As it happened: Berlin police tell protesters to disperse

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Here's a reminder of today’s main coronavirus headlines from the UK and around the world:

• Police in Berlin stopped a demonstration involving some 18,000 people who took to the streets to protest against Germany's coronavirus restrictions. Officials said the participants of the “anti-corona” protest were flouting social distancing rules. Smaller protests took place in London and Paris
• Head teachers and teachers have criticised the government for "last-minute" guidance on what to do during virus outbreaks and local lockdowns in England
• A leaked government report suggests a "reasonable worst case scenario" of 85,000 deaths across the UK this winter due to Covid-19
• There have been a further 1,108 confirmed cases of coronavirus across the UK in the past 24 hours. Another 12 people have died within 28 days of a positive test, bringing the UK death toll to 41,498

• Cases continue to rise in Europe - the Czech Republic recorded its second highest increase since the pandemic began, and Ukraine broke its record for new infections
• The South Korean health ministry warned that its hospital capacity is reaching dangerously low levels, with just 4.5% of beds in the Greater Seoul area free
• Premier League football fans in England have had their first taste of watching a live game for six months, with a restricted number of Brighton supporters allowed at the Amex Stadium for a friendly against Chelsea, as part of a government trial
• More than 170 cyclists participated in stage one of the Tour de France, which had been delayed by two months by the coronavirus outbreak.The Norwegian, Alexander Kristoff, has claimed the initial yellow jersey

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Teachers in England and Wales have been preparing to welcome back children for the autumn term, putting in place coronavirus-safe measures.

But with 17% of school journeys in England made by bus last year and public transport capacity limited by social distancing, is transport a weak link in the plans for a safe return to the classrooms?

Prof Jonathan Ball, a virologist at the University of Nottingham, says public transport carries risks because it can be difficult to socially distance, there are lots of touch points like handrails, and it's a relatively enclosed space, making it easier for the virus to spread.

Some families have voiced concerns, including mum Rosalind Searle, who lives near Glasgow, where schools have reopened already.

She says her 15-year-old daughter is anxious about catching the school bus she normally takes, adding that the pupils cannot socially distance as the bus “is rammed”.

"In school they've made changes to timetables and staggered lunch breaks but I think [my daughter] just feels there's a bit of a disconnect between that and the transport situation," she adds.

Read more here

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One of the world's most prestigious art museums is opening its doors again to the public on Saturday. The Museum of Modern Art in New York City houses a huge collection of contemporary art work and normally attracts more than three million visitors a year. It closed in March as the virus was badly hitting the city.

Anyone wishing to feast their eyes on some Pablo Picasso, Georgia O'Keefe, Edward Hopper, Andy Warhol or other 20th Century greats must book tickets in advance. Capacity is limited, but it's free to visit throughout September. Visitors must wear a face mask and observe social distancing rules.

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

Public sector workers in Saudi Arabia are set to return to their workplaces on Sunday - the beginning of the working week in the country - as lockdown measures imposed to stem the spread of Covid-19 are eased.

Saudi-funded Al Arabiya TV quoted the ministry of human resources and social development as saying that a number of guidelines will have to be adhered to as offices reopen.

Measures include staggered shift times. Employees will not be required to sign in by fingerprint, and those vulnerable to infection will continue to work remotely.

The ministry had permitted 50% of public sector workers to return to the workplace on 31 May, and raised that figure to 75% the following month, Al Arabiya TV reported.

In its daily briefing today, the health ministry said there had been 987 new coronavirus cases, 27 deaths and 1,038 recoveries.

Are the government and media overdoing coronavirus? Is it time to move on and get back to normal life?

These are big questions, and given the parlous state of the economy, they deserve some attention.

Let me start with some positives, which may help encourage the viewpoint I see a lot on social media, that Covid is over, finished, done with.

The trend in deaths and serious illness continues to decline.

The number of patients in hospital who have a confirmed Covid-19 diagnosis has been falling for months.

At the peak in the UK there were around 20,000 - now it's fewer than 800.

But it's still - just - summer. Respiratory viruses don't circulate as well in the summer months. We are still spending time out of doors. Most of us are social distancing: I can't remember the last time I shook hands with anyone. So the virus has had less chance to jump from one person to the next. Coronavirus is still out there.

The next few weeks are going to be critical in understanding whether transmission rates will rise sharply again as schools and universities go back and people return to offices and spend more time indoors.

Read more from Fergus here

BBCCopyright: BBC

BBCCopyright: BBC

BBCCopyright: BBC

West Midlands PoliceCopyright: West Midlands Police

This year’s August bank holiday weekend (in England and Wales) looks very different to those in previous years, with festivals cancelled and restrictions on gatherings. But lots of people will still be meeting up.

One police chief now says that confusion over lockdown guidance is being used by some as an excuse to break the rules.

Andy Rhodes, chief constable of Lancashire Constabulary, told the BBC earlier: “We've had people who have clearly, fragrantly, ignored the rules and had a wedding for 200 people.

"There's no one anywhere who could misinterpret the current rules to say that 200 people in your back garden or in your house or in an area is going to be OK.

"There's a world of difference between good people who are doing their best to enjoy themselves and they're a bit confused, and people that are clearly just ignoring the normal rules that the rest of us are trying to abide by.

"Being confused is becoming a bit of an excuse for some people at the moment."

Writing in the Telegraph, Home Secretary Priti Patel said London’s Metropolitan Police had responded to more than 1,000 unlicensed events since the end of June.

New fines of up to £10,000 for organisers of illegal gatherings of more than 30 people, such as raves, came into force in England on Friday. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can set their own enforcement rules.

To remind yourself of what's allowed - read more here.

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A coronavirus patient who entered a hospital in Madrid on 17 March thinking he would return home the same day ended up spending 158 days in intensive care, Spanish media report.

Ángel Rodríguez, 70, arrived at the Gregorio Marañón Hospital with symptoms more than five months ago, not knowing how events would unfold.

Doctors say that Ángel was "particularly vulnerable" to Covid-19 because he suffers from underlying conditions, including heart disease.

The virus caused him to suffer bilateral pneumonia and he required a tracheostomy - to allow a ventilator to supply oxygen - and deep sedation.

His situation became so serious that he "feared for his life" and his family were permitted access to his unit in order to "say goodbye", Madrid's ABC newspaper reports.

As Ángel was transferred back to a regular ward at the hospital, he was applauded by staff.

France has recorded 5,453 new cases of coronavirus over the past 24 hours, down from 7,379 on Friday.

An additional six deaths have been confirmed today, bringing the total number of fatalities so far to 30,602.

Friday's figure was France's biggest daily rise in coronavirus infections since March, and was described by the country's health ministry as an "exponential" rise in cases.

President Emmanuel Macron has raised the possibility of another nationwide lockdown.

The protests in central London and Berlin included some demonstrators pushing conspiracy theories.

The demonstrations in Trafalgar Square were in opposition to coronavirus lockdowns, masks and a coronavirus vaccine.

Whilst some protesters in attendance expressed concerns about the impact of lockdown, others held placards featuring false claims. These included suggestions that Bill Gates is planning to use vaccinations to microchip the population and that the pandemic is "a hoax".

There were also protesters expressing their support for QAnon. That’s a wide-ranging, unfounded conspiracy theory that says that US President Donald Trump is waging a secret war against elite Satan-worshipping paedophiles in government, business and the media.

In recent weeks, it has gained traction in the UK, particularly from users sharing the #SaveOurChildren hashtag.

These dangerous conspiracy theories have become increasingly popular on social media during the pandemic. Posters for the protests circulated on a number of Facebook groups this week, including on community forums and parent chats.

Various pseudo-scientists who have spread disinformation online about coronavirus were also scheduled to speak at the London demonstration.

• QAnon: What is it and where did it come from?

A coronavirus outbreak originating from an indoor wedding reception in the US state of Maine earlier this month has now been linked to 123 cases.

Since the event on 7 August, the virus has spread to a prison and a nursing home, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention told CBS news.

Some 65 people attended the wedding reception at the Big Moose Inn in the town of Millinocket, exceeding the state's permitted limit of 50 people per gathering.

The inn, which had its licence temporarily suspended following the incident, had failed to adhere to social distancing guidelines or ask customers for contact-tracing information, officials said.

The owner of the Big Moose Inn, Laurie Cormier, said in a statement on Friday: "Our hearts go out to... those affected by the virus who were at the wedding, and those who have been impacted since then."

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A government ad campaign starting next week in England will encourage people to return to workplaces.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has spoken of the benefits of getting back to the office, only where it is safe, adding that some things are “impossible” to do remotely. And business leaders have warned of the damage being done to city centres as workers stay away.

But general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, Frances O'Grady, criticised the government's approach.

She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Number 10 was “trying to scare people back into the office by threatening them with loss of their livelihoods”, and instead there should be a “step-by-step rebuilding of confidence”.

“If we got the test and trace system up and running, if we sorted out resources for public transport and of course critically for childcare, then I think a lot more people will feel more confident about going back to the office for at least part of the week,” she said.

Ministers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are still advising people to work from home if possible.

Read more here

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We heard earlier how the UK government has published fresh guidance for schools in England on what to do during virus outbreaks - days before many pupils return next week.

Head teachers and teachers have now criticised the government over the "last-minute" guidance - which was published on Friday evening.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT, said the decision to issue new guidelines before a bank holiday was "nothing short of reprehensible and demonstrates a complete lack of regard for the well-being of school leaders and their teams".

He said: "It was obvious weeks ago that lockdown advice was necessary."

In local lockdowns, secondary pupils could be kept home every other fortnight and, in an outbreak, large groups could be told to self-isolate.

Read more on this story here

Canada is again extending border restrictions that mandate a 14-day quarantine for anyone entering the country. They will last at least another month, officials say.

All non-essential travel to the country is banned for anyone who is not a citizen or resident, with the exception of visitors from the US.

Canadians who do travel abroad must self-isolate on their return.

The country has had 9,108 deaths and more than 127,000 cases, according to a tally recorded by Global News.

Here are your main UK headlines this Saturday afternoon:

• Head teachers and teachers have criticised the government for "last-minute" guidance on what to do during virus outbreaks and local lockdowns
• A leaked government report suggests a "reasonable worst case scenario" of 85,000 deaths across the UK this winter due to Covid-19
• A further 12 people in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus have died, according to the latest government figures
• In an interview with The Times, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has warned that a second wave of coronavirus is "a very serious threat", and could bring about extensive local lockdowns in a "reasonable worst case scenario”
• Tightened restrictions to stop the spread of Covid-19 are to be eased in parts of north-west England, allowing more than a million people to mix in different households, from Wednesday
• Current restrictions in Leicester, in the East Midlands, remain until a review by 11 September
• As of 04:00 BST this morning, travellers returning to the UK from Switzerland, Czech Republic and Jamaica will have to self-isolate for 14 days

A further 12 people in the UK, who tested positive for coronavirus, have died, according to the latest government figures.

This means 41,498 people have died in the UK in total.

Another 1,108 people have tested positive for coronavirus.

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

More than 170 cyclists set off from Nice in the sport's most prestigious race - the Tour de France.

It's subject to stringent coronavirus restrictions this year - riders have been kept in isolation bubbles and there will be frequent tests for the virus.

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Controversially, teams will be expelled from the race if more than two members test positive.

Questions have been raised about whether the event - which lasts three weeks and usually attracts huge crowds - will be cut short because of the possible impact of the virus.

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

Spectators along the road have been told to adhere to the two-metre social distancing rule, and they will not be allowed anywhere near the team buses at the start of the stages.

However, it may prove difficult to police on a 3,484km (2,165 miles) course, and some pictures from the route today show spectators gathered in close proximity.

You can follow the race with our live updates here.

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

There have been no deaths of people who've tested positive for coronavirus in hospitals or care homes in the past 24 hours in Wales.

Public Health Wales says the total number of deaths in Wales remains at 1,565.

It has recorded 40 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total to 17,917.

We're expecting UK-wide figures to be published this afternoon.

EPACopyright: EPA

We've been reporting today on the demonstration in Berlin, but similar, though smaller protests have been taking place in Paris and London too.

Photographers in the UK have captured hundreds of people gathering in Trafalgar Square to demonstrate against the UK government’s coronavirus measures.

Demonstrators were seen holding up banners reading “Covid hoax” and “no mandatory vaccines” as they packed the square, contrary to England’s social distancing rules.

There’s no mandatory vaccine law in the UK.

Earlier this year, BBC Reality Check fact-checked some of the most widely shared dubious coronavius claims.

• Police have told a crowded "anti-corona" rally in Germany to disperse - it attracted about 18,000 people but many refused to wear masks or keep a safe distance from others. Similar smaller protests are taking place in Paris and London
• Cases continue to rise in Europe - France reported "exponential growth", the Czech Republic recorded its second highest increase since the pandemic began, and Ukraine broke its record for new infections
• In Australia, police are patrolling beaches as warmer weather encourages people to leave their homes in search of sun after the winter
• The South Korean health ministry has warned that its hospital capacity is reaching dangerously low levels, with just 4.5% of beds in the Greater Seoul area free
• Riders have finally begun the Tour de France - it was delayed by two months due to the pandemic

EPACopyright: EPA