Covid-19 intensive care numbers on the rise, warns French health minister
Jordan Kelly-Linden
·32-min read
French Health Minister Olivier Veran wears a protective face mask - CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter ..
04:29 PM
Today in coronavirus news
That's all from me today. Here's Saturday's top headlines:
The UK recorded 1,813 new infections on Saturday, slightly down from the 1,940 cases that were reported Friday, the highest figure since 30 May.
Authorities are dealing with a raft of cases in which returning British holidaymakers could be breaking the rules in not self-isolating.
Prompts for Civil Service bosses to get the vast majority of staff back into the office have been labelled "virtue signalling" by a union chief.
The UK government will deliver 250,000 clear face masks to frontline NHS and social care workers to help them communicate with people with conditions such as hearing loss and dementia.
An academy in Staffordshire has become the first school to shut down this academic year after a single case of coronavirus.
The EU Commission has taken a step towards developing a common protocol for placing or lifting travel restrictions on its member states. A 'traffic light' system has been approved by commissioners, with hopes that it will do away with blanket travel bans.
France must stay vigilant as more people will be hospitalised in intensive care units in the next two weeks, reflecting a flare-up in Covid-19 infections in recent days, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Saturday.
US states should be prepared to distribute a coronavirus vaccine by November 1 "just in case" one is ready, US Surgeon General Dr Jerome Adams has said. Although the likelihood of having a viable vaccine by then is still slim, say scientists.
Demonstrators in Melbourne clashed with police on Saturday after protesting the city's strict lockdown rules.
India's coronavirus cases crossed 4 million on Saturday, leading the world in new infections and closing in on Brazil's total as the second-highest in the world.
Police respond to thousands of possible UK quarantine flouters
Authorities are dealing with a raft of cases in which returning British holidaymakers could be breaking the rules in not self-isolating, it has been revealed.
The Metropolitan Police has received more than 1,000 “further action” referrals from Border Force officials to perform quarantine checks since the start of August, according to The Guardian.
This occurs when Public Health England is unable to contact members of the public who are supposed to be self-isolating for 14 days upon returning from certain countries.
Officers have visited 840 such individuals in the past month, and plan to contact another 301 holidaymakers who have recently returned to the UK.
It comes as pressure grows on the UK government to use airport testing to cut quarantine, a strategy Telegraph Travel is now campaigning for.
Number 10 has thus far resisted the calls, claiming it would lead to a "false sense of security".
The UK recorded 1,813 new infections on Saturday, slightly down from the 1,940 cases that were reported Friday, the highest figure since 30 May.
According to government data, 12 further people died within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus.
Daily case numbers were about 1,000 a day for most of August, but have started to increase in recent days.
Britain’s testing capacity has also increased since the peak of the first wave earlier this year.
03:58 PM
Teeth whitening boom fuelled by people looking in mirror more during lockdown, dentists reveal
A teeth whitening boom has been fuelled by people spending more time looking in the mirror during lockdown, dentists have revealed.
Self-reflection during months of little contact with others has led to an increase in enquiries about cosmetic dental procedures including fitting for braces and veneers, and procedures to whiten teeth.
The Government said 41,549 people had died in the UK within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Saturday, an increase of 12 on the day before.
Separate figures published by the UK's statistics agencies show there have now been 57,300 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.
The Government also said that as of 9am on Saturday, there had been a further 1,813 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus. Overall, 344,164 cases have been confirmed.
03:25 PM
While you're here... The Telegraph's journalism is free to read this weekend
We're free to read and always have been. But if you want to read beyond the articles published by our award-winning Global Health team, then now is your chance.
"Cautious but reasonable optimism" over Berlusconi's health, doctor says
Italy's former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is in a stable condition two days after being hospitalised with the coronavirus, his doctor said on Saturday.
"This instils cautious but reasonable optimism," Alberto Zangrillo said in a brief statement.
Berlusconi, 83, tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday and was taken to Milan's San Raffaele hospital the following day after developing a slight fever. A subsequent x-ray revealed that he had developed mild pneumonia in both lungs.
Zangrillo, who stirred controversy in May when he said coronavirus was losing its potency, told reporters he had decided to hospitalise Berlusconi as a precautionary measure given his age and previous health problems.
02:23 PM
Coronavirus-induced park closures to become annual events in Thailand
The Thai government plans to close the country’s national parks for months each year, to continue conservation efforts kick-started by lockdown, Emma Beaumont reports.
Environment and natural resources minister, Varawut Silpa-archa, told Bloomberg that the lack of visitors has allowed the country’s mountainous regions and beaches to recover and even led to a return of wildlife including whales and turtles.
He revealed that Thai authorities now plan on closing the parks, which include the popular Koh Phi Phi Islands and Phang Nga Bay for between two and four months at a time each year. Closures will be staggered to limit the fiscal impact – more than 20 million people visited the country’s 100 national parks in 2019, paying more than £52 million in park fees.
Thailand is all too familiar with the dangers of overtourism. Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi Leh was overrun with visitors after it was featured in the Leonardo Dicaprio-starring film, The Beach. It has been closed since June 2018 with experts suggesting the bay’s decimated coral reefs could take up to 40 years to return.
02:02 PM
Northern Ireland reports 118 new cases
There have been 118 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland, according to the Department of Health
While the department's statistical dashboard provides updates on the number of positive test results over the weekend, it does not relay up-to-date information on coronavirus fatalities on Saturdays and Sundays.
The latest death toll reported by the department on Friday stood at 564.
01:39 PM
Welsh toll climbs by one
One person who tested positive for coronavirus in Wales has died, bringing the total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic to 1,597.
Public Health Wales said the total number of cases in the country increased by 77, bringing the revised total of confirmed cases to 18,283.
01:26 PM
England toll rises by eight
A further eight people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals to 29,604, NHS England said on Saturday.
The patients were aged between 56 and 94 and all had known underlying health conditions.
The dates of the deaths ranged from August 31 to September 4, with the majority on or after September 3.
Another two deaths have been reported with no positive Covid-19 test result.
01:11 PM
Number of people hospitalised with Covid-19 rises in France
France must stay vigilant as more people will be hospitalised in intensive care units in the next two weeks, reflecting a flare-up in Covid-19 infections in recent days, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Saturday.
Veran however ruled out the need for a new nationwide lockdown, telling BFM television that France had other means to fight the virus, including testing.
"I cannot envision a general lockdown. The lockdown was a lid on an overflowing cooking pot," he said.
Health authorities on Friday reported 8,975 new confirmed cases, almost 1,500 higher than the previous daily peak of 7,578 on March 31, when France was in one of Europe's strictest coronavirus lockdowns.
The death toll in France stood at 30,686 people as of Friday.
As the rise in infections has mainly affected young people, who are less likely to develop complications, there has so far been less strain on French hospitals, which were almost overwhelmed at the end of March.
But after falling steadily for months after an April 14 peak of 32,292, the number of people hospitalised was up by 28 on Friday to 4,671, rising for a sixth day in a row.
12:51 PM
Where to stay in Greece – the safest regions and places to avoid if you choose to travel
Quarantine-free travel was once again permitted to Greece on July 15. However, following the announcement on August 31 that 16 passengers on a flight from Zante to Cardiff – and several passengers on Zante to Glasgow flights – tested positive for coronavirus, Tui cancelled all holidays to the island's party resort of Laganas, and Scotland reissued a blanket quarantine on all of Greece.
Scotland has now amended this decision and quarantine will only be required for travellers arriving from the six Greek islands of Crete, Mykonos, Zante, Lesvos, Paros and Antiparos, which have all seen a recent spike in coronavirus cases.
If you're just joining us, here are the top headlines of the day...
Prompts for Civil Service bosses to get the vast majority of staff back into the office have been labelled "virtue signalling" by a union chief.
The UK government will deliver 250,000 clear face masks to frontline NHS and social care workers to help them communicate with people with conditions such as hearing loss and dementia.
An academy in Staffordshire has become the first school to shut down this academic year after a single case of coronavirus.
The EU Commission has taken a step towards developing a common protocol for placing or lifting travel restrictions on its member states. A 'traffic light' system has been approved by commissioners, with hopes that it will do away with blanket travel bans.
US states should be prepared to distribute a coronavirus vaccine by November 1 "just in case" one is ready, US Surgeon General Dr Jerome Adams has said. Although the likelihood of having a viable vaccine by then is still slim, say scientists.
Demonstrators in Melbourne clashed with police on Saturday after protesting the city's strict lockdown rules.
India's coronavirus cases crossed 4 million on Saturday, leading the world in new infections and closing in on Brazil's total as the second-highest in the world.
12:16 PM
Why the airline sector is braced for the perfect storm going into winter
In a direct plea to Boris Johnson, Peter Norris, Virgin Group chairman, did not mince his words. “Global demand for air travel has collapsed and major economies around the world are closing their borders.”
Business travel “has been particularly badly affected”, Norris said in a letter to the Prime Minister in March. “Consumer confidence has plummeted at the same time.”
The former Goldman Sachs and Barings investment banker demanded a £7.5bn package of support for airlines but, nearly six months later, such calls for industry-specific support continue to fall on deaf ears.
Yet none of the major UK airlines or airports have failed. Even Virgin Atlantic, which many believed was doomed, has completed a rescue by private investors.
Surgeon general tells US to be ready for Covid-19 vaccine by November "just in case"
US states should be prepared to distribute a coronavirus vaccine by November 1 "just in case" one is ready, US Surgeon General Dr Jerome Adams said.
"We've always said that we are hopeful for a vaccine by the end of this year or beginning of next year," Adams said in an ABC News interview Friday. "That said, it's not just about having a vaccine that is safe and effective – it's about being ready to distribute it."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has asked public health officials in the states to prepare to distribute a coronavirus vaccine by late October or early November.
11:45 AM
Pope set to make first trip since pandemic
Next month Pope Francis will make what would be his first visit outside Rome since Italy was put under lockdown in early March.
The pope is to journey to Assisi, the birthplace in the central Italian region of Umbria of his namesake saint, to sign an authoritative papal letter to clergy and faithful worldwide, the Vatican said Saturday.
The letter is expected to stress the value of brotherly relations during and after the pandemic, a theme Francis evoked repeatedly during the pandemic. Encyclicals lay out a pontiff's views on important issues and usually shape Catholic teaching and policy in the years to come.
"Because of the health situation, it's the desire of the Holy Father that the visit be carried out privately, without any participation by the faithful," a reference to rank-and-file Catholics, the Vatican said.
11:23 AM
Anti-lockdown protests turn violent in Melbourne
Demonstrators in Melbourne clashed with police on Saturday after protesting the city's strict lockdown rules.
Melbourne was put under sudden restrictions when the cases of Covid-19 started climbing, despite months of very few infections.
Protestors gathered across the country in solidarity with Melbourne.
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said to lift the curfew "would be five minutes of sunshine and then a third wave that arguably will be even more devastating than the second."
11:09 AM
'Don’t let fear of Covid plague the freshers’ year of 2020'
Freshers’ flu spikes may feel more threatening than usual this year, but continuing to put a generation’s lives on pause is the bigger risk, writes Charlotte Lytton:
When teenagers become freshers in coming weeks, some of the hallmarks of that rite of passage – few contact teaching hours, a bout of flu-cum-conjunctivitis or two – will still be there. But while the majority of UK universities are planning for a “new normal” intake of adolescents, who are by now half-dazed from the A-Level results fallout and half a year away from formal education, theory and reality may make for uncomfortable bedfellows by the time Mum and Dad’s battered Volvos start descending on campus.
Covid-proofing institutions – including those that house tens of thousands of young people in cramped conditions – is prudent, but no number of hand-sanitising pumps at lecture theatre (or, more realistically, union bar) doors will be barrier enough to prevent inevitable outbreaks.
What universities choose to do when that happens will be the most important next step for a generation already beaten down by grade pandemonium, cancelled end-of-school celebrations and a damp squib of a “summer of freedom” best written off completely.
Read more.
10:50 AM
Half of Virgin Atlantic staff to go in £1.2bn rescue
Virgin Atlantic's job cuts could have been partially averted had a Covid testing regime been put in place earlier this year, according to the airline's boss.
Shai Weiss took the "heartbreaking" decision to axe up to 1,150 extra jobs as Sir Richard Branson's 36-year-old airline completed a £1.2bn rescue.
With more than 3,000 redundancies announced earlier in the year, the fresh wave of job cuts means almost half of the carrier’s pre-pandemic workforce will be axed.
Backing The Telegraph’s Test4Travel campaign, Mr Weiss called for "urgent" action by ministers.
Residents of California have been staging protests against the influx of visitors to Lake Tahoe in recent weeks; scenes that mirror those at Britain's beauty spots as more people than ever opt for a staycation this year.
Tourists have been filling Lake Tahoe over the Labour Day Weekend - David Paul Morris / Bloomberg Kayaks for rent are seen on Pope Beach in South Lake Tahoe - David Paul Morris / Bloomberg
10:09 AM
Clear face masks to be rolled out
The UK government will deliver 250,000 clear face masks to frontline NHS and social care workers to help them communicate with people with conditions such as hearing loss and dementia.
The transparent masks are made from plastic with an anti-fogging barrier, meaning patients will be able to see the mouth of the wearer as they speak.
This will help the millions of people with hearing loss who need to use lip reading to communicate, the Department of Health and Social Care said.
The government has said the masks will be delivered to NHS trusts and social care providers in the next few weeks. All four countries in the UK will receive an allocation of the masks and deliveries have already begun.
09:54 AM
Row breaks out over push for more civil servants to return to office
Prompts for Civil Service bosses to get the vast majority of staff back into the office have been labelled "virtue signalling" by a union chief.
Outgoing Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill, in a letter seen by the PA news agency, has written to the permanent secretaries of Government departments calling on them to bring as much as 80% of public sector staff back into the workplace.
Sir Mark, in the note dated September 3, said the Prime Minister had asked to be personally involved in the back-to-work drive and wanted to see departmental figures on a "weekly basis" following Cabinet agreement that increasing office numbers would be "hugely beneficial for our workforce".
But Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA, a union representing civil servants, said such targets would be difficult to achieve.
"It is quite clear from the letter that has been sent out, this is really about virtue signalling to the private sector that has already moved on," he said.
Downing Street this week denied the existence of a "back-to-work" campaign but Sir Mark's letter is yet further evidence that ministers fear huge job losses in town and city centre shops and cafes if workers do not return to their pre-lockdown commuter patterns soon.
09:41 AM
School closes due to single case of coronavirus
An academy in Staffordshire has become the first school to shut down this academic year after a single case of coronavirus.
The JCB Academy in Rocester, which welcomed pupils back at the end of last month, told pupils to stay at home on Friday following advice from public health officials.
It is believed to be the first time since schools reopened for the new term that an entire institution has closed its doors due to coronavirus.
Camilla Turner and Henry Bodkin have more on this here.
09:24 AM
Charity urges Government to allow 'bereavement bubbles' for families
Grieving relatives should be allowed to form ‘bereavement bubbles’, a charity has said.
Sue Ryder, a palliative neurological and bereavement support charity, said that enabling people who have been bereaved during the Covid-19 pandemic to come together would help them feel less isolated during future lockdowns.
The charity published research which found that 62 per cent of people bereaved since the end of March felt this way, while 59 per cent felt as though their grief has been forgotten.
It also said that two-thirds of the 503 adults surveyed said forming a support bubble would be a "vital source of support" during the grieving process.
EU working on a new 'traffic light' system for Covid-19 travel
The EU Commission has taken a step towards developing a common protocol for placing or lifting travel restrictions on its member states.
The proposal of a 'traffic light' system has been approved by commissioners, with members now seeking agreement on the infection levels at which restrictions would be enforced, as well as a standard response for travellers returning from high-risk (red) areas.
EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, extolled the EU's efforts since the pandemic was declared in March.
“Today’s measures build on this track record so that we can fully benefit from our Schengen area. That is why we want a clear ‘green, orange, red’ system and not a kaleidoscope of individual measures,” she said.
It comes as pressure grows on the UK government to use airport testing to cut quarantine, a strategy Telegraph Travel is now campaigning for.
Number 10 has thus far resisted the calls, claiming it would lead to a "false sense of security".
Doctors in state-run hospitals in Nigeria will go on strike next week to demand a pay rise, better welfare and adequate facilities, union leaders have said.
The strike by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), which represents some 40 percent of doctors, is the latest in a string of stoppages by medics to hit Africa's most populous nation as it struggles to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
"NEC (national executive council) resolved to proceed on an indefinite nationwide strike action from Monday," said NARD president Aliyu Sokomba in a statement late Friday.
The action would not be called off until the government provides "life insurance and death in service benefits for all health workers" as well as paying outstanding salaries and allowances.
He said the union wanted pay parity for both doctors in federal and state health institutions.
Strikes by medics have been common in Nigeria where the health sector is underfunded.
08:34 AM
Leeds leader calls for more powers to deal with city's rising Covid-19 cases
Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council, called for more powers to deal with the rising numbers of Covid-19 cases after the city was placed on the Government's watchlist of areas of concern.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, she warned: "There's no room for complacency."
The Labour councillor added: "We're saying to central Government that actually, in line with other local authorities, if they give us the powers and resources they need, actually these things are far better dealt with at a local level."
She continued: "We have the experience through our public health teams, our environmental health teams and we're saying to Government, 'Let us do what we do well and do best'.
"We know our communities and we know how to get out there and reach people in terms of self-isolating.
"Personal contact is so much more powerful than down a phone line."
08:23 AM
The US recorded more than 50,000 new coronavirus cases on Friday
The United States reported 50,502 new Covid-19 cases and 965 virus-related deaths on Friday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
That raises the national total to at least 6,200,518 cases and 187,755 deaths.
08:09 AM
Fears that universities could act as 'amplifiers' for spreading the virus
Dr Mike Tildesley said there are fears universities could act as "amplifiers" for spreading the virus.
He told BBC Breakfast:
"What we need to remember is at the moment in the country we're dealing with a series of really local outbreaks that we're trying to manage with local control policies.
"But when students come to university, potentially they're travelling across the country and possibly they may be moving from parts of the country where there's a lot of infection to parts of the country where there may not be as much infection.
"So there is the possibility that when these students move long distances they could carry infection with them."
07:57 AM
Russia reports 5,205 new coronavirus cases
Russia reported 5,205 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, pushing its national tally to 1,020,310, the fourth largest in the world.
Authorities said 110 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 17,759.
07:46 AM
Universities taking every step to minimise risk on campus, says professor
Dr Mike Tildesley from the University of Warwick said universities were taking steps to minimise risk on campuses, including virtual teaching for large groups of students.
He told the BBC:
"Speaking as an academic you want to make sure that students coming to university, particularly those coming to university for the first time, have the best experience possible but of course there is a risk."
"What universities are trying to do is trying to minimise that risk so strategies such as grouping students together within year groups and within courses so that we can try to minimise that risk and also putting in place local testing and tracing policies so if we do start to see outbreaks, we can try to manage them as rapidly as possible.
"Certain parts of the courses will be taking place online, there's an awful lot of virtual teaching that will be taking place in the first term, it's certainly not ideal I think for the student experience... but these large lectures really do represent a significant risk."
Dr Tildesley said small group teaching was still happening in person, but taking place inside the large lecture theatres to allow for social distancing.
He added: "This is something we're having to deal with for the first time of course. When the pandemic started universities closed and now we're starting to reopen but what we're doing is trying to put in all of these measures to try and minimise risk."
07:38 AM
University students could cause new wave of infections, suggests professor
Dr Mike Tildesley, associate professor of infection modelling at the University of Warwick, said the vast majority of students had a very low risk of developing severe symptoms of Covid-19, but that they could cause a new wave of infection once term breaks up and they move back home.
He told the BBC:
"What we're more worried about really is universities acting as amplifiers, so potentially lots of students mixing together that can cause lots of infection that could spill over into the community.
"But also there's a concern at the end of term when students start to travel home to their families, potentially interacting with more elderly relatives, more vulnerable people with underlying health conditions, that's where the real concern is."
He added: "What we don't want is because of this large mixing in universities, it could cause a knock-on effect and as we approach Christmas, that could cause a significant wave of infection in cities across the UK as students move home."
06:50 AM
Arrests made at Australia's 'Freedom Day' protests
Police in Australia's hardest-hit Victoria state made several arrests among a crowd of about 300 people protesting the lockdown in Melbourne.
The Melbourne restrictions, including a night curfew, were put in place in an attempt to reduce a huge spike in infections and deaths.
Police earlier urged people to adhere to restrictions on community movement. But four men were arrested and charged with incitement over the so-called "Freedom Day" protests planned for several Melbourne locations.
Police, many of them on horseback, later made a number of arrests among protesters, some of them for not wearing masks.
Police tackle protesters in Melbourne during an anti-lockdown rally - AFP
06:24 AM
Second major cruise line prepares for post-lockdown sailing from Italy
Italy-based Costa Cruises is the latest cruise line to return to the waters with the line’s Costa Deliziosa due to depart from Trieste, Italy, on Sunday.
The week-long cruise will visit five destinations including Bari and Brindisi in Puglia, Corigliano-Rossano in Calabria and Siracusa and Catania in Sicily.
Despite the restart, British travellers will not be welcome on board just yet as the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office still advises Brits against all cruise ship travel.
Charity urges Government to allow 'bereavement bubbles' for families
Grieving relatives should be allowed to form ‘bereavement bubbles’, a charity has said.
Sue Ryder, a palliative neurological and bereavement support charity, said that enabling people who have been bereaved during the Covid-19 pandemic to come together would help them feel less isolated during future lockdowns.
The charity published research which found that 62 per cent of people bereaved since the end of March felt this way, while 59 per cent felt as though their grief has been forgotten.
It also said that two-thirds of the 503 adults surveyed said forming a support bubble would be a "vital source of support" during the grieving process.
India's coronavirus cases crossed 4 million on Saturday, leading the world in new infections and closing in on Brazil's total as the second-highest in the world.
The 86,432 cases added in the past 24 hours pushed India's total to 4,023,179. Brazil has confirmed 4,091,801 infections while the US has 6,200,186 people infected, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The Health Ministry on Saturday also reported 1,089 deaths for a total of 69,561.
Initially, the virus ravaged India's sprawling and often densely populated cities. It has since stretched to almost every state in India, spreading through villages and smaller cities where access to health care is crippled.
An Indian woman dries the clothes on the wall showing a graffiti honoring frontline workers in the fight against the spread of coronavirus, outside Mahim railway station in Mumbai - DIVYAKANT SOLANKI/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
03:25 AM
Australia's hot spot continues to improve
The state of Victoria reported 76 new infections and 11 deaths on Saturday, as trends in Australia's hot spot for the disease continued to gradually improve after nearly five weeks of a hard lockdown in the state's capital Melbourne.
State premier Daniel Andrews is due to outline plans on Sunday for easing Melbourne's stage 4 restrictions which shut large parts of the economy, required everyone to stay home except for essential business, and imposed a night time curfew.
Frustration with the prolonged lockdown has led to calls for protests in Melbourne on Saturday, which would be illegal under the stage 4 restrictions, and police were out in force.
Victoria's daily new cases were below 100 on most days this week, down from a peak of 725 new infections on Aug. 5, but remain higher than health officials had hoped five weeks into a six-week hard lockdown.
A sculpture of a dog enjoying a coffee watches people exercise along the St Kilda Beach foreshore in Melbourne - AFP
03:00 AM
In pictures: Palestinian youths practice Parkour
Youths practice their Parkour skills in the middle of an empty street in Gaza City amidst a Covid-19 pandemic-imposed lockdown - AFP A Palestinian youth wearing a face mask shows off his skills - AFP Two men practice in the middle of an empty street - AFP
02:25 AM
School closes due to single case of Covid
An academy in Staffordshire has become the first school to shut down this academic year after a single case of coronavirus.
The JCB Academy in Rocester, which welcomed pupils back at the end of last month, told pupils to stay at home on Friday following advice from public health officials.
It is believed to be the first time since schools reopened for the new term that an entire institution has closed its doors due to coronavirus.
JCB Academy's principal said it closed to all students on Friday "as a precaution" after one pupil tested positive for Covid-19.
South Korea's caseload decreasing under restrictions
South Korea has reported 168 new cases, the third consecutive day the daily jump came below 200 in a possible sign the country is starting to see the effects of unprecedented social distancing restrictions.
The figures released on Saturday brought the national caseload to 21,010, including 333 deaths.
Officials say 115 of the new cases were in the Seoul metropolitan area, home to half of the country's 51 million population. Infections were also reported in other big cities, including Bunsan, Gwangju, Daejeon and Daegu.
Authorities have decided to extend for another week tougher social distancing restrictions in the Seoul area, saying the viral spread is still at risky levels.
People wearing face masks are reflected in mirrors at a subway station in Seoul, South Korea - AP
12:36 AM
Mexico tortilla shop gives free TV, internet for school kids
A tortilla shop has started giving free wifi and television access for kids in its Mexico City neighbourhood whose homes don't have them, or whose brothers and sisters are already using the services for remote learning during the pandemic.
Mexico's government schools started at-distance classes Aug. 24 using televised lessons due to the coronavirus, because 94 per cent of Mexican homes have TVs. But there are often many youngsters in a Mexican family and they all need to look up something online or watch classes at the same time.
That is where the "Rinconcito de Esperanza" - the Corner of Hope - comes in. The owners of Grandma's Tortilla Shop in the southern borough of Tlalpan set up learning areas to offer free tutoring, TV and computer access.
The assemblage of space spills out of the store into a tent set up on the sidewalk outside, and continues into the bed of an old pickup truck parked at the curb. A true community effort, classes that need more room or quiet are held in neighbouring shops.
Brothers Bryan, right, and Emanuel Quintana, talk as they eat a donated breakfast prior to a history lesson in front of "Tortillerias La Abuela," or Grandma's Tortilla Shop - AP
12:30 AM
Indigenous Brazilians launch Covid tracing app
Indigenous and environmental organisations in Brazil launched an app on Friday aimed at alerting indigenous communities to the spread of the pandemic in their lands.
"The application maps and periodically updates the situation regarding the pandemic in cities within a 100 kilometer radius of indigenous lands," said the Coordination of the Indigenous Organisations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB) and the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM) in a joint statement.
The app, called "Covid-19 Indigenous Alert" aims to help indigenous people identify areas with high infection rates.
Provided free on the Android system, the app uses data from Brazil's health ministry, people working in the indigenous health system, leaders from indigenous organisations and the COIAB network.
With four million cases and 125,000 deaths amongst its 212 million population, Brazil is the worst affected country in the world by the virus after the US.
Amongst the 900,000 indigenous people there have been 30,000 infections and 785 deaths, according to The Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB.)
Members of the Kayapo indigenous block a highway to protest against the lack of government support during the pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories - AFP
Grant Shapps has rejected airport testing and instead backed a German-style model which could reduce quarantine for holidaymakers and travellers by up to nine days
Air passengers returning to the UK from countries with a high rate of Covid-19, and who are obliged to quarantine on their return to the UK, are at no point being separated from non-quarantining arrivals, it has emerged
Boris Johnson insisted that HS2 would be "crucial" for decades to come, as he marked the official start of construction, despite the number of Britons now working from home
Samantha Davis, the wife of Star Wars and Harry Potter actor Warwick Davis and herself an actress, has died aged 53. Samantha co-founded the dwarfism charity Little People UK and featured in the final Harry Potter film, alongside Warwick. Warwick announced the news in a statement to the BBC, revealing she had died on 24 March.
The Prince of Wales has made his first public appearance since his wife, the Princess of Wales, announced she was battling cancer last month, and made a sweet promise to a Royal fan
While Western eyes are fixed on Tehran and Tel Aviv, Ukraine’s frontlines are showing clear signs of crumbling. There is a very real possibility they could crumble this summer if we do not throw the kitchen sink at Russia. Even if we do, it may already be too late for the weapons and munitions long promised by the West to save the day.
King Charles is said to have extended an olive branch to his youngest son and his wife by 'hinting' they should visit Balmoral this summer - but it could put the couple in a 'difficult position'.
Meghan Markle was on hand to congratulate her husband Prince Harry and his Royal Salute Sentebale team after they won the Royal Salute Polo Cup in Wellington, Florida
BBC Breakfast star Carol Kirkwood has been missing from the show this week. The weather presenter's absence comes after she shared an update on her health last week…
Springtime On The Farm returned to Channel 5 with Helen Skelton and Jules Hudson but fans had the same complaint for the show and the former Blue Peter presenter
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh's daughter Lady Louise Windsor has to follow a very antiquated rule with regards to her younger brother James, Earl of Wessex
The rest of Europe, Remainers like to tell us, is forging ahead into a glorious green future while Brexit Britain is stalling, the government backsliding one by one on its net zero commitments.
Meghan Markle is said to be missing "some aspects" of life in the UK and is worried that her children may grow up to "blame her" if they are "deprived" of the chance to be working royals in the UK.
This Morning guest Catherine was left stunned as she learnt the real value of her £10 charity shop bargain during the latest episode of the ITV chat show.
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