COVID-19 deaths hit 50k in England, Wales

The number of deaths in England and Wales that have seen COVID-19 mentioned on the death certificate has passed the 50,000 mark, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics, or ONS.

On the same day, new rules about the wearing of face masks in shops were announced, government statistics revealed that between Dec 28 and July 3, 50,548 deaths involving novel coronavirus were registered in England and Wales.

In addition, a new report from the Academy of Medical Sciences, commissioned by Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific adviser, has warned a second wave of novel coronavirus infections could see the death toll rise to 120,000 by next summer, in a "reasonable worst-case scenario", with a peak coming in January and February.

The announcements came at the same time as new guidelines on face masks were revealed, marking a sharp about-turn in government policy from just 48 hours earlier.

On Sunday, senior Cabinet minister Michael Gove told the BBC that he would "encourage" people to wear face masks in places such as shops, and that it would be "basic good manners, courtesy and consideration" to wear one, but he did not think they should be made compulsory.

But two days later, the government announced that, in addition to public transport, where they are already required, it would now be compulsory to wear face coverings in shops.

However, this rule does not come in until July 24, which will be 48 days after the most recent World Health Organization guidelines on mask wearing were updated.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Parliament that the enforcement of mask wearing "is of course a last resort" and said he expected the public to comply with these rules.

"The liability for wearing a face covering lies with the individual," he continued. "Police have formal enforcement powers and can issue a fine."

Metropolitan Police Federation Chairman Ken Marsh said shopkeepers would need to take responsibility as it would be impossible for the police to enforce the rule.

"They can quite easily put signs up on their doors: 'No mask on, no entry, this is private property'," he told the BBC Todayprogram.

Labour MP Ben Bradshaw called the government response "a total shambles".

"Five months into the pandemic, well beyond the first peak, they make face masks compulsory now, when most other countries have mandated them in enclosed public spaces for months," he tweeted.

Rachel McCloy, an associate professor in applied behavioral science at the University of Reading, told the Guardian that a clear, simple message about mask-wearing could make a huge difference to how effective the move is.

"Based on the current evidence base, wearing masks in situations where we cannot easily adhere to strict social distancing is a vital part of our efforts to avoid a second wave of COVID-19," she said.

"Other countries around the world have been very successful in adopting masks, and there is no reason why, with clear policies and consistent messaging from the government that the UK cannot show similar levels of success."

The economic recovery is also off to a slower start than expected, as in May, the easing of lockdown saw monthly growth of just 1.8 percent, rather than the hoped-for figure of around 5 percent.

Overall, the UK economy is now 24.5 percent smaller than it was in February, largely down to a record slump of 20.4 percent in April, and the ONS said it remained "in the doldrums".

Chancellor of the Exchequer  Rishi Sunak said the figures "underline the scale of the challenge we face", which was why he was committing so much money to "significant and targeted support to put people's livelihoods at the center of our national renewal".

Frances O'Grady, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, said more than just one-off job retention measures would be needed to avoid mass unemployment and the damaging consequences.

"The more people we have in decent work, the faster we can move out of recession," she said.

The Northern English town of Blackburn could be the latest to subject to a localized lockdown after mass testing began following an outbreak of 61 new cases within a week.

Residents of the East Midlands city of Leicester will find out on Thursday if their local measures are to be relaxed or maintained.