Here’s what you need to know on July 24. This article was updated at 7pm.
Deceased: The Government said 45,677 people had died in hospitals, nursing homes and the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK at 5pm on Thursday, 123 times more than the day before.
According to the new figures, North West England had the highest coronavirus-related death rate of any English region in June. However, death rates declined across the country compared to May. Read more here.
Politics: Facial masks should be worn in stores and other interior locations starting in England today, but some supermarkets have already said they will not enforce the policy. Read more here.
The cities of Luton and Blackburn have been designated ‘areas of intervention’ as part of the government’s watch list for the coronavirus. Authorities there have delayed the opening of leisure facilities in response to being named an intervention area. Read more here.
Politics: Boris Johnson admitted that there were “things we could have done differently” at the start of the UK coronavirus pandemic. He said there would be a time to “conduct some kind of investigation into what happened in the past,” but it was not now. Read more here.
Boris Johnson has told overweight people to get in shape this summer. The Prime Minister, while saying he is reluctant to “take care” of the public, said that people need to lose weight to protect themselves from the coronavirus. Read more here.
Vaccines: Boris Johnson has stated that opponents of the vaccines are “crazy” as he announced that there would be an extension of the free flu shot program to help the NHS cope with a potential winter spike in coronavirus cases. He said Britain will be “well on its way” to the coronavirus in the middle of next year. Read more here.
Travel: Heathrow airport bosses have asked travelers to stop arriving early for flights because it is causing congestion. Passengers shared images of scenes at London airport, with some describing the crowds as “sardines.” Read more here.
More countries will be added to the UK exemption list, and travelers to England from Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will no longer have to be quarantined upon their return. It takes effect from Tuesday. Read more here.
Cases: Hundreds of people still receive coronavirus each week, figures show. The number of people with him was estimated to be 27,700 in the week ending July 19, compared to 24,000 the previous week. Read more here.
R rate: The range of England’s R rate of coronavirus infection could be as high as one in all parts of the country. Last week, many areas hovered just below one, but London and the Southwest had peaked at 1.1. This week all regions reported ranges that reach one. Read more here.
Read more about COVID-19
How to get a coronavirus test if you have symptoms
What you can and cannot do under the blocking rules
In pictures: what UK school classrooms might look like in a new normal
What might public transport look like after the blockade
How our public spaces will change in the future
Rest of the world
France is considering closing its border with Spain, as the country registers more cases of coronavirus. Spain registered 2,615 new infections on Thursday, compared to 132 per day on average during June. Read more here.
Positive news
Retail sales rebounded strongly in June when nonessential stores reopened, taking sales to pre-pandemic levels. New figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Friday showed that retail sales rose 13.9% in June, far exceeding economists’ expectations of an 8% monthly increase. Read more here.
Hotel Chocolat will create 200 new jobs after seeing an increase in sales during the pandemic. Customers who switched to their online store helped mitigate losses from their store closings, particularly by purchasing Easter and Mother’s Day gifts through their website. Read more here.
