evidence that britain's coronavirus epidemic is spreading again — as the uk records its highest daily number of new cases since the middle of may. government data shows the r number — which measures how many people each patient infects — has moved above 1 for the first time since march. but deaths and hospital admissions remain low. it comes as new local lockdown measures are announced. more than 1.5 million people in birmingham, sandwell and solihull are told they can no longer socialise with other households after a sharp rise in cases there. it's going to be very difficult for families, you know. i could understand that they have to try and curb it, but it's going to be a very hard thing. hairdressers helped the uk economy bounce back injuly — it grew by 6.6 % — but it's still a long way off pre—pandemic levels.

and a big weekend for newly promoted leeds as they prepare for their first appearance back in the premier league for 16 years. and coming up on bbc news: australia fight back after an early wobble, to set england a target of 295 for their innings in the first odi at old trafford. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. britain's coronavirus epidemic is once more on the rise. for the first time since march, the r number for coronavirus infections has risen above the crucial level of 1, meaning the virus is now spreading again. that appears to be backed up by the latest daily figures for the last 2a hours, which show the highest number of new infections

in almost four months. the r number estimates how many people will get the disease from one infected person. the figure now stands at between 1.0 and 1.2. in parts of the midlands — including the city of birmingham — it is much higher. and new lockdown restrictions are being imposed on more than a million people there next week. more on that in a moment. but first, our medical editor fergus walsh reports on the rising coronavirus levels. coronavirus is on the rise, as is the demand for tests. it is notjust hotspots that are seeing an increase in cases. those tracking the epidemic say it's a wake—up call. sadly, i'm a lot less optimistic than i was even a few weeks ago. partly because of the very rapid and unexpectedly rapid increase in case numbers this last week, and also the reports of the difficulties that we

are having a naturally providing enough testing facilities. the swab goes right to the back of the throat... research from imperial couege throat... research from imperial college london is helping give a true picture of the epidemic by asking people to swab test themselves at home. this monthly survey acts like an early warning system for the prevalence of coronavirus throughout england. 150,000 volunteers do home swab tests. the results for the end of august showed there were 136 positive cases, sharply up in the previous month but still lower than when the survey was first carried out in may. 65% of those who were positive had no symptoms on the day they were tested, which underlines they were tested, which underlines the importance of social distancing. across the uk, the r number is thought to be between1 across the uk, the r number is thought to be between 1 and 1.2 which means the epidemic is going,

but from a low base. it's thought the prevalence is doubling every seven to ten days. back before lockdown, r was somewhere about 3.0 and cases were doubling every three to four days, so we are in a much better position and back then. to four days, so we are in a much better position and back thenm behoves us all to heed the message, because with the virus turning up and robustly turning up, with the r being robustly above 1 but the prevalence still quite low, it is a chance for us to nip this in the bud. if you look at the number of patients with covid—19 in hospital, across the uk, that peaked at around 20,000 in mid april and then fell sharply for several months before levelling off. it is now above 800 patients and may be creeping up again. the challenge now is to try to get on with our lives while keeping the virus in check.

the number of new coronavirus cases in the uk is now at its highest level since the middle of may. 3,539 cases have been recorded in the past 2a hours. the average number of new cases reported per day in the last week is now 2,761. six deaths have also been reported — that's those who have died within 28 days of a positive covid—19 test. that means on average in the past week, 11 deaths have been announced every day. that takes the total number across the uk to 41,614. from next week, 1.6 million people living in birmingham and neigbouring sandwell and solihull will be banned from socialising with other households. birmingham now has the second highest infection rate in england after bolton. there's been a rapid rise in infections — they've doubled in just a week. laboratories processing coronavirus tests in the area are said to have been overwhelmed.

0ur health editor hugh pym is in birmingham. yes, three weeks ago, there were amber lights flashing over birmingham's infection numbers, there was talk of infant —— my intervention, in the case numbers fell back. in the last week they have started soaring upwards in the message from health leaders hear is if you think you've got the virus under control but it can come back with a vengeance. a new direction of travel for birmingham's —— mike berman, sandal and solihull with a ban on people mixing with other household. and now in line with the parts of the country for coronavirus cases have escalated. there are people who think this is over... the mayor said the local infection rate was now a major concern stop to all the talk about the virus bearing less virulent is just not true, so

for the sake of particularly the other members of the community, we have to turn the number around. there were mixed reactions after the announcement. fair enough, birmingham isa announcement. fair enough, birmingham is a big city, more people are going together. it's going to be a very hard thing if they're going to try and curb it.|j think more needs to be done. more needs to be done in. bars and pubs are still open so the cases will keep rising. this local cafe owner is relieved he can stay open, but he says business has already been affected. at the beginning of the week, when there were some mutterings of, that potentially birmingham is on the writer of the uk government, we noticed our sales and footfall dropping. —— matt on the radar. since the bigjump in uk case numbers became apparent at the weekend, health officials have been watching very closely to see if this

results in more patients with covid—19 needing hospital treatment. at birmingham's major hospitals, thatis at birmingham's major hospitals, that is happening. hospital numbers have doubled in a week and the chief executive said he was very concerned. we can't see any reason why we are not expecting the numbers to double again next week and probably the week after. because there will be a lot of people already exposed you haven't yet presented who are not aware that they have been exposed yet. that means a lot of distrust for a lot of patients stop it around the country, getting tested are still a problem for some. jack's son has symptoms but he still can't get a booking. i've been prepared to drive anywhere in the country where they sent me in order to go and get that test. but the fact there are no tests available is incredibly frustrating and it's also incredibly worrying. west midlands laboratories are said to be struggling with the workload. just when widespread testing with

rapid results is badly needed. so, problems with testing in birmingham but also right across the country? yes, sophie. it wasjust over a week ago when ministers said there were operational challenges with the testing system after reports that people were having to travel long distances to get tests. they said they had put it right by altering the software. well, here we are and we're still getting reports, it may only be a minority of people, but real frustration about trying to go online to book the tests, struggling with that and then offered these tests may be tens or dozens or hundreds of miles away, from where as convenient. the message from health leaders is it should only be people with symptoms or members of their family with symptoms who try to book tests but i think there is a lot of confusion out there and that's why there is this high demand. in birmingham, they are calling in the military for

help with testing to boost that capability. we've heard there are problems with laboratories in terms of capacity to deal with it. the hope is, the hope is, i emphasise, these new restrictions on parts of these new restrictions on parts of the west midlands will at least trying to hold those case numbers at bay. they will be watched extremely carefully, as the hospital numbers. patients who are going in with covid, they will be watched and scrutinised over the next week or so. thank you. new restrictions are being brought in for those living in north and south lanarkshire, so people cannot meet those from other households indoors. 0ur scotland correspondent james shaw is in glasgow for us. what are these new restrictions? well, this is a big area we are talking about. to the east and to the south of glasgow, whether restrictions mean that you will not be able to visit another person's household. that is exactly the same as the restrictions that are in place in glasgow and surrounding

areas already. they came in in glasgow about ten days ago. it means that around 1.7 million people in the west of scotland will be living under these enhanced restrictions as to bear in mind also that nicola sturgeon announced yesterday that only six people from two households would be able to meet, either indoors or outdoors. she wanted people to start living in that way straightaway although it won't actually become mandatory until monday. so very big changes in large parts of scotland, and at the moment, until the acceleration in the spread of coronavirus changes in some way, it looks unlikely that these restrictions can be eased anytime soon. thank you. from monday, people in wales must wearface masks in shops and other indoor public spaces. there will be a rule of six for socialising indoors — but children under 11 won't count. but unlike england and scotland — up to 30 people from different homes will still be able to meet outside.

0ur wales correspondent hywel griffith has the details. ready for the new rules, and relieved that they are coming. this shop in cardiff has had to deal with some confused customers over the last few months. face coverings haven't been compulsory inside public spaces in wales — unlike the rest of the uk. now, that's changing. most were confused. we had people constantly coming to us and saying, "do we have to put one on, or don't we?" and we were just saying, "well, it's entirely up to you at the moment." from monday, face masks will be mandatory, and people will not be allowed to meet indoors in groups of more than six. younger children won't count. and up to 30 can still meet outdoors. that's significantly different to scotland, where only six people from two households can meet indoors or outdoors. —— different to most of scotland.

similarly, young children won't count. in england, up to six people from multiple households can meet, but that does include children. there are exceptions, if the household is larger. in northern ireland, some postcodes have had stricter new rules imposed, with no home visits. in other areas again, only six people from two households can meet indoors. 0utdoors, it's up to 15 people. the rule of six was meant to bring clarity and consistency. instead, every government has its own version. here in wales, ministers insist there is no scientific basis for banning larger outdoor meetings. if the evidence were to be different, then we would revisit our policy. but we've been running the system for many, many weeks now, and we have no evidence in wales that the rise in the viruses being driven by people meeting outside. 0utdoor meetings may not be so appealing come christmas time. charlotte has five other children who all live at home. —— five adult children.

so their house will be full. if they want any visitors, the rules mean someone will have to leave. i think it's a good idea, but i don't think people will stick to it. i know some of my friends already said they won't stick to it. but i think it's a good idea. the welsh government says it is trying to get ahead of the gathering storm, moving towards more restrictions in the hope that it will pass. hywel griffith, bbc news, cardiff. the government's long—awaited coronavirus contact—tracing app will be launched in england and wales later this month. people are being urged to display qr code posters so people can scan bar codes with the app when they arrive at venues. —— businesses are being urged. previous versions of the app were abandoned after problems emerged during trials. the police say three children who were hurt when a school bus hit a railway bridge have suffered "potentially life—changing injuries". a further 12 suffered minor injuries when the double—decker‘s roof was torn off in the crash in winchester yesterday. parents have questioned why the bus

was not on its designated route. the uk economy grew by 6.6% injuly — as hairdressers, pubs and restaurants re—opened. it is the third month in a row that the econmy has expanded. but the latest figures show it is still almost 12% smaller than it was in february before the pandemic began. with more, here's our economics editor faisal islam. in spring during the peak of the pandemic, the economy fell at a historic record. and now the figures show the opposite over the summer as industries such as construction return to work. here the building of the tallest new office block outside london. you can see the numbers of people who are operating on the site, who are using the shops, the local amenities and i think the local businesses really appreciate seeing the construction industry at the forefront of the recovery of the

bounce back. but this has been like nothing else we have encountered. the economy normally grows by fractions of a per cent not nearly seven in a month as injuly. but the context is of course the switch off ofa context is of course the switch off of a quarter of the economy, during the shut down. sincejune, everyone a sharp rebound has only made up just over half o what was lost, still 12% lower than precrisis and the question is where it goes from here. so we know by the end ofjuly, the economy staged a half bounce back of the extraordinary pandemic shut down hit and that recovery continued through august. but now in september, the situation is different, with virus going back up, some restrictions having returned, the expiry of government support package, imminent and the return of post—brexit trade uncertainty. all of which raising serious questions about the sustainability of the recovery. even before today's additional shut downs major city

centres such as birmingham were struggling to return to norm well a newjohn lewis and other department stores closing. some leading conservatives and the former labour pm gordon brown today backing extending government support for jobs and businesses. we need a recovery plan now, we need the same spirit of consensus that brought about the rescue plan now for a reofry plan. i have to be honest, what is proposed the moment is inadequate. government was today celebrating an agreement in principle with japan. for the first major post—brexit free today deal which mostly replicates the existing terms with the world's third largest economy. elsewhere, another economic casualty of covid, the boat show in southampton cancelled even as the yachts were being lined up on the marina. the treasury is holding firm

on ending the furlough scheme, eve ryo ne on ending the furlough scheme, everyone as the cash flow of many companies is sinking. our top story this evening. evidence that britain's coronavirus epidemic is spreading again — as the uk records its highest daily increase in new cases since the middle of may. and coming up, the new mothers campaigning for an extension to paid maternity leave because of the pandemic. coming up on sportsday on bbc news. with the men's draw at the us open missing the big three, is alexander zverev the best placed to become the first new champion of flushing meadows since 2014? as coronavirus infections begin to rise again — the question of how to ensure that schools can remain open across the uk at the forefront of many people's minds. two big new research projects have got funding to investigate how the virus might be transmitted at school.

in bristol, scientists from the university will use simple saliva tests — rather than swab tests — from volunteers in the city s schools. 0ur education editor branwenjeffreys has been to one of the schools taking part. at the school front door the first reminder of coronavirus, the risk their education will be disrupted again. but these pupils in bristol could help change that. taking a saliva test for the virus once a month, so cases without symptoms are spotted. if you do know that you have it, then you can stay at home for, like, two weeks and make sure that you've fully recovered. at such a critical time, learning obviously our gcses, so keeping school open for our year right now is probably the best thing that can happen. the benefits are of testing like you know you can take

precautions, you can quickly isolate, and help others stay safe. for the first time since march, all pupils are back. cases are rising in towns and cities across england. understanding any links is now urgent. we know remarkably little about transmission between children, because there's been so little testing in schools. and without that knowledge, a winter of disruption lies ahead, because so many of them may get the virus and not show any symptoms. this is the scientist hoping to find some answers. her team will test 4,000 pupils and 1,000 staff. here we are with a project that we have co—created with schools. at the moment, schools often don't know who has or has had the virus. we need to get increase our

knowledge, in terms of the rate of infection in this age group, but also work with schools to be able to embed good health behaviours. the solution isn't solely in testing, it's in how testing is incorporated with other measures. already, some schools have been disrupted. for this head teacher, rapid test results mean keeping her school open. i love seeing children in school, and i love hearing them. i love hearing them learning, and so what i want is all the tools i can have to keep that going. i don't want to have to close the school, and i really don't want to have to ask children to learn from home again. research in schools across bristol will help everyone by mapping infections in one city. branwenjeffreys, bbc news, bristol. the french prime ministerjean castex has said his government is not planning a new nationwide lockdown, despite a surge in coronavirus cases. authorities reported nearly 10,000 daily cases yesterday, the highest single—day count

since the start of the outbreak. mr castex said he would fast—track testing for priority cases. the quarantine period for people who catch the virus will be shortened to just seven days from 14, to better match "the period when there is a real risk of contagion". spain, meanwhile, was one of the hardest hit countries in europe by the covid outbreak. the country brought in strict lockdown measures, and for a while they seemed to be working. cases were down, and life started returning to normal. but, like france, there's been a resurgence of new infections in recent weeks. guy hedgecoe reports from madrid on the measures being taken. for 7—year—old julia, this is a big day. a national lockdown followed by the long summer holiday have meant she is going to school for the first time in six months.

0ver eight million spanish children are going back to the classroom this month. they want to come back to school because they miss their friends, their teachers, so it's a nice moment for them. the return to school is being staggered according to age groups, as part of efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus. it's just one of many new measures. children aged six and over must now wear face masks here at sagrada familia primary, and in all schools across spain. i think what's going to happen is we are going to open the schools this week and probably start closing, opening, closing, opening, so it's going to be like an intermittance model. this second wave of the virus is affecting younger people more than the first wave. although infections have been rising steadily, the death rate has remained relatively low and hospitalisation rates are still well below

the levels of march and april. the response to the recent resurgence of coronavirus in spain has been for local authorities to reintroduce restrictions in those areas that have been affected. for example, here in madrid just a few days ago, the local government announced new limits on social contact in public spaces, such as bars and restaurants. my worry is that we reach autumn and winter and then our behaviour change. we go more indoors, we meet with friends, family, we go to pubs, restaurants indoors, and this is a perfect place for virus transmission. after a tragic spring and a difficult summer, spain is desperately hoping for something like a normal autumn. guy hedgecoe, bbc news, madrid. hundreds of thousands of new mothers have been dealt a "hammer blow" by the government

over maternity leave, according to a committee of mps. new parents have been campaigning for a three month paid extension to statutory maternity so that they can arrange childcare which has been badly affected by the coronavirus. 0ur political correspondent alex forsyth reports. motherhood hasn't all been smiles for beth. it's been really, really tough. we had a very traumatic birth. it left me and my husband with ongoing postnatal mental health issues. maisie was in neo—natal intensive care with sepsis and pneumonia. after, her parents struggled, and as the country lockdowned they had little support. that's when my husband admitted, no, he was really low too, and he actually admitted he felt suicidal. so we were processing that by ourselves, dealing with that ourselves, sleepless nights by ourselves. it was just — everything was by ourselves, no professional help, no family support. not even your mum there to hold your hand. beth and her friends are among almost quarter of a million people who have signed a petition asking

for maternity leave to be extended. they want the time now for parents to access services they couldn't for months — baby groups, face to face health checks and mental health support, for their wellbeing and their children's development. anything that people would normally do on their maternity leave, for a huge portion of it we missed out on. the government says it does sympathise with the challenges new parents in particularface during lockdown, but ministers say current maternity arrangements are sufficiently generous. they have said they will meet with families and baby groups to understand the support parents need, but for campaigners that is simply not enough. take bethany. for her, like others, childcare is the problem. jayden's planned nursery place fell through during lockdown. unable to find another, his mum's taking unpaid leave to look after him. how can they open pubs, bowling allies, open up hairdressers? why haven't the government helped with the health visitors getting back up and running, and helping us with our care needs for our babies?

the government says it spends billions of pounds a year on childcare places and maternity leave, and offers specialist support for those with mental health difficulties. but these women say lockdown has left new mothers needed more help. beth has joined the labour party, and started campaigning. itjust feels like we're an entire demographic of society they are turning a blind eye to. there's a real risk that the issues that are going on at the minute, with childcare and mental health and lack of support, could have a lasting impact on women returning to work. the impact on this generation and their parents, another potential consequence of this pandemic. alex forsyth, bbc news, crewe. the new premier league season gets under way tomorrow with the champions liverpool hosting newly promoted leeds. it's the yorkshire side's first game in the top—flight for 16—years. here's our sports editor dan roan.

casualty of covid, the boat show in southampton cancelled even as the yachts 0nce once one of the country's most feared footballing forces for many the premier league has felt incomplete without leeds, but now after 16 years, featuring desperation relegation and administration, one of the again's giants is back where it believes it belongs, leeds born kalvin phillips made his debut for england this week but the midfielder told me that play manager the top flight is just as significant. it is massive. a dream come true for me, through also for the city as well. we have been are tough years and we are at the pin knackle and very high and hopefully we can carry that on. leeds's success has been masterminded by the genius of bayern leverkusen. the fastly —— marcelo bielsa. the club today confirmed he had signed a new contract, to the delight of the fan fan and his players. what makes the manager so special? he is relentless, he is like passionate about football, you know, you have a

lot of managers that from passionate but not to his level. this season kicks off as the last one ended behind closed door, the premier league writing to the government expressing delay to the partial reopening of grounds and postponing a programme of test events. leeds fa ns a programme of test events. leeds fans long wait to watch top flight football continues. i have got a season ticket so i am gutted. i hope we can get back as soon as possible, to cheer the lads on. people are no too disappointed they are more excited about the country seeing how great we are. having waited so long to reach the premier league the challenge facing these players now, is to make sure they stay there, but their bid to do so gets off to the sternest of starts. tomorrow's opponents liverpool ended a long wait of their own last season winning the title after 3 years. ——

30 year, the manager is intent on keeping hold of it. the title is out there, we attack them, we all start from the same position, nil game, nil points and now let us go for it. unlike some of their rivals who have strengthened this summer liverpool will begin with largely the same tea m will begin with largely the same team with which they dominated last season. unfamiliar financial constraints ensuring a start to a season like no other. time for a look at the weather. here's darren bett. it is warming up over the next few days, and turning more humid as well. perhaps a taste of summer for some parts of the country. today we have had a band of cloud and rain moving south. not much left for northern england and wales, that will drift southwards, further north clearer spells, a rash of showers, maybe a bit cooler than it was last night. further south, across cross england and wales double figures we

start the weekend with that band