bbcuk--2020-05-28--Sue Barker: I'd go back and have all the fun again

It was a dream Grand Slam title for a rising British tennis star .
There might have been no TV cameras , no coach or parents watching either , but when she was lifting the trophy that did n't matter - this was supposed to be the first of many .
If Sue Barker had known her 1976 French Open triumph would be her only major title - and indeed still the most recent singles trophy for a Briton at Roland Garros - it 's fair to say she would have done things a little differently .
When she got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the medal and had no photos or footage to look back on .
`` I would have collected everything from the court - a bit of dust from Roland Garros , the umpire sheet to prove that I 'd won it - but I was just rushing off to have my glass of champagne ! ''
says Barker , who was only 20 when she won one of her sport 's four biggest tournaments .
To anyone under 50 , Barker , now 64 , is probably better known for being a TV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ player .
But this was a player whose formidable forehand was voted 'best in the game ' by her peers several years in a row and who recorded victories over many of the sport 's greatest names - from Martina Navratilova , to Chris Evert , to Billie Jean King .
Barker describes the start of her tennis story as like something from a Hollywood movie - for reasons that will soon become clear .
There were some painful defeats along the way , and injury heartbreak too .
But a mysterious phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chapter in retirement - leading to a unique perspective on her sport , and the life she 's led in it .
Raised in Devon , Barker outgrew the British tennis system quickly and at 17 was advised by her coach to move to the United States , so she could play on the professional circuit there and train with some of the world 's best players .
It was the summer of 1973 when her life changed overnight .
`` I rented a car at Los Angeles airport - I 'd only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before - and I upgraded myself to a convertible , drove down the 405 freeway to Newport Beach where my new townhouse was and collected my keys , '' she says .
`` I 'd just moved out of a room I shared with my sister , and here I am with my own two-bed house - it was a really bizarre feeling . ''
Barker was in a complex with other tour players and often ended up hitting with 11-time Grand Slam singles champion Rod Laver , who had recently retired .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a Hollywood movie , '' she says .
`` I 'd gone from playing on the Palace Hotel tennis courts down in Devon to here I am at the John Wayne Tennis Club hitting with Rod Laver .
I 'd gone into fantasy land somehow .
`` I 'd phone my mum as soon as I 'd hit with him : 'Mum !
I 've just hit with Rod Laver ! '
It was a thrill to play with one of my absolute idols . ''
It was a successful move , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ titles the following year .
The next season she picked up a further three , while also reaching her first Grand Slam semi-final at the 1975 Australian Open .
By the time of the French Open at the end of May 1976 she was on an excellent run on clay , having reached the final in Bournemouth and won the title in Hamburg earlier that month .
She arrived in Paris as the top seed and facing a relatively favourable draw because of some high-profile absences , including two-time defending champion Evert , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have made any difference ?
Barker can point to victories over all those players during her career and was the form player on the surface at the time .
Her opponent in the final was Czech Renata Tomanova , who had been runner-up in the Australian Open earlier in the year .
Barker had beaten her in the recent Hamburg final and so she should have been brimming with confidence .
Instead , it had crumbled the previous evening .
`` I used to practise always really well and everyone used to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play well , whereas I think that was the problem with my career - I always practised really well and then did n't play as well , '' Barker says .
`` It was really weird - the day before the final I went to practise with a good friend , Glynis Coles , and we played and I was just awful .
She beat me fair and square and I was just thinking , 'What am I going to do ?
I 'm going to get thumped tomorrow ' .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , because normally I was so confident on the practice courts . ''
Barker looked to have suppressed her doubts by taking the first set 6-2 before `` getting absolutely tonked '' in the second , which she lost 6-0 .
In those days players got a 10-minute break before a deciding set , which proved vital for Barker .
She got a quick pep talk from national coach Tony Mottram , who happened to be at Roland Garros for a different player .
`` I went out and managed to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if I had n't had that 10 minutes to regroup whether I would have panicked , '' she says .
When Tomanova double-faulted on match point , Barker ran to the net to shake hands .
There were no wild celebrations , no running up to the players box to kiss everyone in the entourage - players were on their own in those days .
The match was not televised and so Barker 's parents had no idea whether their daughter had won until after the trophy presentation , when she headed straight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Can I make a phone call to England , please ? ''
They had to wait even longer to celebrate with her .
`` I remember having a couple of glasses of champagne and getting on the plane , getting back to Heathrow and feeling so ill .
I was going to drive home to see my parents but I felt so rotten I ended up going to one of the airport hotels and sleeping there because I just thought I ca n't drive , I feel completely drunk ! ''
she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also be where she ended up leaving the medal .
Years later she received a photo of herself from a Frenchman who had been at the final , and also a video tape from a man in the United States who had recorded a news item about her win , so she does at least now have a couple of mementos .
Even longer after that , when 2019 champion Ashleigh Barty was checking the names on the trophy it emerged Barker 's nationality had been engraved wrong - listing her as Australian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I used to play so much in Australia that people used to think I was Australian .
There were n't that many British players on the clay , '' she says .
`` But it does n't really bother me , I knew I 'd won it . ''
With that victory , Barker 's career was seemingly on the up , but bitter disappointment was just around the corner .
Barker had continued her fine form that year in front of home fans at Wimbledon , reaching the quarter-finals where she faced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win the first of her 18 Grand Slam singles titles .
`` I was 3-1 up in the final set and led 15-40 on her serve so I had two chances to go up a double break and I blew it and managed to lose the match .
My coach was watching on TV and went mad on the phone , '' Barker says .
`` I really feel as if I threw this one away .
It was a golden opportunity as I was having such a good summer , I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confident and it sort of came to a grinding halt .
It 's a match that rankles with me as much as the semi-final loss the next year . ''
Of course Wimbledon 1977 , in the Queen 's silver jubilee year , is best remembered for Virginia Wade 's home victory .
But it could so easily have been another Briton .
`` I can sum up my Wimbledon semi-final loss by saying I beat Betty Stove three weeks later for the loss of one game , '' says Barker , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dutchwoman at SW19 .
`` I think that just about sums up how disappointed I was and how badly I played that day .
It was all about pressure and expectation for me that day . ''
`` I was 3-1 head-to-head with Virginia that year and I suddenly sat in the Wimbledon locker room thinking ' I could win it ' , because I knew I could beat Betty - I did n't think I 'd ever lost to her .
I think I just took my mind off the semi-final , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to play Virginia .
`` I just played a really horrible match from start to finish , I ca n't be any more blunt than that .
And I was bitterly , bitterly disappointed not to have been a part of that final , which would have been an amazing day with the jubilee and two Brits .
I let the whole side down . ''
Barker could not even bear to watch the final .
`` It was too painful , '' she says .
`` I think I went out shopping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something .
I think Virginia made an absolute fortune and I lost a whole lot .
I do n't think I 've even got the jewellery , I 've probably lost that as well ! ''
After that defeat she made one more Grand Slam semi-final at the Australian Open before injuries began to take hold .
`` Of course , the shoes we were wearing did n't have all the orthotics and stuff they have in them now and I got really bad shin splints and really bad Achilles injuries throughout the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ career , '' Barker says .
`` The physios just could n't do anything about it - it was just rest back then , take a couple of aspirin and off you go .
Those injuries I had - these days I 'd probably be one week in the physio and back out there . ''
Ultimately , they cut short her career at 29 .
The decision to retire left her `` crying like a baby '' and she had no plan B .
`` I remember just sitting there thinking 'now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All my friends are on tour , I do n't know what I 'm going to do with my life , my parents are in Devon , and I thought 'what 's next ? '
`` It was really quite a scary time because tennis had totally consumed me for so many years and then suddenly it 's like , hold on , this is real life now .
Every day I 'd had planned - practice , gym , physio , booking travel , booking hotels , watching videos of a player @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tennis tournament and then suddenly it 's nothing . ''
Retirement prompted lots of messages from friends and journalists , which Barker could n't bring herself to reply to .
But then there was one from someone calling themselves 'Gordon Bennett ' .
Convinced it was a wind-up by someone simply expressing astonishment at her announcement , she called him back .
That call changed her life .
It turned out that Gordon Bennett was a real person - the boss of Australian television station Channel 7 no less - with a real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been Gordon Smith , I 'd probably have never got into broadcasting , '' Barker says .
`` Because he was Gordon Bennett I phoned him .
He then offered me a job on the spot and I accepted .
I was just giggling after that , what a result that is . ''
That job was for only eight weeks of the year , providing analysis during the winter tennis season in Australia , so she still needed another one .
And that was how she found herself driving future British number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old ) to and from school in a minibus for training at David Lloyd 's tennis club in London .
`` I had eight tennis-playing boys in the back of the minibus .
I was doing a bit of coaching and also tennis coaching holidays abroad .
It was just keeping me busy . ''
Barker 's first television presenting role came at BSkyB where she was the 'continuity presenter ' - the person who talks between programmes telling you what 's coming up next .
This provided , she says , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the skills she would need for a career eventually fronting live BBC coverage of Wimbledon , the Olympics and many other events .
Her favourite presenting moments are Usain Bolt 's world records at the 2008 Beijing Olympics , and the `` magical '' London 2012 opening ceremony .
Of course her Wimbledon role has given her plenty of opportunity to witness the evolution of the game and keep a close eye on today 's players .
So , does she wish she was playing tennis in today 's era instead ?
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world , '' she says .
`` I mean OK , I 'd have loved to have earned the money that they 're earning but if I had the choice I 'd go back and have the fun .
`` I do stand at the court now thinking , 'Wow , we never played like this ' .
It was a totally different game when we were playing with our wooden racquets and our Green Flash shoes and our balls out of the tennis box .
`` But it 's very different today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the press .
Back in our day we got on with all of them . ''
Barker is proud to have played during an era where there were big rivalries , such as the Evert-Navratilova dominance of the 1970s and 1980s , and thinks it is what the women 's game needs now .
And , from what she 's seen of the new generation coming through , she thinks they can deliver .
`` This young generation with [ US Open champion ] Bianca Andreescu , Coco Gauff , [ Australian Open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look the real deal to me .
I 've got a feeling they will be at the top of the game for a long time , '' she says .
`` Gauff has the ability to be the greatest player ever , even better than Serena Williams and I never thought I 'd say that .
Serena is without question the best so far .
Coco has all the attributes - physically , mentally , she has the game .
She 's going to be a superstar .
`` If she can start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knows how many she could win ?
We 're seeing Serena desperately trying to equal Margaret Court 's record [ of 24 majors ] - Coco could outdo that and I never thought that would happen . ''
Of course , tennis actually needs to resume from its coronavirus break before any of this can happen and while Barker does not think the suspension of the season will have harmed players ' momentum or competitiveness , there could be some other changes .
The WTA said last week that when it resumes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one person travelling with them to keep down numbers at tournaments and minimise the infection risk .
`` I mean , can you imagine ? ''
Barker says .
`` Who do they choose ?
Their coach , their masseur , their partner ?
If that is a rule , it 's going to be a tough decision for players .
Who is the most important person ?
`` They 're all going 'it 's unheard of ' - but that 's exactly what we did , '' she laughs .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And that turned out very nicely indeed .

Years passed before Barker had the chance to look back on her greatest win
A version of this article was originally published in May 2020
It was a dream Grand Slam title for a rising British tennis star. There might have been no TV cameras, no coach or parents watching either, but when she was lifting the trophy that didn't matter - this was supposed to be the first of many.
If Sue Barker had known her 1976 French Open triumph would be her only major title - and indeed still the most recent singles trophy for a Briton at Roland Garros - it's fair to say she would have done things a little differently.
When she got home, she realised she'd lost the medal and had no photos or footage to look back on.
"I would have collected everything from the court - a bit of dust from Roland Garros, the umpire sheet to prove that I'd won it - but I was just rushing off to have my glass of champagne!" says Barker, who was only 20 when she won one of her sport's four biggest tournaments.
To anyone under 50, Barker, now 66, is probably best known for being a TV presenter and on Sunday at the end of this year's Wimbledon she stepped down after 30 years at the helm of live sports broadcasting for the BBC.
But before all that, she was a world number three tennis player, whose formidable forehand was voted 'best in the game' by her peers several years in a row.
She also recorded victories over many of the sport's greatest names - from Martina Navratilova, to Chris Evert, to Billie Jean King.
Barker describes the start of her tennis story as like something from a Hollywood movie - for reasons that will soon become clear. There were some painful defeats along the way, and injury heartbreak too. But a mysterious phone call would open up a whole new chapter in retirement - leading to a unique perspective on her sport, and the life she's led in it.
Raised in Devon, Barker outgrew the British tennis system quickly and at 17 was advised by her coach to move to the United States, so she could play on the professional circuit there and train with some of the world's best players.
It was the summer of 1973 when her life changed overnight.
Barker, centre, pictured with fellow Wightman Cup players Lesley Charles (left) and Glynis Coles (right) in 1973
"I rented a car at Los Angeles airport - I'd only passed my driving test about a month before - and I upgraded myself to a convertible, drove down the 405 freeway to Newport Beach where my new townhouse was and collected my keys," she says.
"I'd just moved out of a room I shared with my sister, and here I am with my own two-bed house - it was a really bizarre feeling."
Barker was in a complex with other tour players and often ended up hitting with 11-time Grand Slam singles champion Rod Laver, who had recently retired.
"I felt like I'd gone into a Hollywood movie," she says. "I'd gone from playing on the Palace Hotel tennis courts down in Devon to here I am at the John Wayne Tennis Club hitting with Rod Laver. I'd gone into fantasy land somehow.
"I'd phone my mum as soon as I'd hit with him: 'Mum! I've just hit with Rod Laver!' It was a thrill to play with one of my absolute idols."
It was a successful move, with Barker winning her first two top-level titles the following year. The next season she picked up a further three, while also reaching her first Grand Slam semi-final at the 1975 Australian Open.
Barker, pictured here at Wimbledon in 1975, where she made the third round, aged 19
By the time of the French Open at the end of May 1976 she was on an excellent run on clay, having reached the final in Bournemouth and won the title in Hamburg earlier that month.
She arrived in Paris as the top seed and facing a relatively favourable draw because of some high-profile absences, including two-time champion Evert, King and Navratilova. Would their presence have made any difference? Barker can point to victories over all those players during her career and was the form player on the surface at the time.
Her opponent in the final was Czech Renata Tomanova, who had been runner-up in the Australian Open earlier in the year. Barker had beaten her in the recent Hamburg final and so she should have been brimming with confidence. Instead, it had crumbled the previous evening.
"I used to practise always really well and everyone used to say if you practise badly then you normally play well, whereas I think that was the problem with my career - I always practised really well and then didn't play as well," Barker says.
"It was really weird - the day before the final I went to practise with a good friend, Glynis Coles, and we played and I was just awful. She beat me fair and square and I was just thinking, 'What am I going to do? I'm going to get thumped tomorrow'.
"I got really worried, quite depressed about it, because normally I was so confident on the practice courts."
Barker looked to have suppressed her doubts by taking the first set 6-2 before "getting absolutely tonked" in the second, which she lost 6-0.
In those days players got a 10-minute break before a deciding set, which proved vital for Barker. She got a quick pep talk from national coach Tony Mottram, who happened to be at Roland Garros for a different player.
"I went out and managed to get my act together. I do wonder if I hadn't had that 10 minutes to regroup whether I would have panicked," she says.
When Tomanova double-faulted on match point, Barker ran to the net to shake hands. There were no wild celebrations, no running up to the players box to kiss everyone in the entourage - players were on their own in those days.
Barker left the scene of her French Open title without a memento - and organisers got her nationality wrong
The match was not televised and so Barker's parents had no idea whether their daughter had won until after the trophy presentation, when she headed straight to the tournament office to ask: "Can I make a phone call to England, please?"
They had to wait even longer to celebrate with her.
"I remember having a couple of glasses of champagne and getting on the plane, getting back to Heathrow and feeling so ill. I was going to drive home to see my parents but I felt so rotten I ended up going to one of the airport hotels and sleeping there because I just thought I can't drive, I feel completely drunk!" she says.
She thinks that hotel may also be where she ended up leaving the medal. Years later she received a photo of herself from a Frenchman who had been at the final, and also a video tape from a man in the United States who had recorded a news item about her win, so she does at least now have a couple of mementos.
Even longer after that, when 2019 champion Ashleigh Barty was checking the names on the trophy it emerged Barker's nationality had been engraved wrong - listing her as Australian.
"I think it's because I used to play so much in Australia that people used to think I was Australian. There weren't that many British players on the clay," she says. "But it doesn't really bother me, I knew I'd won it."
With that victory, Barker's career was seemingly on the up, but bitter disappointment was just around the corner.
Barker had continued her fine form that year in front of home fans at Wimbledon, reaching the quarter-finals where she faced a 19-year-old Martina Navratilova, yet to win the first of her 18 Grand Slam singles titles.
"I was 3-1 up in the final set and led 15-40 on her serve so I had two chances to go up a double break and I blew it and managed to lose the match. My coach was watching on TV and went mad on the phone," Barker says.
"I really feel as if I threw this one away. It was a golden opportunity as I was having such a good summer, I was playing so well, I was so confident and it sort of came to a grinding halt. It's a match that rankles with me as much as the semi-final loss the next year."
Ah, that semi-final.
Barker would not come closer to the Wimbledon title than she did in 1977
Of course Wimbledon 1977, in the Queen's silver jubilee year, is best remembered for Virginia Wade's home victory. But it could so easily have been another Briton.
"I can sum up my Wimbledon semi-final loss by saying I beat Betty Stove three weeks later for the loss of one game," says Barker, who was beaten 6-4 2-6 6-4 by the Dutchwoman at SW19.
"I think that just about sums up how disappointed I was and how badly I played that day. It was all about pressure and expectation for me that day."
"I was 3-1 head-to-head with Virginia that year and I suddenly sat in the Wimbledon locker room thinking 'I could win it', because I knew I could beat Betty - I didn't think I'd ever lost to her. I think I just took my mind off the semi-final, thinking too much that I was going to play Virginia.
"I just played a really horrible match from start to finish, I can't be any more blunt than that. And I was bitterly, bitterly disappointed not to have been a part of that final, which would have been an amazing day with the jubilee and two Brits. I let the whole side down."
Barker could not even bear to watch the final.
"It was too painful," she says. "I think I went out shopping and spent a fortune on jewellery or something. I think Virginia made an absolute fortune and I lost a whole lot. I don't think I've even got the jewellery, I've probably lost that as well!"
After that defeat she made one more Grand Slam semi-final at the Australian Open before injuries began to take hold.
"Of course, the shoes we were wearing didn't have all the orthotics and stuff they have in them now and I got really bad shin splints and really bad Achilles injuries throughout the last two or three years of my career," Barker says.
"The physios just couldn't do anything about it - it was just rest back then, take a couple of aspirin and off you go. Those injuries I had - these days I'd probably be one week in the physio and back out there."
Ultimately, they cut short her career at 29. The decision to retire left her "crying like a baby" and she had no plan B.
"I remember just sitting there thinking 'now, what do I do?' All my friends are on tour, I don't know what I'm going to do with my life, my parents are in Devon, and I thought 'what's next?'
"It was really quite a scary time because tennis had totally consumed me for so many years and then suddenly it's like, hold on, this is real life now. Every day I'd had planned - practice, gym, physio, booking travel, booking hotels, watching videos of a player, everything was all geared around a tennis tournament and then suddenly it's nothing."
Retirement prompted lots of messages from friends and journalists, which Barker couldn't bring herself to reply to. But then there was one from someone calling themselves 'Gordon Bennett'.
Convinced it was a wind-up by someone simply expressing astonishment at her announcement, she called him back. That call changed her life.
Barker, pictured here interviewing Serena Williams at Wimbledon in 2012
It turned out that Gordon Bennett was a real person - the boss of Australian television station Channel 7 no less - with a real job offer.
"If he'd been Gordon Smith, I'd probably have never got into broadcasting," Barker says. "Because he was Gordon Bennett I phoned him. He then offered me a job on the spot and I accepted. I was just giggling after that, what a result that is."
That job was for only eight weeks of the year, providing analysis during the winter tennis season in Australia, so she still needed another one. And that was how she found herself driving future British number one Tim Henman (then 10 years old) to and from school in a minibus for training at David Lloyd's tennis club in London.
"I had eight tennis-playing boys in the back of the minibus. I was doing a bit of coaching and also tennis coaching holidays abroad. It was just keeping me busy."
Barker's first television presenting role came at BSkyB where she was the 'continuity presenter' - the person who talks between programmes telling you what's coming up next. This provided, she says, the vital on-the-job training that taught her all the skills she would need for a career eventually fronting live BBC coverage of Wimbledon, the Olympics and many other events.
Her favourite presenting moments are Usain Bolt's world records at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and the "magical" London 2012 opening ceremony.
Of course her Wimbledon role has given her plenty of opportunity to witness the evolution of the game and keep a close eye on today's players.
So, does she wish she was playing tennis in today's era instead?
"I wouldn't change it for the world," she says. "I mean OK, I'd have loved to have earned the money that they're earning but if I had the choice I'd go back and have the fun.
"I do stand at the court now thinking, 'Wow, we never played like this'. It was a totally different game when we were playing with our wooden racquets and our Green Flash shoes and our balls out of the tennis box.
"But it's very different today - the mistrust between the players and the press. Back in our day we got on with all of them."


bbcuk--2020-05-28--Coronavirus test workers 'making personal sacrifices'

The scientist running Wales ' largest coronavirus testing laboratory has spoken of the `` sacrifice '' his team is making to tackle the pandemic .
Jonathan Evans runs the virology centre at Cardiff 's University Hospital of Wales which conducted its first positive Covid-19 test in February .
He said staff were working long hours , carrying out about 2,500 daily tests .
A lead nurse at one drive-through test centre said `` good morale '' was protecting staff from the pressure .
Swabs taken at drive-through testing centres , care homes and health board test sites are all taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Initially , it was the only laboratory in Wales conducting tests for coronavirus , but others are now sharing the workload .
Before the pandemic hit , Mr Evans ' laboratory was at its busiest when processing tests for sexually transmitted diseases .
Back then , a `` normal day '' would involve carrying out 400 chlamydia tests .
`` During swine flu we would get up to testing around 200 samples a day , but that was only on a couple of days , '' he said .
`` We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day on a test [ for COVID19 ] that only existed in January , on a virus that did n't exist before December .
`` And so the amount of procedures and systems we have had to develop and put in place to be able to safely offer that service has been nothing short of phenomenal . ''
• More than 2,000 deaths in Wales with Covid-19 • 'Allow Welsh ministers to borrow more money' While staffing has increased from 30 to 50 people , the extra workload has placed great strain on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak highly enough of my staff .
Bank holidays - what are they ?
Weekends - they do n't exist any more , '' said Mr Evans .
`` All the staff are currently working six or seven days a week , commonly 60 to 70 hours . ''
Mr Evans said many of his relatively young team had moved to Cardiff to work at the laboratory and were experiencing the same lockdown restrictions as everyone else when not on shift .
`` One of our colleagues should have been celebrating Eid only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family and could n't because she was actually in work here having to do a 12-hour shift instead of being at home with her family in Blackburn .
`` It 's at moments like that in which you realise the sacrifice the team are making for the greater good . ''
Among the samples being processed by the Cardiff laboratory are those collected by staff at Newport 's drive-through centre at Rodney Parade - home of Newport 's football and rugby teams .
A hospitality tent normally used to host sponsors during matches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in contacting people to visit for testing and three bays have been constructed to carry out tests on people arriving by car .
Lead nurse Amanda Luther said staff were `` working very , very hard '' .
`` Yes , it is an awful lot of pressure .
We are asked to achieve an awful lot with the number of staff we have got .
`` But because morale is so good , and everybody is supporting each other , we are getting through it as best we can . ''
'Nobody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Staff who have been moved from their usual roles to help run the testing centre include Holly Taylor , who previously worked in a hospital appointments office .
`` My job here is to book appointments and action referrals that are sent through by organisations who want their staff tested , '' she said .
`` We are a seven-day operation .
It is mostly full-on , you do n't realise the time going by .
`` Nobody is used to this kind of thing .
But I only started working for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in at the deep end . ''
Despite being based at the centre , Ms Taylor said she did not always appreciate the fact she was on the front line .
`` It is nice and rewarding when you go home and you think ' I have done all this for all these people ' , '' she said .
Some of the people she has had to contact to take the test have been particularly unwell .
`` We have had some very concerned and stressed out people on the phone , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who do not sound at all well .
But that is why we are here , is n't it ?
To get them booked , tested and ready to get back to work . ''
Wales ' testing system is being overseen by Public Health Wales , where a prepared plan for testing during the pandemic had to be quickly adapted .
Dr John Boulton , the director of quality improvement and patient safety , said the original document lasted `` several hours '' .
`` It has evolved as we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I think a lot of the teams would probably say they 're quite tired at this point because the effort has been intense .
`` The changes that we 've had to put in place over the last number of weeks have been really quite hard work .
`` We 've had teams that have been up in north Wales and have left their family for several days to actually support the setting up of testing sites .
They 've sacrificed an awful lot . ''
The demand for testing is expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tracking and tracing coronavirus cases is due to come into operation in June .
• THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters • LOOK-UP TOOL : How many cases in your area ?
• EXERCISE : What are the guidelines on getting out ?
• RECOVERY : How long does it take to get better ?
• SCHOOLS : When will children be returning ?

"One of our colleagues should have been celebrating Eid only a couple of days ago with her family and couldn't because she was actually in work here having to do a 12-hour shift instead of being at home with her family in Blackburn.


bbcuk--2020-05-27--Video streaming: Lockdown sees fifth of UK homes sign deals

One in five households in Britain – six million – signed up to an online video subscription service during the Covid-19 lockdown , data suggests .
The majority of those sign-ups , 52 % , are going to Disney+ , according to market research firm Kantar .
The most-enjoyed piece of content , though , was Netflix ’ s exclusive documentary series Tiger King .
AppleTV+ struggled to engage TV viewers , however , according to the research .
Kantar ’ s data shows the tech giant ’ s TV service was popular on smartphone and tablet devices , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screen viewing .
“ It ’ s been a huge quarter for streaming in the UK .
We can certainly associate a good deal of that with the current lockdown situation , ” Dominic Sunnebo , senior vice president at Kantar , told the BBC .
Mr Sunnebo also noted the instant popularity of Disney+ , which only launched in the UK on 24 March .
“ Of people who are in the video streaming sector already , one in five now have a Disney+ streaming subscription , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are now , on average , 2.3 online video subscriptions per household in the UK .
Although comparable data is not available for previous years , Mr Sunnebo said that because of the launch of new services such as Disney+ , it was safe to assume that the average number of online video subscriptions had risen comfortably in the last couple of years .
He added that 36 % of new subscriptions between February and April – 2.2 million – were made by people who had never previously signed up to a streaming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gathered from a panel of 15,000 consumers and interviews with 2,500 new streaming service subscribers each quarter .
Apple struggled to make the same impact with TV viewers , however .
Mr Sunnebo argued that this was probably because that easiest way to access Apple TV+ on a TV screen was through purchasing a separate device , the Apple TV media player .
Apple ’ s strategy , he said , was to rely on slowly building an audience of viewers happy to pay for this hardware .
“ By trying to drive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re continuing to generate revenue and biding time to broaden their catalogue of content , ” he added .
Recent examples of this include the addition of old episodes of the children 's show Fraggle Rock as well the commission of new ones .
And , according to news site Deadline , Apple has just struck a deal to stream Martin Scorsese 's forthcoming film Killers of the Flower Moon , which is set to feature Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro .

Although comparable data is not available for previous years, Mr Sunnebo said that because of the launch of new services such as Disney+, it was safe to assume that the average number of online video subscriptions had risen comfortably in the last couple of years.


bbcuk--2020-05-28--Coronavirus: Royal Welsh 'could take five years to recover'

The Royal Welsh Show could take five years to recover from the financial hit of coronavirus , organisers have said .
The estimated cost of cancelling most of this year 's event was about £1.2m , John Davies , chairman of Royal Welsh Agricultural Society board said .
There are also fears the future of smaller agricultural shows could be under threat due to the pandemic .
The Welsh Government said a review of agricultural shows had been ordered to look at how best to help .
The Royal Welsh Show , held in Llanelwedd , Powys , draws almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Davies , said : `` Our best estimates at this present time tells us our loss to the society , the step back financially for us , is going to be well in excess of £1m , about £1.2m .
`` On top of that we 've translated it looking at our cash flows , it takes us back at least four to five years . ''
The Royal Welsh Society also said it was still looking at the possibility of conducting a winter fair .
Across Wales , smaller agricultural shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus .
The Anglesey Show is the largest in north Wales , but organisers are also worried about its future .
• Coronavirus : What 's off and what 's still on ?
Show chairman Peter Williams said : `` We had the equine flu last year so we had a big financial loss .
`` This year we 've had to cancel the show and cancel everything that 's on in the show fields . ''
Shows with permanent grounds , such as the Royal Welsh and Anglesey , have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are unable to hold other events used to subsidise their main shows .
`` It will have a knock-on effect for a while , '' said Mr Williams .
`` If there is a show next year we will have to pare a lot of things down and take it from there and get more local people involved . ''
The Merioneth County Show is the only show in Wales that still tours from site to site , a saving grace during the pandemic as there are no overheads .
While the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others , there is a fear people will not compete in the future , general secretary Douglas Powell said , such as in the aftermath of the foot-and-mouth outbreak in 2001 .
Mr Davies said the Royal Welsh should now receive Welsh Government grants like the Urdd , National and Llangollen eisteddfodau .
`` Clearly the support , quite rightly shown , to the National Eisteddfod and the Urdd is welcomed and I hope that the Welsh Government wo n't find a reason to treat us any differently , '' he added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an independent resilience review of agricultural shows , looking at how best to help them .
• THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters • LOOK-UP TOOL : How many cases in your area ?
• EXERCISE : What are the guidelines on getting out ?
• RECOVERY : How long does it take to get better ?
• SCHOOLS : When will children be returning ?

While the financial implications are not as bad as others, there is a fear people will not compete in the future, general secretary Douglas Powell said, such as in the aftermath of the foot-and-mouth outbreak in 2001.


bbcuk--2020-05-28--Coronavirus: 'Vast majority will say yes' to test and trace

Heath Secretary Matt Hancock says `` the vast majority will say yes '' to the test and trace system which @ @ @ @ @ UK on Thursday .
The 2000 people who tested positive on Wednesday will be contacted @ @ @ @ @ text by one of 25,000 contact tracers and asked to divulge information about people they @ @ @ @ @ .

Heath Secretary Matt Hancock says "the vast majority will say yes" to the test and trace system which has been launched in the UK on Thursday.
The 2000 people who tested positive on Wednesday will be contacted by phone, email or text by one of 25,000 contact tracers and asked to divulge information about people they have been in contact with.


bbcuk--2020-05-28--The Papers: Test-and-trace 'revolution' and MPs 'fume' on Zoom

Prime Minister Boris Johnson 's appearance before MPs on the Commons Liaison Committee on Wednesday did not impress the Guardian .
Its opinion column draws attention to Mr Johnson 's `` trademark technique of offering bluster and rhetorical flourishes , in lieu of detailed responses '' .
It says this `` was on display throughout '' .
And it describes his responses to repeated questions about his adviser , Dominic Cummings - and the row about whether or not he broke lockdown rules - as `` stonewalling '' .
The lead in the Daily Mirror keeps its focus on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photographs of Mr Johnson and Mr Cummings .
In a sideswipe at the government 's request - that people who may have Covid-19 do their `` civic duty '' and self-isolate - the headline demands of the two men : `` Why do n't YOU do YOUR duty ? ''
The BBC journalist Emily Maitlis is pictured on several of the front pages .
The Times reports that the corporation `` took the unusual step of rebuking one of its best-known presenters '' after she said on Newsnight that Mr Cummings had flouted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knew that .
The paper 's leader concludes that `` to state opinions as facts , and to ascribe those opinions to everyone watching , is presumptuous and damages the BBC '' .
The Daily Mail reports on what it describes as an `` MPs ' quarantine rebellion '' .
It says a group of 40 Conservatives - including seven former ministers - are urging the government to think again about making people who arrive in the UK isolate themselves for 14 days .
The Mail says the rebels believe the measure - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on 8 June - `` will risk millions of jobs , and deny Britons the chance to go on holiday '' .
The Telegraph says nearly 80 tourism industry bosses have written to Home Secretary Priti Patel expressing fears about the quarantine policy .
The list of signatories , it suggests , reads `` like a who 's who '' of the travel and hotel industry .
The letter warns that the plan is `` unworkable , ill-thought out and damaging '' .
The Home Office insists the measure is an essential part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surge of Covid-19 cases .
As the number of people in the US who have died with coronavirus passes 100,000 , the Washington Post seems perplexed by the muted response of the country as a whole .
The deaths , it says , have had `` strangely little public impact , in a country with a long history of honouring its fallen '' .
There has been , it points out , `` no outcry for national unity or memorials '' .
The Post accuses the Trump administration of not galvanising national feeling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it concludes , `` but it 's localised '' .
Finally , the Sun celebrates the fact that pubs in the UK may open once again next month , according to the prime minister .
There 's a picture of Mr Johnson holding a pint of bitter aloft , with the headline `` Ale meet again '' .
The paper 's opinion column describes pubs as `` the beating heart of Britain '' .
The i reports that - as discussions continue about ways to maintain social distancing - `` beer gardens could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
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The lead in the Daily Mirror keeps its focus on the Dominic Cummings controversy. There are large photographs of Mr Johnson and Mr Cummings. In a sideswipe at the government's request - that people who may have Covid-19 do their "civic duty" and self-isolate - the headline demands of the two men: "Why don't YOU do YOUR duty?"


bbcuk--2020-05-28--Coronavirus: NI Executive reviews lockdown regulations

The Stormont executive is meeting for its latest review of Northern Ireland 's Covid-19 lockdown regulations .
The laws initially took effect on 28 March , but must be re-assessed every three weeks .
Ministers have already moved to slowly ease some restrictions , by implementing parts of a five-step recovery plan .
But they are not thought to be considering announcing significant changes after Thursday 's meeting .
It comes as Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots told BBC News NI that Northern Ireland 's R-number - the number of people that one coronavirus infected person will pass the virus on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the first restrictions on public life were eased .
Mr Poots expressed concern the R number could rise to above one if further measures were lifted , resulting in the virus spreading more quickly again .
This week has seen a reduction in the number of deaths ; on Tuesday , for the first time in 10 weeks , the health department said it had recorded no coronavirus-related deaths over the previous 24 hours .
But while the figures are encouraging , Stormont sources say it is still too early to move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Recovery , says BBC News NI political correspondent Stephen Walker .
Ministers will receive the latest scientific advice from Northern Ireland 's Chief Medical and Chief Scientific Officers , and look at the impact the relaxing of some lockdown measures has had on the R-number .
Earlier in May , the Stormont executive published its five-phase Pathway to Recovery but , unlike restriction-easing plans laid out in England and the Republic of Ireland , this did not include a firm timetable .
• How do lockdown rules differ in Northern Ireland ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the lockdown eases ?
Stormont ministers say not every aspect of each step of their plan will take effect at the same time , and will depend on the R-number remaining as low as possible .
Last week , Health Minister Robin Swann said the R-number in NI was between 0.7 and 0.8 .
Why does the R-number matter ?
As R refers to the average number of people that someone with Covid-19 is expected to infect , the goal is to keep R below one to prevent the spread of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are in place to publish the figure on a weekly basis , to show trends in line with some lockdown measures being lifted .
Prof Ian Young , the Chief Scientific Adviser , has said there are a number of other factors guiding officials .
For example , the number of daily new cases needs to be low in order for contact tracing , testing and isolating to work properly , he said .
The number of hospital admissions and critical care patients is being closely monitored as well , to ensure the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland , groups of up to six people can meet outdoors , as long as they follow social-distancing guidelines and stay two metres apart .
First Minister Arlene Foster had previously said ministers would revisit whether relatives who do not live together would be allowed meet indoors .
This measure is the only element of step one of the Stormont recovery plan that has not been allowed to go ahead .
Last week , the executive agreed to allow : • Churches and places of worship to reopen for private prayer • Outdoor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with hard surfaces - such as golf , water sports and tennis There have also been calls for Northern Ireland 's shops to be provided with a timetable for reopening .
In England , all non-essential retailers can open from 15 June .
On Wednesday , Mr Poots said he believed it would be useful to provide businesses with a timeframe - but stressed that any decisions would be taken in line with advice ministers received .
`` Hopefully in the next week we can look at what we can move on next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a degree of normality , '' he said .
It would be a huge challenge for the executive , and any decisions must be based on the scientific advice , added the DUP minister .
He also supports relaxing restrictions on the numbers of people who can attend funerals in Northern Ireland , where current guidance limits the number of mourners to 10 .
• EASY STEPS : How to keep safe • A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• CONTAINMENT : What it means to self-isolate • HEALTH MYTHS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak

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bbcuk--2020-05-28--Coronavirus: What stage comes next for the lockdown?

These are strange times when life in Wales is compared to a set of traffic lights and people are waiting to see if they can move from the red into the amber or green stage .
On Friday , First Minister Mark Drakeford will announce possible easing of lockdown restrictions .
Across the border in England , people can already travel to exercise , with a plan for reopening shops in place .
But what can we expect to happen in Wales ?
Mr Drakeford hinted at his last major briefing there will be `` more things we are able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after people have lived with restrictions on their daily life for nine weeks .
• Warning over weekend travel from England to Wales With warm weather expected to last into next week , people will be looking to see whether they will be allowed to drive to beaches and beauty spots .
People in England can already do this , as well as meeting one person outside their households outdoors , which caused confusion with some fined for travelling into Wales to visit places such as Pen-y-Fan and Porthcawl beach .
But this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Friday .
Earlier this week , Health Minister Vaughan Gething said : `` You saw , of course the pictures on this weekend of beaches in England that were packed and beaches in Wales where people are following the rules , and understand the importance of doing so to keep all of us safe here in Wales . ''
Many business owners are also awaiting a timeline for the reopening of non-essential shops , with it announced they will do so in England by 15 June .
Justin Horton , who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those that has called for clarity , estimating he has lost tens of thousands of pounds since lockdown .
Mr Drakeford has made it clear to people the Welsh Government will take its own route out of lockdown `` putting people 's health first '' .
Any relaxing of restrictions that could allow people to do things such as meeting family and friends and moving more freely could depend on the success of a track and trace system .
This is due to be rolled out on Monday and under it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ somebody who has tested positive will be asked to self-isolate .
There is also unlikely to be any details about schools reopening soon after Mr Drakeford said plans to open from the start of June in England were `` falling apart '' .
Officials did say there would not be any `` local lockdowns '' in Wales and the whole country would follow the same approach to maintain `` a clear message '' .
Overall though , the Welsh Government said it would be guided by its `` traffic light '' system , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it any specific dates .
`` We will continue to make decisions , which are right for Wales at the right time , using information and expert advice about how coronavirus is circulating here to keep us all safe , '' a spokesman said .

Earlier this week, Health Minister Vaughan Gething said: "You saw, of course the pictures on this weekend of beaches in England that were packed and beaches in Wales where people are following the rules, and understand the importance of doing so to keep all of us safe here in Wales."


bbcuk--2020-05-28--Coronavirus: Clap for carers projected on to Angel of the North

Images of clapping hands have been projected on to buildings and landmarks to thank key workers during the coronavirus crisis @ @ @ @ @ a photograph of artist Ian Berry 's own hands , which was taken by his @ @ @ @ @ beamed on to a building near his London home , the animation has now been @ @ @ @ @ including in Gateshead , Newcastle , Keswick and Silloth .
Clap for carers , which @ @ @ @ @ to support NHS staff on 26 March , is now in its 10th week .
@ @ @ @ @ called for it to end , saying the public had `` shown appreciation '' but @ @ @ @ @ its moment '' .

Images of clapping hands have been projected on to buildings and landmarks to thank key workers during the coronavirus crisis.
They were based on a photograph of artist Ian Berry's own hands, which was taken by his six-year-old son Elliot.
First beamed on to a building near his London home, the animation has now been seen across the UK, including in Gateshead, Newcastle, Keswick and Silloth.
Clap for carers, which originally began as a one-off to support NHS staff on 26 March, is now in its 10th week.
The woman behind it has called for it to end, saying the public had "shown appreciation" but the event had "had its moment".


bbcuk--2020-05-28--Coronavirus: Lockdown easing to allow groups of six to meet

Groups of up to six people from different households will be able to meet outside in England from Monday , Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced .
They can meet in gardens - in addition to parks - as long as households keep two metres apart .
`` These changes mean friends and family will start to meet loved ones , '' in what would be a `` long awaited and joyful moment , '' he added .
The PM said it was possible because the government 's five tests were being met .
Currently , people in England can only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a distance in a public place .
Speaking at Thursday 's Downing Street briefing , Mr Johnson told people they should `` try to avoid seeing people from too many households in quick succession '' to help `` avoid the risk of transmission from lots of different families '' .
It means people will be able to see `` both parents at once , or both grandparents at once , '' Mr Johnson said .
Barbecues will be allowed , the prime minister confirmed , providing people are `` scrupulous '' about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and social distancing .
He also insisted that the government does not want people to stay overnight at other households .
`` I 'm afraid we 're not at that stage , '' Mr Johnson said .
• Explained : What the new rules mean • What am I allowed to do now ?
• What are the five tests for easing lockdown ?
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the party supports the gradual easing of some lockdown restrictions if it is safe .
In Scotland , people from two different households @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday - but First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said guests should not enter other people 's homes , for instance to use the toilet .
In Wales , people from two different households will be able to meet outside from Monday .
And in Northern Ireland , outdoor weddings with 10 people present may be allowed from 8 June .
Prof Chris Whitty , the UK government 's chief medical adviser , told the briefing it was `` essential '' that people continue to social distance and wash their hands .
`` If someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they had to do that , it 's absolutely critical that they wipe everything down , wash their hands all the way through '' , he said .
`` If you were to do something like a barbecue , remember that passing things from one person to another , if you have n't washed your hands , you can pass the virus that way . ''
Mr Johnson said that , despite the slight relaxation of rules on meeting people outside , those in England deemed most vulnerable to Covid-19 should continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who are shielding that ministers were `` looking carefully at how we can make your life easier '' and hope to `` say more on that soon '' .
The prime minister warned `` there will be further local outbreaks '' and said the government would reintroduce measures where required , but pledged people who lose income as a result of local lockdowns `` will be helped '' .
Speaking after the briefing , Labour leader Sir Keir said : `` We support the gradual easing of restrictions on lockdown , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need clear guidance from public health and we also need to see the scientific evidence actually published .
`` We also need a clear test and trace , effective , clear test and trace monitor operation in place . ''
• SCHOOLS : When will children be returning ?
• EXERCISE : What are the guidelines on getting out ?
• THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters • LOOK-UP TOOL : How many cases in your area ?
The PM warned the country should make only `` limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which has been in place since 23 March .
Sir Patrick said the rate of infection was `` close to one '' - the rate at which the number of new cases can rise rapidly - and that `` we are still seeing new infections every day at quite a significant rate '' .
`` That means there is not a lot of room to do things and things need to be done cautiously , step-by-step and monitored and the test and trace system needs to be effective in order to manage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warning came as a new study by the Office for National Statistics suggested one in 15 people in England ( about 7 % ) have already had the virus .
What are the five tests for easing lockdown ?
After Easter , the government set out five conditions for easing lockdown measures safely .
The prime minister has said that - as of 28 May - these are being met sufficiently to slightly ease restrictions in England .
1 .
Making sure the NHS can cope - Mr Johnson said this test was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admissions in England on 26 May 2 .
A 'sustained and consistent ' fall in the daily death rate - deaths have been falling since the middle of April , with 377 reported on Thursday , meeting this test , he said 3 .
Rate of infection decreasing to 'manageable levels ' - with an average of 2,312 new cases being confirmed in the last seven days , Mr Johnson said this test was met 4 .
Ensuring supply of tests and PPE can meet future demand - test capacity was at 161,214 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipment had been signed , the prime minister said 5 .
Being confident any changes would not risk a second peak that would overwhelm the NHS - Mr Johnson said the adjustments were `` carefully designed '' to keep the R number ( the average number of people each infected person passes the disease to ) below one In a separate move on Thursday , the government told dental practices in England they can reopen from Monday , if they put in place appropriate safety measures .
Nurseries and schools - for Reception @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - in England will also be able to reopen from next week .
Outdoor markets and car showrooms will also be able to reopen from Monday .
They will be followed by non-essential retailers from 15 June if the five tests continue to be met , the PM said .
On Wednesday , Mr Johnson told MPs that he hoped to reduce the length of the two metre social distancing measures `` as we make progress in getting the virus down '' .
The World Health Organization says that a distance of one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggest 1.5m or 1.8m .
But Prof Whitty said the UK 's advice would not be changing , adding that staying a metre away was `` somewhere between 10 and 30 times more risky than at two metres '' .
Meanwhile , a further 377 people have died with coronavirus across all settings in the UK , according to daily figures released on Thursday .
The total number of deaths in and outside of hospitals is now 37,837 , the Department of Health said .
• The PM 's top aide Dominic Cummings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would have been a `` minor breach '' , Durham Police have said • New test and trace schemes have begun in England and Scotland • The Premier League is set to restart on 17 June with Aston Villa v Sheffield United and Manchester City v Arsenal , subject to government approval • Coronavirus cases are falling at roughly the same rate across the UK , according to a leading scientist advising the government • A nationwide round of applause for key workers has been held for the tenth week running - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the final one • A mother has called on the PM to provide support for those migrants who have been financially hit by coronavirus , but can not claim benefits • GROUNDED WITH LOUIS THEROUX : What 's Lenny Henry doing in lockdown ?

"If someone was to go into the loo because they had to do that, it's absolutely critical that they wipe everything down, wash their hands all the way through", he said.


bbcuk--2020-05-28--Coronavirus: Dental practices to reopen from 8 June

Dental practices in England have been told they can reopen from Monday , 8 June , if they put in place appropriate safety measures .
All routine dental care in England has been suspended since 25 March .
The British Dental Association ( BDA ) has welcomed the announcement but says key questions remain .
Currently , any patient with an emergency dental problem is supposed to be referred to an Urgent Dental Care ( UDC ) hub for treatment .
In a letter to all practices , NHS England 's chief dental officer , Sara Hurley , said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all dental practices commence opening from Monday , 8 June for all face-to-face care , where practices assess that they have the necessary IPC and PPE requirements in place . ''
The BDA said that while dentists would be relieved by the announcement , the ability of practices to reopen would depend on the availability of personal protective equipment ( PPE ) .
`` It is right to allow practices to decide themselves when they are ready to open .
Dentists will be keen to start providing care as soon as is safely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be patient as practices get up and running , '' said BDA chairman Mick Armstrong .
`` Dentists can open their doors but wo n't be able to provide a full range of care without the necessary kit .
Longer term , practices can only stay afloat with ongoing support , while social distancing continues and the costs of providing care are sky high . ''
What is the current situation with dentists ?
At the moment any patient with an emergency dental problem is supposed to be referred to an Urgent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ More than 550 of these centres have been created to provide emergency treatment while meeting social distancing requirements .
• Dentists have 'nowhere to send patients' However , the BDA has previously warned about problems with the UDC hubs , including PPE shortages , which has left many patients going untreated .
Official data shows there were 12,010 dental practices in the UK in 2017 .
According to NHS England , almost half of all adults were seen by an NHS dentist in the 24 months up to 31 December 2019 .
How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Going to the dentist is likely to be a very different experience once practices reopen .
Ms Hurley has also written to dentists about the sort of measures practices will need to consider before reopening , including : • Limiting use of waiting areas , with patients waiting outside if they arrive early • Installing physical barriers , such as a plastic shield , in reception areas Some dentists are already putting in place new measures .
`` We will arrange regular deep-cleanings of the entire surgery , and probably be including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alexandra Germain , a dentist based in Marylebone , London .
She also says that hand sanitiser , masks and gloves will be mandatory for patients in the waiting area .
How do I get dental treatment right now ?
If symptoms are serious , local dentists can prescribe medication , such as painkillers and antibiotics , over the phone .
In such cases , dentists can contact local pharmacies , which can then prepare medication for patients to pick up .
If a patient has an urgent dental problem , they should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their dentist .
Other emergency treatment may also be available .
For example , some hospitals may offer emergency dental appointments .
However , if a patient can not reach their local dentist then the advice is to use the 111 online service .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • WHAT WE DO N'T KNOW How to understand the death toll • TESTING : Can I get tested for coronavirus ?

Coronavirus: Dental practices to reopen from 8 June Published 29 May 2020
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Image source, Getty Images
Dental practices in England have been told they can reopen from Monday, 8 June, if they put in place appropriate safety measures.
All routine dental care in England has been suspended since 25 March.
The British Dental Association (BDA) has welcomed the announcement but says key questions remain.
Currently, any patient with an emergency dental problem is supposed to be referred to an Urgent Dental Care (UDC) hub for treatment.
In a letter to all practices, NHS England's chief dental officer, Sara Hurley, said: "We are asking that all dental practices commence opening from Monday, 8 June for all face-to-face care, where practices assess that they have the necessary IPC and PPE requirements in place."
The BDA said that while dentists would be relieved by the announcement, the ability of practices to reopen would depend on the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE).
"It is right to allow practices to decide themselves when they are ready to open. Dentists will be keen to start providing care as soon as is safely possible, but we will need everyone to be patient as practices get up and running," said BDA chairman Mick Armstrong.
"Dentists can open their doors but won't be able to provide a full range of care without the necessary kit. Longer term, practices can only stay afloat with ongoing support, while social distancing continues and the costs of providing care are sky high."
Official data shows there were 12,010 dental practices in the UK in 2017. According to NHS England, almost half of all adults were seen by an NHS dentist in the 24 months up to 31 December 2019.
Some practices say it is going to be a challenge to reopen on 8 June.
"We've got a few issues," says Sophia Joseph, an NHS dentist practice manager in Sheffield.
"One of the biggest issues is PPE. We were asked to donate our PPE to other causes, like hospitals and care homes.
"Now we're being told to get that PPE back. I'm not sure if we will reopen, as it will be extremely difficult to get the PPE and maintain it," she says.
What is the current situation with dentists?
At the moment any patient with an emergency dental problem is supposed to be referred to an Urgent Dental Care (UDC) hub. More than 550 of these centres have been created to provide emergency treatment while meeting social distancing requirements.
However, the BDA has previously warned about problems with the UDC hubs, including PPE shortages, which has left many patients going untreated.
How will going to the dentist be different?
Going to the dentist is likely to be a very different experience once practices reopen.
Ms Hurley has written to dentists about the sort of measures practices will need to consider before reopening, including:
Limiting use of waiting areas, with patients waiting outside if they arrive early
Waiting rooms chairs spaced 2m apart
Screening staff on a daily basis
Installing physical barriers, such as a plastic shield, in reception areas
Some dentists are already putting in place new measures.
"We will arrange regular deep-cleanings of the entire surgery, and probably be including UV-light cleaners as well," says Alexandra Germain, a dentist based in Marylebone, London.
She also says that hand sanitiser, masks and gloves will be mandatory for patients in the waiting area.
How do I get dental treatment right now?
If symptoms are serious, local dentists can prescribe medication, such as painkillers and antibiotics, over the phone. In such cases, dentists can contact local pharmacies, which can then prepare medication for patients to pick up.
If a patient has an urgent dental problem, they should be referred to a UDC hub by their dentist. Other emergency treatment may also be available. For example, some hospitals may offer emergency dental appointments.
However, if a patient cannot reach their local dentist then the advice is to use the 111 online service.


bbcuk--2020-05-28--Dominic Cummings 'might have broken lockdown rules' - police

The PM 's top aide Dominic Cummings might have broken lockdown rules , but it would have been a `` minor breach '' , say Durham Police .
Boris Johnson said he intended to `` draw a line under the matter '' following the police statement .
And he told reporters at the daily Downing Street briefing he did not want his scientific advisers to be dragged into a political row .
Opposition parties are continuing to call for Mr Cummings to be sacked .
Around 40 Tory MPs have called for Mr Cummings to resign or be fired for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prime minister 's authority .
Mr Johnson told the Downing Street press conference : `` I 've said quite a lot on this matter already and what I also note is that what Durham police said was that they were going to take no action and that the matter was closed .
`` And I intend to draw a line under the matter . ''
The prime minister stepped in to prevent his chief medical adviser , Chris Whitty , and his chief scientific adviser , Sir Patrick Vallance , from answering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions .
• Johnson urges UK to 'move on ' from Cummings row Mr Johnson said he `` had to intervene '' when the BBC 's political editor , Laura Kuenssberg , attempted to ask the advisers whether Mr Cummings was setting a good example .
He said he wanted to protect them from what I think would be an unfair and unnecessary attempt to ask any political questions '' .
`` It 's very , very important that our medical officers and scientific advisers do not get dragged into what I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political argument , '' he added .
Later in the briefing , Prof Whitty told another reporter he had no desire to `` get pulled into politics '' - a sentiment immediately echoed by Sir Patrick .
This was the first appearance of the two chief advisers at a Downing Street briefing since the story about Mr Cummings broke last Friday .
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Johnson should have allowed his advisers to answer journalists ' questions , adding : `` We want transparency . ''
`` Nobody should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's the prime minister here that 's in issue , he 's been too weak throughout , '' he said .
Sir Keir said he would have sacked Mr Cummings if he had been prime minster , and there had been a week of needless `` distraction '' from the safe easing of lockdown measures because Mr Johnson had been `` too weak to a draw line under this and take the necessary action '' .
The SNP 's Westminster leader , Ian Blackford , said `` one has to wonder what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' when the prime minister blocks journalists ' questions .
He said Mr Cummings ' continued presence in Downing Street was `` undermining public confidence in the health message '' .
This is a moment of maximum risk for the government and it comes at the end of a rocky week .
Boris Johnson clearly wanted to allay concerns over the timing of his lockdown easing announcement so we got a methodical briefing with graphs and stats to show how those `` five tests '' are being met .
But he also wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still a threat .
The government will have to hope that it has pitched that balance correctly .
The backdrop to all of this was , of course , the row over the PM 's adviser , Dominic Cummings , and if his trip to Barnard Castle might make that harder .
And this is where the briefing took a sharper turn .
For the first time in these press conferences , the PM took the extraordinary step of stopping the advisors flanking him from answering the questions posed by journalists .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( and they said they did n't want to be drawn into it ) .
Critics are likely to take a different view .
Mr Johnson clearly wants to draw a line under the events of the past week ; the next few days will decide if that happens .
Mr Cummings ' decision in March to drive from his London home to his parents ' farm in County Durham with his wife - who had coronavirus symptoms - and his son , has dominated the headlines since the story broke on Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave a news conference on Monday , explaining that he decided to make the trip because he felt it would be better to self-isolate in a place where he had options for childcare if required , and insisted he had acted `` reasonably '' and within the law .
He said he had made the 50-mile round-trip to Barnard Castle , with his wife and child , 15 days later to test his eyesight before embarking on the longer journey back to London .
In a statement earlier on Thursday , Durham Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offence was committed '' when Mr Cummings drove himself and his family from London to Durham to isolate on his family 's farm .
His later trip to Barnard Castle `` might have warranted a police intervention , '' the force added , but it would not be taking any action against him now .
Durham Police said it regarded the likely breach of lockdown rules at Barnard Castle as minor because there was `` no apparent breach of social distancing '' .
`` Had a Durham Constabulary police officer stopped Mr Cummings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the officer would have spoken to him , and , having established the facts , likely advised Mr Cummings to return to the address in Durham , providing advice on the dangers of travelling during the pandemic crisis .
`` Had this advice been accepted by Mr Cummings , no enforcement action would have been taken . ''
• SCHOOLS : When will children be returning ?
• EXERCISE : What are the guidelines on getting out ?
• THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters • RECOVERY : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better ?
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
The force said it would not be taking retrospective action against Mr Cummings since this would amount to `` treating Mr Cummings differently from other members of the public . ''
Reports that Mr Cummings was seen in Durham on 19 April , suggesting a second trip from London , could not be support by evidence , the police statement added .
Mr Cummings has denied he was in Durham on that date .
BBC Home Affairs Correspondent Danny Shaw said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other aspects of Mr Cummings ' stay in the area , including a possible breach of road safety laws and his trip to and from a hospital , where his son had received treatment .
`` Its findings are not included in the statement - raising the prospect that the force has not quite managed to draw a line under the affair , '' added our correspondent .

Sir Keir said he would have sacked Mr Cummings if he had been prime minster, and there had been a week of needless "distraction" from the safe easing of lockdown measures because Mr Johnson had been "too weak to a draw line under this and take the necessary action".


bbcuk--2020-05-28--Coronavirus: Scottish lockdown easing to begin on Friday

People in Scotland will be able to meet their friends and family outside from Friday , First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed .
Ms Sturgeon said people from two different households will be able to meet , but must keep two metres apart .
They must also remain outdoors , and in groups of no more than eight .
People are still being urged to `` stay at home as much as possible '' , with Ms Sturgeon warning that the virus `` is still out there '' .
The lockdown easing was announced as Ms Sturgeon confirmed the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its four-phase `` route map '' towards reopening society while attempting to suppress the virus .
• What can you do in Scotland from Friday ?
• Read the new rules on social distancing Scotland has been in lockdown since 23 March , and did not make major changes to restrictions when they were announced for England earlier this month .
Ms Sturgeon said there had now been a `` sustained and unmistakable '' downward trend in the spread of the virus over a number of weeks , meaning changes could now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` we have limited room for manoeuvre '' and `` need to get the balance right '' .
What restrictions are being eased ?
Ms Sturgeon said `` most outdoor work that has been put on hold can resume '' from Friday .
This will see garden centres opening their doors again and site preparation beginning in the construction industry , with recycling centres re-opening from Monday .
Also from Monday , teachers and other staff will be able to return to schools to prepare for re-opening - although most pupils will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will begin a `` blended model '' of education which will see learning split between the classroom and home .
Some outdoor leisure activities where physical distancing can be maintained will be allowed from Friday - including golf , tennis , bowls and fishing .
People will be allowed to sit out and sunbathe in parks and open areas , and travel within their local area for exercise - although there is `` strong advice '' not to travel more than five miles for leisure .
Ms Sturgeon said she did not want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to beauty spots , warning that `` crowds bring more risk than we judge is acceptable or safe at this point '' .
Members of two different households will be allowed to meet up so long as they remain outdoors `` in a park or private garden '' and stay 2m ( 6ft ) apart .
Ms Sturgeon said the total number of people taking part in any meeting should not exceed eight , and that it was `` strongly recommended that you do n't meet with more than one other household per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to enter each other 's houses or to share picnic or barbecue materials , saying this could create `` a bridge for the virus to spread from one household to another '' .
She said : `` Please remember that we should still be meeting far fewer people outside your own household than we would in normal times . ''
The first minister said she was `` a bit nervous '' that limited changes to the rules could `` lead to much greater change in reality '' , asking people to `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are setting out '' .
She said people should continue to `` stay at home as much as possible '' , adding : `` The virus is still out there - lockdown is being modified slightly , but it is not over . ''
The first minister confirmed the easing of lockdown in Scotland at a podium bearing the words `` stay at home '' .
She is not switching to `` stay alert '' or some other formulation at this stage .
When I asked her if the retained messaging still applied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as much as you can remains the starting point .
What the new guidance published by the Scottish government does is to expand the range of reasonable reasons why you might leave the house .
That inevitably means that as we move into this new phase , ministers are counting on you to follow guidance and exercise good judgement , responsibility , restraint .
They hope that works and that new legally enforceable rules are not required .
But as the deputy first minister , John Swinney , put it earlier today - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a free for all .
The changes do not change the circumstances of those in the `` shielding '' group , those who are most vulnerable to the virus .
Ms Sturgeon said she realised this would be `` hard '' for them , and said ministers were trying `` to move to less of a blanket approach '' .
She said : `` I want you to know today that you have not been forgotten , and you are a central part of our thinking as we consider how we move forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four phases for easing the restrictions : Phase 1 : Virus not yet contained but cases are falling .
From 28 May you should be able to meet another household outside in small numbers .
Sunbathing is allowed , along with some outdoor activities like golf and fishing .
Garden centres and drive-through takeaways can reopen , some outdoor work can resume , and childminding services can begin .
Phase 2 : Virus controlled .
You can meet larger groups outdoors , and meet another household indoors .
Construction , factories , warehouses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work .
Playgrounds and sports courts can reopen , and professional sport can begin again .
Phase 3 : Virus suppressed .
You can meet people from more than one household indoors .
Non-essential offices would reopen , along with gyms , museums , libraries , cinemas , larger shops , pubs , restaurants , hairdressers and dentists .
Live events could take place with restricted numbers and physical distancing restrictions .
Schools should reopen from 11 August .
Phase 4 : Virus no longer a significant threat .
University and college campuses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are allowed .
All workplaces open and public transport is back at full capacity .
The easing measures were announced as Scotland launched its new nation-wide `` test and protect '' system of tracing and isolating people who may have the virus .
Anyone with symptoms of the virus should `` take immediate steps '' to book a test through the NHS .
If someone tests positive for Covid-19 , contact tracers will get in touch with those they have been in close proximity to , advising them to self-isolate for 14 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a `` crucial part '' of the government 's strategy to suppress the virus , but said people should still exercise caution .
She said taking precautions like hand washing , the use of face coverings and social distancing `` matters even more '' as rules begin to be relaxed .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• RISK AT WORK : How exposed is your job ?
• RECOVERY : How long does it take to get better ?

Also from Monday, teachers and other staff will be able to return to schools to prepare for re-opening - although most pupils will not return until 11 August, when they will begin a "blended model" of education which will see learning split between the classroom and home.


bbcuk--2020-05-28--Premier League set to restart on 17 June with Man City v Arsenal and Villa v Sheff Utd

The Premier League is set to restart on 17 June with Aston Villa v Sheffield United and Manchester City v Arsenal , subject to government approval .
A full round of fixtures would then be played on the weekend of 19-21 June .
There are 92 matches still to play , and the first to take place will be those the four teams involved have in hand .
All matches will take place behind closed doors and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports , BT Sport , BBC Sport or Amazon Prime .
BBC Sport will air four live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Premier League 's inception in 1992 .
Meanwhile , Sky Sports will show 64 matches live and make 25 available free to air .
• Listen : Reaction to the return of the Premier League on 5 Live 's Football Daily podcast • Liverpool set to be champions - but what 's still up for grabs ?
• Quiz : How well do you remember the season so far ?
• Villa 's McGinn excited to be first game back Safety guidelines are yet to be issued by the government and decisions will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus pandemic .
Kick-off times will be as follows ( all times BST ) : BBC Sport understands that clubs have agreed to a provisional end date of Saturday , 25 July .
It is also understood that finishing the season would require six weekends and three midweek rounds .
Liverpool sit 25 points clear at the top of the table while Bournemouth , Aston Villa and Norwich City are in the relegation places .
The Reds , chasing a first league title in 30 years , could clinch it with victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Manchester City lose to Arsenal .
`` The Premier League and our clubs are proud to have incredibly passionate and loyal supporters , '' Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said .
`` It is important to ensure as many people as possible can watch the matches at home . ''
Masters added that the resumption date would not be confirmed `` until we have met all the safety requirements needed '' .
It is understood that if the season progresses as planned , the £340m rebate to TV companies can be phased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if the games are not played , the full sum will be due in July .
Meanwhile on Friday morning the Football Association will announce proposed dates for the FA Cup quarter-finals , semi-finals and final .
And in terms of European competition , the last 16 second-leg matches in the Champions League and Europa League are set to be played between 6 and 8 August .
Manchester City , Manchester United and Wolves are all still involved .
Uefa will discuss the plans at an executive committee meeting in June before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the background ?
The Premier League was suspended on 13 March because of the pandemic and it will be 100 days after Leicester City 's 4-0 win over Aston Villa on 9 March that competition will - prospectively - resume .
Manchester City v Arsenal was already scheduled to be shown on Sky Sports , while Aston Villa v Sheffield United was not listed for live coverage when selections were announced in February .
Home and away matches look most likely for the vast majority of games - with a few high-profile games @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police .
Clubs have expressed their opposition to the concept of using neutral grounds , including Brighton and West Ham .
On Wednesday , clubs unanimously voted to resume contact training , having started non-contact training last week .
So far 12 people have tested positive for coronavirus after 2,752 tests across the league .
Premier League players and staff will continue to be tested twice a week , with the capacity increased from 50 to 60 tests per club for the fourth round of testing .
Any players or staff to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of seven days .
Plans for the third phase of Project Restart include a step towards normal training and build-up to competitive games .
What about the rest of Europe ?
• On Thursday Italy 's sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora confirmed that Serie A will return on 20 June after the league was suspended on 9 March .
Juventus lead the table by a point with 12 rounds of matches remaining .
• Spain 's prime minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Saturday that La Liga can resume from 8 June .
Barcelona lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top with 11 rounds of matches to play .
• The German Bundesliga season resumed on 16 May , becoming the first major league in Europe to return to competition .
All matches are being played behind closed doors with Bayern Munich leading the way on 64 points .
• The French Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 seasons will not resume , with Paris St-Germain being awarded the top-flight title .
• On 25 April in the Netherlands , the Eredivisie was abandoned and Belgium 's Pro-League cancelled its season , although the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• And on 18 May , Celtic were confirmed as Scottish champions for the ninth season in a row and Hearts relegated after the SPFL ended the season .
The decision was taken at a board meeting after the 12 clubs agreed that completing the campaign was unfeasible .
Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker : `` It 's coming back , it 's coming back , it 's coming , football 's coming back ! ''
Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum : `` WE .
GO .
AGAIN .
We 'll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stadiums , but we 'll do everything we can to make you proud . ''
Oliver Dowden , Secretary of State for Digital , Culture , Media and Sport : `` Positive to see further steps on the return of football today .
`` I 've been pushing for as many games as possible to be free to view and for the return of the top league to support the whole football family . ''

Last updated on .From the section Premier League
Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool are chasing their first league title in 30 years
The Premier League is set to restart on 17 June with Aston Villa v Sheffield United and Manchester City v Arsenal, subject to government approval.
A full round of fixtures would then be played on the weekend of 19-21 June.
There are 92 matches still to play, and the first to take place will be those the four teams involved have in hand.
All matches will take place behind closed doors and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, BT Sport, BBC Sport or Amazon Prime.
BBC Sport will air four live matches for the first time since the Premier League's inception in 1992.
Meanwhile, Sky Sports will show 64 matches live and make 25 available free to air.
Safety guidelines are yet to be issued by the government and decisions will remain subject to the continuing fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
Kick-off times will be as follows (all times BST):
Friday: 20:00
Saturday: 12:30, 15:00, 17:30 and 20:00
Sunday: 12:00, 14:00, 16:30 and 19:00
Monday: 20:00
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: 18:00 and 20:00
BBC Sport understands that clubs have agreed to a provisional end date of Saturday, 25 July.
It is also understood that finishing the season would require six weekends and three midweek rounds.
It's OK to say we've missed football - Lineker on Premier League return
Liverpool sit 25 points clear at the top of the table while Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Norwich City are in the relegation places.
The Reds, chasing a first league title in 30 years, could clinch it with victory in their first game back should second-placed Manchester City lose to Arsenal.
"The Premier League and our clubs are proud to have incredibly passionate and loyal supporters," Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said.
"It is important to ensure as many people as possible can watch the matches at home."
Masters added that the resumption date would not be confirmed "until we have met all the safety requirements needed".
It is understood that if the season progresses as planned, the £340m rebate to TV companies can be phased over a period of time.
However, if the games are not played, the full sum will be due in July.
Meanwhile on Friday morning the Football Association will announce proposed dates for the FA Cup quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.
And in terms of European competition, the last 16 second-leg matches in the Champions League and Europa League are set to be played between 6 and 8 August. Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Rangers and Wolves are all still involved. Uefa will discuss the plans at an executive committee meeting in June before a decision is made.
What is the background?
The Premier League was suspended on 13 March because of the pandemic and it will be 100 days after Leicester City's 4-0 win over Aston Villa on 9 March that competition will - prospectively - resume.
Manchester City v Arsenal was already scheduled to be shown on Sky Sports, while Aston Villa v Sheffield United was not listed for live coverage when selections were announced in February.
Home and away matches look most likely for the vast majority of games - with a few high-profile games at neutral venues at the request of the police.
Clubs have expressed their opposition to the concept of using neutral grounds, including Brighton and West Ham.
On Wednesday, clubs unanimously voted to resume contact training, having started non-contact training last week.
So far 12 people have tested positive for coronavirus after 2,752 tests across the league.
Premier League players and staff will continue to be tested twice a week, with the capacity increased from 50 to 60 tests per club for the fourth round of testing.
Any players or staff to test positive must self-isolate for a period of seven days.
Plans for the third phase of Project Restart include a step towards normal training and build-up to competitive games.
What about the rest of Europe?
On Thursday Italy's sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora confirmed that Serie A will return on 20 June after the league was suspended on 9 March. Juventus lead the table by a point with 12 rounds of matches remaining.
Spain's prime minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Saturday that La Liga can resume from 8 June. Barcelona lead Real Madrid by two points at the top with 11 rounds of matches to play.
The German Bundesliga season resumed on 16 May, becoming the first major league in Europe to return to competition. All matches are being played behind closed doors with Bayern Munich leading the way on 64 points.
The French Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 seasons will not resume, with Paris St-Germain being awarded the top-flight title.
On 25 April in the Netherlands, the Eredivisie was abandoned and Belgium's Pro-League cancelled its season, although the decision to ratify this is still pending.
And on 18 May, Celtic were confirmed as Scottish champions for the ninth season in a row and Hearts relegated after the SPFL ended the season. The decision was taken at a board meeting after the 12 clubs agreed that completing the campaign was unfeasible.
'Football's back!' - reaction
Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker: "It's coming back, it's coming back, it's coming, football's coming back!"
Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum: "WE. GO. AGAIN. We'll miss having you with us at the stadiums, but we'll do everything we can to make you proud."
Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: "Positive to see further steps on the return of football today.
"I've been pushing for as many games as possible to be free to view and for the return of the top league to support the whole football family."


bbcuk--2020-05-28--Louise Smith: Man charged with murder of teenager

A man has been charged with the murder of a teenager whose body was found in woodland 13 days after @ @ @ @ @ Smith , 16 , was found dead at Havant Thicket , Hampshire , on 21 @ @ @ @ @ , 29 , of Somborne Drive , Havant , has been charged with her murder @ @ @ @ @ He will appear at Portsmouth Magistrates ' Court on Friday morning , officers from Hampshire @ @ @ @ @ woman , arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender , has been released on bail @ @ @ @ @ Park , had not been in touch with friends or family since she was last @ @ @ @ @ 8 May .
Officers searched a flat on the road after neighbours said they believed @ @ @ @ @ the address .

Louise, from Leigh Park, had not been in touch with friends or family since she was last seen on Somborne Drive on 8 May.


bbcuk--2020-05-28--About 7% have had coronavirus, says ONS survey

About 7 % of people in England have been infected with coronavirus , antibody tests on a random sample of households suggest .
`` Herd immunity is not worth worrying about '' at that level , say experts involved in the Office for National Statistics study .
The results are based on blood samples taken from 885 people from private households after 26 April .
The number of people who have had the virus has never been clear .
This is because only a small proportion of people with symptoms have been tested and many more may have had no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the ONS study estimates that around one in 15 people have had the virus .
Previous estimates have indicated it could be anywhere between 5 % and 20 % .
The findings indicate `` that the majority of the population are unlikely to have been infected , '' says Prof Lawrence Young , professor of molecular oncology at Warwick Medical School , University of Warwick .
These tests detect antibodies which form in the blood when the body fights infections such as Covid-19 .
It takes around two to three weeks for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recovers , they stay in the blood at low levels .
Antibodies help to prevent someone being infected by the virus again , but scientists still do n't yet know how long this protection lasts .
How many have the virus now ?
The same household survey carried out another kind of test - a swab test to detect the presence of the virus - on many more people .
Based on tests of nearly 19,000 people living in 9,000 households in England , roughly 133,000 people are estimated to be currently infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the population .
Between 11 and 24 May , the swab tests of 36 people came back positive from the snapshot survey of households .
• Who is being tested in the UK ?
• What is the UK 's test , track and trace strategy ?
Although the figures are small , figures for previous weeks going back to the end of April were similar , suggesting that cases in the community are not rising .
The ONS says this means numbers with the virus are `` relatively stable '' .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( R ) number is one or less , since the findings are just one piece of evidence considered by the government 's scientific advisers .
From the numbers testing positive , the ONS estimates there are 54,000 new coronavirus infections per week in England , or around 8,000 a day .
This is nearly four times as many as the government 's daily figures suggest - and is likely to be the result of infections going undetected in people with mild symptoms or none at all .
The results of the swab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social care workers who have direct contact with patients are more likely to test positive than other workers .
People working outside the home showed higher rates of positive tests than those working from home .
Of those who tested positive , around 30 % had symptoms in the days around the day they were tested .
• SCHOOLS : When will children be returning ?
• EXERCISE : What are the guidelines on getting out ?
• THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters • LOOK-UP TOOL : @ @ @ @ @ @ @

This is nearly four times as many as the government's daily figures suggest - and is likely to be the result of infections going undetected in people with mild symptoms or none at all.


bbcuk--2020-05-28--World's oldest man Bob Weighton dies, aged 112

The world 's oldest man has died at the age of 112 .
Bob Weighton , from Alton , Hampshire , became the oldest man in February following the death of Chitetsu Watanabe of Japan , who was also 112 .
In a statement his family said Mr Weighton was an `` extraordinary man '' who `` died peacefully in his sleep , from cancer '' on Thursday morning at the flat where he lived .
He was born in Hull , East Yorkshire , on 29 March 1908 .
The statement said : `` Bob was an extraordinary man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of the amazing age he reached .
`` A role model to us all , he lived his life interested in and engaged with all kinds of people from across the world .
`` He viewed everyone as his brother or sister and believed in loving and accepting and caring for one another .
`` He had many , many friendships and read and talked politics , theology , ecology and more right up until his death .
`` He also cared greatly for the environment .
`` The second bedroom in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with furniture , windmills and puzzles he made and sold in aid of charity , often from bits of wood pulled from skips .
`` We are so grateful that until the very end Bob remained our witty , kind , knowledgeable , conversationalist father , grandfather and great grandfather , and we will miss him greatly . ''
Mr Weighton celebrated his last birthday behind closed doors because of the Covid-19 lockdown .
He described how the `` world is in a bit of a mess '' with the crisis .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying he did not want one at the taxpayers ' expense and he had received at least 10 from her already .
During his lifetime Mr Weighton worked as an engineer , spending time in Taiwan , Japan and Canada .
He previously told the BBC : `` I think laughter is extremely important .
`` Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people taking themselves too seriously . ''
He said the secret to his longevity was `` to avoid dying '' .
Mr Weighton was born on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman Joan Hocquard , from Poole , Dorset , and also that of Alf Smith from St Madoes , Perthshire , Scotland , who shared the title of Britain 's oldest man until his death last year .
He is survived by his children David and Dorothy , 10 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren .

He declined a birthday card from the Queen, saying he did not want one at the taxpayers' expense and he had received at least 10 from her already.