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 officerfor 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 for coronavirus have died, taking the total number to 38,489. let's take you live to downing street for the daily coronavirus government update. let's listen to robertjenrick. let's listen to robert jenrick. good afternoon and welcome to the downing street press conference. i am joined today by drjenny harries, the deputy chief medical officer for england and dame louise casey, the prime minister's adviser on

rough sleeping. as communities secretary, i will be updating you on our support for the most vulnerable people in society. i will be updating you on how we are shielding people from coronavirus in england, and the next steps for our programme of support for rough sleepers during the pandemic. but first, i want to update you on the latest data on the coronavirus response. 4,285,738 coronavirus tests have now been carried out in the united kingdom, including 115,725 tests carried out yesterday. 274,762 people have tested positive, an increase of 1936 cases since

yesterday. 7639 people are currently in hospital with coronavirus, down 1596 in hospital with coronavirus, down 15% from 8945 this time last week. and sadly, of those tested positive for coronavirus across all the settings, 38,489 have now died, an increase of 113 fatalities since yesterday. behind each of those deaths is a family in mourning and heartbroken friends and loved ones. our thoughts and prayers, as ever, are with all of them. at the start of this pandemic, we advised clinically extremely vulnerable people to shield until the 30th of june. these are individuals who

are most at risk of severe illness if they contract the virus, so protecting them has been especially important during the pandemic. i think it is important to explain who is shielding. they are not exclusively older people. over half are under70. exclusively older people. over half are under 70. over 90,000 of them are under 70. over 90,000 of them are actually children. they, sadly, will not be able to return to school tomorrow, if their year group is. and hundreds of thousands of those shielding are, or were at work before the pandemic. many of these people are working from home, but where this is not possible, they are unable to do the jobs that i am sure they would wish to be doing. the one thing they all have in common is that they have made a huge

sacrifice. i would like to echo the prime minister in recognising the resilience of people shielding across the country and express our admiration for their ongoing efforts. we know they often live with other people, so this has had a profound impact on their lives as well. and family members have often had to sacrifice a lot to protect the people that they love the most. and i know that a significant number of those shielding have not left the house at all for nine or ten weeks. that is quite an extraordinary restriction on their lives. for those who were advised to shield, we set up the national shielding service, a huge logistical exercise, unprecedented since the second world war. this has included delivering over 2.5 million free food boxes,

securing priority supermarket delivery services, ensuring people can get medicines delivered to their doorstep, and working closely in partnership with local government and our fantastic nhs volunteer responders, helping people in a myriad of other ways, be that delivering shopping, calling people for a check in, and chat, or providing essential care. over 350,000 people who are shielding have registered for some form of support from the government, like food, medicine deliveries. but more than half of those shielding have also said to us that they want somebody to talk to over the phone. so none of us should forget the emotional burden that isolation places upon people, and the effects on mental health and general

well—being. for anyone, shielding or not, it is important that you seek the help that you need, and it is available, despite the restrictions. so please, if this is you, go to gulf dot uk, or the every mind matters website for advice and practical steps as to what you can do and the support that is available for your well—being during this time. iam immensely for your well—being during this time. i am immensely grateful to all of those in the nhs who have and continue to go above and beyond to support those most at risk during the virus. we also recognise the role of local councils and parish councils, who have supported their residents with great effect. when we announced a gradual relaxation of restrictions in the last week, i know that many people who are shielding will have been asking, "what about me? "

shielding will have been asking, "what about me?" today, we are setting out the next steps for the shielded. now that we have passed their peak and the prevalence of covid—19 in the community has reduced significantly, we believe that the risk to those shielding is lower, as it is proportionately for the general population. as with the guidance for shielded people more generally, we want to give people the information and the advice that they need to make the best decisions for them. this is, as always, advisory for the shielded. so as a first step, i can announce today that we have updated the shielded guidance, so that from tomorrow, monday the 1st ofjune, people will be advised that they can take initial steps to safely spend time outdoors. this guidance is for england only but we are working very

closely with the devolved administrations in scotland, wales and northern ireland, who will issue their own guidance in due course. those shielding will be able to spend outdoors with members of their own household, or, if they live alone, with one person from another household. this reflects a lower risk of transmission outdoors, as well as the significantly reduced prevalence of covid—19 in the community. the full guidance will be uploaded to gov.uk later community. the full guidance will be uploaded to gov. uk later today. community. the full guidance will be uploaded to gov.uk later today. you must still follow social distancing guidelines, and remain at a two metre distance from others. this will enable those shielding to see loved ones, like children and grandchildren, something manyi loved ones, like children and grandchildren, something many i know are 18 to do —— aching to do. having spent many weeks indoors, some will understandably be very cautious and concerned about going outdoors. you

should only do what you are co mforta ble should only do what you are comfortable with. in our road map, we have set out, while the shielding guidance is currently in place until the end ofjune, it may need to be extended beyond that point. our guidance to those who are shielding will always be advisory but it is critical that it is based on the most up—to—date evidence and data. so today i can say that as part of each review for the social distancing measures for the wider population, we will also review the risks for the clinically extremely vulnerable, and assess whether, as we currently believe, the shielding period needs to be extended, and whether it is possible for the shielding guidance to be eased further. we will base each assessment on clinical advice from oui’ assessment on clinical advice from our medical experts, and the best data available about the prevalence of covid—19 within

the community. the next review of shielding measures will take place in the week commencing the 15th ofjune, and we will consider the next steps for the programme more generally beyond the 30th ofjune. following that review, the nhs will also write to all individuals on the shielding patient list, with information about next steps on shielding advice, and the support that will be available to them. if the conditions become less favourable, our advice to those being asked to shield will u nfortu nately being asked to shield will unfortunately need to be tightened. the government will continue to ensure that support is available to those who need it, for as long as possible, and for as long as people are advised to follow the shielding guidance. once again, can i thank all of those shielding for your

patience and fortitude. everybody across the country appreciates the unique challenges that you face, and we wa nt unique challenges that you face, and we want to continue to do all we can to ensure that whilst you might be at home shielding for a bit longer, you are not alone. secondly, i want to provide an update on our work on rough sleeping, and ayange joined, asi rough sleeping, and ayange joined, as i said earlier, by the prime minister's adviser on rough sleeping, dame louise casey. from the start of this pandemic, we believed we had a special duty to protect the most vulnerable in our society and this was especially necessary for those people sleeping rough on our streets. working hand—in—hand with charities and local councils, we have offered accommodation to over 90% of rough sleepers known to us at the start, in order to help them stay safe during the pandemic. i want to thank eve ryo ne during the pandemic. i want to thank everyone who has been

involved in this huge national effort. thousands of lives have been protected because of lives have been protected because of your work. we have ensured councils in england have the funding to help continue housing rough sleepers in emergency accommodation, as part of the £3.8 billion we provided to them in the last two months, and we will continue to fund this essential work to get the job done. but as we enter the next phase in our battle against coronavirus, it is right that we start to look ahead. our goal has always been that as few people as possible return to the streets, but words and promises are not enough. because of the action that we have already taken, for the first time in my lifetime, we know who the vast majority of rough sleepers are, and where they are living. that means that we can assess each individual‘s needs and

tailor the support that we provide next. some people will need help to return to the private rented sector, but others will need accommodation to be provided, so that they can start to rebuild their lives. that is why 6000 new supported homes will be made available for rough sleepers at providing safe accommodation for people we have helped off the streets during the pandemic. the government is backing this effort with £433 million to fast track the safe accommodation desperately needed to ensure as he rough sleepers as possible return to the streets. 3300 of these new homes will become available in the next 12 months and £160 million will be spent this year to deliver that. but rough sleeping is as much a health issue as it is a housing issue. it issue as it is a housing issue. it isa issue as it is a housing issue. it is a crisis of addiction and mental

health as well. we will provide specialist support staff for rough sleepers in this new accommodation to make sure they can continue to receive the health support that they will need to transform their lives and fulfil their potential. these homes will be a springboard to better things. they will serve as a new national asset and be a symbol of hope and our belief that no one's path is predetermined. i am now going to pass over to dame louise casey. thank you, secretary of state. firstly can i add my own condolences to the families and friends of all of those who have sadly passed away due to covid—19. at the outset of this awful crisis, it became clear that what we needed that it was all we can to make sure that it was all we can to make sure that we were protecting some of the most vulnerable people in our society, and we must continue

to do so. society, and we must continue to do so. the pandemic is not over. for homeless people, the task was to bring as many people in off the streets and out of communal shelters. the goal was to protect rough sleepers from the virus, give them the chance to self—isolate and ultimately therefore to do the best we can to save their lives. there was an absolutely extraordinary response across the public sector, charities and businesses, in response to my call to get everyone in. those efforts have resulted in close to 15,000 people across england now being helped. i would like to take this opportunity alongside the secretary of state to thank everyone involved. it was an extraordinary and unusual endeavour. from the dedicated outreach workers, the hard—working council staff, to hotels that have opened their doors and the faith and community groups

who have provided friendship and food. it has been a heartening example of what we can do when we need to do it and the best of britain in this time of crisis. and by bringing almost everyone in, we now have another extraordinary and unusual endeavour ahead to try and unusual endeavour ahead to try and change their lives for good beyond the immediate response to covid—19. i stand ready to work with all partners and esteemed colleagues in wales, scotland and northern ireland. sol in wales, scotland and northern ireland. so i am really pleased that the government is investing in the 6000 new homes along with the extra support and money for the costs of their support and meaning that we can help the most vulnerable rough sleepers in the long—term. this is a really good start. i am grateful to the secretary of state and the prime minister for their support.

the secretary of state and the prime ministerfortheir support. but the secretary of state and the prime minister for their support. but none of us should underestimate the challenge ahead in order to keep everyone in. there is much more that we need to do but for now, i would like to thank those in local government, the health service, the civil servants and the countless charities, community groups who have helped protect one of the most vulnerable groups in our society during this pandemic and those such as the prince's trust, my businesses in the community, comic and the catholic churches who have pledged wider support —— and comic relief. so now that so many are inside, i hope we can keep it that way. what has been done here is a small but incredible silver lining in the dark cloud that is covid—19. thank you. thank you, louise. i am cloud that is covid—19. thank you. thank you, louise. iam now cloud that is covid—19. thank you. thank you, louise. i am now going to hand over to drjenny harries.

thank you, louise. i am now going to hand over to drjenny harries. thank you. i'mjust hand over to drjenny harries. thank you. i'm just going to update on some of the indicators in the progress we are having with managing the pandemic, carefully and slowly returning to normal. the first slide that we see here is social distancing information. it is looking at transport use from department for transport data. on the top row, you can see our car, like goods, commercial and heavy goods vehicle use. this dates back toa goods vehicle use. this dates back to a period of comparison either earlier in the year or for rail, it goes back to the previous year. we can see that our car use is gradually picking up as we ease some of the lockdown measures and people are travelling a little further. it is important to remind people that we should only be travelling in cars with our own household members. it is difficult to distance, so this is a potential route of transmission. hopefully, this car use isjust for

ourselves and our own household members. we can also see light commercial vehicle use picking up as people start returning to work. and the heavy goods vehicle use has of course been much higher through this, as all those key workers continue to help us manage through the pandemic, delivering essential goods. nevertheless, at the background of this, our national rail, transport and bus services have remained very low use in comparison to the comparative periods. this reflects ongoing general use by key workers only. again, it is important as we start coming out of lockdown that we are using transport carefully and safely. try and increase use of walking and cycling and if you are travelling by vehicle, private household with your own car remains the safest. next slide companies.

this gives us an update as the secretary of state said on how many tests and confirmed cases we have had. in the top pink slide, you can see that we have performed 4,000,280 tests in total and in the 24 hours up tests in total and in the 24 hours up to this morning, 115,725. these will be tests which have been done in the labs and sent out to individuals at home or been taken at the satellite units. and we have testing capacity now right up to 200,000, so we have lots of available use as we move into the next critical phase of using our test and track system to try and help support coming out of the pandemic. there is variation and you can see that generally, the trend remains upwards. we will be encouraging that as we try and squash the disease wherever it might appear. the bottom, the

green chart shows the new confirmed cases. these are all cases which have been confirmed in the laboratory. 274,762 to date in total and just under 2000 confirmed in the last 24 hours. that will not reflect the totality because as many of you watching will know, you may have had symptoms and not had a test at the time. nevertheless, the rolling average, the blue line, shows that the number of cases overall is coming down and thatis of cases overall is coming down and that is despite increased availability and use of testing. next slide, please. this shows data from hospitals. if we think back to the early weeks of april and the end of march, we had concern about their use in our hospitals. the social distancing measures that people watching have undertaken have ensured that the number of people entering hospital has at all times been within the capacity

of the nhs. we can see thatjust been within the capacity of the nhs. we can see that just 545 patients we re we can see that just 545 patients were estimated admissions with covid—19 on the 29th of may, and thatis covid—19 on the 29th of may, and that is down by 140 from the previous week. that is for england. if we look at data across the uk for the use of ventilator beds, this is now under 10%, trending downwards in every country, which is good news. you can see that we have never really reached the limits of that capacity, which has been really successful. next slide, please. now we are looking across the country at the numberof we are looking across the country at the number of people in hospital with covid—19. we are down about 1596, with covid—19. we are down about 15%, so 7639 people, down from 8945. although the shapes

of the epidemic in the different countries of the uk are slightly different, with a big peak in the blue line in the bottom right for london, nevertheless they are all continuing to trend downwards. there have been a few changes in the way data is reported first in northern ireland and wales, and that is particularly marked to explain the variation in the pattern. but in reality, all cases are starting to fall. but it is still a very gentle slope downwards, so it is important that we retain attention, even when we are being given more freedom is, that we minimise the numberof given more freedom is, that we minimise the number of interactions we have and rigorously stick to social distancing measures. next slide, please. finally, but sadly, we always look at the number of covid—19 deaths confirmed. these are people who have sadly

died with a positive test. these are cases accumulated from different sources, but the number in the last 24 hours is 113. whilst each of those clearly is 113. whilst each of those clearly isa is 113. whilst each of those clearly is a sad death, it is nevertheless significantly better in terms of those affected and their families than we were much further back in april, where you can see the peak. again, there is variation in reporting. the numbers are still coming down and you can see the seven day rolling average, which is a better indicator of the movement generally. it is still going very gently and slowly at the end. so once again, as we move forward with the easing in our lockdown, i encourage people to ensure that that doesn't take back up again and we retain focus on maintaining social distancing. thank you, jenny. we now

come to two questions from members of the public. the first is from john from gloucester. if i receive a call from someone who says they are from the test and trace scheme telling me to self—isolate, how can i confirm that the call is genuine and not from someone acting from ulterior motives? jenny, do you want to a nswer ulterior motives? jenny, do you want to answer how the track and trace system will work? yes. the track and trace system is actually a very long—standing method of finding people and following them through from a case of infectious disease. public health england and public health colleagues across the world do this on a routine basis. they will start from a piece of information. at the moment, the app is not the main source of our current track and trace system. we have 25,000 chasers available and they will start with a piece of information. it is highly unlikely

with all the confidentiality around the data systems that you will be contacted inappropriately by anyone. i recognise that many of us will be very cautious, and rightly so, about interactions from external organisations. but individuals will make it very clear to you they following for a particular reason, and it will be very obvious in the conversation you have with them that they are genuine. there has been a lot of input paid to this particular issue. obviously, we want people to follow this for all of our benefits. and it will be very evident when someone rings you that these are professionally trained individuals. and sitting over the telephone interviewers and e—mail senders are a group of senior clinical professionals who are overseeing this for your safety. the second question is from ian from anglesey.

ian says, the agriculture industry and adjacent industries have suffered greatly during the lockdown. how does the government proposed to support rural communities to transcend the coronavirus crisis? the government has set out from the beginning to try to protect as many people's livelihoods and as many businesses as we can. we won't be able to protect every job as we can. we won't be able to protect everyjob and every business, the range of measures we have brought forward a government are unprecedented in our history and compare favourably to those that have been brought forward by other governments in other countries around the world, from the job retention scheme, which is open to all sectors including the agriculture industry if you wish to ta ke agriculture industry if you wish to take part in it, the loans that are available, the bounce back loans that are available at 24 hours' notice for businesses, which thousands of smaller businesses

have taken advantage of. we are also working with the agriculture sector, the food and drink industry, because they are playing such a crucial role. i want to pay tribute to everybody involved in those industries who have kept us fed during this crisis, the supermarkets who have ensured that food is on the shelves and they have increased capacity very rapidly and made service available for the vulnerable, increasing the number of individuals who can get privileged access to delivery services. the environment secretary is working with the industry and we will do whatever further steps we need to ensure the industry is guided through this period. one particular challenge we are focused on is ensuring that the industry has the workforce it will need this summer to get crops in and onto the shelves of the supermarkets. we have created a number of important schemes to encourage people who are looking

for work to think about working in the agriculture sector either on a temporary basis, or making a career in an important part of the uk economy. so thank you to ian and everybody in our farming and agriculture sector for the hard work you are doing. i am now going to turn to questions the first comes from chris mason at the bbc. hi, good afternoon. iwould like to ask a question about shielding in a moment, but there is a question about lockdown to you, mr jan rick, and also to doctor harrys. we have heard how crucial it is at the next stage that we stick scrupulously to the rules, that this isa scrupulously to the rules, that this is a dangerous and sensitive moment, soi is a dangerous and sensitive moment, so i wonder how worried you are, having seen the pictures this weekend, where social distancing is difficult or impossible? if i can a nswer difficult or impossible? if i can answer first and then asked jenny‘s view, it is important that all of us

continue to play our part. the scientists and medical advisor to the government have modelled that the government have modelled that the measures that we have already eased and the measures that are going to be eased tomorrow, such as the opening of car showrooms, outdoor markets for nonessential goods, and enabling us to meet members outside of our own households outdoors, that those additional easements, together, will still in all likelihood keep the rate of infection below one. so we are reasonably confident that the steps that we have taken and will be taking on monday are manageable. but we have to all continue to play our pa rt we have to all continue to play our part in that because the rate of infection remains somewhere between 0.7 and 0.9 and the room for manoeuvre is quite limited. we will obviously keep this under very close scrutiny as we move into this next phase and as we approach the next decision point on the 15th ofjune and only take further steps if we are confident if

we continue to keep the rate of infection at the manageable level below one.|j the rate of infection at the manageable level below one. i will start with the good news which is if we think —— we think if you are outdoors, there is very low risk of transmission which is why it is early phase, when we are going carefully and slowly, the scientific message is, do the outdoor measures first. having said that, the vision that he reported of people crowding almost certainly comes with behavioural elements of people cramming into cars, for example, potentially not sticking to the rules of who is in the car, so it should be yourself or your household only, potentially swapping bits of cutlery or picnic kit on the beach, and being very close together. i think you have absolutely highlighted, as did my deputy chief medical officer, yesterday, this is a really critical time so

where we are seeing that government is easing measures, the public really, really need to stick to those messages, and it is notjust about need to stick to those messages, and it is not just about what need to stick to those messages, and it is notjust about what it is possible to do, it is about what it is sensible to do. and what is sensible to do is have as few interactions as possible, as you can, with other people, in all settings, but there is obviously a balance point here between our mental health, physical health and social well— being and our work environment. but it is still about limit if you can easily what you are doing, limit the number of interactions. there are plenty of opportunities to go out and get exercise and be out in the sun without being next to other people. i think it is really important that people just try and use these measures sensibly for their own benefit but don't risk transmission to other people. thanks, jenny. i

know secretary of state, you talk about being reasonably confident, i wonder if some people might be less than reassured by that. but if i may, i will ask about shielding, as a second question, professor peter openshaw, one of the advisers on the andrew marr show this morning suggested that some people may have been asked to shield unnecessarily. i wonder how soon you might be able to say more about those people who may be able to return to a level of normality rather quicker than the current guidelines suggest. normality rather quicker than the current guidelines suggestlj normality rather quicker than the current guidelines suggest. i will askjenny‘s professional opinion on that but as you are right to say, the shielded category is over 2 million people so there are a number of underlying conditions within that and there is a range of risks within that. we do want to move to a more specific approach in time and so we are... our medical advisers are taking... are producing advice as to how we can give people more specific, tailored advice to their

own condition, rather than the blanket approach that we have done so far. but the advice that we have today remains that the shielded should stay at home but now can take advantage of the modest changes we have announced which will be in effect from tomorrow, the ability to meet somebody from outside your household, socially distance, if you have been living alone, or the ability to go out for walks with your household, things which i think will be hugely appreciated by those people. jenny? thank you, just to reiterate something the secretary of state said earlier, this is very much advice to these individuals for them to take measures to protect their own health, and that is the starting point. i recognise sometimes that has been interpreted in different ways and we have a very wide range of responses to that with some people being very frightened to do anything at all, which is absolutely understandable, to other people who at the end of their life,

and we recognise this in writing the original guidance, would like to just prioritise things which are important to them and the risks of this disease are not as important. you know, they want to do the things which are important to them. it is very much for individuals but i think one of the problems we have had is it is a hugely complex programme and just the clinical concept of it was based on sensible first principle goals, if you like them around respiratory disease, who would be at risk if your immune syste m would be at risk if your immune system is suppressed, as we encountered a new virus. now as we are going forward, we now have much more data on individual diseases, so around cardiovascular disease or liver disease and renal disease, and what we are looking to do ahead is to try and understand that risk better along with other characteristics, for example, your e, characteristics, for example, your age, and have some kind of way of

translating that, both for an individual, so they get a proportionate sense of where their risk is and can make a decision in a more enhanced way, but also for many of the clinical colleagues who has been doing a fabulousjob in general practice and in some specialist services in hospitals, to try and support their patients so there is an opportunity to have that discussion. i think in the short—term, we are where we are and as long as the epidemiology continues to show a decline in cases and a reduction in risk in the community, then we will be looking to hopefully help all people to move from that shielded position as quickly as possible. it is possible of course that there could be another wave, particularly as we go into the winter, and so what we are really keen to do is ensure we have this new approach ready for that and particularly also if we get a vaccine in the future, so we can target it, if appropriate, to those people who are most in need.

sol think as we go forward, a much more nuanced approach which i think will be welcome and we can explain risk will be there but for the time being, we are leaving it as it is because it would be very complete gated but we hopefully looking forward to something a bit more relaxed if you like over the next couple of months. great, thank you, chris. the next question is paul brown from itv. thank you both, to the secretary of state and to the deputy cmo, we have been hearing from quite a few people who are shielding at the moment who still feel they are very vulnerable. given the number of cases is still higher now than when we first went into lockdown, why should they feel any safer leaving their homes? perhaps i will askjenny to comment first? shall i start? for the reasons which i have just articulated before about our understanding of individual risk with individual diseases, that is still a learning process. it can still a learning process. it can still be quite difficult to give a very individual approach to that

risk assessment. it is a new disease. but i think what we are looking at is the whole idea, if you like, behind the shielding programme was because the modelling identified a significant number of people at risk, mostly in the elderly, and in fa ct, risk, mostly in the elderly, and in fact, that is still the case, although we have significant numbers shielding who are below that age but particularly for the elderly, that if we could, if you like, in the nicest possible way, take them out of the peak as it came, that would reduce their exposure to the virus at the time when it was at its highest circulation and he will have seen from the graph earlier, that is exactly where we are. —— you will have seen. we promoted the programme at the start of the peak and now the advice is that we are getting towards the tail end of that and we can look at the number of cases. it is the difference between the number of cases that were confirmed at the time but the numbers we now know from all sorts of things to do with

genomics and modelling, where the peak started. so i think at the start of this, their expectation, it would have been a bad one in 40 of meeting someone with disease and it is now about one in 400—500 and the incidence of new cases is about one in 1000 so nothing will ever be 100% safe, we have to be really clear about that, we can never guarantee that, but it is a seismic change, if you like, and we are coming out of that peak. and paul, to follow up, we are not asking people or advising people to stop shielding. far from it. what we are saying to people who have been shielding for the last ten weeks is that we think the rate of infection is sufficiently low now to enable you to do some quite modest things like going outside for a walk with members of your household or like, if you have been living alone, meeting somebody from another household. but those are things which will make a huge difference to the lives of these people. as i said earlier in my opening remarks,

perhaps as many as half of the people who have been shielding have not left the home in all of that time and so the small changes that we are making, which hopefully members of the public, if they choose to do them, we'll do in a socially distant way, i think will have a huge impact on people's mental health and well—being while still continuing to ensure that they are still continuing to ensure that they a re protected by still continuing to ensure that they are protected by being at home and reducing the amount of face—to—face contact they have people outside their household, to the aptly minimum. —— with people outside. a follow—up question? minimum. —— with people outside. a follow-up question? a quick one to the deputy cmo, please, should we be concerned at all that the number of deaths appears to have plateaued over the last five or six days? is progress plateauing perhaps as we are beginning to lift the lockdown? so to answer that, one is, are beginning to lift the lockdown? so to answerthat, one is, if are beginning to lift the lockdown? so to answer that, one is, if it is a genuine plateau, yes, we should be very concerned, and that is the reason we need to be really carefully, not only watching the numbers but actually watching what we are doing. so we have to keep

applying the social distancing measures, limit the number of interactions we have, and very carefully and sensibly pick up those easements to make our lives better, but not over do it. limit the number of interactions. having said that, of interactions. having said that, of course, we know from the data that it relies in part on when cases are reported, so we can all see the blitz at the weekend. i think we need to be watching over a longer period than a few days to get a sense. that is why we have the rolling average because it gives a much more proportionate picture of what is happening in reality. it is a critical time and we need to be very careful. great, thank you, paul. and the next question is jane deith from channel 4. thank you, secretary of state, on the easing of lockdown rules in england tomorrow, on the 10th of may, the prime minister addressed the nation and said we would gradually give people

more freedoms following a covid alert level system. he said if the alert level system. he said if the alert level system. he said if the alert level won't allow it, we will simply wait until we have got it right. but we are apparently at level four which would not allow for a relaxation of social distancing. so if the alert level has not changed, what has? thank you very much, the alert level is changing, we are still at level four but we are transitioning to level three, and that enables us to open up very cautiously some aspects of our businesses and our daily lives. and the steps that we are taking are quite modest. they are opening up car showrooms and forecourts, predominantly an outdoor activity. it is opening up those markets all the stores on markets which sell nonessential goods, many of the markets themselves will have been open already but selling food and drink and they will now be able to sell other products. again, outdoors, where the rate of transmission is lower. and then the

important thing for our well—being, the measure of enabling people to meet somebody from outside of their household but again, outdoors, socially distant. the measures that are coming into force on monday are cautious, modest ones, entirely consistent with the message the prime minister delivered when he addressed the nation previously. yesterday, your colleague jonathan van tam said the rules are there for the benefit of all and they apply to all. do you agree? absolutely. i thought his exposure of what he felt was exactly right, we usually say exactly the same things because we think in public health terms and i think in public health terms and i think that is right. from my own perspective, i can assure you that on the matter of personal and professional integrity, i will always try and follow the rules as i know he does. yes, i think we all do but the important thing is, there,

they are rules for all of us and it is really important as we go through into this next critical phase that we do all follow them to the best of our ability and even minimise, if you like, some of the freedoms that are there, to ensure we can very gently come out of the pandemic. and if we start to spot things on the data which is difficult, there are opportunities then for scientific review, advice to government about what things need to be done as we go forward. thank you very much, jane. do you want to come back with a follow—up or are you happy with those responses? great, thank you very much. the next question isjohn stevens very much. the next question isjohn steve ns fro m very much. the next question isjohn stevens from the daily mail. thank you secretary of state, i wanted to ask, following your announcement on shielding today, where this leaves people with relatives in care homes? could they soon be allowed to make visits or could they for example see loved ones from a distance, outside in the garden or through a window question up briefly, i wanted to ask

your response to reports today that your response to reports today that you gave the green light to a £1 billion housing developmentjust weeks after a tory party fundraising dinner where you sat at the same table as the developer. let me answer the second question. we wa nt let me answer the second question. we want to build more homes in this country. we have a crisis in housing and we need to get more homes. as we come out of this pandemic, it will be even more true that we want to see decent affordable homes in all parts of the country. that is what i wa nt to parts of the country. that is what i want to do as housing secretary. with respect to the planning application you are referring to, that wasjudged on application you are referring to, that was judged on the merits. application you are referring to, that wasjudged on the merits. it would have allowed hundreds of affordable homes to be provided in one of london's most deprived boroughs, which would have been extremely valuable. there was no bias in that decision but to ensure com plete

bias in that decision but to ensure complete fairness, we offered to re—determine the decision in the usual way and the other parties to the application all agreed to do that. so i think that was the right way to move forwards. shall i comment on the care homes question? it isa comment on the care homes question? it is a good question because we recognise that residents in care homes, and care homes very hugely, i think most people have a picture of very elderly people, but we have residential care for younger people and we need to think of all of those. there are also care homes for people with dementia who may find it very difficult to follow social distancing rules. a relaxing small measures can be difficult to achieve. but at the moment, the guidance its advisory, as we keep saying. it is for individuals to choose. but in a care home setting, it is very important that the level of infection is kept very low because it is an accumulation of the

numberof very because it is an accumulation of the number of very vulnerable people. so where measures are there, i know colleagues in the department of health are reviewing what the visiting should be. but i think it is likely that advice would be very much on a precautionary basis until we are sure that outbreaks have ceased and transmission is very much reduced. there has been huge progress on that, with real thanks to very hard work from care workers and residential care managers. but it is probably a bit too early to be changing those, primarily for the residents, but also for our communities. we don't want to find we are getting cases coming out of one place and moving into another. thank you. do you have a follow—up question? yes, i wanted to ask you, secretary of state, do you know when playgrounds and parks can reopen so

they can be used by children? well, parks are already open. some playgrounds were closed by councils early in the pandemic but we thought that closing parks was wrong. it is important for people, particularly families with children and people living in flats and cramped accommodation in towns and cities have a space to go to. so we asked all councils to reopen parks, and i think other than a very small number, all councils have done that. so parks are open. playgrounds are not open in most cases, because obviously, it is hard to socially distance in a playground. anyone who has got children knows that is pretty difficult to control. but thatis pretty difficult to control. but that is something we will keep under review and take advice from jenny and her colleagues when we think it is an appropriate time to do that. just to add to that, one of the difficulties with playgrounds is that it difficulties with playgrounds is thatitis difficulties with playgrounds is that it is not your small social circle, your household or even a slightly wider one. in a public

playground, children will be coming from multiple different families in one go. they will be climbing up slides, wiping their nose and pushing it down the side of the slide. it is not a good place to be, soi slide. it is not a good place to be, so i think not in the immediate future. the next question is from pippa from the daily mirror. thank you. this is a question for you. we are talking about changes from tomorrow, that millions of primary school children are going to start going back to school from tomorrow. how can you reassure parents and teachers that it is going to be safe notjust for themselves, teachers that it is going to be safe not just for themselves, but for the wider community, especially when test and trace doesn't yet seem to be capable of controlling local outbreaks? an important question for the millions of parents who will be looking to send their children back to school tomorrow, i hope. the

first thing to say is that 80% of schools have been open throughout the whole of the pandemic for the children of key workers and for certain vulnerable children. and thousands of teachers have been going into their work places to look after those children throughout, and we are grateful to teachers for doing that. so we do believe it is possible to open schools safely. and we have the track record of that, as the schools have been open for many weeks now. we can also look to our european neighbours and see how they have managed to open schools successfully and the lessons that have been learned. it is obviously important that we do this in a safe way. that is why we are doing it in modest steps with only certain age groups at a time, trying to ensure asa groups at a time, trying to ensure as a result of that that class sizes are reduced and there are fewer children in each classroom and that the right advice is provided to the teachers. we have

been engaging, the education secretary and the department for education, closely with teachers, head teachers and the trade unions. and we will keep doing that and try to ensure that everyone who works in schools feels as co mforta ble who works in schools feels as comfortable as possible. it may be that there are some parents out there who have not yet made the decision to send their children back to school, but will do so in the days ahead when they have seen others make that step and schools managed to reopen safely. i certainly hope so, because it is important that we get children back to school. all of the evidence suggests that it is children from the most deprived, the poorer households, who are losing out by not having that crucial face—to—face contact that you get in a school setting. i don't want to see that continue for any longer. jenny. setting. i don't want to see that continue for any longer. jennylj could make comments about transmission among children, but

they have probably been heard in the media. the focus of your question was on the track and trace. the former service has only been up since last thursday, but public health teams across the country routinely follow through on outbreaks and look at them. some parents have been concerned about testing, so testing capacity is now up testing, so testing capacity is now up to 200,000 tests a day. so there is plenty of capacity. there are ple nty of is plenty of capacity. there are plenty of contact tracers and since la st plenty of contact tracers and since last week, the steps for testing of children under five is also in place. these are big changes in the capacity that is available to look into outbreaks. not only that, but within every school, the public health england guidance highlights a hierarchy of interventions. and some of the important ones are the fact that children are in small groups. the advice can't always be followed, but the advice is that where

possible, they stick in that consta nt possible, they stick in that constant group. so again, the risk of social interaction is reduced, both in the school and in the follow—through. both in the school and in the follow-through. a final question? a quick one, a broader lockdown question. despite it being time according to the prime minister to move on from the dominic cummings affair, if people don't fully abide by the new rules which come in tomorrow, and we have seen examples over the last week or so of people pointing to that particular affair asa pointing to that particular affair as a reason for why they should perhaps not follow the rules are strictly as we would like them too, what are you going to do about it? well, it is incumbent on the government to move cautiously. it is incumbent on all of us to behave responsibly. and as jenny incumbent on all of us to behave responsibly. and asjenny said, to try to limit our interactions and maintain the social distancing rules to the best of our ability. and

it is incumbent upon the scientists and the medics advising the government to monitor the data as closely as possible and ensure that we politicians are armed with that as we come to the next decision point. if the rate of transmission does start to rise above one or dangerously close to it, then we obviously won't be able to proceed with some of the other easings that we would all wish to do so we can get businesses back to work, more children back to school and make our daily lives or bearable. we are going to be doing this in a cautious and data driven way in the days and weeks ahead. thanks, pippa. the last question is from reverend stephen brooks from keep the faith magazine. good afternoon. today happens to be the very special day we called pentecost sunday, a time when christians would normally be congregating to celebrate the

birthday of the church over 2000 years ago. we acknowledge that social distancing is an important role in limiting transmissions of coronavirus, but for christians, assembling among ourselves is intrinsic to our faith. when will restrictions be eased and congregations allowed to assemble again, and will the government give churches clear guidance to prevent any unnecessary break—out of covid—19 similar to the guidance for education settings, which is very detailed? we want to make sure we do not have a break—out like we saw in frankfurt, germany, on the 10th of may, when the churches were allowed to reassemble and then there was an outbreak in one congregation of 200 people catching the covid—19 virus. thank you. i want to see places of worship open as quickly as we can. i

understand how important it is for millions of people in this country, andi millions of people in this country, and i can understand how people of faith would consider it strange that shops, cafes, pubs, restaurants, many other settings might be open in the weeks and months ahead, but not somewhere as important as a place of worship. we are working with faith leaders. i have convened a task force which has brought together the main faith leaders and we are working to provide exactly the kind of guidance you are describing. some faiths have already produced detailed guidance, working with jenny‘s colleagues at public health england, about how one might cordon off pa rt england, about how one might cordon off part of a church or place of worship, how you would ensure it is sufficiently clean, you train the volu nteers sufficiently clean, you train the volunteers who run a church, how you might enable just a small number of people to go in at any one time. the first logical step is probably to open a place of worship for individual or private prayer,

and thatis individual or private prayer, and that is what we are working towards with the faith leaders. that will then hopefully be a springboard, conditional on the rate of infection, to small weddings, for example. again, very important to many people, and then in turn to services. as you say, we don't want to see what we have seen in some other countries, where large gatherings in a place of worship, particularly because of the demographic in some faiths, because of singing hymns and so on which can lead to exhalation, can create particular problems. but i am hopeful that the work we are doing with faith leaders will bear fruit and we will be able to see places of worship open in the coming weeks. thank you for your question. that brings this afternoon's press conference to a close. i thank dr jenny harries in particular dame louise casey forjoining jenny harries in particular dame louise casey for joining us jenny harries in particular dame louise casey forjoining us today. thank you. that was the communities

secretary robertjenrick, bringing to an end sunday's downing street briefing. we can have a look at some of the main points to come out of that press conference. from tomorrow, 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. on helping rough sleepers during the pandemic, the government is pledging to build 6000 new homes to provide permanent shelterfor the homeless at the cost of £160 million. in the uk, a further 113 people who have tested positive for coronavirus have died. that takes the total number to 38,489. and the government says it has reached its target of a capacity to carry out 200,000 tests a day. our health correspondent helen briggsjoins me now. some interesting language used there, particularly from the deputy chief medical officerjenny harries. she said this is a critical

moment as lockdown is starting to be eased in england and it's about managing risk. that's right, dangerous and sensitive moment. she said the government is taking this step toward some sort of semblance of normality in a cautious and data driven way. a loss of the language affected some of the criticism we have heard in the last few days from scientists who are concerned that we may be moving too quickly towards new measures. but she was reflecting the idea that these are modest changes, predominantly focused on the outdoors. drjenny harries was giving more details. she said there isa giving more details. she said there is a one in 400 to 500 chance of meeting someone with the disease, which she described as a

seismic change. yet we have to keep applying social distancing measures. we have to limit the number of social interactions. it is a critical time and we need to be careful. and we got some more details about shielding, which has been very tough for the more than 2.5 million people across the uk. some have been indoors for ten weeks. robert jenrick said that half of those people haven't left the house at all. he stressed that all the measures around shielding is advisory, and they encompass people with lots of very different conditions. not all elderly people, but also conditions with cancer, people undergoing chemotherapy and other conditions. so there is a feeling that these changes for shielded people are also very modest. so you can leave your

home with members of your household to go for a walk or if you live on your own, you can go out and meet one other person while observing social distancing. this message was very strong throughout. we need to keep observing social distancing. but he was acknowledging the burden that shielding has placed on many people. so if someone can get seen in ten weeks or a child then that can be very valuable to their mental health but of course, again, it is advisory, not everyone will feel safe with doing that. there is a feeling that the advice on shielding has been blanketed vice and in the future, drjenny harries pointed out, they will try if they can to move to a more nuanced approach and when it comes to shielding in

particular, they will keep reviewing those measures. if, of course, we get another wave, then things might change very quickly. 0k, helen, many thanks. helen breaks, there. the communities secretary robert jenrick has been explaining changes to the shielding guidance for the most vulnerable people in england, which are due to be relaxed on monday. when we announced a gradual relaxation of restrictions in the last week, i know that many people who are shielding will have been asking, "what about me?" today, we are setting out the next steps for the shielded. now that we have passed the peak, and the prevalence of covid—19 in the community has reduced significantly, we believe that the risk to those shielding is lower, as it is proportionately for the general population. as with the

guidance for shielded people more generally, we want to give people the information and the advice that they need to make the best decisions for them. this is, as always, advisory for the shielded. so as a first step, i can announce today, that we have updated the shielded guidance so that from tomorrow, monday the 1st ofjune, people will be advised that they can take initial steps to safely spend time outdoors. this guidance is for england only but we are working very closely with the devolved administrations in scotland, wales and northern ireland, who will issue their own guidance in due course. those shielding will be able to spend outdoors with members of their own household, or, if they live alone, with one person from another household. this reflects a lower risk of transmission outdoors as well as the significantly reduced

prevalence of covid—19 in the community. the full guidance will be uploaded to gov.uk later community. the full guidance will be uploaded to gov. uk later today. community. the full guidance will be uploaded to gov.uk later today. you must still follow social distancing guidelines, and remain at 80 metre distance from others. this will —— ata distance from others. this will —— at a two metre distance from others. this will enable those shielding to see loved ones like children and grandchildren, something many, i know, are aching to do. having spent many weeks indoors, some will understandably be very cautious and concerned about going outdoors. you should only do what you are co mforta ble should only do what you are comfortable with. robert jenrick's advice to people who have been shielding, there. take

robertjenrick has also been giving details avout what the government is doing to help rough sleepers in england during the pandemic. the government is pledging to build thousands of new homes to provide permanent shelter for the homeless. our goal has a ways been that i see people as possible return to the streets but words and promises are not enough. because of the action we have orally taken for the first time in my lifetime, we know who the vast majority of rough sleepers are, and where they are living. that means we can assess each individual‘s needs and tailor the support that we provide next. some people will need help to return to the private rental sector, but others will need accommodation to be provided, so that they can start to rebuild their lives. that is why 6000 new supported homes will be made available for rough sleepers, providing safe accommodation for people we have helped off the streets during the pandemic. the government is backing this effort with £433 million to fast track the safe accommodation desperately needed to ensure as few rusty

business possible return to the streets. —— rough sleepers as possible. 3000 of these new homes will become available in the next 12 months and £160 million will be spent this year to deliver that but rough sleeping is as much a health issue as it is a housing issue. it issue as it is a housing issue. it isa issue as it is a housing issue. it is a crisis of addiction and mental health as well. so we will provide specialist support staff for rough sleepers in this new accommodation, to ensure that they can continue to receive the health support that they will need to transform their lives and fulfil their potential. these homes will be a springboard to better things, and they will serve asa better things, and they will serve as a new national asset, and be a symbol of hope and our belief that no one's path is predetermined. the communities secretary, robert jenrick, speaking earlier. if you arejustjoining us let's look at some

of the main points to come out of that press conference. from tomorrow, 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. on helping rough sleepers during the pandemic, the government is pledging to build 6,000 new homes to provide permanent shelter for the homeless at a cost of £160 million. in the uk a further 113 people who have tested positive for coronavirus have died, taking the total number to 38,489. and the government says it has reached its target of a capacity to carry out 200,000 tests a day. let's return to the news that more than 2 million people in england and wales who have been asked to stay home since the coronavirus lockdown began will be able to go outdoors again from tomorrow. we can speak now to alastair rankin, director of research and policy at blood cancer uk. thank you

forjoining us. what do you make of this announcement? is it straightforward good news?m you make of this announcement? is it straightforward good news? it is a bit of a surprise to all of us in the community, it is something we only really heard about late last night and this morning. is it good news? of course, people who are shielding you have blood cancer have had a very difficult time over the last few weeks, and they are anxious about the future and what that brea ks about the future and what that breaks but what they want, of course, is to know that they are safe. and that the guidance that has been provided to them is clear and they can understand it. for us, this has been a bit of a bolt from the blue and it is not really helpful to bring changes that are important like this for vulnerable groups out really quickly, in a way that means we don't know what the evidence is behind them. so we would like to see the evidence the decision has been based on. and we would like the government to be really transparent with people affected by blood cancer and other conditions about why they

are making changes to the guidance. because originally, people had expected to have to shield until the end ofjune. what sort of things are people saying to you? clearly, although it seems like a great opportunity that many people will wa nt to opportunity that many people will want to be able to embrace, for some people, it is quite an anxious time. it is an anxious time, and that is why i think it is so important that we see the evidence behind this kind of change. what we are hearing people say is that they don't really understand, it has come very suddenly. people want to see the guidance and read it. they have been searching for it online and they have not been able to find it. most people are saying is what we would say to them, talk to your doctor about your personal circumstances before you make a change and ensure you only make a change you are co mforta ble you only make a change you are comfortable with yourselves. for people with blood cancer, we need to move away from a position where

everybody has to shield for an indefinite period of time because of course, that is so incredibly difficult but it needs to be done based on clinical evidence. we need some data that tells us who is at the highest risk and who is at not such a high risk and we need to be able to work through that with advice from doctors, in conversations that involve people with blood cancer in a way that they feel comfortable with, so they are clear that they have guidance that keeps them safe and that they feel safe. how do you feel that people with blood cancer has been advised during the pandemic? well, from the start, the position that was taken by the nhs in england and for the rest of the uk was that everyone with blood cancer should shield and we think that was sensible advice, because we know that people with blood cancer broadly speaking are at higher risk. it has been a very difficultjob to get that message out and to reach the right people but regardless of how difficult that has been, it is still the

case that eight weeks into this process, there are still people who expect that they should have received a letter telling them to shield who have not received one yet, and there are people who have received text m essa g es to people who have received text messages to tell them they are not shielding any more and when they check with their doctors, their gp or their specialist, they find that actually the doctors don't know why they have been asked to stop shielding. that is extraordinary, isn't it? why that happening? there's an awful lot of hard work and goodwill amongst the people working in health departments around the country to get this right and it is difficult for them to do that. we don't have a national electronic health record, it is not easy to identify all the people that need to shield and lots of doctors, gps and specialists, have to do a lot of extra work to find those people. it is not necessarily surprising there are breakdowns in communication as we go through the process but nevertheless, we are where we are and we do need to try a lot harder to get that right. i think what it comes down to is that people with

blood cancer and other serious medical conditions are not really being put at the heart of the decisions that are being taken at a time when people have to take decisions, we understand, incredibly quickly, to deal with an evolving situation. so you have a helpline and has it been particularly busy today? so like other people, i was in the park 20 minutes ago, and i have not spoken to the person leading the helpline today although i know they are working and they are busy and on social media, we have seen lots of responses. we are keeping the helpline open later today, until 7pm, so call us on 0808, 20, 20, 808, if you need advice, and we will provide the best results we can as a result of that. —— the best advice we can. results we can as a result of that. -- the best advice we can. thank you for taking time out of your day off to talk to

us. there are more than 3.5 million children in the uk who don't have a brother or a sister, and for them the lockdown has been particularly tough. the children's charity, the nspcc says that only children may have felt isolated in the last 10 weeks, with only mum and dad for company and plenty of solo play. tomos morgan's been to meet a couple of one—child families in cardiff. i'm embracing the fact i'm watching him growing up every day. i am seeing him develop and spending all that time with him, that is brilliant. but he does need to be with his friends as well. since the middle of march, eight—year—old evan has been enjoying quality life at home in cardiff with dad jason. we have bumped into a few of your friends. as an only child the only children he has seen since lockdown are either his friends at a distance or online. which is just not quite as good as

normal. if you see your friends you are like, "mum, dad, can i go and play with them?" but, now, you canjust play with them through the window but you can't go and play with them. really annoying. because i want to but i can't. i can't. according to the office of national statistics there are over 3.5 million single child families across the uk. and from monday, some pupils in england will return to school. by then, across all the uk nations, groups of varying amounts of people from different households will be able to meet outside. but crucially, still at a social distance. which means children still won't to be able to play with each other in person in the immediate future as the two metre rule remains in place. it's particularly isolating for only children who are struggling with a lack of social interaction with their friends, being in school, and yes, they can go online and play

and see friends virtually but that does not replace that physical contact. because i am an only child i am kind of used to it but when i have time to think about it, it is more lonely, yes. between football and playing international basketball, 12—year—old daniel would usually see friends almost every day of the week but not any more. i want to meet up with them but we are not allowed to. it is quite boring because i do not have any siblings. mum has been at home with daniel throughout lockdown, keeping him engaged with school work, scrabble and sports training. he is dealing with it really well. he is good at keeping himself amused. but in the long term, that is not good, is it? although any child could be experiencing loneliness during lockdown, the best way to overcome those feelings is by sharing those emotions. it is just that keeping in touch with people, sharing how you are feeling, sharing how you are feeling with your mum and

dad, your carer. for daniel and evan, quality time with their parents has made lockdown easier. but sometimes nothing can replace a kickabout with friends. outdoor markets and car showrooms will be allowed to reopen in england tomorrow with safety measures in place. all other shops classed as non—essential are preparing to open from june the 15th. here's our business correspondent katy austin. neil's getting ready to sell his towels and bedding at barnsley‘s outdoor market for the first time in over two months. he and his wife suzanne are planning a new safe stall layout. and then we've got the tables at the front, a two—metre distance... i don't think we'll take a great deal of money, but we've just got to get into the system of working again. however slow business is, they can't wait to reopen. it's very important. plus, we want to help the economy, don't we? we want to make

a start. scotland, wales and northern ireland have different plans in place for the reopening of shops and markets, but no dates are set yet. meanwhile, retailers in england are pressing ahead with their covid—secure reopening plans. as it sells homeware, ikea could have stayed open, but it chose to shut, and will only reopen in england and northern ireland from tomorrow, with safety procedures. we will be limiting the flow of customers in the car park and into the store. we've invested in this new team of what we're calling "social distance wardens", who will be on hand throughout the store just to help customers with the one—way system. other nonessential shops in england, including this kent menswear shop, can't open untiljune 15. we have ordered a screen for the till area. they, too, are adapting to recommended safety measures. i've closed one changing room. so we've got one changing room which will be sanitised after every use, and then whatever garments have been tried, they will be taken out of stock for a period

of time to be sanitised. so, how much of a challenge is it for an independent shop like yours to introduce all these safety measures and still make enough money? very challenging. we've got to limit who comes in. so, straight away, you're saying, "sorry, sir, do you mind waiting?" and that potential customer might say, "oh, well, i'll come back another time". tony only expects a trickle of trade initially, but like the markets, hopes customers who have been shopping more online, do eventually return. katy austin, bbc news. lots of changes in store coming in tomorrow. you are watching bbc news. 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 be plenty of people gathered together in protest at that killing of george floyd. there do seem to be hundreds of people or have been hundreds of people or have been hundreds of people over the afternoon. as you can see, no attempt been an

distance. this looks like a demonstration unlike any other. i was speaking earlier to danny shaw who said that the main anxiety would be about making sure that these protests remain peaceful and that in fact, although we do remain on lockdown, actually social distancing was probably going to be ofa distancing was probably going to be of a secondary priority to the police. cities across the united states woke up to the aftermath of more street demonstrations and growing civil unrest. curfews have been imposed in at least 13 cities. and several states have called out the national guard. it's in response to the death on monday of george floyd —an african american man from minneapolis, who died after a police officer knelt on his neck during an arrest. in all, over 75 cities have seen unrest. the protests started largely peacefully but violence has flared. shops looted, cars burned and buildings attacked.

president trump has blamed far—left groups