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Hi, Helen Sullivan joining you now. I’ll be bringing you the latest pandemic news for the next few hours. Get in touch on Twitter @helenrsullivan or via email: helen.sullivan@theguardian.com.
Summary
Here’s a recap of all the latest coronavirus news from the past few hours:
- Spain passes 500,000 coronavirus cases in western European first. Spain has become the first western European country to record more than half a million Covid-19 cases, logging a total of 525,549 infections.
- India becomes country with second highest number of Covid cases. India has surpassed Brazil to become the country with the second highest number of coronavirus cases, as the virus continues to spread through the country of 1.3 billion at the fastest rate of anywhere in the world.
- France could face “critical situation” in winter if cases keep rising. A leading epidemiologist in France has warned that if the number of Covid-19 cases continues to rise at the current rate, the country could face a “critical situation” in several regions in December.
- Rise in UK cases because people have “relaxed too much” says senior health official. England’s deputy chief medical officer, Jonathan Van-Tam, said the rise in the number of coronavirus cases was of great concern adding: “We have got to start taking this very seriously again”.
- Fatigue and headache most common Covid symptoms in children – study. Fatigue, headache and fever are
- the most common symptoms of coronavirus in children, with few developing a cough or losing their sense of taste or smell, researchers have found, adding to calls for age-specific symptom checklists.
- France forward Mbappé tests positive for Covid. France forward Kylian Mbappé has tested positive for Covid-19 and will miss this week’s Nations League international against Croatia, the French football federation said.
- Seven Greek islands to be added to quarantine list of England. Lesvos, Tinos, Serifos, Mykonos, Crete, Santorini and Zakynthos are being removed from England’s list of locations exempt from 14-day Covid quarantine, in a significant shift in the government’s travel corridor policy.
- Local lockdown to be enforced in Caerphilly, Wales after rise in covid cases. The Welsh government said coronavirus laws would be tightened across the borough to prevent a local outbreak of the virus spreading.
- Scotland could reimpose restrictions amid continuing rise in cases. The Scottish first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has warned the Scottish government could “put the brakes” on further relaxation of the lockdown, or even reimpose some restrictions later this week, after a continuing rise in Covid 19 cases.
- French ‘anti-maskers’ most likely to be educated women in 50s, says study. French people who reject mask-wearing are more likely to be older, educated women who support the gilets jaunes (yellow vests) protest movement and the controversial virus specialist Didier Raoult, and would refuse to have a coronavirus vaccination if one were available, according to a new study.
That’s all from me Jessica Murray today, I’m now handing over to my colleague Helen Sullivan in Australia. Thanks for reading along.
Egypt’s total recorded coronavirus cases hit 100,041 on Monday, the health ministry said in a statement.
The total death toll from the disease reached 5,541, with 79,008 recoveries, the health ministry added.
Wedding firms in the UK have been told they must refund couples who were unable to exchange vows without breaking lockdown rules, after the competition watchdog was inundated by complaints from angry prospective brides and grooms.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said venues and suppliers should repay people in full, except where services or goods had already been supplied, or the company had incurred costs.
Couples planning to marry in the run-up to lockdown and since have reported problems getting money back for ceremonies and receptions they were forced to cancel because going ahead would have meant breaking physical distancing rules.
The Bank of England’s chief economist Andy Haldane hailed the recovery in Britain’s economy from its coronavirus lockdown shock, striking a more upbeat tone than several of his colleagues recently.
Haldane told City AM newspaper that the “recovery isn’t being given enough credit” and the economy “has bounced back” in large part because consumers had shown themselves to be “incredibly resilient and adaptive and so too have businesses”.
Fellow interest-rate setters Michael Saunders, deputy BoE governor Dave Ramsden and Gertjan Vlieghe have recently expressed concern that Britain’s economy might take longer to recover than the BoE’s most recent forecasts.
Saunders said last week he thought Britain’s economy was likely to need more stimulus from the BoE.
Britain suffered its most severe economic contraction on record between March and June when it shrank by 20%, a worse performance than other large industrialised nations.
Haldane has consistently sounded more optimistic about the prospect of a relatively quick recovery.
He also told City A.M. that calls to extend the British government’s huge job retention scheme would prevent a “necessary process of adjustment” from taking place in the labour market as some companies looked set to fail.
Haldane told the newspaper in a podcast interview that the pandemic had already delivered “lasting structural change to the economy which does mean, regrettably, some businesses will probably not make it through and some jobs may well not be coming back”.
BoE governor Andrew Bailey has similarly backed finance minister Rishi Sunak’s plan to wind down the job retention scheme by the end of next month.
Updated
A second player in Greece’s national football team has tested positive for Covid-19, the country’s football federation (HFF) has said, without revealing the player’s identity.
On Friday night, the federation said another player had been found Covid-19 positive.
The rest of the squad were tested again before and after Sunday’s Nations League match against Kosovo, which Greece won 2-1 in Pristina.
HFF said the latest case was confirmed after the squad were tested on their arrival in Athens from Pristina.
It said the federation had alerted the country’s health authorities and was implementing European football governing body UEFA’s medical protocol.
Greece, who top League C Group 3 ahead of Slovenia who also have four points, are scheduled to play their next Nations League match at home to Moldova on 11 October.
Brazil has recorded 10,273 additional confirmed cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours, as well as 310 deaths from the disease, its health ministry said on Monday.
In all, the country has registered 4.15 million cases of the virus since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 126,960, according to ministry data.
Updated
Donald Trump, accused by Joe Biden of putting lives at risk in his handling of the coronavirus, has called his Democratic rival “stupid” and demanded an apology for what Trump called anti-vaccine rhetoric.
Trailing in national opinion polls as the US death toll from the virus approaches 190,000, Trump unleashed a broad attack against both the former vice president, his opponent in the 3 November election, and Biden’s running mate, US senator Kamala Harris.
Trump has said that a vaccine against the virus would be ready in record time, perhaps before the election, raising questions about whether political pressure might result in the deployment of a vaccine before it is safe.
Harris had said she would not trust Trump with a vaccine before the election and Biden, critical of Trump’s response to the virus, has urged Americans to heed the scientists. Critics accuse Trump of undermining scientists during the pandemic.
Speaking in front of the White House at a US Labor Day news conference, Trump said:
Biden and his very liberal running mate, the most liberal person in Congress by the way - is not a competent person in my opinion, would destroy this country and would destroy this economy - should immediately apologise for the reckless anti-vaccine rhetoric that they are talking right now.
It undermines science.
The president called Biden “stupid.”
In rambling remarks the president also hailed the US labour market’s recovery from the pandemic-fuelled recession and suggested Biden would undo that progress.
Trump has sought to paint himself as best-placed to revive the economy, despite criticism that his initial dismissal of the virus threat led to both a health crisis as well as a recession.
Hundreds of people joined a car caravan in Colombia’s capital, Bogotá, on Monday to protest the economic and social policies of president Ivan Duque, as labour unions try to revive mass demonstrations amid continued coronavirus restrictions.
The protest was the first called by the unions since the country finished more than five months of lockdown meant to stem the coronavirus, which has infected nearly 670,000 people and killed more than 21,400 in the Andean country.
Several weeks of large marches last November and December drew hundreds of thousands of protesters, and led to isolated violence and the first curfews in major cities in a generation.
Masked protesters on Monday rode in cars and on motorcycles and bicycles decorated with green balloons and signs in a bid to comply with government restrictions on crowds.
The participants honked horns to reject a recent government decree that allows pension and health contributions to be made based on hours worked, which the government says will recognise workers who earn less than minimum wage.
“It’s an absolute trick of the government, to take advantage of the crisis to carry out a reform,” said Diogenes Orjuela, head of the Central Union of Workers (CUT).
He also voiced concern about a government loan of up to $370m to airline Avianca and a recent spate of mass killings that the government has tied to drug violence.
The coronavirus quarantine has shuttered thousands of businesses and sent unemployment soaring to nearly 25% in urban areas.
Rise in UK cases because people have 'relaxed too much' says senior health official
England’s deputy chief medical officer said the rise in the number of coronavirus cases was of great concern and people had “relaxed too much” over the summer.
Warning people they would need to follow the guidelines, Jonathan Van-Tam said: “We have got to start taking this very seriously again”.
“If we’re not careful we’re going to have a bumpy ride, people have relaxed too much,” he said.
The UK recorded 2,948 daily confirmed cases of Covid-19, according to government data published on Monday, the second biggest 24-hour rise since May.
Daily case numbers had been rising at about 1,000 a day for most of August, but have started to increase in recent days. Britain’s testing capacity has also increased since the peak of the first wave earlier this year.
The UK has suffered more than 65,000 excess deaths from coronavirus, according to the government’s statistics office, with a surge that lasted longer and spread to more places than those in other hard-hit European nations like Italy and Spain.
Updated
The UK government believes it may have paid out up to £3.5bn in wrong or fraudulent claims for the furlough scheme.
Jim Harra, the top civil servant at HM Revenue & Customs, said that his staff had calculated for the possibility that as much as 10% of the money might have gone to the wrong places.
“We have made an assumption for the purposes of our planning that the error and fraud rate in this scheme could be between 5% and 10%,” the permanent secretary said.
He was speaking in front of MPs on the public accounts committee.
The government has so far made £35.4bn in furlough payments, according to the latest figures. It means that somewhere between £1.75bn and £3.5bn could have been paid out wrongly. Harra added:
That will range from deliberate fraud through to error.
What we have said in our risk assessment is we are not going to set out to try to find employers who have made legitimate mistakes in compiling their claims, because this is obviously something new that everybody had to get to grips with in a very difficult time.
Although we will expect employers to check their claims and repay any excess amount … what we will be focusing on is tackling abuse and fraud.
Iraq is reopening its land border crossings, restaurants, hotels, and bringing back sporting events without spectators, the prime minister announced today, three days after it recorded its highest daily increase in coronavirus infections.
Land crossings would be open for trade only so as to secure local market needs, the prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, said in a statement.
Sporting events will resume as of 12 September. Government agencies can now bring back to work up to 50% of their employees, he said.
Iraq registered its biggest daily increase in coronavirus infections on Friday, with 5,036 cases, as Iraqis continue to flout lockdown rules, the health ministry said.
The health ministry recorded 4,314 new cases on Monday, and 77 deaths, bringing the total number of cases to 264,684 and the total deaths to 7,589.
Kadhimi said the electoral commission would be allowed to open voter registration centres and that its employees would be exempt from curfew.
The prime minister took office in May as the third head of government in a chaotic 10-week period that followed months of unrest in a country exhausted by war with Islamist militants, corruption and economic decay.
He was appointed to head a government tasked with organising an early election, a main demand of anti-government protesters who staged months of mass demonstrations last year, and has called one, to be held in June.
Updated
Greece has registered at least 17 cases of coronavirus in the overcrowded migrant camp of Moria on the island of Lesbos so far, a migration ministry official said.
Last week, the facility was placed under quarantine after authorities confirmed that a 40-year-old asylum-seeker had tested positive for the coronavirus.
So far, 1,600 tests have been conducted in Moria, the migration minister, Notis Mitarachi, told Alpha TV.
Since 1 March, all migrants reaching Lesbos have been quarantined away from the island’s camps.
The Moria facility, which hosts more than 12,000 people – more than four times its stated capacity – has been frequently criticised by aid groups for poor living conditions.
Most recently, aid groups have warned that social distancing and basic hygiene measures are impossible to implement in the camp due to the conditions.
Late on Monday, Greek authorities said that three more migrant facilities had been quarantined: the Eleonas camp in Athens, the Malakasa camp just north of Athens and the facility in Schisto, near the port of Pireaus.
Greece has recently seen a surge in coronavirus cases. It has recorded 11,524 cases since the first infection surfaced in February, and 284 Covid-related deaths.
Updated
In the latest Guardian editorial: the UK government must act to prevent a sharp rise in infections among the under-25s becoming the catalyst for a second wave.
The huge rise in new Covid-19 cases reported over the last two days should serve as a wake-up call, after a summer when political focus has been more on reopening the economy than the ongoing public health crisis. This autumn and winter, as the weather turns colder and far more of life begins to move indoors, the country is going to be treading on very thin ice, as it seeks to avoid the nightmare of a second wave of the virus.
Already, one of the main challenges is becoming clear: rising transmission among the young is threatening to provide the disease with a gateway back into the wider population. On Monday, the health secretary, Matt Hancock, said the rise in cases was largely among the under-25s, and in particular those aged 17 to 21. Outbreaks in dozens of schools will add to the sense of trepidation.
Updated
France forward Mbappé tests positive for Covid
France forward Kylian Mbappé has tested positive for Covid-19 and will miss this week’s Nations League international against Croatia, the French football federation (FFF) said.
The French football body said on its website:
Given that the result of his Covid-19 test carried out by UEFA on Monday morning showed up as positive, he was removed from the rest of the squad after the results came through following training, and then returned to his home later in the evening.
Mbappé, a star of France’s 2018 World Cup victory, scored the winner on Saturday as France beat Sweden 1-0.
The 21-year old is the latest member of the Paris Saint Germain (PSG) team to test positive for Covid-19, with Brazilian international Neymar also reported by French media as having tested positive for the virus.
France play Croatia at Paris’ Stade de France on Tuesday.
Updated
An estimated 45 million people in southern Africa are food insecure, with the number of people without access to adequate affordable and nutritious food up 10% from last year, the World Food Programme said.
The Covid-19 pandemic, coupled with climate change and the struggling economies of several countries, are the main causes of the food insecurity, said international aid organisations in a webinar organised by the Foreign Correspondents Association of Southern Africa.
Zimbabwe is the worst affected country, with its number of food insecure people expected to reach 8.6 million by the end of this year, said Lola Castro, the World Food Programme’s director in southern Africa.
“We are going to see levels of food insecurity that we have never seen for many years,” in 13 of the region’s 16 countries, Castro said.
“We have chronic underlying causes that we know very well, and they are basically mostly related to climatic shocks ... drought, floods or big cyclones,” she added.
She said Covid-19 was an additional emergency that had enormously hurt the livelihoods of many poor people in the region. Lockdowns have made large numbers of people unemployed, increasing food insecurity, she said.
“Many farmers, especially women, had been severely affected by Covid-19 and its impact on food production,” said ActionAid Africa’s humanitarian adviser, Chikondi Chabvuta.
Southern Africa has faced impacts of climate change for the past four years nonstop. ... I have witnessed the short-lived hope in peoples eyes these past four years when seeds are distributed or exchanged in the hope for a better yield next season, only to be disappointed by more climate disasters.
Covid-19 is exposing the existing systematic weaknesses of the regional policies meant to develop resilient food security.
This includes reliance on imports for agricultural production for food supply.
Juliet Hove, a Zimbabwean farmer, said lack of access to water and the markets were also major problems for small-scale farmers in her country.
According to Hove, Covid-19 restrictions on movements were preventing small-scale farmers from traveling to marketplaces to sell seeds and produce, reducing their ability to earn an income.
Updated
Hi everyone, this is Jessica Murray taking charge of the blog for the next few hours.
As always, please do get in touch with any story tips or personal experiences you would like to share.
Email: jessica.murray@theguardian.com
Twitter: @journojess_
Local lockdown to be enforced in Caerphilly, Wales after rise in covid cases
Local lockdown restrictions have been imposed to control a Covid-19 outbreak in Caerphilly, south Wales.
The Welsh government said coronavirus laws would be tightened across the borough to prevent a local outbreak of the virus spreading.
A range of new measures will come into force on Tuesday at 6pm in an attempt to reduce the number of new coronavirus infections.
- People will not be allowed to enter or leave the Caerphilly county borough council area without a reasonable excuse.
- Everyone over 11 will be required to wear face coverings in shops – which is not the law in other parts of Wales.
- People will only be able to meet outdoors – meetings with other people indoors and extended households will not be allowed for the time being. No overnight stays will be allowed.
The new restrictions will apply to everyone living within the Caerphilly county borough council area.
They are being introduced following a rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases in coronavirus, which have been linked to clusters of people meeting indoors, not following social distancing guidelines in the borough and summer holidays overseas.
The Welsh health minister, Vaughan Gething, said: “We have seen a significant rise in cases in Caerphilly borough over a very short space of time, which are linked to holiday travel abroad and people socialising indoors and not following social distancing guidelines.
A lot of these cases are in younger people and thankfully, at the moment, most of these are mild. But coronavirus is now circulating in the community and it’s only a matter of time before we start to see more serious cases, which need hospital treatment.
We need the help of everyone in Caerphilly borough to prevent the increasing and onward spread of coronavirus. We can only bring this local outbreak under control if everyone pulls together and follows these new steps.
If we do not see cases falling, we may need to take further steps to bring this local outbreak under control.
Updated
The UK has recorded almost 3,000 cases of Covid-19 for a second consecutive day, raising fears of a resurgence in the virus, as Matt Hancock urged young people in particular to stick to social distancing rules.
Government figures showed 2,948 confirmed cases of coronavirus on Monday, following the 2,988 recorded on Sunday. A week earlier, the combined UK daily total was less than 1,300.
The health secretary said younger people, especially those in better-off areas, should remain observant of distancing rules if the UK was to avoid a wider return of the virus, as seen in Spain and France.
While local lockdowns have been mainly concentrated in poorer areas, Hancock said this had now changed. “The recent increase we have seen in the last few days is more broadly spread,” he said. “It’s actually among more affluent younger people where we have seen the rise.”
After almost 3,000 people tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday, a 65% rise in a single day and the highest daily total since May, Hancock said the UK could soon start to see a renewed rise in hospital admissions.
Updated
The number of new Covid-19 cases in France has risen by 4,203 compared with the previous day to stand at a total of 328,980, the French health ministry said on Monday, Reuters reports.
The number of deaths also rose by 25 over the last 24 hours to stand at 30,726.
Updated
Spain will require all students aged six or older to wear masks and is urging them to wash their hands at least five times a day.
The country was one of the hardest-hit countries when the coronavirus struck Europe this year before a strict lockdown helped reduce the outbreak’s spread.
But infections have surged and Spain has become the first western European country to record more than half a million Covid-19 cases, logging a total of 525,549 infections as concerns also grow over the rise in cases in France and the UK.
Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has postponed its sailing from Portsmouth naval base after a number of crew tested positive for Covid-19.
PA reports:
The £3bn warship was set to leave Portsmouth Historic Dockyard on Monday afternoon for training exercises but the departure was put on hold at the last moment.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman confirmed that “fewer than 10” members of the 1,000-strong crew had tested positive for the coronavirus and had been taken ashore to be put into isolation in barracks.
Other sailors who had contact with their infected crew-mates will isolate on board the 65,000 tonne ship which is expected to leave Portsmouth as soon as Tuesday.
It is the second time the carrier has had to postpone its sailing after two crew members tested positive for Covid-19 in April.
Updated
The Scottish first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has tweeted a thread explaining why the government has extended restrictions on indoor household gatherings to two other local authorities – Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire.
Sturgeon said the government is focusing restrictions on indoor household gatherings because the data suggests household gatherings, large and small, is that the most significant driver of transmission.
4/ So, if you live in Glasgow City, E or W Dunbartonshire, E Renfrewshire or Renfrewshire council areas, please don’t have others visit you at home and don’t visit other households in any part of Scotland. If we comply with this, hopefully further restrictions can be avoided
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) September 7, 2020
Updated
Here’s an interesting report by Niamh McIntyre and Pamela Duncan that digs into the data of the sharp rise in coronavirus cases in the UK
The health secretary, Matt Hancock, implored young people to stick to the rules as Covid-19 infections in the UK rose to their highest levels since early May.
It is not known why case rates are higher among young people, but England-level data shows they are rising steeply.
There were 2,988 new coronavirus cases reported across the UK on Sunday 6 September, government figures showed, a 65% increase on the previous day. Although the daily figures do not allow for analysis by age, Public Health England’s weekly surveillance reports do.
They show Covid case rates are growing fastest among those aged between 10 and 29, according to analysis of PHE figures gathered between the beginning of July and the end of August.
The case rate for those aged 10-19 has quadrupled after reaching a low point in early July, while the rate for those in their 20s has tripled.
The most recent figures covering the week to 30 August show that there were 26.5 cases per 100,000 people in their 20s – the highest rate of any group in that week.
Updated
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.
Reuters reports:
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.
Sinovac’s candidate CoronaVac did not cause severe side effects in a combined Phase 1 and Phase 2 trials launched in May involving 421 participants aged at least 60, Liu Peicheng, Sinovac’s media representative, told Reuters. The complete results have not been published and were not made available to Reuters.
Four of the world’s eight vaccines that are in the third phase of trials are from China.
Here’s more from Guardian reporters Sam Jones in Madrid, Kim Willsher in Paris and Natalie Grover in London on Spain surpassing a grim coronavirus landmark
Spain has become the first western European country to record more than half a million Covid-19 cases, logging a total of 525,549 infections as concerns also grow over the rise in cases in France and the UK.
The Spanish milestone comes amid a continuing surge in infections as millions of children begin returning to school after a six-month hiatus.
According to the latest figures from the health ministry, Spain has logged 49,716 new cases in the past week, and 237 deaths. About a third of the new cases and deaths are in Madrid, the region hardest hit by the pandemic.
Spain has the fastest rise in daily confirmed cases in Europe, which began a climb in July, with France showing a similar increase beginning in August.
The UK has recorded 349,500 cases, France 347,268 and Italy 277,634.
A UK government source said there was significant concern that the UK was “six weeks behind France”, while Matt Hancock, the British health secretary, on Monday described the recent rises as concerning.
Updated
Spain passes 500,000 coronavirus cases in western European first
Spain has become the first country in western Europe to register 500,000 coronavirus infections.
The country reported 2,440 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, Reuters reports. The latest figures brings the country’s total cases to 525,549.
Recent infections have been more common among younger people who often develop no symptoms thanks to their stronger immune systems, and the death rate remains far below the March-April peak when daily fatalities routinely exceeded 800.
Updated
The seven-day rate of new cases of Covid-19 in the UK has risen above 20 cases per 100,000 people.
PA Media reports:
In the seven days to 7 September the rate stood at 21.3 cases per 100,000, up from 13.9 in the previous week (the seven days to 31 August).
A rate of 20 cases per 100,000 or above, if reported in other countries, is the level at which the government considers imposing quarantine conditions on people travelling to the UK.
Nearly 6,000 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been reported in the UK in the 48 hours to 9am on Monday, according to the latest figures from the Department of Health and Social Care.
Updated
The World Health Organization is working with China on requirements for international approval of any Chinese Covid-19 vaccine, according to a report by Reuters.
Assistant director general Mariangela Simao told a briefing in Geneva:
WHO’s office in China and WHO headquarters has been working with the regulatory authorities in China. We are in direct contact, we have been sharing information and the requirements for international approval of vaccines.
Updated
Seven Greek islands to be added to quarantine list of England
Seven Greek islands are being removed from England’s list of locations exempt from 14-day Covid quarantine, in a significant shift in the government’s travel corridor policy.
Speaking in the Commons on Monday, the UK transport secretary, Grant Shapps, announced that arrivals from the Greek islands will have to isolate for two weeks on their return to England from Wednesday at 4am but not those visiting the country’s mainland.
The islands are Lesvos, Tinos, Serifos, Mykonos, Crete, Santorini and Zakynthos.
Downing Street has faced pressure in recent weeks to consider implementing so-called regional travel corridors whereby arrivals from parts of countries that have lower Covid infections rates are exempted from quarantine restrictions.
Updated
In India, which has surpassed Brazil to become the country with the second highest number of coronavirus cases, the fastest spread of the virus appears to be in rural areas.
Dr Harjit Singh Bhatti, a doctor on the Covid-19 ward of Manipal hospital in Delhi, described the situation in India as “very worrisome. Since the government loosened lockdown, they have taken no proactive measures to stop the spread of the virus, which is why we are seeing cases go up and up.”
The virus was initially concentrated in major urban metropolises such as Delhi and Mumbai. But while cases in Delhi have increased by 50% in just the last month, the fastest spread of the infection is in rural areas, where two-thirds of new cases are being reported. Bhatti said doctors were being told to prepare for cases to keep rising until at least the end of November.
“Rural areas have had very little healthcare investment, they are poorly equipped, there are very few doctors and poor transport into the cities, so the spread of the virus into these communities will have very serious consequences and we are likely to see much higher coronavirus casualties,” said Bhatti.
He added: “The quackery in those rural areas is also very high, you see a lot of untrained professionals who are treating patients there, and this can cause a worrying mismanagement of the infection and higher rates of mortality.”
Updated
Fatigue, headache and fever are the most common symptoms of coronavirus in children, with few developing a cough or losing their sense of taste or smell, researchers have found, adding to calls for age-specific symptom checklists.
The NHS lists three symptoms as signs of Covid-19 in adults and children: a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, and a loss or change in the sense of smell or taste.
However, the team behind the Covid symptom study app say new data shows that the disease presents differently in children compared with adults.
“We need to start to telling people what are the key symptoms at different ages rather than this blanket obsession with fever, cough and lack of smell,” said Prof Tim Spector, of King’s College London, who led the work.
French people who reject mask-wearing are more likely to be older, educated women who support the gilets jaunes (yellow vests) protest movement and the controversial virus specialist Didier Raoult, and would refuse to have a coronavirus vaccination if one were available, according to a study.
They also describe themselves as free-thinkers who believe the government is meddling too much in their lives, have a distrust of public institutions and often support conspiracy theories, it found.
The French thinktank the Jean-Jaurès Foundation suggested “anti-maskers” were spread across the political spectrum, with the research results showing a slight tendency towards the right.
Antoine Bristielle, a social sciences professor who carried out the study, said he examined a number of Facebook anti-mask groups and that his findings were based on just over 1,000 responses to an online questionnaire.
Updated
Yonas Tadesse is an Ethiopian photographer based in Addis Ababa who has been documenting doctors and emergency workers fighting coronavirus since the beginning of the outbreak. For this photo essay he has spoken to staff on the taskforce at the Eka Kotebe hospital in Addis Ababa.
Updated
A further four people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals to 29,611, NHS England said on Monday.
PA Media reports:
The patients were aged between 76 and 95 and all had known underlying health conditions. The dates of the deaths were all on September 5. No deaths were reported with no positive Covid-19 test result.
Updated
Schools in Pakistan will begin reopening in phases from next week following a fall in new coronavirus case numbers, officials said, Reuters reports.
Higher education institutions and senior school classes will reopen on 15 September, class six till eight will open again on 23 September, and on 30 September primary classes will reopen, Shafqat Mahmood, the federal minister for education, told a news conference.
“It is a difficult decision, as it involves the future of children, it was not an easy decision to make,” Mahmood said, adding that success will only be achieved when parents and teachers play their role.
Updated
Hundreds of pupils in Liverpool, north-west England, are self-isolating after eight schools reported positive coronavirus cases.
As many as 200 pupils are now having to self-isolate after positive coronavirus cases were confirmed in relation to eight Liverpool schools.
21 staff members are also self-isolating after the reopening of schools in the city hit problems early on.
It is understood that five primary schools and three secondary schools have been hit by positive cases, which have led to differing numbers of fellow pupils and staff having to keep themselves away from others for 14 days.
Updated
There have been a further 133 cases of Covid-19 in Wales, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 18,514, PA Media reports.
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.
Updated
Denmark’s limit on public gatherings will be lowered to 50 people from 100 in the capital, Copenhagen, and in Odense, after a recent spike in the number of Covid-19 infections, the country’s health minister said on Monday, Reuters reports.
Updated
Five teachers at a school in Suffolk, England, have tested positive for coronavirus, prompting the school to shut, as parents around Middlesbrough in the north-east were also warned about student infections in three schools in the area.
In Cardiff, 30 pupils in year 7 at Ysgol Bro Edern have been asked to self-isolate for 14 days after a student tested positive for Covid-19.
The infections come a week after children began returning to classrooms in England and Wales for the first time since lockdown in March.
Five members of the teaching staff at a school in Suffolk tested positive for Covid-19, with the academy shut on Monday following advice from Public Health England.
Two other members of staff at the Samuel Ward academy in Haverhill are awaiting results. The school said in a statement that the closure was a “precautionary measure” and it hoped to reopen on Tuesday.
Updated
Scotland could reimpose restrictions amid continuing rise in cases
The Scottish first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has warned the Scottish government could “put the brakes” on further relaxation of the lockdown, or even reimpose some restrictions later this week, after a continuing rise in Covid 19 cases.
The first minister said during her regular coronavirus briefing that the surge in cases made it quite unlikely Scotland would move from phase 3 to phase 4 of its lockdown route map when she gives the next three-weekly review statement on Thursday.
She was speaking after 146 new positive Covid-19 cases were reported overnight in Scotland, with 78 of those in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area, after 225 cases were reported on Sunday. There were 12 further hospital admissions, taking the total to 246, with five in intensive care.
Sturgeon confirmed the daily case numbers were similar to those last seen in early May, but said there was far more testing now, capturing many more cases than in May. Even so, it was clear there was a fresh surge in cases. She said:
As we have released ourselves from lockdown, we have also released the virus from lockdown.
She said the partial lockdown in Glasgow and surrounding councils and in Aberdeen were a warning of what might be needed elsewhere.
Updated
Russia to offer its Covid-19 vaccine to volunteers
Russia will begin offering its Covid-19 vaccine to volunteers this week, Reuters reports, as part of a trial following the vaccine’s registration, the Tass news agency cited health minister Mikhail Murashko as saying on Monday.
Updated
Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways said it would cover medical and quarantine costs for passengers if they contract the new coronavirus after travelling on one of its flights, Reuters reports.
Medical costs of up to €150,000 ($177,000) and quarantine costs of up to 100 euro a day for 14 days will be covered by Etihad for its passengers who contract the disease within 31 days of first travel.
Etihad vice-president Duncan Bureau said in a statement:
This additional cover will not only instil confidence to travel but also reassure our guests that we are doing all we can to keep them safe and protected.
Updated
Here’s a guide to countries that UK tourists can now visit without restrictions on arrival.
Spain will require all students aged six or older to wear masks and is urging them to wash their hands at least five times a day. The country was one of the hardest-hit when the coronavirus struck Europe this year before a strict lockdown helped reduce the outbreak’s spread. But the number of infections have surged since the lockdown measures were fully removed at the end of June.
Updated
Stool tests may be more effective than respiratory tests in identifying Covid-19 infections in children and infants since they carry a higher viral load in their stool than adults, researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) said, according to a report by Reuters.
Stool samples carry the virus even after it has cleared from a patient’s respiratory tract and that could lead to better identification of asymptomatic cases, particularly in infants and others who have difficulty providing nasal or throat swabs.
Researchers from CUHK’s Faculty of Medicine carried out stool tests on more than 2,000 asymptomatic children and others who needed such tests who arrived at Hong Kong airport from 29 March. As of 31 August, of samples collected, six children were confirmed with a Covid-19 infection.
Updated
Pizza Express has announced plans to permanently close 73 UK branches and could cut up to 1,100 jobs as the restaurant chain is the latest high street name to respond to the loss of business prompted by the coronavirus crisis.
Here is the full list of the branches that will close.
Young people in the UK must maintain social distancing to avoid the UK following countries such as France and Spain towards significant new rises in coronavirus cases, the health secretary, Matt Hancock, has said.
After almost 3,000 people tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday, a 50% rise in a single day and the highest daily total since May, Hancock said the UK could soon start to see a renewed rise in hospital admissions.
Speaking on a phone-in with LBC radio, Hancock said much of the rise was among younger people, and that it was vitally important for them to take measures to avoid spreading the virus.
He said
It’s concerning because we’ve seen a rise in cases in France, in Spain, in some other countries across Europe, and nobody wants to see a second wave here.
The rise in the number of cases we’ve seen over the last few days is largely among younger people – under-25s, especially between 17 and 21. The message to all your younger listeners is that even though you’re at lower risk of dying from Covid if you’re under 25, you can still have really serious symptoms and consequences.
Hello, I’m Aamna and I’ll be taking over the blog for the rest of the day. If you want to get in touch you can email me (aamna.mohdin@theguardian.com) or tweet me (@aamnamohdin)
France could face 'critical situation' in winter if cases keep rising
A leading epidemiologist in France has warned that if the number of Covid-19 cases continues to rise at the current rate, the country could face a “critical situation” in several regions in December, writes Kim Willsher, the Guardian’s Paris correspondent.
He said the authorities should act now to reinforce distancing and protection measures to avoid more stringent regulations later.
Prof Antoine Fontanet told LCI:
Today, we have a rise in the number of new cases a week of 30% and a 15% increase in the number of hospital admissions a week. If this rhythm continues, we will reach a critical situation in several regions of France in December.
It is better to act now, the earlier we act the less strict the measures will be and the fewer will be … if we wait 15 days it will be harder and longer.
The warning came as France recorded a further 7,071 new cases on Sunday evening, following an increase of around 8,500 on Saturday and almost 9,000 new cases on Friday. The percentage of positive tests has risen from 4.3% to 4.9% in a week and from 3.9% at the end of August.
France has 18 mainland departments deemed “red” where the virus is actively circulating. However, the health minister, Olivier Véran, is consulting the country’s coronavirus scientific committee with a view to easing the 14-day isolation period prescribed for the sick and “contact cases” who are thought to have been contaminated.
Updated
As many as 300 people who attended a charity football match in the north-east of England have been asked to self-isolate for two weeks after 28 people who were there tested positive for coronavirus.
The match was held at Burnside Working Men’s Club, in Fencehouses, County Durham, on 30 August. The location is close to the border with Wearside, so Durham county council has been working with counterparts at Sunderland city council, as well as Public Health England, to manage the response, according to the PA Media.
Contact tracing will be carried out for anyone deemed to have been close to someone who tested positive at the bank holiday weekend gathering, but anyone else who was at the charity game has been asked to self-isolate until midnight on 13 September.
Gillian Gibson, Sunderland’s director of public health, said:
It’s really important that everyone acts responsibly and follows the public health guidance when outside of the home if we are to keep our community safe.
Updated
Production of 30m doses of Oxford vaccine for UK already underway
AstraZeneca has already begun production of the UK government’s initial order of 30m doses of its coronavirus vaccine, which has been developed in collaboration with researchers at Oxford University.
The vaccine has not been approved for use and is still undergoing trials in the UK, Brazil and South Africa. However, last month, Prof Andrew Pollard, the director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said it is “just possible” that there may be enough clinical trial data on Oxford University’s Covid-19 vaccine to put before the regulators this year.
The vaccine is delivered via a chimpanzee virus, called the vaccine vector, which contains the genetic code of the protein spikes found on the coronavirus. It is hoped that they will trigger a strong immune response.
The health secretary, Matt Hancock, told LBC that production of the UK’s batch of AstraZeneca vaccines had already begun – well ahead of any approval being granted. He said:
We have got 30m doses already contracted with AstraZeneca, in fact they are starting to manufacture those doses already, ahead of approval, so that should approval come through – and it’s still not certain but it is looking up – should that approval come through then we are ready to roll out.
The best-case scenario is that happens this year. I think more likely is the early part of next year – in the first few months of next year is the most likely.
But we’ve also bought vaccine ahead of it getting approved from a whole different series of international vaccines as well.
Updated
The Dubai-based airline Emirates has announced it has issued more than 5bn dirhams ($1.4bn; £1bn) in refunds related to the coronavirus crisis, according to Reuters.
In the latest blow to the beleaguered air-travel industry, with many fleets grounded since the pandemic hit earlier this years, Emirates revealed that it had processed more than 1.4m refunds since March.
Emirates said it was now operating a limited number of flights on a reduced network that from June began to be gradually rebuilt.
The airline, which has cut jobs and salaries as it tries to manage the impact of the crisis, in July said it had refunded more than $517m in the previous two months.
The government of Dubai has injected 7.3bn dirhams ($2bn) into Emirates to help the airline it owns survive the crisis, according to a bond prospectus seen by Reuters.
Updated
UK health secretary denies 'losing control' of the virus
The UK health secretary has called the rise in coronavirus infections across Britain “concerning”, but insisted the government has not lost control of the spread of the pandemic.
The daily number of new confirmed cases of coronavirus jumped on Sunday to 2,988, the highest daily rise since May, leading to accusations that ministers had “lost control of the virus”, in the words of one regional director of public health.
When asked on national news radio station LBC whether he had lost control of the outbreak, Matthew Hancock, the health secretary, said: “No, but the whole country needs to following social distancing. We can only do this as a whole society – everybody has a role to play.”
He told LBC:
The rise in the number of cases we have seen in the last few days is concerning. It is concerning because we have seen a rise in cases in France, in Spain, in some other countries across Europe – nobody wants to see a second wave here.
It just reinforces the point that people must follow the social distancing rules, they are so important.
Updated
The Philippines’ health ministry has reported 1,383 new coronavirus infections, its lowest number of new daily cases in nearly eight weeks, according to Reuters.
The ministry said there were 15 new deaths, taking total Covid-19 fatalities to 3,890.
The Philippines has the most coronavirus infections in south-east Asia, with 238,727 confirmed cases.
Updated
Here are Guardian graphics showing the most recent coronavirus outbreak statistics.
Russia reported 5,185 new coronavirus cases on Monday, pushing its national tally to 1,030,690, the fourth largest in the world, according to Reuters.
Authorities confirmed 51 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 17,871.
The latest figures come as Russia’s consumer health safety watchdog announced that early-stage trials on a second Russian coronavirus vaccine will be completed by the end of the months.
Health authorities in the country approved the world’s first coronavirus vaccine last month, in a development that was greeted with scepticism in the West.
As of 7 Sep 2020, 12pm, we have preliminarily confirmed an additional 22 cases of COVID-19 infection in Singapore. https://t.co/YzivlSKD5W
— Ministry of Health (@sporeMOH) September 7, 2020
The budget clothing chain Primark has said its UK market share has increased after customers flocked back since it reopened all its stores, with trading better than expected, writes Julia Kollewe for the Guardian’s business desk.
Primark, owned by Associated British Foods, said customer spending on clothes, footwear and accessories had been recovering since hitting a low point in April during the Covid-19 lockdown when all its stores were closed. It reopened all 153 stores in England in mid-June, while its 112 stores in Germany, Spain and the Netherlands reopened earlier.
The retailer said when stores reopened customers crammed significantly more into their baskets than last year, reflecting pent-up demand, and while this has eased, the average basket size remains higher than a year ago.
Shoppers have been buying nightwear and leisure wear in particular, after a rise in home working, while lipstick is not selling well due to people wearing face masks.
Commuters in the UK have been told they can “travel with confidence” as rail services were ramped up to about 90% of pre-coronavirus levels amid a nationwide campaign to push Britons back to work.
Robert Nisbet, a director at the Rail Delivery Group, an industry body for the UK’s privately run rail companies, told the BBC radio on Monday morning:
Today is really about telling commuters that ‘you can travel with confidence’, that we are going to be putting on more trains to increase capacity.
But also what we’re doing is ensuring that those trains are safe to travel in by increasing hygiene (and) cleaning in stations and on trains.
Obviously we’re also asking people to do their bit as well, by wearing face masks and making sure they keep their hands clean before and after they travel.
Timetables were slashed in March as the virus led to a reduction in available railway workers and demand for travel, but were gradually increased to around 80% before being ramped up on Monday.
Updated
The number one reason given by US citizens as to why they are not wearing face masks “is that it is their right as an American not to do so”, according to a poll by Brookings.
The US research group says its latest findings suggest that “American individualism” is the perhaps the leading reason why about 20% of people in the country are still not wearing face masks in public.
Four in 10 Americans said they did not wear masks because “it’s my right as an American not to wear a mask”, Brookings’ poll found. About a quarter – 24% – said they did not wear masks “because it is uncomfortable”.
The data reveals that a combined 64% of Americans believe that their right to not have to be inconvenienced by wearing a mask or scarf over their face is more important than reducing the probability of getting sick or infecting others.
You can read more on the Brookings website.
Updated
China has got the new week off to a bright start, by reporting its strongest jump in exports in 18 months as the world economy emerged from Covid-19 lockdowns, writes Graeme Wearden, over on our business blog.
Sales of Chinese-made goods abroad jumped by 9.5% in August, compared with a year ago. That’s rather stronger than expected, and the biggest monthly gain since March 2019.
That suggests demand is picking up across the global economy, meaning more demand for manufactured goods. Hopefully, it’s a sign that growth picked up over the summer, following record-breaking economic contractions.
(To follow the latest business news developments, take a look at our business blog.)
Plans to test every resident of Hong Kong for coronavirus appear to be collapsing, with just a fraction of the territory’s population signing up for the scheme.
The free voluntary tests are part of an attempt to stamp out a third wave of infections that began in late June and saw the densely populated city reimpose economically painful social distancing measures.
According to the French state-backed news agency AFP, the involvement of mainland Chinese testing firms has deterred many in the city, which is politically divided towards Beijing’s newly assertive rule.
On Monday morning, Patrick Nip, Hong Kong’s civil service chief, said 1.15 million people had signed up since mass testing began last Tuesday, out of a city population of some 7.5 million.
That figure is well below the 4-5 million leading health experts said would be needed for a mass testing scheme to be effective at finding and stopping hidden transmission chains.
The involvement of teams and labs from the mainland has sent the rumour mills into overdrive and compounded fears of Beijing’s surveillance state, which uses biometric data to monitor its citizens.
A group of pro-democracy politicians and lawmakers, as well as a medical union critical of Beijing, called on the public to boycott the test. Both Beijing and city leader Carrie Lam have accused those opposed to the testing as being politically motivated and “anti-China”.
At the height of the third wave in late July, Hong Kong was recording about 150 new cases a day. Over the last two weeks, that number has hovered between 10-20 a day, even with the mass testing scheme under way.
Since the pandemic began, Hong Kong has registered nearly 4,900 infections and 98 deaths from the coronavirus.
The English Daily Mail this morning leads on its own latest coronavirus-related campaign to “Get Britain Flying Again”, by trying to find a way to bring down the lengthy 14-day quarantine faced by travellers arriving in the country from overseas.
Monday’s Mail:
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) September 6, 2020
“Test hope to halve quarantine”
#BBCPapers #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/xcc413h5B3
According to the Mail:
Air passengers could be tested eight days after arrival under plans to get Britain flying again.
Ministers are considering two options to open up the skies and help rescue the Covid-ravaged economy.
Under the first, passengers would be given an airport test on arrival followed by a second test a few days later. The second option is for a single test after five to eight days of self-isolation.
Insiders say the Department for Transport is ‘rattled’ by mounting Tory anger over the disastrous 14-day quarantine policy. Scores of MPs and business chiefs are supporting the Mail’s drive for Covid-19 tests to save thousands of jobs. In a boost for our campaign, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab yesterday said a testing regime was under review but would be ‘no silver bullet’ to end quarantine.
Not all the papers are leading on coronavirus today, with Brexit and other issues, such as the weather forecast, topping some news agenda.
Today’s Guardian does, however, with details of the recent large increases in coronavirus infections in England leading a public health director to accuse the government of having “lost control” of the spread of the virus.
Monday's Guardian: Ministers have ‘lost control’ of virus spread, say experts #TomorrowsPapersToday #TheGuardian #Guardian pic.twitter.com/aruEZP2uPP
— Tomorrow's Papers Today (@TmorrowsPapers) September 6, 2020
Ian Sample, Jessica Elgot and Helen Pidd write:
The UK recorded a massive rise in the number of people testing positive for Covid-19 yesterday, amid concerns the government has lost control of the pandemic just as people return to work and universities prepare to reopen.
Labour demanded that the health secretary, Matt Hancock, give an urgent statement to the House of Commons to explain the surge in cases and why some people were still being told to drive hundreds of miles for a test.
Almost 3,000 people in the UK tested positive for the virus yesterday - a 50% increase in a single day and the highest daily total since May. “They’ve lost control of the virus,” said Prof Gabriel Scally, former NHS regional director of public health for the south-west. “It’s no longer small outbreaks they can stamp on.
“It’s become endemic in our poorest communities and this is the result. It’s extraordinarily worrying when schools are opening and universities are going to be going back.”
You can read the online version here, or go and buy the paper for the full print experience.
England: school closes after five teachers test positive
A school in Suffolk, in the east of England, was closed to pupils on Monday morning after five teachers tested positive for coronavirus.
Two other members of staff at the Samuel Ward Academy in Haverhill are waiting to hear their coronavirus test results, the PA news agency reports. It was closed on the advice of Public Health England.
A deep clean is to take place at the school and anyone who has been in close contact with infected staff has been contacted and asked to self-isolate for 14 days, the school said.
The school said in a statement that the closure was a “precautionary measure” and it hoped to reopen on Tuesday. The headteacher, Andy Hunter, said:
The safety of pupils and all those who work at the school is my biggest priority.
Obviously this is a huge disappointment after working so hard to get the school back up and running.
I will be looking closely at the systems we put in place to try to understand how the transmission occurred and to make sure we do everything possible to limit the chances of the same thing happening again.
I am very disappointed by this disrupted start to the school term.
We have taken very extensive precautions.
We were delighted that term had started so well last week and were looking forward to the final two year groups starting (on Monday).
But I have had excellent support from Public Health England, Public Health Suffolk and Suffolk County Council.
We are determined to do all we can to stop the further spread of the virus and agree with the precautionary action to close the school (on Monday).
Further contact tracing will continue and additional pupils and staff may be asked to self-isolate.
Updated
Hi, this is Damien Gayle, in London, taking the reins of the live blog for the next few hours, with thanks to Helen Sullivan for starting things off on the other side of the world. As usual I’ll be keeping you updated with the latest news and updates from the coronavirus crisis, as and when we get them
If you have any comments, tips or suggestions for coverage, then do feel free to drop me a line, either via email at damien.gayle@theguardian.com, or via Twitter direct message to @damiengayle.
That’s it from me, Helen Sullivan for today. Thanks for following along. My colleague Damien Gayle will be taking over.
I leave you with our global report on India overtaking Brazil to have the second most cases worldwide, after confirming a global record or more than 90,000 cases in 24 hours:
Updated
Summary
Here are the key developments from the last few hours. Is there a major update from your part of the world that we’ve missed? Get in touch on Twitter @helenrsullivan.
- India has recorded a global one-day record of more than 90,000 positive coronavirus cases, taking the country past Brazil as the second most infected country in the world in terms of overall cases, with 4.2m confirmed cases.
- Global coronavirus cases have passed 27m, with 883,339 deaths confirmed, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker.
- Nearly 3,000 more people in the UK tested have positive for Covid-19, with 2,988 new cases reported on Sunday - a sharp increase from 1,813, and the highest number of new cases since 23 May. However, fatalities remain low, with two new deaths within 28 days of a positive test reported in the last 24 hours.
- In France, authorities have placed seven more departments covering major cities such as Lille, Strasbourg and Dijon on high alert. The move comes as the nation reported a record of nearly 9,000 daily cases on Friday, and a further 8,550 cases in the past 24 hours on Saturday, when the nationwide test positivity rate increased to 4.7%.
- South Korea has added 119 more cases, its lowest daily jump in more than three weeks amid a downward trend in new cases. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday the additional figures took the country’s total to 21,296 with 336 deaths.
- Australia on Monday said it will receive the first batches of a potential Covid-19 vaccine in January 2021, as the country’s virus hotspot said the number of new daily infections has fallen to a 10-week low, Reuters reports.
- Coronavirus cases are rising in 22 of the 50 US states, a Reuters analysis has found. Three weeks ago, cases were only rising in three states - Hawaii, Illinois and South Dakota.
- Turkey recorded 1,578 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, the health ministry said, bringing the country’s total to 279,806. A further 53 people died in the past 24 hours, taking the country’s official death toll to 6,673.
- Nearly half of Greeks (44%) would refuse to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to a poll of 1,000 respondents published on Sunday. Meanwhile, a survey of the same number of Brazilians found 5% would definitely snub a vaccine, while a further 20% expressed reluctance.
- Hundreds asked to self-isolate after outbreak at UK charity football match. Up to 300 people who attended a charity football match at a working men’s club on the border of Sunderland and Durham have been asked to self-isolate after 28 tested positive for Covid-19.
- Israel is set to lock down several cities after passing the milestone of 1,000 coronavirus deaths this weekend. The government will hold a vote on the renewed lockdowns tomorrow.
- The Isle of Man has recorded its first confirmed Covid-19 case since May, the chief minister has said. The person had returned to the island a week ago on a flight in which all passengers wore masks, and has been self-isolating at home for seven days. The chief minister stressed there is “no need for concern” as the case has been contained.
- The Australian government has announced Covid vaccine deals to provide 84.8m doses. The country will buy 84.8m vaccine doses for $1.7bn if two promising Covid-19 vaccine candidates prove successful.
Updated
More on India, from AFP:
Since August the country of 1.3 billion people, home to some of the world’s most densely populated cities, has been reporting the highest single-day rises in the world. On Monday it reported an increase of more than 90,000 cases.
Its caseload moved past four million on Saturday, only 13 days after hitting three million.
Virologist Shahid Jameel, who heads the Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance, said the key factor to watch is the growth rate in infections, which he called “quite alarming”.
“Over the past two weeks, the... average has moved from about 65,000 cases per day to about 83,000 cases per day, that is about a 27-percent increase over two weeks or about two percent per day,” Jameel told AFP.
India has been testing more than 10 million people per day on average, with plans to ramp it up further.
India overtakes Brazil to become second worst-affected country worldwide
After confirming a world record 90,632 cases in 24 hours, India has overtaken Brazil to become the second-worst-affected country worldwide in terms of number of cases, Johns Hopkins University figures confirm.
With 4,204,613 known infections, India is second only to the United States, which has 6,276,365 confirmed cases. Brazil has 4,137,521 known cases.
We’ll have more shortly in our global report.
Updated
In pandemic times, public health takes precedence over the wellbeing of the planet, as Germany’s Greens have had to learn the hard way. With Covid-19 shoring up electoral sympathies around a crisis-seasoned Angela Merkel, the buoyant upstarts in opposition have lost much of the momentum they had built up over the last 12 months.
And yet, paradoxically, the environmental party’s chances of entering government in 2021 have never looked greater.
The German Greens, who have been continuously represented in parliament since 1983 and formed a government with the centre-left Social Democratic party (SPD) between 1998 and 2005, have renewed their profile and electoral hopes over the last two years:
South Korea sees lowest daily cases in three weeks
South Korea South Korea has added 119 more cases of the coronavirus, its lowest daily jump in more than three weeks amid a downward trend in new cases, AP reports.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday the additional figures took the country’s total to 21,296 with 336 deaths.
It’s the fifth straight day the country’s daily jump has stayed under 200. The 119 additional cases are the lowest in kind since mid-August.
South Korea’s caseload had risen since early last month, with many associated with churches, restaurants and schools and an anti-government street rally in the greater Seoul area. In late August, South Korea’s daily jump once marked over 400.
But the caseload has gradually slowed down, largely thanks to toughened social distancing rules that restricts at dining at restaurants and bans gatherings at churches, night spots, after-school academics and fitness centers.
Reuters and the AP are reporting that India has now overtaken Brazil as the second worst-affected country worldwide, with both outlets saying that India’s cases now number more than 4.2m, after more than 90,000 cases were confirmed in a single day.
The Guardian relies on the Johns Hopkins University figures, and these, while reflecting the 90,000 number in the daily counts, still show India has having 4,113,811 cases, just shy of Brazil’s 4,137,521.
Either way, it looks very likely that India will overtake Brazil this week.
Brazil’s daily case figures are currently around 50,000.
Mainland China reported 12 new Covid-19 cases for 6 September, up from 10 a day earlier, the country’s national health authority said on Monday.
The National Health Commission said in a statement that all new cases were imported infections involving travellers from overseas, marking the 22nd consecutive day of no local infections.
The commission also reported 17 new aymptomatic infections, unchanged from a day earlier. China does not count symptomless patients as confirmed cases.
The total of confirmed Covid-19 cases for mainland China now stands at 85,134. The death toll remained unchanged at 4,634.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has criticised Victoria’s roadmap out of coronavirus lockdown, arguing the same standards would put Sydney under curfew, AAP reports.
The state government’s “safe and steady” roadmap to recovery will see Melbourne continue under strict curfew and lockdown until the end of September. Most restrictions on trade will remain until at least late October, while other rules will stay in place until the end of November.
Mr Morrison wants restrictions lifted quicker, but conceded Victoria would have the final say.
“The plan that was outlined yesterday, I hope, is a worst-case scenario,” he told reporters in Canberra on Monday.
The prime minister vowed to interrogate the plan and demanded state authorities show him detailed modelling underpinning the strategy.
“Under the thresholds that have been set in that plan, Sydney would be under curfew now,” Mr Morrison said.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews rejected that claim, saying there had not been widespread community transmission in the state of New South Wales, home to Sydney.
Three schools in Teesside confirm coronavirus cases but will not be closed
More on the UK schools that have confirmed coronavirus cases.
Three schools in Teesside have confirmed cases of coronavirus as infections in parts of the north-east of England continued to grow quickly.
Redcar and Cleveland borough council said on Sunday that a positive case had been recorded at St Benedict’s RC primary school in Redcar.
The local authority said the school would remain open and that parents had been provided with advice.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 814 to 250,799, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed on Monday.
With no new deaths reported, the death toll stayed at 9,325, the tally showed.
India sees global record one-day case total of over 90,000
India has confirmed 90,632 coronavirus cases in 24 hours, a global high for the number of infections recorded in a single day.
India has 4,113,811 cases in total, and has recorded 70,626 deaths.
The staggering total takes the number of coronavirus cases worldwide past 27m, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, which relies on official government figures.
The true number of cases worldwide is likely to be significantly higher, due to differing testing rates and definitions, delays and suspected underreporting.
India now has the fastest growing Covid-19 infection rate in the world, and is only 100,000 cases behind Brazil, the second worst-affected country in the world.
The south Asian nation is on the brink of overtaking Brazil (4,137,521), with experts predicting it will pass the US (6.2 million).
Updated
The China Daily reports that China will require all passengers arriving from India to present a negative coronavirus test prior to boarding, staring in one week’s time:
The Chinese Embassy in India on Sunday announced that all passengers traveling from India to China will need to undergo coronavirus nucleic acid testing within 3 days before their departure and present a negative test result when boarding their flight, starting from Sept 14. pic.twitter.com/DIeQ3J2sP9
— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) September 7, 2020
Podcast: The life and death of Belly Mujinga
Guardian writer Sirin Kale spoke to friends and family of Belly Mujinga about her life and death. Belly, a transport worker and mother to an 11-year-old girl, developed Covid-19 after being allegedly spat on during her shift at London’s Victoria station. Her death made headlines and raised pressing questions about racial injustice:
Australia secures access to AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine
Australia on Monday said it will receive the first batches of a potential Covid-19 vaccine in January 2021, as the country’s virus hotspot said the number of new daily infections has fallen to a 10-week low, Reuters reports.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his government has struck a manufacturing deal with CSL Ltd to produce an AstraZeneca and Oxford University Covid-19 vaccine, with 3.8 million doses to be delivered in January and February 2021.
Known as AZD1222, the AstraZeneca vaccine is undergoing late-stage clinical trials in Britain, Brazil and South Africa.
Australia in August said it would buy the AstraZeneca vaccine, but the deal appeared in some doubt in August after CSL said it was prioritising its own rival vaccine.
The hurdle was overcome when Australia on Monday said it has also agreed to buy CSL’s alternative Covid-19 vaccine if trials are successful.
The agreement came as Australia’s Victoria state said 41 cases of Covid-19 have been detected in the past 24 hours, down on the 63 cases reported one day earlier and the lowest one-day rise since 26 June.
Australia’s second-most-populous state has been the epicentre of a second wave, now accounting for about 75% of the country’s 26,320 cases and 90% of its 762 deaths.
The southeastern state on Sunday extended a hard lockdown in its capital Melbourne until Sept. 28, as the daily infection rates had declined more slowly than hoped.
Hi, Helen Sullivan here. Seen any news that we’ve missed? Want to shower us with praise? Get in touch on Twitter @helenrsullivan.
Mexico’s health ministry on Sunday reported 4,614 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 232 additional fatalities, bringing its totals to 634,023 cases and 67,558 deaths, Reuters reports.
The government has said the real number of infected people is likely to be significantly higher than the confirmed cases.
More on the latest from New Zealand, with Charlotte Graham-McLay:
Health officials in New Zealand reported two new cases of Covid-19 spread in the community on Monday – both linked to an existing outbreak in the largest city, Auckland.
There were also two further new cases of the virus diagnosed in the quarantine facilities for travellers returning to New Zealand.
The number of current cases of the coronavirus in New Zealand hit zero in June but there has since been a resurgence in Auckland, the origin of which is still unknown. It has led to a second lockdown for the city, which is now easing.
There are now 118 active cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand, officials said; 41 are cases diagnosed in returning travellers, all of whom were already in quarantine, and 77 are in the community.
23 people have died of the virus in New Zealand – the most recent last week. Four people are in hospital, one of them in intensive care. There have been 1,425 diagnosed cases of Covid-19 since it arrived on the country’s shores.
Coronavirus cases have been confirmed at three schools in the area around Middlesbrough in the UK, PA Media reports.
Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council said on Sunday that a positive case had been recorded at St Benedict’s RC Primary School.
However, the local authority said the school, in Redcar, will remain open and that parents had been provided with advice.
St Aidan’s CE Primary School, in Hartlepool, said in a Facebook post to parents that it also had a confirmed Covid-19 case.
And Outwood Academy Ormesby, Middlesbrough, said in a short statement that a confirmed case had been found “within the school community”.
It comes as pupils began returning to schools in England last week for the first time since lockdown in March.
In a statement to parents on Sunday, St Aidan’s CE Primary School’s headteacher, Lynn Chambers, said the “individual” who tested positive was sent home after they showed symptoms.
At least six English NHS trusts could be overwhelmed by Covid spike this winter
Pamela Duncan and Ashley Kirk report:
More than 100 NHS trusts in England could be at or above full capacity this winter if they faced a second wave of coronavirus admissions on top of the usual seasonal workload, with figures suggesting that dozens would have 10% fewer beds than needed.
The Guardian compared each trust’s 2019/20 winter capacity against the number of beds they needed for Covid-19 patients in April, when an average of 16,000 beds were required for coronavirus patients per day, and May, by which time lockdown and physical distancing had reduced the number requiring hospitalisation:
New Zealand borders under stricter testing rules
Charlotte Graham-McLay reports for the Guardian:
Tougher testing rules for workers at New Zealand’s borders came into force on Monday, with fines of up to $1,000 NZ (£500) for those who refuse a test without a good reason.
Staff at the country’s air and maritime borders will be tested every one or two weeks, depending on their jobs. The new rules took effect at midnight.
The government had ordered regular testing for all border staff in June, but in August it emerged that more than half of them had never been tested for the coronavirus.
New Zealand’s borders are the country’s main line of defence against Covid-19.
The virus is otherwise largely controlled in the island nation, with community transmission evident only in the largest city, Auckland.
Coronavirus patients have lung damage 'weeks after leaving hospital'
Patients hospitalised with Covid-19 still have lung damage, breathlessness and coughs weeks after being discharged, researchers have found.
The long and lingering effects of coronavirus on physical health is a growing topic of concern; even those who have experienced “mild” Covid, have reported symptoms that continue for many weeks or even months after the initial infection has passed.
Now researchers in Austria have released the preliminary results of a study tracking the recovery of patients who were hospitalised with severe coronavirus infection.
The results reveal that six weeks after leaving hospital, 88% of patients still showed signs of lung damage in CT scans – such as patches resembling ground glass – while 47% of patients were experiencing breathlessness. At 12 weeks, these figures were 56% and 39% respectively.
“Covid-19 survivors have persisting lung impairment weeks after recovery,” said Dr Sabine Sahanic of the University Clinic in Innsbruck who is part of the team behind the work:
France declares more Covid-19 'red zones'
French authorities have placed seven more departments covering major cities such as Lille, Strasbourg and Dijon on high alert as increases in Covid-19 infections accelerate, the government said Sunday.
Of France’s 101 mainland and overseas departments, 28 are now considered “red zones” where authorities will be able to impose exceptional measures to slow the number of new coronavirus cases.
The move comes as France reported a record of nearly 9,000 daily cases on Friday, and a further 8,550 cases in the past 24 hours on Saturday, when the nationwide test positivity rate increased to 4.7 percent.
More on the US case rise: on a percentage basis, South Dakota had the biggest increase over the past two weeks at 126%, reporting over 3,700 new cases. Health officials have linked some of the rise to hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists who descended on Sturgis, South Dakota, for an annual rally in August, Reuters reports.
Cases are also rising rapidly in Iowa, with 13,600 new infections in the past two weeks, and North Dakota, with 3,600 new cases in the same period.
The increases are masked nationwide by decreasing new infections in the most populous states of California, Florida and Texas.
In California, cases fell by 39,000 over the past two weeks compared with the prior two weeks, compared to a 37,000-case increase in the 22 states in the same period, according to a Reuters analysis of state and county data.
Cases rising in 22 US states
Coronavirus cases are rising in 22 of the 50 US states, according to a Reuters analysis, a worrisome trend on a Labor Day holiday weekend traditionally filled with family gatherings and parties to mark the end of summer.
As little as three weeks ago, cases were increasing in only three states, Hawaii, Illinois and South Dakota, according to an analysis comparing cases for the two-week period of 8-22 August with the past two weeks.
Most of the 22 states where cases are now rising are in the less-populated parts of the Midwest and South.
While cases nationally have dropped from a peak in July, the United States is going into the Labor Day holiday weekend with an average of 44,000 new cases a day - double the number ahead of the 23-25 May Memorial Day weekend.
Many health experts partly blame the July spike on social gatherings held around Memorial Day.
Summary
Hello and welcome to today’s live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
My name is Helen Sullivan and I’ll be bringing you the latest for the next few hours. Find me on Twitter @helenrsullivan or via email: helen.sullivan@theguardian.com.
French authorities have placed seven more departments covering major cities such as Lille, Strasbourg and Dijon on high alert as increases in Covid-19 infections accelerate, the government said Sunday.
Meanwhile Coronavirus cases are rising in 22 of the 50 US states, according to a Reuters analysis. The trend is concerning on a Labor Day holiday weekend, traditionally filled with family gatherings and parties to mark the end of summer.
- Coronavirus cases are rising in 22 of the 50 US states, a Reuters analysis has found. Three weeks ago, cases were only rising in three states - Hawaii, Illinois and South Dakota.
- Turkey recorded 1,578 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, the health ministry said, bringing the country’s total to 279,806. A further 53 people died in the past 24 hours, taking the country’s official death toll to 6,673.
- Nearly half of Greeks (44%) would refuse to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to a poll of 1,000 respondents published on Sunday. Meanwhile, a survey of the same number of Brazilians found 5% would definitely snub a vaccine, while a further 20% expressed reluctance.
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Nearly 3,000 more people in the UK tested have positive for Covid-19, with 2,988 new cases reported on Sunday - a sharp increase from 1,813, and the highest number of new cases since 23 May. However, fatalities remain low, with two new deaths within 28 days of a positive test reported in the last 24 hours.
- Hundreds asked to self-isolate after outbreak at UK charity football match. Up to 300 people who attended a charity football match at a working men’s club on the border of Sunderland and Durham have been asked to self-isolate after 28 tested positive for Covid-19.
- Israel is set to lock down several cities after passing the milestone of 1,000 coronavirus deaths this weekend. The government will hold a vote on the renewed lockdowns tomorrow.
- The Isle of Man has recorded its first confirmed Covid-19 case since May, the chief minister has said. The person had returned to the island a week ago on a flight in which all passengers wore masks, and has been self-isolating at home for seven days. The chief minister stressed there is “no need for concern” as the case has been contained.
- The Australian government has announced Covid vaccine deals to provide 84.8m doses. The country will buy 84.8m vaccine doses for $1.7bn if two promising Covid-19 vaccine candidates prove successful.
