Deaths: No new deaths have been reported in Northern Ireland or Scotland. There are some other deaths in Wales and six in England. There were 51,596 COVID-19-related deaths in England and Wales as of 24 July, recorded on 1 August. Find out more here.
Deaths are falling in all parts of England, Yorkshire and Humber and the East Midlands, according to the latest statistics. Both regions reported slight increases in coronavirus deaths since the week ended July 24 compared to last week. Find out more here.
No young person under the age of 14 has died of coronavirus in England and Wales for the tenth consecutive week, figures show. According to the most recent report by the Office of National Statistics (ONS), there have been five COVID-19-related deaths in young people aged one to 14 this year in both countries. Find out more here.
Schools: The government insists that reopening schools in September “should not be debated” despite warnings from a momentary wave of coronavirus. Local Prime Minister Simon Clarke insisted that the formula “works” and that schools will reopen. Find out more here.
Researchers from the UCL and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said they had no effective follow-up to their position in the UK before schools reopened may lead to a momentary wave of coronavirus twice as giant as the first. The reopening of schools was based on a broader openness of society and the return of others to offices. Find out more here.
Scotland: Scottish Highers’ good luck rates have been higher this summer, as teachers say post-exam scores deserve to be cancelled due to the pandemic. Three out of 4 ratings were not adjusted through the Scottish Qualification Authority. Find out more here.
Science: The coronavirus outbreak came here from bats and was likely transmitted to humans through some other “host” intermediate animal, World Health Organization (WHO) scientists concluded. The WHO team of experts visited the Chinese city of Wuhan, considered the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic, to study the origins of the virus and how it spread around the world. Find out more here.
Women who take the tablet are less likely to expand a severe coronavirus, a new primary exam revealed, possibly explaining why men have suffered more when they get it. Analysis of more than half a million women through King’s College London in May and June revealed that estrogen played an important role. Find out more here.
Business: Pizza Express has announced the closure of 15% of its restaurants in the UK, 1,100 jobs at risk. Dixons Carphone also announced that it would fire 800 managers. Find out more here.
Entertainment: Michael Eavis admitted that Glastonbury might not return until 2022, suggesting that the same number of people on the site would be an ‘illusion’. He said he was convinced he’d survive. Find out more here.
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Rest of the world
France may lose its COVID-19 epidemic at any time, according to its main clinical body. The French government’s clinical council has stated that a momentary wave can occur at any time in autumn or winter. Find out more here.
Donald Trump tried to protect his handling of the coronavirus crisis in the United States in an interview, in which he said the country was doing an “incredible job” despite 158,000 deaths. He said he based his assessment of remedies on the number of deaths as a proportion of cases, not the population. Find out more here.
More than 27 million other people have been blocked in and around the Philippine capital after the country’s number of infections exceeded 100,000. Two hospitals had to close and some personal hospitals rejected others due to lack of beds. Find out more here.
Positive news
The National Railroad Museum in York has reopened with tickets for fully booked tours in advance. Visitors are invited to practice social distance and wear a mask at the museum, which is free. Find out more here.