Image source, PA Media

Orna Young, director of Fact Check NI, has written to the health and education ministers calling for urgent action on childcare.

She told BBC News NI's Talkback programme that there's an urgent need for a roadmap to ensure that children can return to childcare.

"There has been a huge lack of information," she said.

"The situation speaks to a lot about the value placed on childcare and early years education more generally."

Health Minister Robin Swann has visited the Clinical Translational Research and Innovation Centre (C-Tric) based at Altnagelvin Hospital campus in Londonderry this morning.

Mr Swann met staff involved in the Covid-19 testing and reporting process.

He was there with representatives from Ulster University and the Western Health Trust.

The Department of Health says the organisations have been working together "to increase testing during the Covid-19 pandemic".

NI Alcohol Awareness week runs from 15-21 June and the Public Health Agency is encouraging drinkers to give themselves an 'alcohol MOT' during lockdown.

seventy-nine per cent of adults in NI drink alcohol and without the use of alcohol measures in pubs, it can be tricky to know how much you're actually consuming at home.

The PHA and Northern Ireland’s five Drug and Alcohol Coordination Teams have set up the 'Alcohol MOT' to check how much you have been drinking at home during lockdown., external

Michael Owen, regional lead for drugs and alcohol at the PHA, said: “Many of us enjoy a drink, but we need to remember that alcohol is a powerful drug that can seriously damage your health, and also have a negative impact on those around you.

"It’s particularly important at this time, as people are drinking at home, to pause and think about how much you drink."

Dr Gabriel Scally, president of the Epidemiology and Public Health section of the Royal Society of Medicine, has told BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme it could take two months for Covid-19 cases across Ireland to reduce to zero.

"The end is in sight," he told Talkback.

"I'm worried about the virus in the community.

"We really need to know how many cases of the virus are circulating.

"The spread will continue until all of the cases are traced."

Image source, Callum O'Dwyer

Twelve weeks after his first Covid-19 symptoms, 28-year-old Callum O'Dwyer is still not better.

A fit and healthy young man, he had no underlying health conditions before he caught the virus.

But after five weeks of fighting the main symptoms, he could no longer look after himself and had to move in with his parents.

Recovery has taken much longer than he imagined and his ongoing symptoms mean he still can't live on his own or work.

Read Callum's full story here.

Image source, EPA

Conflicting statements by Spanish officials have sparked confusion over the country's rules for UK travellers.

Spanish officials said on Monday that travellers from the UK would not have to quarantine on arrival from Sunday.

But Spain's foreign affairs minister then said the country may impose a two-week quarantine on Britons, if the UK maintains its current travel rules.

These state that anyone returning to - or entering - the UK must self-isolate for two weeks.

The UK Foreign Office is also still warning , externalagainst all but essential international travel.

Read more here.

The coronavirus lockdown forced many people in Northern Ireland to work from home - but with schools closed, a lot of parents have also had to look after their children at the same time.

With some sectors of the economy now reopening, what childcare is available for parents who are expected to return to their place of work?

Here's a guide to the latest guidance in Northern Ireland, and what it means for parents and providers.

Image source, PA

Image source, PA Media

Ex-Tory Leader William Hague says lockdown is an "economic catastrophe" and is calling for the two-metre distancing rule to be scrapped.

Writing in the Telegraph, external, Lord Hague said lockdown was increasing inequality, social tension and debt.

No 10 has said a review into the rule will be completed "in the coming weeks".

Read more on this story here.

Lockdown restrictions have been eased in Northern Ireland as part of the next step of Stormont's recovery plan.

Here's a reminder of what people can now do, and what restrictions and conditions are in place.

Cafes will be among the hospitality businesses here set to re-open on July 3, under the latest lockdown easing announced by the executive.

There will of course be "new normal" measures in place, so what can we expect when we pop out for a coffee and cake?

Londonderry cafe owner Patricia Mahon said that she has been in the process of installing a number of safety measures for reopening, but said it will be nothing like what her cafe was previously like.

"We are a 36-seater cafe, but we will go down by half," Ms Mahon told BBC Radio Foyle.

"It's going to be strange, but that's the way it has to be," she added.

Ms Mahon has installed a screen at the counter and has taken some of the tables outside so that social distancing can be observed.

She has also provided visors for staff, but says that these are optional.

Image source, Reuters

How do you social distance in a pub?

Belfast pub manager Richie Keenan told BBC NI's Good Morning Ulster programme that he's still waiting for firm guidelines on re-opening.

"We need some certainty around just exactly what we are going to have to implement here to move forward," he said.

"We are still waiting for that confirmation on what guidelines we are going to be working to."

At the minute, it's about getting staff trained.

There are apps out there that make it possible to do table service in bars, he said, so that social distancing can be observed.

"It's the antithesis of the pub," he said.

"The pub's about craic and talking to someone - taking that out of the pub is just the opposite of what we are."

Image source, PA Media

SDLP education spokesperson Daniel McCrossan said he has been "inundated" with calls from teachers, parents and pupils about the potential re-opening of schools on 17 August.

They are "gravely concerned", he said.

"I acknowledge the difficult position the minister (Peter Weir) is in and he is grappling with serious challenges, but he must increase his engagement with the education experts.

"It has not been substantive or meaningful enough so far. Our teachers are experts and they will be able to provide invaluable insight.”

He said the August date "appeared to have been picked from the air with limited consultation with teachers".

"There are a number of concerns about practicalities and health and safety, including who will be responsible for cleaning and how classrooms will be laid out.

"There is significant anxiety among those teachers who will be responsible for delivering this learning and it is not yet clear how it will work.”

Mr McCrossan said he accepted that there was "no rulebook to follow" and that the minister could not be expected to have all the answers.

But he called for meaningful consultation with teachers.

Read about plans for summer school in Northern Ireland here.

Translink has issued an update to passengers regarding travel safety.

It advises that passengers should:

• Wear a face covering when using services;
• Not travel on busses or trains if "you are unwell or "have symptoms of Covid-19";
• Allow other people off before you board busses or trains;
• Be patient and be prepared to wait on services.

The transportation service said it has installed 200 hand sanitiser stations at all main bus and rail stations, have erected 13,000 social distancing signs across the network and said it has had 50 cough screens installed.

Form an orderly queue ... hotels, bars and cafes are back in business on 3 July.

Chef and restaurateur Chris McGowan told BBC NI's Good Morning Ulster porgramme that it's welcome news and the economy needs it. But he added it needs to be done "in a safe and organised way".

The July date gives people a timeline to prepare for reopening, he said.

"It will be difficult, the public will have to have a little bit of patience with restaurants and pubs trying to implement social distancing," he said.

He pointed out that for many places, with the two metre social distancing in place, re-opening will not be possible.

For his restaurant, it is possible but they'll be dropping from 90 covers to 45 covers.

"Ultimately, we will do everything we can in order to follow government guidelines," he said.

"We are looking at every scenario from our hand washing schedules to implementing social distancing staff to training our staff in relation to working together in the kitchen environment where you still have social distancing."

Bosses at restaurant and food chains including Wagamama and Pizza Hut have warned the prime minister the sector faces mass job cuts without more help.

In a letter to Boris Johnson backed by 90 firms, they say that if social distancing remains they will need action on tax, rents and other support.

Without more help, the sector faces "grave damage", the firms say.

Deliveroo organised the letter, signed by its partner restaurants including Itsu and Pret A Manger.

Read more on this story here.

Image source, Reuters

It's Bloomsday... but now it's Zooms Day.

Fans of Irish writer James Joyce traditionally get together on this day to celebrate his work.

The day honours the date that his novel Ulysses takes place in 1904 and his most famous character, Leopold Bloom, makes his way through Dublin.

But it is being celebrated very differently this year due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Many traditional events have been cancelled, or have moved online, because of restrictions to curb the pandemic.

Irish President Michael D Higgins is hosting a virtual event at Áras an Uachtaráin to mark the occasion.

Image source, PA Media

Economy Minister Diane Dodds has approved the re-allocation of £30m from within her departmental budget "to address emerging Covid-19 budget pressures".

The funding consists of almost £24m in resource/day-to-day funding and £6m in capital funding.

Mrs Dodds said there would be a focus on the recovery and rebuild phases of the department’s response to the pandemic.

“While the pandemic was, and remains, primarily a public health matter, there is no doubt that it has caused an economic crisis," she said.

“Up to now my emphasis has been on the immediate reaction to the pandemic, largely focused on assisting businesses of all sizes to address cash flow difficulties, including unconventional grant schemes totalling £410m, in addition to other support measures from the executive and UK government.

“The time is now right to look medium and longer term and focus on the recovery and rebuild phases of my department’s response to the pandemic."

In the previous post, we discussed the Western Trust implementing a range of plans over the coming months to better protect staff and patients in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr Anne Kilgallen told BBC Radio Foyle that many services "were deeply stretched before Covid-19 and in some places quite fragile because of workforce issues", adding that this "has been compounded by Covid-19".

Image source, Pacemaker

The chief executive said orthopaedic surgery specifically had seen lengthy waiting lists and in April 2020 "our urgent inpatient waiting list had increased by a third".

"We do expect we will increasingly offer people remote consultations either by telephone or by video conference and we are actively working on that," Dr Kilgallen said.

However, she does appreciate that not everyone may be able to access such technology and said that this must be taken into consideration for any future plans.

The chief executive of the Western Trust has said that many services "will look and feel different in the future" in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr Anne Kilgallen told BBC Radio Foyle the trust is implementing "rolling plans", which will be built upon every three months. This started in June.

Dr Kilgallen said the Trust's "top priority" is implementing effective social distancing for staff and patients.

"We have to work out how to attend to social distancing, how to attend to infection prevention and control, whether that is in our theatres, on our wards, inpatients or emergency departments.

"Covid remains a risk and we need to adapt to that," Dr Kilgallen added.

Image source, John Hopkins University graphic

Eight million people worldwide have now been infected with the virus.

The US still remains the country hardest hit with more than 2 million cases and more than 100,000 deaths.

But the geographical location of the virus is shifting. The spotlight was once on China, then much of Europe, but Latin America now looks like the new centre of the virus.

Brazil has just under 889,000 confirmed cases, Peru is at 232,000 and Chile has 179,000, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Despite this, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has continued downplaying the virus, saying earlier this month that death was "everyone's destiny".

Eyes are also turning towards South Asia.

The virus is on the rise in countries like India - with cases rising despite lockdown efforts.

Over in Pakistan, authorities say they will re-impose localised lockdowns after a minister warned that cases could reach as high as 1.2 million by the end of July.

Pakistan had earlier lifted restrictions on 9 May citing economic stress - and has since seen infection rates rise quickly.