Summary

  • England reopens pubs, restaurants, hairdressers and cinemas after a major relaxation of lockdown curbs

  • Two households are now allowed to meet indoors or outside, including overnight stays

  • Places of worship can open for prayers and services, including weddings with up to 30 guests - subject to social distancing

  • Nine tower blocks in the Australian city of Melbourne go under lockdown after a surge in cases

  • The US recorded its largest single-day rise in infections on Friday, with more than 57,000 recorded

  • America's 4 July Independence Day celebrations are muted this year with cities cancelling parades

  • Worldwide, more than 11 million people have now been infected and more than 525,000 have died

  • Official UK death toll for those who have tested positive for Covid-19 reaches 44,198 - a rise of 67

  1. 'It's sad they have left out Leicester'published at 12:44 British Summer Time 4 July 2020

    Jennifer Harby
    BBC News

    Dhansukh Rana
    Image caption,

    Leicester resident Dhansukh Rana was abe to buy fruit and vegetables at the outdoor market

    We reported earlier how Leicester is not seeing its pubs, restaurants or hair salons reopen today.

    The city is subject to a local lockdown after a surge in coronavirus infections.

    Although non-essential establishments remain closed in its deserted city centre, Leicester's market remains open.

    Dhansukh Rana, 79, was shopping for some fruit and vegetables at a stall with his wife.

    “It’s really sad this is happening to Leicester,” he said. “A lot of people are suffering.

    “We have to get out for our walk and exercise because, at my age, I have to keep moving. But it is sad they have left out Leicester when the rest of the UK is moving on.”

  2. Men across England queue for haircutspublished at 12:29 British Summer Time 4 July 2020

    It seems that the BBC's Chris Mason, external isn't the only man in England celebrating what he and others have dubbed "trimdependence day". (Our correspondent had his hair cut live on BBC Breakfast this morning).

    Across the country, men eager for a haircut have been queuing outside barbers.

    Men queue outside Just Men barbers in Leeds, as coronavirus lockdown restrictions are eased across England.Image source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    A queue forms on Saturday morning outside Just Men barbers in Leeds

    Men wait to enter a Barbers in Ashford, Kent, as coronavirus lockdown restrictions are eased across EnglandImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    A barbers in Ashford in Kent has its work cut out

    Members of the public queue outside a Barbers in Clapham on July 04, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. Hairdressing Salons reopen today having been closed for over three months in the UK due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.Image source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    A queue in Clapham, London, stretches across the road

  3. Waiting for tourists on Spain's Costa del Solpublished at 12:19 British Summer Time 4 July 2020

    Beach wardens on Spain's Costa del Sol
    Image caption,

    The Spanish authorities have recruited 3,000 beach wardens for the summer season

    For many the question this summer is whether they will make it to the beach, and - as resorts along the Spanish coast slowly come back to life - the hope is for tourists to return.

    Flights are resuming to destinations along Spain's sun-drenched Costa del Sol. After months with no business, hotels, restaurants and bars are reopening and Covid-19 safety measures are being put in place.

    These are some of the voices gathered by the BBC's Damian Grammaticas on the southern coast.

  4. UK chancellor: 'Hospitality sector crucial to livelihoods'published at 12:08 British Summer Time 4 July 2020

    Customer information signs at the bar of the Shakespeare"s Head pub in Holborn, London, as it reopens for business as coronavirus lockdown restrictions are eased across England.Image source, PA Media

    Chancellor Rishi Sunak has welcomed the reopening of pubs in England, saying the hospitality sector is "crucial to people's livelihoods".

    "Britain's pubs and bars alone employ almost half a million people - which is why it's such good news that so many people are able to return to work this weekend, helping us all to enjoy summer safely," said Sunak.

    He also spoke to the Times newspaper,, external urging people to "eat out to help out".

    A group of customers give a toast with their drinks at the Shakespeare"s Head pub in Holborn, London, as it reopens for business as coronavirus lockdown restrictions are eased across EnglandImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Also at this London pub, a group give a toast with their drinks

    Social distancing measure in place at The Rocket pub, Rainhill, Merseyside, as it reopens following the easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions across England. PA Photo. Picture date: Saturday July 4, 2020.Image source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Tape marks out social distancing ryles at The Rocket pub in Rainhill, Merseyside

  5. Excitement as theme park reopens: 'It's like Christmas'published at 11:58 British Summer Time 4 July 2020

    Katie Prescott, Business correspondent

    “It feels a bit like Christmas Eve,” one staff member at Chessington World of Adventures said this morning.

    “There’s a real sense of anticipation about how it’s all going to go.”

    The Greater London theme park is expecting to run at about a quarter of its capacity as its doors open for the first time in more than 100 days today.

    Chessington World of Adventures on Saturday
    Image caption,

    Guests have to preregister and collect day passes from staff wearing PPE

    But the coronavirus drive-through testing centre in the car park is a reminder - if one was needed - that this is not a total return to normality.

    One of the main things they’ll be monitoring is how customers behave and follow the new restrictions.

    “We can put as many paw prints on the floor as we like - but we can’t force people," the staff member says.

    An amusement is switched off at Chessington World of Adventures
    Image caption,

    Some attractions are "hibernating" to ensure the park remains Covid Secure

    Some 70% of Chessington staff were furloughed at the start of lockdown, but with a zoo to run, there was still work to be done.

    Now many of those staff have been brought back and retrained in the last week, ready to welcome people hoping to let their hair down and enjoy the ride.

  6. Catalonia puts 200,000 back in lockdownpublished at 11:48 British Summer Time 4 July 2020

    The city of Lleida. Photo: June 2020Image source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    The city of Lleida

    The regional authorities in Catalonia, north-eastern Spain, have placed about 200,000 people back into lockdown because of a local rise in infections.

    People will not be able to enter or leave Segrià - a county to the west of Barcelona - without permission. The area includes the city of Lleida.

    The measure will be enforced using police checkpoints. People will only be able to meet in groups of up to 10 people, both indoors and out.

    Catalonia has been one of the worst-hit regions of Spain.

  7. 'Don't drink three months worth of alcohol'published at 11:40 British Summer Time 4 July 2020

    A paramedic for West Midlands Ambulance Service has warned people as the pubs reopen, not to "drink three months' worth of alcohol in one night".

    He told his Twitter followers: "You don't want to end up in an ambulance like this one".

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  8. Couple exchange midnight vows as restrictions liftpublished at 11:29 British Summer Time 4 July 2020

    Louise Arnold and Jennifer WilsonImage source, Handout

    A couple are believed to be the first to say "I do" in England after the easing of virus restrictions.

    Newlyweds Louise Arnold and Jennifer Wilson, both 22, tied the knot at 00:01 BST in the grounds of Runcorn Town Hall in Cheshire in front of 16 guests.

    Those unable to attend the ceremony, including family and friends in Australia and New Zealand, still put on wedding outfits to watch online.

    Read more here.

  9. Analysis: A moment when health and economic concerns collidepublished at 11:20 British Summer Time 4 July 2020

    Simon Jack
    BBC Business Editor

    This is a big moment. Hospitality chiefs have described the reopening of pubs and restaurants in England as important for the national psyche.

    But it's also a moment when health and economic concerns collide.

    Trade body Hospitality UK estimates that 53% of pubs and bars and 47% of restaurants will reopen this weekend generating a total - they hope - of nine million visits.

    But while a sector that employs three million people is keen to reopen, many are anxious. Will too many customers return to manage venues safely or too few to make it economically worthwhile?

    Social distancing measures will both reduce capacity and increase costs.

    Three-quarters of businesses expect to run their businesses at a loss this year and the industry estimates that even if this weekend goes well, the sector could lose 320,000 jobs.

    It is a high-stakes gamble and the government will be watching nervously to see how the public responds and behaves.

    That will ultimately determine whether we are getting a sufficient economic bang for the health risk buck that medical experts say we are inevitably spending this weekend.

  10. England quarantine-free list 'absurd' - Portugalpublished at 11:09 British Summer Time 4 July 2020

    A pilot is seen wearing a protective face mask at Heathrow AirportImage source, Reuters

    Portugal's foreign affairs minister has said his country's exclusion from a list of countries for which quarantine will not apply for people returning to England is "absurd".

    Augusto Santos Silva told the BBC not including Portugal was "senseless and unfair".

    The list of countries exempt from quarantine was published on Friday.

    UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said 14-day quarantines would remain for countries where the virus was not under control.

    Other countries excluded from the list, which comes into effect on 10 July, include the US, China, the Maldives and Sweden.

    Read our full story

  11. Hairdresser: 'The next three months are booked'published at 11:00 British Summer Time 4 July 2020

    Nina Das Gupta
    BBC Hereford & Worcester

    Angie and Lisa

    Angie Monroe reopened her hairdressing salon in the West Midlands town of Stourport at 05:00. Her first customer, Lisa, "badly needed" the appointment, after "too many box-dyes and DIY jobs".

    Ms Monroe said the last few months have been "mental".

    "It's been the strangest time knowing when we can start back. I've moved the salon around, making sure it's safe for everyone."

    "The next three months are booked at and I'm doing free cuts for self-employed people."

    Barbers in the area are also very busy, with queues of people waiting outside patiently.

    Queues for a barbers
  12. Pub-goers should be 'really disciplined'published at 10:51 British Summer Time 4 July 2020

    Prof Chris WhittyImage source, PA Media

    England's chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, has urged people to take a "really disciplined approach" to social distancing as he warned of the risk of coronavirus spreading in pubs.

    He said there was a "real possibility" of a second wave of infections if people do not take social distancing measures seriously as establishments reopen.

    Speaking at Friday's Downing Street briefing, he said the country would see both health and economic problems as a result of the pandemic.

    Ministers hope to rely on effective testing, tracing and targeted local lockdowns to contain the virus in future.

  13. Brazil's Bolsonaro waters down face-mask lawpublished at 10:43 British Summer Time 4 July 2020

    Media caption,

    The BBC's South America correspondent Katy Watson looks at how Bolsonaro has responded to the outbreak

    Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has sanctioned a law making the use of masks in public obligatory during the coronavirus crisis.However, he vetoed their use in shops, churches and schools.

    In a social media broadcast, Mr Bolsonaro said people could have been fined for not wearing a mask at home.

    The far-right leader has played down Brazil's Covid-19 outbreak. The number of coronavirus-related death is fast approaching 62,000 in the country - the world's second-highest tally behind only the US.

    Read our full story

  14. Not everywhere in England will see pubs and hair salons reopenpublished at 10:33 British Summer Time 4 July 2020

    Police officer in LeicesterImage source, Reuters

    As the rest of England reopens, Leicester remains in lockdown after a surge in coronavirus infections was detected in the city.

    New regulations for the "local lockdown" came into force at midnight - and now mean people or businesses that repeatedly flout the new law could receive fines of up to £3,200.

    A ban on social gatherings, overnight stays, and the reopening of hotels, pubs and restaurants are all included in the new legislation.

    Read more here.

  15. First look at how English pubs will help track customerspublished at 10:24 British Summer Time 4 July 2020

    As pubs in England reopen we're starting to see how some chains are collecting contact information from customers to use in the event of a coronavirus outbreak.

    JD Wetherspoon - which has over 900 sites - is handing out slips of paper for punters to fill in and place in a box.

    As Guardian journalist Rob Davies hints, it's perhaps not quite what Britons are used to.

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  16. The puzzle of Japan's low Covid death ratepublished at 10:15 British Summer Time 4 July 2020

    People wear face masks in Yokohama, Japan. File photoImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Japan has never had strict virus restrictions

    Japan, despite an elderly population, has had no lockdown. So why haven't more people died from Covid-19 there, asks the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes?

    Some experts believe the Asian nation has "historical immunity", while others credit the public general compliance with the government's coronavirus instructions.

    Read our full story

  17. England reopening in pictures: First pints and midnight nuptialspublished at 10:07 British Summer Time 4 July 2020

    Michael Robinson drinks a pintImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Michael Robinson drank the first pint poured at The Toll Gate pub in north London since March

    JD Wetherspoon pub in central LondonImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Many early pub-goers opted for traditional cooked breakfasts

    A member of staff delivers pints wearing a face mask at a pub in LiverpoolImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    While the drinks remain the same, there are noticeable changes at pubs across England today

    Louise Arnold-Wilson (left) and Jennifer (right) marry at Runcorn Town Hall Registry OfficeImage source, Handout
    Image caption,

    Louise Arnold-Wilson (left) and Jennifer (right) married at Runcorn Town Hall Registry Office at 00:01 on Saturday

  18. All you need to know England's latest reopeningpublished at 09:59 British Summer Time 4 July 2020

    Hair salonImage source, Getty Images

    Pubs, restaurants, and hairdressers have reopened as England takes another step out of its lockdown.

    There are also changes to rules in Scotland and Wales - while Northern Ireland saw pubs and restaurants open on Friday

    Read more about the changes where you are here.

  19. Covid-19 cases rise in Melbournepublished at 09:47 British Summer Time 4 July 2020

    People queue at a Covid-19 pop up testing centre in Melbourne's suburb of Brunswick West. Photo: 4 July 2020Image source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    People queue at a Covid-19 pop up testing centre in Melbourne's suburb of Brunswick West

    Australia's Victoria state reported 108 new infections in the past 24 hours.

    This is the second-highest daily total recorded in the state since the outbreak began.

    Although the country has largely managed to contain the virus - with only about 8,200 cases and 104 deaths across Australia so far - Melbourne has seen a spike in recent weeks.

    In addition to 36 suburbs of the city already in lockdown, a further nine tower blocks of public housing are also being quarantined.

  20. Portishead barbers helps customers with lockdown anxietypublished at 09:37 British Summer Time 4 July 2020

    Tammy McAllister
    BBC News

    Bosscut BarbersImage source, Muz Brittain

    A barber-hairdresser salon in the Western English town of Portishead opened its doors at 07:00. The phone has not stopped ringing and it's fully booked for the next week.

    Barbers at the Bosscut Barbers and Hair Salon have also been trained by the Lions Barber Collective, external which aims to support men, external with mental health issues.

    Owner Muz Brittain said: "We have split our team in two to avoid cross contamination, and to allow our salon and barbers to remain open even at 50% capacity if someone in a team comes into contact with a virus carrier.

    "Today has been really good, we are focusing on keeping all our clients calm and reassured they are in safe hands.

    "Feedback has been positive. We started very early this morning but already I have had a client who struggled over the lockdown with his anxiety.

    "He has left after a good chat with a smile on his face and with a clean and fresh fade."

    Bosscut BarbersImage source, Muz Brittain