Kerry Allen
BBC Monitoring, Chinese Media Analyst

Flights between the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the city where the Covid-19 pandemic began, and the capital city Beijing resumed on Tuesday after Beijing lowered its health emergency status from medium to low risk.

According to the official China Daily, a single round-trip flight operated by China Southern Airlines is now running between the two cities, and travellers are no longer required to go into quarantine for 14 days.

Before the pandemic, Wuhan International Airport was a major transit hub connecting Chinese flights from the far east and west.

But during the pandemic, Wuhan experienced 76 days of strict lockdown. Transport in and out of the city was limited to emergency aid.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, AFP

It's been another day of fast-moving developments in the UK.

The business secretary earlier gave more details about how non-essential shops will be allowed to reopen in England from Monday. Meanwhile, figures showed that the number of deaths involving Covid-19 across the UK are continuing to fall.

Elsewhere:

• Plans for all England's primary children to return for a month before the summer break have been dropped

• Wearing three-layer face coverings in situations where social distancing is not possible is now the recommendation in Wales

• The League One and League Two football seasons - cut short by the pandemic in March - have ended early

• Scotland's chief medical officer has suggested coronavirus may have been spreading before the first cases were confirmed at the start of March

• The Treasury confirmed that 8.9m workers are now being covered by its furlough scheme

You can read more about the latest news in our evening update.

Image source, Getty Images

The Eiffel Tower in Paris will reopen on 25 June from its longest closure since World War Two after being forced to shut for more than three months because of the pandemic, the tower's management has said.

Wearing a face mask will be compulsory for all visitors aged at least 11, and the top level - which is much smaller than the other two - will remain closed for now.

The French government has eased lockdown measures from mid-May. The Palace of Versailles reopened on 6 June while the Louvre museum will welcome back visitors from 6 July.

Image source, Getty Images

As the total US case count creeps toward 2 million, 14 states and Puerto Rico are facing record highs in their seven-day average of new Covid cases, according to the Washington Post.

Some states link the upsurge to improved testing, but many of these states - Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Kentucky, New Mexico, North Carolina, Mississippi, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah - have been among the most aggressive in loosening social distancing restrictions.

In South Carolina, which yesterday set a new record for new cases in a single day, gyms, restaurants and salons are all open for business.

In Florida on Sunday, state officials recorded more than 1,000 new Covid-19 cases for the fifth day in a row, while Arizona now faces a particularly steep rise.

Image source, EPA

Brazil's Supreme Court has ordered the health ministry to resume the publication of figures for deaths and infections from the coronavirus.

The ministry controversially removed pages of detailed virus data over the weekend and said it would no longer publish cumulative totals.

The move triggered widespread condemnation of the administration of President Jair Bolsonaro, who has pushed for lockdowns to be lifted despite the increase in Covid-19 deaths.

But Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes said on Tuesday that the government's actions "made it impossible" to monitor the spread of the virus and implement adequate controls.

Brazil has more than 700,000 confirmed cases - the second-highest in the world behind the US - and the death toll is now more than 37,000. The BBC's Katy Watson in Sao Paulo says that because Brazil tests so little, the real numbers are believed to be far higher.

Sarah Rainsford
BBC Moscow Correspondent

The end of lockdown in Moscow has come as suddenly as the hot weather. On Monday, the mayor declared "victory" over coronavirus and the "self-isolation regime" over, and Muscovites are already making the most of their freedom.

With up to 2,000 coronavirus cases still being detected every day, there’s a lot of talk in newspapers and on social media about how this rapid reopening is political: an attempt to boost the mood, and the economy, ahead of a vote on constitutional reforms that will allow Vladimir Putin to stay on in power.

But on the streets, the main feeling today is relief. One older woman told us she was "joyful" on her first trip out; another called the relaxation well overdue as people had been violating the lockdown anyway. Most were confident they know enough about Covid-19 to take their own precautions.

While facemasks are obligatory, though, even on the streets, many wear them slung under their chins if at all. Hair salons are among the businesses now allowed to open, but that announcement was such a surprise that one owner, Laura, told us she still had to buy PPE for all her staff and put social distancing measures in place. Her phones have been ringing off the hook, though.

Reality Check

Supermarkets, corner shops, banks, pharmacies and petrol stations across the UK have been able to remain open throughout the lockdown.

Garden centres reopened in May and outdoor markets and car showrooms were allowed to reopen in England on 1 June, providing they’d taken steps to protect customers and workers.

Non-essential shops will be allowed to reopen in Northern Ireland on 12 June and in England on 15 June. This includes retailers offering clothes, books and electronics.

Other shops won’t be allowed to open in Scotland until at least 18 June and no date for this to happen in Wales has been announced.

Outlets such as hairdressers and nail salons are still not allowed to open. Cafes and restaurants are only allowed to offer a takeaway service, which is mainly due to the need to maintain a distance of two metres between people from different households.

You can read more about which shops will reopen and when here.

And you can read more about the evidence behind the two metre rule here.

Today's government press conference was led by Business Secretary Alok Sharma, joined by Sarah Albon, CEO of the health and safety executive.

Here's what they told us:

• As had been planned, non-essential shops can open from Monday, as long as they comply with coronavirus guidelines
• Local authorities and the health and safety executive will be able to take enforcement action against shops which do not follow the guidelines for keeping people safe
• The plan to re-open bars, restaurants and pubs remains pencilled in for 4 July
• The government does not have plans to reduce the 2m social distancing rule as some businesses have asked, but it is committed to keep it under review
• The government is still focusing on the national situation, and the national rate of infection, rather than regional measures to determine the level of restrictions.

The last question is from Laura from the Sunderland Echo - she asks whether there are city-by-city R numbers - the rate of infection - that will be used to determine where any local lockdown is?

She also asks about support for Sunderland businesses.

Sharma says the test and trace system is up and running and can identify local "flare ups".

But "given where the R rate is" right now, the government is taking a "national approach" and will continue to do that, he says.

On support for Sunderland, Sharma says there are "bounce back" loans available and a "range of other measures".

The press conference has now wrapped-up, but Victoria McDonald from Channel 4 asked the business secretary about a Public Health England report on the impact coronavirus has had on people from a BAME background.

She says it found people had been disproportionately affected by Covid-19, but there are concerns that a section on community engagement was reportedly left out.

Sharma says the published report was "pretty comprehensive" and the equalities minister is to look at any policy changes that might come out of its findings.

Nick Eardley
Political correspondent

Image source, AFP

The government is continuing with its plan to slowly reopen the economy in England.

We had expected non-essential shops to open next week – that’s now been confirmed.

But we’ve seen with schools that some are still nervous about moving too fast, so it’s interesting that the business secretary was keen to focus on the safety measures in place and the moves that can be taken if businesses don’t follow Covid-19 safety guidelines.

There are also some in government who think the 2m social distancing guideline is too strict.

They point to other countries, where the rule is one or one-and-a-half metres.

We know Prime Minister Boris Johnson has asked scientists to look at whether it can be reduced; something which would make reopening pubs and restaurants much easier.

No hints from the business secretary today on when that might happen though.

Image source, AFP

Francis Elliott from The Times says non-essential shops were given three weeks' notice about reopening - and asks if Mr Sharma can commit to giving restaurants and other hospitality sectors at least three weeks notice.

He also asks about the two-metre distancing rule.

Sharma says they are having a consultation "right now" about safer working guidelines for the hospitality sector.

In terms of the distancing rule, he repeats that "we will keep it under review".

"We will only make changes when it is safe to do so."

Reality Check

At the start of today's briefing, Business Secretary Alok Sharma was careful to say “carried out or posted out” when talking about the daily test numbers. The latest figure was 102,930, for yesterday.

The head of the UK Statistics Authority, Sir David Norgrove, has criticised the way ministers have been speaking about testing figures - accusing them of simply talking about tests “carried out” when daily statistics also included numbers of testing kits “posted out” but not used or processed that day.

Sir David accused the government of using data to "show the largest possible number of tests, even at the expense of understanding". Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said the data is as transparent as possible.

Read more: Why we don't know how many are being tested.

ITV asks about a promised review of the social distancing two-metre rule by 15 June and where the outcome of that review is now.

Sharma says the two metre rule "stays in place at the moment".

The PM made it clear we keep it under review, he says.

He says he understands why businesses make the economic case for a shorter distance.

"But... we will only change it when we think it is safe to do so."

There's also a question from Alison in London.

She asks about holidays and staying overnight in self-catering properties and cottages.

Mr Sharma says the government wants to open up the economy in a "phased and careful manner" and that is what has been happening since 1 June.

The business secretary says it's really important to continue to support those type of businesses and the government is doing so - with the furlough and grant schemes.

Husni from Manchester asks about support for start-up businesses in the coming months.

Sharma says the chancellor announced a £1.2bn package for businesses and part of that is a "future fund".

There will be announcements on how the government will get the economy going, he says.

He is also continuing his conversations with businesses and academics, he says.

Image source, AFP

Shops should reopen once they are able to comply with Covid-secure guidelines, Sharma says.

Any business that is open must complete a risk assessment, he says, and take the necessary steps to protect staff and customers - this is a legal obligation.

These include measures like screens and ensuring people have enough space.

The minister says the government has provided a notice that shops can display in their windows to say they are complying.

A range of actions, including enforcement notices can be taken to those shops that don't comply, Sharma says.

He adds that safer working guidance for restaurants, hairdressers and barbers will be published as soon as possible.

Nick Triggle
Health Correspondent

Image source, AFP

The government has announced another 286 coronavirus deaths.

It comes after 55 were reported on Monday, which was the lowest since lockdown began.

A rise in deaths was to be expected.

The figures revealed on Monday covered the weekend, when we know there is a delay in recording deaths, which can influence the figures.

There are also a number of deaths included that happened a number of weeks ago – some go back to April.

If you compare it to the same days in previous weeks, the figure is lower.

And the seven-day rolling average at just above 200 is between four and five times lower than it was during the peak.

But it does show – despite Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s assertion on Monday that the virus was on the retreat – that the pandemic is still taking quite a toll.

Sharma says retail outlets will be able to reopen again from 15 June, so long as they comply with Covid-secure guidelines.

He says it's thanks to the "efforts of the British people" that they have "succeeded in getting the R-rate (the virus reproduction rate in the population) under control".

He says parts of the economy can open in a "phased manner".

He goes on to thank shop workers.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma begins by going through the latest data on coronavirus in the UK.

He says there have been 102,930 tests in the last day.

He says the number of cases have been falling "steadily".

And the average number of daily deaths from coronavirus has fallen from 943 on 14 April to 216.

Image source, Downing Street