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Summary
Here the latest key developments at a glance:
- France reported on Saturday that 5,273 people were in intensive care units for Covid-19, a rise of 19 from the previous day.On Friday, the country logged one of the biggest daily jumps in months.
- Turkey reported 44,756 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours to Saturday, health ministry data showed, the highest level since the beginning of the pandemic.
- The current surge of coronavirus cases in the US state of Michigan and parts of Canada may foreshadow what’s to come elsewhere in the US as people move around more and the contagious British virus variant spreads, an expert said on Saturday.
- However, the US has administered more than 4 million doses of coronavirus vaccine over the past day, setting a new record.
- Brazil registered 43,515 fresh infections as well as 1,987 new deaths from the virus on Saturday.- About 3,500 people attended a “lateral thinkers” rally in Stuttgart, Germany on Saturday to demonstrate against pandemic-related restrictions, after the city decided not to use emergency laws to ban the protest.
- Mexico on Saturday reported 1,838 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 157 more fatalities, bringing the country’s total to 2,249,195 infections and 204,011 deaths
- Poland recorded 28,073 new confirmed coronavirus cases and 571 further deaths over the past 24h to Saturday morning, compared to 30,546 cases reported on Friday.
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Updated
The Australian state of Queensland has recorded no new locally-acquired cases of Covid-19.
Health authorities speaking from Brisbane on Sunday, who were announcing Saturday’s case numbers, also noted there was one new case reported in hotel quarantine from a returned traveller.
Acting chief health officer Dr Sonya Bennett said the lack of new cases was a sign the state was making “great progress” in its recent outbreak.
Last week, Queensland’s capital, Brisbane, was plunged into a three-day snap lockdown in an attempt to slow the spread of the outbreak.
Only one locally acquired case was reported in Australia on Saturday - a Queensland man who has been in quarantine through his entire infectious period.
There are now 72 active Covid-19 cases in Queensland.
Brazil registered 43,515 fresh infections as well as 1,987 new deaths from the virus on Saturday, the health ministry said.
Reuters reports:
The Latin American nation is reeling from the worst of the pandemic yet and has the highest daily death tolls in the world.
Deaths now total 330,193. Cases rose by 43,515, the ministry said, and now total 12,953,597.
Poland recorded 28,073 new confirmed coronavirus cases and 571 further deaths over the past 24h to Saturday morning, against 30,546 cases reported on Friday, data released by the Health Ministry shows.
First News reports:
The healthcare system is now handling 32,260 Covid-19 hospitalisations, up from 31,955 recorded the day prior, including 3,209 patients on ventilators, against the total of 4,176 ventilators available, the Health Ministry said on Twitter.
The health ministry also reported that 467,178 people are under quarantine. So far, 1,945,994 people have recovered.
In all, 6,614,819 Poles have already received jabs against Covid-19, with 2,070,003 of those having had both doses of the vaccine, according to data posted on the official government website, gov.pl.
Updated
Thailand on Saturday reported one further death and 84 new Covid-19 cases — 69 local and 15 imported — raising the country’s overall toll to 95 fatalities and 29,031 cases.
Bangkok logged 32 new cases, 46.4% of the daily increment. Thirty were detected at hospitals and the two others through active case finding in communities. Of the new cases in the capital, 28 were Thais and the others were nationals from Japan, Myanmar, New Zealand and the US, the Bangkok Post reports.
Trailing Bangkok in new cases was the Samut Sakhon province, with 12 new cases, or 17.4% of the daily increment.
Updated
The current surge of coronavirus cases in the US state of Michigan and parts of Canada may foreshadow what’s to come elsewhere in the US as people move around more and the contagious British virus variant spreads, an expert said on Saturday.
CNN reports:
Ali Mokdad, of the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), said via Twitter that the more easily transmitted B.1.1.7 variant first seen in Britain is fueling the spread, but so is people’s behavior.
“B.1.1.7 surge is unfolding in the northern states of the US and Canada. The rapid increases in cases seen in Michigan may be a marker of what may unfold in other parts of the US and Canada,” Mokdad, a population health professor, [wrote]. “Cases and deaths are increasing in Europe despite extensive social distancing mandates, slowly increasing vaccination rates, and reduced mobility.”
On Thursday, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) upped its estimate of how many people are likely to die from coronavirus in the US by July 1 to 609,000 deaths, up from 600,000 in last week’s forecast.
The spread of new variants may be in part to blame, but so is the relaxation of social distancing and mask mandates, the IHME said.
“Overly rapid reopening, well documented in the rapid increases in mobility in the US, increases the risk of an April/May surge despite rapid scale-up of vaccination,” Mokdad tweeted.
“The trajectory of the pandemic requires stronger preventive measures and depends on the behavioral response in terms of vaccine confidence, mask-wearing, and avoidance of situations that pose a high risk for transmission.”
Updated
Mexico on Saturday reported 1,838 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 157 more fatalities, bringing the country’s total to 2,249,195 infections and 204,011 deaths, according to data from the health ministry.
A week ago, on 27 March, Mexico had reported 5,059 new infections.
The government says the real case numbers are probably significantly higher, and separate data published recently by the health ministry suggested that the actual death toll from the coronavirus could be at least 60% above the confirmed figure, Reuters reports.
Updated
The US has administered more than 4 million doses of coronavirus vaccine over the past day, setting a new record and taking the seven-day average to over 3 million a day, according to US centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
More than 161 million coronavirus vaccine doses have now been given to a US population of around 330 million.
Dr. Cyrus Shahpar, Covid-19 data director at the White House, wrote on Twitter: “Wow a record reporting day!! +4.08M doses reported administered over the total yesterday.”
Today +2.48M doses reported administered over yesterday. New record for a Thursday (22% higher than prior high). Again as with other Covid-19 metrics such as deaths, there is a lag, but most doses are reported to CDC within a few days of administration. 7-day avg now 2.23M/day.
— Dr. Cyrus Shahpar (@CyrusShahpar) March 11, 2021
Pope Francis, leading an Easter vigil service scaled down due to Covid-19, said on Saturday he hoped the dark times of the pandemic would end and that people could rediscover “the grace of everyday life”.
Reuters reports:
This year has been the second consecutive Easter that all papal services are being attended by only about 200 people in a secondary altar of St. Peter’s Basilica instead of the nearly 10,000 that the largest church in Christendom can hold.
The service began two hours earlier than usual so that participants could get home before a 10 p.m. curfew in Rome, which, like the rest of Italy, is under tough lockdown restrictions during the Easter weekend.
At the start of the service, the basilica was in darkness except for the flames from candles held by participants to signify the darkness in the world before Jesus. As the pope, cardinals and bishops processed to the altar and a cantor chanted three times, the basilica’s lights were turned on.
In his homily, Francis, marking the ninth Easter season of his pontificate, said the festival brought with it the hope for renewal on a personal as well as a global level.
“It is always possible to begin anew because there is a new life that God can awaken in us in spite of all our failures,” Francis said.“In these dark months of the pandemic, let us listen to the Risen Lord as he invites us to begin anew and never lose hope.”
He said that just as Jesus brought his message “to those struggling to live from day to day”, people today should care for those most in need on the fringes of society.
France reported on Saturday that 5,273 people were in intensive care units for Covid-19, a rise of 19 from the previous day.
On Friday, the country logged one of the biggest daily jumps in months, just as France enters a third national lockdown in an effort to stem the pandemic.
France 24 reports:
Doctors in the Paris region have warned that surging coronavirus infections could soon overwhelm intensive care units, forcing them to make decisions about who to treat.
With more than 1,500 patients currently in ICU units across the Paris region, the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic is proving even more brutal than the first.
Nationwide, occupancy rates are nearing 90%, meaning health workers have few options to take their patients elsewhere.
France also reported a further 213 coronavirus deaths on Saturday, taking the total tally since the start of the pandemic to 96,493.
Deaths in hospitals alone were up by 187, bringing that tally to 70,417, according to data from the health ministry.
Updated
About 3,500 people, mostly without masks, attended a “lateral thinkers” rally in Stuttgart, Germany on Saturday to demonstrate against pandemic-related restrictions, local police estimated.
The authorities initially expected 2,500 participants, the organisers thought there would be 6,000. The “lateral thinking” movement and its fellow campaigners are clamouring for lockdown measures to be lifted.
The movement is under observation of the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Baden-Württemberg, dpa reports.
The State Ministry of Health reacted with disbelief to the scenes in the Stuttgart city area.
“I do not understand why the city has manoeuvred itself into this situation with open eyes,” said ministerial director Uwe Lahl on Saturday.
Both in writing and in a personal phone call he had shown the mayor of Stuttgart, Clemens Maier, that the state’s coronavirus ordinance allowed for a ban on large demonstrations, he said.
But the city decided against a ban. “That was wrong from an infectious point of view in this phase of the pandemic,” said Lahl.
“The right to demonstrate is a valuable asset, but in a pandemic there are also limits to it,” said Lahl.
Updated
A Good Friday service in south London was broken up by police over apparent breaches of Covid-19 regulations.
Footage, uploaded on YouTube, showed Metropolitan police officers addressing worshippers at the Christ the King Polish Catholic church in Balham, south London, late on Friday afternoon.
The video shows an officer telling the congregation that they could be fined £200 or arrested for the potential rule-breaking. He said: “This gathering is unfortunately unlawful under the coronavirus regulations we have currently. I suggest, ladies and gentlemen, that though it is Good Friday, and I appreciate you would like to worship, that this gathering is unlawful so please may you leave the building now. Thank you.”
A statement posted on the church’s website on Saturday said that they complied with the order to close the service and for people to go home, but insisted it had met all government requirements. It claimed the Met officers had misunderstood regulations on church services during the pandemic.
My colleague Harry Taylor reports:
Updated
Hungary’s Teachers Trade Union has warned that the reopening of schools on 19 April might result in a fourth wave of coronavirus infections in the country.
Until 11 April, 162,000 nursery workers as well as school and kindergarten teachers will get at least their first jab, Euronews reports, of around 213,000 people working in this sector.
Hungary reported a further 242 deaths from the virus on Saturday, while 8,637 new infections were registered.
So far 2,235,731 people in the country have received a first jab, while 891,002 have been fully vaccinated.
The number of active infections has risen to 242,308, while hospitals are caring for 11,383 Covid patients, 1,437 of whom need respiratory assistance.
There are almost 60,000 people in official quarantine, Daily News Hungary reports.
This from the British health minister Matt Hancock:
I'm delighted that 50% of over-80s have now had their second jab.
— Matt Hancock (@MattHancock) April 3, 2021
Thank you to everyone involved in rolling-out the vaccine across the whole UK 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/VRfVHQeaEM
The UK’s vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi tweeted: “5.2m second doses, our focus is making sure the most vulnerable groups 1-9 get their second doses. That is 99%
of mortality.”
Updated
Turkey logs record daily surge in new infections
Turkey reported 44,756 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours to Saturday, health ministry data showed, the highest level since the beginning of the pandemic.
Turkey currently ranks fifth globally for most daily cases based on a seven-day average, according to a Reuters tally.
Cases have surged since the government eased measures to curb the pandemic in early March, hitting new record highs over the past consecutive five days.
On Monday, president Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a tightening of measures, as well as another nationwide lockdown on weekends during Ramadan, which starts on 13 April.
The total number of cases stands at 3.445m as of Saturday, the data showed. The latest daily death toll was 186, bringing overall recorded fatalities from Covid-19 to 32,078.
Hurriyet Daily reports:
Turkey re-enforced weekend curfews starting on 2 April in accordance with the risk situation of provinces amid surging coronavirus cases and fatalities.
The weekend curfew started Friday 9pm nationwide. However, its duration will vary province-wise.
In low and medium risk provinces, marked blue and yellow, respectively, on a color-coded map issued by the authorities, the curfew will end at 5am on Saturday.
In high-risk provinces, marked orange, the curfew will end at 5am on Saturday. However, it will restart at 9 pm on Saturday and end at 5am on Monday.
In high-risk provinces, marked red, the weekend curfew will end at 5am on Monday.
Markets, grocery stores, greengrocers, butchers and dried nuts and fruits sellers will remain open between 10am to 5pm and will be able to deliver.
Bakeries will also be open at the weekend.
I’m Jedidajah Otte and am taking over now for the next few hours. Feel free to get in touch with tips, comments and pertinent updates, I’m on Twitter @JedySays.
Updated
More than 110,000 have now died in Italy, after its health ministry reported another 376 deaths on Saturday.
The figure is lower than the 481 registered on Friday, but daily case totals remain high. 21,261 positive tests were being recorded in the last 24 hours, a fall from 21,932 the day before.
Updated
UK death toll rises to 126,826
Another 10 people have died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19, the latest UK government figures show.
It means a total of 126,826 have now died from the virus, and other statistics agencies have found 150,000 deaths registered in the UK where it was on the death certificate.
There has also been a further 3,423 positive tests on Saturday, meaning there has been 4,357,091 cases since the start of the pandemic.
Delays are expected in reporting figures over the weekend due to the Easter bank holiday.
Updated
Nearly 31.5m in UK have had first vaccine dose
Nearly 125,000 more people got their first Covid-19 vaccine yesterday in the UK, Reuters reports.
According to latest government figures, 31,425,682 people have had at least their first jab, compared to 31,301,267 a day earlier.
More than 5.2 million people have received their second jab, bringing the total to 36,631,187.
This is Harry Taylor taking over the liveblog. If you’ve got any tips or suggestions about coverage, you can reach me by email or via Twitter where my DMs are open.
Updated
Summary of the latest developments
Below is a quick look at the latest news on coronavirus from around the world:
- India’s biggest cities braced for stricter lockdowns and other Covid-19 curbs on Saturday, after infections hit a six-month high, as a month-long surge continued in the country third worst hit by the pandemic. India’s richest state, Maharashtra, accounted for more than half of the 89,129 new cases reported by the national health ministry in the last 24 hours, with a record 47,827 infections.
- The Argentinian president, Alberto Fernández, has tested positive for the coronavirus. He is in good spirits despite a light fever, he said in a tweet, and is still working.“I am in good physical condition,” the president, who turned 62 on Friday, said. “I would have liked to end my birthday without this news, but I am in good spirits.”
- The Philippines will extend a coronavirus lockdown of more than 24 million people, an official said Saturday, as it deploys tents and health workers to overwhelmed hospitals in the capital where cases are surging.
- Coronavirus has killed at least 2,839,051 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 1000 GMT Saturday.
- There is no evidence uptake of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine is slowing in the UK despite some European countries pausing its rollout, a public health expert has said. Prof Linda Bauld of Edinburgh University said all studies indicated the jab was safe and effective, while the fact different countries were reviewing their position was a sign that the system was working.
- Britons who have had both coronavirus vaccine doses could avoid quarantine measures under government plans to restart international travel, it has been reported. It is expected Boris Johnson will signal on Monday that foreign travel will return with restrictions based on a traffic light system that rates countries as red, amber or green based on Covid infection rates, vaccination levels and the prevalence of variants.
Updated
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India’s biggest cities braced for stricter lockdowns and other Covid-19 curbs on Saturday after infections hit a six-month high, as a month-long surge continued in the country third worst hit by the pandemic.
India’s richest state, Maharashtra, accounted for more than half of the 89,129 new cases reported by the national health ministry in the last 24 hours, with a record 47,827 infections.
The state’s chief minister warned citizens of a lockdown if cases continued to rise at their current rate, saying medical infrastructure would be inadequate in a couple of weeks.
You can read the full report here:
A further 41 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, taking the total number of confirmed deaths in hospitals to 86,392, NHS England said on Saturday.
The 41 patients were aged between 30 and 98 and all bar five, aged between 70 and 93, had known underlying health conditions. The deaths occurred between 8 November and 2 April.
Updated
Argentinian president tests positive for coronavirus
The Argentinian president, Alberto Fernández, has tested positive for the coronavirus. He is in good spirits despite a light fever, he said in a tweet, and is still working.
“I am in good physical condition,” the president, who turned 62 on Friday, said. “I would have liked to end my birthday without this news, but I am in good spirits.”
He is in isolation and following protocols, but still leading the country.
Fenández received Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine early this year. In an open statement, the vaccine’s developers told him it was 91.6% effective against infection and 100% effective against severe coronavirus cases.
“If the infection is confirmed, the vaccination ensures quick recovery without severe symptoms. We wish you a quick recovery!” said Russia’s Gamaleya Institute.
Argentina has lost 56,000 lives to the virus so far. Some 682,868 Argentinians have been fully vaccinated with older people and healthcare workers getting priority.
Updated
Protests against the government’s new policing bill are taking place across the country this afternoon.
Demonstrators are rallying in central London and 24 other towns and cities in England and Wales against the legislation, which would make it easier for police to ban or shut down peaceful protests if they are considered too disruptive or likely to lead to disorder.
Tweeting about the demonstrations, some police forces noted the peacefulness of protesters.
Wiltshire’s police force said it had “engaged positively with a number of people who have gathered at Regents Circus”.
In Devon and Cornwall, police said they were aware of kill the bill demonstrations in Plymouth, Exeter, Truro, Newquay and St Ives.
In Plymouth, Ch Supt Matt Longman said: “A few protests occurring around the Force. Great day for it, all very good natured at this time which is great to see. Stay safe everyone.”
“My approach today is that those who want to peacefully protest today are very welcome to,” he added.
You can read more on the bill and today’s demonstrations from my colleague Damien Gayle here:
Updated
A further 284,035 vaccine doses were recorded in England between April 1 and 2, NHS England data shows.
In total, 30,791,767 Covid-19 vaccinations took place between 8 December and 2 April.
Of the total, NHS England said 26,644,910 were the first dose of a vaccine, a rise of 68,281 on the previous day, while 4,146,857 were a second dose - an increase of 215,754.
Updated
Hello, I’m Molly Blackall, taking over the blog while my colleague Sarah has a break. I hope you’re all safe and well.
If you spot something we should be reporting on in this blog, do feel free to send me a message on Twitter. Tips and pointers always appreciated! Thanks in advance.
Police in London broke up a Good Friday service over apparent breaches of Covid-19 regulations.
Footage on Youtube showed Metropolitan police officers addressing worshippers at the Christ the King Polish Catholic Church in Balham, south London on Friday evening.
The video shows an officer telling the congregation: “I suggest, ladies and gentlemen, that though it is Good Friday, and I appreciate you would like to worship, that this gathering is unlawful so please may you leave the building now. Thank you.”
In a statement on its website, the church said it believed the police had “exceeded [its] powers”, and that it had met government requirements.
A Met police spokesman said no fines were issued, and the force was engaging with church authorities over the Easter weekend. He added: “Officers attended and found a large number of people inside the church. Some people were not wearing masks and those present were clearly not socially distanced.
“We are particularly concerned about the risk of transmission of the Covid-19 virus as a result of large indoor gatherings at which people are not socially distanced and some are not wearing masks. As such, officers made the decision that it was not safe for that particular service to continue.”
Updated
Swiss president, Guy Parmelin, was among the first to take part in a virtual candlelight vigil in memory of nearly 9,700 people who have died from Covid-19 in the country.
In a video message, Parmalin lit a red wax candle, comparing it to a “glimmer that we are starting to see on the horizon in this crisis”.
He also lit a virtual candle as part of a nearly two-month-long online vigil organised by Swiss churches of various denominations to coincide with the period between the eve of Easter and Whit Sunday, a Christian feast celebrated 50 days after Easter.
Just a few hours into the vigil, more than 800 virtual candles had been lit, creating flickering dots of light in various colours sparkling across a darkened map of Switzerland.
Updated
Scotland recorded 397 new coronavirus cases and no deaths of Covid-19 patients in the past 24 hours, according to the latest data.
Figures published by the Scottish Government indicate the daily test positivity rate is 2.1%, up slightly from 2.0% on Friday.
A total of 2,535,889 people have received the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccination and 434,941 have received their second dose. Saturday’s figures mean the death toll under this measure - of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days - remains at 7,614.
The Scottish Government is only publishing updates on the above data during the Easter break and the remaining daily statistics - such as hospital and intensive care figures - will be updated on Tuesday
Britons who have had both coronavirus vaccine doses could avoid quarantine measures under government plans to restart international travel, it has been reported.
It is expected Boris Johnson will signal on Monday that foreign travel will return with restrictions based on a traffic light system that rates countries as red, amber or green based on Covid infection rates, vaccination levels and the prevalence of variants.
Hesitancy towards the vaccine across parts of mainland Europe may mean that traditionally favoured continental destinations among British holidaymakers are deemed more high-risk than the likes of the US and Israel, where vaccination rates are good.
Overseas holidays are currently banned due to the UK’s coronavirus lockdown measures, but Boris Johnson plans to make an announcement on Easter Monday about lifting restrictions in England.
The Telegraph reported those returning to the UK will be expected to have pre-departure Covid tests regardless of their vaccination status, according to plans from the Government’s global travel task force.
But travellers who have received both jabs could need fewer tests after returning from low-risk countries and may not have to quarantine for 10 days following stays in medium-risk countries, the paper added.
It comes after the Times reported on Friday that travel to and from red-list countries will be banned, although the Sun newspaper said at the time those arriving back in the UK from such destinations will have to pay to stay at quarantine hotels, as is the current set-up for the worst affected countries.
Both newspapers said green-listed countries would be exempt from quarantine measures. Any restrictions could put further pressure on Britons to shun international travel in favour of a domestic holiday, amid concerns leaving the UK could increase the risk of introducing mutant coronavirus strains.
Scientific experts have repeatedly said summer staycations should be encouraged over foreign holidays this year.
The Philippines will extend a coronavirus lockdown of more than 24 million people, an official said Saturday, as it deploys tents and health workers to overwhelmed hospitals in the capital where cases are surging.
People in Metro Manila - the national capital region - and four neighbouring provinces will have to stay home for another week unless they are essential workers, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.
The announcement came as the number of new infections for a single day hit a record high of 12,576, taking the country’s caseload to more than 784,000, including over 13,400 deaths.
More contagious variants of the virus and poor compliance with health protocols have been blamed for the surge in recent weeks.
“We call on local governments to tighten enforcement of our quarantine measures and confront people who fail to follow minimum health standards,” Roque said.
Independent research group OCTA said the week-long enhanced community quarantine imposed on March 29 was showing signs of slowing the spread of the virus, “but we’re not there yet”.
The spike has swamped many hospitals, with reports of people driving for hours around the sprawling capital looking for a facility that can treat their sick loved ones.
To boost capacity, the health department said modular tents were being delivered to hospitals across Metro Manila with the help of the World Health Organization and the UN children fund UNICEF.
“Volunteer” health workers from other regions where virus transmission rates were low would be deployed to hospitals in the capital in the coming weeks, it added.
Under the restrictions affecting a fifth of the country’s population, church services and other mass gatherings are banned and a 6:00 pm to 5:00 am curfew is in force.
Supermarkets, pharmacies and other essential businesses are allowed to operate, and outdoor exercise is permitted.
Ukraine has approved China’s Sinovac vaccine to fight the coronavirus pandemic, the health ministry said after the country recorded a record rise in new Covid-19 cases for the second day in a row.
Ukraine received its first batch of 215,000 Sinovac doses in March to boost its vaccination programme, which has lagged behind many other European countries and it has so far relied on a single batch of AstraZeneca vaccines from India.
But authorities delayed using the Chinese vaccine, saying its local supplier had not provided the necessary paperwork and that the vaccine needed additional laboratory checks.
“As part of the vaccinations against Covid-19, Ukraine will use the CoronaVac vaccine from Sinovac Biotech,” the health ministry said in a statement on Saturday. “The vaccines of the Chinese company Sinovac Biotech can be trusted,” it said.
Ukraine is tightening lockdown restrictions in the worst-hit areas as coronavirus cases have soared after a winter lull.
The capital, Kyiv, will impose a strict lockdown from 5 April, restricting public transport and closing all schools and kindergartens.
Updated
Covid-19 vaccines will arrive in Syria within days from China, Russia and the World Health Organisation, the prime minister said, according to state news agency SANA.
The vaccines will be administered “according to a clear system”, the report said without giving further details.
Public Health Wales said a total of 1,472,643 first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have now been given in Wales. The agency said 463,445 second doses have also been given.
There have been a further 95 cases of coronavirus in Wales, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 209,627. There has been two further deaths, taking the total in the country since the start of the pandemic to 5,511.
Updated
The Philippines will extend a coronavirus lockdown of more than 24 million people, an official said, as it deploys tents and health workers to overwhelmed hospitals in the capital where cases are surging.
People in Metro Manila – the national capital region – and four neighbouring provinces will have to stay home for another week unless they are essential workers, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.
The announcement came as the number of new infections for a single day hit a record high of 12,576, taking the country’s caseload to more than 784,000, including over 13,400 deaths.
More contagious variants of the virus and poor compliance with health protocols have been blamed for the surge in recent weeks.
“We call on local governments to tighten enforcement of our quarantine measures and confront people who fail to follow minimum health standards,” Roque said.
Independent research group Octa said the week-long enhanced community quarantine imposed on 29 March was showing signs of slowing the spread of the virus, “but we’re not there yet”.
The spike has swamped many hospitals, with reports of people driving for hours around the sprawling capital looking for a facility that can treat their sick loved ones.
Updated
Latvia opened 10 large Covid-19 vaccination centres in an attempt to speed up one of the slowest inoculation campaigns in the European Union.
The Baltic state of 1.9 million people has been hampered by slow deliveries of doses as well as low trust in vaccines, particularly in the ethnic Russian community which makes up around a quarter of the population.
“Those who have applied to get the vaccine and are on the priority list can get their vaccine immediately,” health minister Daniels Pavluts told the Leta news agency.
“It is good that they can already get the vaccine during the Easter holidays, making their families safer.”
Invitations have been issued to primary risk groups, which include elderly people, cancer survivors, patients with HIV, diabetes and other chronic illnesses, and people of all ages with immunity deficit diseases.
Latvia has the second-lowest vaccination rate in the EU after Bulgaria, with just over 7% of the population having received at least one jab.
Along with large hubs in the cities, mobile vaccination teams will be deployed to remote villages.
According to a recent Nielsen poll, only half of Latvians say they intend to get vaccinated, with 34% opposed and 16% undecided.
“Once the mass vaccination centres are up and running, people will see the successful vaccination campaign, their attitude will shift towards being more positive, and we’ll have plenty of willing people,” Pavluts said earlier.
Updated
Dozens of partygoers danced on Friday on a popular beach near central Barcelona in Spain, some without wearing masks or observing social distancing in defiance of Covid-19 restrictions, police said.
The impromptu party took place on Barceloneta beach and police said they had advised revellers they were breaking health regulations.
“Barcelona is the perfect place to party, to drink, but this is a big problem – the police – they are stopping people enjoying themselves,” a British reveller who gave only his first name Liam, 32, and who was wearing a mask, told Reuters.
Meetings of more than six people in public areas are banned in Spain’s north-eastern region of Catalonia and offenders can face fines of €300 to €600 (£255-£510), police said.
“Our officers advise people where there are big groups of people that they are contravening restrictions and sometimes if they do not put on masks or move away, they can face fines,” said a spokesman for Catalan regional police. He did not say if anyone had been fined in this instance.
Updated
Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has extended a strict lockdown in the capital region and adjacent provinces by at least one week to try to contain a renewed surge in coronavirus infections, his spokesman said.
The Philippines, which has the second-highest Covid-19 cases and deaths in south-east Asia, reported 12,576 new coronavirus infections on Saturday, putting further strain on the healthcare system.
Restrictions, which include a ban on non-essential movement, mass gatherings and dining in restaurants, will remain for at least another week, Duterte’s spokesman, Harry Roque, said in a televised announcement. The measures had been set to end on 4 April.
“This will go with intensified prevention, detection, isolation, tracing and rehabilitation that we will monitor on a daily basis,” Roque said.
Active cases in the country have hit a record 165,715, 96% of which were mild, health ministry data showed.
But intensive care capacity in the capital region’s hospitals have reached a critical level, with 80% of beds utilised and many hospitals being forced to turn away patients.
Updated
Coronavirus has killed at least 2,839,051 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 1000 GMT Saturday.
At least 130,168,360 cases of coronavirus have been registered. The vast majority have recovered, though some have continued to experience symptoms weeks or even months later.
These figures are based on daily tolls provided by health authorities in each country. They exclude later re-evaluations by statistical organisations, as has happened in Russia, Spain and Britain.
On Friday, 10,140 new deaths and 625,046 new cases were recorded worldwide.
Based on the latest reports, the countries with the newest deaths were Brazil with 2,922 new deaths, followed by the United States with 895 and India with 714.
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Kenya has ordered an immediate suspension on private importations of vaccines citing fears that it may lead to counterfeit inoculations getting into the country.
“To ensure the transparency and accountability in the vaccination process, and to protect the integrity of the country, the government is effective today closing the window of private sector importation, distribution and administration of vaccines, until such a time there is greater transparency and accountability in the entire process, “ a statement by the National Emergency Response Committee on the coronavirus said Friday evening.
Private health facilities have been charging about $80 for the Russian Sputnik Vaccine, while the government’s institutions are giving for free AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines received from the global COVAX initiative that was created to ensure that low- and middle-income countries have fair access to vaccines.
In recent weeks the Kenyan government has been on a sensitization campaign to reduce the reluctant uptake by frontline workers of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines. So far around 160,000 people have been vaccinated in more than a month since just over 1 million doses were received.
President Uhuru Kenyatta on March 26 after announcing stricter restriction on movement and assembly due to an upsurge of Coronavirus cases and deaths, led his cabinet in getting vaccinated publicly.
Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Union say the reluctance by health care workers was due to the fact they were not sensitized enough before the vaccines were brought.
Mainland China reported 26 new Covid-19 cases on 2 April, up from nine a day earlier, the country’s national health authority said on Saturday, as officials in the south-west linked a local outbreak to Myanmar.
The National Health Commission said seven of the new cases were local infections in Yunnan province, where a coronavirus cluster has emerged in the city of Ruili bordering Myanmar.
Genetic analysis of cases in Ruili suggests they stemmed from viruses imported from Myanmar and are not related to other recent localised outbreaks in China, state media reported, citing a press briefing.
Ruili is a key transit point for Yunnan province, which has struggled to monitor its rugged 4,000 km (2,500-mile) border with Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam for illegal immigration amid a wave of unauthorised crossings last year by people seeking a haven from the pandemic.
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Revellers who left piles of rubbish after gathering in Cardiff Bay in Wales on Good Friday have been condemned for breaching coronavirus regulations.
Cardiff Council said a significant amount of rubbish had been left by “large groups of people intent on breaking Covid-19 restrictions”. It follows similar scenes outside the Senedd earlier in the week when three police officers suffered minor injuries when bottles were thrown.
Covid-19 rules in Wales only allow six people from two different households to meet outdoors.
A Cardiff council spokesman said: “Once again our teams have been faced with the huge task of cleaning up a significant amount of rubbish left behind by large groups of people intent on breaking Covid-19 restrictions.
“Last night, bins were left unused and the ground was littered with rubbish. Council staff have been on site since the early hours of the morning, working hard to clear and clean the area.
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Sports, theater and music fans will be able to take their seats again in California as the state’s coronavirus cases plummet and vaccinations increase.
After a year-long ban on most indoor seating, the state Friday set the stage for a literal stage-setting that could see the resumption of NBA games and live entertainment performances in most counties beginning 15 Apri.
Most of the state’s 58 counties will be permitted to allow at least some indoor seating because they fall into the lower three levels of California’s four-tiered Covid-19 restriction plan. Big population centres such as San Francisco, Santa Clara County and Los Angeles county are in the second-least restrictive orange tier.
Only three counties — San Joaquin, Merced and Inyo — remain in the highest purple tier, indicating “widespread” Covid-19 risk.
The others will be permitted some indoor seating “with capacity limits and modifications including physical distancing, advance ticket purchases, designated areas for eating and drinking, and attendance limited to in-state visitors”, according to a state public health announcement.
In the red tier, venues of up to 1,500 people can operate at 10% capacity and grow to 25% of all guests provide evidence of vaccination or a negative test. Venues of 1,501 people or more can operate at 20% capacity in the red tier, but guests must show proof of vaccination or a negative test. Capacity increases for tiers where the virus is less widespread.
State officials won’t require testing or proof of vaccination for some of those events. Events that do require testing and vaccinations will be allowed to have more paying customers than those that don’t. Only people who live in California can attend these live performances.
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South Korea’s foreign minister said on Saturday the government will prepare for a visit to the country by Chinese president, Xi Jinping, local news outlet Yonhap reported.
“As soon as the novel coronavirus stabilises, we have decided to prepare for President Xi’s visit to [South] Korea as early as possible,” Chung Eui-yong told reporters after a meeting with state councillor Wang Yi, the Chinese government’s top diplomat, Yonhap reported.
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There is no evidence uptake of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine is slowing in the UK despite some European countries pausing its rollout, a public health expert has said.
Prof Linda Bauld of Edinburgh University said all studies indicated the jab was safe and effective, while the fact different countries were reviewing their position was a sign that the system was working.
Germany has suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for people aged under 60 due to fears of a link with rare blood clots.
On Friday, the Dutch government also said it would temporarily halt AstraZeneca jabs for people under 60 after it received five reports of blood clots with low blood plate counts following vaccinations.
Speaking to the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland radio programme, Prof Bauld said reports of blood clots were “very rare” and a direct link to the vaccine was very unlikely.
She said: “These kinds of pauses and reviews are a sign that the system is working.
“Because when you see either deaths or unlikely adverse events that you wouldn’t anticipate or you didn’t see in the trials it’s reasonable for regulators to look at this.
“The MHRA is still consistently saying there’s no cause for concern and that is absolutely the message to people.”
She added: “It doesn’t look from the behavioural response, the surveys I’ve seen, that it’s affecting uptake in the UK and that’s really important.”
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Evidence is growing that the occurrence of a number of rare blood clot events among people who have had the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine is “causally related”, a scientist has said.
The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said on Thursday that it had identified 30 cases of rare blood clot events among people in the UK who had received the AstraZeneca jab, following similar reports from Germany.
Prof Paul Hunter, a medical microbiologist at the University of East Anglia, told the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme: “It is not uncommon to get clusters of rare events purely by chance.
“But, once you find that cluster in one population and it then crops up in another – such as previously in the German and now in the English – then I think the chances of that being a random association is very, very low.
“Clearly more work needs to be done, but I think the evidence is shifting more towards it being causally related at the moment.”
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The Philippines health ministry has reported 12,576 new Covid cases, the second-highest daily increase in infections.
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Russia reported 9,021 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, including 2,011 in Moscow, pushing the total infection tally in the country to 4,572,077 since the pandemic began a year ago.
The government coronavirus task force said that 384 people had died from coronavirus in the last 24 hours, taking Russia’s death toll to 100,017.
Russia’s Rosstat statistics service, which is keeping a separate tally, has reported a much higher toll. It said on Friday it had recorded over 225,000 deaths related to Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic in April.
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Millions of Christians around the world are spending another Easter weekend under restrictions because of coronavirus surges, but there was good news from the hard-hit US, which crossed the milestone of 100m vaccine doses.
There have been worrying spikes in infections in many parts of the world, even as vaccine rollouts gather pace, forcing the reimposition of deeply unpopular restrictions including in European nations.
Italy began a strict Easter lockdown on Saturday, with the entire country considered a high-risk coronavirus “red zone” during a time when families usually hold reunions.
At the Vatican on Good Friday, a handful of onlookers caught a glimpse of Pope Francis presiding over the “Way of the Cross” ceremony in an empty St Peter’s Square, with Covid-19 restrictions preventing large gatherings there for a second year in a row.
New restrictions also came into force on Saturday in France, where authorities are scrambling to deal with a dramatic rise in cases that has overwhelmed hospitals in Paris.
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Care home residents will be allowed a second regular indoor visitor from 12 April, the government has announced, while babies and young children can also attend.
Infants and children are not counted as one of the two visitors, meaning residents will be allowed to see small bubbles of relatives or friends for the first time in months.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said that the drop in community infection and rapid vaccine rollout means the increase in visitor numbers can go ahead as set out in the government’s road map out of lockdown.
The DHSC said visitors would be allowed to hold hands but that personal protective equipment (PPE) must be worn. A negative rapid lateral flow test will also be required from adult visitors before entry is permitted, but some will be allowed to conduct their tests at home so more visits can take place.
Boris Johnson said: “Reuniting family and friends has been a priority each time restrictions have eased, and the next step will be no different.
“I’m particularly pleased to allow residents to have more visitors, including grandchildren, given the isolation and concern felt by so many this past year.
“Thanks to the tireless work of care home staff, and the success of the vaccine rollout, we’re able to increase the number of visits in a safe and controlled way.”
Ukraine reported a record increase in new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, with 20,341 new infections in the preceding 24 hours, health minister Maxim Stepanov said.
Writing on his social media page, Stepanov said 5,186 people were hospitalised in the same period, and 396 people died.
Britons who have had both coronavirus vaccine doses could avoid quarantine measures under government plans to restart international travel, it has been reported.
It is expected Boris Johnson will signal on Monday that foreign travel will return with restrictions based on a traffic light system that rates countries as red, amber or green based on Covid infection rates, vaccination levels and the prevalence of variants.
Hesitancy towards the vaccine across parts of mainland Europe may mean that traditionally favoured continental destinations among British holidaymakers are deemed more high-risk than the likes of the US and Israel, where vaccination rates are good.
Overseas holidays are currently banned due to the UK’s coronavirus lockdown measures, but Boris Johnson plans to make an announcement on Easter Monday about lifting restrictions in England.
India’s daily coronavirus infections hit another record on Saturday for the highest tally since September, while daily deaths reached a five-month high, a Reuters count based on data from the health ministry showed.
The south Asian nation recorded 89,129 new infections and 714 deaths, the ministry said. That was the biggest single-day rise since September 20 last year and the most deaths since October 21, according to a Reuters tally.
Infections have surged in India since the beginning of March, with its richest state of Maharashtra, home to the financial capital of Mumbai, the worst hit. Late on Friday, the state’s chief minister warned of a full lockdown to curb infections if people did not limit their movements.
Hello, I am running the Guardian’s coronavirus live blog today. Please get in touch if you have any comments, news tips or questions.
Twitter: @sloumarsh
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Email: sarah.marsh@theguardian.com
