Trump has tweeted out a video of him explaining that he’s headed to Walter Reed hospital, but reassuring Americans that he’s doing “very well.”
“We’re going to make sure that things work out,” he said.
The US president added the first lady is also “doing very well.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
He will spend the coming days in a military hospital just outside Washington to undergo treatment but will continue to work, the White House said. Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Saturday’s Guardian front page.
Saturday’s GUARDIAN: “US election chaos as Trump suffers Covid-19 symptoms” #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/e9kAkQksV1
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) October 2, 2020
Saturday’s FT splashes on the impact that Trump testing positive for Covid-19 will have on next month’s US election.
FT Weekend: “Trump’s positive coronavirus test throws US election into turmoil” #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/LzMcqSeo7W
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) October 2, 2020
Saturday’s Times front page.
Saturday’s TIMES: “Hopes grow for vaccine” #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/TlHEiYfKuC
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) October 2, 2020
Updated
A selection of some of Saturday’s front pages in the UK, starting with the Telegraph.
Saturday’s Daily TELEGRAPH: “Trump will ‘remain on the job’ “ #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/PLjUnTSguk
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) October 2, 2020
Brazil death toll surpasses 145,000
The death toll in Brazil has reached a total of 145,388, compared with 144,680 yesterday, the country’s health ministry said.
Brazil has also registered 4,880,523 confirmed cases, up from 4,847,092 yesterday.
Updated
New York state’s daily count of coronavirus cases topped 1,500 for the first time since late May as the governor, Andrew Cuomo, warned local governments they will face fines if they do not enforce social distancing and mask rules.
Officials are increasingly concerned about virus flare-ups in parts of New York City and suburban Rockland and Orange counties.
Although an oft-cited measure of the virus’s spread the percentage of tests that come back positive is about 1.3% statewide, it is over 6% in a group of about 20 ZIP codes under scrutiny, Cuomo said.
And the raw number of new cases reported statewide on Thursday hit 1,598, the most since 27 May, when considerably fewer New Yorkers were tested: about 65,000, compared with 119,000 on Thursday.
The hot spots are a significant problem, Cuomo said, adding “compliance is not where it needs to be”.
Updated
Sadio Mane, the Liverpool and Senegal footballer, has tested positive for coronavirus and is self-isolating, the club have announced.
Liverpool announce that Sadio Mane tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently in self-isolation pic.twitter.com/KfiWOoMkc8
— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 2, 2020
Trump moved to military hospital after Covid-19 diagnosis
US President Donald Trump is moving into a special suite at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland for the next few days as a precautionary measure after he tested positive for Covid-19, a White House official said.
Doctors urged the move so Trump could get immediate care if needed, the official said.
The White House said Trump will work from the suite, which is equipped to allow him to continue his official duties.
Updated
California’s health secretary has agreed to hear more input from theme park operators before issuing reopening guidelines, a step that further delays Walt Disney Co’s plans to welcome visitors back to Disneyland.
Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger also resigned from a California task force on reopening businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, the Sacramento Bee newspaper reported.
Earlier this week, Disney said the continued closure of Disneyland had exacerbated the financial strain on its parks division from the pandemic. The company, which is in the process of laying off 28,000 employees, has urged California to let Disneyland reopen.
On Thursday, a trade group that represents Disneyland, Comcast Corp’s Universal Studios and others, said it had reviewed California’s draft guidelines and then asked the state to hear more recommendations from the industry.
On Friday, Dr Mark Ghaly, California’s health secretary, said he would continue talks with theme park operators.
“Given the size and operational complexities of these unique sectors, we are seeking additional input from health, workforce and business stakeholders to finalize this important framework – all leading with science and safety,” Ghaly said in a statement.
Disneyland has been closed since March. The company had announced the resort would reopen on 17 July but later delayed the move indefinitely, saying it had to wait for the state’s guidance.
All other Disney theme parks, including Walt Disney World in Florida, have reopened with limited attendance, mask requirements and other safety measures.
The NBA playoffs are currently taking place in a “bubble” in Disney World.
Updated
Australia’s treasurer Josh Frydenberg is clear about what has been the hardest element of this year’s budget preparations, apart from his long absence from his young family.
The answer is trying to navigate Australia out of the first recession in 30 years when politicians are armed with imperfect information.
US President Donald Trump “remains fatigued but in good spirits” and is receiving treatment for coronavirus, the president’s physician, Dr Sean Conley, said.
Conley said the president was being treated with Regeneron’s polyclonal antibody cocktail as well as zinc, vitamin D, famotidine, melatonin and aspirin.
Updated
The release of the new James Bond movie, No Time to Die, has been delayed until April, the filmmakers said as cinemas struggle to draw audiences during the coronavirus pandemic.
The movie, from MGM and Comcast Corp’s Universal Pictures, had been scheduled to debut in cinemas on 11 November.
Updated
US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s coronavirus test was negative, her spokesman Drew Hammill wrote on Twitter.
Out of an abundance of caution, Speaker Pelosi was tested for COVID-19 this morning by the Capitol’s Office of the Attending Physician. Dr. Monahan just informed the Speaker that she tested negative.
— Drew Hammill (@Drew_Hammill) October 2, 2020
Canada will ease some border restrictions next Thursday to allow for more family reunifications, and plans to allow some new international students to attend learning institutions, Ottawa said on Friday.
Canada and the US have banned non-essential travel across their shared frontier in a bid to combat the coronavirus outbreak. The measures prompted protests from those separated from family members.
“We recognize that travel restrictions should not keep loved ones apart. In these challenging times, we know those challenges are best met with the strength and support of those we love by our side,” Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino told reporters.
As of 8 October, Canada will allow the entry of certain extended family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents, including those in an exclusive dating relationship of at least one year.
Foreign nationals can enter for compassionate reasons in specific circumstances, such as life-threatening illness, critical injury or death.
Starting on 20 October, entry will be allowed for international students accepted to Canadian universities with Covid-19 readiness measures in place.
Previously, only international students who had valid study permits approved before 18 March and who were traveling directly from the US were allowed to cross the border.
Updated
A summary of today's developments
- The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has started a safety review after some patients taking coronavirus drug remdesivir reported serious kidney problems. The EU regulator said it is not clear “whether remdesivir was causing the acute kidney injury but that the issue warrants further investigation”.
- Authorities ordered the lockdown of more than 100 towns and villages across Lebanon after hundreds of people tested positive for the coronavirus in recent days amid a shortage of hospital beds.
- US President Donald Trump has mild symptoms of Covid-19 after he and his wife Melania tested positive for the coronavirus, the White House said. Trump’s chief of staff said the president was “on the job” and “in good spirits”, adding that he expected him to make a quick recovery.
- France reported 12,148 new Covid-19 infections over the past 24 hours, the French health ministry said. Friday’s figure is lower than Thursday’s 13,970 and well below highs of more than 16,000 recorded last week.
- The World Health Organization has finalised approval for a second antigen-based rapid diagnostic test, giving it emergency use listing.
- Restaurateurs and their staff in France stood in front of their restaurants wearing black arm-bands and banging pots and pans, urging the French government not to order tighter restrictions to halt the spread of the coronavirus.
- Denmark will cull around 1 million mink after finding further coronavirus infections among the animals at farms that breed them for their fur, authorities said. The Nordic country is the world’s largest producer of mink – small, lithe mammals with brown-black fur used to make coats and scarves.
- Madrid’s regional authorities will shortly put the Spanish capital and nine nearby towns under partial lockdown, with immediate effect, a source from Madrid’s regional government told Reuters on Friday. With 859 cases per 100,000 people, the Madrid region is the worst Covid-19 hotspot in Europe.
- Tunisia recorded 1,308 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Wednesday, a record since the start of the pandemic, the Tunisian health ministry said.
An explainer from Reuters following Trump testing positive for Covid-19.
What are the treatments for “mild” Covid-19?
“There are no treatments to date that have been really established to be effective in this phase of illness. At this point, it is really symptomatic and supportive care,” Dr Jonathan Grein, director of hospital epidemiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles, who is not involved in treating Trump, said.
Grein said the president is likely being closely monitored, and would be given extra oxygen or fluids if needed. Supportive care would depend on symptoms: things like cough syrup or fever-reducing drugs.
How about experimental treatments?
One of the most anticipated classes of experimental Covid-19 drugs is monoclonal antibodies: manufactured copies of human antibodies to the virus that are being studied for use in patients with early illness. They could be given to the president in the context of a clinical trial or a compassionate-use program.
The technique is already in wide use for treating a range of illnesses. Data so far is limited for Covid-19 antibodies, but US infectious disease chief Dr Anthony Fauci is among those saying it has promise.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, one of the leaders in this area, has reported improved symptoms in non-hospitalised Covid-19 patients, with no serious side effects. Eli Lilly & Co has also announced early data from a trial of its coronavirus antibody, and said it is seeking an emergency use authorisation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Neither company responded to a request for comment. “Obviously, the president is a very unique case ... I am sure his clinical team is looking at everything,” Dr Grein said.
How about hydroxychloroquine?
Trump early in the pandemic backed the idea of using anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19. In May, the president said he was taking the drug to prevent an infection. The FDA initially allowed use on an emergency basis but in June withdrew that authorization after determining that hydroxychloroquine was not effective.
What happens if Trump’s condition worsens?
If the president’s condition deteriorates – for instance, he developed breathing problems – he would be hospitalised. “It is not uncommon for patients to have symptoms for several weeks. Some can get worse well into the second week of illness,” Dr Grein said.
For patients hospitalised with Covid-19, the FDA has given emergency-use authorisation for two treatments: remdesivir, an intravenous antiviral drug sold by Gilead Sciences, which has been shown to shorten hospital stays, and convalescent plasma, which is derived from the blood of people who have survived the disease and carries antibodies that can help a patient fight Covid-19.
Hospitals also commonly use the generic steroid dexamethasone, which was shown in studies to improve survival for patients hospitalised with critical Covid-19 who need extra oxygen. But the steroid should not used in people with mild illness since it can limit the body’s own ability to combat the virus, according to guidelines from the Infectious Disease Society of America.
Updated
The government of Sao Paulo state in Brazil has asked health regulator Anvisa to register for use the Covid-19 vaccine candidate developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech, governor João Doria said, a major step in what could be one of the first vaccination programmes in the Americas.
Doria said he plans to begin inoculating the population of Sao Paulo with the Sinovac vaccine by mid-December, one of the world’s most aggressive timelines outside China and Russia.
Before then, he requires approval from Anvisa. Shortly after Doria’s statement, the regulator confirmed it had received the first tranche of data related to the Sinovac vaccine.
Sao Paulo, Brazil’s most populous state, is one of the sites of Phase III clinical trials for the Sinovac vaccine conducted by the state’s Butantan Institute, a leading biomedical research centre.
On Wednesday, Sao Paulo signed a $90 million contract on Wednesday to receive 46 million doses of the potential vaccine from Sinovac.
Updated
As Madrid braced itself for the imposition of new restrictions to curb the soaring rate of infections, Spanish experts warned the measures were too little, too late and would be very difficult to implement.
The partial lockdown, which will also apply to nine other nearby towns, will come into force at 10pm (20.00 GMT), with people only allowed to leave the city limits for work, school or medical and legal reasons.
Madrid’s regional authorities have criticised the restrictions on citizens’ movements as too stringent but, for healthcare experts, they simply don’t go far enough.
“For all epidemiologists, these restrictions are coming very late, they should have been put in place much earlier, by the start of September,” said Salvador Peiro of FISABIO, a healthcare research organisation in the Valencia area.
Closing off the perimeter was a measure which was “very easy to implement in certain towns but very hard in large cities” such as Madrid, he said, pointing out that hundreds of thousands of people travel every day, often on public transport, to work in nearby towns.
Fernando Garcia, an epidemiologist at the Madrid public health association, expressed surprise they “did not include a recommendation to work from home” as during the three-month lockdown that started in March.
Updated
A tweet from Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO’s director-general, on Germany’s strategy.
Vielen Dank, Minister @jensspahn for your & 🇩🇪's leadership throughout the #COVID19 pandemic. Intl. cooperation is key to end this crisis & we are grateful to all 🇪🇺 Member States for incredible support.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) October 2, 2020
We share a common vision – a stronger @WHO & a healthier, safer, fairer 🌍. https://t.co/yaDMlVlQAB
EU launches safety review of coronavirus drug remdesivir
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has started a safety review after some patients taking the coronavirus drug remdesivir reported serious kidney problems.
The EU regulator said it is not clear “whether remdesivir was causing the acute kidney injury but that the issue warrants further investigation”.
Remdesivir was given a conditional marketing authorisation by the EMA on 3 July and can be used to treat people older than age 12 with severe Covid-19 and pneumonia who require oxygen treatment.
The approval for the drug was fast-tracked with the understanding that more evidence would be submitted after a licence was granted.
The benefits to these severely ill patients outweigh the risks of making the medicine available despite having less complete data than normally expected, the EMA said.
Remdesivir is one of the few licensed treatments for the coronavirus, in addition to the generic steroid dexamethasone. In July, health experts criticised the US for buying up a significant portion of the drug, made by Gilead Sciences.
The European Medicines Agency said the potential problem of kidney toxicity caused by remdesivir was evaluated when the conditional approval was given but that analysis was mainly based on animal studies.
It noted that kidney injuries can be caused by other factors, including diabetes and the coronavirus itself.
The regulator said recommendations for the use of remdesivir remain unchanged; doctors are already advised to monitor patients for kidney complications prior to starting treatment and not to use the drug in patients with known kidney problems.
The agency said enhanced safety monitoring is in place to detect potentially worrying and unexpected side effects from remdesivir through monthly safety reports. Early studies testing remdesivir on patients in hospital with Covid-19 found that those who received the treatment recovered quicker than those who did not.
On Thursday, the EMA said it had begun the process of potentially fast-tracking approval for an experimental Covid-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca.
Updated
Authorities ordered the lockdown of more than 100 towns and villages across Lebanon after hundreds of people tested positive for the coronavirus in recent days and amid a shortage of hospital beds.
Outgoing Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi said in a statement the complete lockdown of 111 towns and villages will go into effect on Sunday morning and last until 12 October.
Lebanon has witnessed a sharp increase of cases in recent weeks, with more than 40,000 cases registered since February in the small country of 5 million. The country has registered 386 deaths so far.
On Friday, a new daily record was registered with 1,291 new cases over 24 hours, including 12 deaths, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. The total registered cases now stand at 42,159.
The World Health Organization reported this week that the occupancy rate of beds in intensive care units dedicated to coronavirus cases has reached 84%, while the occupancy rate for regular beds reached 63%.
Updated
The Trump campaign said all previously announced campaign events involving the president would be moved to a virtual setting or temporarily postponed after he tested positive for Covid-19.
The campaign also said that previously announced events involving members of the Trump family are temporarily postponed, with other events being considered on a case-by-case basis.
Vice-President Mike Pence, who has tested negative for the coronavirus, plans to resume his scheduled campaign events, the statement said.
Updated
A summary of today's developments
- US President Donald Trump has mild symptoms of Covid-19 after he and his wife Melania tested positive for the coronavirus, the White House said. Trump’s chief of staff said the president was “on the job” and “in good spirits”, adding that he expected him to make a quick recovery.
- France reported 12,148 new Covid-19 infections over the past 24 hours, the French health ministry said. Friday’s figure is lower than Thursday’s 13,970 and well below highs of more than 16,000 recorded last week.
- The World Health Organization has finalised approval for a second antigen-based rapid diagnostic test, giving it emergency use listing.
- Restaurateurs and their staff in France stood in front of their restaurants wearing black arm-bands and banging pots and pans, urging the French government not to order tighter restrictions to halt the spread of the coronavirus.
- Denmark will cull around 1 million mink after finding further coronavirus infections among the animals at farms that breed them for their fur, authorities said. The Nordic country is the world’s largest producer of mink – small, lithe mammals with brown-black fur used to make coats and scarves.
- Madrid’s regional authorities will shortly put the Spanish capital and nine nearby towns under partial lockdown, with immediate effect, a source from Madrid’s regional government told Reuters on Friday. With 859 cases per 100,000 people, the Madrid region is the worst Covid-19 hotspot in Europe.
- Tunisia recorded 1,308 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Wednesday, a record since the start of the pandemic, the Tunisian health ministry said on Friday.
It has emerged that the US supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett had Covid-19 in the summer.
It comes as questions are pouring in about the event at the White House last Saturday where Donald Trump announced the federal judge as his nominee for the supreme court, to fill the seat left vacant after the death of the liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg two weeks ago.
#Urgent: Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett was diagnosed with coronavirus late this summer but has recovered, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
— Ana Cabrera (@AnaCabrera) October 2, 2020
Barrett tested negative for Coronavirus on Friday, according to White House spokesperson Judd Deere.
Updated
South African soldiers deployed to enforce one of the world’s strictest lockdowns have returned to barracks as new coronavirus infections slowed, the military has said.
President Cyril Ramaphosa initially mobilised 2,820 soldiers in late March to help police enforce the confinement measures. But a month later he deployed 73,000 extra troops to help implement the nationwide lockdown.
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) said its deployment had expired on 30 September. The soldiers had “successfully contributed” to “the national effort to mitigate the spread of Covid-19”, it said in a statement.
“Deployed forces will be confined to operational bases until further notice, with contingencies to render assistance in the event of a second wave,” SANDF added.
Some security forces have been accused of heavy-handedness in enforcing South Africa’s lockdown rules. Military medical staff were also dispatched to some state hospitals to help shore up the health service, which was buckling under rising number of cases during the peak in July.
Despite its strict lockdown, South Africa has been relatively hard-hit, with more than 676,000 infections and 16,866 deaths recorded to date – just under half the total number of cases detected on the continent.
Updated
Updated
More than 12,000 Covid infections in 24 hours in France
France reported 12,148 new Covid-19 infections over the past 24 hours, the French health ministry said.
Friday’s figure is lower than Thursday’s 13,970 and well below highs of more than 16,000 recorded last week.
France also reported 136 new deaths from coronavirus, taking the country’s death toll to 32,155.
Hospital admissions for Covid-19 rose by 106 to 6,758 and intensive care admissions by 11 to 1,276, continuing to rise from recent weeks.
Updated
Joe Biden tests negative
The Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden, and his wife, Jill, have tested negative for coronavirus, their doctor said in a statement on Friday.
“Vice-president Joe Biden and Dr Jill Biden underwent PCR testing for Covid-19 today and Covid-19 was not detected,” Dr Kevin O’Connor said in a statement.
After the result was announced, Biden headed to the airport, where he was scheduled to travel to Grand Rapids, Michigan, for a campaign event.
“I’m happy to report that Jill and I have tested negative for Covid,” Biden said on Twitter. “Thank you to everyone for your messages of concern. I hope this serves as a reminder: wear a mask, keep social distance, and wash your hands.”
Updated
Dr Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO emergencies programme, said the outbreak at the White House must be “investigated and those individuals who might be at risk need to be advised. This is epidemiology 101.”
He said he was confident that was happening, not least because many Americans “taught the world epidemiology 101”.
But he refused to be drawn on whether Joe Biden was likely to have caught Covid from Trump during this week’s presidential debate. “We absolutely trust the US public health authorities to make the appropriate decision and advise those individuals whether they may be at risk,” he said.
Dr Bruce Aylward, senior adviser to the director of the WHO, said it was hard to say why Spain had been so hard hit by the second wave while Italy had fared rather better.
It was partly “bad luck” on Spain’s part, he said, “because in both countries you’ve got very, very impressive responses and very well trained people”.
He warned that in parts of Italy, cases were “heating up”, with the Italian authorities “moving very, very quickly to try and address that”.
“We are dealing with a biological process and we don’t understand everything about this virus and everything about why it takes off in some places and doesn’t in others,” he added.
Updated
WHO grants approval to new rapid Covid test
The WHO has today finalised approval for a second antigen-based rapid diagnostic test, giving it emergency use listing.
“These tests are simple to use and provide reliable results in approximately 15 to 30 minutes, rather than hours or days, at a lower price,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Updated
About 2 million cases of Covid-19 are currently being reported around the world, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), has said.
In a televised press conference, Ghebreyesus said: “This is a critical moment in the outbreak response. We urge every single leader to strengthen their response, to target measures in place that we know can suppress the spread.”
He added: “Where we are able to successfully control it, it’s important governments keep going, stay vigilant and be ready and keep investing in your national health systems, including contact tracing.”
Updated
The UK reported 6,968 new Covid-19 cases on Friday, up from Thursday’s figure of 6,914 but below the peak of 7,143 on Tuesday.
There were 66 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test, up from Thursday’s level of 59 but lower than numbers earlier in the week.
Updated
Donald Trump’s youngest son, Barron, 14, has tested negative for Covid-19, the White House said.
“Barron tested negative and all precautions are being taken to ensure he’s kept safe and healthy,” said Stephanie Grisham, chief of staff for Melania Trump. She said the first lady was doing well.
Meanwhile, the US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin said the president has “very light symptoms” after testing positive for Covid-19. He will brief Trump later on Friday on negotiations with congressional Democrats for additional federal coronavirus aid.
Updated
Scotland has recorded a further 775 cases over the past 24 hours, first minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed. This takes the total number of positive cases in Scotland to 30,687.
Here is a breakdown of new cases:
- NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde: 324
- NHS Lothian: 164
- NHS Lanarkshire: 102
The remaining cases are spread another nine of Scotland’s 14 health boards.
Four people have died after testing positive for the virus in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 2,526 deaths in Scotland.
Updated
Restaurateurs protest at closures in France
Restaurateurs and their staff in France stood in front of their restaurants wearing black arm-bands and banging pots and pans today, urging the French government not to order tighter restrictions to halt the spread of the coronavirus. Reuters reports:
On Thursday, health minister Olivier Véran said the Paris region was set to be placed on maximum Covid-19 alert from as soon as Monday as cases rise.
Restaurant owners fear new closures could force them out of business. Bars and restaurants in the French capital must close by 10 pm under current coronavirus restrictions.
Andrea Vincenzi, who manages La Ville de Provins restaurant in northern Paris near the Gare de l’Est railway station, told Reuters:
It’s a great concern for our jobs, for our wages, for our future.
To head off closures, they have proposed measures including taking the temperature of staff and customers before allowing them into venues, limiting the number of people at a table to eight from 10 and keeping a register of customers’ details for contact tracing, similar to schemes in place in Germany, Britain and elsewhere.
Véran said the Paris region had passed all three of the government’s criteria for being put on the highest level of alert. In the past 24 hours, the coronavirus infection rate had surpassed 250 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
Double Michelin-starred chef Philippe Etchebest urged fellow restaurant and bar owners to protest against the possible closure of their establishments, calling on them to stand outside their venues on Friday before lunch service and make some noise.
"On ne peut pas fermer, on va nous tuer" : à Bordeaux, @Chef_Etchebest a fait du bruit devant son restaurant Le Quatrième Mur. Les établissements voisins ont aussi donné de la voix.
— France Bleu Gironde (@Bleu_Gironde) October 2, 2020
➡https://t.co/n6ISE71DRr #Bordeaux #Gironde pic.twitter.com/PiG2jUNr4n
Rendez-vous dans quelques minutes dans le 12h45 en direct de mon restaurant à Bordeaux pour réagir aux dernières annonces gouvernementales.
— Philippe Etchebest (@Chef_Etchebest) September 24, 2020
Veran has ordered bars and restaurants in the southern city of Marseille to shut for two weeks.
Updated
Update on the Madrid lockdown. The Spanish capital and nine nearby towns will enter a partial lockdown at 10 pm local time tonight, regional health chief Enrique Ruiz Escudero told a news conference on Friday.
The US vice-president, Mike Pence, has tested negative for coronavirus, CNN reports. That is good news if Trump becomes too ill to lead, as Pence will have to hold the fort.
Updated
Denmark to cull a million Covid-ridden mink
Denmark will cull around 1 million mink after finding further coronavirus infections among the animals at farms that breed them for their fur, authorities said.
The Nordic country is the world’s largest producer of mink – small, lithe mammals with brown-black fur used to make coats and scarves.
Fresh cases have been registered at 41 Danish mink farms and a further 20 were believed to be affected, totalling up to 1 million minks, environment and food Minister Mogens Jensen said at a press briefing on Thursday evening.
As a precaution, the culling will include farms situated within five miles (8km) of a farm with infected mink.
“My main focus is on ensuring, that the … mink farms do not become an infection risk for people, and therefore the government has decided to cull the mink,” Jensen said.
In May, Spain ordered the culling of all 93,000 mink at a farm to prevent human contagion after finding that most of the mink there were infected with the coronavirus.
The Netherlands reported a similar outbreak and undertook a cull after two people were reported to have been infected by mink, though such cases of animal-to-human transmission are believed to be extremely rare.
There have also been occasional cases of zoo animals and house pets coming down with the coronavirus during the global pandemic, with their owners the likely cause of infection.
Updated
In England, an estimated 116,600 people had Covid-19 in the week from 18 to 24 September, equating to around one in 500 people, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
The ONS said there is “some limited evidence” that the incidence rate may be levelling off following steep increases during August and September. But it warned the confidence intervals on its weekly Covid-19 Infection Survey were so wide that it was impossible to say for sure.
In recent weeks, there has been clear evidence of an increase in the number of people testing positive for Covid-19, with the current rates highest in teenagers and young adults.
Katherine Kent, joint head of analysis for the Covid-19 Infection Survey, said: “Our estimates continue to show a rise in Covid-19 infections across England, especially in teenagers and young adults, based on our analysis of almost 300,000 swabs from the last six weeks. Infections are highest in the north-west and north-east.
“While the evidence suggests that the increase in new cases may be levelling off after a sharp rise in August and September, it is too early to be certain at this stage.”
Updated
Madrid to go into partial lockdown
Madrid’s regional authorities will shortly put the Spanish capital and nine nearby towns under partial lockdown, with immediate effect, a source from Madrid’s regional government told Reuters on Friday.
With 859 cases per 100,000 people, the Madrid region is the worst Covid-19 hotspot in Europe.
The reluctant move – by the conservative-led regional government – follows an order from the Socialist-led central government to ban non-essential travel to and from Madrid.
With the new restrictions, 4.8 million people in Madrid and nine nearby municipalities will see borders closed to outsiders for non-essential visits, with only travel for work, school, doctors’ visits or shopping allowed. A curfew for bars and restaurants will be moved to 11pm from 1am.
Updated
Tunisia recorded 1,308 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Wednesday, a record since the start of the pandemic, the Tunisian health ministry said on Friday.
The rise prompted the government to impose a night curfew in two coastal areas, Sousse and Monastir, amid fears that hospitals will be unable to cope because of the shortage of intensive care beds.
The total number of cases has jumped to about 20,000 compared with roughly 1,000 cases before the country’s borders were reopened on 27 June
The total number of deaths has reached 271, the health ministry said.
Prime minister Hichem Mechichi said this week it was unthinkable to reimpose a general lockdown because of the unprecedented economic collapse caused by the first lockdown begun in March.
Tunisia’s tourism-dependent economy shrank 21.6% in the second quarter of 2020 compared with the same period last year as a result of the pandemic and measures to curb it.
Updated
Face masks will have to be worn at all times outdoors in the Italian capital, Rome, and the surrounding Lazio region, local authorities ruled on Friday.
Italy on Thursday registered more than 2,000 new coronavirus cases for the first time since the end of April. Lazio accounted for 265 of those cases and has been increasingly concerned by the growing contagion.
A number of other Italian regions, including Campania centred on Naples, have already made mask-wearing obligatory outdoors. Previously, masks had to be worn only in closed public spaces, such as shops and cinemas.
“Most of the cases are tied to the lack of respect in using masks and in social distancing,” Lazio’s health chief, Alessio D’Amato, told reporters on Friday as he announced the new measure.
Updated
Trump is, of course, not the only world leader to have succumbed to Covid. Boris Johnson was the first major global politician to catch it, spending time in intensive care during early April.
The Brazilian president Jair Bolsanaro announced his illness in July, after months of playing down the virus as a “little flu” and refusing to abide by social distancing guidelines. He used it to publicly extol hydroxychloroquine, the unproven malaria drug that he’d been promoting as a treatment for COVID-19 and was taking himself.
Juan Orlando Hernandez, the president of Honduras, tested positive in June and was briefly hospitalised. He has added his voice to growing pleas for equitable access to any Covid-19 vaccine, asking the recent U.N. gathering of world leaders: “Are people to be left to die?”
The president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, dismissed concerns about the virus as psychosis and recommended drinking vodka to stay healthy. Then in July he said he had contracted it himself but was asymptomatic. Belarus is one of the few countries that took no comprehensive measures against the virus.
Prince Albert II of Monaco was the first monarch to admit to testing positive, back in March. Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, also tested positive in March and showed mild symptoms.
Other world leaders to catch Covid include Alejandro Giammattei, the president of Guatemala; Jeanine Anez, the Bolivian interim president; and Luis Abinader, the newly elected president of the Dominican Republic.
Malaysia reported 287 new coronavirus cases on Friday, according to the health ministry, the highest daily increase since the country started tracking the spread of the pandemic.
The south-east Asian country has reported a total of 11,771 cases of the virus so far, including 136 deaths.
I’m Helen Pidd and I will be looking after this blog for much of the rest of the day. Feel free to email me at helen.pidd@theguardian.com
Updated
The head of the World Health Organization, a body that the US president has savaged for its handling of the Covid pandemic, has sent his best wishes to Donald Trump and his wife Melania after they tested positive for coronavirus.
My best wishes to President @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS for a full and speedy recovery. https://t.co/6OUZT20huK
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) October 2, 2020
Trump has said he plans to withdraw and cut off funding to the organisation, saying that it has been too close to China during the pandemic.
Updated
Poland reports record number of daily new coronavirus cases
Poland reported a new record of 2,292 daily coronavirus cases today, according to the health ministry’s Twitter account. It is the first time that the new daily count of cases has exceeded 2,000.
The country reported 27 deaths related to Covid on Friday. In total, the country with a population of 38 million has so far reported 95,773 cases of the coronavirus and 2,570 deaths.
Updated
Putin offers Trump best wishes and praises his 'inherent vitality'
The Russian Interfax news agency is reporting that president Vladimir Putin has offered Donald Trump his best wishes via a telegram message. Hoping that the US president has a swift recovery, the telegram said: “I am certain that your inherent vitality, good spirits and optimism will help you cope with this dangerous virus.”
Updated
The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has just landed in Croatia. He said that he last saw US president Donald Trump on 15 September, and that both Pompeo and his wife tested negative for coronavirus prior to arriving in Dubrovnik. Pompeo has been on a mini-tour of Europe, which has taken in visits to Greece, Italy and the Vatican.
Updated
Live coverage of developing news that Donald Trump has tested positive continues in depth on our dedicated US live blog:
We’ll carry on here with the news from around the world – including the US – on the pandemic.
Dean Phillips, a Democratic congressman for Minnesota, is not a prolific tweeter, but has this morning sent his best wishes to Donald and Melania Trump. He also expressed his concerns about Minnesota residents who may have been exposed to the virus when the US president held a rally in Duluth earlier this week.
COVID-19 is a serious and unpredictable disease, and I wish the President, First Lady, and Hope Hicks a speedy recovery. I also have those in my district in Minnesota who may have been exposed on my mind. https://t.co/pKSDghZj9n
— Rep. Dean Phillips 🇺🇸 (@RepDeanPhillips) October 2, 2020
Donald Trump joins a growing list of world leaders to contract Covid-19 in 2020, as Sam Levin reports for us:
Trump, who has repeatedly mocked his Democratic opponent for wearing masks, is not the first major elected official to become infected after downplaying the seriousness of the virus.
On 27 March, the British prime minister, Boris Johnson, became one of the first world leaders to announce he had the virus. He was eventually admitted to hospital and treated in the intensive care unit.
Before his diagnosis, he was criticised for understating the threat of the virus and at one point early in the outbreak he boasted of shaking hands “with everybody” at a hospital with Covid patients.
On 7 July, Brazil’s far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, who had repeatedly trivialised the pandemic, announced on live television he had tested positive. As the Covid crisis worsened earlier in the summer, he had boasted that he wasn’t worried about getting sick, saying his “athlete’s background” would help him stay strong if he became infected.
When he announced his diagnosis to reporters, Bolsonaro removed his mask and smiled, saying: “Just look at my face. I’m well, fine, thank God.”
Earlier in the pandemic, Monaco’s Prince Albert II tested positive, as did Prince Charles in the UK. The Russian prime minister, Mikhail Mishustin, temporarily stepped down in April after contracting Covid. That same week, Guinea-Bissau’s prime minister, Nuno Gomes Nabiam, tested positive alongside three members of his cabinet.
Read more here: Donald Trump joins growing list of world leaders to contract Covid-19
Updated
You may be seeing a lot of social media chatter about the US having scrambled some nuclear command planes, as an act of bravado to warn adversaries that even if the commander-in-chief is laid low with coronavirus the nation is still on high alert. But those planes are in the air a lot of the time anyway, it’s no kind of special signal.
There's a lot of chatter about those “airborne nuclear command centers”, but these two Boeing E6A Mercury aircraft were indeed flying almost daily since over the past month, publicly available flight data shows: the AE0414 flew at least on 20 days, and the AE0415 at least 14. https://t.co/5oe0biHDIF
— Christiaan Triebert (@trbrtc) October 2, 2020
More news on the Russian vaccine programme here, where journalists working for two state-owned media outlets are apparently among the first to be offered the new Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine outside of the framework of a clinical trial, according to one of the outlets and four employees.
Russia began vaccinating members of the general public seen at high risk of coronavirus infection earlier this month, while separately launching a large-scale trial. So far about 400 people have received the jabs under that scheme, the health ministry said this week.
The government last month published a list of jobs considered high risk, which included health workers, journalists and teachers.
With hundreds of potential Covid-19 vaccines in various stages of development around the world, Russia was the first country to license its vaccine for public use and alongside China has been deploying the shots before full efficacy trials are complete.
Two journalists at the state-run RIA news agency and two at the Russian state television holding company VGTRK, which operates Russia-1 and Russia-24 news channels, told Reuters they had been offered a COVID-19 shot on a voluntary basis.
One of the RIA journalists said his impression was that the majority of his colleagues had declined the offer. One of the VGTRK journalists also said many of his colleagues declined.
Shaun Walker in Moscow had more for us yesterday on Russia’s vaccine efforts.
British prime minister Boris Johnson, who himself was in intensive care earlier this year with coronavirus, has wished the US president and his wife well in a tweet.
My best wishes to President Trump and the First Lady. Hope they both have a speedy recovery from coronavirus.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) October 2, 2020
Russia reports highest daily total of new cases since May
Russia has reported 9,412 new coronavirus cases, which is its highest daily tally since 23 May, pushing the national total to 1,194,643.
Moscow, which was the focus of the outbreak earlier this year, registered 2,704 new cases overnight, officials said. Authorities said 186 people had died nationwide in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 21,077.
A quick snap from Reuters that British pharmaceutical AstraZeneca has said clinical trials of its experimental Covid vaccine have resumed in Japan. It added that it remains in talks with regulators on the data needed to restart trials in the US, where they remain halted. Donald Trump has repeatedly pushed the US Food and Drug Administration to move forward faster with permission and approval of vaccine trials.
Charles Michel, the president of the European council and former prime minister of Belgium, has sent the best wishes of the EU to US president Donald Trump, saying Covid “is a battle we all continue to fight. Everyday. No matter where we live.”
Wishing @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS a speedy recovery. #COVIDー19 is a battle we all continue to fight.
— Charles Michel (@eucopresident) October 2, 2020
Everyday.
No matter where we live. https://t.co/w5WH1pgvpB
Updated
Away from the US for a second, the Associated Press have this news from Pakistan, where authorities have closed more than 100 restaurants and six wedding halls in the financial capital of Karachi over violations of social distancing rules amid a sudden increase in Covid deaths.
The government has also imposed a lockdown in some of the city’s high-risk areas to contain the spread of the coronavirus. A similar crackdown over social distancing rules has also been ordered in other parts of the country.
AP say Pakistanis have been seen routinely violating social distancing since last month when wedding halls were allowed to open on the condition they adhere to the rules.
The country has so far reported 313,431 confirmed cases with 6,499 deaths.
Updated
NPR’s Tamara Keith was told earlier that the US president was in good spirits, and that staff were working out how to run things in the next 14 days.
The news that Donald Trump has contracted the coronavirus just a few weeks ahead of the US election brings a halt to his in-person campaigning and puts into doubt his appearance at the next televised debate, which was scheduled for Thursday 15 October. An official told NPR:
He’s fine now. He’s in good spirits. He’ll be OK, the doctor’s optimistic. He’ll get treatment. We’re in a pretty good place to treat this. From a continuity standpoint – listen, we’ll be fine, we’ll figure out a way to do it. The vice-president can step in where he needs to. The president is obviously going to want to be very engaged – and he will be. As you know, he’s not one to sit still.
Updated
Donald Trump contracting the coronavirus adds a new chapter to his administration’s handling of the pandemic, which has attracted widespread criticism. With 7,278,385 recorded cases and 207,808 deaths, the US has been affected by the virus more than any other nation on earth.
In this video report from earlier in the year, our Maanvi Singh looked at how, whether it was masks or “miracle” treatments, the US president was consistently contradicting and defying science during the emerging coronavirus outbreak.
Updated
Studies of patients from around the world have given doctors a good sense of who is most likely to shrug off a coronavirus infection and who is more likely to need hospital care. As an older male, president Trump is immediately in a higher risk category.
Men are nearly twice as likely to die from Covid-19 than women and data from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that at 74 years old, Trump’s risk of being hospitalised is at least five times greater, and his risk of dying 90 times greater, than for an average 18- to 29-year-old. Given the very low death rates in younger people, a more meaningful figure is the infection fatality rate, or the risk of death on contracting the virus, which is 4.2% at age 75, and 14% at age 85.
At a medical in February, Trump weighed in at 243lbs. At 6ft3 ins, that puts his BMI at 30.4, just enough to qualify as obese. This adds further risk, tripling the odds of hospitalisation compared with people with a healthy weight, and raising the risk of dying by nearly 50%.
President Trump’s infection appears to have been picked up before symptoms have arisen, so doctors will be able to monitor his condition closely and intervene early if his health falters. One drug that will be on hand is the antiviral remdesivir, which is thought to be more effective while the virus is still replicating, and before it has had the chance to progress to the lungs and cause more serious damage.
Updated
Here’s how the US first lady Melania Trump notified the world. She says that she and her husband are “feeling good” and confirms that the couple have postponed all upcoming engagements.
She says: “Please be sure you are staying safe & we will all get through this together.”
As too many Americans have done this year, @potus & I are quarantining at home after testing positive for COVID-19. We are feeling good & I have postponed all upcoming engagements. Please be sure you are staying safe & we will all get through this together.
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) October 2, 2020
Updated
Here’s a quick round-up of some of the reaction to the news that US president Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for coronavirus.
Vicepresident Mike Pence, who stands to take charge if Trump – who says he feels well – is incapacitated, has sent love and prayers.
Karen and I send our love and prayers to our dear friends President @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS Melania Trump. We join millions across America praying for their full and swift recovery. God bless you President Trump & our wonderful First Lady Melania.
— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) October 2, 2020
Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press secretary, said: “Our country stands strong.”
The strength of the entire country is with President @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS.
— Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) October 2, 2020
America stands united.
Our country stands strong.
Your President will continue to put the People first!
And here’s the tweet where Donald Trump announced to the world that he has been infected with the coronavirus.
Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
Reaction from China was a little less sympathetic. Donald Trump has repeatedly referred to coronavirus as the “China virus” or the “plague from China”. China Daily has written:
The positive test is yet another reminder that the coronavirus continues to spread, even as Trump has tried desperately to suggest it no longer poses a danger. Since it emerged earlier this year, Trump, the White House and his campaign have played down the threat and refused to abide by basic public health guidelines – including those issued by his own administration – such as wearing masks in public and practising social distancing. Instead, Trump has continued to hold campaign rallies that draw thousands of supporters. The virus has killed more than 200,000 Americans and infected more than 7 million nationwide.
It’s Martin Belam here taking the blog in London, you can get in touch with me at martin.belam@theguardian.com
Updated
That’s it from me, Helen Sullivan, for today.
Thank you for following along. My colleague Martin Belam is taking over from London.
If you’re just joining us, here again is what we know – and what we don’t:
Updated
The China Daily had this to say in an article about Trump testing positive:
The positive test is yet another reminder that the coronavirus continues to spread, even as Trump has tried desperately to suggest it no longer poses a danger. Since it emerged earlier this year, Trump, the White House and his campaign have played down the threat and refused to abide by basic public health guidelines – including those issued by his own administration – such as wearing masks in public and practicing social distancing. Instead, Trump has continued to hold campaign rallies that draw thousands of supporters. The virus has killed more than 200,000 Americans and infected more than 7 million nationwide.
Updated
The Guardian has not yet verified this, but CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins reports that a “small group of officials” knew about Hicks testing positive on Thursday morning – before Trump attended a fundraiser in New Jersey:
I’m told a small group of officials were aware Thursday a.m. that Hope Hicks had tested positive. Despite that, President Trump traveled to New Jersey for a fundraiser and his press secretary held a briefing.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) October 2, 2020
Updated
US reports 43,752 new infections and 857 new deaths
The US recorded 43,752 new Covid-19 infections and 857 new deaths on Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The total number of cases in the US is the highest in the world, at 7,273,244.
The US has also suffered the highest death toll at 207,808, or one in five deaths worldwide.
Updated
Doctors have warned that the US president, Donald Trump, has numerous factors placing him at risk of complications from Covid-19, including his age and being overweight.
The 74-year-old on Friday announced on Twitter that he and his wife, Melania Trump, had both tested positive for the virus. A study published in March in medical journal, The Lancet, found that while the overall death rate for people with Covid-19 was 1.4%, this rose to 8.6% for people in their 70s. The study was based on data from China.
Dr Barry Dixon, an intensive care physician at St Vincent’s hospital in Melbourne, said Trump’s risk would increase if he developed pneumonia, which is associated with a high Covid-19 mortality rate, especially in patients over 65, or people who have cardiovascular disease or conditions affecting blood vessels of the brain.
“He’s at a much higher risk of dying if he does develop that bad pneumonia,” Dixon said. “There are other risk factors and co-morbidities such as whether you are a heavy smoker, have diabetes, or have heart disease. The key risk factors for Trump that we know about are his age and the fact he’s overweight, and they’d be high-risk factors”:
Updated
Taken the same day as the rally, here are:
- Counsellor to the president Hope Hicks.
- Assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for communications Dan Scavino.
- Assistant to the president and director of Oval Office operations Nicholas Luna.
- Senior adviser to the president of the US Jared Kushner.
- Senior adviser to the president Stephen Miller.
If you’re just joining us, Hicks has also tested positive for coronavirus.
Updated
Here is a photograph from Trump’s rally in Minnesota on Wednesday – a tightly packed crowd and very few masks:
Updated
Do you have questions or comments? Have you seen interesting tweets or other news about Trump testing positive?
Get in touch on Twitter @helenrsullivan.
The White House has updated the president’s schedule for tomorrow. It has mostly been cleared, but Trump still plans to “host a phone call on Covid-19 support for vulnerable seniors”, it says:
The White House just released an updated press schedule for tomorrow. President Trump’s only scheduled event is “a phone call on COVID-19 support to vulnerable seniors.” pic.twitter.com/Nbm1PWB70I
— Andrew deGrandpre (@adegrandpre) October 2, 2020
Updated
Here’s official notification from Trump’s physician on the president’s positive covid test. pic.twitter.com/3sO4DOizLE
— Andrew deGrandpre (@adegrandpre) October 2, 2020
Australia’s coronavirus expert Dr Norman Swan (Australia’s Dr Fauci) says that at the president’s age of 74 the mortality rate is 5-12%.
But, he says, that obesity (the president is just over the line as obese in his last medical check) increases the risk by an extra 40%, increasing the risk of death to between about 7-18%.
Updated
A dig here at Trump repeatedly referring to coronavirus as the “China virus”:
Oh NOW it’s called Covid ok https://t.co/yU3BRJXlM1
— Suzy Nakamura (@SuzyNakamura) October 2, 2020
Here once again is Trump mocking Biden for wearing a mask:
Here's Trump mocking Biden for wearing a mask at the debate on Tuesday. He traveled to that debate with Hope Hicks, who has tested positive for coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/MvFs3HR2Z3
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) October 2, 2020
Dow futures fall 500 points
Dow futures have fallen more than 500 points.
US Futures extending declines... Dow futures off 500+ points as President Trump confirms he has COVID-19 #Trump #COVID19 #markets #selloff #DowFutures pic.twitter.com/Si75LQlhy7
— Matthew Taylor (@MattCNBC) October 2, 2020
Who takes over if Trump and Pence fall ill?
Under the Presidential Succession Act, vice-president Mike Pence would step in if Trump was unable to serve.
If Pence was also unable to serve, the next in line for power of the presidency would then pass to House speaker Nancy Pelosi. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in May the administration was not preparing for the possibility that Pelosi might need to step in.
A reminder that Trump and Pence appeared together at the White House Rose Garden on Monday.
Trump and Pence at the Rose Garden on Monday: pic.twitter.com/KiIweNvK5u
— Helen Sullivan (@helenrsullivan) October 2, 2020
Updated
The editor-in-chief of China’s Global Times says: “President Trump and the first lady have paid the price for his gamble to play down the Covid-19. The news shows the severity of the US’ pandemic situation. It will impose a negative impact on the image of Trump and the US, and may also negatively affect his re-election”:
President Trump and the first lady have paid the price for his gamble to play down the COVID-19. The news shows the severity of the US’ pandemic situation. It will impose a negative impact on the image of Trump and the US, and may also negatively affect his reelection.
— Hu Xijin 胡锡进 (@HuXijin_GT) October 2, 2020
Updated
The Guardian has not yet verified this, but MSNBC is reporting the following travel contacts for Hope Hicks. The list includes Trump family members Ivanka, Erik, Lara and Tiffany Trump as well as Jared Kushner:
MSNBC put together a list 👀 pic.twitter.com/oyYx14DQFe
— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) October 2, 2020
Updated
Pence responds
Vice President Mike Pence has tweeted saying he and his wife are sending “love and prayers” to Trump and Melania:
Karen and I send our love and prayers to our dear friends President @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS Melania Trump. We join millions across America praying for their full and swift recovery. God bless you President Trump & our wonderful First Lady Melania.
— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) October 2, 2020
Updated
And here is what we don’t know
- Whether Pence is infected. CNN medical analyst Dr Jonathan Reiner said on Thursday that House speaker Nancy Pelosi should be in isolation because it is possible that both Trump and vice president Mike Pence could become ill, in which case she would likely need to step in. It is not clear-cut what the rules would be in this case. In May the Washington Post asked the question and found that, under the rules of a 1947 act, “The speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate would be next in the line of succession, followed by the members of the Cabinet, beginning with the secretary of state.”
- How long Trump, Melania and Hicks have had the virus for and exactly which White House staff she has had close contact with. According to the World Health Organization, it takes five or six days on average from when someone is infected until symptoms show, but it can take 14 days. It appears Hicks began to feel ill on Wednesday.
Summary
Here is what we know so far:
- Donald Trump and Melania Trump have tested positive for coronavirus. The news came after one of the president’s most senior advisers, Hope Hicks, tested positive on Thursday. Trump broke the news on Twitter.
- Hicks had flown with the president on Air Force One earlier on Wednesday and accompanied him to the first presidential debate against Democratic candidate Joe Biden on Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio.
- Trump confirmed on Fox News on Thursday evening that he and First Lady Melania Trump were awaiting the results of coronavirus tests following Hicks’s positive test.
- Trump’s doctor confirmed that the president and first lady would “remain at home within the White House during their convalescence”. How long this convalescence lasts will depend on how ill the pair get. Even if Trump tests negative within the next 14 days, he will almost certainly be unable to attend rallies in three key states – Wisconsin, Florida and Arizona – as well as the next presidential debate, which is scheduled for 15 October.
- The CDC guidelines for people who have tested positive state that they should inform all close contacts.
- If Trump becomes too ill to lead the country, vice president Mike Pence will be placed in charge. If Pence is also incapacitated, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would be the most likely person to take over.
- Pence attended a White House coronavirus task force briefing with Trump on Monday. Pence did not attend the presidential debate.
- Hicks is not the only White House staffer to have contracted the virus. Katie Miller, press secretary to the vice-president, who is married to Trump’s adviser Stephen Miller, has recovered from Covid-19. One of Trump’s personal valets also tested positive for coronavirus, in May:
Updated
Trump cancels rally in Arizona
Trump has cancelled Friday’s rally in Arizona:
NEW: In light of Pres. Trump's positive coronavirus test, the president has canceled Friday's rally. His only scheduled event is a closed press call on COVID-19 support to “vulnerable seniors.” https://t.co/27SZo2Fus3
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) October 2, 2020
Updated
One of the questions now is when exactly Trump contracted the virus – and how long he may have been infectious for:
I'm puzzled about the timing here. It's not clear to me that both POTUS and FLOTUS would be testing positive 48 hours after exposure.
— Carl T. Bergstrom (@CT_Bergstrom) October 2, 2020
Prior exposure? Others infected? https://t.co/xKDnzII8YJ pic.twitter.com/91nARNWuXb
Thinking about it a bit more: Hope Hicks tested positive yesterday, but has been traveling with Trump daily—so she would have been tested daily also. With both of them testing positive for the first time within a day of each other, most likely there's a common source of exposure.
— Carl T. Bergstrom (@CT_Bergstrom) October 2, 2020
Joe Biden has not yet responded to Trump testing positive for coronavirus, but this is the last thing he did tweet:
Donald Trump will do everything he can to distract from the fact that because of his failed COVID-19 response:
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 2, 2020
- Over 200,000 Americans have died
- 26 million are on unemployment
- 1 in 6 small businesses risk permanent closure
We can’t let him.
MSNC contributor Joyce Alene has this to say:
SMDH & wishing them a speedy recovery. Hoping Trump will become an advocate for masks, social distancing & other public health measures so other people can be spared this illness. https://t.co/OHKnGnGCR4
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) October 2, 2020
White House doctor confirms Trump will remain home during convalescence
From CNN:
In a memo issued to reporters around 1 a.m. ET, the President’s physician, Navy Commander Dr. Sean Conley, wrote he received confirmation of the positive tests on Thursday evening.
“The President and First Lady are both well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence,’ Conley wrote.
‘The White House medical team and I will maintain a vigilant watch, and I appreciate the support provided by some of our country’s greatest medical professionals and institutions,’ Conley wrote, without elaborating what assistance was being provided to the White House.
‘Rest assured I expect the President to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any further developments,’ he wrote.
Updated
Just a reminder that US President Donald Trump is 74 years old, and Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden is 77 years old, which means both are at greater risk of severe illness from coronavirus.
Biden appeared with Trump at the presidential debate on Tuesday, where Trump mocked Biden for wearing a mask.
Trump is 74 pic.twitter.com/fmGE9CoRhv
— Helen Sullivan (@helenrsullivan) October 2, 2020
Get in touch on Twitter @helenrsullivan.
From Harvard Medical School:
How soon after I’m infected with the new coronavirus will I start to be contagious?
The time from exposure to symptom onset (known as the incubation period) is thought to be three to 14 days, though symptoms typically appear within four or five days after exposure.
We know that a person with COVID-19 may be contagious 48 to 72 hours before starting to experience symptoms. Emerging research suggests that people may actually be most likely to spread the virus to others during the 48 hours before they start to experience symptoms.
If true, this strengthens the case for face masks, physical distancing, and contact tracing, all of which can help reduce the risk that someone who is infected but not yet experiencing symptoms may unknowingly infect others.
Trump and Melania test positive for coronavirus
US President Donald Trump has tested positive for Covid, he has just announced on Twitter. The president tweeted:
Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!
Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
Updated
Pence and Trump appeared at a coronavirus task force briefing in the rose garden of the White House on Monday – and as you can see below, they were fairly close to each other and not wearing masks:
Here is today’s episode of our US Election Podcast – which is all about the importance of Florida:
Oliver Laughland, the Guardian’s US southern bureau chief, discusses his recent road trip around Florida, a key state that Trump only narrowly won in 2016. He found two sides bitterly opposed:
The White House hasn’t responded to questions from my colleague about which officials have been exposed to Hicks and we are trying to confirm whether Pence and Trump have been in close contact this week.
For now, there is this from Bloomberg:
When they returned to Washington on Tuesday, Stephen Miller and Hicks were seen sharing an umbrella as they exited Air Force One in the rain. Miller’s wife, Katie Miller – Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary – recovered from Covid-19 earlier this year.
Updated
CNN medical analyst Jonathan Reiner says that House speaker Nancy Pelosi should be in isolation as it is possible that both Trump and Vice President Mike Pence could become ill, in which case she would likely need to step in:
It isn't clear cut, but a good explanation here: https://t.co/9tO94gHvU0
— Helen Sullivan (@helenrsullivan) October 2, 2020
It is a complicated question – who would be in charge if both Trump and Pence were ill – but here is a good explanation from the Washington Post in May:
Article II of the Constitution grants Congress the right to “provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then act as President” — and the 1947 act is the current result. Under its rules, the speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate would be next in the line of succession, followed by the members of the Cabinet, beginning with the secretary of state.
Until 1947, succession had passed through the Cabinet. Congress added the speaker and president pro tem on the grounds that the president should desirably be an elected official, even if not part of the executive branch. This might make sense in theory, but it could be truly terrible in practice. Should both Pence and Trump be unable to serve, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) would become president under the act — handing the White House to a different party without an election. Should she be unable or unwilling to serve, then the office would go to Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa).
Updated
Within that 14-day period, Trump is due to speak at rallies in Florida, Wisconsin and Arizona. All three are swing states.
And Florida, where Biden is up 2.2 pointshttps://t.co/PORQfAzzLI pic.twitter.com/W6myPPNbdh
— Helen Sullivan (@helenrsullivan) October 2, 2020
Updated
Here are the US Centres for Disease Control’s guidelines for quarantining:
Who needs to quarantine?
People who have been in close contact with someone who has Covid-19
Steps to take
- Stay home for 14 days after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19
- Watch for fever (100.4◦F), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19
- If possible, stay away from others, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19
The CDC recommends people quarantine for 14 days if they've been exposed to someone who has tested positive. This would mean no (in-person) Wisconsin and Arizona rallies – and next debate https://t.co/yj927o41Um
— Helen Sullivan (@helenrsullivan) October 2, 2020
Trump to quarantine
Trump has just tweeted that he and Melania will “begin our quarantine process” after senior advisor Hope Hicks tested positive for coronavirus.
It is unclear how long the quarantine is due to last. The CDC recommends that anyone who has been in close contact with a person who has tested positive quarantine at home for 14 days.
We’ll bring you a list of some of the campaign events that would affect shortly:
Hope Hicks, who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just tested positive for Covid 19. Terrible! The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
Secretly recorded audio of Melania Trump released
This is not strictly coronavirus-related, but while we are on the topic of Donald and Melania Trump awaiting their coronavirus tests after Hope Hicks tested positive, there is Melania news.
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, former assistant to the first lady has written a tell-all book about her time working for Ms Trump.
Today Winston Wolkoff released a secret recording of a conversation with the first lady in which Ms Trump says: “give me a fucking break” when talking about children separated at the US-Mexico border:
In secretly recorded audio, Melania Trump says about reporters asking her about kids separated at border: "Give me a fucking break." She assails the "liberal media," says she doesn't want to do a story on Fox, and adds, "Who gives a fuck about Christmas stuff and decorations?" pic.twitter.com/Ia2U2WmzN5
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) October 2, 2020
Here is the full story on Hicks testing positive:
Trump confirms Hope Hicks has tested positive, says he has had a test and 'will see what happens'
Speaking to Fox news host Sean Hanity, US President Donald Trump has confirmed that his senior advisor, Hope Hicks, tested positive for coronavirus.
“I just went for a test, we’ll see what happens,” Trump said.
Trump to Hannity on positive coronavirus test for his close aide Hope Hicks: “Whether we quarantine, or whether we have it, I don’t know...We’ll see what happens”
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) October 2, 2020
“I’ll get my test back either tonight or tomorrow morning. I spend a lot of time with Hope and so does the first lady.”
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US President Donald Trump is being interviewed by Sean Hanity on Fox tonight – we’ll bring you the latest if he is asked about Hicks testing positive.
For now:
Trump explicitly says on Hannity that he condemns the KKK, condemns all white supremacists, and condemns the Proud Boys even though he doesn't know much about them - but Biden needs to condemn Antifa.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) October 2, 2020
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Do you have news tips? Get in touch on Twitter @helenrsullivan or via email: helen.sullivan@theguadian.com.
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Here's Trump mocking Biden for wearing a mask at the debate on Tuesday. He traveled to that debate with Hope Hicks, who has tested positive for coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/MvFs3HR2Z3
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) October 2, 2020
Hicks also travelled with Trump to presidential debate on Tuesday
Bloomberg note that Hicks travelled with Trump to the presidential debate with Joe Biden on Tuesday (before she tested positive).
Hicks traveled with Trump to his debate with Biden on Tuesday and to a Minnesota rally on Wednesday. Trump’s entourage entered the debate hall without face coverings, or removed them as they sat down, and refused an offer of masks from a doctor at the Cleveland Clinic, which was co-hosting the event.
Biden’s guests wore masks.
Hicks was seen on Tuesday riding maskless in a staff van with White House senior adviser Stephen Miller, campaign adviser Jason Miller and others.
When they returned to Washington on Tuesday, Stephen Miller and Hicks were seen sharing an umbrella as they exited Air Force One in the rain. Miller’s wife, Katie Miller – Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary – recovered from Covid-19 earlier this year.
Hicks felt poorly in Minnesota on Wednesday and was quarantined aboard Air Force One during the return flight, according to people familiar with the matter. She tested positive for the virus on Thursday.
The White House did not immediately respond to multiple questions about the last time Trump was tested and whether he and other staffers who spent time with Hicks in recent days will be asked to quarantine, according to AP.
In a statement, White House spokesman Judd Deere said, “The President takes the health and safety of himself and everyone who works in support of him and the American people very seriously.”
“White House Operations collaborates with the Physician to the President and the White House Military Office to ensure all plans and procedures incorporate current CDC guidance and best practices for limiting Covid-19 exposure to the greatest extent possible both on complex and when the President is traveling,” Deere said.
More on Hope Hicks testing positive for coronavirus: Hicks traveled with the president multiple times this week, including aboard Marine One, the presidential helicopter, for a Minnesota rally Wednesday, and aboard Air Force One to Tuesday night’s first presidential debate, AP reports.
Hicks, one of the president’s most trusted aides, previously served as White House communications director and rejoined the administration this year ahead of the election. Her positive test was first reported by Bloomberg News.
Multiple White House staffers have tested positive for the virus, including Katie Miller, Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary, national security adviser Robert O’Brien, and one of the president’s personal valets.
After earlier positive cases close to the president, the White House instituted a daily testing regimen for the president’s senior aides. Others who will be in close proximity to the president and vice president, including reporters, are also tested every day.
Hope Hicks tests positive for Covid – reports
Hope Hicks, one of US president Donald Trump’s most senior advisers, has tested positive for coronavirus, the New York Times and Washington Post report.
She travelled on Air Force One with president Trump on Wednesday night and is the “closest person known to the president to have contracted the virus,” the Times reports.
In the UK, strictly Come Dancing contestant HRVY has tested positive for coronavirus, just over two weeks before the launch of the new series.
The singer and YouTube star, whose real name is Harvey Leigh Cantwell, announced the news on social media, telling fans he does not have any symptoms and is now isolating for 10 days.
The 21-year-old said: “hi, wasn’t gonna worry anyone and say anything but now the story’s out, i have coronavirus, I’m all good, no symptoms, just isolating for the next 10 days. already super bored so prepare yourselves for my Tik toks.”
“It just proves that us youngsters can get it and not even realise,” he told his 4.5 million Instagram followers. “I’m fine, I’m chilling, but I’m going to be in this bedroom for a while so I’ll see you guys on the other side.”
All contestants are being tested for Covid-19 twice a week, with the first tests taking place on Monday and revealing HRVY’s infection:
India deaths near 100,000
The death toll in India, which has the second-highest number of cases worldwide, is nearing the grim milestone of 100,000. There are currently 98,678 deaths confirmed on the Johns Hopkins University tracker.
India’s deaths are the third-highest worldwide, after Brazil with 143,952 and the US with 207,651.
French government warns Paris may go on maximum virus alert from Monday
French authorities may place Paris on maximum virus alert as soon as Monday, potentially requiring all bars to close and other new restrictions as Covid-19 cases surge, Health Minister Olivier Veran said Thursday, AFP reports.
The capital and its closest suburbs, comprising nearly seven million inhabitants, have already breached the maximum alert thresholds, Veran told a press conference.
“We need a few days to confirm the trends, but if they are confirmed, we’ll have no choice but to put it on maximum alert, from Monday,” he said.
“That would imply that people in Paris and suburbs would have to drastically limit their social interactions... no more family gatherings, no more evenings out, and a total closure of bars,” he added.
“We’re in a phase where the situation is worsening.”
So far, only the southern city of Marseille and the Caribbean territory of Guadeloupe have been placed on maximum alert, leading to bar as well as restaurant closures, and a shutdown of public venues such as museums and cinemas unless strict safeguards are in place.
But Veran said five other cities - Lille, Lyon, Grenoble, Toulouse and Saint-Etienne - could also be placed on maximum alert next week.
Already in Paris, bars have to shut at 10:00 pm (2000 GMT) and gyms have been closed completely.
The government has said it will take every precaution necessary to avoid a new state of emergency that would require a generalised lockdown like the one imposed at the height of the outbreak, from mid-March to mid-May.
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Summary
Hello and welcome to today’s live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic with me, Helen Sullivan.
I’ll be bringing you the latest global updates and would be delighted to hear from you, wherever in the world you are. Get in touch on Twitter @helenrsullivan.
Paris could be placed on “maximum alert”, the health minister, Olivier Véran, at a press conference on Thursday, warning that “we have to anticipate this possibility”. The French health ministry has reported 13,970 new cases in the past 24 hours, up from 12,845 new cases on Wednesday.
Véran warned that restaurants and bars could be closed in Paris from Monday if coronavirus rates do not improve by Sunday.
- Restaurants and bars could be closed in Paris from Monday if coronavirus rates do not improve by Sunday. The capital could be placed on “maximum alert”, the health minister, Olivier Véran, at a press conference on Thursday, warning that “we have to anticipate this possibility”. The French health ministry has reported 13,970 new cases in the past 24 hours, up from 12,845 new cases on Wednesday.
- Coronavirus cases have doubled in the majority of English cities and towns that are subject to long-term local lockdowns, Guardian analysis has found, amid growing concern that restrictions are confusing and done “on the cheap”.
- The Turkish government has been criticised for underreporting cases by the country’s medical association. In a press conference on Wednesday, the health minister, Fahrettin Koca, appeared to acknowledge that Turkey did not record cases of Covid-19 that were not symptomatic.
- Italy has recorded more than 2,000 daily cases for the first time since April. The country registered 2,548 new Covid-19 infections on Thursday, the first time it has exceeded 2,000 cases in a single day since the end of April.
- Poland is expecting more than 2,000 new cases a day. On Thursday, the country recorded a record 1,927 new cases, while its health minister said he expected daily cases to continue peaking above 2,000 in the next few days.
- Sweden has recorded its highest daily caseload since June. A total of 752 new cases were recorded on Thursday, its highest daily rise since 30 June when the health agency registered just over 800 new cases.
- Italy’s prime minister is seeking to extend the country’s state of emergency until January. On Thursday, Giuseppe Conte said he would ask parliament to extend the current state of emergency beyond mid-October to try to avoid the surge in infections being seen in other European countries.
