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Cheryl Burns runs a bar in Netherton, Kirklees, and says despite the prime minister's announcement being a "hallelujah" moment for hospitality, she is still "really anxious" about opening on 19 July as case numbers are still high.

Talking to Nicky Campbell on 5 Live Your Call, she describes her concerns around the responsibility being in the hands of the general public.

"People feel they now have the autonomy to do as they choose... it's nerve-racking," she says. "We don't know whether the public will behave."

She says she is ready to get back to normal, adding: "We need to learn to live with it, but it doesn’t mean that I'm just going to open up my bar and go back to normal.

"We are risking our business and healthy people, and we want people to be safe."

Listen to 5 Live on BBC Sounds.

Image source, PA Media

Boris Johnson's approach to ending Covid-19 restrictions in England is reckless and Northern Ireland won't be following it, NI's Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill has said.

She says: "I would be concerned for the people in England because of the route map set out by Boris Johnson. In my opinion, it's a reckless approach."

The PM says he expects face masks will no longer be required and distancing rules scrapped from 19 July, following a review of health data on 12 July.

O'Neill says the Northern Ireland Executive would take its own decisions, adding she hoped ministers could agree future steps at its meeting on Thursday.

She says: "We will probably be able to set out a direction of travel for what the next couple of months will look like, but certainly it will not be everything."

We've got more on this story here.