As it happened: US reels from record spike in Covid-19 cases

1. Health experts in the US call for urgent action after a record number of new cases were recorded on Friday
2. Top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci says there is "a serious problem" - but Vice-President Mike Pence hails "progress"
3. The US has more than 2.4 million confirmed infections and at least 125,000 people have died - more than any other country
4. Meanwhile, the number of reported cases in India has surged to more than 500,000
5. Restrictions on some non-essential overseas travel will be relaxed in the UK from 6 July
6. More than 9.8 million cases and 494,000 deaths worldwide - Johns Hopkins University

We're pausing our live coverage

That's it from us for today - thank you for following our updates. Here's a quick summary of the key developments:

• US infectious diseases chief Dr Anthony Fauci says the nation has a "serious problem" after a record number of new cases - more than 40,000 - were recorded on Friday. Sixteen states are seeing infections spike
• In India the number of reported cases has risen to more than 500,000. Delhi's chief minister said a surge in infections had led to rising fatalities and a shortage of hospital beds
• In the UK, travel companies say holiday bookings have "exploded" after the government announced an easing of travel restrictions from 6 July
• Globally, there are now more than 9.8 million infections and 494,000 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University

Who we are

It will soon be time for our team of writers and editors to shut their laptops for the day here in England.

Saturday's live updates were brought to you by Alice Evans and Gareth Evans (no relation), Marie Jackson and Patrick Jackson (no relation again), Victoria Lindrea, Vicky Baker and David Walker.

Why can't some businesses reopen in England yet?

Francesca Gillett

BBC News

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Pubs but not clubs, hairdressers but not nail salons. The planned changes to England's coronavirus lockdown on 4 July have left many businesses questioning why they can't reopen yet but others can.

The government hasn't spelt out exactly how it made its decisions.

From outdoor gyms v indoor gyms, to cinemas v theatres, here are some possible reasons to keep some businesses shut and others open.

Sturgeon's tartan face mask to help the homeless

Nicola Sturgeon says the face covering she wears to help prevent the spread of coronavirus is made of "homeless tartan" to support homeless charities.

Scotland's first minister was pictured in the mask during a visit to a New Look store in Edinburgh yesterday.

She visited the shop to see how staff were implementing social distancing, ahead of non-essential shops in Scotland reopening from 29 June.

In Scotland, it is compulsory to wear face coverings on all public transport.

Three dead in US after drinking hand sanitiser

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Hand sanitiser can be highly toxic if ingested

Three people have died from methanol poisoning in the US state of New Mexico after drinking hand sanitiser, health officials say.

A further three people are in a critical condition and another has been left permanently blind.

A spokesman for the state's health department said the cases were related to alcoholism. Hand sanitiser has a high alcohol content and can be toxic if ingested.

It comes shortly after the US Food and Drug Administration warned against buying nine sanitiser products manufactured in Mexico because they contain methanol.

Boris Johnson: Vaccine will be 'triumph for all humanity'

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has addressed the Unite for Our Future event - a global online summit designed to raise money to develop affordable vaccines, tests and treatments for coronavirus.

He praised efforts around the world to fight back against coronavirus, but said more needed to be done.

"In great swathes of the world, home to billions of people, the disease is still accelerating, so the race for a vaccine, for better treatments, for quick and reliable tests - that race must go on."

Mr Johnson spoke of British scientists' "lifesaving breakthrough on dexamethasone treatment" and the work on vaccines being done by researchers at the University of Oxford and Imperial College London.

But he stressed that wherever an effective vaccine was eventually found, world leaders had "a moral duty" to ensure it is available to all.

"Defeating [the pandemic] is the most important shared endeavour of our times. And when we do so, it will not be a victory for one nation, but a triumph for all humanity."

BreakingUK announces 100 further coronavirus deaths

Latest figures show 100 people, who tested positive, have died from coronavirus across the UK in the past 24 hours.

It brings the total number of UK deaths from Covid-19, across all settings, to 43,514.

BBC

Rallies replace virus-hit Pride parades

Rallies are taking place around the world this weekend to replace hundreds of Pride marches that have been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In London, former members of the 1970s activist group Gay Liberation Front marked its 50th anniversary by walking the same route as the city's cancelled Pride parade.

AFP

Gay rights activist Peter Tatchell - who helped organise Britain's first Pride march in 1972 - led the march through London

Thousands took part in an anti-homophobia rally in Berlin after the annual Pride parade was cancelled. Those taking part observed coronavirus restrictions, police said, wearing face masks and adhering to social distancing.

AFP

The theme of the march in Berlin was Save Our Pride, Save Our Community

Elsewhere:

• New York: Thousands of people are expected to attend a Queer Liberation March on Sunday organised by the Reclaim Pride Coalition
• Taiwan: A small rally is planned for Sunday to show solidarity with LGBT+ communities still living under lockdown. Taiwan hosts East Asia's largest Pride march every October

EU pledges nearly €5bn to help vulnerable countries

An update now on the online coronavirus summit. The head of the European Commmission, Ursula von der Leyen, who is co-hosting the event, pledged a further €4.9bn ($5.5bn) from the EU to help vulnerable countries finance their recovery from the pandemic.

She said that what was needed was a multilateralist approach to the development and distribution of vaccines:

"To think that you can beat this virus by vaccinating only your own people while neglecting the others is just plain wrong. I mean we live in a very connected world.

"No country will be able to go back to normal while others are still fighting the virus. So first we need a vaccine, then we need to make this vaccine affordable and for that I'm trying to convince high-income countries to reserve vaccines not only for themselves but also for low- and middle-income countries and this is what our campaign, Global Goal Unite For our Future, is all about."

Drinkers at large illegal gathering dispersed by Cardiff police

MATTHEW HORWOOD

The group in Cardiff was dispersed and no arrests were made, police said

More news now on the string of illegal parties that have taken place recently in the UK.

Police say they broke up an illegal gathering in Cardiff Bay just after midnight on Friday, following reports of anti-social behaviour involving a large number of people drinking alcohol.

The group was dispersed and no arrests were made, South Wales Police said.

It follows several illegal parties in London - where police have been injured in clashes with revellers - while Liverpool's mayor says people are bringing the city into disrepute by continuing to take part in mass celebrations following Liverpool FC's Premier League win.

Under coronavirus lockdown rules in Wales any number of people from two households can meet up, while in England up to six people can gather from different households. Read our explainer on the rules here.

Famous faces take part in online summit

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Coldplay are joining the concert

Political leaders and celebrities from around the world are taking part in a global online coronavirus summit.

It’s part of the ongoing effort to raise money to develop affordable vaccines, tests and treatments for the virus.

Speakers include the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson are also set to speak at the event.

It will be followed by a concert that will feature performances from the likes of Coldplay, Justin Bieber and Shakira.

You can tune in here.

Travel firm bookings 'explode' as restrictions ease

EPA/David Borrat

Spain is shaping up to be one of the most popular destinations for UK tourists this summer, holiday firm TUI says

A Eurotunnel boss says phones have been "ringing off the hook" after the news UK holidaymakers are expected to be allowed to travel to some European countries without having to go into quarantine when they return.

John Keefe, director of public affairs at Eurotunnel, says bookings "exploded" when the news came out last night.

Eurotunnel's maximum service of four departures an hour at peak times will resume from 6 July, he adds.

"The servers have been really busy with people making bookings for the summer. But actually we started to see an increase in bookings from about three weeks ago. People almost started to discount the quarantine measures for the summer from an early stage," he says.

Travel firm TUI says the easing of restrictions is a "hugely positive step forward" for the industry.

"Our customers will be ecstatic that their summer is saved," says Andrew Flintham, managing director at TUI for the UK and Ireland.

Like Eurotunnel, TUI reports a surge in bookings - it says they've increased 50% on last week, with Spain and Greece looking like the most popular summer holiday destinations.

No coronavirus patients in intensive care in N Ireland

Northern Ireland has recorded one further Covid-19-related death since Friday.

There are now no coronavirus patients remaining in intensive care in Northern Ireland; 21 patients with the virus are still in hospital. There have now been 549 deaths in total.

Elsewhere in the UK, Scotland recorded no new deaths, for a second consecutive day. It means the number of deaths in Scotland, of people who tested positive for coronavirus, remains at 2,842.

Public Health Wales has reported five deaths from coronavirus in the past 24 hours. It brings the total number of deaths in Wales, who tested positive for coronavirus, to 1,502.

And in England, a further 78 people, who tested positive for coronavirus, have died in hospital - bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals to 28,635.

The total number of deaths in the four nations differs from the UK total, due to be released shortly by the Department for Health, as different methods are used to record the figures.

Egypt eases lockdown despite rising cases

Reuters

Worshippers at this mosque in Cairo had to wear face masks and observe social distancing

Egypt is allowing places of worship to reopen from today and lifting a night-time curfew, which has been in force since 25 March.

Gyms, theatres and cafes are also permitted to reopen, albeit with limited capacity, but the easing of restrictions comes as the rate of infections is still rising.

The country has recorded 62,755 Covid-19 infections and 2,620 associated deaths. However, as in other countries, the true numbers are believed to be higher due to limited testing.

Announcing the easing of measures earlier this week, PM Mostafa Madbouly reiterated the government’s message that fighting the outbreak would have to take place alongside efforts to protect the economy.

He said the lifting of restrictions could be reversed if people did not follow the rules still in place.

What's happening in the UK?

DANNY LAWSON/PA WIRE

If you're just joining us, here's a quick summary of what's been going on in the UK so far today.

• There's been plenty of reaction to the announcement that blanket restrictions on non-essential overseas travel will be relaxed from 6 July
• The Scottish government says it's "disappointing" there were no talks between the four UK nations before the move - while Portugal continues to fight for a place on the list of countries that UK tourists wil be able to travel to without quarantining
• Elsewhere, Liverpool FC has condemned "wholly unacceptable" behaviour of some fans who gathered in the city to celebrate the Premier League title win, despite lockdown restrictions
• Police say they're "building relationships" with communities after more illegal street parties were held in London. Met Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick says her force has a "duty" to stop unlawful music events during lockdown
• And the Red Arrows have performed a flypast over Scarborough to mark Armed Forces Day - while many other celebrations have been moved online due to the pandemic

US judge releases migrant children over virus fears

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Migrant children who have been detained are housed in facilities such as this one in Florida

In the US, a federal judge has ordered 124 migrant children to be released from family immigration detention centres that are infected with the virus.

The three centres are in Kansas, Pennsylvania and Texas.

“The [facilities] are ‘on fire’ and there is no more time for half measures,” Judge Dolly Gee wrote.

She ruled that the children must be released by mid-July and placed into the custody of suitable sponsors. These could include the children’s own detained parents, who could be released with tracking devices if necessary.

Hundreds of people detained in immigration centres have tested positive for Covid-19, according to US media.

Couple 'can't wait' as wedding finally gets go ahead

BBC

James Carter and Heidi Crowter will be among the first couples to take advantage of lockdown easing when they tie the knot next weekend.

The couple have been separated since March, when lockdown saw them confined to their respective homes, in Weymouth and Coventry.

Next Saturday - thanks to government announcements earlier this week - they will be getting married, albeit at a ceremony limited to 30 guests and conforming to social distancing requirements.

Heidi's mum, Liz, said it had been "very weird" living with the uncertainty of whether the wedding ceremony would be allowed to go ahead.

But bride-to-be Heidi remains upbeat, despite the lockdown disruption: "It's going to be a very big day and a very special day," she told BBC News.

"I have been dreaming of this day since I was born."

• What are the rules on weddings?

Scottish ministers disappointed over lack of travel talks

Reuters

As we've reported earlier today, the UK government has said blanket restrictions on travel to some European countries will be relaxed from 6 July.

But it's caused annoyance for some in the Scottish government, who say they had expected talks involving Welsh, Northern Irish and UK ministers first.

"Scottish ministers have long argued for UK-wide public health measures relating to international travel as part of the wider response to this pandemic - to protect people and ensure that we limit the introduction of new chains of transmission of the virus when our own infection rates are falling," a spokesman said.

"This is a matter for Scottish ministers - who have not yet taken a final decision."

He added that it was "disappointing" that four-nation discussions about the move haven't taken place.

Liverpool FC promises victory parade 'when it's safe'

Liverpool FC has condemned the behaviour of some football fans who gathered in the city to celebrate the Premier League title win as "wholly unacceptable".

In a joint statement with the city council and Merseyside Police, LFC said: "Our city is still in a public health crisis and this behaviour is wholly unacceptable.

"The potential danger of a second peak of Covid-19 still exists and we need to work together to make sure we don't undo everything that has been achieved as a region during lockdown.

"When it is safe to do so, we will all work together to arrange a victory parade when everyone can come together to celebrate."

Read more

Police seek community engagement over street parties in London

BBC

Objects were thrown at officers as they tried to disperse crowds in Notting Hill on Thursday

Police are committed to "building relationships" with communities after more illegal street parties were held in London, says the Metropolitan Police.

"We're not going to arrest our way out of situations like this," Met Commander Bas Javid told BBC Breakfast.

It comes as officers broke up an event on Harrow Road, Kensal Town, on Friday night. It followed similar events in Notting Hill and Brixton on preceding nights, which saw police injured in clashes with party-goers.

"The first line is engagement and building relationships, and you don't do that by walking into every situation with riot helmets and shields," said Mr Javid.

But he stressed that "if these situations do descend into chaos and violence and disorder... we will take a much more thorough and robust position".