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Thousands flock to Bournemouth beach in UK despite coronavirus fears

The West Australian
People pack Bournemouth beach on the UK’s hottest day of the year so far, after an easing of coronavirus restrictions.
Camera IconPeople pack Bournemouth beach on the UK’s hottest day of the year so far, after an easing of coronavirus restrictions. Credit: Andrew Matthews/AP

Thousands of people have flocked to a popular beach in the UK despite warnings of a second coronavirus wave.

The sand was barely visible at Bournemouth beach in England’s south on Wednesday, as temperatures in the country soared.

The Met Office said it was the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures hitting 32.6 degrees at Heathrow.

It comes as health bodies in the UK warn a second wave of coronavirus is a real risk, as the government plans to lift many restrictions from July 4 to help an economy facing the deepest contraction in three centuries.

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People are seen on the beach on the hottest day of the year, after an easing of social restrictions due to coronavirus, in Bournemouth, England.
Camera IconPeople are seen on the beach on the hottest day of the year, after an easing of social restrictions due to coronavirus, in Bournemouth, England. Credit: Andrew Matthews/AP

The United Kingdom has one of the world’s highest death tolls from COVID-19 but infections have fallen.

“While the future shape of the pandemic in the UK is hard to predict, the available evidence indicates that local flare-ups are increasingly likely and a second wave a real risk,” the medics said in a letter in the British Medical Journal.

European countries emerging from painful shutdowns are nervously watching a new outbreak at a meat-packing plant in Germany, where two municipalities have regressed to lockdown.

A man dives into water in the London Docklands, in front of the skyline of Canary Wharf, during what is thought to be England's off hottest day of the year so far.
Camera IconA man dives into water in the London Docklands, in front of the skyline of Canary Wharf, during what is thought to be England's off hottest day of the year so far. Credit: Victoria Jones/AP

The medics’ letter called for a review focusing on “areas of weakness” to prevent a second wave.

In response, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said authorities would continue to guarantee resources for health and care services while working closely with the National Health Service to prepare for the northern winter.

The death toll in the United Kingdom from confirmed cases of the new coronavirus rose to 43,081, an increase of 154 from a day earlier, the government said on Wednesday.

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