Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said that the shielding scheme will be eased for people in England from 6 July. He stressed that this decision would be reversed if necessary. He said: “I use the word ‘pause’ very deliberately because the (shielding) list will continue and should the clinical advice be that we need to bring it back in, then that is what we will do.” Hancock said that the incidence of coronavirus had fallen so much that now just one person in 1,700 had the disease, compared with one in 400 a month ago. He also said that the daily number of new cases, at 1,000, was at its lowest level since coronavirus started peaking in March, and that the daily headline UK death rate, at 15, was at its lowest level since mid March. The home secretary spoke in the Commons about events in Reading, in which three people were killed and at least three others were injured, in what was declared a terrorist incident. Priti Patel said that it is “clear that the threat posed by lone actors is growing”. She said: “The United Kingdom has the best security service and police in the world. Since 2017 they have foiled 25 terrorist plots including eight driven by right-wing ideologies. School exams could be delayed next summer to allow more teaching time, MPs were told. The government is considering delaying the 2021 summer exams because of the disruption caused by Covid, Gavin Williamson, the education secretary for England, confirmed in the Commons.He told MPs the government would be consulting with exams watchdog Ofqual to push back the exam dates to later in the summer to maximise teaching time. The UK has recorded a further 15 coronavirus deaths, the lowest daily increase since mid-March. The Department for Health and Social care said: “As of 9am 22 June, there have been 8,029,757 tests, with 139,659 tests on 21 June. 305,289 people have tested positive.” They added: “As of 5pm on 21 June, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 42,647 have sadly died.” A minute’s silence was held outside of the Blagrave Arms pub for the victims of the Reading attack. Ahead of the pause, Jamie Wake, a friend of the victims, told reporters: “I wish I could stand here and say that I can make sense of the senseless. Sadly today, like many others, I can’t. “We become so used to seeing incidents like this on the television. This time, we cannot change the channel. This time, it’s on our doorstep. “And this time, it’s happened to people we know. The LGBT+ community and our allies, here in Reading, are close family, and we’re stood here outside the Blagrave, a place we call home, and a safe space for so many members of our community. “A place that today we have all been drawn to as we unite together, to mourn as one.” Hello everyone. I am on the Guardian’s live feed for the next half an hour. If you have any thoughts, comments or news tips for me then please do share them. Twitter: @sloumarsh Instagram: sarah_marsh_journalist Email: sarah.marsh@theguardian.com In Wales, the deputy chief medical officer, Dr Chris Jones, said that there were no changes on advice to the group of people who are shielding in the country. We are asking this group of people to continue following the shielding advice set out in the chief medical officer for Wales’ most recent letter sent out at the beginning of June, until August 16. We know shielding is not easy, but we are continuing to advise this group of people to take these measures because, although coronavirus is declining in Wales, it has not gone away and these shielding measures will continue to protect this group of people. We know that the UK government is making changes to the advice it will be issuing to people who are shielding in England from July. But our advice to people who are shielding in Wales remains the same as set out in the letters sent by the Chief Medical Officer earlier this month. He added that the June letters to the shielded group in Wales included two important changes: 1. The first change related to exercise. Outdoor exercise is unlimited – but we are advising people who are shielding to strictly follow social distancing and hygiene practices. Risk can never be completely eliminated but we advise those shielding to exercise at times that are less busy so contact with others is reduced. 2. The second change related to the ability to meet others. Those who are shielding were advised they can meet with people from another household in their local area outdoors. However, they should not go into another person’s house or share food with them. All the other shielding advice – such as working from home; not sharing meals or utensils at home; sleeping in a separate bed; not sharing towels and cleaning the bathroom after use – remain in place for your protection. This is advice only – shielding is not compulsory. These measures and advice are there to help protect you from contracting coronavirus and protect you from developing a potentially serious illness. Matt Hancock"s press conference - Summary Here are the main points from Matt Hancock’s press conference. Hancock, the health secretary, announced that the shielding scheme will be eased for people in England from 6 July. He stressed that this decision would be reversed if necessary. He said: I use the word ‘pause’ very deliberately because the (shielding) list will continue and should the clinical advice be that we need to bring it back in, then that is what we will do. Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer for England, encouraged people who have been shielding not to be fearful about returning to work. She said that incidence of coronavirus was now so low that, on an epidemiological basis, it would be safe to advice them to return to work now. But they were being told to go back from 1 August to give them time to get used to the idea, she said. She acknowledged that people would be worried. But she advised them to overcome their fears. She said: For many people who have been out of normal societal circulation, actually having a job, going to work and doing something purposeful, is really important for your ongoing health, and your economic and mental health as well ... Although people will be fearful, they perhaps sometimes do need to push a little bit in order to get the benefit back themselves. Harries said that many children who have been shielding would be better off in school. She said: There is almost certainly a large number - a very large number - of children who are not going to school at the moment who could go, because parents are concerned that they should be shielding. As an example, she cited the example of a child with asthma that was under control. She said Those children are at very, very low risk from Covid, they are probably at very, very significant risk of getting left behind in their education. In terms of the long-term health outcomes, that would be far worse. Hancock said an announcement about where travel corridors might be established would come before the June 29 deadline for reviewing the quarantine arrangements. Asked about the plan, which would involve exempting certain countries from the quarantine rules, he said: A lot of work is being done on travel corridors, I’ve been working on it over the weekend. And we have a formal review date of the quarantine policy at the end of this month on June 29, and we’ll make sure that in good time for that we publish what we plan to do next in terms of where we think - based on the epidemiological advice - we’re able to formalise travel corridors. Hancock said that the incidence of coronavirus had fallen so much that now just one person in 1,700 had the disease, compared with one in 400 a month ago. He also said that the daily number of new cases, at 1,000, was at its lowest level since coronavirus started peaking in March, and that the daily headline UK death rate, at 15, was at its lowest level since mid March. (See 5.07pm.) Q: [From the Northern Echo] Why are the coronavirus rates so high in the north east? Are people right to be worried? And has coronavirus changed the government’s levelling up agenda? Hancock says the pandemic has made the levelling up agenda even more important than it was. The government will be “redoubling” its efforts on this, he says. He says the virus is under control in the north east. The number of cases is falling. Harries says across the world less affluent communities have been worse hit. She says, rather than being anxious, people should be careful and concerned. Being too fearful does not help, she says. She ends saying: Be careful and be cautious, but don’t be too anxious. And that’s it. The press conference is over. Q: If there is a gap between what the scientists and the politicians are saying about the two-metre rule, shouldn’t the public trust the scientists? Hancock says the government has been guided by the science throughout this. But he says the charts he showed earlier indicated that the number of new cases is coming down. (See 5.07pm.) Q: What is reaction to the R number going up in Germany? (See 10.10am.) Harries says that shows why we should not give up all social distancing rules. She says test and trace is there to ensure that, when there are new outbreaks, they are spotted earlier. She also says that, as the incidence rate falls, the R number becomes less crucial. Harries says the new guidance relating to shielding is being issued beforehand so people have time to consider it properly. She says they cannot rule out people encountering the virus. But now the cases are “so low” that the risk is minimal. She says on average you would have to meet 1,700 people now to come across a case. (See 5.08pm.) She says “now is as safe as it is likely to be for a while”. She says there may be more risk in the winter if cases rise again. But she says at that point doctors be able to give people very personalised advice about the risk. Q: Are you willing to change the law to ensure unscrupulous employers do not treat workers who were shielding unfairly? Hancock says the legal protections are there in law already. Q: Is it safe to open up when the WHO has raised the alarm over a record increase in daily global cases? Hancock says that helps to explain why the government has introduced quarantine measures. Q: Will children who are shielding be able to go back to school in September? Harries says there are a large number of children who are not going to school now who could return. She cites as an example a child with mild asthma who is able to run around. The risk from their being in school is very, very low, she says. But the risk to them from missing school is much higher, she says. Q: Will you do anything to legally protect people who cannot go back to work? Hancock says legal protections for workers continue. He repeats the point about how the government is following clinical advice. Harries says for many people having a job, and being able to go out, is important for their health. She says people are not being told to go back to work straight away. They have some weeks to get used to this. People may be fearful. But they may need to push a bit to go back to work in a way that they will subsequently find beneficial. Q: Some people are worried about going out when shielding ends. What will you do to support them? Hancock says it is critical that work is available in a Covid-secure way. Dr Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer for England, says she knows that people shielding are frightened. But the infection rate has come right down. And there seems to be a seasonal effect, she says (ie, the risk is less in the summer). And she says businesses are being told to take steps to maximise safety. Q: You are ending statutory sick pay for those shielding. Isn’t that another source of worry? Hancock says they are acting on clinical advice. The scheme is being paused, he says. He says he is using that word deliberately. If it needs to be reintroduced, it will be, he says. Mandy from Salisbury asks what is happening with travel corridors. Hancock says a lot of work is being done on this. He was working on them over the weekend. The 14-day quarantine rules for UK arrivals is being reviewed by 29 June. He says before then the government will produce new advice. Hancock is now taking questions. Alan, a member of the public, asks what infrastructure projects are at risk from the cost of the increased borrowing by the government. Hancock says the government’s view is that it must accelerate infrastructure spending, not reduce it. At the press conference Hancock says he will be writing to everyone on the shielding list with more guidance about what to expect. He says it may take time for people to get used to the new rules. He will try to make them as clear as possible. He says people shielding receiving food boxes will continue to get them until the end of July. And he says seven supermarket companies have said they will continue to prioritise people who are shielding for online deliveries. He says the shielding list will continue. Support for people on the shielding list has been a huge effort, he says. He thanks those who have shielded. He says they have contributed to the fight against coronavirus. Coronavirus shielding scheme to be eased in England from 6 July Hancock says he can announce that shielding rules are being relaxed. The government briefed details of this under embargo, and my colleague Sarah Boseley has the story. It’s here. This is how the story starts. People with underlying health issues who are most at risk from Covid-19 will no longer have to shut themselves away in their home and can shop and mix with other people from 6 July in England, the health secretary has said. Support for people who are undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, have a damaged immune system or have had an organ transplant will continue to the end of July, said Matt Hancock. But from 1 August, the 2.2 million “clinically extremely vulnerable” who have been shielding from the virus in England will receive only local authority and voluntary help and can return to their jobs if their workplace is “Covid-secure”. The government says it is safe for the most at-risk to leave their homes, but the new guidance will cause anxiety. Macmillan Cancer Support said its data showed almost half of people with cancer in England who have been shielding (45%) are worried they will be forgotten as the lockdown continues to ease, while 67% are worried they will not get the help they need. And here is an extract from the government news release. From Monday 6 July [people who are shielding] will be able to spend time outdoors in a group of up to six people including those outside of their household, while maintaining physical distancing. Those who are shielding and live alone or are single parents with children will also be able to create a ‘support bubble’ with one other household of any size, following the same rules already in place for the wider population. This announcement is almost identical to what was announced early for people shielding in Northern Ireland. (See 4.33pm.) Hancock says a month ago one person in 400 had coronavirus. Now it is one person in 1,700. That is why the government can relax the lockdown further, he says. Hancock has arrived for the press conference. He starts with the daily slides. He says for the first time since the virus started peaking the number of new cases is below 1,000. And here are the death figures. He says today’s death toll, at 15, is the lowest figure since mid March. But it is the figure for a weekend, he says. He says the figures normally rise after the weekend because fewer deaths get recorded on Saturdays and Sundays.