Covid news live: Latest updates on lockdown lifting

The Duchess of Cambridge is having to self-isolate after coming into contact with someone who later tested positive for Covid-19, Kensington Palace has said.

Kate was due to spend the day with William to celebrate the 73rd anniversary of the NHS at two major events but will now have to stay at home for 10 days.

“Last week, the Duchess of Cambridge came into contact with someone who has subsequently tested positive for Covid-19,” Kensington Palace said in a statement.

“Her Royal Highness is not experiencing any symptoms, but is following all relevant government guidelines and is self-isolating at home.”

The boss of the UK’s biggest rail union has condemned a minister’s comments against wearing face masks on rush-hour trains ahead of an expected relaxation of the rules on face coverings.

Mick Lynch, the general-secretary of the RMT union, said there was a “real danger of the government making up policy on the hoof on critical issues” as he called for a more measured response to lifting restrictions.

Our travel correspondent, Simon Calder, has the full story below:

A scientific adviser to the government has called for “support and proportionate mitigations” to keep people safe from Covid-19 in response to reported plans to scrap the requirement for face masks in England from 19 July.

Professor Stephen Reicher, a member of the Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours (Spi-B) which advises the government, said he was concerned by the official messaging around the pandemic.

“I think we need very clear messaging and I think in certain spaces – crowded, badly ventilated spaces – masks are crucial mitigation,” Professor Reicher told BBC Radio 4’s Today show.

“Not lockdown, but support and proportionate mitigations to keep us safe. Along with the vaccine, that’s the way out.”

A government minister has declined to say that Covid-19 is “under control” as infections rise ahead of an announcement on lifting lockdown restrictions later this month.

Helen Whately told BBC Radio 4’s Today show that case rates were likely to rise when restrictions are removed but ministers did not expect to see a similar rise in hospitalisations over the coming weeks.

Our policy correspondent, Jon Stone, has the full story below:

Care minister Helen Whately was not able to say earlier today what she would do after 19 July when Covid restrictions are lifted and the government encourages people to take personal responsibility for their own safety.

Ms Whately was asked by BBC Breakfast’s Dan Walker to give an example of when she thought personally it might be responsible to wear a face mask.

She replied: “Well personally what I will do is follow what our guidance is on when it’s appropriate to wear one…”

When pressed by the presenter on what she meant by that (as the guidance appears to suggest people will be able to choose if they want to wear a face covering), Ms Whately insisted that further details would come later today.

You can find her comments below:

Labour’s shadow housing secretary has said that lockdown restrictions must be lifted in an “irreversible, measured way” with clear communication that is led by scientific advice.

“Like everybody else in the country, we want those restrictions to come to an end as soon as possible,” Lucy Powell told Sky News.

“But what we want to see is that we’re doing that in an irreversible, measured way, in a way that’s well communicated, that’s well understood, that has scientific advice and expert advice at the forefront.

“And that it isn’t just another case, I’m afraid, of ministerial stop-start and saying this is ‘freedom day’, and then at the last minute pulling things back or changing that.”

A member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) has said that he may continue to wear a mask after 19 July, despite being vaccinated against Covid-19.

Calum Semple, who is a professor of child health and outbreak medicine at the University of Liverpool, told Sky News:

“I probably will [wear a mask] in some settings, but it’s got to be remembered that the mask-wearing is primarily to stop transmission rather than acquisition, so it’s people that have got symptoms, who should really be staying at home, that are going to be the risk here, rather than the people walking around who are double-vaccinated. They’re far less at risk.”

He added that the link between severe disease and hospital admissions was “being broken from the cases in the community” as there were now “far more people” in hospital under the age of 50 who are mostly unvaccinated.

“They’re not critically ill, they’re getting pretty sick enough to take time off work, sick enough to come into the hospital, and some of them will have long Covid, but we’re not seeing the large-scale death and the heavy, heavy burden on intensive care units that we saw in wave one and wave two,” Professor Semple said.