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Jobs at risk as Exeter Cathedral faces £800k shortfall

Rebecca Thorn

BBC News Online

Exeter Cathedral
Google

The Dean of Exeter has said some jobs will be lost at Exeter Cathedral due to a shortfall in income of £800,000 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Very Reverend Jonathan Greener said it was "a catastrophic vast amount of money" to lose.

"Suddenly we have this great hole we are trying to fill in," he said.

The cathedral will reopen its doors to the public on Monday for private individual prayer.

It costs £5,000 a day to run and extensive restoration work is still required on the building.

The dean said it was the first time in its 1,000-year history that the cathedral had to be shut in peace time, prompting the cathedral to launch a fundraising appeal.

He said: "It is a very difficult time for everyone. We need help to keep going through these tough times."

Devon and Cornwall given £5m for test and trace service

Rebecca Thorn

BBC News Online

Devon and Cornwall will receive more than £5m in total to fund a test and trace service for coronavirus, the government has announced.

Cornwall will be given £2,387,297 to track the spread of the virus, with Devon allocated a slightly higher sum of £2,618,508.

The money is part of a total £300m allocated to local authorities across England.

The government said it would help local communities to develop "action plans" against the spread of coronavirus, adding authorities would need to ensure "high-risk locations" were targeted by the system.

Contact tracing in England began on 28 May, with the latest figures showing 31,000 close contacts of people with coronavirus were identified in its first week.

Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government, Simon Clarke, said: "Councils are playing a hugely important role in our national efforts to respond to the virus, and this includes test and trace services.

"This £300m of funding is on top of the unprecedented £3.2bn package of support we have provided to councils to ensure they have what they need to tackle the virus and respond to the immediate pressures they have told us they are facing."

Large queues as shoppers return to high streets

Shoppers in Brighton were eager to return as non-essential stores reopened for the first time in three months due to coronavirus.

Large queues snaked round the corner of a branch of Primark in the East Sussex city centre this morning.

Shoppers queue
BBC

Primark is reopening all of its 153 stores in England but said there would not be any special discounting.

Social distancing markers have been put in place outside the Brighton store to ensure customers' safety.

With non-essential shops reopening for the first time in months, Boris Johnson has urged people to "shop with confidence".

Shoppers queue
BBC

Free face coverings handed out at Vauxhall Station

One place where face coverings are being handed out on the London Tube network is Vauxhall Station.

A table of free masks has been set up outside the south London station, with leaflets advising commuters on how to make their own face coverings.

A Transport for London (TfL) staff member monitoring the distribution of masks said members of the public were being reminded to only take one at a time.

He said the majority of travellers were already wearing face coverings before they entered the station.

The masks will be given out until 11:00, he added, while another team is expected to hand them out during evening commute times.

Cambridge win virtual Boat Race

Cambridge beat Oxford to win the first virtual Boat Race, with both teams competing on rowing machines at home.

Each team of eight collectively rowed 6.8km to raise money for Cambridge-based sport inclusion charity Power2Inspire.

The annual Boat Race between the university rivals was due to take place on the River Thames in London on 29 March, but the event was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Three-time Olympic champion Pete Reed, who was paralysed from the chest down after a spinal stroke in 2019, competed for Oxford.

Reed was joined by Paralympic champion Grace Clough and world champion Oliver Cook, while Olympic champion Tom Ransley was part of the Cambridge team.

Retailers set to welcome back customers after three months

Shops in England selling non-essential goods can reopen today for the first time in almost three months.

john lewis
John Lewis

While food shops, pharmacies and other essential retailers have been open throughout lockdown, non-essential stores have been locked since 23 March.

This includes retailers offering clothes, toys, books and electronics - as well as record shops, tailors, auction houses, photography studios and indoor markets.

The government says they must meet Covid-19 guidelines to keep shoppers and workers safe, but Boris Johnson has urged people to "shop with confidence".

He said he was "very optimistic" about stores reopening - although acknowledged that retailers did not know whether there will be a "huge wave of customers" or a "trickle".

Earlier this morning queues were already building outside Primark in Lincoln's High Street, with the first person joining the line at 05:00.

queue outside primark
BBC

The unlocking comes as face coverings become compulsory when travelling on public transport in England from Monday. Children under the age of 11 will be exempt, and the rules might be waived for people who have a legitimate health reason for not wearing one.

However, face coverings in shops will not be mandatory, with retailers hoping their introduction of an array of other safety measures will be sufficient.

Measures in place at Covent Garden and Spitalfields

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Two of London's famous retail areas are reopening today although with special measures in place to help social distancing.

Half of stalls will reopen at Spitalfields market when trade begins there from 10:00.

Shoppers will find a one-way system in place, floor markings and perspex screens.

A one-way system will also be in use at Covent Garden where a 10m high rainbow balloon is being flown to welcome people back after three months in lockdown.

Queues form as non-essential shops start to reopen

Shoppers have begun queuing outside one clothing store in Hull this morning as non-essential shops begin to reopen for the first time in three months.

queue outside Primark in Hull
BBC

About 40 people were were waiting outside Primark, in Carr Lane, before it was due to open at 09:00.

The fashion chain is one of a number of shops reopening today across England.