Chris Mason
Political Correspondent

England's Chief Medical Officer Prof Chris Whitty is now setting out the rationale behind the government's decision making.

There is now room for manoeuvre given the transmission rate of the virus has been suppressed.

The hope is that a liberalisation of the rules makes putting up with those that remain more tolerable.

And it is much harder for the virus to spread outside than it is inside - hence the focus on being able to do more outside.

The government has put out this three-point explainer on how it aims to limit coronavirus infections.

As we have heard in the last few weeks, crucial to the strategy is to keep the reproduction number - the "R" - low.

Image source, UK government

Boris Johnson says people can go to the park to exercise on their own and with members of their household. If they meet anyone else, it should be "one-on-one but with social distancing".

Prof Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, says the government's taking "very small steps" and wants to keep infections down. The risk of transmission is lower outdoors "but is not zero", he adds.

The PM explains that the new measures announced today mean that "those who can't work from home should now speak to their employer about going back to work."

"You can work and exercise as long as you like," he says adding "you can meet one person outside your household - provided you stay two metres apart".

He says the government is also updating the messaging.

"We are asking people to stay alert, control the virus and save lives.

"Staying alert for the vast majority of people still means staying at home as much as possible."

"Stay alert."

It is a slogan that has been described by some as confusing, but the government has issued this notice showing what it means in practice.

Image source, UK government

Chris Mason
Political Correspondent

The first rule of communication is say the same thing over and over again.

Only when the person saying it is fed up of saying it will plenty of people start absorbing it.

And so the first part of the news conference by the prime minister is something of re-run of Sunday night.

Boris Johnson is talking through the Covid alert level system

"The level will be primarily be determined by the R level," he says, adding the lower the level on the system, the fewer the restrictions.

"Throughout the period of lockdown we have been at level 4 - meaning a Covid-19 epidemic is in general circulation," he says.

"Thanks to the hard work, the sacrifices of the British people we have helped to bring the R level down.

"We are now in a position to begin moving to level three in steps."

Here's a visual guide to what the government's new Covid alert levels mean, which Boris Johnson has just been discussing.

Image source, UK government

Chris Mason
Political Correspondent

As the prime minister arrives behind his podium tonight, it is seven weeks to the night since Boris Johnson announced the lockdown.

That was a massive moment - a blanket set of rules on a scale never before seen in our lifetimes.

But this next stage is arguably tricker - communicating a more nuanced, subtle message - in a way people can get their heads around.

Hence, for the second night in a row, the prime minister is talking to the country at length on primetime television.

Boris Johnson begins by giving the latest statistics.

He says on Sunday, 100,490 tests were carried out - the first time the government has hit its target in over a week.

Since Sunday, 210 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus, taking the total number of deaths recorded in the UK to 32,065.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson now begins the government's news conference from Downing Street.

He is accompanied by Prof Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England and chief medical adviser to the UK government, and Sir Patrick Vallance, chief scientific adviser to the UK government.

Image source, PA Media

Former Supreme Court Justice Lord Jonathan Sumption has attacked the continuing lockdown as an unjustifiable "house imprisonment of the whole population".

In an interview with BBC Radio 4's PM programme, he said the lockdown should be lifted to allow the young and fit to save their livelihoods while anyone who is older or vulnerable can take steps to protect themselves.

He said the only justification for a lockdown - saving the NHS from being overwhelmed - had passed. He said: "This is [now] the worst interference in personal liberty in our history for what is not, by historical standards, a particularly serious pandemic - except for particularly categories of people who can isolate themselves voluntarily."

Lord Sumption attacked the government's new rules for England as complex and muddled.

"I have every confidence that our sense of self preservation and common sense will enable us to get through this without the nanny state telling us at every stage what we can and can't do - especially when so much of what they are saying makes no sense at all."

The daily news conference from the UK government is due to begin in around 10 minutes, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be answering some of the questions.

And in about five minutes, the BBC will broadcast a response to the new coronavirus rules announced by the UK government from the opposition leader, Sir Keir Starmer - you can watch the statement here.

We will bring you all you need to know from the news conference, but while you are waiting take a moment to meet Ertan Nazim - the bus driver who has just come out of intensive care.

Philippa Roxby
Health reporter, BBC News

Image source, Getty Images

Pregnant women are no more likely to become seriously ill with coronavirus than other women, a study of 427 pregnant women with coronavirus in the UK has confirmed.

However, pregnant women from ethnic minority backgrounds, older women and those who are overweight or obese are more likely to be admitted to hospital with the lung disease.

Most were more than six months pregnant, stressing the importance of social distancing at this stage.

While most of the women have now given birth safely, one in 10 required treatment in intensive care - and five women died. Some are still expecting in hospital.

Outcomes for babies born to mothers with Covid-19 were mostly good but although almost one in five babies were born prematurely and admitted to a neonatal unit.

The likelihood of the virus being transmitted from mother to baby is low with one in 20 babies born testing positive for the virus.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced new loans for large businesses affected by coronavirus.

Companies that have annual revenues over C$300m (£173m; $214m) can qualify for loans of C$60m or more. But companies who have been found guilty of tax evasion are not eligible.

Trudeau said the loans are also not meant for companies who use tax havens or pay their executives "excessive" salaries, although he did not provide details on how the government would screen and monitor for those concerns.

"I want to be clear this is bridge financing not a blank cheque," he said.

Companies will also have to respect collective agreements and pensions, and provide a climate action plan.

Around the world, governments are wrestling with what restrictions they should impose on companies getting coronavirus bailouts, with France and other countries in the EU denying aid to companies with funds in offshore tax havens.

Dominic Casciani
Home Affairs Correspondent

Image source, Reuters

Yvette Cooper MP, chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, has said the prime minister's plan for England is so lacking in clarity that it will make the police's job much harder. The police have to enforce the lockdown by persuading people who are breaking it to go home or fine them if they do not.

But Cooper says: "The government has put the police in an extremely difficult position today by making announcements several days before the new regulations are introduced or even published.

"I am also particularly concerned that the government has chosen to increase fines at a time when there will be much less clarity... Policing by consent can only be maintained if the public is clear on what they can and can’t do.

"There is no room for ambiguity."

Hugh Schofield
BBC News, Paris

Image source, AFP/Getty Images

On the first day out of lockdown in France, there was no mass rush back on to the street.

Despite a few hiccups, the Paris commuter system was not put under strain. Metro trains were half-occupied, and there was in the main little difficulty in social distancing.

Shops opened, but shoppers were few. Schools only start re-opening on Tuesday.

In the BBC’s six-storey office building, we are the only company to have re-occupied our premises. Home-working remains the norm.

What it suggests are two things: first, that the real test has not yet come. People are obviously hesitant about resuming their old lives. The risk of a Covid-19 second wave will be when - and if - they actually get back to normal.

And second, governments need not be too cautious about setting fixed dates for deconfinement. Given sufficient warning and guidance, people react with good sense. There is no post-lockdown big bang.

As we reported earlier, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be holding a news conference in about 30 minutes, at 19:00 BST. We will - of course - bring you live coverage here.

It has been a busy day, with the government publishing a 50-page document with its plans to ease the lockdown in England and with Johnson answering questions from MPs.

Five minutes before the news conference, the BBC will broadcast Labour leader Keir Starmer's response to the announcements, which was earlier broadcast on BBC Radio 4. You can watch it on BBC One and the BBC News channel.

In the meantime, here is our guide on the new rules in England.

Image source, Getty Images

The "slow, steady lifting of lockdowns" is key to succeeding in the fight against coronavirus, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) says.

Many countries are beginning to ease their restrictions but some - such as South Korea and Germany - have seen jumps in new cases following the changes.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned lifting lockdowns is "complex and difficult", but said countries such as South Korea, Germany and China have the appropriate systems in place to respond to increasing cases.

To relax restrictions, countries have to be sure the epidemic is under control, that their health systems can cope with a rise in cases, and that they have a system in place to trace and isolate cases, the WHO says.

The body has also issued new guidance advising schools to ensure physical distancing takes place when restarting, and calling for employers to undertake risk assessments of workplaces and make plans to prevent transmission before opening again.

The prime minister earlier explained the updated coronavirus guidelines to MPs in the House of Commons, and he'll face further questions from journalists about them at a news conference at 19:00 BST.

On Sunday night though he was able to deliver his initial pre-recorded statement unchallenged.

An estimated 27.49m TV viewers across a range of channels tuned in to watch the broadcast.

That is around 14 million more viewers than watched the Queen's recent address commemorating the 75th anniversary of VE Day.