Yahoo News Coronavirus: The 13 major developments that happened on Monday
Here’s what you need to know on 15 June. This article was updated at 5pm.
Deaths: The number of people who have died across the UK after contracting coronavirus has risen by 38 in 24 hours. No new deaths in Scotland or Northern Ireland have been reported. Read more here.
Policy: Passengers who do not wear face coverings on public transport can have “reasonable force” used against them by police. The Department for Transport rules can also be enforced by police and transport staff with fines of £100. Read more here.
Protests: Police have called for a ban on more protests during the coronavirus response, saying officers are being put at risk of COVID-19 being spread in crowds. John Apter, chairman of the Police Federation, said about the usual right to protest: “We are not in normal times.” Read more here.
Lockdown: The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned against a further easing of England’s lockdown rules. The WHO said the country’s tracing system should be robust and effective before the next lift. Read more here.
Long queues have formed outside shops in England as the government allowed non-essential retail to reopen on Monday morning. Customers have been encouraged to go out and spend but to “be sensible” in their approach, as the government seeks to begin reopening the economy “gradually and carefully”. Despite the queues, footfall in the first two hours of trading was down 44% compared to a year earlier. Read more here.
Vaccine: Demand for influenza vaccines has soared as countries concerned about a second wave of the coronavirus seek to vaccinate great swathes of their population to reduce pressure on their health services. Health officials in the UK are considering whether to offer flu vaccines across the board to protect against the disease. Read more here.
Finance: The UK economy will experience a steep 8% contraction in 2020 due to the pandemic and will not fully recover from the blow until 2023, according to a new forecast from the EY Item Club. Predicting a stark 15% decline in gross domestic product during the second quarter, the report nonetheless predicts the UK economy will start to recover in the third quarter. Read more here.
Business: A zoo in Devon has become the first in the UK to close permanently because of the coronavirus pandemic. Living Coasts, a conservation charity in Torquay, will not reopen as a visitor attraction after being unable to manage its "substantial” maintenance costs during the lockdown without income from ticket sales. Read more here.
Jaguar Land Rover confirmed that up to 1,100 contract and agency workers in the UK could lose their jobs as the carmaker scales up its cost-cutting measures in response to the coronavirus crisis. Workers on temporary service contracts at locations including Solihull, Castle Bromwich, and Halewood in Liverpool are likely to be affected by the measures. Read more here.
Read more about COVID-19
How to get a coronavirus test if you have symptoms
What you can and can’t do under lockdown rules
In pictures: How UK school classrooms could look in new normal
How public transport could look after lockdown
How our public spaces will change in the future
Rest of the world
Beijing’s lockdown has tightened after a spike in positive coronavirus cases. A total of 21 residential communities, housing about 90,000 people, have now been closed off. Read more here.
The US recorded its lowest daily death count since since the peak in mid-April, at 382. The figure has been at around 800 per day recently. Read more here.
Positive news
A drive-in cinema event held over the weekend has given hope for making the most of summer evenings this year despite social distancing. The first was held in Belfast and many more are planned for across the UK. Read more here.
Gorillas at London Zoo got bunting and special snacks as they prepared to welcome visitors back after three months. Daniel Simmonds, team leader of primates at the zoo, said: “Of course the animals have been missing the visitors, the gorillas have really been looking out for people.” Read more here.
