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

[Lucy.Honey]

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

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53609467

Data from the ONS suggests there are around 4,200 new infections a day compared with 3,200 a week ago.

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can read more from James here.

Mr Johnson said the planned reopening of "higher risk settings" on 1 August would be delayed for at least a fortnight.

This means that the following will not be able to take place until 15 August, at the earliest:

• the reopening of casinos, bowling alleys, skating rinks and remaining close contact services
• indoor performances
• pilots of larger gatherings in sports venues and conference centres
• the expansion of wedding receptions to allow up to 30 people
• beauty treatments that involve the face, such as eyelash, eyebrow and threading treatments

Wedding sector 'itching to get back'
Neil White, 51, from Chorley in Lancashire, owns a wedding photography business. Of the 44 weddings he had scheduled for this year, just three bookings remain."I think I speak for the rest of the wedding industry in that there is a huge amount of worry and stress about the future," he said.

Mr White said that while businesses such as pubs and restaurants in have been able to reopen, those in the wedding sector "seem to have been brushed under the carpet" even though they are "itching to get back to work".

"If it continues to next year there are a lot of businesses that are going to close," he added.

The British Beauty Council said the changes were "very disappointing for a sector that has already seen delay after delay in reopening".

At-a-glance: What can I do now?
Separately, face coverings will be compulsory in more indoor settings where people are likely to come into contact with people they do not know, such as museums and places of worship, from next weekend. They are already required in shops, banks, airports and other indoor transport hubs.

The prime minister said the rules for face coverings would be enforceable in law from 8 August.


However, he said the plan to pause shielding for those most vulnerable to the virus will go ahead from Saturday.

That means some 2.2 million people who have been self-isolating in England during the pandemic can return to work, if they cannot work from home, so long as their workplace is Covid-secure.

Guidance for employers will also change, as planned, from the start of August, Mr Johnson said.

The latest announcement came shortly after new lockdown rules were introduced in parts of northern England, including Greater Manchester, east Lancashire, and parts of West Yorkshire. The rules include a ban on separate households meeting each other inside their homes and private gardens.

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[·°¤»DiVa»¤°·]

I don't think lockdown will end by xmas