Coronavirus news – live: Boris Johnson says groups of six can meet in private outdoor spaces as test and trace stumbles at launch

Groups of up to six people in England will be allowed to meet in outdoor spaces from Monday, Boris Johnson has announced. The prime minister confirmed all five tests required for the next phase of lockdown easing in England to begin have been met.

It comes as UK’s test and trace system was plunged into chaos on its first day, with many NHS staff unable to access the system. An army of 25,000 contact tracers had been due to be begin work on Thursday, but the programme’s launch has been beset by problems and the government has admitted it will not be “fully operational” until the end of June.

Meanwhile, groups of up to eight from two different households are to be allowed to meet outdoors in Scotland after Nicola Sturgeon announce the country’s first step out of lockdown.