now ministers have announced the 2 million or so people who have been shielding in england will be allowed outside from tomorrow, as the lockdown is gradually lifted. the uk's covid—19 alert system suggests restrictions can be eased at level three, but it's currently at four, so is the government acting too soon? the number of new cases is down by over 800, week on week. the number of covid—19 patients in critical care is down by over 200. the number of deaths week on week from friday is down by 27. so because we have made that progress steadily, slowly, surely, week in, week out we can very gradually, very carefully take the steps we are taking tomorrow in the way i've described. the foreign secretary said this was a sensitive moment and any increase in coronavirus cases could lead to tighter measures in specific areas, which some

scientists warn is likely. it may be that actually easing lockdown is perfectly 0k in areas like london, which were hit early and hit hard, where the epidemic seems to have been virtually passed in many parts of the community, with a few exceptions. but up north, it's still a very large number of cases. testing people for coronavirus and tracing those they've had contact with will be crucial to controlling the virus as restrictions are lifted, but labour and others are concerned the systems are not fully ready. test, track and isolate is fundamental because unless that works, we won't know where the disease is, we won't able to shut it down in localised areas and we can see the reimposition of a lockdown and as you would expect, as shadow chancellor, i'm very, very concerned about what would happen to our economy if that happens, as well as the health impact. relaxing the rules is not without risk and the impact the changes will have is unclear.

jonathan blake, bbc news. let's speak now to alison cook, who's director of external affairs at asthma uk and the british lung foundation. good afternoon. i assume this announcement that people who have been shielding for all this time can go out tomorrow will be welcome? been shielding for all this time can go out tomorrow will be welcome7m is welcome news. i think it's a big change for people who have been staying at home for a long time. we know that people are anxious about this, we've just done a big survey with thousands of people, and although nearly everybody has complied with shielding rules about three quarters of those have reported that it has affected their mental health and we know actually for people with lung disease physical exercise is really important, and people have struggled with that at home. give us some idea of the sort of circumstances that

people have had to endure during this time, because some people have been locked down since late march. they have. some people have not been able to see even their partners where they're living in separate buildings, we know people have had to give their dogs to somebody else to give their dogs to somebody else to walk, and it taken a huge toll on mental health. but people's reactions to this are going to be very different, and that is why we've been arguing for a more tailored approach, which is why this is good news, but people need support as well so for some people this is great news, i know 96—year—old who is dying to get out of the house, and wants to live her life to the full again, but other people who have chronic lung disease are much more nervous and actually what we want is a very personal approach so people can come to their own decision about what feels right for them, and we're really pleased that the advice is actually to assess what you want to do and then have a conversation with your

hospital consultant or gp to work out what is right for you. in those decisions might change week by week as people gain confidence. that is good advice, because nobody is being. go out, people can stay indoors if they want to but they have to weigh up how but that is for general well—being. have to weigh up how but that is for general well-being. yes, have to weigh up how but that is for generalwell-being. yes, it is physical and mental health, and what we wa nt physical and mental health, and what we want to see is the restrictions —— as the restrictions are lifted, isa —— as the restrictions are lifted, is a gradual return and people given some kind of warning that things will change so they can prepare themselves to get back to what normal life was like before. thank you so much. with me now is our health editor, hugh pym. lots of changes tomorrow in england, and one of those big ones is for people who have been shielding for all these weeks and that they can come out. very, very important, two

and a half million people in the uk who have been told by their gps, they receive these letters back in march saying, you do need to stay indoors and shield, and that was for three months from that point. now, we've had ten weeks of it, but as we've had ten weeks of it, but as we've learnt in the last 2a hours or so, that is going to be lifted slightly from tomorrow so people in these categories can leave home with a member of the household and go and ta ke a member of the household and go and take some exercise or meet up with somebody from another household, but of course observing the two metre social distancing, and that will be the case in england and wales. scotla nd the case in england and wales. scotland and northern ireland for now are sticking with the previous arrangements that people in these categories, people with serious underlying health conditions, respiratory, they might be on all organ donation situations, they may be having chemotherapy for cancer, they are being advised in scotland and northern ireland to stay indoors

for now. interestingly, talking to people in various groups who will be eligible to leave home tomorrow, some are in their words ecstatic that they can get out, they can meet another member of the family who lives in another household, they haven't seen since march. equally, there are one or two others who are still very tentative and feel they are not totally convinced about the reason for doing this. they say it's been a bit rushed, why was it put out last night before any letter had gone out to them? so they aren't com pletely gone out to them? so they aren't completely convinced and some will still stay at home, still wanting to show themselves. just before we came in the airthe show themselves. just before we came in the air the government announced it did now have the capacity across the uk to carry out 200,000 tests, and that was the deadline it set itself or tomorrow. put that into context for us because it's about capacity isn't it, not about actual tests ? capacity isn't it, not about actual tests? yes, very important, this is a capacity of laboratories and testing stations around the uk to

carry out tests. it means, if there is demand they can theoretically do 200,000 a day, and that is the target set by borisjohnson during the first, that is tomorrow, and it's just been announced that that is possible, more labs have come on stream, and it's obviously felt that that capacity is there. but the number of tests actually being carried out his round about 120,000, so there is still a gap to be made up so there is still a gap to be made up there. we don't know the number of people being tested, that's different from the number of tests, the number of tests tends to be higher because you can get people being tested twice a day. that number hasn't been published at the moment, there is a piece of statistical work on going on that. and testing is incredibly important, because of the test and trace and isolate policy being adopted in all parts of the uk at the moment as a way of trying to curb the future spread of the virus. many thanks.

hundreds of people have gathered in central london this afternoon, to protest over the killing of the unarmed black american, george floyd, whilst in police custody. the crowds congregated in trafalgar square, in solidarity with protesters in the us. hundreds of demonstrators then marched towards downing street, and onwards across the river thames to vauxhall. the crowds have now gathered outside the us embassy building. as you can see from these pictures, people appear to be crowded together despite social distancing restrictions. meanwhile, similar demonstrations have taken place in cities across the uk, including here in st ann's square in manchester, birmingham and in cardiff. we can speak now to our home affairs correspondent danny shaw. various things going on here. the protest about the killing of george floyd, but also the very fact that people are out demonstrating and a p pa re ntly people are out demonstrating and apparently not socially distancing. yes, but i think the main concern

for the police at the moment will be less about laws on social distancing and more about controlling the crowds, ensuring the protests remain peaceful, that they remain as far as they can be good—humoured, and that they can be good—humoured, and that they don't grow and disperse out of control into surrounding streets. there are now thousands of people taking part in the london protests. by taking part in the london protests. by far the biggest protest we have seen for some time. this is something that the police were worried would happen after the coronavirus crisis with the lockdown rules, they were certainly fearful there could be protests and demonstrations against the lockdown, but in fact what has sparked this is the death in america, and in a way i think police will be concerned that the protests don't become violent and don't spiral out of control,

particularly because you have not just very large crowds, a lot of people around at the moment was not a lot to do, there is hot weather, there are more protests planned, and there are more protests planned, and there is also some sort of feeling of resentment and anger amongst many people at the moment about the lockdown restrictions and some of the ways in which the government has handled all this. and there is i suppose the potential for all that to spill over. at the moment it looks very peaceful, so i think police will be more concerned about containing the protests than they can be about enforcing social distancing rules. it is impractical for them to go around saying to people, you have to be two metres apart from everyone else, you are touching someone, you are walking past someone, you are talking directly to someone... it is impracticalfor them to directly to someone... it is impractical for them to do that at the moment. thank you. thousands of people have gathered at the dorset beauty spot, durdle door despite police warning against traveling to the beach. three people were seriously injured

yesterday after jumping from the 200ft cliffs into the sea. both the beach there and at nearby lulworth cove have been closed. the council says anyone travelling there will be turned back. now it's time for a look at the weather with stav danaos. hello there. we are ending the month of may pretty much how we started the month for many of us, and that is on a dry, sunny and a very warm note. and, indeed, the first few days ofjune look dry, warm and sunny too, but we will start to see some changes to the weather as we reach the middle part of this new week. now, a fine end to the day, and overnight it looks like skies will be clear for most. we could see a little bit of low cloud and sea fog rolling into some north—east coasts of england and in towards eastern scotland, but elsewhere clear skies, and temperatures ranging from seven to 13 degrees. so, for monday morning — dry, sunny, and a warm one for many. that low cloud and fog will tend to clear away from the north—east. into the afternoon we could see a little bit of fair weather cloud bubbling up in response to the high temperatures.

and across scotland and northern ireland, again another warm one to come, particularly across central western scotland, western parts of northern ireland. the high temperatures could spark off an isolated heavy shower, but most places will be dry. england and wales — widespread sunshine, again an onshore breeze will put those temperatures back on the north sea coast. the highest of the temperatures — central and western areas, reaching the mid 20s celsius. and, again, uv levels will be high across the board. 0n into tuesday, this is where we see the first of the change taking place across the north of the country. this is a cold front pushing southwards into northern scotland. it's going to introduce more cloud, outbreaks of rain, some of which will be heavier into the afternoon, and some cold northerly winds pushing in behind it. elsewhere across the country it's another fine, dry, sunny, and a very warm day. highs of 27 or 28 degrees in the south, but much cooler across the northern half of scotland than what we've had over the last few days. so, for midweek, we start to see the change then — that weather front in the north begins to move southwards. it will bring patchy rain for some of us, and we'll also see a drop

in temperature as those northerly winds begin. there's that weather front meandering its way southwards, tending to weaken though as it reaches certain parts of the country, so rainfall totals will be very variable. what you will notice as we reach the middle latter part of the week is the feel of things — we've got colder air expected to spread southwards across the uk. so we could see some patchy rain at times across the country through wednesday and thursday, though not that much getting to areas where we need it across the south—east, and the temperature will start to fall away by the end of the week.

you're watching bbc news, and we welcome viewers on bbc one and bbc world news as we expect today's coronavirus government briefing from downing street to start shortly. it's led today by the communities and local government secretary, robertjenrick. he'll bejoined by dame louise casey, who's spearheading a government task force on rough sleeping during the pandemic and drjenny harries, chief medical 0fficerfor england. in other developments today, vulnerable people who have been asked to shield at home in england and wales since the lockdown began will be able to go outdoors again from tomorrow. in the uk, a further 113 people who have tested positive