Summary

  • The World Health Organization changes its policy on face masks, advising they should be worn in public places

  • The WHO had previously said there was not enough evidence to support this policy for healthy people

  • UK coronavirus deaths pass 40,000, becoming only the second country after the US to reach the figure

  • Health Secretary Matt Hancock says it is vital to avoid large protests over the death of George Floyd

  • EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson says states should reopen internal borders by end of June

  • US unemployment rate improves defying predictions it would get worse

  • Globally, there have been 6.6m cases since the outbreak began and 388,000 deaths

Live Reporting

Edited by Kevin Ponniah and Rob Corp

  1. NBA votes to restart season in July

    Lebron JamesGetty Images

    After a suspension of almost three months, the NBA's board of governors has approved a plan to restart the season on 31 July.

    The games are set to be played without fans at the Disney campus near Florida.

    “While the Covid-19 pandemic presents formidable challenges, we are hopeful of finishing the season in a safe and responsible manner based on strict protocols now being finalised with public health officials and medical experts," said commissioner Adam Silver, according to local reports.

    The NBA first suspended its season on 11 March after one of its players tested positive for Covid-19.

  2. EU commission: 'Open borders by end of June'

    Policewoman at the borderEPA

    The European Commission has called on all EU member countries to lift their border restrictions by the end of this month and allow passport-free travel across the bloc.

    The virus situation was "fast improving", according to Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson.

    "We are coming very close to a situation where we should lift all the internal border restrictions and border checks," she told broadcaster Euronews, adding that "a good date should be the end of June".

    She also said she was happy to see that EU members were already easing border controls.

    Across Europe, countries are phasing out their domestic restrictions and some have begun to reopen borders over recent days. There's no indication yet as to when the EU's external borders will reopen.

  3. Hello and welcome back

    Hello and welcome back to our rolling coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. We’re writing to you out of Singapore, where we’ll keep you across all the latest developments.

    Here’s what you need to know:

    • The EU Commissioner for Home Affairs has called on the EU’s member states to reopen their internal borders by the end of June. Ylva Johansson said she believed it was “time to open up”
    • Masks will be made compulsory on public transport in England from 15 June. Passengers will not be allowed to travel without one, and if they do not wear one they could be fined
    • The Peru government has declared oxygen a “strategic health resource” due to an acute shortage to treat Covid-19 patients. Peru is the second hardest-hit country in Latin America
    • And an influential study on the controversial drug hydroxychloroquine has been withdrawn.

    Globally, over 6.6 million people have been infected with the virus and the death toll stands at 388,000.