Coronavirus latest news: Clubbers celebrate first night of freedom as restrictions lifted

Bethnal Green, East London, UK People inside the ‘Oval Space’ night club in Bethnal Green listening to live music for the ‘First Night of Freedom’ since the Lockdown rules are lifted. - Jeff Gilbert
Bethnal Green, East London, UK People inside the ‘Oval Space’ night club in Bethnal Green listening to live music for the ‘First Night of Freedom’ since the Lockdown rules are lifted. - Jeff Gilbert
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London clubbers on Monday flocked to one of the first rule-free live music events since the pandemic began last year, dancing through the night and rejoicing in human interaction as England lifted most Covid-19 restrictions at midnight.

Britain, which has one of the world's highest death tolls from Covid-19, is facing a new wave of cases, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson is lifting most restrictions in England in what some have dubbed "Freedom Day".

Epidemiologists are generally sceptical that lifting restrictions is the right thing to do, but many young British people have had enough of more than 1 1/2 years of lockdowns and say they crave a party.

"I have not been allowed to dance for like what seems like forever," said Georgia Pike, 31, at the Oval Space in Hackney, east London. "I want to dance, I want to hear live music, I want the vibe of being at a gig, of being around other people."

​​Follow the latest updates below.


06:23 AM

Today's front page

Here is your Daily Telegraph on Monday, July 19.

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06:01 AM

Trust in Indonesian President slumps as cases rise

Trust in Indonesian President Joko Widodo's ability to handle the pandemic has fallen sharply among the public, as authorities struggle to contain a wave of coronavirus infections that has pushed hospitals to breaking point.

Fueled by the spread of the more virulent Delta variant, Indonesia has reported more new Covid-19 cases than any country in the world. It was second only to Brazil in terms of the number of deaths.

An opinion poll by The Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI), which was conducted in late June before the worst of the current outbreak, showed trust that the president can handle the pandemic fell to 43 percent compared with 56.5 percent in a poll in February.

"Trust in the President's ability to overcome the pandemic declined steeply in the past four months," said Djayadi Hanan, LSI's executive director, adding trust in the government was important to enforce programmes such as vaccinations and movement curbs.

Grave diggers conduct a burial at Jatisari public cemetery, reserved for suspected COVID-19 victims on July 2, 2021 in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia. Indonesia's President Joko Widodo announced on Thursday to place 'emergency restrictions' on Java and Bali islands from July 3 to 21, aiming to tame the recent COVID-19 surge. The country recorded more than 25,000 new infections and the 539 people reported dead on Friday. - Getty Images

05:17 AM

Scotland restrictions 'eased, not abandoned'

All of Scotland drops to the lowest level of its five-tier system from today but restrictions are being "eased, not abandoned".

Face coverings in shops and public transport will remain mandatory for "some time to come", while social distancing will reduce to one metre inside public places as the shift to Level 0 kicks in, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.

Ms Sturgeon has also warned so-called "freedom day" applies to England only, tweeting: "As this chart shows, cases in (Scotland) are falling, but still too high.

"To talk of tomorrow as 'freedom day' (England only remember) is not sensible IMO, given current situation.

"Vaccines going well and do offer route through - but as we vaccinate, we must ease up gradually."


04:39 AM

Experts fear impact of Bangladesh lockdown pause

Waiting among hundreds of fellow travelers to catch a ferry out of Bangladesh's capital, unemployed construction worker Mohammed Nijam knew he was risking catching the coronavirus, but he felt it was even riskier to stay in Dhaka with another lockdown looming.

"I have to pay rent every month even though I have no work," he said, adding that his landlord had been bothering him for money even as he was struggling just to feed himself. "I'd rather go to my village home and lead life as God lets me."

Nijam is among the tens of millions of Bangladeshis shopping and traveling this week during a controversial eight-day pause in the country's strict coronavirus lockdown that the government is allowing for the Islamic festival Eid-al Adha.

The suspension has been panned by health experts who warn it could exacerbate an ongoing surge fueled by the highly contagious delta variant, which was first detected in neighboring India.

People crowd at a market area to shop after the government loosened a lockdown imposed as a preventive measure against the Covid-19 coronavirus ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha in Dhaka on July 16, 2021.  - AFP
People crowd at a market area to shop after the government loosened a lockdown imposed as a preventive measure against the Covid-19 coronavirus ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha in Dhaka on July 16, 2021. - AFP

04:09 AM

Australia's second biggest state extends lockdown

Australian authorities on Monday said Victoria state will extend a Covid-19 lockdown beyond Tuesday despite a slight drop in new infections, as the country's two biggest cities fight to stop the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant.

Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said lockdown rules would not be lifted as cases were still being detected in the community and he wanted to avoid going back into lockdown after "a few days of sunshine".

Victoria, the country's second most populous state which includes Melbourne, on Monday reported 13 locally acquired cases, down from 16 a day earlier. All new local cases are linked.

Almost half Australia's 25 million people have been confined to their homes with Sydney, the country's largest city, in a five-week lockdown, and all of Victoria state under stay at home rules, after the fast-moving Delta strain triggered the country's worst outbreak for this year.

A lone woman, wearing a protective face mask, walks across an unusually quiet city centre bridge on the first day of a lockdown as the state of Victoria looks to curb the spread of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Melbourne, Australia, July 16, 2021.  - Reuters
A lone woman, wearing a protective face mask, walks across an unusually quiet city centre bridge on the first day of a lockdown as the state of Victoria looks to curb the spread of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Melbourne, Australia, July 16, 2021. - Reuters

03:27 AM

Volunteers collect Myanmar's dead from homes

With hospitals in junta-run Myanmar empty of pro-democracy medical staff and coronavirus cases surging nationwide, volunteers are going house-to-house to collect the fast-rising number of victims dying in their homes.

Early each morning, Than Than Soe's phone starts ringing with requests from family members of those who have died in the commercial capital Yangon.

She writes the name, address and contact number of the victim in a ledger and dispatches a team to their home.

"We are running our service without resting," she said at the bustling office of her volunteer group. Every day "my team is collecting between 30-40 dead bodies... I think other teams will be the same like us".

Volunteers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) pray in front of bodies of people who died from the Covid-19 coronavirus during their funeral at a cemetery in Mandalay on July 14, 2021.  - AFP
Volunteers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) pray in front of bodies of people who died from the Covid-19 coronavirus during their funeral at a cemetery in Mandalay on July 14, 2021. - AFP

02:50 AM

Australia to deport Katie Hopkins for quarantine breach

Australia has cancelled far-right British commentator Katie Hopkins' visa after she boasted about flouting the country's strict hotel quarantine rules, a senior official said on Monday.

Hopkins had flown into Sydney to appear on a reality television show when she posted a video on Instagram talking about answering the door naked and maskless to workers delivering meals to her hotel room, local media reported.

Most international arrivals to Australia are required to complete 14 days in mandatory isolation in a hotel, under rules designed to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said Australia's border agency "acted quickly to make sure that the visa on which she entered was cancelled" after the footage appeared.

"We will be getting her out of the country as soon as we can possibly arrange that," she said.

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File photo dated 16/12/16 of Katie Hopkins who has been axed from the upcoming season of Australia's Big Brother VIP after reportedly admitting to deliberately disobeying strict hotel quarantine rules.  - PA
File photo dated 16/12/16 of Katie Hopkins who has been axed from the upcoming season of Australia's Big Brother VIP after reportedly admitting to deliberately disobeying strict hotel quarantine rules. - PA

02:16 AM

Singapore urges unvaccinated to stay home

Singapore's health ministry on Sunday "strongly" advised unvaccinated individuals, especially the elderly, to stay home as much as possible over the next few weeks, citing heightened concerns about the risk of community spread of Covid-19.

The country reported 88 new locally-transmitted coronavirus cases on Sunday, the highest daily toll since August last year, driven by growing clusters of infections linked to karaoke bars and a fishery port.

Though Singapore's daily cases are only a fraction of the number being reported among its Southeast Asian neighbours, the jump in infections is a setback for the Asian business hub, which has successfully contained its earlier outbreaks. On July 10, it had reported no new cases.

As a precaution, authorities on Sunday shut fresh fish and seafood stalls in markets across the city-state as it tested fishmongers for Covid-19.

Passengers wearing face masks stand near a terminal gate at Changi International Airport on July 14, 2021 in Singapore, Singapore. Singapore's Changi Airport, one of the world's key transit hubs, has seen passenger numbers plummet as the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic continues to have a severe impact on air travel. - Getty Images
Passengers wearing face masks stand near a terminal gate at Changi International Airport on July 14, 2021 in Singapore, Singapore. Singapore's Changi Airport, one of the world's key transit hubs, has seen passenger numbers plummet as the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic continues to have a severe impact on air travel. - Getty Images

01:02 AM

More than 10 million now use NHS App

The NHS App, which allows users to display their vaccine status, has more than 10 million users, according to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

As the remaining restrictions are lifted across England, it is hoped the app will help people return to the workplace, attend large-scale events and clubs, and travel abroad.

Since the launch of the Covid Pass feature on May 17, which allows people to easily show proof of vaccination, the app has gained over six million new users, the DHSC said.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: "As we cautiously reopen, the NHS Covid Pass will enable people to prove their vaccination status when travelling abroad and support venues and businesses to reopen safely, while protecting staff and the public."

In this photo illustration a smartphone uising the NHS Covid-19 app alerts the user "You need to self-isolate" on July 18, 2021 in Knutsford, England. Two-thirds of UK adults have received both Covid-19 doses, yet the NHS "Test and Trace" service is still issuing self-isolation orders to fully vaccinated individuals who have been exposed to infected people. 

12:20 AM

Australian PM out of favour over vaccine rollout

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's approval ratings fell to the lowest level in more than a year, according to a poll published on Monday, as a sluggish vaccine rollout dented voters' confidence in his conservative government.

A Newspoll conducted for The Australian newspaper showed Mr Morrison's public support dropped two points to 51 percent over the past three weeks, the lowest level since he faced criticism early last year over his response to devastating bushfires.

The Prime Minister has come under increasing pressure as a slow national vaccine rollout leaves Australia exposed to a deadly new wave of coronavirus. Sydney and Melbourne, the country's biggest two cities, are in lockdown in a bid to stem a fast-moving outbreak of the Delta variant.

Morrison's Liberal-National Party coalition government also slumped to its lowest electoral position this term, the Newspoll showed, trailing the opposition Labor Party 47-53 on a two-party preferred basis, indicating "a significant defeat" if an election were held.

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks during a press conference at Kirribilli House in Sydney, Australia, 16 July 2021. New South Wales has recorded 97 new locally transmitted coronavirus cases overnight. Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison press conference on new Sars-CoV-2 cases, Sydney - Shutterstock
Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks during a press conference at Kirribilli House in Sydney, Australia, 16 July 2021. New South Wales has recorded 97 new locally transmitted coronavirus cases overnight. Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison press conference on new Sars-CoV-2 cases, Sydney - Shutterstock

11:47 PM

Frontline workers may be able to skip self-isolation

Frontline health and social care workers in England may be able to carry on working even if they are exposed to someone with Covid-19, the government said on Monday as minister seek to ease pressure on the health service caused by rising infections.

Cases of Covid-19 are surging in Britain, causing hundreds of thousands of workers to be told they need to spend 10 days at home because they have been identified as a close contact of someone with the disease.

That has caused staff shortages in schools, businesses and the healthcare system.

To ease the burden on the healthcare system, where the rise in cases is also causing increased workload, the government announced an exemption for fully-vaccinated staff in exceptional circumstances.

File photo dated 20/10/2020 of health workers wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE). The majority of doctors surveyed by a union still do not feel fully protected from coronavirus infection at work almost a year in to the pandemic. The British Medical Association (BMA) said its findings "tell a story of real worry" among medics. Issue date: Saturday February 13, 2021. PA Photo. The organisation, which has been regularly surveying doctors across the UK since April last year on their experiences and the issues they face in various settings, including GP practices and hospitals, said its latest results showed that just 28% feel fully protected at work. 

11:08 PM

Today's top stories

  • Boris Johnson is under pressure to end the "mad" system of self-isolation as he and two other top ministers were forced into quarantine on "Freedom Day".
  • When Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak were identified as close contacts of Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, who recently tested positive for Covid, most people were expecting that they would go into self-isolation for 10 days.
  • Deaths are currently just one sixteenth of the level seen during similar infection rates in previous Covid waves, the latest figures show.
  • Passengers face a chaotic commute on "Freedom Day" after rail bosses said face masks must be worn on busy platforms but can be removed if boarding a quiet train.
  • All children may be offered the Covid vaccine later this year once trials conclude, despite officials being set to stop short of that recommendation on Monday.