Hello and welcome to bbc news. Im Victoria Derbyshire with the latest headlines for viewers watching in the uk and around the world. As england gets ready for a big easing of lockdown, Health Leaders warn urgent action is needed to ensure the uk is prepared for a potential second wave of coronavirus. The government publishes its guidance on how businesses in england can operate safely when they reopen in ten days time. The last thing anybody wants is for a second peak. Is for a business to be shut down because its not observing the guidelines and the rules. Well be getting reaction to the lifting of the lockdown in england, as well as looking at the next steps for scotland, wales and Northern Ireland. So, if you run a buiness, how are you preparing . Do let me know. Get in touch at victoria bbc. Co. Uk. The top Infectious Disease expert
in the us warns some parts of the country are seeing a disturbing surge in covid 19 cases. Internet use has surged during lockdown, with adults in the uk spending a record quarter of their day online. Honouring russias heroes. After a delay forced by the coronavirus pandemic, moscow holds its victory parade marking the defeat of nazi germany. Hello and welcome, if youre watching in the uk or around the world, and stay with us for the latest news and analysis from here and across the globe. Health leaders are calling for an urgent review to determine whether the uk is properly prepared for the real risk of a second wave of coronavirus. In an open letter signed
by the royal colleges of surgeons, nursing, physicians, and gps, ministers have been warned that urgent action is needed to prevent further loss of life. Yesterday, the Prime Minister said pubs, restaurants, cinemas and hairdressers in england will be able to reopen from july 4. The department for business has published guidance this morning for businesses to open in a safe way. Elsewhere in the united states, the top Infectious Disease expert has said that theres a disturbing surge in Coronavirus Infections in some parts of the country. And in latin america, the number of deaths has risen above one hundred thousand. More on the Global Situation shortly, but first this report from jon mcmanus. The warning is stark according to the Health Leaders, britain is at real risk of a second wave of coronavirus and needs to undertake a Rapid Assessment in order to prevent further loss of life. In their letter to the british medicaljournal, they say that some of the infrastructure needed to contain a resurgence of covid i9 is in place, but challenges remain and they called for a Cross Party Commission to start providing recommendations for all of the uk by august at the latest. It is essential, they say, in order for the country to get ahead of the curve. We Must Immediately learn the lessons as to how we dealt with the first wave of the pandemic so that the nhs can be at its absolute best if we get a second wave. We must learn where we went wrong with procurement, for instance, that is ppe. The letter comes a day after the westminster government announced sweeping changes to the virus restrictions in england. Pubs and restaurants are set to reopen but social distancing will be observed and staff will take customers Contact Details in case they need to be traced to prevent a virus outbreak. Other venues opening on the 4th
ofjuly include museums and cinemas, and for the first time in months, couples will be able to tie the knot again, but only with 30 guests. These precautions could include installing screens, making sure people face away from each other, providing hand washing facilities, minimising the amount of time you spend with people outside your household and, of course, being outdoors. At that final downing street briefing, the Prime Minister also warned that the relaxations could be reversed. The chief medical officer for england, professor chris whitty, said there would be an uptick in the virus if the public returned to their normal routines. There is frustration among some businesses that were not included in thejuly 4 reopening, like gyms. Leisure bosses say their facilities are vital to maintain immune systems and ward off the virus. Restrictions are still varied across the uk. In scotland, the two metre rule remains in place for now,
but the government in edinburgh said it was very interested to see the Scientific Evidence that had prompted london to ease restrictions in england. The first minister Nicola Sturgeon will provide more details about easing lockdown restrictions later today. While in Northern Ireland, as of yesterday, up to six people can now meet indoors. Shops and places of worship opened earlier this week in wales but the five mile restriction on travel remains in place. John mcmanus, bbc news. The government has published detailed guidance on how pubs, restaurants, hotels and other businesses in england can operate safely when they come out of lockdown in ten days time. Our assistant Political Editor norman smith is at westminster. Companies will be poring over this detailed guidance, wont they . Much of it is very detailed. A lot of it is quite obvious, if you take restau ra nts, pu bs is quite obvious, if you take restaurants, pubs and cafes, they are advised to reduce the number of
customers they have and to reconfigure their premises to allow for more space between tables, ensure they are pre booking and people are not queueing to come into the restaurant. They will be obliged to ta ke the restaurant. They will be obliged to take the Contact Details of people so they can be traced. If there is an upsurge in the virus they will be told to put clear one way marking around the restaurant, to provide plenty of hand gels, santander hand sanitiser is, that kind of thing. There is a lot of specific information, so tables for example should not be delayed until the food is served, condiments should be served in little throwaway packets. Each table should have one individual member of staff assigned to them. Payment should be co nta ctless. To them. Payment should be contactless. It is also suggested, where possible, music should be turned down so people are not trying to talk over it and projecting more loudly, and possibly therefore
transmitting little aerosols of coronavirus. There are calls for pa rents to coronavirus. There are calls for parents to keep their children under control, stop them potentially rushing around cafes and restau ra nts. Rushing around cafes and restaurants. Also the suggestion may be that pubs and bars ought to set up be that pubs and bars ought to set up by be that pubs and bars ought to set up by clap bike racks upside bike racks outside so that people can come with their backs. The business secretary alok sharma said it was on the effect of self interest of businesses to comply with these rules if they wished to remain open. If there are occasions where things are not going according to plan, and particularly, employers and workplaces are not keeping their workers safe, there is an opportunity for people to talk to the local authority inspectors, to talk to the health and safety executives, and they are able to respond. But what i can tell you from the conversations that i have with businesses on a daily basis is that they want to make sure that their workplaces are safe, they are welcoming, and they want their business to grow. The last thing anybody wants is for a second peak. Is for a business to be shutdown because it is not observing the guidelines and rules. And the only way that we will continue to be able to open the economy in a safe and cautious manner is by people continuing to observe the rules and guidelines. The other thing to say, victoria, is that these guidelines yesterday are meant for business, but quite a bit of it applies to us as consumers. So, if you want to go out in future, do not think you can turn up at a restau ra nt do not think you can turn up at a restaurant and ask for a table, you will have to book in advance. You will have to book in advance. You will also have to think about the numbers going, there is a maximum of two households per table. You will be encouraged, where possible, to phonein be encouraged, where possible, to phone in your order in advance or to do it online, or to do it via app, and you will be encouraged to have
co nta ctless and you will be encouraged to have contactless payments. Seating arrangements will probably be a good deal less romantic, you might be sitting slightly at an angle to your nearest and dearest to prevent that transmission going via face to face contact. It will be a new experience, less spontaneous, less noisy, less intimate. Who knows, perhaps less fun . We will have to wait and see. Thank you very much, norman. Thank you. Just looking at your messages. I need to assess, i came place a bet, purchase a pint and go to a funfair but my daughter will have missed school for six months. This is damaging. Whereas the Detailed Planning to help get oui the Detailed Planning to help get our children back to school in england . Marie says, i understand why gems can open, but i cannot understand why hairdressers, pubs and understand why hairdressers, pubs a nd restau ra nts understand why hairdressers, pubs and restaurants can open. Sorry, there is a typo here. I cannot
understand why yoga studios and gems cannot open while pubs restaurants and bars can. And this is from another viewer. Good morning, with the new rules as of the 4th ofjuly cani the new rules as of the 4th ofjuly can i see my grandchildren after months apart . I think the answer is no, unfortunately. You still have to do the social distancing, you can meet them, but you cannot hug them. That will have to do for now, i am afraid. Americas top Infectious Disease expert has told lawmakers that the us is seeing a disturbing surge in Coronavirus Infections in some states. Anthony fauci said the next two weeks would be critical to stop more infections. About 2. 3 million americans
have caught coronavirus and at least 120,000 have died more than any other nation. And as you can see in this data from the covid tracking project, the number of new cases is increasing in more than half of all us states. The southwestern states nevada and texas have alljust notched up single day records for new coronavirus cases. And other states, including california, south carolina, utah, mississippi and louisiana, have seen a surge in caseloads. Freya cole reports. In miami, residents go about their daily business, but under a new rule. Face masks in public are now mandatory after a surge of coronavirus cases in their home state. To be honest, its very uncomfortable, but its just to be precautionary. I do agree with it. Unfortunately, some people havent taken the precautions that we have. Florida is one of the Southern States which is experiencing new outbreaks of covid i9. Cases are also
increasing in the west. Speaking at a rally in arizona, President Trump dismissed fears of a second wave, using racist language to describe the virus, which is putting local Health Services under strain. Wuhan. Wuhan was catching on. Coronavirus, right . Shouting. Kong flu, yeah. Cheering. President trump has suggested he will slow down testing. But americas top Infectious Disease expert has denied any order was ever made. I know for sure, its in my knowledge none of us have ever been told to slow down the testing. That just is a fact. In fact, we will be doing more testing. More than 2 million americans have now been infected with coronavirus and at least 120,000 people have died. It is more than any other nation in the world. Freya cole, bbc news. Scotlands first minister, Nicola Sturgeon is expected to give an update later today on when parts of the scottish economy will be able to open up. She will brief members of the Scottish Parliament on when more lockdown restrictions will be relaxed. 0ur scotland correspondent lorna gordon is in glasgow. The first minister has taken a careful and cautious approach to opening up restrictions here in scotland. She has said that the changes seen in england will not apply here at this stage. She also said interestingly that she did not envisage scots travelling south of the border to go on holiday, for instance, while the five mile advisory against any travel for leisure remains in place here in scotland. But, yes, she is expected to brief msps at holyrood just after 12 oclock, around 12 20pm today on further measures and dates for those further
measures to be eased. So, people will be looking to see, for instance, if beer gardens or outdoor spaces and cafes might be given a date to reopen. That was expected in the second phase of easing restrictions and it did not happen last week. They might also be looking at areas like cinemas, museums and galleries. Will they be given dates to reopen . One area where there will be no change is on that two metre social distancing advice and rule. Nicola sturgeon has said that she wants to see further scientific advice, and a decision on that is expected around the 2nd ofjuly. The uk government has been giving details of plans to spend more than £100 million to help Homeless People in england stay off the streets. A scheme to provide emergency accommodation to thousands of rough sleepers during the pandemic was due to end in 10 days. But Homeless Charities and councils have urged ministers to pay for it to continue. 0ur social affairs correspondent, michael buchanan, reports. Over one weekend in march thousands of rough sleepers were taken off the streets to protect them from coronavirus, most have been housed in hotels, which were closed to tourists because of the pandemic. Not only do the roughsleepers get shelter but also access to health care and, where necessary, addiction support. Its put me in a healthier situation. Youve got food, water. 0n the street, you have not got it, you have to go look for it so it is has made a big difference. The initiative has been widely praised for saving lives but it was due to end early next month, with charities warning that thousands of people would be tipped back onto the streets. Ministers have now found £105 million to allow councils to continue to house the homeless, to the delight of campaigners. Over the last three months, something incredible has happened where 15,000 people have had their homelessness ended, theyve gone from the streets
and night shelters into accommodation of their own in hotels and other forms of housing and that has shown us that really homelessness can be ended. Theres no reason why we cant see all of those people go into a home of their own and actually start to begin to see this as the beginning of the end of homelessness completely. With many a town sector reopened, Student Accommodation and private sector flats are expected to be used to ensure the homeless continue to receive the support the pandemic facilitated. Michael buchanan, bbc news. The headlines on bbc news. As england gets ready for a big easing of lockdown Health Leaders warn urgent action is needed to ensure the uk is prepared for a potential second wave of coronavirus. The government publishes its guidance on how businesses in england can operate safely when they reopen in 10 days time. The top Infectious Disease expert in the us warns some parts of the country are seeing a disturbing surge
in covid 19 cases. As countries across the globe relax lockdown measures, some are dealing with new outbreaks in meat packing factories. In the uk, plants in yorkshire and wales have been hit, with dozens of workers testing positive for covid 19. There have also been outbreaks in australia, where more than 70 workers at an abattoir in melbourne were found to be carrying the virus last month, and in germany, where 1,500 workers at one plant all showed traces of the virus. This is a Residential Area in the town of verl, which has been sealed off and its residents put into compulsory quarantine after an outbreak at a nearby meat packing factory. The us has also been badly affected, with 5,000 factory workers testing positive in recent weeks, causing a delay to meat supplies in some areas. Its unclear why the outbreaks are happening in these plants, but some think cold temperatures and tightly packed conveyor belts making it impossible for workers to keep two metres apart, have fuelled the spread of the virus. We are going to talk to three of those people and countries affected. Thank you all forjoining us. Professor, could i start in germany, how did 1500 workers contract the virus in one factory . That is a very good question. First of all, i think it is the biggest abattoir in germany, if not in europe, so there
are more than less 7000 employers working there at the one time. You mentioned already some of the factories which are thought to favour the presence of the virus, like a low pressure, moisture, people working closely together, there is no way they can keep the distance of two metres. It is noisy, so they must shout if they have to talk to each other. But often there are crowded living conditions, because people coming there, many of them are migrants and they are given a place by the employer, they are charging them a that, and transportation. So sometimes they travel together. But i think other factors could be important, invisible factors, economic and social factors. The system invisible factors, economic and socialfactors. The system of subcontracting involved, most of the people are migrants, who are looking for the low paid jobs and in a vulnerable position. They have low payment. They are not aware of even
the few rights that they might have. They might come to work with symptoms, either because their salary will be cut or otherwise, or because they are told to do so or they will lose theirjob. And another factor is coming they will lose theirjob. And anotherfactor is coming in, often abattoirs in germany are placed in rural areas. So it is a very important source of income for the local residents, but also via the different districts. So some areas are not as strict as necessary. The professor from Public Health wales. Compare to other countries, england and rose have had relatively small outbreaks in similar kind of factories. But similar nonetheless. England and wales match. Factories. But similar nonetheless. England and wales match. Yes, it isa sign england and wales match. Yes, it is a sign of continuously declining cases. Outbreaks are localised in places in the form of outbreaks are a cause of places in the form of outbreaks are a cause of concern. Places in the form of outbreaks are a cause of concern. The factors for which our german colleague has very
eloquently described, in addition to those, i think it it is also the recognition of the challenges of asymptomatic infection that makes it even harder, because a lot of these individuals are absolutely perfectly well within themselves, attending work, normally, and then passing on the virus. So a combination of the proportion of the somatic infection asymptomatic infection and the economic factors and the deprivation, it all converges together in a situation that we currently see. Professor mcintire in sydney. Thank you for your time. With the situation in melbourne, do you know much about how and where the virus originated from . you know much about how and where the virus originated from . I do not think it is known and that could
relate to asymptomatic infections. It is interesting that with other respiratory transmissible infections, it has not been a huge issue. Normally, when we had about outbreaks in abattoirs it is from the animal, so it could be a type of fever or tuberculosis. So it is quite striking these outbreaks in abattoirs around the world and i think as has already been described, the conditions, working in those factories, when someone comes with an infection, the transmission is amplified. And i think the erras of the virus, the virus spreads through the virus, the virus spreads through the route of aerosols and that means it is the air that you breathe. So people in close proximity often with ppe, that they cannot adhere to. Because of the work conditions, how fa st because of the work conditions, how fast they must work, how hot and
uncomfortable they get. They might find it hard to comply with the masks. Perhaps a mask is not enough, perhaps they need a respirator. 0k, is there any evidence that the meat is there any evidence that the meat is contaminated in situations like this . I have been looking to see if there has been any testing of the animals. We know that there can be infections with the coronavirus. I am not aware of mammals like cows or pigs being infected. I think it would be interesting to test the animals to see. But the assumption at this stage is that it is coming through humans and then being amplified in the setting of the abattoir. Professor gratis, in terms of the outbreak in western germany. That, i think i am right in saying, has contributed to a spike in the r number, is that correct . Yes, the r
number, is that correct . Yes, the r number has been consistently around one 01 number has been consistently around one or below. Now, depending on which r number you take, it is between 1. 8 and 2. 7. However, this is not a concern that now, because the r number tends to peak if you absolute number is low, then whenever you have an outbreak, the r number will jump whenever you have an outbreak, the r numberwilljump up. So, whenever you have an outbreak, the r number willjump up. So, i am whenever you have an outbreak, the r numberwilljump up. So, iam not so worried about the r number right now, iam more worried about the r number right now, i am more worried about this local outbreak and how we can limit it to stay local and not spread from there. Professor, i suppose one of there. Professor, i suppose one of theissuesis there. Professor, i suppose one of the issues is that even if you screen people, they could test 1 day and then be positive the next day. Absolutely, and that is why i was emphasising the importance of the role of asymptomatic transmission and maintaining the virus in circulation. So, a
systematic, periodic, frequent screening of a targeted population is absolutely essential for us to be able to keep a constant check on what the proportion of staff infected and staff previously infected and staff previously infected recover and the proportion of uninfected staff. So, the grouping of staffing on certain production lines and test facilities, making sure the shift patterns are aligned. So, a lot of other workplace modifications can be put in place once we get to know the amount of infectious rate of immunity and susceptibility, what those figures are within a given population. Thank you all for your time, professors. We really appreciate it, joining us from australia, wales and germany. Thank you. Russia has been holding its postponed victory parade marking the 75th anniversary of the defeat of nazi germany in world war two, despite steadily rising Coronavirus Infections. President putin who was reluctant to postpone the celebration, arrived to greet awaiting veterans and several heads of state who were especially invited to watch the parade with him. This years parade featured some 111,000 troops from 13 countries, as well as vintage equipment and the latest military hardware showing off russias fighting capabilities. Mr putin then laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown capabilities. Soldier. Addressing the troops in red square, he hailed the soviet union as the country which had defeated nazism. Translation hundreds of thousands of our soldiers perished in the foreign lands and it is our duty to remember that it was the soviet people who carried the biggest burden of fighting the nazis. More than 80 of German Military force moved into the soviet union in 1941, but even they were powerless before the might of the soviet nation. We defeated their evil, and we annihilated 75 of the overall number of aircraft, tanks and artillery units of the adversary. And we moved towards the very end in a heroic and selfless way. That is the main truth of the war, we must cherish and defend it. We must give it to our children, grandsons and great grandsons. The parade today is in memory of this sacred truth. Continuous heavy rains have triggered severe flooding in southern and eastern regions of china. Three people have died in water surges and in mudslides. The upper reaches of the three gorges dam in the Yangtze River basin are seeing the highest flood levels in decades, though the authorities deny the dam itself is under threat. According to state run media, over 2 Million People have been affected in the eastern anhui and central hubei and hunan provinces. 60,000 people have been displaced in the city of hunan and there has been significant economic losses. Theres been a dramatic increase in the amount of time spent online during the coronavirus lockdown, with the biggest rise among those over the age of 65. Despite a surge in use, britains media regulator ofcom says many of us remain worried about our safety and security on the internet. Our Technology CorrespondentRory Cellan Jones has more. From cabinet meetings. Choir practice. To exercise classes, much of life has moved online over the last few months. The average adult now spends more than four hours a day connected to the internet. Half an hour more than last september. Much of that time involves video, either watching it or using it to make calls to friends, relatives or colleagues we cant meet face to face. Video services are booming. The tik tok short video platform had 5. 4 million visitors in january. By april, nearly 13 million were turning up. The video call and games app houseparty had under 200,000 users in january. By april 4 million were using it. At the beginning of the year, under 700,000 people were having business meetings using zoom. By april, 13 million were using it from everything from pilates lessons to pub quizzes. For many of us, this has become the new normal during lockdown. Locked in front of screens of all kinds for both work and entertainment and, it seems, this applies to all ages. Often it is the younger people who adopt new technology first, whether thats smartphones or social media, but in this case we have seen the use of video calling double during the pandemic and for the over 65s, they have been embracing the new technology, to reach out and spend time with grandchildren and loved ones, often using the technology for the first time ever. The lockdown period has also seen a surge in creativity, making videos for sites like tik tok, youtube and instagram is now something the majority of children over eight say they do every week. Rory cellan jones, bbc news. The uk government has published new guidance this morning on how pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels can
make themselves safe to open onjuly 4th. It includes advice to reconfigure seating, minimise self service, cancel live acts and stagger arrivals. Customers will be urged to book in advance, order online or through apps and not to lean on counters. Paul nowak is deputy general secretary of the trade union congress. He joins us from the wirral. Hello. What do you think of the guidance . Have you had the chance to read much yet . We have been involved in helping to shape the guidance along with businesses and employers across the economy. It is an important step forward and we can see some light at the end of the tunnel for those working in our Hospitality Industry and Entertainment Industries and so on, but there are still big issues out there, not least how do we make sure that both staff and customers can have confidence that employers are going to do the right thing and put in place that things they need to to
make sure that workplaces and venues are safe and then also what we do to support those employers who, regardless of what the guidance says, will not be able to open because economically, the business will not be viable at the moment. Do you think there will be some rogue employers who dont want to stick to the most stringent Safety Measures . Absolutely, unfortunately, i believe there will be. The vast majority of employers i think will do the right thing and talk to unions and staff and make sure they carry out the Risk Assessments that they are legally obliged to carry out but we know already from the part of the economy that have already been open, for example in parts of retail, we have got big household names who have got big household names who have still not published their Risk Assessments on their website, despite the fact that guidance is very clear that theres an expectation they should. One of the things we have called on the government to do is make it compulsory for those businesses to publish their Risk Assessments. I think it is absolutely right that staff and customers alike should know what business has done and put place to make sure disneys is as
safe as possible. That is just the basics make sure the business is as safe as possible. That is just the basics. I worry about the rogue businesses out there. But as a member of staff or a customer, when you walk into a premises, you can see what has been done or not, cant you . You can see some of it but you cant see all of it. I think it is just common sense and transparency to have those Risk Assessments published and employers having that obligation to do so. I mean, the vast majority of employers will do the right thing. That is why the vast majority of employers will publish their Risk Assessment and would not be worried if they had a legal obligation to do so. It is rightly what we expect of a decent employer and a decent business. 0k, some news coming into us aboutjob losses if i can put it to you, thousands of jobs losses if i can put it to you, thousands ofjobs set to be lost at the Ground Handling giant swiss port asa the Ground Handling giant swiss port as a result of the impact of the
pandemic on air travel. Staff have just been told that. Thousands of jobs, it does not say specifically how many, going at swissport. How would you respond to that . How many, going at swissport. How would you respond to that7m how many, going at swissport. How would you respond to that . It is an absolute tragedy and i know unions representing those staff will be fighting hard for everything orjob but you know, we are going to see this in aviation, we saw the announcement of the Theatre Royal plymouth just recently and i think this places an obligation on the government to think about what more support they can provide to employers who are struggling through no fault of their own, these are fundamentally good businesses but the impact of the lockdown is potentially having an impact on jobs and we have called on the government to put together sectoral classic edges of support, working with unions and employers to make sure we protect as many jobs unions and employers to make sure we protect as manyjobs as possible. At the end of the day, we want good, sustainable businesses Going Forward , sustainable businesses Going Forward, good, sustainable jobs, sustainable businesses Going Forward, good, sustainablejobs, and the government is going to have to step up to the plate to build on the Job Retention scheme and the support they have put in place to make sure we continue this way. I was going to say, they have got the fellow scheme
and scrapped Business Rates for some businesses, provided free grants to some businesses, hundreds of billions of pounds worth of bank loa ns, billions of pounds worth of bank loans, what else is there, do you believe, for the government to do . We know there are some sectors that will face specific pressures, victoria, because the lockdown will not be loosened in those sectors raising the forget period, if you think for example about theatres and music venues for a significant period. That is why we have to think about sectoral packages of support which support fundamentally sound employers to make sure they are sustainable Going Forward. There is no Market Solution to these issues. The government will have to step up to the plate and i would urge them to the plate and i would urge them to speak to employers and unions about what the support should look like. It will look different in different sectors but the key thing is we put protecting jobs right at the heart of any government measures. 0k, thank you for talking to us. Women across europe are being denied abortions because of the coronavirus pandemic. The world health organization
classifies abortion as essential health care, but weve found hospitals that have stopped performing the procedure during the pandemic. With women unable to travel to have the procedure elsewhere, some are left struggling to end unwanted pregnancies, as Jean Mckenzie reports. I dont want to live if i have to continue this pregnancy. This was my last chance. They closed all the Window Blinds and doors. It was like they were performing some kind of witchcraft. I was a nervous wreck. I was searching for any concoctions i could take to end the pregnancy. In countries across europe, women are struggling to get abortions because of the pandemic. Weve found hospitals that are refusing to perform them and spoken to women as their attempts to end unwanted pregnancies turn desperate. When the pandemic hit
romania, hospitals were told to suspend nonemergency surgery, but nearly all of them stopped abortions. Daria is 19. My boyfriend tricked me. He pretended he was using a condom. I cant afford to have a child. I called around doctors but they all told me that they werent working during the pandemic. More and more hospitals are denying the rights of women to choose. They are trying to use the pandemic as an excuse. After a month, the government told hospitals to continue abortions but when andradas team called around, they were met with this. In bucharest, which is home to around 2 Million People, the capital city of romania,
we found that none of the Public Hospitals are actually performing abortions. This is how desperate the situation is. So i was recommended someone who is retired, who said i could have an abortion at their home. I went to their apartment. They had this special room, and a bed. I was very afraid. It was done using a vacuum, which i wasnt expecting. Im still bleeding. Im worried there might be something wrong. We found a similar situation in countries across europe, in italy, croatia and slovakia. In these countries, it was already difficult for women to get an abortion and this crisis has just
put more obstacles in their way. In slovakia, the Abortion Pill is not available. Surgery is the only option, and doctors can refuse to perform the procedure for religious reasons. But during this crisis, it has become increasingly political. Very important people in Health Care System in slovakia said that this is not acute and urgent medicine and that this is not the right time for women to undergo abortions. Even the Health Ministry came out and said that abortions could pose a significant risk to womens lives, and were not Necessary Health care. To say that it is so dangerous that we will not do it, because of the virus, this is not true from a medical point of view. We put this to the countrys health minister. Are you recommending women not to have abortions during this time . No, not at all. Ijust say, if it is too dangerous from an epidemiological point of view, and you can wait, wait. I didnt say, dont go for it. The government has been forced to clarify abortions should be considered essential but support workers say the damage has been done. If a minister says that abortion is not recommended, many women and the public in general can read this as a message that abortion is not possible. Then there are countries where abortion is either illegal or severely restricted, and women here rely on being able to travel to another country or order pills online. But travel restrictions and postal delays have made this impossible. Mia was stuck in malta, waiting weeks for the pills she had ordered. I was a nervous wreck,
having anxiety attacks, thinking about suicide. I was searching for any concoctions i could take to end the pregnancy. I was drinking lots of alcohol, punching myself in the stomach. At one point, i contemplated throwing myself down some stairs, hoping i could create some kind of trauma to induce a miscarriage. Her pills arrived with just days to spare, but others have been less fortunate. Coronavirus has taken an untenable situation for polish womens rights, and made it even more difficult. Last month, mara took this call from poland. The Abortion Pills did not work. I am still pregnant. I am begging you to help me. We helped her get an appointment in england. Her plan was to drive to germany and then sleep
in her car because the hotels in germany were shut, and then fly out of germany to get to england, except what happened instead was, she was in a car crash. I am in hospital now. I dont want to live if i have to continue this pregnancy. This was my last chance, wasted. God, im still crying. When she got to the clinic, she scanned two days over the legal limit in england and because of that, she is now forced to continue the pregnancy and she even the pregnancy and she either gets to have a baby that she did not want and cant afford or to have a baby and give it up for adoption. For many women, this pandemic has turned an unwanted pregnancy into a nightmare, and as restrictions on health care are slowly lifted, Human Rights Organisations are concerned that these restrictions on abortion might not be. Lets talk now to sarah shaw from marie stopes international, an organisation that advocates for contraception and abortion in 37 countries around the world, and clare murphy from the British Pregnancy Advisory Service. Thank you forjoining us. Sara, where has it been particularly difficult to get access to an abortion during the pandemic and where has it been slightly easier . think like the film said, for a lot of women in countries where abortion is hardly restricted, either due to legal restrictions, stigma or Health System challenges even prior to the pandemic, it was really hard for women, particularly in, say, sub saharan africa, in a rural area, may be an adolescent, it would be really challenging for her to access safe abortion service. We have seen some positive moves in countries where abortion is less legally
restricted, for example, nipple, the government has issued strong guidance, designated abortion an essential service which means women are permitted to break lockdown to access are permitted to break lockdown to a ccess services are permitted to break lockdown to Access Services and they have also started to launch telemedicine, where a woman is counselled over the phone to access the service and then Abortion Pills are careered or posted to her home. Similarly, we advocated with the British Pregnancy Advisory Service in the uk and we are rolling it out across our uk services and also a Telemedicine Programme in south africa, ourfirst in africa, which was launched in response to the coronavirus crisis. In the uk, tell us more about, positive outcomes for women who want an abortion. Yeah, it is a tale of two cities, in a sense, some really heartbreaking examples in the film you showed. But yes, in the uk, we have really been able to push forward with a much more accessible,
woman centred service, which has enabled women to have a consultation with a midwife or a doctor, and then, if she is in early pregnancy, and we can then send appeals to her in the post. She has access to 24 hour after care in the post. She has access to 24 hour after ca re and in the post. She has access to 24 hour after care and advice. It has been an absolutely phenomenal success has been an absolutely phenomenal success and has brought down average gestation for abortions by about a week and brought down waiting times, from in some cases nearly two weeks to around a day. You know, women are incredibly grateful for the service. Yeah, the only shame is it has taken a pandemic to achieve this really quite significant breakthrough in womens Reproductive Health care in the uk but i think we can be really proud of how we have worked through this period. But i think there is only legislation to cover that for two years, under specific coronavirus measures so what would
you want to see after the crisis for people seeking abortion . Well, we would think it would be an absolute travesty if this service was rolled back. I mean, we have long known this is the best way for many women to access care but particularly, actually, women in more vulnerable situations, so for example, you know, we have frequently heard from women in coercive relationships, for example, who have real issues leaving the house secretly to attend a clinic if they are trying to keep their abortion secret from their partner. Now being able to care for these women in their own home, conduct telephone consultations for people, that is absolutely brilliant. Often, women live considerable distances from clinics, they may be in precarious employment situations where taking a day or two off work means loss of wages, you know, it presents significant
challenges. So even outside of a pandemic, this is absolutely a service which women need and what we would like to see is the continuation of this and as i say, if it was rolled back, it would be done not for clinical reasons or in the best interest of women, it would be done for political reasons. But i feel very strongly that the health secretary, who is responsible for the authorisation of this, well look at the evidence and see this is absolutely something that has served women very well and should continue. Cani women very well and should continue. Can i ask you about india, if i may because i understand you are expecting to see a rise in second trimester abortions . Yes, that is right, india had a very severe lockdown, so women were not able to leave their homes to Access Services. We have seen initial estimates where they think up to 59 of women coming out of lockdown requiring services will require a
second trimester abortion. This is likely to be replicated in countries all over the world that have had severe lockdown. Second trimester abortion poses a different set of challenges. It is a huge amount of stress and anxiety for women already in an incredible stressful situation. And the delay means that she has fewer choices about where she has fewer choices about where she can access the service and the kind of service you can access. It also means that in some countries, there are legal restrictions around second trimester abortions and it also means the service may be harder to access because there are fewer facilities and providers who are trained to provide the service. there are not the services, what will happen to those women and their u nwa nted will happen to those women and their unwanted pregnancies . will happen to those women and their unwanted pregnancies . I mean, we have heard women have to resort to u nsafe have heard women have to resort to unsafe abortion, i mean, half the abortions every year, nearly, are u nsafe, abortions every year, nearly, are unsafe, according to the who definition. This means that women
will risk their lives and health. I think zimbabwe is a good example to illustrate this, in zimbabwe, there are legal restrictions around accessing abortion and around 70 of women that require care after an abortion require it because the procedure was unsafe and because of challenges with the Health System. She will often have to visit multiple facilities which can often involve long journeys to get to the first facility, a long journey to get to the next one, can often take a couple of days, cost money that maybe she does not have, and all of this is just to access a service that will give her the care that she needs to prevent serious mortality or even death from having to access and unsafe abortion service. Zimbabwe had a very severe lockdown and although we worked with the government very closely to deliver Family Planning and Contraception Services because they were designated essential, Abortion Services were not. You know, we
dont know what has been happening behind closed doors during lockdown. It is too early for the data to have come out but it is quite a terrifying thought, what women are having to go through. Thank you for joining us. If you have been affected by any of the issues weve been talking about, details of organisations offering information and support are available on the bbc action line website. Thats bbc. Co. Uk actionline. I mentioned a moment ago that thousands of jobs i mentioned a moment ago that thousands ofjobs will be lost at the Ground Handling company swissport as a result of the coronavirus, as a result of the impact on air travel caused by the coronavirus crisis. I can give you a bit more detail about that. The company has told staff today that up
to 4556 jobs could be cut, more than half its uk workforce. The chief executive has said the company had to reduce the size of its workforce in order to survive and the collapse in air travel means its revenue is forecast to be almost 50 lower this year than last year. An initial report into last months plane crash in pakistan, in which 97 people were killed, blames human error by the pilot and air traffic control. The aviation minister says neither followed procedures and the pilot and co pilot were discussing the coronavirus pandemic rather than focusing on landing the plane. He says there was nothing wrong with the airbus aircraft. There were just two survivors after the Pakistan International airlines jet came down in a Residential Area of karachi. At the time, the countrys Pilots Association said it had no faith in the official investigation. More than 1,000 european mps have signed a letter denouncing israels plans to annex parts of the west bank. A quarter of the signatories were british mps and peers. The Israeli Cabinet plans to start discussing the idea next week. In jerusalem, our middle east correspondent tom bateman has more. The letter that has been signed by more than 1,000 european parliamentarians, including for example more than 240 from the uk. The letter has been organised by a former speaker of the Israeli Parliament and several other former high profile figures in israel who are supporters of the two state solution, the old, really, formula, consensualformula, internationally held formulation for peace. That has now evolved because we have this american plan by President Trump now which is what the plan by israel, to annex up to a third
of the occupied west bank is based upon. The letter calls for this not to happen. It says it will be fatal to the prospects of peace between israelis and palestinians. And it calls for what it calls commensurate consequences. It does stop short of calling for sanctions against israel in the event of annexation, and that might be a key point diplomatically that the israelis are looking at in this letter. Novak djokovic has apologised, saying he is deepy sorry after testing positive for coronavirus at a tournament that hed organised himself. Four other players had already tested positive for covid 19 after playing at the adria tour competition in serbia and croatia. There had been criticism of the way it had been run. There had been games of basketball, and the world number one was seen dancing at a party. No social distancing laws or guidelines were broken, but djokovic admitted it was simply too soon to play. Jamie murrays organised his own tournament thats being played in london at the moment. Sally nugent spoke to him a little earlier, and he told her that the postive tests paint tennis in a bad light. I guess it was not totally out of the blue because there were already quite a few of the players involved that had tested positive, and obviously, you know, i think they were playing in front of 2000, or 3000, 4000 people and there was obviously all of the photos and images that had come out of them being in night clubs, playing soccer matches, basketball, you know, kind of being in proper close contact with one another. And i guess, yeah, the optics did not look good when the rest of the world is obviously, you know, in various stages of lockdown and a lot of people are hurting from the virus, and a lot of people have lost lives, and obviously, for tennis as a sport,
it does not look good, i dont think. And it does show up, doesnt it, the difficulties in organising a tournament at this time . Talk me through all of the hoops that you have been through to make sure the tournament you are organising at the moment, the battle of the brits, to make sure that is completely safe, because i know you are playing it in completely different circumstances. Yeah, i know for a fact theres not enough time on the show to go through everything but, yeah, it is a completely different situation. We are not playing in front of any fans. The sort of playing side of things are completely separated off from the production side of things. I think we have about 70 people on site within the venue each day. The players had to go through mandatory testing before the event. You know, the centre has its one way systems in place that
everyone has to adhere to. Yeah, there are other guidelines and protocols that we are following to ensure the safest environment that we possibly can for everyone connected to the event. Now its time for a look at the weather with helen willetts. Hello, there. The heat and humidity will continue for another couple of days, in fact, building its way northwards across parts of scotland and Northern Ireland as well. The peak is likely to be thursday but it will linger, that heat, in the south and east until friday, and notjust the heat, as i mentioned, but the humidity coming from the south as well is increasing so uncomfortable nights. But it will then all end with some pretty big thunderstorms, we think, by friday, as we start to see low pressure moving in off the atlantic. Behind that, freshening conditions for the weekend, some unusually windy weather
by that stage, too. But for the day ahead, we have still got our weather front with us across Northern Ireland and parts of the north west of scotland, producing rain this morning, petering out to showers this afternoon. Theres an outside chance of a thunderstorm across parts of england and wales but very isolated. The story is all about the heat and the sunshine. Pushing 31, possibly 32 in a few spots, cooler where we have the cloud in the north and west, and around the coast with the sea breezes. But even where it is cooler around the coast, still some very high levels of pollen, grass pollen at this time of year, and some very strong sunshine. The sun index does not often get into the very high category, so do be aware of that. Overnight, we will keep some cloud in the north and west, perhaps a few rumbles of thunder and a warm and close night once again. We will watch the progress of those potentially thundery showers moving north across scotland. Then we will see the heat seeping across more parts of scotland tomorrow and into Northern Ireland, getting into the mid 20s, here. Probably the peak of the heat, 33 possibly across southern and eastern parts of england,
but you can see the temperatures are high in many parts, well, well above where they should be for this time of year. But then the latter part of thursday, into friday, there is an increased risk that the heat will, as i say, produce some intense thunderstorms, gusty winds and large hail. It is likely that heat will hang on in eastern areas longest but there could well be some slow moving thunderstorms around on friday, and behind it, a fresherfeel, as ive mentioned. Still, as i say, though, pretty warm. It will take time for that heat to ebb away and that humidity as well. So still 28 or 29 in eastern areas into friday. As for the weekend, as i say, low pressure will be with us and quite unusually windy weather as well, bringing a drop in temperature, back into the 20s for most of us, and some showery rain as well. As ever, theres more on the website. This is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. As england gets ready for a big easing of lockdown, Health Leaders warn urgent action is needed to ensure the uk is prepared for a potential second wave of coronavirus. The government publishes its guidance on how businesses in england can operate safely, when they reopen in 10 days time. The last thing anybody wants is for a second peak. Is for a business to be shut down because its not observing the guidelines and the rules. 4,500 jobs are set to be lost at baggage handling firm swissport uk which provides services at most of the countrys airports. The top Infectious Disease expert in the us warns some parts of the country are seeing a disturbing surge
in covid 19 cases. Honouring russias heroes. After a delay forced by the coronavirus pandemic, moscow holds its victory parade marking the defeat of nazi germany. Hello and welcome if youre watching in the uk or around the world. And stay with us for the latest news and analysis from here and across the globe. Health leaders are calling for an urgent review to determine whether the uk is properly prepared for the real risk of a second wave of coronavirus. In an open letter signed by the royal colleges of surgeons, nursing, physicians, and gps, ministers have been warned that urgent action is needed to prevent further loss of life. Yesterday, the Prime Minister, borisjohnson, said pubs, restaurants, cinemas
and hairdressers in england will be able to reopen from the july 4. Will be able to reopen from july 4. The department for business has published guidance this morning, for businesses to open in a safe way. Elsewhere, in the united states, the top Infectious Disease expert has said that theres a disturbing surge in covid 19 infections in some parts of the country. And in latin america, the number of deaths has risen risen above 100,000. More on the Global Situation shortly, first this report from jon mcmanus. The warning is stark. According to the Health Leaders, britain is at real risk of a second wave of coronavirus and needs to undertake a Rapid Assessment in order to prevent further loss of life. In their letter to the british medicaljournal, they say that some of the infrastructure needed to contain a resurgence of covid 19 is in place, but challenges remain and they called for a Cross Party Commission to start providing recommendations for all of the uk, by august at the latest. It is essential, they say, in order for the country to get ahead of the curve. We need to immediately learn the lessons as to how we dealt with the first wave of the pandemic, so that the nhs can be at its absolute best if we get a second wave. We need to learn where we went wrong with procurement, for instance, that is ppe. The letter comes a day after the westminster government announced sweeping changes to the virus restrictions in england. Pubs and restaurants are set to reopen, but social distancing will be observed and staff will take customers Contact Details in case they need to be traced to prevent a virus outbreak. Other venues opening on the 4th ofjuly include museums and cinemas, and for the first time in months, couples will be able to tie the knot again, but only with 30 guests. These precautions could include installing screens, making sure
people face away from each other, providing hand washing facilities, minimising the amount of time you spend with people outside your household and, of course, being outdoors. At that final downing street briefing, the Prime Minister also warned that the relaxations could be reversed. The chief medical officer for england, professor chris whitty, said there would be an uptick in the virus if the public returned to their normal routines. There is frustration among some businesses that were not included in thejuly 4 reopening, like gyms. Leisure bosses say their facilities are vital to maintain immune systems and ward off the virus. Restrictions are still varied across the uk. In scotland, the two metre rule remains in place for now, but the government in edinburgh said it was very interested to see the Scientific Evidence that had prompted london to ease restrictions in england. The first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, will provide more details about easing lockdown restrictions later today. While in Northern Ireland,
as of yesterday, up to six people can now meet indoors. Shops and places of worship opened earlier this week in wales but the five mile restriction on travel remains in place. John mcmanus, bbc news. The government has published detailed guidance on how pubs, restaurants, hotels and other businesses in england can operate safely when they come out of lockdown in ten days time. Our assistant Political Editor norman smith is at westminster. Lots of detail, norman and obviously it is going to be critical . Its a huge amount of detail. The document for pubs and restaurants alone is more than 40 pages, packed with different guidelines for making restau ra nts, different guidelines for making restaurants, cafes, bars covid 19 safe. A lot of it is fairly, as you would expect, suggestions they should be fewer numbers, they
redesign the layout with more space for tables and you put in place a one way system around restaurants, many more hand sanitiser is, gels that people have to sign in when people arrive so the restaurant or bar has got their Contact Details in case there is an outbreak. A lot of it is actually quite detailed. For example, tables wont be set until the food is about to arrive. They will only be one waiter or waitress per table. Condiments will be served in throwaway, disposable packets. You will be discouraged from talking to loudly come in the music will be turned down about so youre not projecting, potentially thereby putting out little droplets of coronavirus. You will be told if you area coronavirus. You will be told if you are a parent keep your child under
control and close to you. We dont wa nt control and close to you. We dont want them wandering around. Bike racks, restaurants should look at setting them up outside so people dont have to rely so much on getting public transport. But the hope is, by and large, businesses will go along with this because blu ntly, will go along with this because bluntly, they want to open. At least that was the view the business secretary this morning. If there are occasions where things are not going according to plan, and particularly, employers and workplaces are not keeping their workers safe, there is an opportunity for people to talk to the local authority inspectors, to talk to the health and safety executives, and they are able to respond. But what i can tell you from the conversations that i have with businesses on a daily basis is that they want to make sure that their workplaces are safe, they are welcoming, and they want their business to grow. The last thing anybody wants is for a second peak. Is for a business to be shutdown because it is not observing
the guidelines and rules. And the only way that we will continue to be able to open the economy in a safe and cautious manner is by people continuing to observe the rules and guidelines. These changes are just england. We have heard Nicola Sturgeon has said she would be interested to see the Scientific Evidence which is prompted the changes in england. How much cohesion as a between nations on what the evidence is and what, how they should progress . Sage reports to all the devolved governments so theyll get to see the sage advice. How the interpretative course is entirely up to them and of course they have their own chief medical officers too. So they can form their own take andindeed too. So they can form their own take and indeed have formed their own view at what pace to ease the lockdown but i think it is what saying, the scientists here in england have been pretty, i would say, cautious, borderline apprehensive, about a lot of the measures unveiled yesterday. And although they are saying yes, one
metre is ok with mitigation, they still worry that there is the potential for the virus to return. Indeed, chris witty said there would be optics and their broader view is that actually we are very, very far from through this and thats because we dont have a get out. We dont yet have a vaccine, we dont yet have the level of immunity in the community, only around 5 of people have actually contracted the virus so we are nowhere near so called herd immunity. It seems very unlikely the viruses just come to fizzle out and disappear. Indeed there was a suggestion from chris witty yesterday that winter may be we will have to reimpose some of the restrictions and although we have got therapeutic drugs coming, those are only for treating people once they have got coronavirus. And so one of the great paradoxes is so
that after all this time we still not have been able to answer that very, very basic question which is, what is our exit strategy . At the moment we do not have a clear exit strategy. Thank you very much, norman. We will discuss that more with our next guest but to remind you, Prime Minister is question is is coming up at midday and we will have coverage of that if you want to watch that. We can speak to dr Zubaida Haque from independent sage, an independent group of scientists providing advice with the purpose of helping the uk navigate covid. Thank you forjoining us. What are your thoughts on what is going to be happening . Its extraordinary that the government are going ahead with this exit from lockdown because actually it is not an exit. There is no strategy in place. Its extraordinary that the government are saying that they are doing it slowly by reducing the two metre
social distancing to one metre when actually that is not having social distance, thats not a gradual exit, that is basically returning to normal. And we know it is because when people stand with each other during normal circumstances, they tend to be only a metre apart. Not only do they tend to be only a metre apart, they tend to be only a metre apart, they tend to lean on when they are talking, to gesticulate, lean in and raise voices and touch each other more so essentially we are returning to normal circumstances. Just to come in there because when you see it is returning to normal, the government says it is one metre plus. It should be two metres where possible but one metre, provided there are mitigating factors like masks, perspex greens, other measures to ensure protection. What is one metre plus . This is the problem with the governments announcement and messages which is
that it announcement and messages which is thatitis announcement and messages which is that it is so unclear for the public. And all the public want, what the public want is to know that we are exiting lockdown when it is safe. The reality is there is no scaffolding of test, tracing an isolate programme in place and that Public Health scaffolding is essential. The government promised us that on the 1st ofjune, we still dont have that, which is why it is reckless to have this exit strategy. On top of that, there are no clear guidance for government, it is not, from government, it is not good enough to say to wear a mask. We know that is not enough guidance. We know that is not enough guidance. We know this at independent sage and would be much more descriptive about how you wear a mask. So what would you do . Because borisjohnson has said this is not a free for all, it is about guidance. Its not about
legislation. We are not going back to exactly where we are because not everything is going to be open. How would you do it . What do you want . Just because the government says it it does not mean that whats going to happen that thats because once again there is a lack of guidance. If were going to go ahead exit from lockdown and we do understand at independent sage that there is a real keenness to return and get the economy going, people have been bouncing off the walls during lockdown, we understand. But if thats going to go ahead, and the first instance, the most fundamental thing is to have an effective, locally based test, tracing and isolate system in place because until we have that, we wont be able to manage any outbreaks. We wont be able to suppress the virus and we can have a second wave. So thats absolutely crucial and right now thats being kicked into the long grass by government. So thats really crucial. The second thing is if you are going to open up the
economy, open up and have exit from lockdown, think about the places where you can minimise the spread of virus. Where you can minimise the spread of virus. Thank you, we have to leave it there, thank you very much, we need to say goodbye to viewers watching on bbc two. Americas top Infectious Disease expert has told lawmakers that the us is seeing a disturbing surge in Coronavirus Infections in some states. Anthony fauci said the next two weeks would be critical to stop more infections. About 2. 3 million americans have caught coronavirus, and at least 120,000 have died. More than any other nation. And as you can see in this data from the covid tracking project, the number of new cases is increasing in more than half of all us states. The southwestern states of arizona, nevada and texas have alljust notched up single day records for new coronavirus cases. And other states, including california, south carolina, utah, mississippi and louisiana, have seen a surge in caseloads. Freya cole reports. In miami, residents go about their daily business, but under a new rule. Face masks in public are now mandatory, after a surge of coronavirus cases in their home state. To be honest, its very uncomfortable, but its just to be precautionary. I do agree with it. Unfortunately, some people havent taken the precautions that we have. Florida is one of the Southern States which is experiencing new outbreaks of covid 19. Cases are also increasing in the west. Speaking at a rally in arizona, President Trump dismissed fears of a second wave, using racist language to describe the virus, which is putting local Health Services under strain. Wuhan. Now, wuhan was catching on. Coronavirus, right . Shouting. Kung flu, yeah. Cheering. Kung flu President Trump has suggested he will slow down testing. But americas top Infectious Disease expert has denied any order was ever made. I know for sure that to my knowledge none of us have ever been told to slow down the testing. That just is a fact. In fact, we will be doing more testing. More than 2 million americans have now been infected with coronavirus and at least 120,000 people have died. It is more than any other nation in the world. Freya cole, bbc news. The headlines on bbc news. As england gets ready for a big easing of lockdown, Health Leaders warn urgent action is needed to ensure the uk is prepared for a potential second wave of coronavirus. The government publishes its guidance on how businesses in england can operate safely, when they reopen in 10 days time. The top Infectious Disease expert in the us warns some parts of the country are seeing a disturbing surge in covid 19 cases. The further easing of lockdown restrictions has been welcomed by many businesses but how does the public feel . A yougov poll suggests that nearly half think the lockdown changes in england are about right, butjust under 40 think theyve gone too far. Lets speak to chris curtis from yougov. Thank you forjoining us. Run through the findings, the headlines of your poll, please. After we saw the announcement from friday, the Prime Minister yesterday we tested amongst the public and they were broadly positively welcomed and supported by the government. About
two thirds supported the reopening of venues set by the government and about three quarters supported the change of rules that allow people to see friends and family members. In other peoples homes. And as you said, asa other peoples homes. And as you said, as a package, the public now think the government or the media members of the public think its the right pace whereas this is different because a few weeks ago the public thought the government was moving too fast. So there has been, the government and the public are increasingly on the same page. That is interesting. Why do you think has been that coming together . Because of the public about a couple of weeks ago the government was moving out that fast they are now moving a lot faster but it seems the public are on site . Lot faster but it seems the public are onsite . Thats two and i think it is down to fear. At the start, the government had to make people a lot more scared because they needed people to follow the lockdown rules. As time has gone on that the
government has tried to deliberately de escalate those levels of fear it seems they have been successful in doing so because now the public are less ca red doing so because now the public are less cared about the virus. And therefore more supportive in easing lockdown measures. Its notjust political, the government also need people to be less scared because if they are, then they will be more likely to go out and visit pubs and restau ra nts, likely to go out and visit pubs and restaurants, cafes likely to go out and visit pubs and restau ra nts, cafes a nd likely to go out and visit pubs and restaurants, cafes and Everything Else the government wants them to do. In order that they can get the economy up and running again. Have you been able to do any assessment of the difference in the nations . Because of course wales, Northern Ireland, scotland are doing this differently right now. Ijust wondered how people are seeing that. A little bit. The big driver in this isnt necessarily region but actually its politics. If you are a conservative voter you are far more likely to be supportive of what the government is doing and receptive to that message. That means one of the areas the government message really
isnt landing very well in scotland because there are not very many conservative voters there so you get a much more negative reaction to these kind of policy changes. North of the border. In terms of government messaging, the daily News Conference which has been a staple throughout this no stopping. Obviously it was a sign of extraordinary times. It was also a direct dialogue effectively between the government and viewers at home. Do you think that stopping that will have any impact . I think it comes back to the de escalation i mentioned. The government wants people to be less scared to a certain extent, not completely, the government wants people to go back to normal lives. And i think its pa rt to normal lives. And i think its part of that. The Daily Press Briefing was part of that we are exceptional circumstances so getting rid of that shifts people back to starting to be more comfortable going to shops again and getting the economy moving. Thank you very much. Scotlands first minister, Nicola Sturgeon is expected to give an update later today on when parts of the scottish economy will be able to open up. She will brief members of the Scottish Parliament on when more lockdown restrictions will be relaxed. Our scotland correspondent lorna gordon has the latest. The first minister, i think, has taken what she would describe, as a careful and cautious approach to the easing of restrictions here in scotland. In fact, she has said that the changes seen in england will not apply here at this stage. She also interestingly said that she did not envisage scots travelling south of the border to go on holiday, for instance, while the five mile advisory against any travel for leisure remains in place here in scotland. But, yes, as you said, she is expected to brief msps at holyrood just after 12 oclock, around 12 20pm today, on further measures and dates for those further measures to be eased. So, people will be looking closely to see, for instance, if beer gardens or outdoor spaces and cafes might be given a date to reopen. That was expected in phase two of easing restrictions and it did not happen last week. They might also be looking at areas like cinemas, museums and galleries. Will they be given dates to reopen . But one area where there is certainly gonna be no change for now is on that two metre social distancing advice and rule. Nicola sturgeon has said that she wants to see further scientific advice and a decision on that is expected around the 2nd ofjuly. Armenia has become the worst hit country with coronavirus in the south caucasus region. The countrys Prime Minister, who caught the virus himself, has been facing growing criticism over his handling of the crisis. But the Authorities Say the country cannot afford another lockdown. Rayhan demytrie has been monitoring the situation from neighbouring georgia. Armenias hospitals are under pressure. This is the countrys Prime Minister nikol pashinyan
visiting a front line clinic treating covid 19 patients. The general and other senior figures. Chanting. But that hasnt satisfied armenias political opposition. It has been calling for the entire government to resign over its handling of the pandemic. Armenias infection rate per million of population is one of the highest in the world. What the governments policy towards fighting covid 19 could be called is a disaster. They have failed completely and that is why armenia has found itself along with a couple of other countries in the world with the worst figures and the worst statistics and the worst dynamics. Armenia reopened businesses back in april, as the number of new infections continued to rise. That month, the economy shrank by 17 and the government says it simply cannot afford another lockdown. We dont have an end goal to eradicate the virus because its not possible. We can actually put this in front of us say lets eradicate it, but we have to have closed borders for, i dont know, a year maybe, closed businesses again for months and years and we will die from other causes actually. Nikol pashinyan owes his leadership
to the armenian public, who brought him to power in a popular revolution