Here’s a summary of today’s coronavirus news.
- The G20’s finance ministers warned that new coronavirus variants could thwart economic recovery and said they agreed to help fill vaccination gaps, especially in poorer countries. They also said they would try to avoid reimposing restrictions in their countries.
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Bangladesh’s health minister said the country has secured an additional 17.5m vaccine doses, amid record coronavirus deaths and over a million cases. The country, which has a population of 169 million, has been under strict lockdown for two weeks with troops on the streets to stop people going outdoors.
- For the first time, the majority of Brazilians support the removal of president Jair Bolsonaro, according to a new poll. A probe into alleged corruption in vaccine procurement has fuelled anger against him and is compounded by his government’s handling of the pandemic. Brazil recorded another 1,205 deaths on Saturday - far more than any other country in the world.
- Tunisia received emergency medical supplies from Egypt on two military planes on Saturday. A new outbreak is spiralling and authorities are warning of a severe shortage of beds and oxygen.
- Mexico recorded 232 deaths and 9,581 new cases on Saturday as it enters a third wave. Authorities say that the real figure is likely to be much higher but cases continue to go undetected.
- A fifth of staff could be absent from one NHS trust in England within three weeks from now, NHS Providers has warned, due in part to staff having to self-isolate amid rising coronavirus infections.
- Guests invited to the Copa America final between Brazil and Argentina have been faking mandatory PCR tests to ensure entry, according to South America’s football association. The guests are the first being allowed to attend matches during the tournament.
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Police have urged England fans without tickets for the Euro 2020 final on Sunday not to travel to London as cases continue to rise in the capital and across the UK. The force also asked football fans not to congregate in large groups amid the spread of the Delta variant.
- Thailand has reported a record daily figure of 91 coronavirus deaths and 9,326 new cases. The majority of the deaths were in the capital, which also recorded 3,191 of Saturday’s cases.
- The European Union has delivered enough coronavirus vaccines for at least 70% of adults, the European Commission president announced. Ursula von der Leyen said about 500m doses would be distributed across member states by tomorrow.
- Russia reported a record 752 coronavirus deaths – the most in a single day since the start of the pandemic – and 25,082 new cases. The new figures bring the country’s overall case total to 5,758,300.
Deaths rise by 1,205 in Brazil
Brazil recorded 1,205 deaths on Saturday as it remained, by a distance, the country currently suffering the most deaths from Covid-19.
According to the health ministry, another 48,504 additional cases were recorded, taking the total confirmed cases to 19,069,003 .
The South American country has now registered a total of 532,893 coronavirus deaths. Only the United States has seen more deaths.
Mexico reports 232 new deaths
Mexico recorded 232 more deaths on Saturday, bringing its total to 234,907 since the pandemic began.
The country also registered 9,581 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the country but the government it is likely that the real number of cases is significantly higher.
Mexico is now considered to be going through its third wave, with infections rising by almost a third over the past week.
Mexican authorities have said that most cases are among younger, unvaccinated people. Around 39% of adults have received one dose.
England’s public health body has been accused of giving hundreds of thousands of cancer patients “misleading and dangerous” advice over the level of protection they can expect after receiving their Covid vaccine.
There were calls yesterday for Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, to intervene and correct a widely reported statement from Public Health England (PHE) stating that a double vaccination was “highly effective in clinical risk groups”.
In a furious letter, seen by the Observer, Blood Cancer UK’s chief executive Gemma Peters said she was “deeply disturbed” by the press statement, which covered the findings of a recent study into vaccine responses. She said that its “confident, definitive assertions” about the level of protection given to the UK’s 230,000 blood cancer patients could not yet be supported by the “wider body of evidence on vaccine efficacy in the immunocompromised”.
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A new poll in Brazil shows that for the first time the majority of Brazilians support removing president Jair Bolsonaro after a corruption probe was opened into the purchase of coronavirus vaccines.
Reuters reported that the Datafolha poll showed 54% support proposed impeachment proceedings.
The supreme court ordered an investigation into Bolsonaro for dereliction of duty over the deal for the Covaxin vaccine from India, suspended because of allegations of corruption.
Bolsonaro’s popularity has also been hit by his handling of the pandemic as a whole, with the country persistently failing to control outbreaks.
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Emergency supplies promised to Tunisia as it goes through its worst outbreak of Covid-19 arrived on Saturday.
The Tunisian presidency said two military planes arrived from neighbouring Egypt carrying medical equipment, including breathing support.
The Arabic service of Anadolu Agency, Turkey’s official news agency, reported that Tunisia groups abroad had also been fundraising amongst themselves to buy 300 oxygen concentrators to help treat patients.
Turkey, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Libya have all promised medical supplies or vaccines.
Tunisian health authorities said they are in a “catastrophic situation” with few beds left in hospitals and a shortage of oxygen.
Tunisia recorded 189 deaths on Friday, the highest daily toll since the pandemic began last year. It reported 8,500 new coronavirus cases.
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Some of the guests invited to attend tonight’s Copa America final between Brazil and Argentina have been faking tests to ensure their entry.
“A considerable number of fraudulent PCR tests have been detected both among those accredited for the Argentina section and the Brazil section,” said the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL).
Stadiums have been empty throughout the tournament but authorities decided to allow 6,500 invited guests in for the final - around 10% capacity for the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
Tickets were not for sale and all attendees have to provide a negative PCR test while strict social distancing will be enforced, including mask-wearing and a ban on food and drink.
CONMEBOl said anyone who has faked the test will not be allowed into the stadium.
Algeria’s new prime minister has been infected with Covid-19, according to state broadcaster Ennahar TV.
According to the report Ayman Benabderrahmane will continue with his duties remotely while in isolation.
The broadcaster also reported that Algeria recorded 813 new cases and 13 deaths on Saturday.
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Here’s more on the G20 finance meetings discussions about the pandemic and the global economy.
- Ministers agreed they should avoid reimposing restrictions on movement and normal life, despite recognising the threat of new variants.
- They recognised vaccination as a global public good and encouraged more to be done in both the public and private sectors to fill the gaps. However, no extra funding was pledged to support the purchase of extra vaccines for poorer countries.
- They will prioritise the delivery of vaccines, treatments and diagnostics to developing countries. They will target responses at combatting the spread of new variants.
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The G20 nations said Covid-19 variants could threaten the economic recovery from the pandemic after meeting in Venice on Saturday.
In their final statement, the finance ministers and central bankers who met said they would use all available tools to combat the economic effects of the pandemic.
The Italian finance minister, Daniele Franco, said they agreed on the need to accelerate the delivery of vaccines and treatments to combat the spread of new variants.
My statement at the conclusion of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meetings: pic.twitter.com/eGICbPXrFy
— Secretary Janet Yellen (@SecYellen) July 10, 2021
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Italy reports 12 new deaths
Italy recorded 12 deaths and a slight increase in new cases to 1,400 on Saturday.
Deaths dropped from 25 the day before. The number of patients in intensive care fell from 169 to 161 and other hospitalised patients from 1,167 to 1,147.
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UK records 34 deaths and 32,367 new cases
The UK reported 34 deaths and 32,367 new cases on Saturday.
Deaths were up from 29 the day before but the number of new cases fell from 35,707.
Over the past week cases have grown by 30%.
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Here's a summary of today's developments so far
- Bangladesh’s health minister said the country has secured an additional 17.5m vaccine doses, amid record coronavirus deaths and over a million cases. The country, which has a population of 169 million, has been under strict lockdown for two weeks with troops on the streets to stop people going outdoors.
- A fifth of staff could be absent from one NHS trust in England within three weeks from now, NHS Providers has warned, due in part to staff having to self-isolate amid rising coronavirus infections.
- Scotland has recorded seven new deaths and 2,190 new cases. The latest figures from the Scottish government show the daily test positivity rate is at 9% with 435 people in hospital.
- Police have urged England fans without tickets for the Euro 2020 final on Sunday not to travel to London as cases continue to rise in the capital and across the UK. The force also asked football fans not to congregate in large groups amid the spread of the Delta variant.
- Thailand has reported a record daily figure of 91 coronavirus deaths and 9,326 new cases. The majority of the deaths were in the capital, which also recorded 3,191 of Saturday’s cases.
- The European Union has delivered enough coronavirus vaccines for at least 70% of adults, the European Commission president announced. Ursula von der Leyen said about 500m doses would be distributed across member states by tomorrow.
- Russia reported a record 752 coronavirus deaths – the most in a single day since the start of the pandemic – and 25,082 new cases. The new figures bring the country’s overall case total to 5,758,300.
That’s it from me for today, handing over to my colleague Kaamil Ahmed. Thanks for reading.
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Moldova is to receive half a million doses of the coronavirus vaccine from the US.
The first 150,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are due to arrive on Monday, US embassy officials in Moldova said.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu said: “Now, we must mobilize ourselves and, in solidarity, get vaccinated”.
The country goes to the polls tomorrow in a snap parliamentary election.
To date, only 305,000 people in Moldova have been fully vaccinated, around 11% of the population.
The Netherlands has reported 10,345 new coronavirus cases - the most in one day since Christmas.
According to the NL Times, the surge has brought the seven day average up by 41% to 4,504 and the daily average is now 7.5 times higher than it was 11 days ago.
10,345: Netherlands reports most new coronavirus cases since Christmas https://t.co/ip7L8lT4lx
— NL Times (@NL_Times) July 10, 2021
Bangladesh secures 17.5m more vaccines
Bangladesh’s health minister said today that the country had secured an additional 17.5m vaccine doses, amid record coronavirus deaths and over a million cases.
The country, which has a population of 169 million, has been under strict lockdown for two weeks with troops on the streets to stop people going outdoors.
Zahid Maleque said it had procured 4.5m new jabs and was expecting 6m from Covax and 5m from China, reports AFP. To date only 5.8million people have been vaccinated.
“We think that in coming days there will be no shortage of the vaccine,” he said. “Our aim is to gradually vaccinate some 80 percent of the people.”
A record 212 people died in Bangladesh on Friday bringing the country’s total number of deaths to over 16,000– a figure experts say is actually at least five times lower than the true toll.
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Scotland records 7 deaths and 2,190 new cases
Seven people have died and 2,190 new people have been infected with coronavirus in Scotland in the past 24 hours.
The latest figures from the Scottish government show the daily test positivity rate is at 9% with 435 people are in hospital.
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Fifth of staff could be absent from one NHS trust within 3 weeks
A fifth of staff could be absent from one NHS trust in England within three weeks from now, a representative organisation has warned, due in part to staff having to self-isolate amid rising coronavirus infections.
NHS Providers, a membership organisation of NHS trusts in England, said the staff shortage, also caused by people taking annual leave delayed by the pandemic, could lead to 900 operations being cancelled. It declined to name the trust.
They also warned that an increasing number of trusts have alerted them to their concerns in recent days about how the need for staff, the majority of whom are vaccinated, to self-isolate is “significantly impacting their ability to deliver care”.
Chris Hopson, the organisation’s chief executive, said: “Covid-19 infection rates are rising rapidly, with the Secretary of State predicting 100,000 cases a day. This will mean the number of staff having to self-isolate will continue to rise if current procedures are kept in place.”
The government said last night that NHS staff could be exempt from having to self-isolate if they are “pinged” by the Covid app.
Hopson said the government is taking the right approach, but called for “urgent decisions” to be taken as NHS trusts face “rapidly growing pressures”.
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The organiser of an illegal house party of 100 people in the UK has been fined £10,000 for breaking Covid laws.
Police in Essex, England were called to the unlicensed event near Brentwood at around 10.35pm last night.
Officers also fined 39 people £200 each for breaching coronavirus restrictions, which are expected to be removed in the UK on 19 July.
Detective Superintendent Jon Burgess said:
This event was a clear and blatant breach of the government’s Covid-19 regulations so it was absolutely right that we responded to it and shut it down.
We know that the end of lockdown measures is within sight but while they remain in place it’s really important we all continue to do the right thing and follow them.
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Vietnam recorded 1,853 coronavirus infections today – a new record daily increase. Reuters says most of the cases were in Ho Chi Minh City, which yesterday started a 15-day period of restrictions.
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Malaysia has reported 9,353 daily coronavirus cases – a record high for the second consecutive day.
The Malay Mail reports that it is the third time since the start of the pandemic that daily cases have passed 9,000.
The country’s health director-general, Noor Hisham Abdullah, reportedly said Selangor had the most cases, with 4,277, followed by Kuala Lumpur, where there were 1,398.
Hi, I’m back on the blog. Please get in touch with any tips or suggestions: miranda.bryant@guardian.co.uk
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Police urge England fans without tickets to stay away from London
The Met police have urged England fans without tickets for the Euro 2020 final on Sunday not to travel to London as cases continue to rise in the capital and across the UK.
The force also asked football fans not to congregate in large groups amid the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant.
Deputy assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor said that the force has a “significantly enhanced policing operation” in place for the match.
He added: “We want people to be able to enjoy the Euros 2020 final safely and securely, behave responsibly and consider the safety and welfare of others.
“London still remains in a public health crisis. There are government guidelines in place and we ask people to follow these and remain socially distanced. We will enforce legislation proportionately and as appropriate and engage with crowds.
“But I urge people not to gather in large numbers. If you don’t have a ticket to the matches, fan zone or officially booked into a pub, bar or club, my message is clear: please do not come to London – you could end up missing the game.”
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Thailand registers highest daily death toll
Thailand has reported a record daily figure of 91 coronavirus deaths and 9,326 new cases.
According to the Bangkok Post, the previous highest number of fatalities recorded in a day was 75 on Thursday, when the country also logged 7,058 new infections.
The majority of the deaths were in the capital, which also recorded 3,191 of Saturday’s cases.
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In the UK, government officials are examining whether fully vaccinated NHS workers could be allowed to forgo self-isolation in order to curb a healthcare staffing crisis amid a rapid spread of Covid infections.
Downing Street said on Friday it was considering whether ending the requirement to self-isolate if “pinged” by the NHS Covid app could be brought forward for NHS staff. The requirement is due to end for all fully vaccinated individuals on 16 August.
It comes amid rising infections in the UK, which are in turn leading to a rise in people being told to self-isolate. This is expected to intensify after England’s final unlocking phase on 19 July, when most restrictions end, including mask requirements.
Hello, this is Clea Skopeliti taking over the blog for the next hour while Miranda has a break. You can reach me on Twitter if you’d like to draw my attention to a development – thanks in advance.
Finance chiefs of the G20 large economies are expected today to warn of the threat coronavirus variants pose to the global economic recovery.
It comes as they approved a draft communique at a meeting in Venice that agreed the need for fair vaccine access to poorer countries but did not specify how it should be achieved.
Reuters reports that the draft communique said there have been improvements to the global outlook, but adds:
However, the recovery is characterised by great divergences across and within countries and remains exposed to downside risks, in particular the spread of new variants of the COVID-19 virus and different paces of vaccination.
Infections are rising in 69 countries, according to a Reuters tally.
IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva said the world was facing “a worsening two-track recovery” - in part due to disparities in vaccine availability.
“It is a critical moment that calls for urgent action by the G20 and policymakers across the globe,” she said.
EU delivers enough doses to fully vaccinate 70% of adults
The European Union has delivered enough coronavirus vaccines for at least 70% of adults, the European Commission president announced today.
Ursula von der Leyen said about 500m doses would be distributed across member states by tomorrow as she urged countries to increase vaccinations.
“The European Union has kept its word. This weekend we have delivered enough vaccines to member states to be in a position to vaccinate fully at least 70% of the EU adults this month,” said Von der Leyen, who has been criticised for failing to ensure contracted vaccines were delivered.
But she warned that coronavirus is “not yet defeated”, adding: “We are prepared to deliver more vaccines, including against new variants.”
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Fukushima is to ban spectators from Olympic events because of rising coronavirus infections as Japan prepares to host the games in less than two weeks.
It comes after organisers said on Thursday that although there would be no spectators in Tokyo after a state of emergency was declared in the capital, they would be permitted in Fukushima – which is hosting seven softball and baseball games – and other prefectures.
But the governor of Fukushima prefecture, Masao Uchibori, said today that they would not be permitted after all, Reuters reports.
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A UK government advisor has warned that high Covid-19 vaccination rates could “challenge the virus” to mutate and make the jab less effective.
Dr Mike Tildesley, a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (Spi-M) government advisory panel, also warned of the risk of the plan to reopen England – where coronavirus infections are back to what they were in the winter – on July 19.
But he urged people to get the second dose of the vaccine, which he said offers “much higher” protection against Delta.
He said:
Of course the more cases you have, particularly with high levels of vaccine protection, that does then kind of challenge the virus a little bit more and gives more potential for it to mutate into a form where the vaccines are less effective.
Reopening the country could, he said, risk “exposing more people to infection”, but that it “should decrease as we go through August”.
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Malta has become the first European Union country to require proof of vaccination for visitors.
From Wednesday, visitors aged 13 and over will have to show a Covid-19 vaccination certificate issued in either Malta, the EU or the UK.
Health minister Chris Fearne said: “Malta will be the first EU country taking this step.”
Children aged 5-12 will instead have to show proof of a negative PCR test and younger children are exempt.
Malta had 46 active cases on 1 July and 252 active cases yesterday. So far, 79% of adults have been fully vaccinated.
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Russia reports record Covid deaths and over 25,000 new cases
Russia reported a record 752 coronavirus deaths today - the most in a single day since the start of the pandemic - and 25,082 new cases. Of the total new cases, 5,694 were in Moscow.
The new figures bring the country’s overall case total to 5,758,300. The total death toll as of Friday was around 290,000, the federal statistics agency said.
South Korea records highest daily Covid infections for third day in a row
South Korea has reported a record number of daily Covid infections for a third consecutive day.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said today there were 1,378 new cases yesterday – breaking the previous record, set on Thursday, of 1,316.
On Monday, coronavirus restrictions will be tightened to the highest level in Seoul and surrounding regions for the first time amid fears that new cases could almost double by the end of the month.
Despite the recent rise in cases, the 1.22% mortality rate and number of severe cases – 148 on Friday – is lower than many other industrialised nations and lower than its previous peak in December.
Under the government restrictions, people are advised to stay at home as much as possible and social gatherings must be limited to two people after 6pm and four in the daytime.
So far only around 11% of the country’s 52 million population has been fully vaccinated.
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The White House has accused a Republican governor who tried to block coronavirus vaccination efforts of “literally killing people” as immunisation rates plateau across the US.
For months the Biden administration has held back on criticising Republican officials who downplay the importance of vaccination. But yesterday, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, hit back at South Carolina governor Henry McMaster’s attempt to stop door-to-door vaccinations in his state.
She said: “The failure to provide accurate public health information, including the efficacy of vaccines and the accessibility of them to people across the country, including South Carolina, is literally killing people, so maybe they should consider that.”
Although 67% of American adults have had at least one dose, there are growing fears over geographic disparities in vaccination rates. The highest rates are on the west coast and the north-east, while the lowest are in the south.
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A new coronavirus surge in Spain is sending younger patients to hospital as the Delta variant continues to spread.
Infections are being driven by largely unvaccinated younger patients, who have been arriving at health centres and emergency wards, reports AP.
The country has so far fully vaccinated 21 million people, half the adult population, but less than 600,000 of those vaccinated are under 30.
The 14-day contagion rate per 100,000 people rose to 316 yesterday from a 2021 low of 92 on June 22.
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Academy of Royal Colleges warns situation in England will get worse before it gets better
The Academy of Royal Colleges has warned that things in England “will get worse before they get better”.
Prof Helen Stokes-Lampard told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “There seems to be a misapprehension that life will return to normal from then [July 19], and that we can throw away all the precautions, and frankly, that would be dangerous.”
She added: “We all want to make sure that the public is fully aware that this pandemic is far from over and that when the 19th comes, what we need is a responsible approach and a very cautious approach to relaxing restrictions.”
She also warned that hospitals are seeing more young children being admitted and that GP surgeries and hospitals are coming up against similar demands to mid-winter.
Good morning. I’m looking after the global coronavirus blog today. Please get in touch with any tips or suggestions: miranda.bryant@guardian.co.uk
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