Preston told to bring in new lockdown restrictions following spike in cases
Mason Boycott-Owen
·80-min read
Serco staff working on behalf of NHS Test and Trace operate a coronavirus testing centre - Getty Images Europe
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10:51 PM
What happened today
Holidaymakers are being “left in the dark” by a “grossly unfair” lack of transparency on quarantine restrictions, MPs have warned as fears France will be placed on the Government's red list led some to cancel their trips
The UK lockdown killed two people for every three whose deaths had been caused by coronavirus by the beginning of May, new Government figures suggest
Rare syndrome linked to Covid-19 found in nearly 600 US children
Nearly 600 children were admitted to US hospitals with a rare inflammatory syndrome associated with the novel coronavirus over four months during the peak of the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a report.
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) is a rare but severe condition that shares symptoms with toxic shock and Kawasaki disease, including fever, rashes, swollen glands and, in severe cases, heart inflammation.
It has been reported in children and adolescent patients about two to four weeks after the onset of Covid-19.
With rising Covid-19 cases, there could be an increased occurrence of MIS-C, but this might not be apparent immediately because of the delay in development of symptoms, said the report's authors, including those from the CDC's Covid-19 response team.
09:54 PM
UK tourists ‘left in dark’ by holiday quarantine, say MPs as anger over 'red-listing' of countries grows
Britons cut short trips to France amid fears it will be added to Government's restrictions list.
Sam Meadows, our Consumer Affairs Editor, and Charles Hymas, our Home Affairs Editor, have more:
Holidaymakers are being “left in the dark” by a “grossly unfair” lack of transparency on quarantine restrictions, MPs have warned as fears France will be placed on the Government's red list led some to cancel their trips.
In the latest blow to summer breaks, rising cases in the country have sparked concerns it will be added to the list of destinations requiring holidaymakers to quarantine for 14 days on their return to Britain, following the addition of Belgium, Andorra and the Bahamas from Saturday and Spain at the end of last month.
If such restrictions were brought in, an estimated million British travellers could be affected, with around half a million believed to already be in the country and a similar number set to head to France before the end of the month.
British tourists in France told the Telegraph they were returning home early to avoid a possible quarantine, while the owner of a 100-villa complex in south west France said bookings had been cancelled in recent days because of the uncertainty.
MPs and travel experts condemned the lack of clarity from the government as unfair to travellers and the tourism industry.
Trump says he is going a 'different way' after coronavirus aid talks break down
US President Donald Trump has said after talks with Democratic lawmakers on coronavirus relief broke down that he did not want to provide aid to Democratic-run cities and states and would go "a different way."
"Pelosi and Schumer only interested in Bailout Money for poorly run Democrat cities and states. Nothing to do with China Virus! Want one trillion dollars. No interest. We are going a different way!" he said on Twitter, referring the House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.
09:21 PM
Rishi Sunak refuses to rule out extending furlough scheme if second coronavirus wave hits
Chancellor stresses that retaining support measure in long run is 'not sustainable' and it cannot last 'indefinitely'
Anna Mikhailova, our Deputy Political Editor has more:
Rishi Sunak has not ruled out extending the furlough scheme in the event of a second wave of coronavirus.
However the Chancellor said the support system, due to end in October, cannot go on "indefinitely" and keeping it in the long run is "not sustainable".
He has previously repeatedly ruled out extending the scheme, which has helped 9.5 million workers and cost the taxpayer £33.8 billion to date.
Asked on Friday whether the furlough scheme would be extended if a second wave resulted in another national lockdown, Mr Sunak appeared to soften his position and did not rule it out.
He told the BBC: "I don't think it's helpful to sit here and speculate on every potential situation that might arise. It's not something that we want to see happen, and we're doing everything we can ... to stop that from happening."
Rishi Sunak, pictured during a visit to Scotland on Friday - ANDY BUCHANAN /AFP
09:07 PM
Mexican president defends record as virus toll soars
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has defended his government's record fighting the coronavirus and ruled out a change in strategy after the official death toll surged past 50,000.
The Latin American nation recently overtook Britain to become the third hardest-hit country in terms of total virus deaths, after Brazil and the United States.
On Thursday the Mexican health ministry reported a total of 50,517 deaths and 462,690 infections in the nation of more than 128 million.
But Lopez Obrador said that in terms of deaths relative to population size, "we have not been so hard hit."
He said that while the situation is painful, on that basis Mexico ranks fifth in the Americas, behind the United States, Brazil, Chile and Peru.
"And if we compare ourselves with Europe, there are more deaths in Spain, France and England than in Mexico," he told a news conference in the northwestern state of Baja California Sur.
Recent graves expand across a section of the Municipal Cemetery of Valle de Chalco amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, on the outskirts of Mexico City - Virus Outbreak Mexico /AP
08:49 PM
British holidaymakers weigh up returning early from France to avoid quarantine
The mood among the relatively few Britons on holiday in Paris is sour and indignant amid speculation that the government may impose a two-week quarantine on their return, following a rise in coronavirus infections.
“I just can’t believe it,” said John Harrison, 45, from Hertfordshire, outside the Louvre museum. “It will be very frustrating if they do this while we’re here. The way the reports are, it seems the government may do this without any thought about the consequences for people like us.
"Dominic Cummings [Boris Johnson’s advisor] can do exactly as he likes, but we lesser mortals have to blindly follow rules that frankly don’t seem to be very carefully thought out. I can work from home but my children are due back in school next month and I really don’t want them to be penalised by having to start late.”
Mr Harrison, travelling with his wife and two sons, said it would be too expensive to change their Eurostar tickets to an earlier date. “Anyway, you hear all sorts of rumours about [what] the government’s going to do or not do, so we’re not cutting our holiday short,” he said.
Vaccine for Covid-19 will need outside expert review, US regulator says
Thee United States will need to have independent experts review Covid-19 vaccine candidates before approval, the country's top drug regulator has said, offering reassurance that his agency would not cut corners in the race to roll out a vaccine.
US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn said Covid-19 vaccine candidates will be reviewed according to established legal and regulatory standards for medical products, including by an outside advisory committee.
"Given the widespread potential use of a Covid-19 vaccine, transparent discussion at FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will be needed...", Hahn and colleagues wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
08:12 PM
Fauci warns Covid-19 vaccine may be only partially effective
An approved coronavirus vaccine could end up being effective only 50 to 60 per cent of the time, meaning public health measures will still be needed to keep the pandemic under control, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious diseases expert has said.
"We don't know yet what the efficacy might be. We don't know if it will be 50% or 60%. I'd like it to be 75% or more," Fauci said in a webinar hosted by Brown University.
"But the chances of it being 98% effective is not great, which means you must never abandon the public health approach."
Coronavirus has infected nearly 5 million people in the United States and killed more than 160,000.
07:53 PM
Lockdown 'killed two people for every three who died of coronavirus' at peak of outbreak
Estimates show 16,000 people died through missed medical care by May 1, while virus killed 25,000 in same period. Sarah Knapton, our Science Editor, has more:
The UK lockdown killed two people for every three whose deaths had been caused by coronavirus by the beginning of May, new Government figures suggest.
The estimates show that 16,000 people had died through missed medical care by May 1, while coronavirus killed 25,000 in the same period.
The figures include 6,000 people who did not attend A&E at the height of lockdown because of fears they might catch the virus and the feeling they should remain at home because of the "Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives" message.
Likewise, 10,000 people are thought to have died in care homes due to early discharge from hospital and not being able to access critical care.
The report also found that 2,500 lives may have been saved during lockdown because of healthier lifestyles, fewer infectious diseases in children, falls in air pollution and a decrease in road deaths.
A mobile testing unit has been set up in Middlesbrough following an outbreak of 28 coronavirus cases in the town.
Middlesbrough Council on Friday said it was believed all the Covid-19 cases confirmed this week were linked to a small number of households in the Acklam, Linthorpe and town centre end of Marton Road area.
A mobile testing unit will be in place on Saturday and Sunday to encourage more people in the town to be tested, it added.
The council said it had investigated a suggested link between an infected person and a town-centre takeaway, and that no further public health action was required.
It and Public Health England's (PHE) North East Health Protection team are also in the process of contacting anyone who used a taxi linked to someone who tested positive, it added.
07:24 PM
The Queen to miss Sunday Service to avoid crowds
The Queen will not attend church in Scotland on Sunday in order to stop well-wishers gathering, it is understood.
The head of state, who travelled to Balmoral with the Duke of Edinburgh on Tuesday for her traditional summer break, normally joins the congregation at nearby Crathie Kirk.
But it is understood she will not take her seat in the place of worship in Aberdeenshire to avoid large groups of people congregating outside.
Lockdown measures have been reintroduced in Aberdeen following the outbreak of a coronavirus cluster in the city.
Face coverings are to be made mandatory in more indoor places across Scotland following the spike in cases.
The Queen's annual visit to Balmoral Castle was already expected to be different from normal due to the coronavirus restrictions in place.
07:04 PM
Ireland expecting increase in cases
Ireland expects to see a significant number of Covid-19 cases in the next few days after reporting its highest number of daily cases in 11 weeks and reimposing restrictions in three counties, the country's acting chief medical officer said.
"It's quite likely that we're going to have significant numbers over the next few days. The imposition of these measures from tonight will not result in an appreciable difference for at least a number of days," Ronan Glynn told a news conference.
"Whatever is going to happen over the next week is already in train and there is very little any of us can do about that. What we want to do is impact and mitigate spread and the number of cases we will see the week after next."
06:52 PM
'The new Magaluf': How the Lake District became the go-to destination for party-loving staycationers
National parks have reported scenes of antisocial behaviour, with littering and damage to historic sites, as Britons holiday at home. Joe Shute has more:
Every evening for the past month or so, Jon Watson has walked through the 700 acres he farms between Coniston and Ambleside to inspect the damage visitors have left in their wake.
As well as the gates that have been left open, disrupting his sheep and cattle, and fire pits scorched into the grass, he has also retrieved a staggering amount of rubbish – enough to fill 12 wheelie bins.
Thursday night's haul included an abandoned tent, disposable barbecues, beer bottles, food wrappers and various sodden items of clothing.
"It makes me very angry and totally bewildered as to why anybody would leave all that behind," says the 56-year-old.
"There is a certain element who normally would have gone to Spain or somewhere like that, or a festival, where they are used to leaving rubbish behind, but now they are coming here because there is nowhere else to go."
Farmer Jon Watson standing in front of Yew Tree Farm near Coniston, home to Betrix Potter in the 1930s - Stuart Nicol
06:34 PM
Mexico's energy minister to quarantine for two weeks after coronavirus contact
Mexico's energy secretary, Rocio Nahle, has said that she was quarantining for two weeks because she had been in contact with a person who tested positive for Covid-19.
Nahle said that she tested negative for the illness caused by the novel coronavirus but that she was abiding by the medical recommendations.
On Thursday, Mexico reported 6,590 new confirmed coronavirus infections and 819 fatalities, bringing the country's totals to 462,690 cases and 50,517 deaths.
06:16 PM
Russia reports over 5,400 virus deaths in June
More than 5,400 people died in Russia from the coronavirus in June, the state statistics service said, one thousand more people than previously announced by the authorities.
Russia's reported mortality rate is much lower than in other countries with similar rates of infection, leading critics to accuse officials of under-reporting deaths to minimise the scale of the crisis.
According to daily figures released by health authorities, 4,499 people died from Covid-19 between June 2 and July 1.
The Rosstat statistics agency for its part said that 5,448 people died in June, with coronavirus considered the main cause of death.
In addition, 4,880 other people infected with the coronavirus died from other diseases. In 1,399 of those cases the coronavirus caused complications that led to a patient's death, the Rosstat said.
All in all, 162,758 people died in Russia in June, up from 137,237 people in June last year.
06:01 PM
US pandemic worse than Mexico, says Mexican president
Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said that the United States had greater problems from the coronavirus than his country, a day after the US State Department urged citizens not to travel south of the border, citing high contagion rates.
"We have many fewer problems with the pandemic than the problems that, unfortunately, they are facing," Lopez Obrador said during a press conference.
"Our situation is better," he said.
The United States on Thursday lifted a global health advisory imposed in March that advised US citizens to avoid all international travel because of the coronavirus pandemic.
But the stringent Level 4 advisory, usually reserved for countries at war, remained in place for Mexico, with US ambassador to Mexico Christopher Landau citing the spread of Covid-19.
05:41 PM
Face masks become new normal as figures show almost everyone wearing one outside the home
An ONS survey reveals that 96 per cent of adults using face covering outside their home to help reduce spread of coronavirus. Gabriella Swerling, our Social and Religious Affairs Editor, has more:
In its weekly review of the social impacts of coronavirus on Britain, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), published on Friday, showed nearly all Britons are wearing face coverings outside their homes.
The survey, which takes in the period from July 29 to August 2, found that 96 per cent of adults who had left their homes said they had worn a face covering to slow the spread of coronavirus – up from 84 per cent last week and 71 per cent the week before that.
Researchers also found that the proportion of people wearing face coverings outside their homes varied between England, Scotland and Wales, although all three have seen an increase in the reporting of face coverings being worn over the past five weeks.
Of those who had been shopping this week, 95 per cent said they had worn a face covering.
Addressing the country, the Taoiseach said the virus was still a "deep and urgent threat".
He said a number of limited restrictions will apply to counties Kildare, Laois and Offaly for two weeks from midnight.
These include restricting movement within the counties, with the exception of work purposes and other essential journeys; restaurants and pubs serving food to close, apart from takeaway services, deliveries and limited outdoor dining; and the closure of indoor entertainment and sport venues such as cinemas, theatres, museums, galleries and bingo halls.
Visits to prisons, acute hospitals and nursing homes will be suspended except on compassionate grounds.
People have been asked not to travel to those counties unless for work.
05:14 PM
Ireland imposes new regional lockdowns
Ireland's premier Micheal Martin has announced a regional lockdown in counties Kildare, Laois and Offaly following a surge in coronavirus cases.
05:01 PM
Guidance for hairdressers needs to change, scientists say
Hairdressers and barbers should wear face coverings and not just visors, in order to help curb the spread of coronavirus, scientists advising the Government say.
The experts warn that plastic face shields being used in hair salons are unlikely to be an effective control for aerosol transmission of Covid-19.
In documents released by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag) says the guidance needs to change.
The group says face shields provide protection for the wearer against large droplet exposure, including by inoculation through the eyes.
However, they are unlikely to provide any protection for the wearer against small aerosols.
There is no evidence that face shields/visors are an effective source control for either larger droplets or small aerosols, the document published today sets out.
A client gets her hair done at the Jo Hansford salon in Mayfair - Karwai Tang /Getty Images
04:44 PM
Germany to exempt unmarried couples from Covid-19 border controls
Germany will give a welcome break to couples separated by coronavirus by easing its border controls to allow unmarried couples to reunite after what has been months of separation for some.
The exemption will apply to the partners of Germans from countries that Germany considers high-risk, and couples will have to provide some proof that they were in a relationship before the pandemic, the interior ministry said.
Most European Union borders have been closed to non-EU travellers since March, unless they are essential workers or married to an EU resident.
A few European countries including Austria, Norway and Denmark, have heeded the call, introducing "sweetheart visas" that exempt couples from the travel ban.
In Germany, couples will have to present an invitation by the partner who lives in Germany and sign a statement confirming that they are in a relationship.
04:31 PM
Another week of lockdown for Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and West Yorkshire
Responding to the Health Secretary's announcement that restrictions on social visits to homes in Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and West Yorkshire will remain in place for a further week, a Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) spokesperson said:
"The Mayor of Greater Manchester and leaders agreed on Wednesday that the heightened restrictions should continue in the city-region for another week.
"Alongside the continued measures, Greater Manchester will be taking further action locally over the next seven days. Targeted enforcement will be taking place, such as mystery shoppers visiting pubs and restaurants to ensure they are complying and taking down customer's details.
"We will also continue to focus on communicating direct and simple messaging to the public, especially with younger people, to make sure it is clear there should be no social visits to homes while these restrictions remain in place.
"However, we also need Government to improve the test and trace system. Ministers must ensure people have the financial support to be able to immediately self-isolate and we need under-utilised national centre staff urgently redeployed to local areas."
A woman walks past a social distancing sign in Manchester - MOLLY DARLINGTON /REUTERS
04:27 PM
Spain reports 1,895 new coronavirus cases
Spain has reported 1,895 new coronavirus infections in the past day, mainly in the regions of the Basque Country, Catalonia and Aragon.
That compares with a 1,683 rise on Thursday, according to health ministry data.
The biggest rise was seen in the Basque Country where there were 428 cases in the past day, a 26% increase compared with Thursday, according to health ministry data.
Spain has seen a total of 314,362 cases of Covid-19 and recorded 28,503 deaths.
04:11 PM
Indian serum institute to make 100 million virus vaccine doses
Up to 100 million Covid-19 vaccine doses could be made available for poorer countries by 2021 under a deal struck today for production at the Serum Institute of India.
The deal was announced by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, for production of two different potential vaccines at the SII, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer by volume.
The vaccines will be priced at a maximum $3 per dose and made available to up to 92 countries as part of Gavi's coronavirus vaccine advance market commitment programme.
The deal provides money up front to the SII to help them expand capacity.
Once the vaccines gain regulatory approval, the doses could be produced as early as the first half of 2021 for distribution to low- and middle-income countries.
03:54 PM
All New York schools can open for in-person learning, Governor Cuomo says
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has said all school districts in his state, once the epicenter of the nation's Covid-19 crisis, could open for in-person learning in the fall based on their current low infection rates of the coronavirus.
"If you look at our infection rate we are probably in the best situation in the country right now," Cuomo said. "If anybody can open schools, we can open schools."
Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York State - CARLO ALLEGRI /REUTERS
03:43 PM
Preston in lockdown
Restrictions banning households from mixing indoors or in gardens are to be brought in for Preston from midnight tonight, the Department of Health has said.
03:34 PM
French health ministry notes uptick in virus cases in France
The French health ministry chief Jerome Salomon has said there had been a clear uptick in coronavirus infections in France and Europe.
"The virus continues to circulate very actively worldwide. There is an upward trend in France and Europe," Salomon told a news conference.
France's new Covid-19 infections rose by more than 1,600 over 24 hours for the second day running on Thursday, putting the country at levels not seen since late May, while the number of affected patients in intensive care units has also risen.
03:20 PM
UK death toll rises to 46,511
The Government said 46,511 people had died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Thursday, up by 98 from the day before.
Separate figures published by the UK's statistics agencies show there have now been 56,600 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.
The Government also said that in the 24-hour period up to 9am on Friday, there had been a further 871 lab-confirmed cases. Overall, a total of 309,005 cases have been confirmed.
03:06 PM
Germany and France quit WHO reform talks amid tension with Washington
France and Germany have quit talks on reforming the World Health Organization in frustration at attempts by the United States to lead the negotiations, despite its decision to leave the WHO, three officials have told Reuters.
The move is a setback for President Donald Trump as Washington, which holds the rotating chair of the G7, had hoped to issue a common roadmap for a sweeping overhaul of the WHO in September.
The United States gave the WHO a year's notice in July that it is leaving the UN agency - which was created to improve health globally - after Trump accused it of being too close to China and having mishandled the coronavirus pandemic.
European governments have also criticised the WHO but do not go as far as the United States in their criticism, and the decision by Paris and Berlin to leave the talks follows tensions over what they say are Washington's attempts to dominate the negotiations.
"Nobody wants to be dragged into a reform process and getting an outline for it from a country which itself just left the WHO," a senior European official involved in the talks said.
03:00 PM
US surpasses 160,000 coronavirus deaths as school openings near
US deaths from the coronavirus have exceeded 160,000, nearly a quarter of the world’s total, according to a Reuters tally, as the country debates whether schools are ready to reopen their doors in the coming weeks.
The grim milestone marks an increase of 10,000 deaths in nine days in the United States.
On a per-capita basis, the country ranks 10th highest in the world for both cases and deaths.
Many of the new deaths have come from California, Florida and Texas, the top three states for total cases. While infections appear to be declining in those states now, new outbreaks are emerging coast-to-coast.
White House coronavirus task force coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx, warned that Boston, Chicago, Detroit and Washington could face outbreaks due to increases in the percentage of coronavirus tests coming back positive.
Meanwhile, US officials, teachers’ unions, parents and students are battling over how to reopen schools safely. President Donald Trump has urged states to resume in-person classes, saying the virus “will go away like things go away,” but health officials have told states with rising counts to be on guard.
It follows a forecast from the University of Washington that warned that 300,000 US residents could be dead from the virus by December 1, although they said that 70,000 lives could be saved if Americans were scrupulous about wearing masks.
02:51 PM
Latest global developments
If you're just joining us, here's some of the key coronavirus-related developments from around the world today:
India's case tally has surpassed two million, doubling in three weeks as the virus sweeps into smaller cities and urban areas, making India only the third county to reach the two million mark behind the United States and Brazil.
Daily deaths in the US have surged to a three-month high of over 2,000. The last time the country recorded more than 2,000 deaths in 24 hours was on May 7.
The pandemic has killed at least 715,343 people worldwide since it surfaced in China late last year, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP.
Spanish authorities have ordered about 32,000 people into lockdown in the central riverside town of Aranda de Duero. The movements of residents will be restricted to the absolute minimum and they will be barred from entering or leaving the town.
Just days after schools in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pommerania became the first to reopen full time after the summer break, some 800 students have been forced to head home from the Goethe Gymnasium in Ludwigslust after a teacher tested positive. Separately, 100 pupils from a primary school in Rostock district are placed under quarantine for two weeks after a pupil was confirmed infected.
France's health minister has urged citizens to "stand firm" and wear their face masks even in the midst of a heatwave. The country's virus figures are trending upwards, with the number of people testing positive rising by 30 per cent per week, double the rate of increase in testing.
The unprecedented fall in greenhouse gas emissions from lockdowns during the pandemic will do "nothing" to slow climate change without systemic change in how the world powers and feeds itself, an international team of researchers have said.
02:39 PM
Further 10 hospital deaths in England
A further ten people who tested positive for Covid-19 have died in hospital, NHS England said.
It brings the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 29,386.
02:35 PM
Some positive news...
Here’s some really good news: the likelihood of someone dying after being admitted to intensive care with #COVID19 has pretty much halved since the early days of the pandemic. Yet this amazing achievement has been so buried in the data I don’t think anyone has yet noticed. 🧵
Face masks become new normal as figures show almost everyone wearing one outside the home
Face masks are now the new normal, with 96 per cent of people wearing one to leave the house, Government figures have shown.
In its weekly review of the social impacts of coronavirus on Britain, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), published today, showed nearly all Britons are wearing face coverings outside their homes.
The survey, which takes in the period from July 29 to August 2, found that 96 per cent of adults who had left their homes said they had worn a face covering to slow the spread of coronavirus – up from 84 per cent last week and 71 per cent the week before that.
Norwegian cruise line executive suspended after virus outbreak
Norwegian cruise line Hurtigruten has said it had asked a top executive to step aside, after a coronavirus outbreak on one of its ships led to suspended operations and a police investigation.
The Arctic cruise operator has been in hot water after an outbreak of Covid-19 was recorded on the MS Roald Amundsen.
"On the initiative of Hurtigruten, Bent Martini is temporarily stepping down from the positions as chairman of the board and as managing director," CEO of Hurtigruten, Daniel Skjeldam said in a statement.
"Temporarily, he will also step down from Hurtigruten's management," Skjeldam added.
Hurtigruten said it had hired a law firm and an independent auditor "to conduct a full investigation of the incident".
On Monday, Norwegian police confirmed they had opened an investigation into the matter.
As of today 62 people - 41 among the crew and 21 passengers - have tested positive after two July cruises between mainland Norway and the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic circle.
02:12 PM
Dramatic reduction in deaths in Northern Ireland, figures show
The latest weekly coronavirus statistics have reflected the dramatic drop in the number of deaths with the virus.
Figures compiled by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) record just one death with Covid-19 in the week ending July 31.
It comes as figures compiled by the Department of Health - based on those who have tested positive for coronavirus - recorded no deaths on Friday for the 24th day in a row.
The Nisra figures - based on information entered on death certificates by medical professionals - have recorded 855 Covid-19 related deaths to July 31.
Of these, 449 (52.5 per cent) took place in hospital, 349 (40.8 per cent) in care homes, eight (0.9 per cent) in hospices and 49 (5.7 per cent) at residential addresses or other locations.
The comparative number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health to July 31 was 556.
People aged 75 and over account for 80 per cent of all Covid-19-related deaths.
02:03 PM
Half of small overseas charities set to close amid coronavirus funding crisis
Nearly half of small charities focused on helping the world’s poorest people face the threat of closure over the next 12 months because of cuts in funding.
A report from the Small International Charities Development Network (SICDN) shows that of the 10,000 plus UK charities working in the overseas aid sector, 45 per cent will close within the next 12 months.
Describing such charities as a “forgotten group”, the report points out that while nearly three quarters of small international development charities have seen demand increase during the pandemic, they were not eligible to apply for the UK Government Coronavirus Community Support Fund.
Japan confirmed a record 1,580 new coronavirus infections today, as cases continue to mount throughout the country, particularly in urban areas like Tokyo and Osaka, Japan’s national daily, The Mainichi, reports.
With Japan’s Bon holiday season beginning next week, there is concern that the movement of people will further spread the virus.
The Tokyo metropolitan government also reported 462 new cases of coronavirus infection, just short of the daily record of 472 cases confirmed in the capital late last week.
To mitigate the risk of the virus spreading, Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike has requested residents to refrain from traveling during the holiday.
01:42 PM
Malta reimposes curbs as infections surge
Malta has banned mass gatherings and made it mandatory to wear masks in public today as new Covid-19 cases surged after having been reduced to zero for a week in early July.
Health authorities reported 49 new infections today, the second highest daily number since the first case was detected on March 7. Nine patients have died.
Prime Minister Robert Abela ordered restrictions on public gatherings and measures to limit direct access to people in nursing homes, with visitors required to remain behind Perspex screens.
"This is not a time to point the finger of blame," Abela told reporters. "We took all steps during this pandemic with the best interest of the public in mind."
The decision to reimpose controls represents a sharp turnaround for Malta, which depends on tourism for a third of its GDP.
The Mediterranean country has conducted the third-highest level of testing in the European Union and had lifted restrictions and re-opened some overseas travel last month as case numbers fell. It now joins a growing list of countries forced to reimpose controls after early successes in controlling the disease.
01:35 PM
Seven further deaths in Wales
Seven more people have died with the coronavirus in Wales, according to Public Health Wales (PHW).
This means that the number of people who have died with the virus now stands at 1,578.
Six of the seven latest reported deaths were in the Betsi Cadwaladr health board, the BBC reports. 30 of the last 32 deaths over the last 17 days have been in North Wales.
A further 17 new cases of Covid-19 were reported by PHW.
This means 17,406 people have now tested positive for the virus in Wales.
01:28 PM
R number has risen since last week
The Government has published new reproduction estimates for the pandemic suggesting the R number is now between 0.8 and 1.0, up from 0.8 to 0.9 last week, reports Sarah Knapton.
The rate for England has remained unchanged at between 0.8 and 1.0.
The figures also estimated a growth rate of between 0 per cent to -5 per cent, meaning the number of new infections is somewhere between remaining stable and shrinking by 5 per cent every day.
The data is based on testing results, hospital admissions, intensive care admissions and deaths and is around two to three weeks behind the current situation, suggesting this was the picture in mid July.
Sage said it is not confident that the R number is currently below 1 but warned that the indicator is less useful in determining the state of the epidemic when disease incidence is low, or where there is significant variability in the population, for example during local outbreaks.
According to the new data, the R rate may be above 1 in the North West, London and the South West.
01:21 PM
Cases rise in Scotland by 43 but no new deaths
The total confirmed of new Covid-19 cases in Scotland has risen by 43 to 18,890. There have been no new deaths, however.
386,213 people in Scotland have been tested for #coronavirus
The total confirmed as positive has risen by 43 to 18,890
The number of deaths of patients who tested positive remains at 2,491
Lockdown destroyed almost 120,000 private sector jobs in France during Q2
France saw lockdown destroy 119,400 full-time private sector jobs in the second quarter of 2020 on top of nearly half a million lost in the first, according to an estimate by the Insee statistics agency.
Net year-on-year private sector job losses amounted to 480,800 in quarter two, or a decline of 2.5 per cent, returning employment levels to what they were at the end of June 2017, shortly after Emmanuel Macron became president of France.
In the non-agricultural sector - industry, construction and market services - employment levels fell 0.6 per cent in the second quarter after a 2.8 per cent loss in the first, AFP reports.
“This is the largest half-year decline since the series (of measuring quarterly employment) began” 50 years ago, Insee said.
As payroll layoffs advanced, however, temporary employment rebounded by more 23 per cent or 108,500 jobs in the second quarter after an historic drop of 40.4 per cent in the previous quarter, Insee said.
“Monthly statistics show that temporary employment began to recover as early as May, and is still rising sharply in June, after sharp declines in March and April. By mid-2020, however, it remains 27.1 per cent (or 214,800 jobs) below its level a year earlier.”
01:08 PM
Germany closes two schools over coronavirus infections
Hundreds of children were sent home today as Germany closed two schools over coronavirus infections, in a new blow to hopes for a return to normality after the summer holidays.
Just days after schools in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pommerania became the first to reopen full time after the break, some 800 students were forced to head home from the Goethe Gymnasium in Ludwigslust after a teacher tested positive for Covid-19, AFP reports.
The infected teacher has not given any lessons since the secondary school reopened on Monday, but all 55 teachers will now have to be tested for the virus.
The school will remain closed until at least Wednesday, said a statement issued by the district.
Separately, 100 pupils from a primary school in Rostock district have been placed under quarantine for two weeks after a pupil was confirmed infected.
12:58 PM
Estimates for infection rate in Wales published for first time by ONS
They show that between July 27 and August 2, an estimated 1,400 people in private households in Wales had Covid-19 - the equivalent of 0.05 per cent of the population, or around one in 2,200 people.
12:53 PM
Spain puts 32,000 people under lockdown in riverside town
Spanish authorities have ordered about 32,000 people into lockdown in the central riverside town of Aranda del Duero in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Known for its vineyards, Aranda del Duero residents will find their movements restricted to the absolute minimum and be barred from entering or leaving the town which lies 150 kilometres (90 miles) north of Madrid.
The move comes just six weeks after a nationwide easing of such measures.
Other areas have already put local lockdowns in place, including in the Basque Country, Catalonia and Aragon regions.
12:49 PM
Coastguard received 70 call-outs by midday
The Coastguard has warned people to stay safe on the beach after rescue teams responded to 70 call-outs across the UK by midday today.
Hundreds of people packed on to the beaches across Britain this morning as early as 9am, on what could be the hottest day of the year so far, prompting concerns over social distancing.
Temperatures are forecast to rise to 37C (98.6F) in London and the South East, with the second day of a heatwave expected to last until at least Sunday.
HM Coastguard said around 70 call-outs had been made by midday on Friday, which is "above average for this time of year".
The Coastguard reported its busiest day for more than four years as it dealt with 329 incidents on July 31, when the UK recorded the hottest day of the year and the third warmest on record, with the mercury rising to 37.8C (100.04F) at Heathrow Airport.
12:47 PM
Has working from home experiment has been too successful?
Boris Johnson wants Britons to get back to the office this week but companies and employees are proving reluctant to turn their backs on the remote working revolution.
The Government needs cities to get back up and running to save cafés, pubs and restaurants that rely on office workers to sustain them.
The home working experiment has been so successful that the Prime Minister's call for commuters to get back on buses and trains is being ignored.
“In the words of The Specials, I’m sitting in a ghost town,” says Nigel Wilson, boss of Legal & General, from the investment firm’s Moorgate headquarters in the City of London.
Four thousand British Airways workers are "being forced out of the jobs that they love today by naked, company greed", trade union Unite has said.
Cabin crew, engineers and airport staff are among those receiving letters from the airline telling them whether or not they are being made redundant.
Many of those who keep their jobs face pay cuts.
Howard Beckett, Unite's assistant general secretary, said: "This is a very bleak day for the incredible BA workforce and will go down in the history of the airline as the day that it put the interests of the boardroom ahead of its passengers and workforce."
12:39 PM
Evening Standard to cut a third of jobs
The Evening Standard is to cut around a third of jobs after advertising and circulation were impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
It is understood that about 115 employees at the media business will be affected by the cost-cutting move.
The company has said it will look to focus on its "digital and mobile offering" as part of the restructure while also developing a live events business.
12:32 PM
Rwandans caught breaking Covid rules being sent for all-night lectures
Rwandans caught breaking curfew or not wearing masks are being sent to stadiums in droves for all-night lectures on the dangers of coronavirus, as the country maintains a tough approach to stem its spread.
Since mid-July, official figures show that about 70,000 people accused of ignoring the 9:00 pm curfew or rules on mandatory face masks have been ordered by police to sit through hours of speeches at local arenas or detention centres.
Every evening, in stadiums across Rwanda, public health messaging is blared through loudspeakers to spectators seated at least a metre apart in the stands, imploring them to be ambassadors in the fight against the new virus.
The sessions - conducted under the watch of armed guards - wrap up around dawn, when those attending are sent home with strict orders to self-quarantine.
Jado son Nizeyimana said he was stopped by police for wearing his mask incorrectly and was told to report to the nearest stadium.
"From now on, I'll wear it wherever I am," he said.
Police have also taken to informing employers of their employee's transgressions - STR/AFP
12:11 PM
Coronavirus cases now levelling off
Latest surveillance figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Infection Pilot Survey suggest cases of coronavirus are now levelling off, or falling.
Last week ONS swab testing suggested that 1 in 1,500 people were infected with coronavirus - a "slight" rise from the previous week, and one of the reasons that Boris Johnson called a halt to the lifting of more restrictions
However today's results suggest cases have fallen to 1 in 1,900 for the week of July 27 to August 2 with an estimated 28,300 infected, down from 35,700 the previous week.
Katherine Kent, co-head of the survey, said: "Although we are still reporting an increase in England since the lowest recorded level of infection in late June, this week's estimates suggest this trend may be levelling off when compared with the data we published last week."
12:01 PM
3,700 people a day in private households were infected last week
An average of 3,700 people per day in private households in England were estimated to be newly infected with Covid-19 between July 27 and August 2, according to the ONS - down slightly from 4,200 per day in the period July 20 to 26.
11:44 AM
Face coverings to be mandatory in libraries, museums and places of worship in Scotland
The First Minister has announced that the Government is expanding the list of indoor venues in which people must wear a face covering.
From tomorrow, the list will include libraries, museums and places of worship, she said.
The Scottish Government is also updated its guidance on face visors.
After reviewing scientific evidence, Sturgeon said they are not convinced that face visors provide "sufficient protection" to the wearer of others, so they must be worn with another type of face covering.
11:41 AM
Average of 28,300 people in private households in England had Covid last week
An average of 28,300 people in private households in England had Covid-19 between July 27 and August 2, according to new estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
This was the equivalent of about 0.05 per cent of the population, or one in 1,900 individuals.
The figures do not include people staying in hospitals, care homes or other institutional settings.
The ONS said that while recent figures had suggested the percentage of individuals testing positive for Covid-19 had risen since the end of June, there is now evidence to suggest that this trend may have levelled off.
11:40 AM
Scotland to announce further hospitality measures
Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed that hospitality businesses will now be required to collect and hold customer details, with the rule coming into effect from next Friday.
It was previously in the guidelines for businesses to do this, however it will now be on a "statutory footing".
The new statutory guidance relating to indoor hospitality will be set out in more detail next week, she said.
Businesses should already be doing these things and should not wait until next Friday, Sturgeon emphasised.
People should also book tables in advance, there should be no queuing and there should be seating with table service, she added. There should also be no background music or television so that customers don't need to shout and risk spreading the virus.
The First Minister said she is aware that the rules seem "really restrictive" but "they are put there because they are necessary".
11:31 AM
Sturgeon: Actions of Aberdeen FC players who went to city centre bar 'completely unacceptable'
The First Minister also confirmed that two players from Aberdeen Football Club have tested positive for the virus, and six further players were in close proximity with one of the positive cases.
It is now clear that all eight of these players visited a bar in Aberdeen on Saturday night, and in doing so "blatantly broke the rules" that had been agreed between the SFA, SPFL and the Scottish Government, she said, which is "completely unacceptable".
Sturgeon added that this morning the Government conducted a meeting with the SFA and SPFL and have confirmed that the game scheduled for tomorrow between Aberdeen and St Johnstone in Perth has been cancelled.
She added that the players tested positive not through bad luck but through "clear breaches of the rules".
Football has been given the go-ahead on the condition that clubs adhere to the rules, Sturgeon stressed, and the Government has reminded captains and clubs to follow the guidance.
11:21 AM
101 cases now involved in Aberdeen cluster
Speaking at the Scottish Government's daily coronavirus press briefing, Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed that 101 positive Covid-19 cases have now been confirmed in relation to the Aberdeen cluster, up 22 from yesterday.
A total of 313 close contacts have been identified and are being followed up on, she said, with this number expected to rise further.
Ms Sturgeon also warned Scots to "think very carefully" about booking non-essential foreign travel, as the Government adds three countries to its quarantine list.
11:15 AM
96pc of adults wore face coverings in the last week
In the past seven days, almost all adults (96 per cent) who had left their homes said they had worn a face covering to slow the spread of the coronavirus – up from 84 per cent last week and 71 per cent the week before.
ONS figures show that the proportion of people wearing face coverings outside of their homes varies between England, Scotland and Wales, although all three countries have seen an increase in the reporting of face coverings being worn over the past five weeks.
11:07 AM
Now not the time to discuss Scottish independence, says Sunak
Now is not the time to discuss Scottish independence, the Chancellor has said on a trip north of the border.
Following a visit to generator manufacturers Peak Scientific in Glasgow this morning, Rishi Sunak said he believes Scotland is one of the UK's "power brands" in the tourism sector and could drive the recovery of the whole country.
Mr Sunak said: "I don't think now is the time to be talking about these constitutional questions, I think everyone's sole focus and my sole focus right now is doing what we can to protect people's jobs and their livelihoods at what is an incredibly difficult time for our economy.
"That's what I think everyone should be focused on, let's not focus on these divisive constitutional questions, let's focus on rebuilding for the future."
The Chancellor echoed the sentiment expressed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson when asked about Scottish independence, saying the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the importance of the union to Scotland and how it will prove just as important in the economic recovery to come.
He is the fourth UK cabinet minister to visit Scotland in recent weeks, following a poll that showed support for Scottish independence at an all-time high, with Boris Johnson's handling of the pandemic cited as a key reason for the shift in the support.
11:00 AM
Leicester council not expecting any changes to current restrictions
Leicester City Council is not expecting any changes to the current restrictions in the city in the Government's announcement today.
A spokeswoman for the council told the PA news agency the local authority was "at a loss" as to why they had been "tagged on" to the review of restrictions in the North West.
The spokeswoman said the council had expected the city's restrictions to be reviewed every two weeks and were "surprised" when they were informed the current measures would be reviewed today.
10:52 AM
Pakistan to reopen restaurants, cafes, cinemas and beauty parlors
The Pakistani authorities will permit the re-opening of restaurants, cafes, cinemas, beauty parlors and public parks on Monday, facilities which have been shut since March 16.
International travel will also return to normal, with social distancing rules implemented.
The National Coordination Committee has taken the decision to relax restrictions after the number of new daily cases has plummeted from a peak of over 6,800 in June to fewer than 1,000 in August.
Public health experts are still warning Pakistanis to take precautions though, with fears of a surge in new cases after millions traveled home for Eid-al-Adha celebrations last weekend.
10:42 AM
Beach-goers urged to avoid crowds in South West
Visitors to the South West of England are being urged to avoid busy beaches over the weekend, as crowds are expected to head to the coast as temperatures are forecast to hit the mid to high 20s.
The RNLI has called on beachgoers to follow water safety advice and adhere to social distancing.
Kitty Norman, water safety delivery support at the RNLI, said: "The beaches across the whole of the South West are extremely busy at the moment with both locals who are holidaying at home this year and an influx of visitors to the region.
"The sheer volume of people making social distancing tricky is one thing to be conscious of before planning your trip to the beach.
"You might choose to visit the beach at a quieter time of day, or choose a beach with more space, where you can still bathe between the flagged area, but spread out further when setting up camp for the day.
"If you arrive at the beach and it is simply too crowded, consider moving on and spending your day elsewhere.
"Checking the tide times is advised - as the tide comes in, it reduces the available space for people to spread out and leads to beaches getting more crowded."
She also asked people to respect a two-metre distance when approaching lifeguards.
10:30 AM
London coronavirus mortuary to become wildflower habitat
A temporary London mortuary used to store bodies at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic is being dismantled to make way for a new wildflower habitat.
The site, opened in April at Wanstead Flats in East London, was one of six emergency mortuaries set up to deal with deaths.
But as the death rate has fallen, the four-acre site near Epping Forest "will be reseeded with native species" and expected to open to the public next summer, said the City of London Corporation, which owns the land.
Graeme Doshi-Smith, chairman of the corporation's Epping Forest and commons committee, said: "While coronavirus is likely to still be with us for a long time and we mustn't be complacent, the removal of the mortuary is a welcome sign of the green shoots of normal life beginning to return to our open spaces.
"In the weeks to come, our teams will be preparing the soil before sowing the land with a wildflower seed mix, including seeds collected from nearby areas of the forest.
"When it has grown, the grassland will provide a rich habitat for visitors and wildlife to enjoy, and will mark out a lasting, natural reminder of those who lost their lives to coronavirus."
10:25 AM
Three in 10 'uncomfortable' to attend A&E if advised by a doctor
Around three in 10 adults would not feel comfortable attending A&E for urgent care if they needed it, a survey suggests.
Some 61 per cent of adults said they would feel comfortable to attend a hospital appointment if their doctor asked them to, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
Almost a quarter (23 per cent) said they would feel uncomfortable with this, while 29 per cent said they would feel uncomfortable about going to hospital for emergency treatment.
Just over half (55 per cent) said they would feel comfortable about visiting the emergency department if advised. And 14 per cent said they would not feel comfortable seeing a healthcare professional in person.
Experts fear the knock-on effects of the coronavirus pandemic have been lethal after routine care was disrupted, and amid concerns that patients were reluctant to seek treatment.
Research has suggested the UK could experience up to 35,000 excess deaths within the next 12 months as a result of delays in cancer diagnosis and care.
10:15 AM
Only one in five teachers think Scottish schools are safe to reopen
Teachers are backing the return of schools in Scotland but only one in five believe schools are safe for teachers and pupils to return, the interim results from a survey by the Educational Institute of Scotland have indicated.
The Scotsman reports that a total of 64 per cent of teachers support the decision to re-open schools, but just three per cent are “very confident” in the evidence to support a safe return to school, the EIS said.
Scotland's largest teaching union opened their survey earlier this week with 24,000 completing the survey by Thursday morning. Full results will be released next week.
10:13 AM
An update on Belgium...
The BBC's Jessica Parker reports that if you travelled from Germany or the Netherlands through Belgium, you need to self-isolate unless all passengers remained in the car and no one got in or out for the entire journey through Belgium.
You also need to self-isolate if new passengers got in the car.
UPDATE: Here are the rules if you're driving through Belgium
* If you travelled from Germany or the Netherlands through Belgium, unless all passengers remained in the car and no one got out or in for the entire time while transiting through Belgium, you need to self-isolate.
Poland rules out second nationwide lockdown despite cases rising
Poland has ruled out a new nationwide lockdown after it reported 809 new coronavirus infections today, the sixth record daily rise in two weeks.
According to the health ministry’s Twitter account, most of the cases were in and around big cities including the capital Warsaw, Katowice and Krakow.
The conservative nationalist government has imposed stricter sanitary rules on a number of Polish counties, which include compulsory wearing of protective face masks outside the home.
It has banned conferences, sport events and concerts, closed cinemas and gyms, and imposed a 50-person limit on the number of people taking part in weddings though churches and hotels remain open.
But deputy prime minster Jacek Sasin told state television before the latest figures were announced: "There is no way that we would impose a general lockdown again.
“There is no talk today, with the rising number of infected people or very high number of those who are still infected, of coming back to closing the economy.”
10:00 AM
I'm A Celebrity to be filmed in UK instead of Australia
The forthcoming series of I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! is to be filmed in the UK instead of Australia and will be broadcast live every night from a ruined castle in the countryside, ITV has confirmed.
Ant and Dec will host the series as celebrities undertake gruelling trials and challenges to win food and treats in the lead-up to one of them being crowned king or queen of the castle, rather than the jungle.
ITV recently confirmed that the 2020 series of the show would go ahead amid the coronavirus crisis but did not offer details on where filming would take place.
Kevin Lygo, ITV's director of television, said: "We announced last week that we were doing all we could to make the series and I'm thrilled that we can bring the show to viewers, albeit not in the jungle.
"We have a great team both on and off screen and I know they will produce a hugely entertaining series."
09:55 AM
Matt Hancock to give announcement on further local action
Health Secretary Matt Hancock is to give an update shortly on whether further steps need to be taken to stamp out rising cases in parts of the country.
It follows the news that Preston council has told its residents to start following the same restrictions that Greater Manchester and parts of West Yorkshire are following, after official figures showed a spike in cases.
Preston City Council chief executive Adrian Phillips told the BBC: "We are not waiting for some Government announcement.
"We know our rates are increasing and they have increased over the last week to a level now where we are concerned that we could face Government intervention.
"We've been working with our communities to make sure we get those key messages out."
09:42 AM
Watch: Quarantine list 'kept under constant review' as Rishi Sunak warns more countries could be added
09:36 AM
Over 3.5m health workers in India embark on two-day strike
More than 3.5 million health workers in India have embarked on a two-day strike to secure better wages and personal protective equipment.
It comes as the country reported a record daily jump in Covid-19 infections, taking its total caseload to over two million.
“At least 100 health workers have died of Covid-19 in the country so far, but there has been no insurance provided to them by the government,” A. R, Sindhu secretary of the Centre of Trade Unions, a key participant in the ongoing strike, told Reuters.
Accredited Social Health Activists, or ASHA workers, are the government’s recognised health workers who are usually the first point of contact in economically deprived areas, where there is limited or no direct access to healthcare facilities.
They have been conducting door-to-door checks to trace Covid-19 patients.
A total of 10 unions representing the workers, who also include ambulance drivers and cooks at community centres, joined the strike.
09:24 AM
Landlord admits 'regret' after pub linked to coronavirus outbreak
The landlord of a Staffordshire pub linked to a coronavirus outbreak has admitted he was "simply not strong enough" in ensuring social distancing measures were enforced.
Custodio Pinto, who runs the Crown and Anchor in Stone, Stoke-on-Trent, apologised on Facebook after at least 19 confirmed cases of Covid-19 were linked to the venue.
Mr Pinto wrote: "First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest regret for all the anguish, disruption and sadness that the events that occurred in the Crown and Anchor last month have caused to so many.
"I have lived in Stone since 2001 where we have raised our three children and it has always been nothing but the greatest pleasure to be part of this fantastic community.
"However, on July 18, I accept that I was simply not strong enough in enforcing the Government's Covid-19 secure rules, despite detailed preparation according to their guidelines.
"I regret I was complacent in enforcing these rules with the customers."
Around 1,000 people have been tested after health chiefs urged anyone who had worked at or visited the pub between July 16 and 18 to get checked.
09:17 AM
Up to 100m vaccine doses to be made available for low-and-middle income countries
A collaboration between SII, Gavi and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will "accelerate the manufacture and delivery of up to 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines for low- and middle-income countries", the organisations have said.
In a press release, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, said:
"The collaboration will provide upfront capital to SII to help them increase manufacturing capacity now so that, once a vaccine, or vaccines, gains regulatory approval and WHO Prequalification, doses can be produced at scale for distribution to LMIC countries as part of the Gavi COVAX AMC mechanism as early as the first half of 2021."
“Too many times we’ve seen the most vulnerable countries left at the back of the queue when it comes to new treatments, new diagnostics and new vaccines,” said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. “With Covid-19 vaccines we want things to be different. If only the wealthiest countries in the world are protected, then international trade, commerce and society as a whole will continue to be hit hard as the pandemic continues to rage across the globe.
"This new collaboration is an important step in our efforts to prevent this from happening, helping to ensure we have additional manufacturing capacity to begin producing doses for every country, not just the wealthy few. We now need other vaccine manufacturers to step up and follow SII’s lead.”
09:12 AM
Thousands of British Airways staff learn their fate in jobs crisis
British Airways has begun telling thousands of staff whether they will lose their jobs as the airline presses on with painful restructuring of operations in response to coronavirus.
Cabin and ground crew will be asked to sign up to steep pay cuts, while others will be told that they have been made redundant.
A third group will keep their jobs on pre-Covid terms and conditions.
More than 6,000 staff have applied for voluntary redundancy, the airline said.
Following the news that more than one million people in Africa have been infected with Covid-19, the International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that health systems across the continent could be “overwhelmed” if measures to curb the disease are not followed.
Patrick Youssef, ICRC regional director for Africa, said:
"It took Africa nearly five months to hit 500,000 Covid-19 cases, but about a month to double that number. Most of these cases are in South Africa, but around the continent we are seeing the virus spread beyond capital cities and into new areas.
“If measures against the virus are not followed, we fear that health care systems already weakened by conflict and violence could be overwhelmed by Covid-19.”
08:50 AM
India cases surpass 2 million
India has seen another large jump in new cases, registering a record daily jump of 62,538 coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours.
The rise takes the country’s total to 2.03 million, the health ministry said.
The country became the third nation to record more than 2 million cases of the virus, behind the United States and Brazil, as infections spread further to smaller towns and rural areas.
08:42 AM
Test and Trace should work like jury service with full pay, says Manchester Mayor
People are not handing over the names of contacts in the Test and Trace programme for fear of putting friends and family in a "really difficult position", the Mayor of Greater Manchester has suggested.
Andy Burnham said people are worried about taking 14 days off work knowing they will not be paid, or be at risk of losing their job.
He said NHS Test and Trace will not work properly until this issue is addressed, adding that a solution may be to treat the contact tracing system as something "that's akin to jury duty" with people being able to self-isolate on full pay.
Mr Burnham said the system is "not good enough yet", telling BBC Radio 4's Today Programme: "So when I say not yet, it's because in Greater Manchester, when you look at the contacts of people who are testing positive, the wider group of friends and family, only 52 per cent of people are being reached by the national Test and Trace system.
"And I think one of the reasons for that, there's a number of reasons, but one is a number of people in our poorer communities are finding it very, very hard to agree to a request to take 14 days off work when they know they won't be paid, or worse, they will lose their job.
"And this of course particularly affects people who are self-employed, or who are on zero hours contracts."
08:33 AM
Ukraine records daily record of new infections
Ukraine has recorded a daily record of new coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, as the health ministry urges people to observe safety measures.
New infections have been rising steadily in the country in recent weeks, and on Thursday the ministry said cases had risen by 1,453. Ukraine recorded 1,318 new cases on Wednesday, and 1,271 on Tuesday. The country’s death toll has also increased.
During a televised briefing, health minister Maksym Stepanov said:
"The numbers are impressive and every day we set records. We have increasing numbers of complex cases, numbers of deaths. What numbers do we need to reach in order to think about compliance with the rules?”
He added that the total number of Covid-19 infections had reached 78,261, including 1,852 deaths and 43,055 recoveries. Most new cases were recorded in western Ukraine and the capital, Kyiv.
In March, the Government imposed tough restrictions on citizens to curb the spread of the disease – including halting transport, closing cafes and banning public events – but eased them in May to allow the economy to recover from a lockdown-induced recession.
08:27 AM
Russia reports over 5,000 new infections
Russian authorities have reported 5,241 new Covid-19 infections, pushing the country’s national tally to 877,135.
The official death toll also rose by 119 to 14,725 today.
Russia currently has the fourth largest caseload of the virus in the world, and the 11th highest number of related deaths.
08:22 AM
Hong Kong to offer free Covid testing to residents
Hong Kong is to offer free Covid-19 testing for residents, leader Carrie Lam said today, as the global financial hub races to contain a resurgence of the virus.
The plan will enable citywide testing for the first time and is likely to be implemented in a fortnight at the earliest, Lam said.
The announcement comes days after China sent a team of health officials to Hong Kong to carry out widespread testing, the first time mainland officials have assisted the region in its battle to control the disease.
“The situation in Hong Kong is still critical, with the number of cases remaining high,” Lam told reporters during a virtual briefing as she sat in front of a digital backdrop which read "Fight the virus with the central government’s full support".
The Chinese territory saw a surge in locally-transmitted coronavirus cases at the start of July and introduced a raft of tightening measures, including restricting gatherings to two people and making wearing face masks mandatory in all outdoor public spaces.
08:16 AM
Preston could be latest local lockdown area, warns officials
Officials in Preston have warned it could become the latest area to face a local lockdown amid rising infection rates, with 47 new cases in the past week.
Dr Sakthi Karunanithi, the director of public health at Lancashire County Council, said the city had taken action ahead of an expected announcement by the Government and Public Health England today.
He told BBC Breakfast: "We're not waiting for others to tell us what to do here in Preston, we've already activated our plans, making more tests available and asking people to avoid social contacts."
He said contacts of people with coronavirus symptoms were being encouraged to come for tests even though they may not have symptoms "so that we can find the virus that is hiding in close contacts and stop the transmission".
08:08 AM
British Museum set to welcome visitors on August 27
The British Museum is set to reopen its doors to visitors on August 27.
The London venue will have been shut for 163 days by the time it welcomes back visitors, which is the longest peacetime closure in its 261-year history.
Visits to the museum will need to be pre-booked and a one-way route will be installed around some of its galleries.
Galleries featuring objects from ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Assyria, Africa, Mexico and North America will reopen before more displays go on show later in September.
Postponed exhibitions Tantra: Enlightenment To Revolution and Arctic: Culture And Climate will reopen later in the autumn.
Artist Grayson Perry's Tomb Of The Unknown Craftsman will also be shown in the museum nine years after it was featured in an exhibition of the same name at the museum.
07:40 AM
It's 'tricky' to ask people to self-isolate, says Lancashire director of public health
Dr Sakthi Karunanithi was asked if he had any evidence that contacts of coronavirus cases did indeed self-isolate.
The director of public health at Lancashire County Council told the BBC: "It's a very tricky choice. We're asking people to restrict their movements, to limit their livelihoods in a way; generally people do follow our advice and stay at home.
"But, in some areas, particularly where we are seeing more numbers of cases, these are all deprived areas, people may be sole bread-winners in their family.
"So, we think, to encourage that isolation behaviour, perhaps we need to go the extra mile to provide the extra economic incentive as well as the general guidance."
Chancellor Rishi Sunak earlier defended the Government's "significant measures to support people's incomes when they're isolating".
He said: "We did this right at the beginning of this crisis ... changed how most of our benefits work and indeed how statutory sick pay works.
"We made other improvements, generosities and strengthenings to our safety net to make sure that that support is both more accessible and more generous and particularly covers those who are isolating."
07:22 AM
French exports down by 21.5 per cent
New foreign trade figures released by France for the first half of 2020 reveal the economic devastation the coronavirus pandemic has wreaked on the eurozone's second economy.
French exports of goods are down by 21.5 per cent compared to the first half of 2019. It is a drop greater than that recorded in the first half of 2009, at the height of the Great Recession. It's only partially offset by a decline in imports.
Foreign Trade Minister Franck Riester said that "these figures are unfortunately not a surprise, as the scale of the crisis we are going through is exceptional."
France also experienced a dramatic clump in its goods trade deficit to minus (euro)34.0 billion (minus $40.2 billion) from minus (euro)29.0 billion ($34.3 billion) in the first half of 2019.
07:16 AM
U.N. reports a significant rise in cybercrime since pandemic
A 350 per cent increase in phishing websites was reported in the first quarter of the year, many targeting hospitals and health care systems and hindering their work responding to the Covd-19 pandemic, the U.N. counterterrorism chief said Thursday.
Vladimir Voronkov told the U.N. Security Council that the upsurge in phishing sites was part of "a significant rise in cybercrime in recent months" reported by speakers at last month's first Virtual Counterterrorism Week at the United Nations.
He said the U.N. and global experts don't yet fully understand "the impact and consequences of the pandemic on global peace and security, and more specifically on organized crime and terrorism."
"We know that terrorists are exploiting the significant disruption and economic hardships caused by Covid-19 to spread fear, hate and division and radicalize and recruit new followers," Voronkov said. "The increase in internet usage and cybercrime during the pandemic further compounds the problem."
The weeklong meeting was attended by representatives from 134 countries, 88 civil society and private sector organizations, 47 international and regional organizations and 40 United Nations bodies, he said.
07:07 AM
Not helpful to speculate on furlough extension in the event of a second wave, says Rishi Sunak
Later in the morning, BBC Breakfast asked Chancellor Rishi Sunak if he was "completely ruling out" extending the furlough scheme to hard-hit job sectors such as travel and theatre.
He said : "If you look at it from start to finish of the furlough scheme, the Government will have been stepping in to pay people's wages for eight months.
"I think most reasonable people will say 'gosh, that's not something that can carry on forever'. In common with almost all countries around the world ... their versions of this are slowly being wound down toward the end of the year."
Asked if the furlough scheme would be extended if a second wave hit and resulted in another national lockdown, Mr Sunak said: "I don't think it's helpful to sit here and speculate on every potential situation that might arise.
"It's not something that we want to see happen and we're doing everything we can ... to stop that from happening."
07:02 AM
There is 'hardship ahead for many' as furlough scheme winds down, says Rishi Sunak
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said that winding down the furlough scheme supporting jobs during the coronavirus crisis is "one of the most difficult decisions" he has made as Chancellor.
He told Sky News: "It's one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make in this job.
"I don't think it's fair to extend this indefinitely, it's not fair to the people on it. We shouldn't pretend there is in every case a job to go back to.
"This is what we need to do now, it's to look forward, provide the opportunities for tomorrow. Yes, there is hardship ahead for many people, we know that, but they shouldn't be left without hope."
06:40 AM
Britain will not hesitate to add more countries to its quarantine list, says Rishi Sunak
Britain will not hesitate to add more countries to its quarantine list, finance minister Rishi Sunak said on Friday when asked about whether France could join Spain on the list.
"If we need to take action as you've seen overnight we will of course not hesitate to do that," Sunak told Sky News.
He added: "We are doing that to protect people's health but in the meantime people should just continue to look at the guidance and make a decision and take everything into account themselves and make a decision that they think is best."
The Government said on Thursday night that travellers returning to the UK from Belgium, Andorra and the Bahamas would need to quarantine for 14 days.
Sunak said that during a global pandemic, there was a risk that people would have their travel plans disrupted.
Read the Telegraph's full report on a possible French quarantine here.
06:15 AM
Thousands of cars put in storage due to pandemic
A car storage facility has seen a surge in demand as thousands of vehicles are not needed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Many of the cars parked at Rockingham Logistics Hub in Corby, Northamptonshire, are from leasing and hire companies which have too much stock.
The 250-acre site was a race track for motorsport events until it was sold in 2018 and converted into a centre for automotive logistics.
Owner Rockingham Group said it has seen a spike in bookings during the Covid-19 crisis but more than half of its 50,000 storage capacity remains available.
A photo taken with a drone shows rental cars sitting in a car park. - Shutterstock
Vehicles are protected by round-the-clock security patrols and a CCTV system.
The coronavirus lockdown saw traffic plummet to below a third of the normal level as people were urged to avoid non-essential journeys.
Trade body the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association said demand for cars from leisure and tourism customers "fell off a cliff" following the outbreak of the virus.
But the association is "now seeing green shoots" as an increasing number of holidaymakers are hiring vehicles for staycations and holidays abroad.
05:56 AM
Face coverings to be made mandatory indoors in Northern Ireland
Wearing masks in shops and other enclosed public spaces will be compulsory from Monday, Northern Ireland's first minister has said.
The devolved government's health department said the R number rose from between 0.5 to 1 last week, to between 0.8 and 1.8.
The reopening of pubs and bars which do not sell food has also been delayed to 1 September.
Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill and First Minister Arlene Foster wearing face coverings during the funeral of John Hume at St Eugene's Cathedral in Londonderry - PA
First Minister Arlene Foster said: "Because of the concern around the level of community transmission and the desire to frankly prioritise the reopening of our schools... we have decided that it is prudent to pause the reopening of our public houses." The new rules are being introduced after Northern Ireland reported its highest number of daily coronavirus cases since May.
There have been 43 new infections, taking the total to 6,049. This compares to just 18 over the previous five days
05:31 AM
Africa passes 1 million cases, but real toll could be higher
Africa's confirmed coronavirus cases have surpassed 1 million, but global health experts say the true toll is likely several times higher, reflecting the gaping lack of testing for the continent's 1.3 billion people.
While experts say infection tolls in richer nations can be significant undercounts, large numbers of undetected cases are a greater danger for Africa, with many of the world's weakest health systems. More than 21,000 people have died of Covid-19.
The World Health Organization calls the milestone a "pivotal point" for Africa as infections in several countries are surging. The virus has spread beyond major cities "into distant hinterlands" where few health resources exist and reaching care could take days.
05:07 AM
Rwandans sent to late-night lectures for breaking Covid rules
Rwandans caught breaking curfew or not wearing masks are being sent to stadiums in droves for all-night lectures on the dangers of coronavirus, as the country maintains a tough approach to stem its spread.
Since mid-July, official figures show that about 70,000 people accused of ignoring the 9:00 pm curfew or rules on mandatory face masks have been ordered by police to sit through hours of speeches at local arenas or detention centres.
Every evening, in stadiums across Rwanda, public health messaging is blared through loudspeakers to spectators seated at least a metre apart in the stands, imploring them to be ambassadors in the fight against the new virus.
People listen the prevention speeches for a few hours in Nyamirambo stadium in Kigali, Rwanda - AFP
Hundreds have been corralled into classes at arenas across the country, including the national stadium in Kigali.
The press is often invited to attend so that images broadcast of those being reprimanded might dissuade others from ignoring the regulations.
04:52 AM
India hits 2 million cases as deaths pass 40,000
India records more than 2 million cases of coronavirus infections - Corbis News
India hit another grim milestone in the pandemic today, crossing 2 million cases of infection and more than 40,000 deaths.
India has the third-highest caseload in the world after the United States and Brazil. But its fatality rate of about 2pc is far lower than the other hardest-hit countries. The rate in the US is 3.3pc, and in Brazil, it's 3.4pc, Johns Hopkins University figures showed.
The health ministry said 62,585 cases were reported in the past 24 hours, raising the nation's total to 2,027,074. Also, 886 people died, for a total of 41,585.
The caseload in the world's second-most populous country has quickly expanded since the government began lifting a months-long lockdown hoping to jumpstart a moribund economy. The Indian government is projecting negative economic growth in 2020.
As life cautiously returned to the streets of the capital of New Delhi and financial hub Mumbai, which appear to have passed their peaks, state and local governments elsewhere in India were reimposing lockdowns after sharp spikes in growth.
India had launched two of the world's dozen and a half prospective vaccines into human trials, with vaccine-maker Zydus Cadila announcing it had completed phase one trials of its DNA-based vaccine on Thursday.
04:06 AM
South Korea to lift ban on travellers from Hubei, China
South Korea will lift a ban on travellers from the Chinese province of Hubei, which was the original epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, starting on Monday, a government official said today.
An absence of new confirmed cases in Hubei recently is cited as the basis for the decision, Yoon Tae-ho, a senior South Korean health ministry official, told a briefing.
04:01 AM
University forecasts 300,000 US deaths by December
Nearly 300,000 Americans could be dead from Covid-19 by December 1, University of Washington health experts forecast, although they said 70,000 lives could be saved if people were scrupulous about wearing masks.
The latest predictions from the university's widely cited Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) comes as top White House infectious disease advisers warned that major US cities could erupt as new coronavirus hot spots if officials there were not vigilant with counter-measures.
"We're seeing a rollercoaster in the United States. It appears that people are wearing masks and socially distancing more frequently as infections increase, then after a while as infections drop, people let their guard down," Dr Christopher Murray, director of the IHME, said in announcing the university's revised forecast.
The US death toll stands at more than 159,000, the most of any country in the world, with nearly 4.9 million known cases.
The IHME said infections were falling in the former epicentres of Arizona, California, Florida, and Texas, but rising in Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Virginia.
02:34 AM
NHS shutdown risks thousands of deaths, doctors warn
Fears grow over the impact of a second wave on the NHS and Britain's care infrastructure - Reuters
The NHS will be inflicting pain, misery and risk of death on tens of thousands of patients if it again shuts down during a second wave, doctors and surgeons’ leaders are warning.
They are urging NHS bosses not to use the same sweeping closures of services that were introduced in March to help hospitals cope with the huge influx of patients left seriously ill with Covid-19.
There is mounting evidence that lockdown can cause excess deaths through a lack of adequate healthcare.
Australia's economic recovery slowed by second wave
Australia's economic recovery will be slower than hoped and unemployment will stay high for several years even though the contraction driven by the pandemic has been less severe than forecast, a senior central bank official said today.
A surge in the number of cases in Australia's second-most populous state of Victoria since June has worsened the country's broader economic outlook, Reserve Bank of Australia Assistant Governor Luci Ellis said during a webcast.
"The recovery is expected to be slow and uneven, and GDP will probably take several years to return to the trend path expected prior to the virus outbreak."
Australia has dodged a technical recession, defined by two consecutive quarters of contraction, since the early 1990s having come out of the 2008/09 global financial crisis relatively unscathed.
But it is now facing its deepest contraction in about a century, with the RBA's baseline scenario showing output would fall by 6pc over 2020 - an "enormous shock" to the labour market, Ellis said.
Victoria's capital Melbourne entered a six-week total lockdown yesterday, closing shops and businesses and requiring its five million inhabitants to stay home.
01:45 AM
Japan to agree supply deal for AstraZeneca's vaccine
AstraZeneca site in Macclesfield - Reuters
The Japanese government will soon agree a supply deal for more than 100 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca Plc, Kyodo news agency reported today.
The British drugmaker has been in talks with Japan, Russia, Brazil and others about supply deals for its potential vaccine, known as AZD1222.
01:40 AM
China reports 37 new cases, the same number as the day before
China reported 37 new cases in the mainland yesterday, same as the day earlier, the country's health authority said today.
Of the new cases, 10 were imported infections involving travellers from overseas compared with seven such cases reported a day earlier, the National Health Commission said in a statement published through its official account on social media platform Weibo.
There were also 14 new asymptomatic cases, down from 20 a day earlier.
Total number of infections in mainland China now stand at 84,565, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,634.
People wearing face masks walk along a street in China - China News Service
01:00 AM
US tops 2,000 deaths in 24 hours for first time in three months
The United States has recorded more than 2,000 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours, the highest number of daily fatalities in three months, Johns Hopkins University's real-time tally showed on Thursday.
The country, which has seen a major resurgence in coronavirus since the end of June, added 2,060 deaths in one day as well as more than 58,000 new cases, the university showed at 12:30am GMT Friday.
The last time the US recorded more than 2,000 deaths in 24 hours was on May 7.
12:54 AM
Coronavirus hits government funding for life-saving medical research
Life-saving medical research cancelled as pandemic hits funding - Bloomberg
Just 3 per cent of medical research charities are eligible for Government funding and that is causing life-saving work to be cancelled, Labour has claimed.
The party said charity-funded research has been severely impacted by Covid-19, with charities projecting it will take more than four years for spend to recover to normal levels.
Charity funding for medical research has plunged by 41 per cent, the party said, adding only five of 152 medical research charities (3 per cent) are eligible for Government support.
Important medical studies said to be stalled or cancelled include those tackling dementia, coronary heart disease and cancer, which could have long-term consequences for hundreds of thousands of patients.
Aisling Burnand, chief executive of the Association of Medical Research Charities, said: "A statistic will never truly capture the devastating impact research cuts will have on all of us.
"Research is hope. Research is more time with your loved ones. Research is improved quality of life.
12:19 AM
NHS staff lost sense of smell before it was added to symptom list
Almost two-thirds of staff at a London NHS trust had lost their sense of smell before anosmia was added to national guidance as a coronavirus symptom, a study indicated.
Researchers asked staff at London's Barts Health NHS Trust to complete a questionnaire in the week of April 17 to 23, at the height of lockdown.
At this time anosmia - a loss of taste or smell - was not listed as an official coronavirus symptom and Covid-19 testing among NHS workers was limited to those displaying symptoms of a new continuous cough or a high temperature over 37.8C.
Public Health England added anosmia to the list of symptoms for Covid-19 on May 18, after which staff displaying the symptom were required to test and self-isolate for seven days.
The survey has also been running in two Norfolk hospitals and in two hospitals in the North West with the responses of more than 1,000 healthcare workers due to be published soon.
The research is published in journal The Lancet Microbe.
11:23 PM
Today's top stories
Up to half a million Britons are suffering the effects of "long Covid", MPs have been told, with some doctors dismissing many of the long-term symptoms.
Australia suffers its worst day of the pandemic as the second wave in the state of Victoria produced the country's highest daily death toll and number of cases.
Japan denies claims that prime minister Shinzo Abe is seriously ill after reports surface that he appears pale and tired.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made their first public appearance alongside Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2018, but a Royal author has claimed it was marred by an awkward moment
Footage taken by a Brazilian tourist shows several pedestrians stepping to soothe the black horse which caused damage after running through the London streets on Wednesday.
David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst will forever be remembered for their roles as Del Boy and Rodney Trotter in Only Fools and Horses, but the pair's relationship off-screen has been far from perfect.
Maxine Longmuir, 69, was thrilled when she won a £2,500 holiday to Portugal on the ITV quiz show, but claims she was left devastated when she was told she was unable to rebook it
They contain a triple whammy of alpha linolenic acid, fibre and lignans which help protect against heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol
Britain's Got Talent has been hit with Ofcom complaints after a string of viewers were left feeling sick over one act's routine during the launch episode
For the Love of Dogs viewers were left infuriated as they pointed out a 'bad habit' of presenter Alison Hammond's during the latest episode of the ITV show, which has seen ratings plummet.
Prince Harry was left upset by his father's decision to evict him and Meghan from Frogmore Cottage as they were under the impression that the property would always be available to them, according to a royal expert.
Prince Harry is set to return to the UK in less than two weeks to mark the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games - and he is likely feeling some trepidation about his visit
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