Coronavirus UK Update: COVID-19 death toll rises by 286

The UK’s death toll from Covid-19 has risen by 286 to 40,883, according to the Department of Health.

Tuesday’s figure is significantly higher than yesterday, when only 55 fatalities were recorded – the lowest number of deaths since before lockdown began in March.

– MPs have warned disadvantaged pupils are facing an “epidemic of educational poverty” after ministers rowed back on a pledge to give all primary school pupils a month of schooling before summer.

Robert Halfon, the Conservative chairman of the Education Committee, challenged the government over the impact of lengthy school closures on poorer pupils who have not received enough support to work at home.

– Collective worship will not take place before July, faith minister says

The UK’s faith minister has said collective worship will not take place before 4 July due to concerns about the spread of coronavirus.

In a briefing to the Religion Media Centre, Lord Stephen Greenhalgh noted discussions with faith leaders had been “very difficult” as he marked July as the earliest possible date for a return to communal worship.

“We need to recognise that some form of collective or public worship is happening pretty much everywhere else apart from the United Kingdom and I think we just need to be ready by 4 July, in terms of having the guidance ready to go,” Lord Greenhalgh said.

“It’s also been stated by a number of faith leaders that some places of worship are cathedrals and others are slightly smaller places and therefore the guidance needs to be flexible with the fact that a place of worship is not the same.

“We’ve got cathedrals and very small places, and therefore the actual decision about when a place is safe is down to not the government but its the places of worship themselves.”