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Summary
Here’s a quick recap of all the latest coronavirus stories from the last few hours.
- France sets new record for daily new Covid-19 cases, at more than 16,000. French health authorities reported 16,096 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Thursday, a significant increase on the previous record of 13,498 and setting a fourth all-time high of daily additional infections in eight days.
- Hundreds of thousands of students in Scotland banned from socialising. In a set of rules agreed by Scottish university leaders, students across the country were told they will not be allowed to socialise outside their households and must avoid bars, pubs and other venues.
- Genetic or immune defects may impair ability to fight Covid-19. A significant proportion of patients who develop life-threatening forms of Covid-19 have genetic or immunological defects that impair their ability to fight the virus, research has found.
- Coronavirus continuing to mutate, study finds. The Covid-19 virus is continuing to mutate throughout the course of the pandemic, with experts believing it is probably becoming more contagious, as coronavirus cases in the US have started to rise once again, according to new research.
- Italian president rebuts Johnson’s ‘freedom’ remarks over restrictions. Italy’s president, Sergio Mattarella, said its citizens “also love freedom, but we also care about seriousness”, responding to Boris Johnson’s suggestion that the UK’s rate of coronavirus infection was worse than both Italy and Germany’s because Britons loved their freedom more.
- Spain’s tally of confirmed coronavirus infections passed 700,000 as authorities warned of tougher times ahead in the region of Madrid, which accounts for over a third of hospital admissions. The number of cases now stands at 704,209, the highest in western Europe. “Tough weeks are coming in Madrid. We must act with resolve to bring the pandemic under control,” the health minister Salvador Illa said. Authorities in Madrid could announce further measures on Friday.
- The UK reported a record daily rise in the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases. A further 6,634 lab-confirmed positive test results took the overall number to 416,363. This doesn’t necessarily mean, however, that there are more cases now than there were during the peak in the spring, as there was a lack of community testing at that time.
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Denmark, Slovakia, Iceland and Curaçao were removed from the UK government’s list of travel corridors. Travellers arriving in England from those countries after 4am on Saturday must self-isolate for 14 days, the transport secretary Grant Shapps said.
- Portugal has extended measures to curb the coronavirus pandemic until at least mid-October, the government announced. The country will remain under a state of contingency until 14 October, meaning gatherings continue to be limited to 10 people and commercial establishments must close between 8pm and 11pm.
That’s all from me, Jessica Murray, thanks to everyone for reading along.
Brazilian champions Flamengo have asked league organisers to cancel this weekend’s game against Palmeiras after 16 of their players tested positive for Covid-19.
Seven players tested positive ahead of Tuesday’s Copa Libertadores match against Barcelona in Ecuador and several others, plus their coach and doctor, came down with the virus on their return.
“This is an exceptional situation,” Rodrigo Dunshee, the club’s vice-president for legal issues, said.
It is very important to kill this at the root. We can’t pass this on to other teams who will pass it on to other teams. The correct measure is to delay this game.
It seems we have just nine players and three goalkeepers.
The Brazilian Football Confederation has so far denied the request, saying the Rio de Janeiro club have a big enough squad to handle the withdrawals.
The Sao Paulo Players’ Union said it supports Flamengo’s call and called the CBF’s refusal “irresponsible”.
Flamengo, one of the clubs which pushed for football’s return in June, said they feared calling up fringe players for Sunday’s match would only exacerbate the situation. Dunshee said:
There’s no point in bringing in youth players to play as their health and the health of their families is put at risk.
The risk is enormous that the players that haven’t tested positive yet will test positive tomorrow or Monday. We need, to guarantee everyone’s (wellbeing), for Flamengo not to play.
Brazil has the second highest number of coronavirus deaths after the US. More than 135,000 Brazilians have died from the virus.
Football restarted in Brazil in June with Flamengo kicking off the Rio de Janeiro state championship. Other state tournaments followed suit in July and August.
The French government may be pushing for people to download its Covid-19 contact-tracing app, but when asked whether he had done so, prime minister Jean Castex said he had not because he does not take the metro.
The app was launched at the start of June to much fanfare from the government, but three months later only 2.4 million people out of a 67 million population have downloaded it
Castex, who was forced to isolate earlier this month after being in contact with someone who had been tested positive for the virus, admitted he had not downloaded the app.
“I push the French to do it, but I haven’t done it, I’ll be honest with you,” he said.
When asked whether his attitude was, do as I say not as I do, Castex insisted he was not handing out lessons, but that in his job there was no need for the app.
“Look at my role! Sadly, carrying out my functions, it means I don’t take the metro. STOP-COVID is only interesting when you go on the metro or meet people,” he said. “I see less people.”
Finance minister Bruno Le Maire this week tested positive for the virus and is in quarantine.
According to a report from health authorities issued on 15 September, 700,000 people have already uninstalled the app and it has had less than 200 alerts for Covid-19 in that period.
Brazil has recorded 32,817 additional confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, and 831 deaths from the disease.
South America’s largest country has registered more than 4.6 million cases of the virus since the pandemic began, according to ministry data, ranking it as the third worst outbreak in the world after the US and India.
Nearly 140,000 people have died of the disease in Brazil, which ranks second after the US in coronavirus deaths.
Novavax has started a late-stage trial of its experimental Covid-19 vaccine in partnership with the UK government’s Vaccines Taskforce, sending the company’s shares up 6% after the bell.
The trial is expected to enrol and test the vaccine in up to 10,000 participants aged between 18 and 84 years over the next four to six weeks.
Data from the trial will support regulatory submissions for license in the UK, EU and other countries, the company said.
The trial will enrol at least 25% of participants over the age of 65 and prioritise groups most affected by the Covid-19, the company said.
The French Open will be able to welcome only 1,000 people a day, down from the 5,000 spectators it had hoped for, prime minister Jean Castex said.
“We will apply at Roland Garros the same rules as elsewhere. We will go from 5,000 to 1,000,” he said, clarifying that those figures included players, staff and organisers.
With Covid-19 on the rise again in France, health minister Olivier Véran on Wednesday said that a maximum of 1,000 people would be allowed at major sports events starting on Monday, but it was unclear whether the Grand Slam tournament, which runs from 27 September - 11 October, would be included.
Kenya’s anti-corruption agency has documented evidence of “criminal” behaviour by officials over the procurement of Covid-19 emergency equipment, according to a report presented to the Senate.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission began investigating allegations of graft in June over the procurement and supply of Covid-19 equipment by the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA).
The commission said there was “irregular expenditure” of 7.8bn Kenyan shillings ($71.96m).
The revelations come at a time when medical staff in the east African nation have gone on a series of strikes over low pay and poor-quality protective equipment to treat Covid-19 patients.
The watchdog shared its preliminary findings with the director of public prosecutions and has recommended charges against some officials and a system-wide review at the procurement authority to “seal corruption loopholes in future”.
The head of KEMSA was suspended last month over allegations that it had procured low-quality items and inflated the prices of others.
Last month, police teargassed protesters in Nairobi during a demonstration against alleged corruption in the procurement of protective gear meant for defence against Covid-19.
Health workers in Kenya have posted images on social media showing what they claim is inadequate protective equipment provided to them, such as porous dust overalls that would not prevent the spread of the virus.
Updated
France’s prime minister has warned the government could be forced to reconfine areas if the number of Covid-19 cases does not improve in the coming weeks and defended tough restrictions taken on Wednesday.
Jean Castex said on France 2 television:
It’s a race against time.
The public must be attentive and prudent.
If we don’t act we could find ourselves in a situation similar to spring.
When asked whether France was heading towards a new confinement, Castex said the government did not want to, but left the door open if the situation worsened.
“It could mean reconfinement,” he said. “The measures we have taken are to anticipate.”
The government ordered cafes and restaurants in Marseille to shut for two weeks and closed all gymnasiums from Saturday, after placing the city and surrounding region on the Mediterranean coast on the maximum alert level for the spread of the virus.
Tougher measures were also announced in Paris and in 10 other cities, including closing cafes and restaurants at 10pm.
The move has angered local politicians who fear the economic fallout and argue that the government has panicked in its decision making process.
“The hour is serious and we must act. We have to hope that the virus won’t last 30 years and that we’ll find a vaccine,” Castex said.
Updated
France sets new record for daily new Covid-19 cases, at more than 16,000
French health authorities reported 16,096 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Thursday, a significant increase on the previous record of 13,498 and setting a fourth all-time high of daily additional infections in eight days.
The number of people in France who have died from Covid-19 infections was up by 52, to 31,511, and the cumulative number of cases now totals 497,237.
The soaring infection rate and, with it, the renewed strain on the French hospital system have prompted the government to announce extra restrictive measures on Wednesday, mainly in big cities, to contain the disease.
Updated
Israel’s prime minister has defended his decision to tighten the country’s lockdown measures, including restricting people’s ability to demonstrate and pray at synagogues.
The country of 9 million entered a second lockdown a week ago as infection rates surged to record levels, and the government recommended extra rules that would reportedly limit protests to groups of 20 people as of Friday.
Benjamin Netanyahu, who has faced months of demonstrations calling for him to resign, rejected that the new rules were imposed to block the weekly rallies against him, calling the accusations “absurd”.
“The demonstrations”, he said, “show contempt for the rest of Israelis who are being disciplined”.
He added:
The right to demonstrate, like the right to pray, the right to earn a living, the right to transportation, are very important rights, sacred rights in a democracy. But they are not unlimited rights. The right to life is also a right.
Yair Lapid, the leader of the opposition, said in a statement that the second lockdown was “avoidable” but recommended the public follow the new rules.
“The reason is the failed, political, negligent and hysterical management of the crisis by this government and by the prime minister,” he said.
“We will adhere to the rules on protests even if they’re being handed down for improper reasons … we will protest in capsules of 20 people,” he added. “We will pray responsibly and we will protest responsibly. We will adhere to all the rules.”
Israel’s parliament is currently assessing the government’s recommendations.
Updated
Hundreds of thousands of students in Scotland banned from socialising
Hundreds of thousands of students in Scotland have been banned from socialising and going to bars as coronavirus cases spread to more than 20 universities across the UK.
In a set of rules agreed by Scottish university leaders, students across the country were told they will not be allowed to socialise outside their households and must avoid bars, pubs and other venues.
The new rules include the adoption of a “yellow card/red card” disciplinary system which could lead to students losing their places, while police will help tackle rule-breaking.
“All universities will make absolutely clear to students that there must be no parties, and no socialising outside their households … Breaches will not be tolerated,” Universities Scotland said after a meeting with the higher education minister, Richard Lochhead.
Across Scotland, up to six people from two households are allowed to gather in bars, restaurants or outdoors.
It comes after thousands of students UK-wide were forced to go into isolation within days of campuses reopening, as ministers refused to rule out keeping them away from home over Christmas to stop the spread of Covid-19.
Updated
The governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, said the state will carry out its own review of coronavirus vaccines approved by the federal government due to concerns of politicisation of the approval process.
Cuomo, a Democrat who has repeatedly criticised the US president, Donald Trump, and his administration’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, told reporters he was going to form a review committee to advise the state on the safety of a vaccine. He said:
Frankly, I’m not going to trust the federal government’s opinion.
New York state will have its own review when the federal government is finished with their review and says it’s safe.
Updated
A significant proportion of patients who develop life-threatening forms of Covid-19 have genetic or immunological defects that impair their ability to fight the virus, research has found.
In papers published in the journal Science, the Covid Human Genetic Effort international consortium describes two glitches in severely ill Covid-19 patients that prevent them from making a frontline immune molecule called type 1 interferon.
The patients would have carried these glitches for years before the pandemic, or in the case of the genetic errors, all their lives. The discovery may help to explain a mystery surrounding the coronavirus: why it leaves some sufferers sick or dying in intensive care, while others remain barely affected or asymptomatic.
Hi everyone, this is Jessica Murray, I’ll be running the liveblog for the next few hours.
As always, please do get in touch with any story tips or personal experience you would like to share.
Email: jessica.murray@theguardian.com
Twitter: @journojess_
Summary
- Ireland has imposed tightened restrictions in a second region due to a surge in cases. Indoor restaurant dining and non-essential travel in the northwestern county of Donegal have been banned, a week after similar measures were imposed in Dublin. The measure will remain in place for three weeks, the government said.
- Spain’s tally of confirmed coronavirus infections passed 700,000 as authorities warned of tougher times ahead in the region of Madrid, which accounts for over a third of hospital admissions. The number of cases now stands at 704,209, the highest in western Europe. “Tough weeks are coming in Madrid. We must act with resolve to bring the pandemic under control,” the health minister Salvador Illa said. Authorities in Madrid could announce further measures on Friday.
- The UK reported a record daily rise in the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases. A further 6,634 lab-confirmed positive test results took the overall number to 416,363. This doesn’t necessarily mean, however, that there are more cases now than there were during the peak in the spring, as there was a lack of community testing at that time. But Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England, said the figures were “a stark warning for us all” and urged people to adhere to restrictions and use the NHS Covid-19 app.
- Denmark, Slovakia, Iceland and Curaçao were removed from the UK government’s list of travel corridors. Travellers arriving in England from those countries after 4am on Saturday must self-isolate for 14 days, the transport secretary Grant Shapps said.
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Portugal has extended measures to curb the coronavirus pandemic until at least mid-October, the government announced. It comes as the increase in the number of daily cases in the country continues to worry authorities at home and abroad. The country will remain under a state of contingency until 14 October, meaning gatherings continue to be limited to 10 people and commercial establishments must close between 8pm and 11pm. The ban on festivals and similar events was also extended until the end of the year.
- The Netherlands recorded a record daily rise with another 2,544 confirmed cases.
- Iran recorded its highest number of new daily coronavirus infections, raising fears that the death toll is about to spiral as hospitals once again become overloaded. It led to dire warnings from the deputy health minister, Iraj Haririchi, who expressed anger that so many Iranians are ignoring advice to wear face masks, accusing them of violating the human rights of others. President Hassan Rouhani has urged greater surveillance of the guidelines, and warned if the disease spreads new restrictions will have to be considered.
- Poland recorded a daily rise in coronavirus cases attributable to increased direct contact between people after a lifting of restrictions, the health ministry said. Reuters reported that many in the country have begun to disregard recommendations to wear face masks since the removal in May of most restrictions on movement imposed in March and April to limit the spread of the virus.
- In Russia, new coronavirus cases in Moscow have reached the highest level since late June, raising fears of a new wave of cases in the world’s fourth most affected country.
- European stock markets hit their lowest level since mid-June amid increasing concern across the continent about a resurgence of Covid-19. The Stoxx 600, which track Europe’s largest six hundred companies, has fallen 1.2% in early trading to 355 points - a three-month low.
French health authorities said the number of people hospitalised for Covid-19 has gone beyond the 6,000 threshold on Wednesday, a first since 27 July, while there are still more than 1,000 patients in intensive care units, levels unseen since the beginning of June.
France has reported soaring Covid-19 infections since the beginning of the month. The renewed strain on the country’s hospital system has prompted the government to announce extra restrictive measures on Wednesday, mainly in big cities, to contain the disease.
The Irish government has imposed tightened Covid-19 restrictions in a second region, banning indoor restaurant dining and non-essential travel in the northwestern county of Donegal a week after similar measures were imposed in Dublin.
Donegal, which has registered over 120 cases per 100,000 people over the past 14 days, borders Northern Ireland, which earlier this week tightened Covid-19 restrictions due to a surge in cases.
The new rules will remain in place for three weeks, the Irish government said in a statement.
On Thursday Ireland had a Covid-19 infection rate of 71 cases per 100,000 people, the 17th highest of the 31 countries monitored by the European Centre for Disease Control.
Updated
Covid-19 cases in Spain exceed 700,000 with 'tough weeks ahead' for Madrid region
Spain’s cumulative tally of confirmed coronavirus infections passed 700,000 on Thursday and authorities warned of tougher times ahead in the densely-populated and badly-affected region of Madrid, which accounts for over a third of hospital admissions.
The number of confirmed cases has soared since the end of a nationwide lockdown in late June, adding 200,000 in less than a month, and now stands at 704,209, the highest in western Europe.
The total number of Covid-19 fatalities rose by 84 to 31,118, including 13 deaths registered in the past 24 hours. Daily deaths are now around their highest levels since early May, but below the late March record of nearly 900.
Authorities in Madrid, which has the highest share of hospital capacity occupied by patients with Covid-19 and about 500 people hospitalised a day this week, have imposed a partial lockdown in districts with high infection rates, and could announce more measures on Friday, according to local officials.
“Tough weeks are coming in Madrid. We must act with resolve to bring the pandemic under control,” the health minister Salvador Illa told reporters before meeting regional officials.
Illa has said the second wave of infections in Spain has a lower intensity and velocity than the first one, the high numbers owing mostly to mass testing that now allows authorities to detect six or seven cases out of 10, as opposed to one in 10 a few months earlier.
“Although the figures may seem similar, they are not,” Illa told parliament earlier this week.
The education minister Isabel Celaá also said on Thursday the reopening of schools over the past two weeks had not led to any significant increase in infections, and only 0.73% of all classes have had to be quarantined so far.
Updated
A further 19 people died in the Czech Republic, the highest daily count since the global pandemic reached the country in March, health ministry data showed on Thursday. The country of 10.7 million people has so far reported 567 Covid-19 related deaths.
Updated
UK reports record daily rise in Covid-19 cases
The UK government said that as of 9am on Thursday, there had been a further 6,634 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK, taking the overall number of cases confirmed to 416,363.
Experts have previously warned that describing the daily figure as a record could be “misleading” as it is not clear how many people were actually infected during the height of the first wave due to a lack of community testing at the time.
Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England, said:
This is the highest number recorded and a stark warning for us all. The signals are clear. Positivity rates are rising across all age groups and we’re continuing to see spikes in rates of admission to hospital and critical care.
We must all follow the new measures that have been bought in to help control the virus and download the new NHS Covid-19 app which is the fastest way of knowing when you’re at risk.
The government also said a further 40 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Thursday. This brings the UK total to 41,902. Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show there have now been 57,600 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.
Updated
Denmark, Slovakia, Iceland and Curaçao have been removed from the UK government’s list of travel corridors, meaning travellers arriving in England from those countries after 4am on Saturday must self-isolate for 14 days, the transport secretary Grant Shapps said.
Data shows we need to remove DENMARK, SLOVAKIA, ICELAND, and CURACAO from the Travel Corridor list. If you arrive in the UK from these destinations after 4am this Saturday, you will need to self-isolate for 14 days. [1/3]
— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) September 24, 2020
Portugal to extend restrictions until mid-October as cases continue to rise
Portugal has extended measures to curb the coronavirus pandemic until at least mid-October, the government has announced, at a time an increase in the number of daily cases in the country continues to worry authorities at home and abroad.
The entire country was put under a state of contingency on 15 September and it will remain under it until 14 October, meaning gatherings continue to be limited to 10 people and commercial establishments must close between 8pm and 11pm.
Portugal, which has reported 71,156 cases so far, initially won praise for its response to the pandemic. Now, cases have crept back up, with the health authority reporting 802 cases on Wednesday, one the worst days since the beginning of the pandemic.
“Numbers [in relation to new cases] have been growing for around five weeks,” the cabinet affairs minister Mariana Vieira da Silva told a news conference, adding the government would re-evaluate the situation in two weeks.
The government also decided on Thursday to extend the ban on festivals and similar events until the end of the year.
The rise in coronavirus cases in Portugal, a nation of just over 10 million people, led various European countries to impose travel restrictions and warnings, which hurt the country’s tourism-dependent economy.
On Thursday, Germany added Greater Lisbon, where most coronavirus cases are concentrated, to the list of destinations it warned against travelling to. German tourists arriving in the Portuguese capital on Thursday morning mostly supported the measure.
“I think the measures are definitely justified,” Marcel Mora told Reuters at Lisbon’s airport. “I will pay even more attention and when I return home I’ll have to get tested.”
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control referred to Portugal on Thursday as one of the countries showing a “worrying trend” of coronavirus cases but still with “moderate risk”.
Updated
Experts have warned young people must be made aware that while they have a low risk of dying from Covid-19, it can leave them with persistent symptoms that can affect their ability to work and live life to the full, potentially for months.
Speaking at an online meeting of the UK’s Royal Society of Medicine, Carolyn Chew-Graham, GP principal in central Manchester and professor of general practice research at Keele University said it is crucial that GPs have a way of recording so called “long Covid”, noting at present it is difficult to assess how many people are experiencing ongoing symptoms.
Dr Alastair Miller, deputy medical director at the joint Royal Colleges of Physicians training board, said the main reason for Covid testing is for infection control and scientific studies. However, Dr Nisreen Alwan, associate professor in public health at the University of Southampton who is herself living with the ongoing effects of Covid, said testing is crucial to patients in the absence of a clinical definition of long Covid. She said:
Testing is everything for people suffering with long Covid because they have some sort of solid evidence ‘there is something wrong with me and it is not all in my head, and I am feeling these symptoms and I need investigations, and I need care.’
Chew-Graham added patients needed to be believed by GPs, adding that remote consultations were probably “not going to be sufficient” noting it was important to examine patients for potential heart, lung or other problems that can be caused by Covid and would need a referral,and that multidisciplinary centres need to be set up for patients of concern to be referred to for further investigations.
Miller said while the majority of people with persistent symptoms likely have a form of post-viral fatigue, or chronic fatigue syndrome, some show organ damage caused by the virus.
However, while Miller said that suggests treatments like cognitive behaviour therapy and graded exercise might be suitable for many with long Covid, Alwan urged caution. She said:
As far as I know there is no evidence to support graded exercise in long Covid patients ... we shouldn’t really be premature and label long Covid as any other previous conditions, it could be similar to chronic fatigue syndrome in many aspects but also there are some differing aspects and we need to characterise the condition.
Alwan agreed it is important to clinically define long Covid and track both the numbers of people living with ongoing symptoms and the recovery of those who have had the disease, adding the potential consequences of even a mild Covid infection need to be communicated. She said:
The message really should be that if you are young and healthy you are unlikely to be admitted to hospital or die from Covid, but there is a fair chance ... that you won’t be able to go back to your normal activity, your caring responsibilities, your work for weeks or months.
Updated
Officials in Paris and Marseille have reacted with anger after the government announced tighter restrictions to curb a coronavirus flare-up.
The health minister, Olivier Véran, has announced that bars, restaurants and gyms in the Mediterranean port city of Marseille will shut from Saturday, while eating and drinking establishments in Paris will close at 10pm starting on Monday.
Marseille was put on “maximum alert”, while Paris and 10 other cities were at “elevated alert” – the second tier on a new sliding scale system of infection control measures.
France’s second-largest city complained it was not consulted ahead of time, and insisted that steps taken locally have started slowing the outbreak. Marseille’s mayor, Michèle Rubirola, who is also a doctor, told Franceinfo radio:
I am angry because there was no consultation. Why turn the screws when our numbers have been improving for a few days now?
Owners of restaurants, cafes and other businesses in the city said they would stage a protest against the new measures on Friday.
Bernard Marty of the UMIH employer’s union warned of “insurrection,” with several restaurant owners vowing to ignore the closure orders.
Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris which will see its gyms and other indoor sporting facilities closed as well, said she had lodged a formal protest. She told France 3 television:
I do not think that the closure of bars after 10:00 pm is an appropriate measure. It is hard to understand: how will it prevent the spread of the virus? How will the fact that we can no longer exercise help us, while sport is an important part of keeping us healthy with strong immune systems?
Véran’s announcement came as France’s public health agency reported 13,072 new cases in 24 hours countrywide, a new daily record since a March-to-May lockdown was lifted.
Over the same period, there were 783 hospital admissions for coronavirus, and 130 new patients in intensive care.
Updated
Portugal will extend its suspension of loan repayments by another six months until September next year to avoid a jump in bad debt as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, its economy minister, Pedro Siza Vieira, said today.
The suspension, which had been due to last until March 2021, can be applied on bank loans to companies and families, including on household mortgages.
Siza Vieira told a news conference the scheme had already led to the postponement of £10bn euros (£9.02bn) in interest and capital payments.
He said families and most companies would benefit from the non-payment of capital instalments on loans until September 2021, but they will have to start paying interest in March.
Sectors affected by the pandemic, including tourism, will also benefit from the suspension of interest payments, he said.
(The) government’s assessment of the economic situation is that the pace of growth (recovery) is being very uncertain and it is not known how the market will behave.
Portugal, which has about 77,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 1,931 deaths, is expected to suffer a 9.5% blow to its economy this year, after growing 2.2% in 2019.
It was the second time the government extended the loan payment moratorium for another six months.
The bank sector is still scarred by a debt crisis and an increase in non-performing loans after a 2010-13 recession, which put great pressure on capital ratios and led to the collapse of banks such as Banif in 2015.
Updated
The southern Italian region of Campania, which includes Naples, made it obligatory from today to wear masks in public in order to stem a resurgence in coronavirus cases.
The regional president of Campania, Vincenzo De Luca, said the rule would remain in force until 4 October.
It comes as Italy logged 1,640 new cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours, with Campania reporting 248, the highest of any region.
European health authorities have warned of a second wave of Covid-19, as new infections have been rising since July. De Luca said:
Responsible behaviour must be restored immediately, all the more so with the opening of schools.
If we want to avoid generalised closures, the maximum rigour is necessary.
Yesterday, the city of Genoa in Italy’s north also made masks obligatory in the historic centre, where crowds are more likely to gather.
Currently in Italy, masks must be worn inside shops and between 6pm and 6am in crowded public areas.
Nearly 36,000 people have died from coronavirus in Italy and 302,537 have been infected.
Updated
Italy has hit back at comments by the UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, that its response to coronavirus has been dictated by the fact that its citizens are more “freedom-loving”.
Responding in the UK parliament in London on Tuesday to a question as to whether “the reason Germany and Italy have far lower Covid rates than us” is because their contact-tracing systems work better, Johnson said there was “a very important difference... our country is a freedom-loving country”.
Asked about the comment during a visit to Sardinia today, the Italian president, Sergio Mattarella, said:
We Italians also love freedom, but we also care about seriousness.
The president was asked about Johnson during a private conversation, but his words were swiftly reported in the local media and his office confirmed the remarks.
Italy was the first country outside China to face a major coronavirus outbreak, but has managed to keep infection rates relatively low compared with Spain, France and Britain.
Cases in Italy have risen in recent weeks but the country has so far managed to avoid a renewed surge.
Updated
Dutch cases hit new record daily rise
The number of coronavirus cases in the Netherlands hit a daily record at 2,544 on Thursday, data released by health authorities showed.
Coronavirus infections in the country have reached record levels almost every day since mid-September. The previous high of 2,357 was reported on Wednesday, when the total number of reported cases passed 100,000. The health authorities reported 16 new deaths related to Covid-19, taking the death toll up to 6,312.
Updated
The French health ministry reported on Thursday that number of people in intensive care due to the coronavirus jumped over 1,000 for the first time since 8 June. The ministry also said that the number of people with Covid-19 in hospital was up by 136 to 5,932.
Iranians urged to wear masks following record rise in daily coronavirus cases
Iran this week is recording the highest number of new daily coronavirus infections since the virus was first identified in the country in late February, raising fears that the death toll is about the spiral as hospitals once again become overloaded.
Iran recorded 3,712 cases over 24 hours on Tuesday, the highest figure ever, 3,605 the following day, the second highest figure recorded, and 3,521 on Thursday. The official death toll is slowly rising to over 175 a day, higher than the peak of Iran’s first week in March. The official figures are widely challenged.
The crisis, and the lackadaisical response of some Iranians has led to increasingly dire warnings from the deputy health minister, Iraj Haririchi, angry that so many Iranians are ignoring advice to wear face masks, accusing them of violating the human rights of others.
Commenting on TV news reports showing many passengers entering the Tehran subway without masks said:
Some people, in response to the question why they did not use masks, say that we do not believe in masks. It is as if, for example, we ask them about the belief in the resurrection and prophecy, to which they give such an answer. If people are constantly saying why countries like China and South Korea have succeeded in controlling the disease, they should answer because in these countries, the rate of observance of social protocols, including the use of masks, is over 99.5%.
He added there was a social stigma attached to not wearing a mask in South Korea.
The offender is not only reprimanded for not respecting the citizenship rights of others, but also as an uncultured person.
Iran has reopened its schools and universities, but as many as 500,000 children are being kept away from school. There are also ominous complaints from the health minister Saeed Namaki about the non delivery of emergency aid by the government. Namaki said:
For months we have only received a small share of the $1bn that the Supreme Leader approved from the development fund. I don’t know what they are using it for that could be more important.
Some MPs calling for a corruption investigation by parliament.
President Hassan Rouhani has urged greater surveillance of the guidelines, and warned if the disease spreads new restrictions will have to be considered.
Updated
Poland reports record daily rise after easing restrictions
Poland was hit by a record daily rise in coronavirus cases on Thursday attributable to increased direct contact between people after a lifting of restrictions, the health ministry said.
It reported 1,136 new Covid-19 infections, the biggest daily number since the start of the pandemic in March. In total the nation of 38 million people has registered 82,809 infections, including 2,369 deaths.
Health ministry data showed the biggest rise in new cases in the south-east, though other regions also saw notable hikes.
“There are no big outbreaks. These are many fragmented outbreaks. This is the result of increased interpersonal contacts,” PAP news agency quoted the health ministry as saying.
Many Poles have begun to disregard recommendations to wear face masks since the removal in May of most restrictions on movement imposed in March and April to limit the spread of the virus. Schools and kindergartens resumed on 1 September.
Poland was at first successful in containing the outbreak, but cases began surging in the summer as more people travelled for holidays and attended weddings.
The government has reiterated that it wants to avoid another national lockdown as the economy might not withstand it.
Updated
Four Covid-19 sniffer dogs have begun work at Helsinki airport in a state-funded pilot scheme that Finnish researchers hope will provide a cheap, fast and effective alternative method of testing people for the virus, Jon Henley reports.
A dog is capable of detecting the presence of the coronavirus within 10 seconds and the entire process takes less than a minute to complete, according to Anna Hielm-Björkman of the University of Helsinki, who is overseeing the trial.
“It’s very promising,” said Hielm-Björkman. “If it works, it could prove a good screening method in other places” such as hospitals, care homes and at sporting and cultural events.
Here is the full story:
Updated
Europe may be facing its “last chance” to avoid a repeat of the widespread coronavirus outbreak in the spring, a senior official has warned, as data showed 13 countries were experiencing a sustained rise in cases.
Stella Kyriakides, the European commissioner for health and food safety, said:
With some member states experiencing higher numbers of cases than during the peak in March, it is abundantly clear that this crisis is not behind us.
Urging all EU member states to be ready to roll out control measures, she said:
This might be our last chance to prevent a repeat of last spring.
She was speaking as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control published a risk assessment that showed the varied picture across the European Economic Area and the UK.
The ECDC said “sustained increases” - a rise in 14-day case notification rates greater than 10% - were being seen in 13 countries: the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Hungary, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and the UK.
Some of these countries, such as the Czech Republic and Spain, fell into a category of “high concern”, with their healthcare systems under pressure and high bed occupancy rates in intensive care units. Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Malta and Romania also fell into this group.
In contrast, countries with a stable trend, where the overall probability of infection was deemed low, included Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden.
ECDC director Andrea Ammon said a large number of new infections affected people aged between 15-49, which she said posed a risk to them, as 44% of severe cases in the last four weeks were among this age group. But there was also a risk to vulnerable groups exposed to the virus by younger people.
Kyriakides also urged EU member states to tackle “real Covid-19 fatigue” among the population, including by “reach[ing] out to young people and making them understand the situation we’re up against”.
Updated
The World Health Organization (WHO) is holding a briefing on whether Africa is over the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic. We will keep you posted with updates from this as it happens but you can watch it live below if you wish:
Updated
Austria is issuing coronavirus-related travel warnings for Prague and the French regions that include Paris and the Côte d’Azur while lifting a long-standing warning for Sweden, its foreign ministry said.
Warnings are also being issued for Andorra, Argentina, Bahrain, Costa Rica, Israel, Kuwait and the Maldives, while a travel warning for Portugal was being reduced to Lisbon and the Norte region, the ministry said in a statement. All changes will take effect from Monday, Reuters reports.
Updated
In Russia, new coronavirus cases in Moscow have reached the highest level since late June, raising fears of a new wave of cases in the world’s fourth most affected country.
The city’s increase in cases had remained relatively stable at around 700 per day for several months, but the numbers began to climb again from 15 September, AFP news agency reports.
On Thursday, the capital recorded 1,050 new cases, the highest figure since June 23. Russia as a whole confirmed 6,595 new cases, the highest figure since 12 July.
Updated
European stocks to three-month low amid second wave fears
European stock markets have hit their lowest level since mid-June amid increasing concern across the continent about a resurgence of Covid-19.
The Stoxx 600, which track Europe’s largest six hundred companies, has fallen 1.2% in early trading to 355 points - a three-month low.
My colleague Graeme Wearden has more on the business live blog at the link below. Or stay here for global coronavirus developments.
Anyone who has passed through an airport recently is likely to have experienced a high-tech attempt to detect coronavirus. From swab tests to temperature screening, airports have been trialling numerous techniques to stop the deadly bug in its tracks.
But in Finland, officials are partly relying on the expert nose of man’s best friend – dogs.
Our four-legged friends are being trained to detect Covid-19 by sniffing passenger samples at Finland’s Helsinki-Vantaa airport starting this week.
A team of 15 dogs and 10 instructors are being trained for the job in Finland by volunteers, sponsored by a private veterinary clinic.
“What we’ve seen in our research is that the dogs will find (the disease) five days before they (patients) get any clinical symptoms,” Anna Hielm-Bjorkman, who is adjunct professor at the University of Helsinki and specialised in clinical research for companion animals, told Reuters.
“They are very good (at it). We come close to 100% sensitivity,” she said, referring to the dogs’s ability to detect cases of the virus.
The dogs’ efficiency has not been proven in comparative scientific studies so passengers who volunteer to be tested and are suspected as carrying the virus are instructed to also take a swab to confirm the result.
In the canine test, a passenger swipes their neck with a gauze, places it in a can which is then handed over to another room for a dog to sniff and to deliver an immediate result.
Updated
Indonesia reports record daily rise in cases as deaths top 10,000
Indonesia has recorded its biggest daily rise of coronavirus infections with 4,634 new cases, Reuters reports, bringing the total number to 262,022.
It was the second day in a row posting a record increase in cases. Data from the country’s health ministry also added 128 deaths, bringing the total to 10,105.
Slovakia, which has one of Europe’s lowest death tolls from the novel coronavirus, has reported its highest daily tally of Covid-19 cases for a second day in a row, registering 360 positive tests in the previous day.
Since the start of the pandemic in March, Slovakia has recorded 7,629 cases, from which 3,978 patients had recovered and 41 deaths have been reported. The country has faced a rise in cases this month although at a lower per capita rate than other countries in Europe, Reuters reports.
Updated
The Philippines’ health ministry has reported 2,180 new coronavirus infections and 36 additional deaths, Reuters reports.
In a bulletin, the ministry said total number of confirmed cases had increased to 296,755, still the highest in south-east Asia, while deaths had reached 5,127, nearly half of which were recorded in the past 30 days.
Updated
Israel has still not published its full list of how it will tighten its lockdown. However, local media are reporting the following measures might be adopted on Friday:
- Nearly all public transportation will be closed.
- Fewer businesses will be allowed to operate.
- Special education facilities that had remained open will be shut.
- Protests will be limited to groups of up to 20 people, and Israelis will no longer be allowed to travel more than 1km from home to participate in one. The prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has faced months of demonstrations.
- Synagogues will be shut but allowed to open on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year in Judaism.
- The country’s main airport, Ben-Gurion international, will stop all departures.
- The stricter lockdown will last until the end of the Jewish High Holidays on 11 October. Netanyahu has said he chose to enforce the restrictions over the holiday period to lessen the impact on businesses, as many would normally be closed.
“We reached a decision to pull the handbrake,” deputy health minister Yoav Kisch said on Israel Radio about the cabinet decision.
Having imposed a three-week lockdown on Friday, Israel infection rates have surged. On Wednesday, the health minister reported close to 7,000 new virus cases, more than double the number of daily cases compared with the beginning of the month.
Updated
Russia reports highest daily rise in cases since 12 July
Russia has reported 6,595 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, its highest daily increase since 12 July, Reuters reports.
The authorities said 149 more people had died, bringing the official death toll to 19,948.
The new figures pushed Russia’s national tally of cases to 1,128,836, the fourth largest in the world.
Updated
In Finland, authorities have warned of an “alarming” resurgence of Covid-19 after cases doubled over the course of a month.
While Finland has a far lower infection rate than most European countries – 15.5 cases per 100,000 people over 14 days - the country’s ministry of social affairs and health has warned that the disease is expanding again more rapidly.
The number of new cases over the latest two weeks until Sunday doubled to 798 from 387 in the previous two weeks.
Updated
This is useful by the PA Media news agency. As Britain adapts to new restrictions designed to combat a second wave of the coronavirus, this is how some other countries have handled a resurgence of Covid-19.
France: Aiming to avoid a new national lockdown, the French government moved in July to make face masks compulsory in enclosed public spaces. In Paris, anyone aged 11 and older must wear a mask in public. Other cities have followed that lead, including Lille, Nice and Toulouse. Masks must also be worn in most workplaces.
Spain: The Spanish government has also cracked down on the use of masks, with face coverings mandatory for anyone older than six on all forms of public transport and in most indoor areas. Most parts of Spain have enforced the wearing of masks outside as well. Children are also being asked to wear masks at school.
Denmark: After relatively few cases early on, Covid-19 began to rise in Denmark in August, prompting guidance to make face masks on public transport mandatory. Bars, restaurants and nightclubs must close by 10pm. The same curfew is applied to private parties, including wedding receptions.
Belgium: The country has had to put on hold plans for widespread reopenings. Face masks are compulsory in all public areas. Nightclubs remain closed, major events including festivals are still not allowed, and while fans are permitted back into football games, it is at a limited capacity only.
Italy: With the virus resurgence, authorities ordered all nightclubs and dance halls to close. A face mask rule has been brought in, but has drawn widespread criticism, if not ridicule. In all public spaces in Italy where social distancing is not possible, people must wear face coverings - but only between the hours of 6pm and 6am. Meanwhile, schools have reopened, despite officials in many regions calling the step premature.
Fewer than 10,000 new Covid-19 cases a day in UK, says health secretary
The UK health secretary, Matt Hancock, has said fewer than 10,000 people a day are estimated to be contracting Covid-19 in the UK.
Britain reported 6,178 new daily cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday, which is a similar level to the number during the first peak earlier this year. However, far more people are now being tested for the disease so the two figures are not directly comparable.
Appearing on Sky News, Hancock said:
(At the peak), we estimate through surveys that over 100,000 people a day were catching disease, but we only found around 6,000 of them, and they tested positive. Now we estimate that it’s under 10,000 people a day getting the disease. That’s too high, but it’s still much lower than in the peak.
Hancock also said the proportion of people getting a so-called false positive test result is below 1%.
Good morning from the UK. It’s Josh Halliday in Manchester, England, to guide you through the next few hours of global pandemic news. First, a look at today’s UK headlines.
The front pages are dominated by the multi-billion pound economic package set to be outlined by the UK chancellor Rishi Sunak later today. His statement in the House of Commons will start at 12.30pm GMT.
A fraught 48 hours after the UK prime minister Boris Johnson announced new coronavirus restrictions that may last another six months, Sunak is expected to announce a package of employment support to replace the furlough scheme that is being withdrawn next month. My colleagues Larry Elliott and Richard Partington look at what might be announced here.
Here are the main front pages:
Thursday’s Guardian: Sunak axes budget in scramble for urgent measures to save jobs #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/FKH3Wa9PLp
— Helena Wilkinson (@BBCHelena) September 23, 2020
Thursday’s Daily Mail: Price we can’t afford to pay #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/95JT7aXGh3
— Helena Wilkinson (@BBCHelena) September 23, 2020
Thursday’s Times: Sunak puts billions into new Covid rescue plan #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/UqYxHQ3CiV
— Helena Wilkinson (@BBCHelena) September 23, 2020
Thursday’s Daily Telegraph: Wage subsidies to replace furlough #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/w91uTMnRtz
— Helena Wilkinson (@BBCHelena) September 23, 2020
Summary
That’s it from me today. My colleague Josh Halliday will be taking over the reins now. Thanks for reading but if you’re just joining us, here are the main developments over the last few hours:
- Global deaths from the coronavirus have passed 975,000, according to figures from the Johns Hopkins University tracker. The number of confirmed cases is almost 31.8 million.
- Excess deaths in private homes in the UK have reached 10,000 since June, indicating that many people have been reluctant to take their loved ones to hospital months after the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak.
- Israel’s cabinet has agreed to a tightening of its second national lockdown in a bid to stem a steep rise in cases. Businesses will face more curbs on operation times from Friday and people will no longer be able to attend street protests as part of travel curbs.
- Stock markets have suffered heavy losses amid concerns about the ability of the global economy to recover from the pandemic. Shares in Asia Pacific are down 2% after more losses on Wall Street on Wednesday. The FTSE is set to drop 1.15% when it opens in about 75 minutes.
- The NHS Covid contact-tracing app is being launched in England and Wales on Thursday. But take-up could be as low as 10% in some places, government sources believe.
-
Victoria, the epicentre of Australia’s Covid-19 outbreak, said on Thursday the number of new daily infections was close to a three-month low, buoying hopes that restrictions will be eased sooner than expected.
- New Zealand’s chief health officer has spoken about the toll on his mental health as he became the face of the country’s successful fight against the outbreak. Ashley Bloomfield said he often wondered “can I do this?” as he faced another day of fronting media conferences to explain policy and statistics.
The Czech Republic saw 2,309 new infections in its third highest daily rise since the pandemic began, but the figure was down slightly from 2,392 the previous day, health ministry data showed on Thursday.
In the past two weeks, infections have been rising at the second fastest rate in Europe, for a tally of 55,464 cases since the first were detected in March.
Take-up of the NHS Covid contact-tracing app being launched in England and Wales on Thursday – and once touted as key to controlling the pandemic – could be as low as 10% in some places, government sources believe, writes our health editor, Sarah Boseley.
International examples show take-up rates of similar apps at between 10% and 30%, a far cry from the NHS app target in April of 80% of smartphone users. Oxford University’s Big Data unit, which advised the government on its development, said that would be the equivalent of 56% of the population.
Read her full story here:
Stock markets suffer steep falls amid recovery fears
Shares in Asia Pacific are enduring a torrid day after concerns about the global economy’s ability to bounce back from the coronavirus infects confidence.
-South Korea shares fall 2% amid signs of escalating tensions with North Korea
— Bloomberg (@business) September 24, 2020
-Hong Kong, China, Australia stocks ⬇️
-European futures ⬇️
-Oil declines to $39.40 a barrel
-Gold ⬇️https://t.co/bMGi2wLMWb pic.twitter.com/kVAY6WjMJo
The MSCI’s broadest index of Asia shares exclusing Japan fell 2% with the steepest losses seen in Seoul where tehe Kospi is down 2.71% with an hour’s trading still to go. Hong Kong is off 2% while Syndey has shed 1%. In Tokyo, the Nikkei is 1.2% worse off.
It follows a tough session on Wall Street on Wednesday after US Federal Reserve vice chair Richard Clarida said that the US economy remains in a “deep hole” of joblessness and weak demand. He called for more fiscal stimulus from the US government. The S&P500 dropped 2.37% and the Nasdaq was down 3% as tech stocks sold off again.
S&P 500 drops 2.4% as tech pressure mounts. Apple plunges >4%. pic.twitter.com/wRFosD6hn6
— Holger Zschaepitz (@Schuldensuehner) September 23, 2020
10,000 excess deaths in UK since June
Excess deaths in private homes in the UK have reached 10,000 since June, indicating that many people have been reluctant to take their loved ones to hospital months after the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak.
More than 30,000 excess deaths have been recorded in private homes across the UK since the start of the pandemic. Excess deaths are a count of those deaths which are over and above a “normal” year.
“In the most recent weeks we can exclude the fact that much of the excess mortality is due to Covid because infection is much lower,” said David Leon, professor of epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. “So what we see is probably more to do with decisions that are being taken by families, by individuals, their GPs and also hospitals’ willingness to admit.”
Here is the full story from my colleagues in the UK, Pamela Duncan and Robert Booth.
Germany’s confirmed cases increased by 2,143 to 278,070, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases.
The reported death toll rose by 19 to 9,428, the tally showed.
The Australian airline Qantas has been ordered by the federal court to pass on the government’s jobkeeper coronavirus wage subsidy in full to its workers.
A group of unions, including the Transport Workers Union and the Australian Services Union, brought the case after accusing Qantas of manipulating shifts to avoid paying workers anything on top of the $1,500 a fortnight jobkeeper payment.
My colleague Ben Butler has the full story:
In Italy, the memory of the desperate days of March and April when the virus ripped through the north of the country, is keeping the public vigilant against a second wave.
Angela Giuffrida, our correspondent in Rome, writes that Italy has been more successful than others in containing a resurgence. On Tuesday, it recorded 1,392 new cases compared with 10,799 in Spain, 10,088 in France and 4,926 in the UK.
Morena Colombi, from near Milan, suffered a mild dose of Covid but still suffers the lingering impact. She told Angela:
I don’t know what the impact of the outbreak was like on people in other countries, but in Italy it was devastating,” said Colombi. “Yes, you do have virus deniers here too, but I think this is why most people are being careful – what we experienced was so strong that nobody wants to go through that ever again.
Full report here:
Israel tightens lockdown
Israel is tightening its coronavirus lockdown after an alarming spike in new cases, the cabiney decided on Thursday morning.
Bejamin Netanyahu, prime minister, has voiced alarm that a surge in infections was pushing the nation to “the edge of the abyss”.
Israel went back into lockdown, its second during the pandemic, on 18 September but ministers have ordered a total lockdown to stem the rise which has seen 7,000 cases a day in a country of 9 million.
Fewer businesses will be allowed to operate from Friday and there will be further curbs on travel, YNet said. The restrictions will last two weeks until 10 October.
Updated
Rarely can there have been a more low-key beginning to the cricket season in Australia. It’s usually a time of optimism as spring blooms and sports grounds are transformed from hosting football codes of different types into cricket ovals.
But of course 2020 is different and, as Australia’s Megan Schutt explains here, it’s all a bit surreal knowing that the teams have to put on a big show despite the lack of ceremony or razzamatazz in the Covid-era.
China reported seven new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, down from 10 the day before, the country’s national health authority said on Thursday.
The national health commission said all new cases were imported infections involving travellers from overseas.
Chinese mainland reported 7 new confirmed #COVID19 cases, all imported, and 20 new #asymptomatic COVID-19 patients pic.twitter.com/z84KK0OU8v
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) September 24, 2020
There were 20 new asymptomatic cases. The total number of confirmed cases in mainland China now stands at 85,314, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,634.
Hello, I’m Martin Farrer taking over from the indefatigable Helen Sullivan.
There has been some heavy selling of stocks on markets across Asia Pacific today as investors followed on from a gloomy session on Wall Street caused by doubts about the strength of the global economic recovery from the pandemic.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan tumbled 1.35% in the morning session on broad losses across the region, Reuters reports.
Risk off. Markets with bigger exposure to tech, resources leading this pullback. pic.twitter.com/gEFy9PeSTj
— David Ingles (@DavidInglesTV) September 24, 2020
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 1.72%, Seoul’s Kospi sank 1.73% and Australian shares were 1.18% lower. In Japan the Nikkei was off by 0.74% and Chinese blue chips were down 1%.
“Have we overpriced the rebound in the economy? I say we have,” said Stephen Innes, chief global markets strategist at AXI.
“I think the market was interpreting a bounce from the bottom as a cyclical recovery, but I don’t think we’re there yet. I still think there’s a lot of blood on the street, especially on Main Street.”
Hi, Helen Sullivan here. I’ll be jumping over to steer our live coverage of the Breonna Taylor protests in the US now. Please do send any news from the protests to me on Twitter @helenrsullivan if you think we may not have seen it.
My colleague Martin Farrer will be taking you through the next few hours of pandemic updates.
Updated
Global deaths pass 975,000
The number of coronavirus-related deaths worldwide has passed 975,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, with 975,038 currently confirmed.
The tracker relies on official government data.
If deaths continue to occur at roughly the same rate, the world will have suffered a million dead before 1 October – or within the next week.
Mexico’s confirmed coronavirus caseload rose to 710,049 on Wednesday, according to updated data from the health ministry, along with a reported death toll of 74,949.
Authorities reported 4,786 new cases along with 601 deaths on Wednesday, but the true figures are likely significantly higher due to little testing:
Podcast: Is the UK ready for a Covid second wave?
From hospitals to care homes to community testing, the first wave of Covid-19 infections was met with unprecedented national efforts but also with panic, errors and delays. As infections begin to rise again, is the country better prepared?
New Zealand rugby officials are “disappointed” over the Rugby Championship schedule, saying they did not agree to a change in dates which could mean the All Blacks players spend Christmas in quarantine, AAP reports.
New Zealand Rugby released a statement on Thursday following the draw announcement saying the schedule had changed from the original plan, which had the last match set down for 5 December rather than 12 December.
The Wallabies and All Blacks will play the final match of the six-week tournament at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium.
Under New Zealand government guidelines the players must hotel quarantine for two weeks when they arrive home, meaning they now will not be out in time for Christmas with their families:
One of the key architects behind New Zealand’s successful management of the coronavirus has revealed he suffered imposter syndrome, anxiety and self-doubt during the peak of the crisis.
Dr Ashley Bloomfield, the director general of health, won the hearts and minds of Kiwis for his cool, calm leadership during lockdown, fronting daily press conferences alongside the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern.
Quietly spoken and impeccably prepared, Bloomfield impressed with his depth of knowledge and quick recall of statistics and unflappable demeanour. He has become a fixture in popular culture, and his face has been printed on teaspoons, towels and even the occasional person.
But beneath his calm exterior Bloomfield has revealed there was a more vulnerable side during the height of the crisis. Bloomfield’s admission came as part of a TVNZ interview recorded during mental health awareness week in New Zealand:
Daily coronavirus cases near 3-month low in Australia's Covid-19 hotspot
Australia’s Victoria state, the epicentre of the country’s Covid-19 outbreak, said on Thursday the number of new daily infections was close to a three-month low, buoying hopes that restrictions will be eased sooner than expected, Reuters reports.
The Victorian government said 12 people had been diagnosed with Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, near a three-month low of 11 cases reported earlier this week.
Australia’s second-most-populous state is on an extended hard lockdown until 27 September, although some restrictions may be eased earlier if new infections continue to trend lower.
The two-week average of new infections in state capital Melbourne dropped below 27 on Thursday. If average cases remain below 50 by Sunday, some restrictions may be relaxed, the government has said.
Victoria’s outbreak has had a devastating impact on the national economy due to lockdown measures including the closure of non-essential businesses and a nightly curfew.
The state accounts for 90% of Australia’s total coronavirus deaths of 859. The country has reported nearly 27,000 cases, well below the numbers seen in many other developed nations.
Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales (NSW), said it planned to hold the traditional New Years Eve firework extravaganza over Sydney Harbour.
NSW had warned the event could be cancelled due to concerns that social distancing restrictions could not be enforced, though waning case numbers have seen the state relax curbs on public gatherings.
Concerns around contacting GPs during the coronavirus outbreak could be fuelling a rise in missed or delayed diagnoses, researchers have said.
A growing body of research has suggested that patients have avoided seeking medical attention because of the pandemic. Figures have revealed a large increase in the numbers of people dying at home, while visits to A&E have been markedly reduced.
Meanwhile results from a poll by NHS England, released in April, revealed that 40% of people said they were avoiding contacting their GP because of concerns about burdening the NHS.
Now researchers say an analysis of GP records has revealed diagnoses of conditions from cardiovascular problems to mental health problems were up to 50% lower over the spring than expected:
The world cannot allow the climate emergency to be overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic, the UK prime minister Boris Johnson will warn, but must “build back better” after the crisis by cutting greenhouse gas emissions as a matter of urgency.
Johnson will announce that the UK will host an online event to mark the fifth anniversary of the Paris climate agreement this December, with a call to all countries to strengthen their commitments on cutting carbon.
He will tell a round table on climate at the UN general assembly: “We cannot let climate action become another victim of coronavirus. Let us be the leaders who secure the very health of our planet for our children, grandchildren and generations to come.”
The UK will host the next UN climate summit, called Cop26, and postponed by a year from its original date of this November. The crunch summit is intended to put the world on track to meet the Paris agreement goal of holding global heating to well below 2C:
Israel announces tougher lockdown
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday announced plans for a strict, two-week nationwide lockdown in a bid to slow a raging coronavirus outbreak.
In a video statement, Netanyahu said there would be a “full lockdown” beginning Friday that would run through 10 October. He said the lockdown would continue for at least another two weeks, albeit “hopefully” with some restrictions eased, AP reports.
“The goal is to reduce the rate of infection, and the goal is literally to save many lives in Israel,” he said, without elaborating on the new restrictions.
Netanyahu announced his plan after two days of heated discussions inside his coronavirus Cabinet. The measures still require approval by the full Cabinet, Israeli media reported. Netanyahu and his rivals have been bitterly divided over imposing restrictions on public gatherings, particularly large demonstrations by Netanyahu opponents calling on him to resign.
The looming lockdown amounts to an admission of failure by a prime minister who just a few months ago had boasted about being a world leader in responding to the global pandemic.
Updated
The combination of a no-deal Brexit and a second wave of Covid-19 represents such a serious threat to the UK that a trade deal with Brussels is needed to avoid a “calamitous outcome”, according to the former head of the civil service.
In a withering attack on the government’s handling of the pandemic over the past six months, Gus O’Donnell – who headed the civil service under three prime ministers – will say on Thursday that the UK faces a perfect storm and that a trade agreement with the EU is “absolutely imperative” to head off serious disruption.
Lord O’Donnell will use the annual Institute for Fiscal Studies lecture to accuse the government of a range of failures – including weaknesses of strategy and leadership and a tendency to over-promise and under-deliver.
Britain’s Covid-19 record has been poor in comparison to its peers whether measured by the number of excess deaths, levels of wellbeing or the hit to economic activity, O’Donnell will say. He will accuse the government of having an obsession with soundbites at the expense of substance and a confused communications strategy that has left the public frustrated and baffled:
Justin Trudeau’s government has announced ambitious plans to spend billions on childcare, housing and healthcare – partly financed by taxing “extreme wealth inequality” – as Canada braces for an economically devastating second wave of coronavirus.
But opposition parties quickly dismissed the minority government’s proposals, prompting speculation that Canada will soon head into another general election.
The prime minister’s speech from the throne – which customarily starts a new session of parliament and outlines a government’s priorities – was delivered by governor-general Julie Payette on Wednesday afternoon.
The speech included calls for green investment and a plan to create more than a million new jobs, but was overshadowed by the pandemic which has killed 9,241 Canadians and left 2 million unemployed:
Summary
Hello and welcome to today’s live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic with me, Helen Sullivan.
I’ll be bringing you the latest pandemic news from around the world for the next few hours. If I’ve missed major updates or interesting news from your country, let me know on Twitter @helenrsulllivan or vial email: helen.sullivan@theguardian.com.
Indonesia reported 4,465 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, the country’s biggest daily rise, taking the total number of infections to 257,388.
The data added 140 new deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities to 9,977, the biggest death toll in south-east Asia.
Meanwhile India’s death toll has passed the sombre milestone of 90,000. There are 5.6m cases in the country, the second-highest number globally after the US.
- France tightens virus measures and unveils new “danger zones” map. France’s health minister has unveiled a map of coronavirus “danger zones” around the country, with bars and restaurants closed from Saturday in Marseille.
- The UK recorded 6,178 new coronavirus cases, close to the highest daily figure ever recorded (6,201 on 1 May). However, there are more than twice as many tests taking place every day now as there were then. So, even though the case numbers are now similar, that does not mean the spread of the virus is the same because in the spring more positive cases were being missed.
- Major Covid outbreak at Glasgow University sees 600 self-isolate. A “significant” coronavirus outbreak at Glasgow University in Scotland has resulted in 124 cases since the beginning of freshers’ week and 600 students self-isolating across the campus amid warnings that any students found to be breaking the rules will face disciplinary action.
- France again reports more than 13,000 new daily Covid-19 cases. French health authorities reported 13,072 new confirmed Covid-19 cases over 24 hours on Wednesday, the daily tally standing above the 13,000 threshold for the third time in six days.
- Belgium is to ease coronavirus restrictions despite a sharp increase in cases. The prime minister, Sophie Wilmes, said that, from 1 October, people who have had contact with an infected person would only have to quarantine for seven days, and face masks would no longer be mandatory everywhere outside. The country of 11 million people recorded on average 1,374 new cases per day over the past week. In early July, there were about 80 a day.
- Climate crisis must not be overshadowed by Covid, Johnson to tell UN. The world cannot allow the climate emergency to be overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic, the UK prime minister Boris Johnson will warn, but must “build back better” after the crisis by cutting greenhouse gas emissions as a matter of urgency.
