Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus outbreak this Thursday night. We have another update for you on Friday morning.
1. Quarantine rules lifted for travel in Portugal
UK tourists returning from Portugal will no longer have to pursue a career after it was added to the list of travel corridors, but travelers returning from Croatia will now have to self-isolate. Fourteen days of self-isolation will also be required for people returning from Austria and Trinidad and Tobago from 4 a.m. BST on Saturday, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said, following an increase in the number of cases of coronavirus. Meanwhile, the Scottish Government has added Switzerland to the list of countries on its quarantine list. Here’s a reminder of which countries you can visit from the UK.
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Reuters
Some 875,000 British nationals visited Croatia last year
2. Students receive GCSE degrees
Thousands of students have recorded GCSE results after the most disruptive academic year in UK history. The pass rate has increased sharply, especially in England, following the government’s U-turn on how they would be graded. Students have spoken to the BBC about their relief at their results, with one saying it felt like “a weight” was lifted, following the confusion over the A-level results last week. However, the exam crisis is raging, with the national regulator of statistics announcing that it intends to test the algorithm used by Ofqual to make A-level decisions for students who could not pass exams.
- How were this year’s results decided?
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3. gyms and swimming pools of Scotland to reopen on 31st August
Gyms, swimming pools and courtyards for sports will be able to reopen in Scotland from 31 August, in a further reduction of the nation’s restriction, Scotland’s Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced. The facilities were previously expected to open in mid-September. Ms Sturgeon also said that stadiums, live music halls and theaters of September 14 in Scotland could reopen. And she announced that police and local authorities will be given new powers to break up and disperse house parties.
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Reuters
4. Airbnb bans house parties
Airbnb has banned worldwide celebrations as part of its efforts to adhere to coronavirus-related social distance guidelines. Occupancy will be limited to 16 people, with a few exceptions for some locations. The company said the ban was in the “best interests of public health”, and that legal action would be sought if guests or hosts break the rules. It comes after lockdown parties hosted in Airbnb properties led the UK’s Bed and Breakfast Association to warn that it was endangering communities.
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PA Media
Airbnb had already begun imposing stricter boundaries, with a ban on holiday homes that caused ongoing neighborhood congestion
5. ‘My father built me a beauty salon in the garden’
And finally, a beauty specialist told the BBC how her father built her a beauty salon in her backyard amid fears that coronavirus would affect her career when she qualified this summer. With fewer jobs, and salons tentatively reopening with strict Covid-19 guidelines, 18-year-old Amy Harris’ father, Andy, decided to build her a business – literally.
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