GLOBAL COVID-19 TODAY
CORONAVIRUS CASES: 17,481,953
DEATHS: 676,824
RECOVERED: 10,941,906
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Visiting people at home banned in Northern England
BBC News says separate households have been banned from meeting each other indoors in Greater Manchester, east Lancashire and parts of West Yorkshire following a spike in coronavirus cases.
The health secretary said the increase in transmission was “largely due” to people not observing social distancing.
Labour criticised the government for a lack of clarity over the measures and for announcing them “late at night”.
Read the full story on BBC News
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Companies ready to defy PM’s planned return to the office
The Guardian says a slew of England’s biggest businesses are set to defy the government’s push to get workers back into offices in August, with many big businesses sticking to home working arrangements or delaying a partial return until September at the earliest.
Law firms, insurers, energy providers and tech firms are among those reacting cautiously to the change in government advice, which means from Saturday employers can decide whether staff can safely come back to offices. Some companies, such as Google and NatWest Group, are allowing workers to stay at home until 2021 amid signs of a permanent shift in working culture.
Read the full story on The Guardian
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India’s virus deaths pass Italy’s as floods hamper battle
France24 says India’s coronavirus death toll passed 35,000 on Friday, overtaking that of Italy, as floods affecting millions and killing almost 350 hampered the battle against the pandemic.
With 779 new deaths in 24 hours, the health ministry put total fatalities at 35,747, giving India the world’s fifth-highest death toll behind the United States, Brazil, Britain and Mexico, according to an AFP tally.
Read the full story on France24
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UAE coronavirus cases top 60,000
Arab News says coronavirus infections in the UAE topped 60,000 with 302 new cases confirmed overnight, as the country continues its massive drive to conduct COVID-19 tests to ensure early detection.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention has conducted more than 5 million tests so far since the coronavirus pandemic broke, with additional 55,257 daily tests undertaken so far, a report from state news agency WAM said.
Read the full story on Arab News
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Philipines extends lockdown
Aljazeera says President Rodrigo Duterte extended quarantine restrictions in the capital Manila, limiting movements of the elderly and children, and the operations of businesses from restaurants to gyms, until mid-August.
“My plea is to endure some more. Many have been infected,” Duterte said in a televised address.
Read the full story on Aljazeera
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US reports more than 67,000 new cases
CNN says a total of 67,619 new coronavirus cases and 1,233 deaths were recorded across the United States on Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The number of confirmed cases in the US now stands at 4,494,601, including at least 152,055 virus-related fatalities.
Read the full story on CNN
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BAFTA TV awards to give viewers a glimpse of stars in their natural habitats
Sky News says they might not be getting the fancy red carpet treatment, but the stars of our favourite shows will still be out in force – albeit virtually – for the BAFTA TV awards this evening.
Bookshelves crammed with weighty tomes? A casual display of awards from previous years and shows? Messy kitchens and impromptu visits from kids and pets? This year, viewers will get to see the BAFTAnominees in their natural habitats.
Read the full story on Sky News
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