- Georgina Hayes, liveblogging
- Global Health Security Team
4 JULY 2020 • 11:43AMF
- Boris Johnson urges public to ‘enjoy summer safely’ as pubs get ready to reopen
- Priti Patel: Please be responsible this weekend
- Super Saturday: Everything you can and can’t do today
- NHS cleaners and porters were coronavirus ‘super-spreaders’ in hospitals
- Furlough ‘flip’ could mean Government gives wage support to people in work
- Sign up to The Telegraph Global Health Security bulletin
England has emerged from its “long national hibernation” with a “Super Saturday” of reopenings that included pubs and beer gardens at 6am.
Restaurants, hairdressers and cinemas were able to reopen from midnight on Friday, but pubs had to wait until Saturday morning – a decision Downing Street said was intended to prevent any midnight partying.
Writing for The Telegraph, Home Secretary Priti Patel issued a warning to the public not to “jeopardise the hard work and sacrifices we have all made” by engaging in “irresponsible behaviour and carelessness” after lockdown ends.
“I know people across the country have missed going to the pub, and I am delighted they can open their doors again today. But there is no excuse for alcohol-fuelled violence and disorder, and the police stand ready to uphold the law,” Ms Patel wrote.
England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty warned that the coronavirus pandemic “is a long way from gone”, while chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance warned of the danger of “super-spreading” the virus in pubs.
Boris Johnson said he did not want to return to a national closure of pubs but would “retain all measures in reserve”.
Mr Johnson urged people to enjoy themselves “in a responsible way” and “maintain social distancing while also enjoying pubs”.
Follow the latest updates below.
NHS staff urge caution as pubs reopen
Green light for Formula 1 after negative Covid-19 tests
Formula One’s travelling circus was given a medical thumbs-up today when organisers announced that everyone involved at this weekend’s season-opening Austrian Grand Prix had tested negative for Covid-19, AFP reports.
In a statement, organisers in Spielberg said 4,032 personnel had been tested between June 26 and July 2 without a single positive result.
Formula One added that aggregated information, following further tests carried out every five days, will be published once a week.
Everyone who enters the F1 paddock must have a clean bill of health and be tested regularly.
This weekend’s race is the first of two on successive Sundays at the Red Bull Ring and is being run behind closed doors under strict health and safety protocols.
Brits not comfortable returning to normal
New polling from Ipsos Mori suggests that consumers in the UK aren’t raring to go out when lockdown is lifted.
Respondents were split evenly on the issue of going to the hairdressers, but enthusiasm for other post-lockdown activities appears to be much more muted.
NHS cleaners and porters were coronavirus ‘super-spreaders’ in hospitals
Cleaners, porters and office staff working for the NHS were “super-spreaders” of coronavirus within hospitals, according to initial results from a national screening drive.
Sir John Bell, who oversees the Government’s antibody testing programme, said domiciliary workers in some hospitals were found to have “sky-high” levels of antibodies compared to doctors and nurses who treated patients in intensive care.
The discovery has prompted health bosses to examine how lower-paid workers can be better protected from the virus in the event of a second coronavirus wave, he said. It comes amid growing suspicion that a large proportion of virus cases were spread by medical workers rather than in the community.
In May, the Government asked NHS health chiefs to test staff for coronavirus antibodies in their blood in order to map the spread of disease in hospitals.
Bill Gardner has more here.
UK hit by backlash from ‘excluded’ Portugal as it unveils quarantine-free countries
Britain faced a backlash last night from Portugal, one of our most popular tourist destinations, after ditching it from a list of 74 countries and territories that English holidaymakers can visit without quarantine.
Canada, the USA, China and Thailand were also excluded from the “amber” and “green” lists of countries to which English holidaymakers can fly and avoid quarantine on their return to the UK from Friday July 10.
Among those included on the lists were short-haul destinations such as Spain, France, Italy, Turkey, Greece, Croatia and Cyprus, as well as long-haul locations including Australia, Barbados, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand and Vietnam.
However, Portugal, where the Algarve is rated the third most popular European holiday spot for Britons, was left off because of a recent spike in Coronavirus cases in and around Lisbon.
Portugal’s foreign ministry said in a tweet it was “absurd” that Britain imposed quarantine on travellers coming from Portugal despite having 28 times more deaths from the coronavirus.
Charles Hymas, Dominic Penna and Jorge Branco have more here.
How many cases are in your area?
Comment: If there’s a second wave, who are we going to blame?
We all pray it doesn’t happen. But say there’s a second wave of Covid-19. Who will be to blame? Even at this early stage, a clear consensus is starting to form, writes Michael Deacon.
The answer is… us.
Look at the poll this week for ITV’s politics show, Peston. Respondents were asked who they would blame for a second wave: the Government, or the public? And, by a thumping ratio of two to one, they chose the public.
In other words: the British people will blame the British people, rather than the ministers who are actually in charge. A surprising result. After all, for the past four years the prevailing political narrative has been, “Ordinary people aren’t stupid. Blame the elite.” Suddenly it seems to be, “Don’t blame the elite. Ordinary people are stupid.”
An unexpected twist. Yet this, apparently, is the way things are headed. If a second wave comes, the Government can accuse the public of failing to show “common sense”. And we, it seems, will sheepishly agree.
Read the full piece here.
Not everyone is happy about the Government’s priorities…
England reopening, in pictures
The UK art galleries reopening in July – and the best exhibitions to see
The first major institution to re-open in England will be the National Gallery in London, on July 8. The Barbican, Royal Academy and Tate galleries will follow before the end of July.
Smaller commercial galleries have already re-opened in England, as they’re classed as “non-essential retail” and were thus able to welcome visitors (and customers) back, as other shops were, from June 15.
Scottish institutions remain closed, with the next review of guidelines due no earlier than July 9. Their Welsh counterparts will not open before August. Northern Irish galleries, however, can re-open from July 3.
When will each of the major venues re-open, what will they be showing when they do – and what’s worth seeing?
Cal Revely-Calder and Lucy Davies have all you need to know here.
What the Covid cinema experience is actually like
Cinemas can reopen from today – but what can customers expect? Robbie Collin visits a Covid-ready venue to find out.
In the middle of the upstairs foyer at the Genesis Cinema sits an enormous pile of lavatories. They’re brand new ones, delivered earlier this week, and are being fitted before the place reopens tomorrow, 109 days after the coronavirus pandemic forced its doors shut.
“In January, I remember thinking, ‘When on earth are we ever going to be able to close all of our toilet facilities at once?’ ” says Tyrone Walker-Hebborn, who bought and restored the east-London venue in 1999 after it had lain derelict for more than 10 years. “So that’s been something, at least.”
Lean and avuncular, with a heavy-duty East End accent, the 54-year-old surveys the Herculean plumbing task before him and sucks in his cheeks. “It’s hard to believe we’ve had three months to do this and we’re still rushing to get finished,” he says.
Read the full piece here.
The joy of that first pint…
How will pubs track their customers?
JD Wetherspoon – which has over 900 sites – is handing out slips of paper for customers to fill in and place in a box in case they need to be contacted regarding Covid-19.
Guardian journalist Rob Davies has shared some pictures of what you can expect:
Catalonia places 200,000 people under lockdown
Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region has today locked down an area with around 200,000 residents near the town of Lerida following a surge in Covid-19 cases, AFP reports.
“We have decided to confine the del Segria zone following data confirming a sharp rise in Covid-19 infections,” Catalonia’s regional president Quim Torra told reporters, adding that no one would be allowed to enter or leave the area.
Hello cars and farewell mosh pits – is this the future of live music?
Speaking to industry insiders, Neil McCormick explains how the experience of going to gigs will soon be transformed.
You flash your biometric app for a visor-wearing doorman with an infrared thermometer. Fluorescent arrows lead to a table where pre-ordered drinks await. The band are spread across an outsized stage, playing in-house instruments over the venue PA.
A barrier ensures no stray droplets from the singer reach the front rows as they launch into their viral hit, Social Distance Blues. Dancers in face masks throw semaphore poses from personal circles on a demarcated dance floor. You raise your voice to sing along and consider it well worth that £400 you blew on a pair of tickets.
Meanwhile, down the dark end of the street, police gather to break up another squat rock show, following reports of an illegal mosh pit. Back at home, Zoomers tune into a live webcast, share highlights on social media platforms and clock up “likes”, wondering why anyone would want to be there in the flesh.
Read the full piece here.
England reopens, in pictures
Pubs reopen to fight the battle against FOGO – fear of going out
“Timing has never been my strong suit,” says Trevor Brown, landlord of the Pickled Ploughman pub in Adderbury, Oxfordshire.
Nine months after he bought the pub, trade had just begun to take off in the local community when Boris Johnson ordered people to stop visiting watering holes amid growing fears over the spread of coronavirus. The Pickled Ploughman lost more than £10,000 in sales in just a fortnight and was eventually forced to shut under lockdown rules.
“The biggest hurt was at that point we didn’t know about the furlough scheme and all I could see was having to make 15 people redundant,” Brown says.
Emma Shepherd, landlord of the Blue Ball in Worrall, Sheffield, will welcome back customers following an even longer leave of absence. The pub, owned by Admiral Taverns, closed in early March for a major refurbishment that gave it a kitchen for the first time.
Hannah Uttley has more on pub landlords describing their battle for survival during lockdown. Read the full piece here.
Hospitality firms braced for £73bn coronavirus sales hit
The crisis in hospitality will cost the economy £73bn this year, experts warned as battered pubs and restaurants reopen today.
A combination of lost tourism, weak consumer spending and operating constraints due to social distancing mean that more than half of the industry’s £133bn annual sales are set to be wiped out in 2020, according to trade body UKHospitality.
The projections, which are based on official data, underscore the scale of the challenge facing pubs, restaurants and other hospitality outlets as they welcome back customers this weekend.
People in Wales told not to travel more than five miles to England
People in Wales must continue to follow the five-mile advice and stay local this weekend as pubs open over the border in England, the First Minister has said.
Mark Drakeford said that while those living very close to England may be able to visit pubs that are open, it would not be possible for the majority of people in Wales.
Police forces have also urged Welsh residents to heed the “stay local” advice while Transport for Wales said public transport should only be used for “essential travel”.
The “stay local” requirement in Wales will end on Monday when two households will be able to form one extended household – enabling families to be reunited. But pubs in Wales will only be allowed to operate outdoors from July 13.
“I certainly do say to people who are thinking of going across the border that the five-mile advice, the stay local regulations, remain in place in Wales this weekend,” Mr Drakeford said.
“So while there are populations very close to the border who may choose to travel, for most of us that will not be a possibility.”
Covid-19 cases rise in Melbourne
Victoria, Australia’s second most populous state, has reported 108 new Covid-19 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 surge 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.
Activists, lawyers and public health experts have raised concerns about the decision to lock down the public housing towers.
Indonesia reports 1,447 new cases
Indonesia reported 1,447 new Covid-19 infections today, health ministry official Achmad Yurianto said, taking the nation’s tally to 62,142, while 53 more deaths took its toll to 3,089.
Second wave will be ‘much more muted’
Without an effective testing and tracing system there will be a second wave in the UK, although “much more muted” than the first, according to an expert.
Professor Karl Friston, an epidemiologist at University College London, told BBC Newsnight: “If we do not really accelerate the find, test, trace and isolate then yes, there will be [a second wave].
“Perhaps it will be useful to say it’s not going to be the kind of wave we saw with the Spanish flu, this is going to be a much more muted second wave, that the models at the moment suggest will be in early January. It won’t be of the same magnitude as the first wave by far.”
When asked about what that death toll might be, Prof Friston gave the “laughably precise estimate” of 6,792 deaths under that particular modelling.
Super Saturday, in pictures
‘People have to be tremendously cautious’
Covid-19 “is with us” and infection rates are still not coming down very fast, Professor Robert West, an epidemiologist from University College London told the BBC.
“We are looking at around 20,000 new infections a week and around 1,000 deaths a week and the rates aren’t coming down very fast so people have to be tremendously cautious here,” he said in an interview with BBC Breakfast.
Despite the hospitality sector doing “everything” it can to reopen safely, he added: “As we open up these businesses you will get more contact… and that means you will get more infections and unfortunately it means you will get more deaths.”
“The key here is do everything you possibly can to minimise the risk,” he urged.
How is the reopening different across the four nations?
Today might be dubbed “Super Saturday”, but only in England.
In Northern Ireland, pubs and restaurants reopened on Friday.
In Scotland, beer gardens and outdoor restaurants will be allowed to reopen from Monday July 6, and indoor areas can be used from July 15.
The Welsh Government has promised talks with the hospitality sector about a “potential phased” reopening, but no dates have yet been given.
Comment: Why I will be lifting a cautious pint to Super Saturday
It’s been a long six months since China revealed a new pathogen had broken out around a wet market in Wuhan, writes our global health security editor Paul Nuki.
Today, after three months, Britain’s pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, cinemas, museums and galleries are opening again. Hopefully, it will be a day we remember fondly; a day which, as Boris Johnson put it, marks “our long national hibernation beginning to come to an end”; an independence day to be celebrated with fireworks in years to come.
I will certainly be lifting a pint (perhaps two) but I will do so cautiously in a pub with hand sanitiser at the gate and a well-spaced beer garden.
I’ve managed to avoid Sars-Cov-2 so far and at 56, with a one-in-a-hundred chance of popping my clogs if I catch it, I want to keep it that way. There is, as yet, no evidence the bug is losing its potency, but the further away in time you get from the bat that sparked it, the greater that chance becomes.
Read the full piece here.
Exclusive: I had the UK’s first covid-secure haircut
Without wishing to rub it in, for the thousands desperate to remedy overgrown roots and fraying split ends, I was the grateful recipient of the very first covid-secure haircut in the UK – and the experience was every inch as thrilling as I expected, writes Sonia Haria.
So, what was different? There were obvious changes from a pre-covid haircut from the get-go, at the salon Buller & Rice in Walthamstow, London, run by colourist Anita Rice and hairdresser Stephen Buller.
I had to arrive at the salon at my allotted appointment time with very minimal belongings, and I waited outside for a moment before Stephen opened the door for me. I then used their alcohol hand gel immediately, before being offered a cloth face covering to wear (which I kept on throughout my visit).
Although it isn’t a Government requirement for clients to wear a face covering throughout their hairdressing service, most salons including Buller & Rice are asking each customer to either bring their own, or wear one supplied by the salon. Both Stephen and Anita were wearing visors, which is a requirement in the Government guidelines issued last week.
Read the full account here.
Bustling queues outside Wetherspoons in Gloucester…
Marriage ceremonies resume with confetti banned
Confetti will not be thrown for couples tying the knot today, as marriage ceremonies resume following the easing of lockdown restrictions.
With weddings allowed to take place across the country, the Government has advised against the popular tradition of showering newlyweds on the church steps for fear that guests could spread Covid-19.
Lauren Webb, a 28-year-old private tutor from Wrasbury who is marrying her partner Daniel Landi, 28, on Saturday said: “It’s a real shame we can’t have confetti as we had planned to have one of those iconic photos of us leaving the church being showered with confetti, I feel we are missing out.”
The bride and groom decided to defer their full celebrations until next year after the lockdown left them just 10 days to plan their wedding.
Newly published government guidance stated couples going ahead with nuptials should only welcome up to 30 guests, with no singing, dancing or food or drink at the chosen venue.
Max Stephens and Jessica Carpani have more here.
‘Zero-Covid Scotland can only happen with England’s cooperation’
Not everyone is feeling cheerful about England’s major easing of lockdown today.
Devi Sridhar, professor of global health at the University of Edinburgh and adviser to the Scottish Government on Covid-19 has said that the virus is still circulating in too high numbers for people to be going into pubs and bars, risking a chain of infections.
Prof Sridhar, who advocates for the elimination of the virus in Scotland so that things can return to normal more quickly, says this can only be done with England’s cooperation.
Careers service to get £32 million boost to help young through crisis
The National Careers Service (NCS) is to get a £32 million boost to help young people in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, according to the Treasury.
The extra funding will have an impact on more than a quarter of a million people, the Government said.
The move should lead to 270,000 more people receiving advice, according to the Government, with Chancellor Rishi Sunak set to announce next week that hundreds more recruitment advisers will be hired.
The funding will form part of an announcement by the Chancellor in the coming days on how the Government plans to deal with the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Russia’s death toll passes 10,000
Russia has passed another grim Covid-19 milestone, with 168 deaths reported in the last 24 hours bringing the official death toll to 10,027.
The country has also reported 6.632 new cases of the virus, raising the nationwide daily of infections to 674,515.
Nationwide clap planned to celebrate anniversary of NHS
A nationwide round of applause is set to take place on Sunday evening to mark the 72nd anniversary of the NHS, and people will also be encouraged to observe a minute’s silence and light a candle today in remembrance of people who have died during the coronavirus pandemic.
Boris Johnson is expected to take part, with Downing Street to be lit up blue tonight as a candle is lit at the Prime Minister’s official residence at 9pm.
Mr Johnson will meet NHS workers in the Number 10 garden on Sunday afternoon, and, speaking at a Downing Street press conference on Friday, urged the public to clap for “those who have worked tirelessly and selflessly to help the nation get through this pandemic”.
Other public buildings including the Royal Albert Hall, Blackpool Tower, the Shard and the Wembley Arch will also be lit up in blue in tribute to the NHS.
What is opening today, and how will the lockdown rules change?
The biggest changes to lockdown rules have come into effect today – in England, at least – as part of the early July rule variations, with social distancing rules relaxed and various sectors of the economy, including pubs, restaurants and galleries, reopening.
Our reporters have all you need to know on what rules have changed for what’s being called “Super Saturday”.
From pubs and cinemas to social distancing and social bubbles, we have all you need to know here. https://cf-particle-html.eip.telegraph.co.uk/288792cd-912e-4469-96bd-f6b4e2f78acb.html?ref=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/coronavirus-news-lockdown-end-uk-hairdressers-pubs-reopen-hotels/&title=Coronavirus%20latest%20news:%20First%20pints%20poured%20as%20pubs%20reopen%20across%20England
Pubs reopening, in pictures
Police officers injured breaking up illegal music event in White City
Seven officers have been injured after police interrupted an unlicensed music event in West London.
Police were called to White City on Friday evening following reports of a number of people gathered at an estate.
Bricks and other missiles were thrown at police when they attempted to engage the group, forcing them to retreat before additional public order-trained officers arrived.
The additional officers then arrived on the scene to disperse the group and were met with further hostility and violence, police said.
A Dispersal Zone has been authorised in the area while a section 60 order is also now in place.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said seven officers had sustained injuries as a result of the clashes.
“Officers have responded to residents complaining about a large gathering, noise, anti-social behaviour and violence,” he said. “These gatherings are illegal and also pose a risk to public health.
“The violence shown towards officers this evening was totally unacceptable and we will not tolerate it in any form. Officers encountered bricks and other missiles being thrown at them.
“Our robust police response demonstrated that we will police incidents like these firmly and stop those intent on causing harm or disruption to our communities.”
More than 100 new cases in Victoria
Australia’s second most-populous state, Victoria, reported its biggest jump in coronavirus cases since late March, forcing it to expand stay-home orders to two more suburbs and sending nine public-housing towers into complete lockdown.
The state recorded 108 new cases on Saturday, up from 66 on Friday and more than 70 new cases in each of the previous four days, forcing authorities to reimpose lockdowns in more than 30 suburbs earlier in the week.
“These numbers are a very real concern to all of us,” Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said.
The spike in Victoria is being closely watched because the rest of the country has reined in the virus.
Australia’s most-populated state, New South Wales, reported six new cases on Saturday, five of them returning travellers from overseas.https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-12&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1279299365543096322&lang=en-gb&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Fglobal-health%2Fscience-and-disease%2Fcoronavirus-news-lockdown-end-uk-hairdressers-pubs-reopen-hotels%2F&siteScreenName=TelegraphTech&theme=light&widgetsVersion=9066bb2%3A1593540614199&width=550px
Another day of more than 100 infections in Tokyo
Tokyo confirmed about 130 new cases of infections of coronavirus on Saturday, a third consecutive day with more than 100 new cases, public broadcaster NHK reported.
Cases in Tokyo have risen to a two-month high, driven by the spread of the virus in the capital’s night spots.
Tokyo on Friday reported 124 new cases, up from 107 the day before, partly due to increased testing among nightlife workers in the Shinjuku and Ikebukuro districts.
Japan’s infection rates remain far below many other countries but the rising number of cases and the possibility of renewed restrictions have put authorities and businesses on edge.
Pubs keen to see customers – but with new rules
Pubs across England took to social media to announce they were looking forward to opening their doors to patrons once again – but with some changes to avoid the spread of coronavirus.
The Duke of Edinburgh was among those who shared their excitement with pubgoers in south-west London on Friday night, ahead of Super Saturday.
“Hello Brixton! We’re excited to be reopening our doors again tomorrow and welcoming you all back after far too long away. As we all know, things are going to be different for a while but we are working hard to retain our legendary SW9 vibes whilst keeping everyone safe,” the pub tweeted.
“We’ve adjusted our beer garden to allow for social distancing. Please refrain from moving furniture. Contactless card payment please.
“Please do not attend the pub if you don’t have a booking.”https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-13&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1279090191932592128&lang=en-gb&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Fglobal-health%2Fscience-and-disease%2Fcoronavirus-news-lockdown-end-uk-hairdressers-pubs-reopen-hotels%2F&siteScreenName=TelegraphTech&theme=light&widgetsVersion=9066bb2%3A1593540614199&width=550px
Trump girlfriend tests positive for coronavirus
As US President Donald Trump flew across the nation to gather a big crowd of supporters – most of them maskless and all of them flouting public health guidelines that recommend not gathering in large groups – a positive test for coronavirus hit close to home.
The Trump campaign confirmed during the president’s speech at Mt Rushmore that Kimberly Guilfoyle, a top fundraiser for the campaign and the girlfriend of Mr Trump’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr, had tested positive for coronavirus while in South Dakota.
Both Ms Guilfoyle and Trump Jr, who serves as top surrogate for the president, are isolating themselves and have cancelled public events, according to Sergio Gor, chief of staff to the Trump campaign’s finance committee.
Read more: Mt Rushmore speech – Donald Trump vows tougher measures for protesters who seek to ‘defame’ heroes
First post-lockdown haircuts in Camden
One of the first people to visit a hair salon since the nation went into lockdown has said it was nice to feel “like normal” again.
Sandra Jacobs was among the first people through the door at Tusk Hair in Camden on Friday night when the north London business opened its doors at midnight for the first time in three and a half months.
Despite the abundance of masks, aprons and faceshields serving as a reminder of the new normal of post-Covid society, Ms Jacobs said she was just relieved to be sitting in owner Carole Rickaby’s salon chair again.
“It’s such a relief, I can’t tell you,” she said. “My hair was everywhere. I’d been wearing hats to hide it.
“Although Carole is booked for two and a half weeks, I called her and she said I could come in at midnight, which I was grateful for.
“It was nice to feel a bit like normal again.”
Another day of record new cases in US
The US has notched 57,683 Covid-19 cases in 24 hours, a tally by Johns Hopkins University showed, the third consecutive day with record numbers of new infections.
The Baltimore-based university’s tracker showed the total number of cases since the pandemic reached the US at 2,793,022.
The university also recorded a further 728 fatalities, bringing the total US death toll to 129,405.
The new record case count came as infections surge in southern and western states, and as the United States – the hardest-hit country in the world in the pandemic – heads into the July 4th holiday weekend.
Read more: New mutation of coronavirus spreads disease more easily, warns Fauci
Prince William’s pub pint wish comes true
The Duke of Cambridge’s wish for a pint in his local after months of lockdown was granted when he visited a pub ahead of bars and restaurants reopening.
A few weeks ago William joked he was looking forward to having a drink and on Friday he was able to savour a cider when he visited the Rose and Crown in the Norfolk village of Snettisham.
The duke and his family have visited the 600-year-old pub, hotel and restaurant, which is a few miles from their home of Anmer Hall, and William returned to show his support for Britain’s hospitality industry on the eve of customers returning.
After following health protocols and sanitising his hands with gel he asked landlords Anthony and Jeannette Goodrich: “Can I have a pint of cider please? I’m a cider man,” ordering a £4.15 pint of Aspall Suffolk Draught Cyder and a plate of chips.
Read more: Prince William visits the pub for a pint in the garden
The science of staying safe this weekend
After months of being kept apart from one another, finally the moment has arrived when we can have a good, old-fashioned get-together without worrying about coronavirus.
Or worrying too much, anyway. For while the rules now allow two households to gather together indoors, you’re still advised to keep social distancing in place. Saturday’s big family reunion won’t quite be the same as the ones you held in pre-Covid times.
Here’s how to navigate the day as safely as possible, according to science…
Today’s top stories
- Cleaners, porters and office staff working for the NHS were “super-spreaders” of coronavirus within hospitals, according to initial results from a national screening drive
- The Treasury is considering proposals to “flip” the furlough scheme and provide wage support to people in work instead, as Boris Johnson hinted support for some sectors may be available after October
- Discharging hospital patients back into care homes was an “important source” of infection, government experts have admitted, as new figures show that more than half of care homes have had a confirmed case of Covid-19
- Britain faced a backlash last night from Portugal, one of our most popular tourist destinations, after ditching it from a list of 74 countries and territories that English holidaymakers can visit without quarantine
- Boris Johnson called on people to “enjoy summer safely” as he promised to set out details of further lockdown easings.
Source: The Telegraph
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