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Day 76: Key points from today's conference

Posted on May 2020 By Aaron Liffen

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Today's daily government coronavirus conference was led by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, who was joined by England's deputy chief medical officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam.

Key points to take away from today's speech are:

  • The UK recorded 215 deaths from coronavirus in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of deaths in all settings to 38,376

  • The level of testing is staying "very" steady, at around 120,000 tests a day, says Van-Tam.


  • Competitive sport will be allowed behind closed doors in England from 1 June, paving the way for the first live action in almost three months.

  • "I can now make it official: football is coming back,” says Oliver Dowden

  • Premier League set to resume on 17 June, with tennis, horse racing, F1, cricket, golf, rugby and snooker also given the green light.

  • Professional sport resuming behind closed doors will not have “a meaningful effect” on the R rate, says Van-Tam

  • People in England will be able to exercise outside with up to five others from different households from Monday

  • That means small groups of sport teams can resume fitness sessions, but contact sessions remain banned

  • When a journalist raises and asks whether people in authority should follow the rules, Van-Tam says the rules have "always been clear" and apply to all.

To read a brief summary of last night's points and important measures click here.