Coronavirus new: Starmer blames government ‘failures’ for new restrictions as UK sees 6,000 new cases

Timeline of key coronavirus events

Wednesday marks six months since Boris Johnson put the UK on lockdown and restrictions are tightening again after a rise in Covid-19 cases.

Here are the key dates and events since the unprecedented restrictions were announced on 23 March.

Isles of Scilly report first positive test results

The Isles of Scilly have reported their first positive coronavirus test results.

The Council of the Isles of Scilly said it had been “informed by public health” of positive test results on Tuesday.

However it was not clear how many cases have been detected on the islands, which sit about 25 miles off the Cornish coast.

“We have been informed by public health of positive test results,” the council said in an update.

"We agreed that, in the interest of public health, it was important to let you know as soon as we could. There is nothing you need to do unless you have been contacted by NHS Test and Trace or are experiencing one of the three Covid-19 symptoms. 

"You’ll understand the need to absolutely protect the identity of any individuals who have been affected by this awful virus. 

"All the appropriate agencies are supporting us to ensure risk is minimised. 

“We will meet with public health again tomorrow and give a further update as soon as we can.”

PM repeating 'mistake’ by not going far enough with restrictions

Boris Johnson’s government is not learning from its mistakes and is failing to take tough enough action to stop the spread of the coronavirus, one of Downing Street’s top scientific advisors has said.

Professor John Edmunds – a member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) – said action had not been taken quickly enough back in March and that “mistake” was about to be repeated.

The leading epidemiologist spoke out after Mr Johnson announced a raft of new rules and guidance on Tuesday, including a 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants across England.

Adam Forrest explains more in this piece:

The lives changed by lockdown

Boris Johnson’s 23 March shutdown announcement ushered in a different age. Some of those hit by illness, job losses and long hours on the front line tell Adam Forrest how they’ve coped:

Northern Ireland economy ‘cannot afford another lockdown’

Northern Ireland economy minister Diane Dodds has spoken out against the prospect of a second lockdown.

She added: "The Northern Ireland economy cannot afford another lockdown.

"Those small shoots of recovery we are seeing would be destroyed," she said during a speech to her scrutiny committee at Stormont.

"Even the fear alone of another lockdown would remove any lingering hopes businesses have of economic recovery.

"This is costing jobs and impacting on families."

Hundreds of students isolating after suspected outbreak

Five hundred students have been told to isolate after a suspect Covid-19 outbreak in a halls of residence in Scotland.  

NHS Tayside is investigating a single positive case and a small number of suspected cases of coronavirus linked to private student accommodation Parker House, in Dundee.  

Close contacts of the positive case, who is a student of Abertay University, are being contacted.  

All 500 residents at the accommodation have been asked to self-isolate until further contact tracing has been completed.  

Dr Daniel Chandler, associate director of public health, said: "We know from outbreaks in other university settings across Scotland that the virus can spread very quickly in student accommodation.  

"Therefore, as a precautionary measure, we are contacting all residents of Parker House and advising them to self-isolate immediately.  

"Further investigation and contact tracing are continuing and we will review this advice in the coming days.  

"It is really important that any residents who develop symptoms book a test as soon as possible."

Raab denies UK trying to take ‘Swedish approach’

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has denied the UK government is shifting to a Swedish approach the coronavirus pandemic by learning to live with the spread of the disease, Adam Forrest reports.

One leading scientist at the University of Oxford said the latest restrictions suggested “a move towards Sweden” — with a greater emphasis on personal responsibility and a greater acceptance that cases will rise.

“I don’t accept that characterisation,” Mr Raab told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme when asked if Britain was following a Swedish model.

Confusion over ‘table-service only’ restrictions

Dominic Raab has stoked confusion for businesses after suggesting new coronavirus rules means customers would need to order food from their table in fast-food chains such as McDonalds and coffee shops in England,  Ashley Cowburn reports.

In his statement to MPs, the prime minister said pubs, bars and restaurants must operate “table-service only” policies – excluding takeaways – to reduced the likelihood of people in these venues coming into close contact with orders in queues.

Asked whether individuals can enter establishments such as McDonalds, queue and take their order to a table, the foreign secretary said: "My understanding is that you need to be able order from the tables. But of course the guidance will be very clear."

Family loses out on £1,500 holiday after getting tested too early

A woman and her daughter were left distraught after being told they could not go on their £1,500 holiday to Cyprus because they had taken their Covid-19 tests too early, Helen Coffey reports.

Joanne Lemaire, from Ware, was due to fly with Jet2 on 18 September, but was confused by the entry requirements, which she claims were unclear from the airline’s correspondence.

“I was sent an email to say I needed to do a Covid test and then to fill out a Flight Pass 72 hours before it went, but it didn't stipulate what 72 hours before you went,” she told Herts Live.

New financial support for businesses 

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to make an announcement imminently on new financial support for businesses after Boris Johnson announced that coronavirus restrictions on social and economic activities could continue for another six months.

Amid reports that Mr Sunak is considering a German-style wage subsidy scheme, the chancellor’s cabinet colleague Dominic Raab confirmed that measures are likely to be unveiled soon “to keep the economy going and salvage jobs”.

And Mr Johnson himself stoked expectations of action from the chancellor, promising the House of Commons: "We will go forward with further creative and imaginative schemes to keep our economy moving.”

Our political editor Andrew Woodcock explains more: