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Coronavirus latest: UK report finds age, gender and race are COVID-19 risk factors

People enjoy sitting at a cafe terace in Lille
People enjoy sitting at a cafe terace in Lille Copyright  AP Photo/Michel Spingler
Copyright AP Photo/Michel Spingler
By Luke Hurst & Alice Tidey & Lauren Chadwick
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Keep up to date with the latest coronavirus developments here.

A summary of the latest developments

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Is hard-hit Sweden being snubbed by its Scandinavian neighbours?

In contrast to its neighbours in Scandinavia, Stockholm didn't impose a strict lockdown.


Larger gatherings were banned and universities closed, but schools remained open to younger children and restaurants and bars kept serving.


But, now that lockdown is gradually being lifted, are Sweden's neighbours snubbing the country over its coronavirus strategy?

Read more: https://www.euronews.com/2020/06/02/coronavirus-is-hard-hit-sweden-being-snubbed-by-its-scandinavian-neighbours


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France records another 107 deaths in 24 hours as bars and restaurants reopen

The coronavirus epidemic caused 84 new deaths in 24 hours in French hospitals and 23 in care homes, according to the report released on Tuesday by the Directorate General for Health.
 
A total of 28,940 people have died since the beginning of the epidemic but the patients hospitalised and in intensive care continues to decrease.
 
There are 1,253 patients in intensive care and 14,028 in hospital.

France entered the second phase of its lockdown easing, opening bars, restaurants, more schools and cultural sites.
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Russia tracking app sparks anger due to glitches causing mistaken fines


A tracking-app used in Russia to make sure coronavirus patients comply with self-isolation is sparking fury due to glitches and crashes that have resulted in hundreds of euros in fines per single users.


The app, called Social Monitoring, tracks users via GPS and sends them notifications at random times demanding a selfie to prove they're home.

If it detects they've left or if they fail to provide a photo to prove it, patients can be fined €50 each time.

Read the full story here: https://www.euronews.com/2020/06/02/coronavirus-russia-s-tracking-app-sparks-fury-after-mistakenly-fining-users


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COVID-19's 'deep impact' on the space industry

Politicians in Europe warn that the economic impact on the space industry could be up to €1 billion due to the coronavirus pandemic.


This is partly down to private sector investments falling away in the economic slump.


Olivier Lemaitre, secretary-general of Eurospace, says he expects private customers will be investing less in satellite operations this year.


He believes that the space industry will need 'huge institutional support' for research and development activities. It is something, Lemaitre says, the EU countries do not 'fully grasp'.

Read morehttps://www.euronews.com/2020/06/02/covid-19-s-deep-impact-on-the-space-industry


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More on COVID-19 risk factors from Public Health England

Public health England released a review of disparities in risks and outcomes or coronavirus.
It found that "The largest disparity found was by age. Among people already diagnosed with COVID19, people who were 80 or older were seventy times more likely to die than those under 40."
"Risk of dying among those diagnosed with COVID-19 was also higher in males than females; higher in those living in the more deprived areas than those living in the least deprived; and higher in those in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups than in White ethnic groups. These inequalities largely replicate existing inequalities in mortality rates in previous years, except for BAME groups, as mortality was previously higher in White ethnic groups," it added.
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'Caution has won the day' on UK quarantine plans: Expert

Professor Newton said that the government's decision that every person entering the UK from June 8 will be required to self-isolate for 14 days shows "caution has won the day".
He said people from abroad need "to be treated as an unknown" and that "if somebody is at risk of having the virus, we need them to be isolated". 
He stressed however that he is not a member fo the SAGE group which advises the government. 
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More information needed to determine why ethnic minorities are more at risk: Expert

Professor John Newton, testing coordinator for England, said on Tuesday in response to a question on why black, Asian, and other ethnic minorities are hit harder by the pandemic that "it is not necessarily because of their ethnicity, it may be related to their occupation or other reasons why they might be at higher levels of exposure".


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Antibody tests being used on NHS and social care staff: UK Minister

Matt Hancock has said that antibody tests to determine whether someone has had COVID-19 are currently being used on health and social care professionals.
He added that the government has "bought a huge number of them" and that they will be rolled out more broadly but did not provide a timetable.
He also stressed that the science is unclear yet as to whether having COVID-19 antibodies lowers the risk of a new infection of the risk of transmitting the disease. 
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55 more people die from COVID-19 in Italy

The Italian Health Ministry has announced that a further 55 people have died from the virus over the previous 24 hours, bringing the country's death toll to 33,530.
An additional 318 people have also tested positive since yesterday. Italy has now recorded 233,515 infections. 
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UK MPs vote to rescind remote voting and return to parliament

British lawmakers have backed a government's proposal to rescind a "hybrid" voting system put in place during the pandemic that allowed only 50 of them to sit in the Commons and for voting to take place remotely. 
The motion calling for MPs to be physically present in parliament was adopted with 261 votes and 163 against.
An amendment calling for virtual voting to continue was rejected with 185 votes in favour and  242 votes against. 
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Age, race, pre-existing conditions are risk factors: UK Minister

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said in the daily government briefing that age and pre-existing conditions are risk factors for COVID-19.
He said that race also is a risk factor, with black, asian and other ethnic minority communities hit harder. 
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UK death toll rises by 324

The number of COVID-19 fatalities in the UK now stands at 39,369 after a one-day increase of 324.
The number of confirmed cases has meanwhile risen by 1,613 to 277,985.
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StopCovid contact tracing phone app available for download in France

France's StopCovid contact tracing phone app is available for download in the GooglePlay store and will be available in the Apple app store soon, government officials said.

The tracking app uses bluetooth to trace when a phone is in proximity to others who have the application.


Once someone records a positive test for COVID-19, the application sends out an alert to those who have been in contact with that person for more than 15 minutes so they can self-isolate to prevent further spread of the virus.

The app is being released as part of the French government's plan to stop the spread of COVID-19.


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Around 1,500 people gather on boats in Berlin

Around 1,500 people gathered in a boat demo in Berlin, according to German police.

Participants had been asked to keep distance between others and to stick to members of their household. A ban on gatherings had been lifted the week prior.

But photos showed hundreds of people crowding together and drew sharp criticism given the event was held in front of a hospital.

Police said organisers ended the gathering after complaints about loud music, problems with distancing, and consulting with police.

The gathering occurred to support clubs and festivals, hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

Organisers apologised for the "inappropriate endpoint" in front of a hospital and said they did not expect so many people to show up.
 
Boat party on the Landwehr Canal in Berlin. DAVID GANNON / AFP
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Hospital employs robot to protect against COVID-19

 
A robot that speaks dozens of languages, detects fever and calls out people if they’re not wearing face masks properly is helping a hospital in Belgium limit the spread of coronavirus.
 
As patients arrive at Antwerp University Hospital (UZA) they are given a QR code to scan into the robot, which immediately checks whether they are wearing masks as required. If their mask is not properly covering their mouth and nose, the robot prompts them to correct that.
 
The robot, called Cruzr Health, also takes patients’ temperatures to screen them for fever. If that temperature is within range, mask-wearing patients get a green light to head to their appointment.
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F1 announces eight races in Europe between July and September

The 2020 Formula 1 season, delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, will start on July 5 in Austria and the first eight races will take place in Europe between July and September, according to the calendar published on Tuesday.


The following races will take place in Austria again, July 12, Hungary, July 19, UK, August 2 and 9, Spain, August 16, Belgium, August 30, and Italy, September 6.


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Hundreds defy social-distancing measures in Italy as Salvini stages anti-government protest

The leaders of Italy's biggest right-wing parties, including League's Matteo Salvini, have gathered hundreds of supporters in Rome for an anti-government protest while the country celebrates Republic Day.
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How does Europe view the UK’s coronavirus response?

The UK has handled the coronavirus crisis worse than its European neighbours, people in European countries say.
 
And people in the UK agree.
 
A YouGov survey asked people in seven major European countries how they thought their countries, and others, had handled the crisis.
 
Every other European country surveyed believes the UK’s response has been worse than their own. These are Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Italy, France and Spain. Brits themselves largely agreed with this point of view, although the split with Italy was pretty much even.
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MPs called back to work at Britain’s Parliament

MPs are being called back to Parliament in the UK, after working largely from home since the country went into lockdown in late March.
 
Since then only 50 MPs were allowed into the House of Commons, with the majority working from home and asking questions of government ministers over video link.
 
However there is some discontent at the order to return, with many arguing those who have to stay home because of age, illness or family issues will not be able to do their jobs as lawmakers.
 
Votes have been held electronically for the first time in parliamentary history, but the government now wants to end virtual voting, insisting MPs must attend in person.
 
This is despite the UK still recording over 1,000 new COVID-19 cases a day, and over 100 deaths a day.
 
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the government's leader of the House, says MPs should be setting an example by showing up in person.
Critics of the idea have warned millions of Britons could become politically disenfranchised because their elected representatives won't be able to turn up to vote.
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France expects “brutal” economic downturn

The French government is expecting an 11% drop in GDP this year, Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire says. 
 
Speaking to RTL, he said “The economic shock is extremely brutal” but “I am absolutely convinced that we will bounce back in 2021.”
 
Saying the hardest part is to come, he said measures will be taken to protect all sectors. 
 
Last week, INSEE indicated that the fall in GDP would be much greater than the 8% anticipated by the government, because the recovery in activity since the start of deconfinement will be “at best gradual in the second half of the year”.
 
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France reopens cafes, bars and restaurants

An exciting day in France, as people can once again enjoy cafes, bars and restaurants - provided they keep a metre distance from other tables.
 
As the country enters phase two of its reopening following coronavirus lockdown, people are able to travel further from their place of residence, and hit the gym or swimming pool.
 
Here's the full rundown of what you can now do if you're living in France: https://www.euronews.com/2020/05/28/french-pm-announces-june-2-as-date-for-bars-and-restaurants-to-reopen
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Good morning, I'm Luke Hurst and I'll be bringing you the latest coronavirus updates throughout the day.
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