Summary

  • Health secretary says system in England is successful but gives no data on the number of people contacted

  • Some pupils return to schools in England but attendance is between 40 and 70%

  • Many European countries are lifting restrictions further - some even opening cafes, museums and cinemas

  • Spain has recorded no coronavirus deaths over the past 24 hours for the first time since the beginning of March

  • South Africans can buy alcohol for the first time in two months but the reopening of schools is delayed

  • The number of confirmed cases in Brazil passes half a million

  • Globally, there have been 6.1m confirmed cases and 371,000 deaths linked to Covid-19

  1. Goodbye for nowpublished at 22:31 British Summer Time 1 June 2020

    We are pausing out live coverage for now, but our colleagues in Asia will soon take over from us here in London. It's been a busy day with widespread US unrest bringing fears about the spread of coronavirus among protesters. The main stories on Monday are:

    • Spain recorded no new deaths - the country had hundreds of fatalities daily in March
    • Many parts of Europe are re-opening cultural sites, restaurants and hotels in the hope of retaining a summer tourist season
    • The number of confirmed cases in Brazil has passed half a million - the second highest in the world
    • Some of India's heavily-used train services have resumed, with reports of some overcrowding
    • The Chinese city of Wuhan - where the virus first emerged - reported no new asymptomatic cases on Sunday
    • And in England, some children returned to school, but attendance ranged between 40 and 70%
    • The British government has insisted that its 'track and trace' scheme is working, but people hired to work on the programme say that's not the case

    Our journalists around the world produce this live coverage.

    On Monday they were: Matthew Henry, Jasmine Taylor-Coleman, Lauren Turner, Georgina Rannard, Victoria Lindrea, David Walker, Michael Emons, Joseph Lee, Rebecca Seales, Sophie Williams, Paulin Kola, Steven Sutcliffe, Yvette Tan, Saira Asher, Krutika Pathi and Jay Savage.

    That's all for now. Thanks for reading. You can find much more coronavirus coverage here.

  2. Allowed to leave home - but choosing to stay inpublished at 22:26 British Summer Time 1 June 2020

    Rachael Paget has severe asthmaImage source, Rachael Paget
    Image caption,

    Rachael Paget has severe asthma

    In March millions of people in Britain with serious health conditions were told to stay indoors completely for 10 weeks. The aim was to protect them from infection - it included people undergoing chemotherapy or those with severe asthma.

    On Monday some were allowed to go outside for the first time since March, after a surprise notice at the weekend saying "shielding" was no longer necessary.

    But some people are still choosing to stay indoors over fears for their health.

    "I did wonder if I was overreacting but then my MP tweeted that her mum is shielding and she's advising her to stay in her house , externaland not follow this new rule of going out for a walk," Rachael Paget, 35, told BBC News.

    Read more about why some shielders are too worried to go outside.

  3. MPs to vote on ending virtual votingpublished at 22:17 British Summer Time 1 June 2020

    Rees MoggImage source, Getty Images

    MPs in the UK will decide on whether to continue voting virtually or return to voting in person on Tuesday.

    The government has tabled a controversial motion to end virtual voting, a system which has allowed MPs to have their say from afar during the coronavirus pandemic.

    The motion was tabled by Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg who said democracy would "once again flourish", having been "curtailed under the hybrid halfway house" of the virtual system.

    But the plan has been strongly criticised with some MPs suggesting it would discriminate against those who are shielding and would be unable to vote in person.

    Political pressure group the Electoral Roll Society said it would be "beyond a farce" if the motion was passed.

    Labour and opposition parties have tabled an amendment to the motion seeking to retain remote voting.

  4. Emotional moment son sees father for first time since Februarypublished at 22:10 British Summer Time 1 June 2020

    Simon Tozzo
    Image caption,

    Simon Tozzo spoke to his father from across the River Taff and saw him for the first time in weeks

    In an emotional moment witnessed by a BBC reporter, Simon Tozzo saw his father for the first time since he was admitted to hospital with coronavirus.

    Peter Tozzo, 86, is being treated at The Principality Stadium in Cardiff - now the Dragon's Heart Hospital - and, along with a few other patients, had been brought on to the river-walk within the hospital grounds for his first taste of sunshine in 13 weeks.

    Simon, who lives in Cardiff, had a 10-minute warning that hospital staff were bringing his dad outside.

    They managed to wave at each other - the first time they had seen each other since February - and have a conversation using a phone held by a nurse with just the River Taff between them.

    "I'm the one in the red T-shirt," Simon told his dad, who has dementia, over the phone.

    Afterwards, Simon told BBC Radio 5 Live's Mark Hutchings: "It was so lovely for him. Most importantly it was good for him to get some stimulus after 13 weeks staring at a hospital wall."

    Read more here

  5. Restrict toilet access on flights, new rules suggestpublished at 22:01 British Summer Time 1 June 2020

    Air passengers should have restricted access to toilets on flights as part of wide-ranging coronavirus safety recommendations, a UN agency has said.

    The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidelines also include limiting or suspending food and drink services on short-haul flights.

    The new guidelines are designed to protect air passengers and workers from the Covid-19 virus as lockdown eases.

    Airlines could see revenues plunge £314bn in 2020, the ICAO added.

    Read more here

  6. What's the latest?published at 21:48 British Summer Time 1 June 2020

    As Europe re-opens to some tourists, Spain has recorded no new deaths from Covid-19 for the first time since March. In the latest headlines:

    • The daily death toll in Spain on Monday was zero - the country was badly-hit by the virus with hundreds dying daily in March
    • The British government insists that its 'track and trace' scheme is working, but people hired to work on the programme say that's not the case
    • The World Health Organization and others scientists rejected claims by an Italian doctor that the virus is weakening
    • Many parts of Europe including Greece, France and Spain reopening schools, cafes and restaurants
    • It's been the first day back for some primary pupils in England - but heads say attendance ranged between 40% and 70%

  7. Member of Israeli PM's office tests positivepublished at 21:34 British Summer Time 1 June 2020

    Israel Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuImage source, Getty Images

    An employee in Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has tested positive for coronavirus, his office says.

    The statement did not say whether the 70-year-old leader had been exposed.

    Netanyahu's office said an "epidemiological investigation is being conducted, which will provide appropriate guidelines for those who came into contact" with the employee.

    Netanyahu has previously self-isolated after two separate Covid-19 scares - first in March after coming into contact with an infected aide and again in April when his then-health minister was diagnosed - but tested negative.

    Israel has reported more than 17,100 cases and 285 deaths, with infection rates rising over recent days.

  8. Grandparents meet new grandchild for the first timepublished at 21:27 British Summer Time 1 June 2020

    As lockdown in England eases, Christine and David Passmore have finally been able to meet six-week-old Amari.

  9. 'More than two million' waiting for cancer care in UKpublished at 21:20 British Summer Time 1 June 2020

    Cancer patientImage source, Getty Images

    About 2.4 million people in the UK are waiting for cancer screening, treatment or tests, as a result of disruption to the NHS during the past 10 weeks, according to the charity Cancer Research UK.

    It estimates 2.1 million have missed out on screening, while 290,000 people with suspected symptoms have not been referred for hospital tests.

    More than 23,000 cancers could have gone undiagnosed during lockdown.

    Cancer services are starting to reopen across the UK.

    Cancer Research UK's figures are based on data for England and estimated for the whole of the UK.

    Read more

  10. Frustration as contact tracers claim they have 'nothing to do'published at 21:02 British Summer Time 1 June 2020

    Some newly employed contact tracers have raised questions about the government's new test and trace scheme, claiming they have nothing to do.

    The scheme, which has recruited up to 25,000 tracers, launched in England last week.

    It is considered a key part of the government's strategy to bring down the infection rate and, subsequently, lift lockdown measures.

    But one recruit told PA News that she had completed four shifts since the launch but had yet to deal with a single case.

    "It's incredibly frustrating. More frustrating is that the general public, people I speak to, think that because we've got this up and running, easing the lockdown is fine," she said.

    Another contact tracer agreed that "everyone seemed to be having the same issue".

    "I don't understand why there's a disconnect between the testing and actually getting it into the system."

    Asked at Monday's daily briefing, by the BBC's Hugh Pym, about the under-used contact tracers, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: "We have more capacity than we need - this is a good thing."

    Mr Hancock insisted the "vast majority" of new infections and their contacts had been traced since the system launched last week - although figures have yet to be released by government.

    Testing chief Prof John Newton added that not all cases "require the intervention of a call-handler", but stressed the test and trace system was operating pretty much as clinicians hoped and that he was "pleased" by the response so far.

    Matt HancockImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    'I'd rather have too many people trained and ready to go,' Health Secretary Matt Hancock told journalists

  11. WHO rejects claim that coronavirus has weakenedpublished at 20:52 British Summer Time 1 June 2020

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has rejected claims that the coronavirus is losing its potency.

    On Sunday, a senior doctor in Italy said there were signs the virus had become less lethal. Prof Alberto Zangrillo, head of an intensive care unit at San Raffaele Hospital in Lombardy, said coronavirus “clinically no longer exists”.

    But a range of scientists including WHO experts say there is no evidence to support this idea.

    “In terms of transmissibility, that has not changed. In terms of severity, that has not changed,” said WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove.

    WHO epidemiologist Maria Van KerkhoveImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Maria Van Kerkhove is the WHO's technical lead for Covid-19

  12. France returning to normal, but Paris still a 'danger spot'published at 20:45 British Summer Time 1 June 2020

    Hugh Schofield
    BBC News, Paris

    The terrace of Les Deux Magots cafe in Paris on 1 JuneImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    The terrace of Les Deux Magots cafe in Paris prepares to reopen on Tuesday

    Tuesday is the day when France returns to some semblance of normality, as restrictions brought about by the coronavirus pandemic are increasingly eased.

    In the words of Prime Minister Édouard Philippe: "Everything that’s normally allowed is, from now on, allowed once again – unless otherwise specified."

    For most people, the big change will be the re-opening of bars and restaurants - though the rules now say there has to be a metre between tables, staff must be masked, and you can’t stand at the counter to drink.

    But in Paris - regarded as a lingering danger spot - certain restrictions remain, and here the loosening of the rules is slower. Only outside terraces can open - though Paris city hall has relaxed the rules temporarily so that cafes and restaurants which don’t normally have outside tables can set them up on the pavement or in adjacent parking areas, and thus re-open.

    Museums and other tourist attractions can also now open, in Paris as in the whole of the country, though in practice it’ll be some weeks before many of them do.

  13. Social distancing in solidarity with US protesterspublished at 20:33 British Summer Time 1 June 2020

    Protests around the world following the death of George Floyd in the US have not been silent - but many of them have been socially distanced.

    Despite widespread anger over the death of another black man at the hands of a white police officer, many demonstrators did not forget the importance of stemming coronavirus while supporting Black Lives Matter.

    Face masks were also widely worn.

    Protesters hold up signs during a demonstration in front of the US consulate, in Milan, Italy, 28 May 2020,Image source, EPA
    Image caption,

    There was plenty of spacing in evidence at this protest outside the US consulate in Milan, Italy, on Monday

    Protest outside the US embassy in Paris. 1 June 2020Image source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    And similar scenes outside the US embassy in Paris

    Protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of African-American man George Floyd, in central Brussels, Belgium June 1, 2020Image source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Protesters in the Belgian capital, Brussels, also kept their distance

    ProtestImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    In Bordeaux, France, everyone wore face masks as they knelt in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement

    Protest in LondonImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    In London, face masks and - at least some - social distancing were on display

  14. Bristol Pride festival will take place onlinepublished at 20:24 British Summer Time 1 June 2020

    Bristol PrideImage source, Neil James Brain

    Bristol Pride will move online this year, external, organisers say, to ensure people can experience the annual festival in safety.

    The UK event, which celebrates the LGBT+ community, was postponed from July and will now be held virtually, between 1-12 September.

    Regular activities such as the dog show, film festival and comedy night will continue to take place online, culminating with a virtual parade and performances to celebrate Pride Day.

    "With a restriction on mass gatherings looking to continue we’re just not able to deliver a physical festival this year," said festival director Eve Russell.

    "But Pride is such a vital part of many people’s lives and the show must go on - and we’re really excited and energised at the thought of mixing it up and delivering a great show online."

  15. What will England's swimming pools look like?published at 20:16 British Summer Time 1 June 2020

    Mother and baby in swimming poolImage source, Getty Images

    For the time being indoor and outdoor pools in England must remain shut, despite the easing of some lockdown restrictions, external.

    It's thought chlorine in swimming pools will kill coronavirus but Swim England has warned a "stricter regime" will still be needed when they do reopen.

    Under the government's current plan, pools cannot reopen before 4 July; the advice also says people should not swim at the beach without a lifeguard present.

    Swim England chief executive Jane Nickerson says guidance is still being finalised, but that people might be asked not to use changing rooms, and pools could be told to limit the number of people in the water at any one time.

    Olympian and Swimathon president Duncan Goodhew told Radio 4's Today programme that 10% of the 5,000 pools in England might not be able to reopen with social distancing measures because they were "old, inefficient and expensive to run".

    "A little like a restaurant, it becomes very difficult economically to make it work because you're just not getting the volume of people through," he said.

    Read more here.

  16. Thailand's Pattaya Beach reopens to touristspublished at 20:07 British Summer Time 1 June 2020

    Wasawat Lukharang
    BBC News Thai

    The world-famous Pattaya Beach was among the first in Thailand to reopen to tourists on Monday.

    Under phase three of the easing of lockdown measures, Thailand is allowing provincial governors to decide whether they should reopen tourist attractions.

    Despite the rain, dozens of tourists came back to Pattaya Beach on Monday - but it was nowhere close to its usual capacity. International tourists are set to be allowed back into the country from July.

    Tannee Pimpan was excited to visit the beach and travelled all the way from Bangkok with her two children.

    “As soon as I found out about the lifting of restrictions, I made a plan to come to Pattaya. I take my children here for a short break. I’m not scared of the virus anymore but we are still wearing masks. The beach today is very beautiful and there is no rubbish lying around like before,” she told BBC News Thai.

    Aside from Pattaya Beach, the eastern province of Chonburi has also reopened Jomtien and Bangsan.

    However beaches in other provinces remain shut to visitors.

    Almost all Thai businesses are allowed to operate again as the spread of the virus has significantly slowed down. A curfew remains in place but it has been shortened by one hour.

    Media caption,

    Thailand's famous Pattaya beach reopens

  17. Spain says UK figures too high to accept touristspublished at 19:58 British Summer Time 1 June 2020

    Benidorm beachImage source, Getty Images

    Spain's tourism minister has cast doubt on the prospect of a quick return to the country by British holidaymakers.

    Maria Reyes Maroto said UK coronavirus figures "still have to improve" before Spain could receive tourists from the UK.

    Last week, the Spanish government said foreign visitors would no longer have to undergo a two-week quarantine from 1 July.

    But Reyes Maroto said tourist activity would be resumed "gradually".

    "For Spain, it is very important that the first tourists are tourists who are in the same epidemiological situation as us, and that they are able to fly safely," she said in a statement.

    "Regarding the United Kingdom, there have been talks with tour operators but British data still have to improve, because it's important to ensure that the person comes well and then returns well."

  18. More pupils return to new-look schools in Englandpublished at 19:50 British Summer Time 1 June 2020

    Judith Burns
    Education reporter

    School

    Thousands of children have returned to school in England today after the government eased lockdown restrictions.

    But the schools look very different to when many children last sat in classrooms more than two months ago.

    At St Mary Magdalen's Catholic Primary School in West London, each child has their own table with its own tray of equipment so that they don't need to get out of their seats as often.

    The classrooms now look more like they might have done in the 1950s with all the desks facing forward in rows, instead of being pushed together into big tables.

    Parents had to arrive with their child at an allotted time and queue in the playground at a two-metre distance.

    Every classroom has its own supply of hand-sanitiser and anti-microbial wipes - and the windows are wide open to let in as much fresh air as possible to keep the virus at bay.

    But, despite the changes, many parents have opted to keep their children at home at St Mary Magdalen's and elsewhere.

    Read more here

  19. NI shielding advice to change next weekpublished at 19:41 British Summer Time 1 June 2020

    First Minister Arlene Foster at daily media broadcast at StormontImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    First Minister Arlene Foster addressed the daily news conference at Stormont

    Vulnerable people in Northern Ireland who were urged to shield during the coronavirus pandemic may be allowed to go outside again from next week, leaders at Stormont have announced.

    Advice to the 80,000 shielding will change from next Monday if the transmission rate of the virus remains below one.

    As is currently the situation in England, those shielding will be able to go outside with people from their own household, or one person from another household, providing social distancing is observed.

    First Minister Arlene Foster said changes to shielding advice would be a "reasonable and proportionate first step".

    "If the rate of transmission continues on a downward trend - and of course we all hope that it does - then, in consultation with our scientific and medical advisers, we will consider further relaxations for those who are shielding," she said.

    Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill stressed that the safest place for those shielding was still at home.

    "It is crucially important that you are very strict about maintaining social distancing," she said.

  20. British public 'to reshape life after coronavirus'published at 19:34 British Summer Time 1 June 2020

    A million people in Britain will give their ideas on what life should look like after the coronavirus crisis.

    A survey led by think tank Demos, external is asking the public about travel, work, health, the environment and other areas to understand what type of changes Britons want to see after the pandemic.

    “Britain will change dramatically after Covid-19, but it shouldn’t just be for politicians to decide what that change looks like," Demos chief executive Polly Mackenzie said.

    As life has changed dramatically for billions globally, many societies are debating what type of "new normal" they would like to see.