That's us for another day.

We'll end our live coverage with this tranquil shot of Murlough Beach in County Down from Michael Wilgress.

Thank you all for your company today.

Stay with the BBC News website for the rest of the day, and we'll be back with more developments on our coronavirus live page in the morning.

Bye for now.

Image source, Michael Willgress

The Irish government has changed its unemployment benefit rules following controversy over checks at airports which resulted in about 2,500 people losing welfare support.

Under new rules, claimants in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) and Jobseekers' Allowance will no longer lose the benefits if they travel abroad to one of 15 destinations on the government's "green list".

The green list , externalrefers to a selection of locations from which travellers are exempt from the Republic of Ireland's 14-day quarantine rule.

The €350 (£317) weekly Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced in March for all workers in the Republic of Ireland who had lost their jobs or were temporarily laid off as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.

Image source, PA Media

After criticism of holidaymakers' benefits status being checked at airports, Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys said she will sign a regulation allowing PUP and Jobseeker's Allowance claimants to travel to green list countries without losing payment.

She has also ordered a review of all the cases where claimants lost their unemployment benefits after going on holiday and said her department could have communicated more effectively on the issue.

However, Minister Humphreys added that more than 90% of PUP recipients whose claims had been stopped were people who are no longer resident in the state.

PUP claimants going to locations outside the green list (with the exception of Northern Ireland) have been advised they can only travel for "essential reasons" such as a bereavement or a health issue, and must notify the welfare authorities.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has welcomed news of a UK government deal to secure early access to 60 million experimental coronavirus treatments.

It is the fourth such deal signed by the UK government, with this treatment being developed by GSK and Sanofi.

"While there are no guarantees, this deal demonstrates the UK Government's continuing commitment to doing everything it can to boost our chances of finding an effective vaccine which will safeguard public health in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK," he said.

Image source, EPA

There are currently five people in hospital in Northern Ireland with a confirmed diagnosis of Covid-19, and two of those patients are being treated in intensive care.

The statistics were released on the Department of Health's daily dashboard , externalwhich tracks the spread of the disease in Northern Ireland as well as providing a picture of how health and social care services are coping.

There are five "active" coronavirus outbreaks in care homes in Northern Ireland and a further seven "suspected" outbreaks.

An active outbreak is declared in a care home when a resident or staff member has a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of Covid-19.

A suspected outbreak is recorded when a resident or a member of staff reports Covid-19 having symptoms, such as a high temperature or a new, continuous cough, but has not yet received their test result.

Image source, PA Media

A gig used to trial safety measures for the return of live music "did not succeed" in providing a blueprint for the industry, according to the manager of the venue that hosted the event.

Folk rocker Frank Turner played to a socially-distanced audience at London's Clapham Grand on Tuesday.

Only 200 people attended, compared to the venue's normal capacity of 1,250.

Venue manager Ally Wolf said the government-backed pilot was not financially viable for venues.

"It can't be the future for live music, it can't be the future for venues," he said, noting that the show did not make enough money to cover the venue's operating costs, even before the performer's fee was taken into account.

Live music in the UK has been almost completely cancelled since March, due to the lockdown and social-distancing regulations.

Fraudsters are using the pandemic as an excuse to trick people out of their cash, according to British banks.

UK Finance has warned that scamsters are preying on consumers' financial fears and has named ten Covid-19 scams the public should be wary of.

Here is their list of some of the fraudulent schemes to watch out for:

1. Fake government emails offering grants of up to £7,500. Clicking on the links allows scammers to steal personal and financial information

2. Scam emails offering access to "Covid-19 relief funds"

3. Official-looking emails offering a "council tax reduction"

4. Benefit recipients are offered help in applying for universal credit, but fraudsters grab some of the payment as an advance for their "services"

5. Phishing emails claiming that the recipient has been in contact with someone diagnosed with Covid-19

6. Fake adverts for non-existent coronavirus-related products

7. Fake emails and texts claiming to be from TV Licensing, offering six months free but asking people to update their payment information

8. Emails asking people to update their TV subscription services payment details by clicking on a link

9. Fake profiles on social media sites are used to manipulate victims into handing over their money

10. Fake investment opportunities are advertised on social media sites, encouraging victims to "take advantage of the financial downturn"

There have been nine new confirmed cases of Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed positive cases in Northern Ireland to 5,930.

There have been no Covid-19 related deaths recorded by the Department of Health in the past 24 hours, which means its death toll remains at 556.

The department’s daily figures are mostly comprised of hospital deaths, where a patient had previously tested positive for the virus.

Two patients with Covid-19 are currently being treated in intensive care in a Northern Ireland hospital.

NI’s Education Minister says the return of all pupils to schools here at the start of the new term is achievable.

Peter Weir said he hopes to take a paper to the Executive to get agreement on the issue very soon though he said there'll still be a range of safety measures necessary in schools.

He has been facing growing pressure to set out a comprehensive plan detailing how a safe return to classrooms can be achieved.

On Tuesday Mr Weir said there was no extra money in the education budget to help schools do that.

Justin McCamphill of the National Association of Schoolmaster and Women Teachers (NASUWT) told the BBC how the return of pupils is to be funded is a “massive issue”.

Schools, he said, will need to prepare a number of different approaches as pupils get ready to return to school in September.

Schools are due to reopen here on a phased basis from 24 August.

On Monday two Stormont departments announced funding of £11m to support villages, towns and city centres recovering from the pandemic.

The £10m Department for Communities (DfC) Capital Covid-19 Recovery Revitalisation Scheme will be used to boost more urban areas.

A further £1m is coming from the Dept of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and will support smaller towns and villages.

An initial £6m has been released to the 11 councils, with the further £5m to be issued later this year.

Almost £1m has been allocated to the north west.

Derry City and Strabane District Council says the money will be used for initiatives that will help make the city and town centres more accessible and user-friendly.

Plans include new street furniture, pedestrianising some streets and the creation of more green spaces.

It will also assist businesses in restoring customer confidence to entice shoppers and visitors back following the pandemic, the council says.

Local businesses can apply for a grant of up to £3000 from the council.

“This government intervention is hugely important in helping our city and town centres readapt to a new way of working,” Derry’s Mayor Brian Tierney says.

Image source, reuters

A commonly used anti-arthritis drug could help keep Covid-19 patients from needing treatment on a mechanical ventilator, University College Dublin research suggests.

In a study undertaken by UCD's School of Medicine,, external six critically ill patients were discharged from hospital within a week after being administered tocilizumab.

Dr Cormac McCarthy, said the findings, published in the medical journal Respirology, suggests that “treatment with tocilizumab in the pre-ICU setting where patients are critically unwell may avoid the need for mechanical ventilation and may deliver a favourable outcome".

“However, there should be caution in interpreting these results due to a number of considerations, including the small cohort of patients, the patient group being relatively young, and the absence of an appropriately matched control group."

A wider trial is now under way.

Michelle Roberts
Health editor, BBC News online

Some countries, such as Iceland, offer travellers a choice on arrival if they have stayed in areas with high virus levels. Anyone entering must either self-quarantine for 14 days or get tested for Covid-19.

And Germany is planning compulsory tests at its airports for anyone arriving from a high-risk country.

At the moment,the UK says it has no plans to introduce testing at airports, saying it is not just logistically difficult but risks missing some cases of coronavirus.

Nose or throat swab tests are safe and accurate, but can sometimes give a false negative result.

"This is concerning as a negative test result may give people a false sense of security," said Dr Joshua Moon from the University of Sussex Business School.

Earlier, the boss of Heathrow told the BBC that airports should be allowed to test for coronavirus to avoid the "cliff edge" of quarantine.

We have more about what he had to say here.

Image source, EPA

The European director of the World Health Organization (WHO) has told the BBC a rising number of infections among young people could be behind recent spikes in European coronavirus cases.

Dr Hans Kluge said better communication was needed with young people.

"An increasing number of countries are experiencing localised outbreaks and a resurge in cases. What we do know, is that it's a consequence of change in human behaviour," he said.

"We're receiving reports from several health authorities of a higher proportion of new infections among young people. So for me, the call is loud enough to rethink how to better involve young people."

As a father of two daughters, Dr Kluge said he understood that young people "do not want to miss the summer".

But they have “a responsibility towards themselves, their parents, grandparents and their communities and we do know, now, how to adopt good healthy behaviours so let's take advantage of the knowledge," he added.

Image source, PA Media

A multimillion pound Covid-19 fund for charities facing financial difficulties due to the pandemic will reopen for applications on Monday (3 August), says Communities Minister Carál Ní Chuilín.

It initially launched in June to provide financial support to charities which have lost income due to the impact of Covid-19 and are unable to cover unavoidable costs until 30 September 2020.

The programme will provide up to £75,000 for eligible organisations and be administered on behalf of the Department for Communities by The National Lottery Community Fund.

Minister Ní Chuilín says the fund will reopen for a further three weeks from Monday to “ensure more groups have the opportunity to apply and I would encourage all organisations including small and grassroot groups to apply to the fund".

“It is really important that we help those who helped us during this global pandemic,” she says.

Image source, PA Media

Closing the government scheme which is paying furloughed workers' wages is a "mistake", an economic research group has said.

It could push unemployment to 10% this year, the research suggests.

The latest furlough figures show 9.5 million people are using the scheme, external, the same as a week ago, and at a total cost of £31.7bn to the Treasury.

But those figures are likely to drop quickly, says the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR).

"The planned closure of the furlough seems to be a mistake, motivated by an understandable desire to limit spending," said Garry Young, NIESR deputy director.

Read more here

Image source, PA Media

The boss of Heathrow has called for airports to be allowed to test for coronavirus to avoid the "cliff edge" of quarantine.

John Holland-Kaye told the BBC the changes to travel guidance over Spain showed the need for an alternative.

He said he wanted the government to work with the airport.

But Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden told the BBC that because the virus could develop over time, testing was not a "silver bullet".

Mr Holland-Kaye said the passenger would be expected to pay the cost of each test, which would be about £150 if conducted at the airport.

He acknowledged it is "not cheap".

But he said there would be those prepared to stand that cost: "There are people who are worried about being able to go back to work or get the kids into school, there will be people who are prepared to pay that to avoid the extra period of quarantine."

Read more on this story here

Image source, PA Media

The UK government has signed a fourth coronavirus vaccine deal, securing up to 60 million doses of an experimental treatment being developed by drug giants GSK and Sanofi.

The government has already signed up for 100 million doses of the Oxford University vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca.

It has also secured another 90 million doses of two other promising vaccines.

However, it is still uncertain which, if any, of the vaccines may work.

Governments around the world have pledged billions of dollars for a Covid-19 vaccine and a number of pharmaceutical firms are in a race to develop and test potential drugs.

Read more here

The national coordinator of Culture Night in the Republic of Ireland says it has "been a challenge" re-imagining the event for 2020.

Aimée Van Wylick told RTÉ there will be a mix of online and offline events on 18 September, rather than the usual celebrations.

She said 140 venues in Dublin are registered to take part with about 30% of them open for visitors.

Image source, Culture Night

The Cathedral Quarter Trust, which is behind Culture Night Belfast, previously cancelled its 2020 festivities, but says it is exploring ways to mark the day, including an "online celebration".

Ms Van Wylick says an online experience cannot compare to live events, but adds it is important to support the arts sector during these difficult times.

Image source, Reuters

Theatres in Northern Ireland had been given an indicative reopening date of today - 29 July - but that date - according to the Department for Communities - was never confirmed.

But how prepared are they for whenever they can reopen?

Ian Barr, manager of the Waterside Theatre in Derry, hopes to open in September.

The organisation applied for emergency funding from the Arts Council but won’t know if they have been successful until 31 July.

He said the theatre can stay afloat, adding: "We can survive to the end of this financial year, what happens next year we’re not sure.”

He said with 1m social distancing measures, only 30-40% of audiences can return adding: "The long-term future for the arts sector is still very much in doubt”.

Earlier this month, it was announced that Northern Ireland would receive £33m as part of a UK government support package for arts venues.

Sophie Hayles, Chief Executive of the Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast, said the financial implications of closure were "significant".

“The Crescent, on a normal weekday evening, pre-Covid, was home to around 800 people in and out of our Victorian building," she told Good Morning Ulster.

“Social distancing measure are challenging and our financial model doesn’t work anymore. Our earned income in the last financial year was over £650,000. In the first quarter of this year, we’re looking at a loss of around £150,000."

The Department for Communities said the executive would consider reopening of theatres as part of the wider review of the current restrictions.

"It is expected that it will be some time before they can operate as normal and further guidance in relation to live performance particularly in relation to singing is being developed.”

Volunteers have played a huge role during the fight against coronavirus here.

Some 4,000 people in Northern Ireland registered in a campaign launched for those who wanted to do their bit during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In Strabane, the efforts of more than 80 volunteers have been recognised by The Kathleen Graham Trust , which has been working to support front-line key workers and people in need during the pandemic.

Eighty-nine people are to share £4,450 of gift vouchers.

Image source, PA Media

"We've been so inspired by the work being done on the ground that the trust wanted to acknowledge the contribution of the local volunteers who have had such an essential role in recent months,” Caroline Clarke, one of the trust’s trustees said.

“The vouchers will be given to 89 of the volunteers who have been engaged on the projects the trust has been funding as a massive thank you for their selfless work”.

The volunteers will receive their vouchers at a reception hosted by Derry and Strabane District Council on 4 August.

Schools here need more money to ensure pupils are protected from Covid-19 when they reopen, a teaching union has warned.

Justin McCamphill of the National Association of Schoolmaster and Women Teachers (NASUWT) says NI should be looking at the example of countries like Denmark and Finland where pupils are now back in school.

“They have done it by implementing social distancing and by actually providing more teachers in schools to allow smaller classes,” he tells Good Morning Ulster.

“That’s the only way it can be done”.

Image source, PA Media

To do that, more government funds need to be allocated to the education sector, he adds.

He says NI is “not yet at the stage where we have beaten this virus”.

The real danger, he says, is that if a return to school is not done right, “we will be back to schools being closed”.

“We also must remember we could be facing into a second wave and schools have to have a Plan C and that will probably involve going back to a blended learning model,” he adds.