Coronavirus news live: another 16 dead in the UK and ‘every Brit should get £500 each to help kickstart UK economy’

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Three pubs have been forced to close within days of reopening after customers tested positive for coronavirus. The Lighthouse Kitchen and Carvery in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, the Fox & Hounds in Batley, West Yorkshire, and The Village Home in Alverstoke, Gosport, were the first pubs to close in England after restrictions were eased. More »

Piers Morgan has branded Prime Minister Boris Johnson ‘disgusting’ after he placed the blame for a high amount of Covid-19 deaths on care homes. It has been confirmed that 20,000 residents died from the virus after a large amount of patients were discharged from hospital and sent back into the care homes without a coronavirus test. More »

Hundreds of thousands across the UK could lose their homes next month when the coronavirus eviction ban ends next month, a charity has warned. An estimated 227,000 of adults have fallen into rent arrears since the start of the pandemic, meaning they at risk of becoming homeless when the suspension on evictions ends on August 23, reveal figures released by Shelter. More »

Over the past few weeks, there has been a rise in heated arguments around face masks, – or rather people refusing to wear them. Some of these debates have even led to bust-ups, as well as arrests and hefty fines. More »

Spain was forced to close some of its most popular beaches after scores of visitors flocked to the coast over the weekend. Officials in Andalucía, southern Spain, closed 55 beaches just days after Britons were given the green light to travel to the country without having to quarantine for 14 days on return. More »

Struggling to think ahead? Whether it’s work ambitions, travel plans or personal progression, the coronavirus pandemic has thrown a spanner in the works when it comes to setting goals and planning for the future. More »

As the coronavirus lockdown dragged on and on, the Prime Minister’s blond mop looked even more out of control than usual. Boris Johnson said he was ‘starting to get dreadlocks at the back’ and was desperate to get his barnet cut as soon as possible. More »

The UK’s death toll from coronavirus has risen to 44,236 after another 16 people died. Figures for all settings were released by the Department for Health today. More »

Folks in England have been flocking to the hairdresser for the first time in months after they were allowed to reopen on Saturday – putting those dodgy lockdown haircuts firmly behind them. Salons have reopened with staff wearing PPE, and other new safety measures in place including limiting customer numbers, seeing people by appointment only and doing away with such items as complimentary drinks and magazines. More »

Leicester locals have been accused of causing ‘carnage’ in a quiet market town as they defied lockdown to get a pint on the weekend. Residents in Market Harborough described seeing ‘hundreds’ of people flock to pubs on Saturday night, resulting in police giving the town an urgent dispersal order. More »

Police officers have been deployed on London’s public transport system to enforce rules making face coverings compulsory. They were pictured collaring passengers not wearing appropriate coverings such as surgical masks. More »

After three months away, it was incredibly strange opening up at the pub where I do shifts. As I set up with my colleague Sammy, we both felt really anxious about whether customers would be happy to socially distance, and whether we’d even know what to say to them if they weren’t. More »

Paddy McGuinness has shared throwback pictures with former co-star Peter Kay as he demands justice for the arts amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Top Gear presenter has joined a wealth of professionals in the film, television, theatre, entertainment, and art world who are posting images to get emergency financial support to the industry. More »

Sandwich shop chain Pret a Manger has announced that 30 of its UK stores will close permanently, following coronavirus lockdown. Around 1,000 jobs are at risk due to the closures, with cuts expected to be made before the end of the year – as Pret reported that its sales were down 74 per cent compared with this time last year. More »

Sir Sam Mendes is spearheading a fund for theatre workers at ‘breaking point’, which has been kickstarted with a £500,000 donation from Netflix. The 1917 director is hoping the fund will aid those working in the theatre industry in need of emergency financial support, amid the government’s recently-announced £1. More »

Rishi Sunak is reportedly set to introduce a six-month stamp duty holiday in a bid to boost the struggling housing market following lockdown. The threshold at which people start paying the property tax is £125,000, but it is thought the chancellor will raise this, making it potentially easier for people to buy homes in the coming months. More »

The coronavirus pandemic has so far tragically claimed the lives of 44,200 people in the UK, and caused over half a million deaths worldwide. Not only has the virus robbed us of loved ones, but also of our freedoms and separated us from family, friends and colleagues. More »

The World Health Organisation is failing to acknowledge the potential for coronavirus to spread in airborne form, a group of scientists have said. The 239 scientists from 32 countries have signed an open letter, to be published this week, calling on the body to recognise the risk, which could lead to new measures such as air filters and indoor mask-wearing being recommended. More »

Being the home-loving sort, lockdown didn’t hold any particular fears for me at first. I work part-time in a library and I’d always wanted more freedom to focus on writing, so I felt a twinge of anticipation at the prospect of having that. More »