Portrait of the week: Mixed messages on masks, protests in Cuba and good news for pandas

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England expects everyone to wear masks in crowded places, Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, said in a televised address, even though the law requiring it was to be dropped on 19 July. He said: ‘We’re removing the government instruction to work from home where you can but we don’t expect that the whole country will return to their desk as one from Monday.’ He added that the ‘single most crucial thing’ people could do was to get vaccinated. He declared it ‘a matter of social responsibility’ for nightclubs and other venues to demand a Covid pass, proving vaccination or a recent negative test, to allow entry. The Night Time Industries Association resented being used as a cat’s paw. Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, asked Transport for London to make the wearing of face coverings a condition of carriage. Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, told MPs that when the House returned from the summer recess that begins on 22 July, it would be physically.

In the seven days up to the beginning of the week, 192 people had died with coronavirus, bringing the total of deaths (within 28 days of testing positive) to 128,399. By the beginning of the week, 65.6 per cent of the adult population had received two doses of vaccine; 86.9 per cent a first dose. The daily number of cases detected by tests rose from 24,885 to 32,367 in a week (and was expected to rise more), and the number remaining in hospital rose from 1,916 to 2,731.

England was beaten by Italy on penalties in the final of the Euro 2020 championship, watched on television by up to 30.95 million people. A large number of drunken fans broke into the ground, some occupying seats reserved for Italy supporters; 19 police were injured and 45 people arrested.