#Level3 Definitely more vehicles on the road than in previous weeks. More taxis on the road in parts of northern Johannesburg. More urgency. (@SheldonMorais)

— Team News24 (@TeamNews24) June 1, 2020

The association taking the government to court over the tobacco ban has accused it of inflating the number of people who supported the ban and using literature that does not show the link between cigarette smoking and the Covid-19 coronavirus.

Coronavirus morning update: Schools latest - pupils back June 8, timelines 'were unrealistic'

Your latest coronavirus news: Schools will reopen on 1 June, but pupils will only return from 8 June; while Sadtu says the timelines for reopening were always "unrealistic".

South Africa has recorded another 40 coronavirus deaths, taking the fatalities to 683 as the total number of infections rise to 32 683, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said in his daily update on Sunday.

TALKING POINT | Back to school for Western Cape pupils

The reopening of schools for grade 7 and 12 pupils has been pushed back by a week to June 8, the basic education department announced on Sunday evening. However, schools in the Western Cape will be ready to start teaching from Monday, June 1.

• Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga cancelled a much anticipated briefing for Sunday on the state of schools' readiness to reopen
• The has been a delay of personal protective equipment for pupils
• Some schools had not been adequately prepared for the return of pupils and teachers
• From Monday, school staff will arrive to prepare for the reopening of schools
• The coming week must be used for the proper orientation and training of teachers and supply chain matters must be resolved
• Meanwhile, Western Cape Education MEC Debbie Schäfer said schools in the province would be opening on Monday
• She says learner transport has been arranged and schools have also made preparations for the provision of school meals
• This week will be used to orientate pupils into the new Covid-19 safety and learning environment

COMING UP THIS WEEK | Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga will update the country at 11:00 on Monday about the departments plans for schools to start teaching.

Here is a list of some of our top news of the day - in tweets

Scientists advised Cabinet to go to Level 1, govt chose middle ground - Ramaphosa | @QaanitahHunter https://t.co/c7gMcz65kb

— News24 (@News24) May 31, 2020

President Cyril Ramaphosa has admitted that the country's hospitals still need thousands of ICU beds to deal with the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak | @AdriaanBasson https://t.co/awQfKdkV5G

— News24 (@News24) May 31, 2020

'We are all trained in hygiene': Hairdressers strike back at lockdown rules | @Fin24 https://t.co/gI6PIghrQb pic.twitter.com/UV32Bi1OOg

— News24 (@News24) May 31, 2020

A Bo-Kaap mother expanded her yearly soup kitchen during Ramadan to help feed more than 1 000 people in Cape Town during the lockdown | @pejames https://t.co/r8ScQaiBax

— News24 (@News24) May 31, 2020

Hiking and game drives are legal on Monday – but only two national parks will be opening | @BISouthAfrica https://t.co/Zs150mFlUN pic.twitter.com/byOQ0Rya1B

— News24 (@News24) May 31, 2020

A look at what is making international headlines:

George Floyd protesters: 'We don't need a curfew, we need change':  Undeterred by curfew and National Guard, Minneapolis protesters took to the street with one simple demand 'all cops involved in George Floyd's death be charged'.

Backlash against Trump exiting WHO as world virus cases top 6 million: US President Donald Trump faced a broad backlashover severing ties with the UN's health agency during a pandemic, as coronavirus cases worldwide topped 6 million and infections surged in Latin America.

Hundreds of schools in South Korea reopened, only to close again: An uptick in coronavirus cases forced South Korea to close hundreds of schools that had reopened only days earlier, and delay others from welcoming back students.

Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem reopens after two months: Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound, Islam's third holiest site, reopened on Sunday after being closed for over two months because of the coronavirus pandemic.

One in 8 museums in the world may never reopen due to the coronavirus pandemic: Unesco and the International Council of Museums report that nearly 13% of museums around the world - an estimated 1 in 8 museums - may never reopen.

US astronauts enter space station in milestone mission: NASA astronauts entered the International Space Station on Sunday after a landmark 19-hour journey on the first crewed US spacecraft in nearly a decade, a triumph for SpaceX and private enterprise.

FACES OF LOCKDOWN | The coronavirus has locked down our nation and its people. News24 speaks to ordinary South Africans, to find out how they are living through the pandemic. We bring you their stories.

- Compiled by Adiel Ismail

South Africa has recorded 40 more coronavirus-related deaths on Sunday, according to Health Minister Zweli Mhkize.

The cumulative number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in South Africa is 32 683, with 1 716 new cases reported from the last 24 hour testing cycle.

A total of 725 125 tests have been processed cumulatively of which 23 242 tests have been conducted since the last report.

The recoveries to date are 16 809 translates to a recovery rate of 51.4%.

Western Cape schools to open on Monday as DBE announces a week delay

All grade 7 and 12 pupils will have to report back to school on Monday, 8 June 2020, the department of basic education said in a statement on Sunday night. However, some Western Cape schools will be open to receive learners from Monday, I June.

This followed meetings with the Council of Education Minister (CEM), where the Heads of Education Departments Committee (HEDCOM), also presented its technical report. 

"All three reports converged on the fact that a substantial number of schools would not be ready for the reopening tomorrow, albeit tremendous progress had been made by most provinces, which overall reflected 80% state of readiness," said spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga.

The Council was concerned that, in some provinces personal protective equipment for learners in particular, had not been received; and some schools had not been made ready for the arrival of teachers and learners.

The Council decided to have schools to continue to reopen on 1 June 2020, but with school management teams, teachers and non-teaching staff only arriving to prepare for the arrival of learners. 

"Provincial and district officials should ensure that health, safety, and social distancing requirements, are strictly adhered to when teachers arrive.

"This whole coming week must be used for the proper orientation and training of teachers, the mopping and ramping of all supply chain matters, and final touches to the readiness of each facility for the arrival of learners."

However, Western Cape schools will be open to receive learners tomorrow, said Western Cape education MEC Debbie Schafer.

"Whilst we are aware of the many anxieties surrounding Covid-19, keeping schools closed indefinitely is not going to resolve them," said Schafer.

"We shall accordingly be open for learners tomorrow. The week will be used primarily for the orientation of learners into the new Covid-19 safety and learning environment."

Schafer said there will also be some schools that do not receive learners tomorrow, either because they are not at a suitable state of readiness in terms of safety protocols, or they are closed for cleaning if there has been a confirmed case of Covid-19 at the school.

"These schools will communicate with their staff members and parents of learners in this regard."

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has postponed her address on the state of readiness of schools to reopen. This comes as Grade 7 and 12s are expected to return to school on Monday.

There has been widespread opposition from unions to the reopening of schools.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has rescheduled a much anticipated briefing on the state of schools' readiness to reopen, amid ongoing consultations | @Sesona_Ngqaks https://t.co/Srm8UPsjO8

— News24 (@News24) May 31, 2020

Shortage of ICU beds is SA's biggest challenge, says Ramaphosa

South Africa's foremost editors interviewed President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday about on the coronavirus pandemic.

Ramaphosa thanked the media for their "indispensable" contribution in the fight against Covid-19.

He said the media has helped to inform and empower the people of the country, stimulated public debate and also held those in government to account.

Here are 9 takeouts from the meeting:

ICU beds: This is the big challenge. We have sought to use the lockdown period to ramp up the number of ICU beds. 25 000 ICU beds is quite a lot and I would like our minister to focus more on the establishment of these beds.

The Covid-19 distress fund: Our current plan is that this will only last for about 6 months. From a fiscal point of view, we are in a serious situation. The R500 billion support package has been crafted to help us during this disaster but we do need measures to be implemented well into the future.

The World Health Organisation's handling of the pandemic: I am on of the leaders in the world who is happy with the work of the WHO. The organisation has to be at the centre of this global health response, they need to b strengthened and it is for this reason that I have also participated in raising funds for the WHO.

The Medical Advisory Committee: I am in also full support of the MAC that Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has set up. They have been doing a fantastic job in guiding us. Diverse views in a group of over 50 professionals is to be expected - and I welcome this.

"What we are doing, and I want to reiterate this, is that we are guided by science. None of us is flying by the seat of our political thoughts. It is guided by science." 

On the issue of contradictory communication: I have been saying to the ministers let us make sure that our communication is clear, direct and that we not contradict or misinterpret our regulations.

Cigarettes ban: The change to keep the ban on cigarettes came about as a result of a flurry of concerns and objections raised by a number of South Africans after it was announced that tobacco products will be sold. Ramaphosa admits that he should have been the one to communicate the change in the decision.

Opening up the economy: The decision to ease restrictions were informed by advice from scientists who indicated that keeping a hard lockdown in place would become ineffective. 

The National Health Insurance: The coronavirus pandemic is serving to test how the NHI system can work in the country. "We are putting in place the pillars of an NHI we can be proud of".

Medical supplies: A huge platform is being built to procure diagnostic and therapeutic medical supplies through a central procurement process for the whole continent. Businessman Strive Masiyiwa has been appointed as an envoy to look for supplies for the continent. China will give Africa 30 million test kits per month, as well as 10 000 ventilators and 80 million masks.

Motshekga to address nation after meeting with unions, who insist schools not ready for reopening

Education unions met with Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga on Saturday in a bid to convince her that despite her announcement that the phased reopening of schools would commence on Monday, the education system was simply not ready to do so in its current state.

'They just refused to touch me': Patient claims being mistreated by nurses while in quarantine

Sylvia Segers, 61, alleges she was mistreated by staff at Helen Joseph Hospital in Johannesburg while in quarantine awaiting her Covid-19 results.

'We are all trained in hygiene': Hairdressers strike back at lockdown rules

Hair salon owners are struggling to understand why they are not allowed to operate under lockdown, saying they are arguably among the most hygienic industries, sticking to strict health and safety protocols already. If they can't start operating soon, they're worried about having to close their doors permanently and let staff go, some of which support extended family members.

OPINION | Catholic priest: Why it's wrong to open our churches on Monday

Is it responsible to allow religious gatherings during Level 3 lockdown? This church leader says no. There are safer ways to provide people with spiritual support during the Covid-19 epidemic, writes Father Russell Pollitt for Bhekisisa.