US President Donald Trump has whipped up political opposition within his own party to his controversial suggestion of a “delay” to November's presidential election.

In a tweet on Thursday, Trump mooted the idea of postponing the poll over concerns about mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic.

He suggested that increased postal voting during the pandemic could lead to fraud and inaccurate results.

For the suggestion of a delay, Trump was rebuked by senior members of the Republican party, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy both dismissing the idea.

Trump does not have the authority to postpone the election, as any delay would have to be approved by Congress.

Our North America reporter, Anthony Zurcher, has written some analysis about the process of delaying a presidential election.

Image source, EPA

It’s sizzlingly hot in France – the temperature topped 40C (104F) in Biarritz on Thursday – and local authorities are alarmed about overcrowded beaches.

Local authorities are being given extra powers to enforce the wearing of masks outdoors but beach resorts have already rushed to tighten coronavirus restrictions

In La Rochelle on the Atlantic coast, and Argelès-sur-mer and Grau-du-Roi on the Mediterranean, mask-wearing is now compulsory in public spaces. Saint-Malo in Brittany has made it compulsory until 30 August.

From next week vacationers in Bayonne and Biarritz will also have to wear masks in town, or pay fines.

Biarritz, Quiberon and Sables d'Olonne on the Atlantic coast will bar access to their beaches at night – a measure aimed at curbing beach parties popular among young people.

After months of lockdown, there is concern in Europe that many young people, enjoying some freedom again, are flouting social distancing rules.

Reality Check

Image source, EPA

At the Downing Street press briefing, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he’d asked the home secretary to “work with the police and others to ensure that the rules which are already in place are properly enforced” meaning a “greater police presence to ensure face coverings are being worn where this is required by law”.

He also announced that wearing them would become compulsory in museums, galleries, cinemas and places of worship from 8 August.

The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) releases data on the number of fines issued for breaches of coronavirus restrictions.

The most recent release, external was on 27 July and showed that between 7 and 20 July, just six fixed penalty notices were issued in England to people for not wearing a face covering on public transport.

New rules requiring people to wear a face covering in shops, takeaways and banks came into force on 24 July. We don’t yet have data on how many fines have been issued to people for not complying with these rules.

The PM has just finished speaking at a Downing Street press conference.

Let’s take a look at the main points:

• Further easing of restrictions which had been due to come in tomorrow in England are postponed until 15 August at the earliest – this includes the opening of casinos, bowling alleys, indoor theatres and concerts with social distancing
• Changes to wedding celebrations to allow up to 30 guests are also postponed
• Shielding will be paused nationally from 1 August as planned
• Face covering rules will be extended to additional settings in England from 8 August, including museums. There will be a greater police presence to enforce this
• The introduction of new restrictions in northern England is not a "return to lockdown" - but further local restrictions will be implemented as needed
• No change to work-from-home guidance from tomorrow - meaning more people will still be encouraged to go in to their workplaces. The PM promised to "come down hard” on workplaces which people do not feel are safe
• People who test positive for coronavirus will not be discharged into care homes
• New slogan from the PM: "Hands, face, space, get a test”
• Rise in infection rates in several parts of the world is not a "second wave", says Professor Chris Whitty, but if people increase the number of people they meet, the virus rate will increase "inevitably"

Reality Check

On 17 July, the prime minister set out plans to further ease lockdown rules from 1 August to:

• Reopen most remaining leisure settings, including bowling, skating rinks and casinos
• Allow live indoor theatre and concert performances to resume with socially distanced audiences
• Reopen all close contact services including any treatments on the face, such as eyebrow threading or make-up application
• Allow wedding receptions for as many as 30 people

These changes have now been postponed for at least a fortnight, with the prime minister saying at a Downing Street press conference that "we should now squeeze that brake pedal to keep the virus under control".

The changes to the guidance for employers, allowing them to make decisions about how and where their staff can work safely from tomorrow, will remain in place.

And plans to pause shielding from 1 August will proceed as planned.

James Gallagher
Health and science correspondent, BBC News

Cases in England are increasing for the first time since May.

Data from the Office for National Statistics shows there are around 4,200 new infections a day compared with 2,800 a week ago.

This is not a return to the height of the epidemic in March, but it is telling.

Every restriction we ease increases the ability of the coronavirus to spread and the government’s science advisers have always warned there was not much wiggle room to lift restrictions and still suppress the virus.

The uptick in infections is a warning we may have already passed the limit of lifting lockdown.

That is why Boris Johnson has delayed some of the planned lifting of restrictions in England and face masks will become a more frequent sight.

The big question remains around schools. If the current rules are leading to an increase in cases, can we open schools as well? If we open schools will we have to close something else?

It is worth noting all this is happening in July and scientists suspect the virus will spread even more easily in the winter months.

Boris Johnson praises "staycations", saying some of his happiest childhood memories are of holidays in the UK. Mr Johnson says he might have a short break in this country this summer.

He also says he will make sure there are no discharges into care homes of people who test positive for coronavirus.

It's important that everyone complies with guidance in an effort to prevent infections increasing, the PM adds.

That ends the press conference.

England's chief medical officer Chris Whitty is asked whether we moved too fast in lifting the lockdown.

"Every society is having to test how fast we can open up," he says.

"Ministers have decided to go in a very staged way and that's allowed stopping things if the system does not allow - and that's what happening today.

"By going in stages you can stop at certain points and say 'Actually, that's a perfectly sensible thing to think about, but looking at the data now this does not look like a sensible step to take at this point in time.'"

Asked what his message is to people apprehensive about returning to workplaces, the PM said: "It is safe to get into a Covid-safe workplace and that is our guidance."

"We will come down hard" on businesses that are not keeping workplaces safe, Johnson said.

Responding to a question about his summer plans, the prime minister said "I will be working flat out", but added that he "may allow a brief staycation to creep into the agenda, if that's possible".

The PM apparently launches a new slogan aimed at improving people's behaviour during the pandemic. "Hands, face, space, get a test," he says.

This follows the introduction of "Stay alert, Control the virus, Save lives".

The BBC's Leila Nathoo asks the prime minister how worried he is that there will be a surge in cases.

“I’ve said throughout the pandemic there would be fresh outbreaks,” Johnson says.

“We’re now seeing a warning light on the dashboard - it’s right to respond in the way that we are.

“The answer lies with all of us following that guidance."

Chief medical officer Chris Whitty is asked if it is safe for schools to open in the autumn.

He said it is a "difficult balancing act" but "we have probably reached or neared the limits of what we can do in terms of opening up society".

"We have to be realistic - the idea that we can open up everything and keep the virus under control is clearly wrong. We are at the outer edge of what we can do and so choices will have to be made."

But it is clear that "schools are an absolute priority" for society.

The government must explain restrictions as "clearly and crisply as we can", Boris Johnson says. The best way of controlling the virus is through good "human behaviour", he adds. "Wash your hands," he tells the public.

Prof Chris Whitty adds that the rise in infection rates in several parts of the world is not a "second wave". If people increase the number of people they meet, the virus rate will increase "inevitably", he says.

It may be necessary to "pull back" from easing restrictions to prevent this, Prof Whitty says.

The prime minister says the rules on face coverings will be extended "to other indoor settings where you're likely to come into contact with people you do not normally meet such as museums, galleries, cinemas and places of worship."

"We now recommend face coverings are worn in these settings and this will become enforceable in law from the 8 August," he says.

The PM says the introduction of new restrictions in northern England is not a "return to lockdown".

There are "trade-offs" needed, he adds, saying that getting children back to school at the start of next term "should be a national priority".

The PM says people in England will be encouraged to wear face coverings in new settings - such as museums - from 8 August.

He reiterates that people should follow rules such as washing their hands and getting tested if they develop coronavirus symptoms.

On working from home, Boris Johnson says the guidance - under which more going in to workplaces is to be encouraged from tomorrow - remains the same. The "national pause" on shielding will also still go ahead from tomorrow, the PM adds.

Venues that had been due to open tomorrow will not do so until at least 15 August. These include bowling alleys, skating rinks and casinos, Boris Johnson says.

Changes to wedding celebrations will also be postponed, he adds.

The prime minister warns against complacency, saying that was why new restrictions were imposed on people meeting in parts of northern England last night. Businesses and workplaces there should continue "as normal", he adds.

Johnson promises to keep looking at the national picture too. The country should now "squeeze the brake pedal" to keep the outbreak under control.

Boris Johnson says progress against coronavirus continues, with death numbers falling, but adds that some European countries are "struggling" to control it. The UK must be ready to "react", he adds.

The prevalence of the virus in England is now likely to be rising, he says.