Bolton pubs and restaurants told to shut by 10pm as lockdown restrictions reintroduced

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10:37 PM

Today's top stories

• Social gatherings of more than six people are to be made illegal, Boris Johnson will announce on Wednesday after a sudden surge in coronavirus cases prompted fears of a second wave
• Christmas festivities may be cancelled if the possibility of a second wave of Covid-19 is not treated seriously, ministers have suggested
• The Queen is planning to head “back to the office” next month as she returns to Buckingham Palace for working engagements, it has been confirmed
• Boris Johnson has been urged by an alliance of more than 400 British and US businesses to introduce compulsory Covid testing of travellers 48 hours before they fly so they can bypass quarantine and restore international aviation
• The public "relaxed too much" following the easing of lockdown restrictions, according to England's deputy chief medical officer, who described the recent surge of coronavirus cases as a "great concern"
• A new "smart city" in China is to have a state-of-the-art neighbourhood designed to cope with a future pandemic outbreak

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10:29 PM

'This virus thrives on complacency'

Hospitality venues are now restricted to takeaway-only in Bolton as part of new measures aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus in the town, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced.

Mr Hancock confirmed that there would be a requirement for all venues in Bolton to close by 10pm, and that additional care home and hospital visit restrictions would be introduced.

The Health Secretary also warned that social distancing must be “the first line of defence” in the fight against coronavirus, and expressed his concern about the recent spike in cases, driven largely by young people.

“This virus thrives on complacency,” Mr Hancock told the House of Commons. “We must all redouble our efforts so we can get this virus on the back foot.”

It comes as Caerphilly in south Wales is set to be placed under local lockdown while restrictions on household visits across western parts of Scotland have been extended for a further week and expanded to also include East Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire.

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05:59 PM

Top stories of the day

• Bolton pubs and restaurants told to shut by 10pm as lockdown restrictions reintroduced 
• Labs told to run some patients' Covid-19 tests twice amid concerns of false-positives
• Up to £3.5bn of furlough cash could be lost to fraud and error 
• 'Covid pass' could allow people back into theatres and sporting events
• Universities could be shut down in new coronavirus outbreaks
• Police to visit beauty salon in Merseyside which questioned existence of Covid-19
• People breaching  local lockdown in Caerphilly area face convictions and fines 

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05:52 PM

Inside China's new 'Covid-proof' city

A new "smart city" in China is to have a state-of-the-art neighbourhood designed to cope with a future pandemic outbreak. 

Architects working on Xiong'an, a flagship new metropolis outside Beijing, have been commissioned to make blocks of apartments specially equipped to allow residents to continue to function under lockdown conditions.

Each flat comes with a large balcony to allow access to the outdoors, and communal work areas big enough to maintain social distancing. Vegetable gardens, greenhouses and rooftop solar power will help residents maintain self-sufficiency in the event of large-scale disruptions to food chains and electricity supplies.

Colin Freeman has the full story here

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05:48 PM

Labs told to run some patients' Covid-19 tests twice amid concerns of false-positives

Coronavirus labs have been told to test patients twice in some circumstances amid concerns that false-positive tests could be exaggerating the national picture. 

Public Health England has released new guidance to laboratories advising them to re-run samples if the positive result is uncertain. 

Experts have warned the new guidance may have been issued due to varying standards used across testing sites, particularly at the Government’s flagship Lighthouse labs. 

Previous reports have raised concerns of staff working in these private labs who say that standards hugely differ between sites. 

Patients will be advised to self-isolate pending the results of a second test.  

Lizzie Roberts and Henry Bodkin has the full story here

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05:43 PM

USA: South Dakota 'super-spreader' biker rally could be linked to 250,000 coronavirus cases

It was a 10-day celebration of big bikes, revving engines and inalienable American freedoms that saw more than 400,000 people descend on a South Dakota town.

Vowing that a pandemic would not halt the 80th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, bikers rode from across the country to join in, despite local fears it would cause a spike in Covid-19.

Three weeks after the event ended and attendees roared off along highways, health officials now fear many took home more than just new tattoos.

Ben Farmer has the full story here

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05:39 PM

French Covid-19 cases and deaths climb again

The number of new, confirmed cases of Covid-19 in France rose by 6,544 over the last 24 hours to stand at a total of 335,524, the French health ministry said on Tuesday.

The number of deaths also climbed by 39 over the last 24 hours, to reach a total of 30,764.

France has the seventh-highest Covid-19 death toll in the world

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05:35 PM

New guidance for post-Covid maternity care published

NHS leaders have published guidance on how hospitals can safely "reintroduce" partners, visitors and other supporters of pregnant women back to maternity services in England.

During the height of the coronavirus pandemic some hospitals banned partners from attending antenatal appointments, including scans, to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Others said partners could only be present when women were in the later stages of labour.

While some organisations resumed normal services, others have kept the same restrictions in place. 

An online campaign also highlighted that some women were finding out about pregnancy loss at a scan but had no support, fathers have missed births, and other birthing partners were not being allowed to be with women in labour.

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (Rcog) called on the NHS in England to publish guidance on partners attending births and scans.

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05:30 PM

Positive Covid-19 tests in no-lockdown Sweden hit lowest rate since pandemic began

Sweden carried out a record number of new coronavirus tests last week with only 1.2% coming back positive, the health agency said on Tuesday, the lowest rate since the pandemic began at a time when countries across Europe are seeing surges in infections.

Sweden avoided a lockdown and instead emphasized personal responsibility, social distancing and good hygiene in a bid to slow rather than eradicate a disease deemed here to stay.

The strategy drew fierce criticism home and abroad as deaths shot up during the spring but has also been lauded by WHO officials as a sustainable model.

"The purpose of our approach is for people themselves to understand the need to follow the recommendations and guidelines that exist," Swedish Health Agency Director-General Johan Carlson told a news conference.

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05:25 PM

France to roll out 15-minute antigen tests as its PM is tested 'as a precaution'

France is to roll out antigen coronavirus tests that take as little as 15 minutes amid alarm over the continuing rise in infection rates. 

The country is now conducting around a million tests per week but there have been concerns that PCR tests, considered the gold standard, take too long to produce results - sometimes up to two days.

An antigen test reveals if a person is currently infected, as opposed to an antibody test, which determines whether someone has developed immunity. 

The developments came as France’s prime minister Jean Castex announced he would undergo a Covid-19 test as a precaution after he shared a car with the director of the Tour de France cycle race, who has since tested positive for the virus.

Henry Samuel has the full story here

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05:17 PM

Turkey scales back school reopening amid rise in Covid-19 cases

 Turkey announced on Tuesday it was scaling back plans to reopen schools later this month, with only the youngest pupils beginning classes at first, for up to two days a week.

Fatalities from the coronavirus have jumped to their highest since mid-May when lockdowns were in place.

The government has said it does not plan to reintroduce a full lockdown but has urged Turks to follow social distancing and hygiene measures to curb the virus. Masks have been made mandatory.

Last month, Education Minister Ziya Selcuk announced that schools, mostly shut since March, would start to reopen on Sept. 21. On Tuesday, however, he said only pre-school and first year pupils would attend in-person classes at first, with further reopening plans to be determined during an evaluation period of three weeks.

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05:11 PM

Police to visit beauty salon which questioned existence of Covid-19

Police are to visit a beauty salon in Merseyside after a poster in its shop window denied the existence of Covid-19.

The poster at Skin Kerr in Bootle also said no masks were being worn on site despite rules requiring staff to wear surgical face masks and visors and that "Covid talk is banned".

Sefton Community Policing Superintendent Graeme Robson said: "My officers will be visiting the salon to speak to the staff and manager and reminding them of their continued responsibilities around Covid-19 and the safety and wellbeing of their staff and customers.

"We will also be linking in with colleagues in the environmental health team at Sefton Council.

"We continue to remind the public and our local businesses that they should be continuing to follow the current Government guidance around social distancing, face coverings and Test and Trace."

Councillor Paulette Lappin, the council's cabinet member for regulatory, compliance and corporate services said: "Once our environmental health team was made aware of this disappointing situation, we contacted the owner of the company and have arranged a visit.

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05:03 PM

Ireland reports highest number of cases in one day since mid-May

 Ireland on Tuesday reported 307 new cases of coronavirus, the highest number of cases reported in one day since mid-May, amid concern that new restrictions could be introduced to the capital, Dublin.

The National Public Health Emergency Team said 182 of the new cases were in Dublin, a city that government minister Simon Harris earlier on Tuesday told journalists was at a "delicate point" due to a surge in cases. 

Newstalk radio earlier cited government sources as saying additional restrictions may be introduced in Dublin and Limerick if cases continue to increase 

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05:00 PM

Business: Competition watchdog blocks Lloyds from forcing Covid-hit firms to open new accounts

Britain's biggest high street bank has been accused of breaking competition rules after 30,000 small business owners were forced to open a paid-for account so they could access crucial coronavirus loans. 

Lloyds demand that Covid-hit firms set up business accounts if they wanted to secure emergency cash doled out through the £35bn taxpayer-backed Bounce Back Loan scheme - potentially loading them up with higher fees.

It has now been ordered to stop the practice by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

Adam Land, the watchdog's senior director, said: "By forcing businesses to open current accounts as a pre-condition to access this scheme, Lloyds breached the CMA undertakings it signed, reduced choice and put their customers at risk of being unnecessarily charged."

Lucy Barton has the full story here

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04:53 PM

New York may move state universities with Covid-19 spikes to remote learning

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Tuesday the state's health department would require colleges to report when they have more than 100 Covid-19 cases and that colleges above that threshold may be forced to switch to remote learning.

"Colleges across the country are seeing outbreaks," Cuomo said at a news conference, noting that Cornell University and Hofstra University were among schools in the state that have had outbreaks. "This is going to be a problem."

Cuomo, a Democrat, also accused Republican President Donald Trump of "trying to kill New York City" by not advocating for additional federal aid to help states deal with the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, including funds to clean schools and trains.

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04:48 PM

Ireland reports 307 cases of Covid-19

A significant increase in the number of Covid-19 cases has been diagnosed in Ireland, with 307 cases and one death confirmed by the Department of Health

 

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04:41 PM

Royal Albert Hall appeals for donations amid £20 million coronavirus crisis

The Royal Albert Hall, where a box was put on the market for £3 million two years ago, is begging for £20 million from the public to stave off a financial crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The venue in Kensington – which does not rely on public subsidy – on Tuesday issued a call for "urgent public donations to survive the impact of Covid-19" and said lockdown had cost it £18 million in lost revenues.

However, critics asked whether the Royal Albert Hall could raise more money from the private owners who control around a quarter of the seats, worth hundreds of millions of pounds, in the 5,200-capacity concert venue. 

Christopher Hope has the full story here 

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04:31 PM

Namibia eases coronavirus restrictions to attract tourists

Namibia has further eased restrictions for international tourists to try to prevent the collapse of a sector hit by the coronavirus pandemic after the country closed its borders in March.

The Tourism Ministry said on Tuesday tourists could go to their pre-booked destinations and take part in activities for up to five days, after which they will be tested for the virus.

If they stay at their pre-booked destination for less than five days they can proceed to another destination without a test.

The tourism sector in the southwest African country has not seen any new bookings since the beginning of the month leading to 115.7 million Namibian dollars ($6.85 million) in cancellations, the ministry estimates.

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04:24 PM

People breaching local lockdown in Caerphilly area face convictions and fines

People breaching local lockdown restrictions that come into force in Caerphilly county borough from 6pm on Tuesday face convictions and fines.

Under the legislation, people must not enter or leave the area unless they have a reasonable excuse for doing so.

The 181,000 residents of the county borough should not meet anyone who is not a member of their household indoors - including at cafes, pubs, bars and restaurant - without a good reason.

"It is a criminal offence to deliberately meet someone from outside your household in any of these settings," guidance issued by the Welsh Government states.

Restrictions are being enforced by local authority environmental health officers and the police, who can issue fixed penalty notices or recommend prosecution in a magistrates' court.

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04:19 PM

Greece finds 35 Covid-19 cases in Moria migrant camp

 Coronavirus infections in Greece's overcrowded migrant camp Moria on the island of Lesbos nearly doubled since Monday to 35 confirmed cases, the migration ministry said on Tuesday.

The facility was placed under quarantine last week after authorities confirmed that a 40-year-old asylum-seeker had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Health authorities conducted a total of 2,000 tests in Moria, including 100 on camp staff who tested negative. All 35 migrants who tested positive have been moved to a segregated space and only one has shown Covid-19 symptoms.

Since March 1, all migrants reaching Lesbos have been quarantined away from the island's camps.

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04:13 PM

Sir Keir Starmer warns test and trace 'is on the verge of collapse'

Sir Keir Starmer has warned that the test and trace system is "on the verge of collapse" as he told Boris Johnson to take responsibility amid a rise in coronavirus infections.

The Labour leader said on Tuesday that the Prime Minister should have used the summer to get a "very effective" test-and-trace system running.

But Sir Keir instead pointed to a series of damaging stories about its failings, after a senior official in the scheme in England apologised to those who have been unable to get tested.

During a round of broadcast interviews, the Labour leader told the BBC: "Everybody is deeply concerned about the rise in the rate of infection.

"As we reopen the economy, as children go back to school, this was always going to be a risk, we understand that."

"What we're now seeing is stories over the past few days that is showing the testing regime is on the verge of collapse," he said.

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04:08 PM

Pakistan: Vast majority of virus cases in Karachi asymptomatic

Up to 95 percent of the coronavirus cases in Karachi have been asymptomatic, researchers said Tuesday, shedding possible light on why Pakistan has been able to weather the pandemic.

Research by the Aga Khan University in Pakistan's largest city found that more than nine out of 10 people who contracted the coronavirus showed no sign of the disease.

Public health experts tested 2,000 people from several neighbourhoods across the sprawling metropolis of about 20 million.

"Ninety-five percent of those who tested positive for Covid-19 reported feeling no symptoms of the illness such as a cough, fever or sore throat," Imran Nisar, the study's lead researcher said. 

Researchers said more surveys were needed to understand why so many cases appear to be asymptomatic in Karachi, but they suggested Pakistan's young population might have been a factor.

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04:01 PM

Irish pubs to finally reopen after longest coronavirus lockdown in Europe

Irish pubs will end the longest Covid-19 lockdown in Europe on September 21st when they will open their doors to customers for the first time since the third week in March.

The country’s 3,000 pubs that cannot serve food were supposed to open in mid-July under the government’s original roadmap but this date was postponed on three occasions as the health authorities sought to combat the escalating rate of coronavirus cases.

Ireland had one of the lowest rates of infections in the EU when pubs that can serve food were allowed open at the beginning of July but since then there has been a surge in reported coronavirus cases.

John Walsh has the full story here

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03:53 PM

European Parliament cancels travelling circus to Strasbourg due to coronavirus

The European Parliament has cancelled its planned return to Strasbourg because of coronavirus, writes our Brussels correspondent James Crisp.

Usually, the entire parliament decamps en masse to the French city in what is criticised as an expensive "travelling circus". 

It was expected that the exodus would resume for the first time since the pandemic was at its height but those plans were cancelled, the president of the parliament announced. Strasbourg has been declared a red zone. 

The EU treaties insist that  plenary sessions of the parliament must take place in Strasbourg, which is a right insisted upon by France. 

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03:52 PM

Covid robocop: the droid that reminds you to wear your mask

Engineers have developed a robot that can detect whether people are wearing a mask to guard against Covid-19 and, if not, politely remind them to put one on.

The feature is an upgrade of Pepper, a 120 cm (47 inch) high robot with human-like features that is already in operation in some countries welcoming visitors to shops, exhibitions and other public spaces.

Pepper's camera scans the faces of people approaching it, and if it detects the lower half of their face is uncovered, it pronounces the phrase: "You have to always wear a mask properly."

If it sees that the visitor then puts on a mask, the robot follows up with the phrase: "Thank you for having put on your mask."

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03:40 PM

Austrian pensioners stunned to receive £900 US virus cheques

More than 100 pensioners in Austria have mistakenly been sent coronavirus relief cheques by the US, it has emerged.

Manfred Barnreiter, a 73-year-old living in Linz, told Austria’s ORF national broadcaster of his astonishment when he opened his post to discover a cheque for $1,200 (£920) bearing Donald Trump’s signature.

He initially suspected it was a scam. “But when I saw the amount, I thought it’s pretty interesting. Let’s take it to the bank.”

His bank conducted an audit and found the cheque was genuine. Three days later the full amount was transferred to his account.

Mr Barnreiter believes he may have been sent the cheque because he worked for a short time as a waiter in the US during the sixties.

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03:34 PM

Lockdown in Caerphilly area should serve as 'wake-up call,' Welsh health minister says

The local lockdown in the county borough of Caerphilly should serve as a "wake-up call for everybody," Wales's health minister has said.

Under the new restrictions, which come into force at 6pm on Tuesday, people must not enter or leave the area without a reasonable excuse.

Meetings with other people indoors will not be allowed, along with overnight stays and extended households.

Health minister Vaughan Gething said the area's case rate had risen to 72.9 cases per 100,000 people, the highest rate in Wales and one of the highest in the UK.

The fact that Caerphilly has been singled out, with the highest rate within Wales and the second highest rate I understand right across the UK of coronavirus infection, should be a real wake-up call for everybody," Mr Gething said.

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03:25 PM

South Africa daily virus cases drop below 1,000, lowest in months

South Africa has reported fewer than 1,000 new coronavirus infections, the lowest daily increase in three months, as health authorities warn that a second wave remains a risk.

The country is the hardest-hit in Africa, registering around half of the continent's more than 1.3 million coronavirus cases.

But the number of new infections has been declining steadily since an average daily peak of around 12,000 in July.

South Africa recorded 845 new cases on Monday, taking its total number to 639,362, according to a health ministry report released overnight.

It also registered 115 more Covid-19 related deaths, raising its total toll to 15,004.

South Africa's number of cases is now the world's seventh-highest, down from the fifth, as it has been overtaken by Colombia and Peru.

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03:17 PM

Britain: 2,420 new confirmed cases of coronavirus

The Government said that as of 9am on Tuesday, there had been a further 2,420 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus. Overall, 352,520 cases have been confirmed.

The figures for new cases and deaths do not include those from Northern Ireland and only represent those for Britain, according to the dashboard.

The Government said 41,584 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Tuesday, an increase of 30 on the day before.

Separate figures published by the UK's statistics agencies show there have now been 57,400 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

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03:13 PM

Argentina provinces face 'health catastrophe' as pandemic spreads

The province of Jujuy in Argentina, boasting a population of  770,000 people, has seen cases spike in recent weeks as nationwide deaths have topped 10,000 and cases speed toward 500,000, with almost one-in-two tests coming back positive.

"Jujuy is in a health catastrophe, there aren't enough intensive therapy beds, doctors are getting sick and patients are dying," said Barrera Ruiz, a 52-year-old paediatrician who himself was infected with Covid-19. 

Argentina initially had controlled the spread of the virus with a tough quarantine since the middle of March, but as economic pressures grew, restrictions were eased and infections soared, taking the country into the global top 10 for cases.

Health Ministry data show that over the last month the number of confirmed infections daily is almost half that of the number of tests carried out, one of the highest "positive" rates in the world along with Mexico and Bolivia.

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03:05 PM

Belgian politics on hold as mediator tests positive for Covid-19

Belgium's plans to forge a fully fledged government 16 months after an election were put on hold on Tuesday after one of the two mediators charged with the job tested positive for Covid-19

Egbert Lachaert, the head of the Flemish Liberal Party, was forced to quarantine for two weeks after learning that a test had shown he was infected, a spokesman for his party said.

Lachaert was appointed three weeks ago to break the deadlock and has been working since last Friday with Flemish socialist leader Conner Rousseau to create a seven-party coalition. They were due to report back to the king on Friday.

During his time as mediator, Lachaert has met many political leaders and had repeated meetings with King Philip.

The royal palace did not immediately comment.

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02:53 PM

Extra measures in place in Bolton as virus is 'moving round borough uncontrolled'

New measures introduced at hospitality venues in Bolton are needed to halt the transmission of Covid-19 which is "moving round uncontrolled", a council leader has said.

The Government has ordered that restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs will be immediately restricted to takeaway only and all hospital venues will be required to close between 10pm and 5am.

A ban on mixing outside households in public outdoor settings will also be enforceable by law.

The majority of new coronavirus cases involved people aged 18 to 49. 

The Conservative leader of Bolton Council, councillor David Greenhalgh, said: "This is not something we want to do but it is clear the virus is currently moving round the borough uncontrolled and so we need to halt the transmission rate.

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02:46 PM

Birmingham could be hit with tough new Covid-19 controls after cases rocket

There are growing signs tough new Covid-19 lockdown measures could be imposed across Birmingham by the end of the week after infections rocketed.

The infection rate in Birmingham now stands at 62.4 cases per 100,000 in the seven days to September 5, compared to 28.1 the week before, according to latest NHS data.

Only two weeks ago, the city narrowly avoided a restrictive local lockdown such as those imposed in Leicester and Greater Manchester, after an increase in positive test results.

At the time, the city's seven-day infection rate was just over 30 cases per 100,000 people, but later fell.

However West Midlands mayor Andy Street said in light of the "very notable increase" in positive tests in both Birmingham and neighbouring Solihull, further restrictions were now "very, very likely".

Stressing no final decisions had yet been made, he added the "simplest form of restriction would be city-wide".

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02:39 PM

Ireland plans to open all pubs on September 21

Ireland plans to allow the reopening of all pubs on September 21, dropping a ban on bars that do not serve food, a senior minister said on Tuesday.

Bars that serve food have been allowed to open since the end of June under strict conditions after public health officials said they represented a safer environment than pubs that only serve alcohol.

The disparity led over the last week to small protests from other publicans, whose premises have been closed since March.

Simon Harris, minister for Higher Education and Science, confirmed that the government would allow all pubs to reopen, but under strict conditions such as a requirement for table service.

"What we are not proposing to do on September 21 is to reopen pubs, packed bars, crowded places. We're talking about allowing a pub to reopen with table service and not serve chicken goujons to justify it," he told reporters.

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02:29 PM

Social media urged to crackdown on misleading Covid-19 posts

Social media giants should crack down on the posting of erroneous and misleading information about coronavirus, according to a Welsh Government minister.

Vaughan Gething, the health and social services minister, said sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube should be "part of the answer, and not part of the problem".

The four platforms each have policies designed to restrict misleading posts about coronavirus.

Speaking during the weekly Welsh Government briefing, Mr Gething said the sharing of misinformation about Covid-19 and lockdown measures was a "real and present danger".

"I haven't had direct discussions with Facebook but there are regular conversations between governments across the world, and not just Facebook but other social media platforms, about the erroneous and misleading information that circulates on those individual social media platforms," he said.

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02:20 PM

Boris Johnson invites members of the public to submit questions on coronavirus

Boris Johnson has invited members of the public to submit questions to him on coronavirus, implying an upcoming press conference. 

On Twitter the Prime Minister posted: 

I’ll be answering some of your questions about coronavirus.

Ask your questions at https://t.co/FBynuacYFP pic.twitter.com/7cw6hbYQp8

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) September 8, 2020

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02:11 PM

Teachers in Bosnian village build open-air classroom to protect children from Covid-19

Teachers at an elementary school in the village of Kacuni in central Bosnia have used their summer holiday to build an open-air classroom outside their school to the joy of their students and local community.

"Our model offers a breath of fresh air both for teachers and students. It allows us to breathe, speak and work freely. I am so proud of it," said Mirza Begovic, a language teacher at the Kacuni school, which has 1,000 students.

The idea of an open-air classroom had been in teachers' minds for a while, but the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated their project - which began with minimum funds but quickly attracted help and donations. The mayor gave construction material.

The classroom was completed within a month, in time to welcome children returning to school after months of online learning. It will be used as long as the weather allows.

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02:05 PM

U.N. detects virus cases in Syrian refugee camp in Jordan

The U.N. refugee agency said on Tuesday it has confirmed two coronavirus cases in the Azraq camp for Syrian refugees in Jordan, which is home to more than 36,000 people who have fled their country's civil war.

They are the first infections to be detected among Syrians living in refugee camps in Jordan. The UNHCR said the two patients have been transferred to quarantine facilities and their neighbors have been isolated as more testing is carried out.

More than 5.5 million Syrians have fled the country since the war broke out in 2011, with most settling in neighboring countries where they often live in close quarters and struggle to make ends meet. Coronavirus lockdowns have taken a heavy toll on the region's economies, making it even harder for refugees to find work.

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01:52 PM

Matt Hancock says the longterm impact of coronavirus can be 'devastating'

In his opening statement in the Commons the Health Secretary cited a King’s College survey today as evidence of how coronavirus can have longterm effects for people lasting for months. 

Mr Hancock repeated this, saying the longterm impact can be “devastating”. He said:

Six months on many people are still suffering from chronic fatigue, muscle pain, and breathing difficulties, previously fit and healthy people reduced to barely being able to function.

A King’s College survey published today shows that 300,000 people in the UK have reported symptoms lasting for more than a month and 60,000 people have been ill for more than three months.

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01:48 PM

Boost for Oxford Covid vaccine as it emerges rivals' must be 'deep frozen' at -70C

Two of the world’s leading Covid-19 vaccine contenders may have to be stored at temperatures as low as minus 70 degrees celsius, it has emerged.

The super-cooling requirements for the leading US and German contenders will add another layer of complexity to the already daunting task of distributing the vaccines, even if phase three trials prove successful. 

Most other leading candidates, including from Oxford/AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson, also need to be kept cool, but there are hopes that these protein-based jabs will need to be refrigerated at between two and eight degrees, rather than frozen. 

Our Global Health Security Team has the full story here

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01:43 PM

UK: Train passenger numbers remain low as Government's back to work drive falters

Train companies have reported only a "slight increase" in passenger numbers as the Government continues to delay its major advertising campaign to get Britons back to work.

Operators said initial numbers for Monday suggested there had not been a drastic surge in the number of commuters as train services returned to 90 percent of their normal capacity.

The underwhelming rise came as children returned to school, leading transport bosses to hope parents freed from childcare commitments would begin flooding back to the office.

Mike Wright has the full story here

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01:38 PM

British travellers risk being locked out of EU if coronavirus infections rise

British tourists could be forced to quarantine or take Covid-19 tests when travelling to EU countries under new bloc-wide rules and, if coronavirus infections increase, face being locked out of the bloc after the end of the Brexit transition period.  

EU member states and the European Commission began preliminary discussions on agreeing a standardised colour system, infection rate threshold and harmonised approach to travellers from high-risk areas for the bloc on Monday. They do not involve the UK, which will be treated as a non-EU country from January 1. 

“European challenges require European coordination,” a commission spokesman said on Tuesday, before adding that the plans were “welcomed” by national diplomats. 

Read the full story here by James Crisp

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01:32 PM

Update: 187 confirmed cases in Caerphilly in the past two weeks

Data from Public Health Wales shows in the last two weeks across Caerphilly there have been 187 confirmed cases of Covid-19.

This equals 103.3 cases per 100,000 population, whereas across all of Wales it is just 26.3.

More than 4,000 tests have been carried out in Caerphilly in the past fortnight, with 4.4% proving positive, compared to 1.7% across Wales.

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01:29 PM

Update: Public Health Wales report a 'steady increase' in cases

Dr Giri Shankar, from Public Health Wales, said: "Public Health Wales supports the restrictions which are being put in place by the Welsh Government and Caerphilly Council.

"These measures are essential to limit the spread of coronavirus and bring transmission under control.

"I would appeal to everyone in the Caerphilly area that if you have even the mildest of Covid-19 symptoms - a high temperature or fever, a new and persistent cough, or a loss or change in your sense of smell or taste - or even if you feel generally unwell with no explanation, to make use of the local testing units.

"We are now seeing a steady increase in cases in a number of communities across Wales and our investigations show that many of these have been transmitted due to a lack of social distancing."

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01:27 PM

150 new cases of Covid-19 in Wales

There have been a further 150 cases of Covid-19 in Wales, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 18,664.

Public Health Wales said no further deaths had been reported, with the total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic remaining at 1,597.

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01:22 PM

'Very notable increase' in infection rates in Birmingham and Solihull, authorities warn

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said there had been "a very notable increase in Birmingham and Solihull" infection rates in the last few days.

He said the imposition of "additional restrictions" were now looking "likely" while stressing no final decisions had yet been taken.

"Everyone can see the numbers," added Mr Street.

"That would be looking likely - and is in the context of a deteriorating national position, as well."

In Birmingham, the infection rate in the week ending September 5 was 62.4 cases per 100,000 while in neighbouring Solihull it was 46.1, according to NHS Digital.

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01:18 PM

Surge in whistleblowers' hotline reporting Birmingham firms flouting Covid-19 restrictions

The leader of Birmingham City Council has said a whistleblowers' hotline set up by the local authority in August for people to report firms flouting Covid-19 restrictions has had more than 800 contacts.

Councillor Ian Ward said: "We've had over 800 reports so far and all have been or are being responded to by environmental health and West Midlands Police, where appropriate.

"We must all play our part to keep our family, friends and neighbours safe."

Two restaurants in the city have already been issued with direction orders, following reports to the council they were breaching guidance on maximum numbers of visitors allowed.

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01:13 PM

Watch: 'second peak' of Covid-19 cases is 'not inevitable' if we all play our part, says Matt Hancock

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01:11 PM

Hancock: 'We all have a responsbility'

When asked about whether certain age groups could be isolated, Mr Hancock says:

Not withstanding the point about long Covid and the fact that young people can have debilitating long term consequences from this disease, the problem is the isolation of older people - who are more likely because of their age to have more severe underlying conditions - has simply not been effective anywhere in the world.

And the challenge is that younger people may pass it on to their parents, who in turn may pass it on to theirs. This disease is absolutely insidious at getting from person to person. In its natural state this disease spreads from one person to between two and three other.

Without widespread social distancing, all the evidence is that you end up with more hospitalisations and more deaths. And I would rather get ahead of this here learning the lessons from what we've seen first in America, then in Spain and now sadly in France.

I absolutely take the point about the need to communicate more, but we all have a responsibility, including young people.

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01:05 PM

Test and trace and local lockdowns 'second and third lines of defence'

When questioned by the Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth MP over what measures there are to prevent people in Bolton from travelling to surrounding counties, Mr Hancock responded: "We do not see large numbers of people travelling to nearby areas".

"They have seen a rise in cases especially amongst younger people, taken action and that has turned the tide," Mr Hancock says in relation to a question from Jeremy Hunt about countries such as Belgium which introduced additional measures when cases soared.

"The local action and the test and trace action we take in Government and with local authorities are only second and third lines of defence." He reiterates that social distancing is the first

He adds that the Government will be "stepping up the communications" around social distancing "until we can build up the mass testing capacity and ultimately the vaccine".

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12:55 PM

Matt Hancock: 'This virus thrives on complacency'

"We must all redouble our efforts so we can get this virus on the back foot," the Health Secretary says in his closing remarks.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth agrees with the Secretary of State that "this is no time for complacency" and calls those who said that it could be over by Christmas "foolish".

Mr Ashworth notes that the Leicester and Greater Manchester lockdowns are largely due to younger people socialising.

He asks whether people affected by the new pub closures in Bolton will be allowed to travel elsewhere for a drink, and when Leicester will next be reviewed.

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12:53 PM

Coronavirus vaccine update from Hancock plus AI news

Mr Hancock announces £50 million from the AI Health and Care award, a fund that “aims to speed up the testing and evaluation of some of the most promising technologies” to fight coronavirus.

He adds that the “best way out of this coronavirus pandemic remains a vaccine”.

He says the UK now has agreements with six vaccine candidate developers for 340 million doses, and that the Government will use “every means at its disposal”.

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12:51 PM

Bolton lockdown: Matt Hancock's message to the people of Bolton

In a message to the people of Bolton, the Health Secretary says:

I know how anxious this will be. We’re asking you to take a step back at a time when we all just want to get on with our lives. And what we love and back to normal. But we need to take this crucial step to keep the virus at bay. Because as we’ve seen elsewhere if we act early, and control the virus, then we can save lives.

He says that he wants to "learn from the mistakes" of France, Spain, and the United States, rather than "having to learn all over again" through mistakes on British soil.

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12:49 PM

Bolton lockdown: Further measures announced by the Health Secretary

Mr Hancock says that Leicester's case rate has more than halved since August following on from the local lockdown.

"I want to thank those who have followed social distancing and helped to bring the virus under control," he says.

But he then expresses concern over a "very significant" rise in cases in Bolton.

"Working with the local council, we are taking further local action," he announces.

"The rise in cases in Bolton is partly due to socialising by people in their twenties and thirties. And through our contact tracing system we've identified a number of pubs in which the virus"

He proceeds to announce the following additional lockdown measures in Bolton, with immediate effect:

• Hospitality will be restricted to takeaways only.
• Late night restrictions will be placed on operating hours, which require that all venues will have to close from 10pm to 5am.
• Care home and hospital visiting restrictions will be put in place.

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12:45 PM

Matt Hancock: Second wave fears evidenced by France and Spain

Mr Hancock warns that in Spain hospitalisations have risen by a factor of 15 since mid-July, and the number of daily deaths there has reached 184, with hospitalisations tripling in France in the same period.

He says that this "must be a moment of clarity for us all".

This is not over. Just because we’ve gone through one peak, it doesn’t mean we can’t see another one coming towards our shores. But together we can tackle it so long as we remember in a pandemic our actions today have consequences tomorrow. For our families, for the people we love, for our country.

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12:43 PM

Social distancing 'the first line of defence' in coronavirus fight, says Matt Hancock

Beginning his statement, the Health Secretary Matt Hancock says:

As a country we've made huge strides in our fight against this invisible killer.

Today's ONS figures show that the weekly coronavirus deaths have dropped to the lowest number since mid-March and the latest amount of daily deaths is three.

However we have seen a concerning rise in the number of cases, especially among young people.

So it is critical that we maintain our collective commitment to fighting this virus, and social distancing is the first line of defence.

While young people are less likely to die from coronavirus, be in no doubt that they are still at risk. The long term risks can be terrible and of course they can infect others.

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12:39 PM

Spread of coronavirus in UK must not reach elderly, says Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson has told his Cabinet that they need to work to stop the spread of Covid-19 from younger people to the elderly in order to prevent a surge of hospitalisations.

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said:

The prime minister cautioned that in other countries which had seen an increase in infections this was followed a number of weeks later by a rise in hospitalisations.

The PM said that what had taken place elsewhere was that young people had gone on to infect older generations, who had become seriously ill, and it was vital to ensure that did not happen here.

The chief medical officer Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance both spoke at the meeting to update ministers following the rise in cases in recent days.

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12:31 PM

Travel bubbles: What went wrong?

Four months ago, the ‘travel bubble’ was the idea that could save tourism. Or, if not save it, at least keep the industry on life support until a vaccine was developed. Instead, we got ‘travel corridors’ – and all the subsequent chaos.

The concepts are broadly similar in ambition, if not in method. Travel corridors are rarely reciprocal arrangements – more a case of individual governments deciding which countries should be slapped with quarantine restrictions and which should be exempt.

Bubbles, however, would be agreed by a group of governments, creating enclosed networks of countries in which citizens could travel without the need to quarantine.

Since access would be exclusive to members of each bubble, there would be little to no risk of infected travellers arriving from outside that network, which would open up large sections of economies. So, what went wrong? 

Tom Mulvihill takes a look at how the travel bubble burst. 

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12:19 PM

'No deal Brexit isn't going to be anything like as damaging as the Covid crisis'

While you wait for the Health Secretary - who will now appear before the House of Commons with a coronavirus statement at 1.30pm - here is the latest comment piece from Matthew Lynn:

The economy has already tanked. A second wave may well be looming. There is still little sign a vaccine is ready, and the medical experts are warning we may be perilously close to a catastrophe. On top of all that, there is now the very real threat that trade talks with the EU will finally collapse. And according to at least some of the commentary, that would do even more damage to the economy than lockdown – with the big difference that we could avoid it if we wanted to.

But hold on. Is anyone being serious here? In truth, it is completely ridiculous to claim that ending our transitional arrangement with the EU without a formal trade deal could be anything like as damaging as the Covid-19 crisis. Here’s why. 

We already know the damage that lockdown has done to the economy. The figures are in. In the second quarter, we saw a 20 per cent drop in output, one of the steepest on record, and worse than most of our rivals. It has been an economic catastrophe without parallel, pushing the deficit into the hundreds of billions, crashing hundreds of thousands of businesses, and while unemployment has yet to soar, that is just around the corner. No deal would have to be an epic disaster to come anywhere close to matching that. 

Read Matthew's full piece here.

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12:06 PM

Coming up: Matt Hancock to address the House of Commons

Matt Hancock is due to address the House of Commons within the next few minutes.

We'll be bringing you all the latest updates from the Health Secretary, and you can watch live at the top of this live blog, or below:

 

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11:56 AM

Russia completes early trials of second potential Covid-19 vaccine

 Siberia's Vector virology institute on Tuesday completed early-stage human trials, known as Phase II, of a second potential Russian vaccine against Covid-19, the state consumer safety watchdog said today. 

Russia registered its first vaccine candidate, developed by Moscow's Gamaleya Institute, in August. Late-stage trials of this vaccine, due to involve 40,000 participants, were launched last week.

Human trials of the second potential COVID-19 vaccine, a peptide-based jab, began on July 27 and involved a group of 100 volunteers, Interfax cited watchdog Rospotrebnadzor as saying.

"Today ... the final group of 20 volunteers was released from hospital," said in a statement. "All 100 volunteers were vaccinated with two doses and have completed a 23-day monitoring period in hospital. The volunteers are feeling good.

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11:49 AM

Update: French Prime Minister to have Covid test after contact at Tour de France

French Prime Minister Jean Castex is to undergo a Covid-19 test as a precaution after he shared a car with the director of the Tour de France cycle race, who has since tested positive for the virus, the prime minister's office said today

Castex followed the route of the Tour de France on Saturday and spent time in a car following the race with tour director Christian Prudhomme. Tour organisers said on Tuesday that Prudhomme had tested positive.

Asked by Reuters about the contact, a representative of the prime minister's office said: "They were both wearing masks and respecting social distancing. The prime minister is to undergo a new test, just in case."

A Reuters photographer following the Tour de France said that Castex and Prudhomme spent several hours in each other's company during Saturday's stage of the race, in the Pyrenees mountain range.

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11:45 AM

Cycling: All Tour de France riders in the clear, but race director tests positive for coronavirus

None of the 166 remaining riders at the Tour de France peloton have tested positive for Covid-19 following the latest round of testing, but Tour race director Christian Prudhomme has and will now quarantine for seven days. 

Prudhomme rides in the No 1 car in the race convoy and had the French prime minister Jean Castex in his car with him last weekend.

Tour organisers ASO also confirmed four positive Covid-19 tests, not involving riders, at four different teams. The teams in question are Ineos Grenadiers, Mitchelton-Scott, Cofidis and AG2R La Mondiale. 

Tom Cary has the full story here

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11:39 AM

Comment: 'I've not felt the sweetness of a grandchild's cuddle': Grandparents ask - to hug or not to hug?

Yesterday I was playing Drawing Consequences with my five year old grandson, Teddy.

As he left, having shown me how to wash my hands properly (the way we all must these days) he said to me, “You can look at my pictures, Etta, so you don’t forget me.”

Is it because we have had to stop cuddling each other and he has been instructed to keep his distance from me, that he thinks I might forget him?

Read Dame Esther Rantzen's full article here

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11:32 AM

Teachers and pupils missing classes due to Covid-19 tests

Teachers have complained that the current coronavirus testing system is "not fit for purpose" after several reported missing classes due to a lack of available tests.

One teacher near Birmingham told the PA news agency she and her son were missing school because they were unable to get a home test. The nearest drive-in centres were Oldham in Greater Manchester or Romford in Essex.

"I think any school is going to have difficulty eventually unless things change. I should have been able to walk in today and get a test and be back at my desk in 24 hours," said the teacher, who asked not to be named.

"In my opinion the testing system is not fit for purpose and is preventing me from doing my job."

Another teacher at a school for vulnerable pupils in Greater Manchester told PA she was the third of its staff members currently self-isolating.

The 38-year-old, from Stockport, said she had eventually got a test for her son at his school, but was unable to get one for herself due to the high demand.

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11:26 AM

India reports 1,133 deaths from Covid-19 in the last 24 hours

India on Tuesday reported 1,133 deaths from coronavirus the last 24 hours, its highest single-day total.

The Health Ministry also reported 75,809 new cases, raising India's tally to nearly 4.3 million _ second only to the United States and maintaining an upward surge amid an ease in nationwide restrictions to help mitigate the economic pain. The country's death toll now stands at 72,775.

India has been reporting the highest single-day caseload in the world for more than a month.

The rise in cases is partly due to increased testing. The number of daily tests conducted across the country has risen to more than a million. Nearly 3.3 million people in India have recovered from COVID-19 so far.

The pandemic has been economically devastating for India. Its economy contracted nearly 24% in the second quarter, the worst among the world's top economies.

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11:14 AM

Malaysia says no more 'fist bumps' as coronavirus numbers jump

 Malaysian authorities reminded the public to avoid physical contact, including fist bumps as a form of greeting, as the number of new coronavirus cases in the country climbed to a three-month high.

The fist bump, where two people briefly press their closed fists together, has replaced the traditional handshake in popularity as people around the world sought to limit the spread of the pandemic.

But Malaysia's top health official said any form of physical contact presents the risk of infection and reminded people to maintain a distance of at least one metre (3.3 feet).

"This is why we're telling people not to fist bump," the Director-General of Health Noor Hisham Abdullah told reporters.

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11:08 AM

Matt Hancock: long-term effects of coronavirus not "very strongly correlated" with severity of infection.

Mr Hancock said that the long-term effects of coronavirus were not "very strongly correlated" with the severity of the infection.

He added: "This is not just about people who were hospitalised, in fact, and this is really relevant for now because the latest rise in the last few days has been largely among young people.

"But it doesn't matter how serious your infection was first time initially, the impact of long Covid can be really debilitating for a long period of time, no matter if your initial illness wasn't all that severe."

When asked if there would be a campaign to educate people about the long-term effects of the virus, Mr Hancock said there were not "easy and clinically validated" treatments.

He added: "There is a challenge which is supporting people when actually there isn't a readily available treatment."

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11:05 AM

Matt Hancock: Resolving Covid test shortages will take two weeks

The Health Secretary told MPs that it would take a couple of weeks for the government to resolve the laboratory processing problems that have led to people being unable to get a coronavirus test.

Asked about the apology this morning from Sarah-Jane Marsh, director of testing at NHS Test and Trace, to people who have been waiting.  Hancock paid tribute to the work she was doing. But he said it would take a fortnight to get these problems sorted.

He also said that he was ensuring that people would not be asked to go more than 75 miles for test, although he acknowledged that that was not ideal.

And he said he was rolling out testing for asymptomatic people in care homes.

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11:00 AM

Matt Hancock: First "credible" cases of coronavirus reinfection begin to emerge

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told a committee of MPs that the first "credible" cases of coronavirus reinfection were starting to be seen.

He told the Health Select Committee on Tuesday: "We have also just started to see the first credible cases of reinfection and through genomic analysis you can see it is a different disease to the one the person got the first time around.

"But in all the cases that I have seen it has been an asymptomatic second infection that has been picked up through asymptomatic testing.

"But the hard question is, because one of the most difficult parts of dealing with this virus is asymptomatic transmission what we don't yet know is the transmissability, (sic) of the disease even from an asymptomatic person who might have had the disease before.

"But we have got a huge amount of work going into answering that question."

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10:57 AM

Cycling: All Tour de France riders test negative for Covid-19

 All 22 teams will start the 10th stage of the Tour de France after their riders tested negative for Covid-19, organisers said on Tuesday, adding that four members of staff had returned positive tests.

French health authorities and organisers Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) had said that should two members of a team, riders or staff, test positive for coronavirus, the whole outfit would be excluded from the race.

But the organisers added that those testing positive were from different teams, meaning all could line up for the stage's 11:30 (GMT) start. 

The organisers also said race director Christian Prudhomme had tested positive.

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10:45 AM

Andrew Lloyd-Webber warns MPs theatre industry is "at the point of no return" during pandemic

Speaking to a committee of MPs, Lord Lloyd-Webber said the theatre industry is "at the point of no return" and pleaded with the Government to announce a date for reopening.

The impresario threatened to take his new musical, Cinderella, abroad if no date is forthcoming.

"There comes a point now where we really can't go on much more. It is absolutely imperative people understand that you just cannot throw a theatre show up - it's not like a cinema, you can't just open the building," he said.

"With something like Phantom of the Opera, if we got the greenlight now I would think it just might get on stage in February-March but not before, and a new musical in April-May.

"I have to take the decision about whether to go into rehearsal with my Cinderella or not. If I don't go into rehearsal, there is also the chance that it might open somewhere where people are being a little more helpful."

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10:37 AM

Professor Chris Whitty warns Covid will come back if we stop social distancing

England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty echoed concerns raised by his deputy Jonathan Van-Tam about a rise in cases.

He wrote on Twitter: "We have, through the extraordinary efforts of the whole population, got Covid rates right down.

"They are now rising again especially in those aged 17 to 29.

"If we stop social distancing Covid comes back.

We all need to protect others."

Jonathan Van Tam lays the situation out clearly. We have through the extraordinary efforts of the whole population got COVID rates right down. They are now rising again especially in those aged 17 to 29. If we stop social distancing COVID comes back. We all need to protect others https://t.co/9uYMSLkbnp

— Professor Chris Whitty (@CMO_England) September 8, 2020

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10:33 AM

Matt Hancock: number of people needing care estimated to rise to 820,000 by 2025.

Matt Hancock  has said that the number of people needing care was estimated to rise from around 730,000 this year to about 820,000 by 2025.

When asked if he could share his department's estimate of how much money needed to be invested in social care Mr Hancock said the figures had not "fully landed" yet.

He added: "I recognise the pressures - the best estimates are that the number of people who will be needing care rises from 730,000 this year to around 820,000 by 2025, and then eventually to over 1,000,000.

"There's then a question of the pressure on the delivery of the system at the moment, which has also been a challenge because of Covid.

"Then there's a long-term funding reform question.

"We are currently in the depths of a spending review discussion about exactly the level at which those manifest."

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10:28 AM

Matt Hancock says series of "injustices" embedded in social care system

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told a committee of MPs that there were a series of "injustices" embedded in the current social care system.

Giving evidence to the Health Select Committee on Tuesday, Mr Hancock added: "The current way that the social care system operates clearly has embedded in it a series of injustices that have grown up over time.

"One is the system of deciding which care is paid for in the social care system and which care is paid for in the NHS which as you'll know from your time in my job was essentially decided over a series of court cases rather than anyone taking a policy decision.

"Then the second aspect is the fact that of course many people, including some very vulnerable people, need care and that care needs to be paid for.

"Some people would like to have more care then can current be paid for."

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10:19 AM

Covid-19 registered deaths in England and Wales lowest since mid-March

Registered deaths involving Covid-19 in England and Wales have fallen to their lowest level since mid-March, new figures show.

Some 101 deaths were registered in the week to August 28, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

This is down from 138 deaths in the previous week, and is also the lowest number since the week ending March 13, when five deaths were registered.

Just over 57,400 deaths involving coronavirus have now been registered in the UK.

The latest ONS figures show that 52,316 deaths involving Covid-19 had occurred in England and Wales up to August 28, and had been registered by September 5.

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10:11 AM

Vietnam: Covid-19 helmet brings comfort to frontline workers

Three Vietnamese school students have designed a helmet that allows frontline health workers to have a snack or even scratch their nose without exposing themselves to the risks of coronavirus infection.

The pandemic has thrown a spotlight on the trade-off at times between the comfort and safety of protective personal equipment (PPE), especially for workers who are required to suit up in such outfits for hours on end.

To address this problem, students were set a challenge to design a helmet connected to a respirator that not only protects but allows frontline workers to remain productive for longer.

The group came up with the "Vihelm", a portmanteau of Vietnam and helmet. It has a glove box access so a wearer can fit their hand inside and, for example, wipe sweat off their face or clean a visor while keeping the helmet sealed.

"A big difference with this helmet is the glove box... You can use it to interact with your face safely," said Tran Nguyen Khanh An, 14, one of the students who won a "Best Invention Design Award" at the International Invention Innovation Competition in Canada last month for their design.

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09:51 AM

More than 40 UN staff and their families test positive in Syria

More than 40 members of UN staff and their families have caught coronavirus in Syria, a UN official told AFP Tuesday, warning the illness was spreading in the war-torn country.

There were about 200 people including "staff and dependents, spouses, children, parents, who have displayed symptoms of Covid-19," said Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

"From these 200, there are 42 staff and dependents who have been confirmed positive with Covid-19," he added.

"It caught us at a time where we have seen a very significant rise, or increase, in the level of Covid-19 in Syria," Laerke said.

"We believe community transmission is widespread, and that the actual cases exceeds those that are officially recorded."

Since the start of the pandemic, Syria has officially recorded 3,229 cases of Covid-19, with 137 deaths registered in zones controlled by the Damascus government, according to health ministry figures.

But in the past weeks, doctors and activists have voiced concerns on social networks of a possible explosion in the number of virus cases.

Human Rights Watch said last week that frontline staff battling the novel coronavirus in government-held areas were dying in growing numbers for want of personal protective equipment. 

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09:28 AM

Laboratory processing causes delays in people getting Covid-19 tests

Sarah-Jane Marsh, one of the experts on the Government's coronavirus test and trace team, has apologised to people struggling to get a test as the system struggles to cope with demand.

In a tweet, she said: "Can I please offer my heartfelt apologies to anyone who cannot get a Covid test at present.

"All of our testing sites have capacity, which is why they don't look overcrowded, its our laboratory processing that is the critical pinch-point.

"We are doing all we can to expand quickly."

Can I please offer my heartfelt apologies to anyone who cannot get a COVID test at present. All of our testing sites have capacity, which is why they don’t look overcrowded, its our laboratory processing that is the critical pinch-point. We are doing all we can to expand quickly.

— Sarah-Jane Marsh 🌈 (@BWCHBoss) September 8, 2020

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09:17 AM

South Korean church blamed for a spike in cases threatens legal action

The Telegraph's Asia correspondent, Nicola Smith reports: 

Yonhap reports that a South Korean church blamed for a recent spike in coronavirus infections in the country threatened on Tuesday to file a lawsuit against the Moon Jae-in administration over what it called harm to the public done by "COVID-19 fraud."

The announcement by Sarang Jeil Church came one day after its controversial pastor Jun Kwang-hoon was put in custody again after his bail was canceled for attending last month's anti-government protests in violation of his terms of release.

The rallies in central Seoul led to 539 new cases of coronavirus, while a total of 1,167 cases have been traced to the church, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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08:54 AM

Andrew Lloyd Webber says he is confident the air inside his theatres is cleaner than it is outside

Lloyd Webber has been trialling measures at the London Palladium that could allow the theatre business to return after a production of Phantom Of The Opera was able to continue in South Korea with strict hygiene measures and no social distancing.

He told the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee: "I'm absolutely confident that the air in the London Palladium and in all my theatres is purer than the air outside."

He said of socially distanced performances and the upcoming Frozen musical: "Disney would be lucky to make their investment back on that show for two or three years. The margins are incredibly tight."

He also told the MPs that theatres need funds so they can reopen safely.

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08:35 AM

Local lockdown in Caerphilly will not be lifted until October

A local lockdown in the county borough of Caerphilly will not be lifted until October "at the very least", Wales's health minister has said.

People will not be allowed to enter or leave the area without a reasonable excuse after the restrictions come into force at 6pm on Tuesday.

Everyone over the age of 11 will be required to wear face coverings in shops - the first time this will be mandatory in Wales.

Meetings with other people indoors and extended households will not be allowed, while overnight stays have also been banned.

The measures follow a spike in cases in Caerphilly county borough, where the Welsh Government says there have been 133 new Covid-19 cases over the past seven days.

This is equivalent to a rate of 55.4 cases per 100,000 - the highest rate in Wales and one of the highest in the UK.

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08:14 AM

Increase in coronavirus cases is "very worrying", says Sage scientist

Professor Andrew Hayward, a member of the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said the latest increase in coronavirus cases is "very worrying".

Prof Hayward said scientists are monitoring the data closely for signs of wider community transmission of the disease.

"Generally it is local outbreaks, but there is also very worrying increases in cases, particularly over the last few days," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"That is what we are really keeping a close eye on - the extent to which it moves away from these local outbreaks to broader community transmission.

"What we saw in the last few days from this surveillance data was this worrying increase in cases which, as we know from the first wave of the pandemic, can potentially get out of hand if we don't be very serious about the control measures."

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08:07 AM

Taj Mahal to reopen more than six months after it was shut

India's top tourist attraction the Taj Mahal is set to reopen more than six months after it was shut, officials said on Tuesday, as the vast nation battles soaring coronavirus infections.

India, home to 1.3 million people, on Monday overtook Brazil to become the world's second most-infected nation with more than 4.2 million cases, behind only the United States.

"The Taj Mahal will reopen on September 21. All Covid-19 protocols, like physical distancing, masks will be followed," northern Uttar Pradesh state's Tourism Department deputy director Amit Srivastava told AFP.

Visitors will be limited to 5,000 a day, down from the usual daily average of 20,000, he added.

It has been closed since mid-March as part of India's strict virus lockdown.

Uttar Pradesh, home to Agra city where the Taj is located, is one of the worst-hit states in India with more than 270,000 virus cases recorded so far.

Since August, India has been reporting the highest single-day rises in the world.

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07:58 AM

Testing in Caerphilly finds four per cent were positive for coronavirus

Vaughan Gething said that testing in Caerphilly, where a local lockdown is being imposed, had found four per cent were positive for coronavirus.

"If we had testing positivity rates of four per cent, I think we would be into national lockdown," the Welsh health minister told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"Any other country where people travel to on the European mainland that had these sort of rates per 100,000, we would definitely be increasing quarantine arrangements.

"The idea that we should do nothing when that community transmission is already there, that's for the birds. This is something we have to do."

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07:49 AM

Tokyo 2020 should be held next year "at any cost", says Japan's Olympic minister

Tokyo 2020 should be held next year "at any cost" given athletes' efforts to be ready, Japan's Olympic minister said Tuesday, a day after the IOC's John Coates told AFP that the postponed Games would go ahead in 2021 "with or without Covid".

"For the Games next year, athletes are continuing to work hard in the environments they find themselves in. So I feel we have to hold it at any cost," Seiko Hashimoto said when asked about International Olympic Committee vice-president Coates's remarks.

"I think Mr Coates felt reassured that the Tokyo Games can be held with further close coordination of efforts," she added.

Coates on Monday said that he was confident the delayed Games would open as planned next year, vowing they will be the "Games that conquered Covid".

"It will take place with or without Covid. The Games will start on July 23 next year," said Coates, who heads the IOC's Coordination Commission for the Tokyo Games.

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07:38 AM

Government exploring the options of arrivals testing at airports

Asked about quarantine rules for people returning from various foreign countries, Robert Jenrick told BBC breakfast that the current system would be kept under review and changed if it proved to be confusing.

He added that the Government was exploring the options of arrivals testing at airports, but said such a system needed to be made "more sophisticated" before being implemented in the UK.

"It's an attractive solution but it's not currently one which works as well as we would want it to if we were going to apply it because only a relatively small number of people who later develop the virus would be caught by being tested immediately on arrival," the Communities Secretary said.

"If the model can be made more sophisticated in the months and weeks to come then it's something that we could adopt but we want to make sure we don't give people a false sense of security if they've been tested on arrival."

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07:17 AM

More restrictions later this year if cases continue to rise, says Robert Jenrick

More restrictions are on horizon if cases continue to rise, a minister has warned as local lockdowns start. 

Housing minister Robert Jenrick said on Tuesday that a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in the country was concerning and he called on people to follow health guidance or risk tougher restrictions in the coming months.

"There's a big burden on all of us now to follow the guidance as closely as we can or else we do risk greater restrictions later this year," he told Sky News television.

He added: "The coronavirus is still with us so we all need to take great care. There is a concerning rise in cases and it reminds us that we have to keep following the guidance.”

It comes as Caerphilly in south Wales is set to be placed under local lockdown while restrictions on household visits across western parts of Scotland have been extended for a further week and expanded to also include East Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire.

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06:31 AM

Public 'too relaxed' about virus, warns deputy chief medic as infections rise

The country will have a “bumpy ride” in the coming months if infection rates are not brought under control, Prof Jonathan Van Tam warned on Monday night. 

"This is a virus we're going to have to live with - and if we're not careful, if we don't take this incredibly seriously from this point in, we're going to have a bumpy ride over the next few months,” England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer told the Daily Telegraph. 

“Now is the time for us to re-engage, and to realise that this is a continuing threat to us," Prof Van Tam said.  

Read the full article here. 

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06:26 AM

EasyJet flies less than expected between July and September following additional quarantine restrictions

EasyJet has announced it will have flown "slightly less" than the 40 per cent of planned capacity between July and September due to the "constantly evolving Government restrictions across Europe and quarantine measures in the UK".

Chief executive Johan Lundgren said: "As we said at our Q3 trading update, we are closely monitoring customer behaviour and amending flying to ensure our schedule is aligned with demand.

"Following the imposition of additional quarantine restrictions to seven Greek islands and the continued uncertainty this brings for customers, demand is now likely to be further impacted and therefore lower than previously anticipated.

"We now expect to fly slightly less than 40 per cent of our planned schedule over the current quarter. We will continue to take a prudent and conservative approach to capacity, as we have done during this period.

"We know our customers are as frustrated as we are with the unpredictable travel and quarantine restrictions."

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06:16 AM

Cases in the UK are 'increasing exponentially', says Sage scientist

Professor John Edmunds, who is part of the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, has warned that cases are "increasing exponentially".

He said the UK has entered "a risky period" with the average number of people an infected individual spreads the virus to, known as the reproduction number, potentially above the crucial figure of one.

"I didn't want us to relax measures so much that we couldn't open the schools safely without it tipping the reproduction number significantly above one. And we are already above one and we've opened schools," he told ITV News.

"We can see the epidemic is taking off again. So I don't think we've hit that sweet spot where we've been able to control the epidemic and allow the economy to return to some sort of normality," he added. 

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05:44 AM

Spain sets Western Europe virus record with 500,000 infections

Spain has become the first country in Western Europe to pass 500,000 coronavirus infections, with French footballer Kylian Mbappe the latest sports star on the continent to test positive.

Spain had largely gained control over its outbreak, but infections have surged since the restrictions were fully removed at the end of June, and there are concerns about the reopening of schools in the country.

"If we all take responsibility and here I am including the children... I believe that the return to school is very possible," health ministry official Fernando Simon said Monday.

"Although it will have an impact, it will certainly not have an excessive impact."

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05:37 AM

China is 'leading the world in the fight against Covid-19', says President Xi Jinping

China has passed "an extraordinary and historic test" with its handling of the coronavirus, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday at a triumphant awards ceremony for medical professionals decorated with bugle calls and applause.

Xi doled out gold medals to four "heroes" from the medical field in front of hundreds of applauding delegates on Tuesday, all wearing face masks and large red flower pins.

"We have passed an extraordinary and historic test," Xi said, praising the country for a "heroic struggle" against the disease.

"We quickly achieved initial success in the people's war against the coronavirus. We are leading the world in economic recovery and in the fight against Covid-19."

China has come under intense global scrutiny over its response to the virus, with the United States and Australia leading accusations against Beijing that it covered up the origins and severity of the virus.

Tuesday's lavish ceremony in the Great Hall of the People began with a minute's silence for those who lost their lives during the outbreak.

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05:14 AM

India records highest single-day death tally

India on Tuesday reported 1,133 deaths from the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, its highest single-day total.

The Health Ministry also reported 75,809 new cases, raising India's tally to nearly 4.3 million - second only to the United States and maintaining an upward surge amid an ease in nationwide restrictions to help mitigate the economic pain. The country's death toll now stands at 72,775.

India has been reporting the highest single-day caseload in the world for more than a month.

The rise in cases is partly due to increased testing. The number of daily tests conducted across the country has risen to more than a million. Nearly 3.3 million people in India have recovered from Covid-19 so far.

The pandemic has been economically devastating for India. Its economy contracted nearly 24 per cent in the second quarter, the worst among the world's top economies.

Read more: India overtakes Brazil with the world's second-worst caseload

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04:45 AM

More than a million Scots barred from visiting other households

More than a million Scots are now forbidden to visit other households and pubs and restaurants could follow after Nicola Sturgeon extended a ban on indoor gatherings in the west of Scotland.

The First Minister said the restrictions - which come into effect at midnight - were being widened to around 287,000 people Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire to "stem the tide of transmission."

The ban now applies to more than 1.1 million Scots in - just under 20 per cent of the population - after Ms Sturgeon imposed it last week in Glasgow, West Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire. It includes her Glasgow home.

In another major blow, the Scottish Government said it would monitor the hospitality sector over the coming days to see whether it should be extended to pubs, bars, hotels and restaurants.

Among the affected areas are the affluent towns of Milngavie and Bearsden in East Dunbartonshire and Bridge of Weir in Renfrewshire. The measures will be reviewed next Monday.

Read the full story

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03:52 AM

'Covid pass' could allow people back into theatres and sporting events

Twenty-four-hour “Covid passes”, which would allow people back to theatres and sporting events, have been suggested by the health secretary.

Matt Hancock said the government is backing a new generation of rapid tests which would enable people to go into confined environments with others knowing they were free of the virus that day.

It comes as MPs warned that the theatre industry is facing mass redundancies due to its prolonged closure, and The Telegraph launched a petition to reopen the West End.

Read the full story

This petition, asking Govt to review social distancing in theatres before November, has been granted approval. The more people who sign it, the more the industry can keep this issue to the forefront of public and hopefully parliamentary debate; pls share https://t.co/V38rkZba1C

— domcavendish (@domcavendish) September 2, 2020

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03:26 AM

China's vaccine candidate appears safe, slightly weaker in elderly

Chinese firm Sinovac Biotech Ltd said on Monday its coronavirus vaccine candidate appeared to be safe for older people, according to preliminary results from an early to mid-stage trial, while the immune responses triggered by the vaccine were slightly weaker than younger adults.

Health officials have been concerned about whether experimental vaccines could safely protect the elderly, whose immune systems usually react less robustly to vaccines, against the virus that has led to nearly 890,000 deaths worldwide.

Read more: China emerging as winner in vaccine race 

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02:55 AM

New cases knock hopes of reviving Southeast Asia's holiday hotspots

A spike in coronavirus infections in Indonesia's holiday island of Bali and Thailand's first locally transmitted case in 100 days have dealt further blows to Southeast Asian hopes of reviving vital tourism industries.

Plans to reopen Bali to foreign tourists from September have been postponed indefinitely, while Thailand's proposal for the cautious reopening of Phuket island has come into doubt.

As well as trying to encourage domestic tourism industries, some Southeast Asian countries have been considering "travel bubbles" with others as a way to get businesses restarted.

Bali initially appeared to weather the health crisis better than other parts of Indonesia, which has suffered Southeast Asia's biggest death toll by far. But coronavirus cases have spiked after it reopened its borders to domestic tourism at the end of July.

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01:52 AM

Striking trainee doctors return to work in South Korea

Thousands of trainee doctors in South Korea returned to work on Tuesday after ending a more than two-week strike as the country continued to post three-digit rises in new daily coronavirus infections.

The Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported 136 new cases as of midnight on Monday, after the rate fell to a three-week low of 119 a day earlier. The total infections rose 21,432, with 341 deaths..

Efforts to blunt the latest epidemic has been complicated by the strike launched on Aug. 21 by some 16,000 intern and resident doctors against the government's medical reform proposals.

The trainee doctors restarted work after agreeing to end the walkout on Monday, though many medical students continued to resist final licensing exams as part of the protest.

Read more: South Korea develops test that can tell the difference between coronavirus and seasonal flu

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01:07 AM

World number one won't defend crown at French Open

World number one Ashleigh Barty announced on Tuesday she will not defend her French Open crown, citing the coronavirus fears that also prompted her to withdraw from this year's US Open.

"Last year's French Open was the most special tournament of my career so this is not a decision I have made lightly," said the Australian, who claimed her maiden Grand Slam at Roland Garros in 2019.

View this post on Instagram

It has been a difficult decision to make but unfortunately I will not be competing in Europe this year. Last year’s French Open was the most special tournament of my career so this is not a decision I have made lightly. There are two reasons for my decision. The first is the health risks that still exist with Covid. The second is my preparation, which has not been ideal without my coach being able to train with me due to the state border closures in Australia. I wish the players and the French Federation all the best for a successful tournament. I now look forward to a long preseason and the summer in Australia. It has been a challenging year for everyone and although I am disappointed on a tennis front, the health and well-being of my family and my team will always be my priority. Thank you to my fans for your continued support, I can’t wait to play for you again.

A post shared by Ash Barty (@ashbarty) on Sep 7, 2020 at 5:14pm PDT

Read more: Experts shoot warning over return of football fans

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12:35 AM

Mexico's infections and fatalities continue to climb

Mexico reported 3,486 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 223 additional fatalities on Monday, bringing its totals to 637,509 infections and 67,781 deaths, according to updated health ministry data.

The government has said the real number of infected people is likely to be significantly higher than the confirmed cases. 

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11:39 PM

Argentina's death toll surpasses 10,000

Argentina's coronavirus death toll surpassed 10,000 on Monday, the government said, as the South American nation struggles to bring its infection rate under control.

There have been 10,129 deaths, with 488,007 confirmed cases, according to government data. Almost half of coronavirus tests are yielding a positive result.

Argentina has been under lockdown since March 20, though cases have spiked in recent weeks. Some areas of the country, including capital Buenos Aires, remain under varying levels of quarantine, though some activities, like exercise and outdoor restaurant dining, recently resumed.

Read more: India overtakes Brazil with the world's second-worst caseload

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11:10 PM

Cases in Australian state at 10-week low

Australia's second most populous state of Victoria on Tuesday said eight people died from the new coronavirus in the last 24 hours and reported 55 new cases.

Victoria, which has become the Covid-19 hotspot of the country, a day earlier reported nine deaths from the virus and 41 cases, its lowest one-day rise in more than 10 weeks.

The southeastern state, which extended a hard lockdown in its capital Melbourne until Sept. 28, now accounts for about 75 per cent of the country's 26,377 cases and 90 per cent of its 770 deaths.

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11:01 PM

Today's top stories

• The public “relaxed too much” following the easing of lockdown restrictions according to England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer who described the recent surge of coronavirus cases as a “great concern”.
• As much as £3.5bn has been stolen from the public purse through fraudulent claims on the taxpayer-funded furlough scheme, the boss of HMRC has warned.
• Twenty-four-hour “Covid passes”, which would allow people back to theatres and sporting events, have been suggested by the health secretary.
• Universities could be closed in the event of outbreaks of coronavirus amid warnings of soaring cases among young people, officials have suggested. 
• More than a million Scots are now forbidden to visit other households and pubs and restaurants could follow after Nicola Sturgeon extended a ban on indoor gatherings in the west of Scotland.
• Fatigue and headache are the most common Covid-19 symptoms in children, a new study has found.