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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Lucy Campbell (now); Matthew Weaver, Michael McGowan and Melissa Davey, Aaron Walawalkar (earlier)

Police clash with anti-lockdown protesters in London – as it happened

Mask sign france
France requires masks inside public places. Photograph: Charles Platiau/Reuters

We are closing this blog now but you can stay up to date on our new live blog below.

Summary

  • Coronavirus cases in Colombia, which is nearly a month into a national reopening after a long lockdown, surpassed 800,000. The country has 806,038 confirmed cases of the virus according to the health ministry, with 25,296 reported deaths. Active cases number 78,956. Colombia is now in a much-looser “selective” quarantine phase which allows dining at restaurants and international flights. Concerts and other large events remain banned and land and water borders are closed.
  • The work of hundreds of doctors, nurses, fundraisers and volunteers will be recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. The list was postponed in June in order to add nominations for people playing key roles in the early months of the pandemic in the UK. It will be released on 10 October.
  • Crowds protested outside the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s home on Saturday demanding he quit over his handling of Covid-19. Netanyahu’s government decided this week to tighten a three-week lockdown imposed on 18 September, hoping to keep Israelis at home, shutting down many businesses and limiting group prayers during the ongoing Jewish high-holiday season. Infections have surged since measures were relaxed in May, reaching daily highs of more than 7,000 among the population of nine million.
  • Saudi Arabia plans to resume tourist visas by early 2021 after months of suspension amid strict measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus. In late-February the kingdom closed its borders to foreign pilgrims and to tourists from at least 25 countries. In March, it barred all travel in and out of the country. The tourism sector has been hit hard and is expected to see a 35%-45% decline by year end.
  • Sixteen people were arrested and nine police officers were injured following clashes at anti-lockdown demonstrations in central London. Thousands of people defied the advice of the Metropolitan Police and demonstrated against lockdowns, mass vaccinations, mandatory wearing of face masks and other coronavirus restrictions. The Met said the demonstrators had not “complied with the conditions of their risk assessment and are putting people in danger of transmitting the virus” and ordered crowds to disperse.
  • A Brazilian judge called off Palmeiras and Flamengo’s league match due to be played on Sunday after at least 16 players from the club as well as the team’s coach tested positive for Covid-19. The decision followed an appeal by the union of football club employees, who said they and their families would be at risk if the game went ahead. Both the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and the country’s sports tribunal had rejected Flamengo’s request to halt the game.
  • Argentina’s coronavirus cases are poised to top 700,000 as new daily infections and deaths hit the top five globally, despite seven months of lockdown that have ravaged the frail economy. Argentina reported a rolling seven-day average of 11,082 new cases daily, behind only India, the United States, France and Brazil, all countries with far larger populations than the South American nation. A gradual loosening of its strict lockdown over time and the spread of cases from the capital to the provinces have seen cases skyrocket.
  • France registered another 14,412 confirmed coronavirus cases, not far from a daily record of 16,096 set earlier this week, bringing the nation’s tally to 527,446.

Updated

Colombia cases surpass 800,000

Coronavirus cases in Colombia, which is nearly a month into a national reopening after a long lockdown, surpassed 800,000 on Saturday, a day after deaths from Covid-19 climbed above 25,000.

The country has 806,038 confirmed cases of the virus according to the health ministry, with 25,296 reported deaths. Active cases number 78,956.

Colombia began more than five months of lockdown in March. It is now in a much-looser “selective” quarantine phase which allows dining at restaurants and international flights.

Concerts and other large events remain banned and land and water borders are closed.

Intensive care units in Bogota, home to a third of Colombia’s cases, are at about 50% capacity according to local health authorities.

Updated

Queen Elizabeth II will recognise the work of hundreds of doctors, nurses, fundraisers and volunteers during the pandemic when the her annual birthday honours list is published next month.

The list, which was due to be published in June, was postponed in order to add nominations for people playing key roles in the early months of the outbreak. It will be released on 10 October.

The UK has recorded the worst death toll in Europe and one of the worst economic contractions of any leading nation since the pandemic took hold in March.

The Queen has made very few public appearances during that time but she has delivered a number of rallying messages to the nation and appeared in video conference calls with care workers and members of the military.

In July, she knighted Captain Tom Moore, recognising the 100-year-old’s efforts in lifting the nation’s spirits during the pandemic by raising over £39 million for health workers by walking laps of his garden with the aid of a walking frame.

The prime minister Boris Johnson said the pandemic was the greatest health challenge in our lifetime.

We all have to play our part, but the dedication, courage and compassion seen from these recipients, be it responding on the frontline or out in their communities providing support to the most vulnerable, is an inspiration to us all.

We owe them a debt of gratitude and the 2020 Queen’s Birthday honours will be the first of many occasions where we can thank them as a nation.

Saudi Arabia plans to resume tourist visas by early 2021 after months of suspension amid strict government measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the kingdom’s tourism minister told Reuters.

Tourism is a key pillar of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s reform strategy to reduce the economy’s dependence on oil.

The kingdom, which opened its doors to foreign tourists in September 2019 by launching a new visa regime for 49 countries, wants the sector to contribute 10% of gross domestic product by 2030.

“For tourist visa, until now we are talking about early next year. If things get better or if any positive developments happen with regards to the vaccine, we might accelerate and have it earlier,” Ahmed al-Khateeb said in a virtual interview.

In late-February the kingdom closed its borders to foreign pilgrims and to tourists from at least 25 countries. In March, it barred all travel in and out of the country.

Khateeb said the tourism sector has been hit hard and is expected to see a 35%-45% decline by year end. The focus on domestic tourism during the summer has cushioned the blow, however.

This pandemic is a systematic risk that has hit everyone; however, we have seen a very strong summer after the January-May lockup period.

We have noticed a growth of 30% year on year in domestic tourism which is beyond our expectations.

The Saudi Summer campaign, which promoted 10 tourist destinations – from beaches and forests to mountain peaks and historic areas – for citizens and residents to visit in lieu of holidaying abroad, helped boost average occupancy ratio at hotels to 80%.

Saudi Arabia has reported 332,790 Covid-19 cases and 4655 deaths so far. Infection rates have seen a steady decline over the past few weeks.

Updated

The Russian prime minister Mikhail Mishustin concluded a private visit to Mount Athos, a venerated male-only centre of Orthodox Christianity in Greece where eight monks have tested positive for coronavirus, on Saturday, AFP reports.

Commonly known as the Holy Mountain, Mount Athos is the spiritual capital of the Orthodox Christian world, consisting of 20 monasteries and about 700 houses, cells or hermitages housing approximately 1,700 monks.

The Russian premier arrived Thursday in the male-only preserve and stayed for two nights at the Filotheou monastery, the Athens News Agency reported.

On Saturday morning, Mishustin visited the Panteleimon monastery where almost all monks are Russian.

In 2016, Russian president Vladimir Putin made a private visit to Mount Athos during a two-day visit to Greece.

Mishutsin donated a large amount of medical supplies including masks, disinfectants and other means of protection from Covid-19.

Eight monks have tested positive for coronavirus and their monastery in Mount Athos was quarantined on Monday. One of the monks has been taken to hospital in Thessaloniki in a serious condition.

It is not the first outbreak on Mount Athos. Four monks tested positive in March after travelling to the UK but recovered quickly.

The community, known for its austere rules, is almost completely isolated in a mountainous nature reserve in the Macedonia region.

Greece’s lockdown from March to May hit the Church hard, wrecking its Easter celebrations.

Church leaders disputed some of the science behind the confinement rules, agreeing to halt masses but refusing to ban communion.

Greece has so far registered 376 deaths and more than 17,000 infections from the virus.

Updated

Crowds protested outside the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s home on Saturday demanding he quit over his handling of Covid-19, Reuters reports. Many were angered by what they said were government attempts to use lockdown measures to stifle demonstrations.

Long lines of cars drove along the main highway to Jerusalem in a protest convoy and groups gathered on bridges and junctions in other cities, also demonstrating over corruption charges against Netanyahu – charges he denies.

The protests came a day after the government tightened Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, though parliament failed to pass one measure to restrict citizens’ protests to within 1 km (0.6 miles) of their homes.

That measure would have effectively halted the weekly demonstrations outside Netanyahu’s residence which have built up over the summer.

“I’m here to stop the destruction of Israel, to stop democracy dying,” said Amit Tirosh, 42, a doctor from central Israel.

Luckily parliament managed to stop the demonstrations’ halt at the last minute. Everyone should be here. We are at the edge of an abyss.

Netanyahu has rejected allegations that the tougher lockdown rules were in part intended to quash the protests, which he has often called “anarchist” and “ludicrous”. He said on Thursday:

We need the lockdown in order to save lives.

There was no official figure for the number of protesters on Saturday but Israel’s N12 News said thousands took part. Police said most of them complied with social distancing and face mask rules.

Netanyahu’s government decided this week to tighten a three-week lockdown imposed on 18 September, hoping to keep Israelis at home, shutting down many businesses and limiting group prayers during the ongoing Jewish high-holiday season.

On Saturday, Netanyahu urged Israelis in a video message on Twitter to pray in the open air rather than inside synagogues on Yom Kippur, the upcoming Jewish day of atonement and the holiest day in the Jewish calendar which begins on Sunday.

Only 27% of Israelis trust Netanyahu’s handling of the coronavirus crisis, according to a survey published by the non-partisan Israel Democracy Institute on Wednesday.

Israel imposed its first lockdown in March and then relaxed it in May as new cases tapered off. But infections have since surged, reaching daily highs of more than 7,000 among the population of nine million. The country is in recession with unemployment above 11%.

Updated

An update from London’s Metropolitan Police on anti-lockdown demonstrations that took place in central London today.

The Met said 16 people were arrested “for a variety of offences including breaching coronavirus regulations, assaulting a police officer, public order offences and violent disorder.” Nine police officers were injured.

Commander Ade Adelekan, who was in charge of policing the protest, said a failure by protest organisers to “engage with crowds and keep those assembling safe from transmitting the virus” had voided their risk assessment.

Therefore, today’s demonstration was no longer exempt from the coronavirus regulations. In the interest of public safety, officers then worked quickly to disperse crowds.

Updated

A Brazilian judge called off Palmeiras and Flamengo’s league match due to be played on Sunday after at least 16 players from the Rio club as well as the team’s coach tested positive for Covid-19, Reuters reports.

Flamengo said it only had nine outfield players and three goalkeepers available for the match, which will pit last year’s champions against home club Palmeiras, the only team in the Serie A to remain unbeaten after 10 games.

The decision, taken by a Rio de Janeiro labour court and reported by Brazilian news sites, followed an appeal by the union of football club employees, who said they and their families would be at risk if the game went ahead.

Both the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and the country’s sports tribunal had rejected Flamengo’s request to halt the game.

The CBF said clubs had the right to register 40 players and so Flamengo should have enough players available. It has not yet responded to the court decision.

Football restarted in the country in June with Flamengo kicking off the Rio de Janeiro state championship.

Brazil has recorded the second-highest number of coronavirus deaths after the United States. More than 140,000 Brazilians have died from the virus.

Updated

Here is my colleagues’ report from central London, where 10 people have been arrested and four police officers injured as police broke up a protest after thousands of people defied their advice and demonstrated against lockdowns, mass vaccinations, mandatory wearing of face masks and other coronavirus restrictions.

Updated

Argentina’s coronavirus infections were poised to top 700,000 on Saturday as new daily infections and deaths hit the top five globally, Reuters data showed, despite seven months of lockdown that have ravaged the frail economy.

Argentina reported a rolling seven-day average of 11,082 new cases daily, behind only India, the United States, France and Brazil, all countries with far larger populations than the South American nation. Argentina’s average daily death toll this week hit 365.

Health officials on Friday reported 691,235 total infections since March and 15,208 deaths. Earlier in the day, the province of Buenos Aires announced it had underestimated the death toll from Covid-19 by 3,523, outraging many Argentines already weary from months of lockdown that had failed to slam the breaks on the pandemic.

The additional deaths from Buenos Aires province were not incorporated in those figures, the health ministry said.

Argentina, which was already in the grip of a devastating economic crisis, was among the first countries in Latin America to implement a strict lockdown. But a gradual loosening over time and the spread of cases from the capital to the provinces have seen cases skyrocket.

Carlos Landa, a 45-year-old archaeologist from Buenos Aires who contracted the virus said he and his partner, who was also infected, had seen their lives turned upside down. Different health care coverage meant one was immediately tested, and the other was not.

The virus had exposed once again the perils of the ailing economy and health care systems, he told Reuters, saying:

Everything is uncertain.

Updated

Two Nobel Prize-winning economists have urged France to consider an Advent lockdown so that family Christmas celebrations can go ahead with reduced risk of coronavirus transmission, AFP reports.

Such a “clear, uniform and transparent” option would reduce infection dangers for the most vulnerable people including the elderly, Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee wrote in an op-ed for daily Le Monde.

The married couple, who won the Nobel jointly in 2019 for their work on reducing poverty, suggested “a nationwide lockdown during the Advent period from December 1 to 20”.

Duflo and Banerjee suggested that their calendar would have a limited impact on schools and be less economically harmful than “cancelling Christmas” altogether – or than a harsher lockdown later if year’s-end festivities triggered a wave of infections.

If the plan went ahead, “people could be encouraged to do their Christmas shopping in November”, the pair said.

With new daily cases rising sharply, the government could otherwise find itself forced to lock people down over the Christmas period, or even to “ban travel and family gatherings”, they warned.

France has reacted to the swift re-emergence of Covid-19 hotspots by reimposing restrictions like earlier closing for bars on 12 large towns and cities, including the capital Paris.

Still harsher measures in Marseille, with bars and restaurants closed altogether, have triggered protests from the hospitality industry.

Updated

France sees 14,000 new cases

France registered another 14,412 confirmed coronavirus cases on Saturday, not far from a daily record of 16,096 set earlier this week. The total number of cases now stands at 527,446, health ministry data showed. The number of people who have died from Covid-19 increased by 39 to 31,700.

Updated

Italy’s patient zero, whose case of coronavirus confirmed one of the world’s deadliest outbreaks was underway, is taking part in a 180km (112-mile) relay race as a sign of hope after he himself recovered from weeks in intensive care, AP reports.

Mattia Maestri, 38, was suited up on Saturday for the start of the two-day race between Italy’s first two virus hot spots. It began in Codogno, south of Milan, where Maestri tested positive on 21 February, and was ending Sunday in Vo Euganeo, where Italy’s first official Covid-19 death was recorded the same day.

Wearing a dark face mask, Maestri said the race was a beautiful initiative uniting the two virus-ravaged towns and the hard-hit swathe of territory between them. He said he was thrilled to even be alive to participate.

Maestri has marvelled about his recovery and how his case became the wake-up call for Europe, and the world, of the virus’ ability to spread.
Maestri has marvelled about his recovery and how his case became the wake-up call for Europe, and the world, of the virus’ ability to spread. Photograph: Antonio Calanni/AP

Maestri had first gone to the hospital in his hometown of Codogno with flu-like symptoms on 18 February, but was sent home. He returned the next day after deteriorating and the doctor on duty, Dr Annalisa Malara, decided to test him for coronavirus even though doing so went beyond the protocol for testing set by the Health Ministry at the time; Maestri hadn’t travelled to China or been in contact with a known positive case.

Maestri’s positive result on 21 February was the first confirmed case of domestic transmission in Italy, evidence that the virus was circulating among the local population. Within days, Italy would become the epicentre of the outbreak in Europe, where it still has the second-highest number of Covid-19 deaths after the UK.

The Italian government immediately quarantined Codogno and 10 nearby towns and imposed a lockdown in Vo Euganeo, where on the same day as Maestri’s positive result authorities confirmed the first death of someone who tested positive post-mortem, Adriano Trevisan.

Maestri spent nearly three weeks in intensive care and weeks more hospitalised, during which his own father died of the virus. Soon after he was released, his wife who had tested positive but without serious complications gave birth to their first child, Giulia.

He has since recovered fully and said on Saturday he felt well enough to participate in the race. A marathoner and avid soccer player before he got sick, Maestri is taking the final leg of the relay and is scheduled to cross the finish line in Vo Euganeo on Sunday.

Maestri expressed concern about continued surge of infections in Europe and urged Italians to observe the three rules of social distancing, face masks and frequent hand washing to keep the virus under control.

I think if we observe those two to three simple rules they have given us, we will continue to see results in Italy. Let’s hope this is the right way to go.

Updated

This is from the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan

And here is a video of demonstrators gathered in Trafalgar Square in central London to protest against the government’s recently toughened Covid-19 restrictions. Protesters waved placards and flouted government guidelines on physical distancing, opting not to wear masks. The police moved in and attempted to disperse them.

Updated

Here is a video of the UK prime minister Boris Johnson addressing the UN General Assembly.

We’ve been scrambling to catch up, with agonising slowness.

He also likened the efforts to find a vaccine for the virus to a “giant global steeplechase” and said taking short cuts in the search for an effective vaccine would risk millions of lives.

Here is more from central London my colleague Damien Gayle.

The UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, urged world leaders to “unite and turn our fire” against coronavirus as he announced a “five-point” plan to tackle future pandemics during an address to the UN general sssembly.

Johnson, whose country has been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic, also announced new funding to international vaccine efforts and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Johnson told the assembly in a virtual address:

Never in the history of our species, not since the Almighty felled the Tower of Babel, has the human race been obsessed with one single topic of conversation.

He said the pandemic had “united humanity as never before” but had also been an “extraordinary force of division” as nations vied with each other over supplies of medical equipment.

After nine months of fighting Covid, the very notion of the international community looks tattered.

Unless we unite and turn our fire against our common foe, we know that everyone will lose.

Now is the time therefore ... for humanity to reach across borders and repair these ugly rifts.

He pledged to use Britain’s upcoming presidency of the G7 next year to “bring the world back together after Covid”.

His new funding plan has been developed in consultation with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the British scientific research charity the Wellcome Trust.

It includes a proposal to develop a worldwide network of hubs to identify pathogens before they leap from animals to humans.

Other measures include boosting capacity for treatments and vaccines, improving early warning systems and agreeing international protocols for health crises.

Johnson went on:

There is a moral imperative for humanity to be honest and reach a joint understanding of how the pandemic began, how it was able to spread.

I simply believe as a former Covid patient that we all have a right to know so that we can collectively do our best to prevent another recurrence.

The UK hosted a conference in June which saw $8.8m (£6.9m) pledged for the global vaccines alliance Gavi to help immunisation programmes disrupted by the pandemic.

Johnson also announced new funding for COVAX, the international coronavirus vaccines procurement pool, calling those opposed to vaccines “nutjobs”.

He pledged £340m over the next four years to the WHO – a 30% increase – adding:

However great the need for reform, the WHO is still the one body that marshalls humanity against the legions of disease.

The Covid pandemic has been an immense psychic shock to the human race.

“Never again must we launch 193 different campaigns against the same enemy,” added Johnson, insisting that the UK was “the right country to give that lead and we will do so in 2021”.

Johnson, who required intensive care treatment after catching the virus in March, has faced criticism at home for his own handling of the crisis.

At least 42,000 people in the UK have died. Johnson this week announced further restrictions following a sharp rise in cases.

Updated

More than 1,000 New Yorkers tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday – the first time since 5 June the state has seen a daily caseload that high, the Associate Press reports.

The number of positive tests reported daily in the state has been steadily inching up in recent weeks, a trend possibly related to increasing numbers of businesses and college campuses reopening, and children returning to school.

The New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, announced on Saturday there were 1,005 positive cases tallied on the previous day out of 99,953 tests, for a 1% positive rate.

From late July through the start of September the state was seeing an average of around 660 people test positive per day. In the seven-day period that ended on Friday, the state had averaged 817 positive tests per day.

Cuomo didn’t comment on the 1,000-case threshold in his daily Covid-19 update, but reiterated his call for vigilance.

Its vital that New Yorkers continue to practice the basic behaviours that drive our ability to fight Covid-19 as we move into the fall and flu season,” Cuomo said in a prepared release.

Wearing masks, socially distancing and washing hands make a critical difference, as does the deliberate enforcement of state guidance by local governments.

That number of daily positive tests in a state of more than 19 million still puts New York in a much better position than many other states. And it is worlds better than the situation in the state in April, when the number of positive tests per day routinely topped 9,000, even though tests then were hard to get and people were being encouraged not to seek one unless they were gravely ill.

The higher number of positive tests lately could be related to more people seeking tests or being required to take them with the start of the academic year.

Still, the uptick has been a cause for concern. In New York City, health officials have sounded alarms about a rising number of cases in certain neighbourhoods in Brooklyn and Queens where many private religious schools opened for in-person classes in early September, warning that those communities could see severe restrictions on public gatherings reinstated if current trends continue.

Public school students in New York City’s elementary, middle and high schools are set to resume in-person instruction next week on 29 September and 1 October.

Updated

The UK government said that as of 9am on Saturday, there had been a further 6,042 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK, taking the overall number of cases confirmed to 429,277.

The government also said a further 34 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Saturday, bringing the UK total to 41,971.

Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show there have now been 57,600 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

Updated

Several British police officers were hurt on Saturday when they ordered thousands of protesters at a central London anti-lockdown demonstration to disperse after they failed to respect social distancing, Reuters reports.

Holding signs saying “We Do Not Consent” and “Stuff the Stupid Rules”, thousands of people had gathered in Trafalgar Square to protest against the coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

The Metropolitan Police said the protest had to end because demonstrators had failed to socially distance, or wear masks meaning it was no longer exempt from the national rules that limit gatherings to six people.

“We want to be clear, this protest is no longer exempt from the regulations,” the Met said on Twitter. “We are asking those attending to disperse. Sadly, some officers have been injured while engaging with people.”

More from my colleague Jamie Macwhirter.

Updated


Updated

Summary

  • People tested for Covid-19 in NHS hospitals and Public Health England labs cannot currently share their results with the NHS’s contact-tracing app in England. The latest problem with the app has prompted widespread criticism as officials promised to “urgently work” on the issue.
  • Boris Johnson has told the UN general assembly that humanity was “caught napping” by coronavirus. He also warned that cutting corners in the search for a vaccine would cost lives and fuel conspiracy theories.
  • Police have clashed with anti-lockdown protesters as they tried to disperse a rally of thousands of people in London’s Trafalgar Square. At least three people were injured.
  • Scotland and Northern Ireland have both reported record daily rises in coronavirus cases. Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon urged Scots to “stay out of each other’s houses,” after a record spike of 714 cases was announced.
  • The UK’s daily coronavirus death toll will rise from 34 to 100 a day in three to four weeks’ time, an expert on the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) has warned. Infectious disease modelling expert Prof Graham Medley said there is little that can be done now to prevent daily deaths climbing to 100.
  • Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, has authorised the country’s provinces to impose lockdowns wherever necessary. It came as Iran announced 3,204 new cases and 172 more deaths from coronavirus.
  • Spain’s health minister has urged authorities in Madrid to tighten Covid restrictions. Salvador Illa said: “Madrid is in a situation of serious risk and it’s time to act with determination.”
  • Poland, Russia and the Czech Republic have all reported sharp rises in new cases underling the scale of crisis in Europe. Poland and the Czech Republic reported their second highest increases in daily cases, and Russia its biggest rise in infections since June.
  • The coronavirus pandemic has left easyJet “hanging by a thread” , a union official told pilots during talks over potential redundancies. Martin Entwistle said: “If easyJet don’t have a good summer and make money next summer, I suspect none of us will have a job this time next year.”
  • The health minister of the state of Victoria, Australia, Jenny Mikakos, has resigned after the premier, Daniel Andrews, described her as “accountable” for the state’s troubled hotel quarantine programme. Mikakos said there were elements of the premier’s evidence she had to “strongly disagree” with, and handed in her resignation.

Updated

A demonstrator bleeds from a wound to his head as police move in to disperse anti-lockdown protesters in Trafalgar Square
A demonstrator bleeds from a wound to his head as police move in to disperse anti-lockdown protesters in Trafalgar Square. Photograph: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images

James MacWhirter, a Guardian video producer at the protest in Trafalgar Square, said he saw a group of up 30 police moved in shortly after David Icke’s speech to confiscate their sound equipment. He said:

The crowd reacted angrily, with some pushing and throwing objects at the officers. Chants of ‘pick your side’ could be heard.

Police responded by using batons on some protesters. I saw one police officer and one protester being led away with bandaged heads.

Updated

My colleague, Aaron Walawalkar, has more on the latest problems with the NHS Covid-19 App.

Boris Johnson has told the UN general assembly that “humanity was caught napping” by coronavirus.

He added: “We’ve been scrambling to catch up with agonising slowness.”

He also likened the efforts to find a vaccine for the virus to a “giant global steeplechase”.

And he warned that taking short cuts in the search for an effective vaccine would risk millions of lives.

He said:

As we strive for a vaccine we must never cut corners, slim down the trials, or sacrifice safety to speed, because it would be an absolute tragedy if in our eagerness we were to boost the nut jobs, the anti-vaxxers, dangerous obsessives, who campaign against the whole concept of vaccination and would risk further millions of lives.

Police move in to disperse protesters in Trafalgar Square
Police move in to disperse protesters in Trafalgar Square Photograph: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images

At least three protesters and one police officer were treated by medical staff
as clashes with anti-lockdown protesters continue in Trafalgar Square.

Police donned riot helmets as clashes escalated.

Police clash with anti-lockdown protesters

A woman falls as police move in to disperse protesters in Trafalgar Square
A woman falls as police move in to disperse protesters in Trafalgar Square Photograph: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images

Police have clashed with protesters at a demonstration in central London as officers tried to shut the event down.

Metropolitan police officers penned the crowd in Trafalgar Square and water was thrown at them by demonstrators. Crowds also chanted “pick your side” at the officers.

Bottles were thrown and police used batons against protesters in Trafalgar
Square, leaving some with visible injuries.

Updated

Demonstrators attend an anti-lockdown ally in Trafalgar Square
Demonstrators attend an anti-lockdown ally in Trafalgar Square Photograph: Hollie Adams/Getty Images

The Metropolitan police are trying to break up an anti-lockdown protest in London’s Trafalgar Square because crowds have “not complied” with social distancing rules.

Demonstrators have been asked to leave and the force warned that anyone who stays could be subject to enforcement action.

In a statement, the Met said:

Crowds in Trafalgar Square have not complied with the conditions of their risk assessment and are putting people in danger of transmitting the virus.

This has voided their risk assessment and we have informed the event organisers they are no longer exempt from the regulations.

We are now asking those in Trafalgar Square to leave. Officers will be engaging with crowds and informing them of this development.

By leaving now, you can keep yourself safe and avoid any enforcement action being taken by officers.

Earlier the conspiracy theorist David Icke addressed a crowd of thousands.

Updated

Prof Stephen Reicher, a member of the SPI-B group that advises Sage, has expressed alarm at the failure of NHS Covid App to include test results from public labs.

He said: “It exemplifies precisely why test and trace continues to fail: the divorce between the new privatised testing system and NHS/Public Health structures.”

Jon Deeks, professor of biostatistics at the University of Birmingham, described the problem as “ridiculous”.

The fair tax campaigner Richard Murphy joined the criticism.

Updated

Sturgeon: 'stay out of each other's houses'

Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has urged Scots to “stay out of each other’s houses” after a record rise in daily cases. In a series of tweets she added: “We have absolutely no room for complacency.”

UK health officials say they are “urgently working” to fix the latest problem to hit the NHS Covid App involving a failure to link to test results (see earlier).

In response to the problem a spokeswoman at DHSC said:

We are urgently working to enable positive tests for people who aren’t already given a code to be added to the Covid-19 App.

NHS test and trace will continue to contact people by text, email or phone if your test is positive, advising you to self-isolate and for those who don’t have a code the contact tracers will shortly be able to provide codes to insert in the app.

If you book your test via the app the results will be automatically recorded in the app and the isolation countdown will be updated.

Updated

Northern Ireland announces a record rise in cases

Northern Ireland has also announced a record rise in daily cases. The department of health said 319 people had tested positive in the last 24 hours. The previous record daily tally was 273, announced on Friday.

Scotland announces record rise in new cases

Scotland has announced 714 new cases the biggest single day’s number since mass testing began.

It represents a sharp increase in new cases since yesterday’s total of 558 - the previous daily record in Scotland.

Updated

Wales has reported 370 new cases giving a total of 22,584. Officials also announced three new deaths reported, giving a total of 1,612.

NHS England has announced the death of a further 20 people in English hospitals.

The patients were aged between 43 and 96 years old. All had known underlying health conditions. The date of death ranges from 3 April to 25 September 2020, with the majority on or after 23 September.

NHS app fails to accepts a third of test results

England’s troubled and much-delayed NHS Covid app does not accept test results processed in the country’s government-run laboratories, hospitals or as part of an official survey, officials have admitted.

The app’s official account said on Twitter it could not link to test results taken in Public Health England (PHE) laboratories, at the National Health Service (NHS) or as part of a survey run by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

On Friday, 210,375 tests were taken, with 61,481 handled by PHE and the NHS, or 29%. That does not include tests taken as part of the ONS surveys because they are counted on a UK basis.

The NHS Covid-19 app was launched this week, four months later than expected. It uses Bluetooth signals to log when a user is in close contact with another user, generally meaning within 2 metres for 15 minutes or more.

The Department for Health did not give an immediate response but its website said it was working to rectify this issue as soon as possible.

Prof Harry Rutter, a member of the environmental working group which advises Sage, was among those highlighting the problem.

Updated

Thousands gather for anti-lockdown rally

People take part in a ‘We Do Not Consent’ rally at Trafalgar Square in London, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions
People take part in a ‘We Do Not Consent’ rally at Trafalgar Square in London, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

Thousands of protesters have gathered for an anti-lockdown demonstration in central London.

Crowds massed in Trafalgar Square on Saturday carrying a variety of signs, flags and placards to take part in a “We Do Not Consent” rally, with no one appearing to wear face coverings or to social distance. Some held banners associated with the QAnon conspiracy theories.

The demonstrators, who are protesting against government lockdown measures, cheered and clapped, shouting: “We will win”.

Earlier, police searched a man and confiscated a makeshift riot shield that he was carrying. The protest comes a week after a separate event which saw more than a dozen officers injured when a “small minority” targeted police and more than 32 arrests were made.

The Metropolitan police said it had been engaging with organisers throughout the week to remind them of their legal obligations and explaining the events could be in breach of coronavirus regulations.

While protests are exempt from the rule of six which is in force in England, organisers must submit a risk assessment and comply with social distancing.

Updated

Tory backbenchers in the UK will continue to push the government to give MPs a chance to debate and vote on coronavirus measures before they come into force despite Downing Street’s attempt to head off a rebellion.

Conservative Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 Committee, has tabled an amendment to the Coronavirus Act trying to force greater parliamentary scrutiny of the regulations.

He has won the backing of at least 40 of his Tory colleagues, and with Labour likely to support the measure, Boris Johnson could be defeated in the Commons in the six-month review of the powers, which is scheduled for Wednesday.

The FT says as many as 60 Tory could rebel.

In a bid to appease backbenchers, Downing Street has offered MPs a chance to debate and vote on the rule of six next month.

However, Sir Graham said the government’s olive branch was “not relevant” to his bid for further scrutiny. Speaking to PA he said:

There would always have been a retrospective opportunity for a vote on the rule of six.

What I am pressing for is debates and votes before measures come into force.

The rule of six vote is scheduled for 6 October.

Sir Graham’s amendment would need to be selected by Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle on Wednesday to stand a chance of being successful.

Conservative former party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Damian Green, who was effectively deputy PM under Theresa May, liaison committee chairman Sir Bernard Jenkin, Sir Bob Neill and former Brexit secretary David Davis are among those to back the bid.

DUP MPs and the chairman of the Labour parliamentary party John Cryer are also supporting the move. A Labour source said the party was “sympathetic” to the amendment.

A senior government source said: “The government is doing everything it reasonably can to engage parliament in the Covid process, whilst also ensuring it has the ability to react swiftly in order to suppress the virus.”

Updated

The organisers of two wedding parties have been fined for breaching the rules on the number of people allowed to gather.

West Mercia police fined the owners of a venue in Telford £10,000 after 120 people attended a wedding party in Stafford Park.

Ch Supt Paul Moxley said: “It is unacceptable that a minority of people are continuing to disregard the rules and as a consequence a £10,000 fine was given to the organisation hosting the wedding party in Telford today.

“It is believed that around 120 people were attending the event in Stafford Park, all of whom left the venue when we attended and spoke to them. Therefore no fixed penalty notices were given to the guests.”

Another £10,000 fine was handed out by Greater Manchester police to the organiser of a wedding party at a licensed premises in Longsight, Manchester, on Thursday night.

On arrival, police found about 70 people present who initially refused to leave the unnamed premises which have been closed by the authorities for at least seven days subject to review.

Updated

People take part in a ‘We Do Not Consent’ rally at Trafalgar Square in London, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions. Credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire
People take part in a ‘We Do Not Consent’ rally at Trafalgar Square in London, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions. Credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

Iran has announced 3,204 new cases and 172 more deaths from coronavirus. It marks the sixth consecutive day that Iran has recorded more than 3,000 cases.

Earlier the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, authorised the country’s provinces to impose lockdowns wherever necessary.

Updated

The United Arab Emirates has announced 1,078 new cases, its second highest daily rise after a record of 1,083 announced on Wednesday.

It also also announced that two more people have died because of the virus, taking the country’s death toll to 411.

Updated

Spain’s health minister has urged authorities in Madrid to tighten Covid restrictions, warning that the capital’s residents and surrounding regions were at “serious risk” without tougher curbs, Reuters reports.

Madrid extended a partial lockdown on Friday in several dozen districts with high infection rates, rejecting national government recommendations for a city-wide lockdown as cases continue to surge in the capital.

Speaking at a news conference, the health minister, Salvador Illa said:

Madrid is in a situation of serious risk and it’s time to act with determination. There is a serious risk for inhabitants, for the neighbouring regions.

Spain’s tally of confirmed coronavirus cases rose by 12,272 on Friday from the previous day to 716,481, the highest number in Western Europe. More than 31,000 people have died from Covid-19.

Spaniards endured one of Europe’s strictest lockdowns from March until May, when they were not allowed to leave their homes. But after restrictions were totally lifted on 21 June, the pandemic has surged again.

Most of the 45 Madrid districts covered by the new restrictions are high-density, low-income areas, triggering complaints about “class confinement”, including during a protest outside the city assembly late on Friday.

Updated

Hassan Rouhani
Hassan Rouhani
 Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

The president of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, has authorised the country’s provinces to impose lockdowns wherever necessary to stem a rapid rise in coronavirus cases.

“We are forced to intensify regulations and supervisions,” starting in the capital, Tehran, Rouhani said in televised remarks, Reuters reports.

He said government-run coronavirus task-force offices around the country would make recommendations on restrictions and whether to impose one-week lockdowns.

Iran’s death toll from the coronavirus has surpassed 25,000 and identified cases on Friday totalled 439,882, according to the health ministry.

Iran’s health officials have expressed alarm over a surge in infections, urging the country to respect health protocols to control the spread of the disease.

Updated

Summary

  • The UK’s daily coronavirus death toll will rise from 34 to 100 a day in three to four weeks’ time, an expert on the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) has warned. Infectious disease modelling expert Prof Graham Medley said there is little that can be done now to prevent daily deaths climbing to 100.
  • Protesters taking part in an anti-lockdown demonstration in London have been urged to abide by coronavirus restrictions and warned that violence will not be tolerated. The organisers of a rave in Liverpool have been fined £10,000 after 250 gathered at a conservatory in a park in the city.
  • Poland, Russia and the Czech Republic have all reported sharp rises in new cases underling the scale of crisis in Europe. Poland and the Czech Republic reported their second highest increases in daily cases, and Russia its biggest rise in infections since June.
  • The coronavirus pandemic has left easyJet “hanging by a thread” , a union official told pilots during talks over potential redundancies. Martin Entwistle said: “If easyJet don’t have a good summer and make money next summer, I suspect none of us will have a job this time next year.”
  • The health minister of the state of Victoria, Australia, Jenny Mikakos, has resigned after the premier, Daniel Andrews, described her as “accountable” for the state’s troubled hotel quarantine programme. Mikakos said there were elements of the premier’s evidence she had to “strongly disagree” with, and handed in her resignation.
  • Boris Johnson, will tell the UN general assembly that the coronavirus pandemic has frayed the bonds between nations and will urge world leaders to unite against the common foe of Covid-19.
  • The global death toll from Covid-19 could double to 2m before a successful vaccine is widely used, the WHO has warned. An official also said the death toll could even be higher without concerted action to curb the pandemic.

Updated

Massachusetts’ top law enforcement official has brought criminal charges against former leaders of a nursing home for military veterans, for allegedly making a fatal decision that led to the deaths of many dozens of elderly residents and staff.

Former superintendent Bennett Walsh, 50, and Dr David Clinton, 71, were indicted last week on 10 criminal neglect charges each, according to state attorney general Maura Healey. The two have not been taken into custody and will be arraigned at a later date.

Healey said:

We began this investigation on behalf of the families who lost loved ones under tragic circumstances and to honor these men who bravely served our country.

We allege that the actions of these defendants during the Covid-19 outbreak at the facility put veterans at higher risk of infection and death and warrant criminal charges.

The coronavirus pandemic has left easyJet “hanging by a thread” and at risk of going under without a summer resurgence of passenger numbers, a union official told pilots during talks over potential redundancies.

In a conference call with staff, a recording of which was passed to the Guardian, pilots’ union official Martin Entwistle said: “If easyJet don’t have a good summer and make money next summer I suspect none of us will have a job this time next year.”

He said he was speaking following a briefing with the company’s chief financial officer, Andrew Findlay, union officials and other members of the management team.

Merseyside police have fined the organisers of an unlicensed music event £10,000 after 250 people gathered last night at a conservatory in a park in Liverpool.

Footage of the event showed crowds gathering at Isla Gladstone conservatory in Stanley Park, Anfield.

Merseyside police said officers closed the event before issuing a £10,000 fine to the event organisers.

Supt Chris Gibson said:

The vast majority of people who live and work in Merseyside will absolutely despair that such an event could be contemplated in our current circumstances. The footage shows hundreds of people in close proximity, and lays bare the organisers’ blatant disregard for the serious health implications that this may now have for the most vulnerable people in our communities.

We will continue to take swift and positive action this weekend and beyond, should any other similar events be reported to us.

People gather for a rave in Stanley Park, Merseyside

Update: PA Media said the event was planned orchestral performance of songs by US rapper and hip hop producer Dr Dre.

It was billed as “a combination of a traditional orchestra merging with a modern live hip-hop music event” in which 2001, the second album of Dr Dre, who found fame with controversial rap group N.W.A, would be performed.

Organisers No Strings Attached said the ticketed event would be operating under “strict Covid government guidelines” but Merseyside Police stepped in to close it down after receiving a report of concern at about 8.40pm.

Updated

The first minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, has said he wants more regular and reliable contact with Boris Johnson.

Speaking on LBC, he said that other than conversations in the last week the last time he spoke to the prime minister was in May.

When asked why there had only been “sporadic” contact, Drakeford said:

Well, taking a generous view, the prime minister is incredibly busy, he has a big range of responsibilities and we are all reacting to very quickly changing circumstances.

I think there’s another explanation, which is that there are some voices in the Conservative government who have found out that devolution exists after 20 years, found they don’t much like it, think it will be much better if we returned 20 years and all the decisions were made in Whitehall, and would rather not be spending their time talking to us very much.

Drakeford also urged people in Cardiff - the first capital city in Great Britain to be placed under a local lockdown - to behave as if the new restrictions are in place until they come into effect on Sunday evening.

He said that police enforcement was a last resort and added:

If there are people who clearly deliberately flout the law you have to enforce.

Yes, with fines if necessary. But for us that’s the last resort, not the first resort. In Caerphilly [the first area in Wales to face local lockdown] we have had very, very good levels of co-operation.

My experience is people are wanting to do the right thing.

The number of confirmed cases in Poland has increased by 1,584 to 85,980, the ministry of health reported. This is the second highest daily rise after an increase of 1,587 announced on Friday. Poland reported more than 1,000 cases for the first time on 19 September and now for two consecutive days it has reported more than 1,500 cases.

Officials also confirmed the death of 32 people from the virus.

Updated

Highest increase in Russia since June

Russia has reported 7,523 new cases of coronavirus, the biggest daily increase since 22 June, according to the news agency Tass.

Russia also reported and 169 new deaths from the virus taking its death toll to 20,225.

Updated

Indonesia has reported 4,494 new infections, taking the total number of cases to 271,339, according to official data from its health ministry.

The South-east Asian country also reported 90 new deaths from the virus, taking the total number of fatalities to 10,308. 199,403 have recovered as of Saturday.

Updated

More than a quarter of the UK population will be living under extra coronavirus restrictions when new measures on socialising come into force in parts of the country, PA reports.

A ban on households mixing in each other’s homes came into effect at midnight in Wigan, Stockport, Blackpool and Leeds.

Residents in those areas are also advised not to meet people outside their household or bubble in any other settings including bars, shops or parks.

It comes as the UK recorded its highest single-day figure of coronavirus cases, with 6,874 lab-confirmed cases.

Restrictions are already in force across large swathes of north-west England, West Yorkshire, the north-east and the Midlands, as well as parts of west Scotland.

And a ban on households mixing indoors was extended across Northern Ireland earlier this week.

Cardiff and Swansea will go into local lockdown from 6pm on Sunday, the Welsh government has confirmed.

People will not be able to enter or leave the areas without a reasonable excuse. They will not be able to meet indoors with anyone they do not live with, with extended households suspended.

The total number of people set to be living under stricter rules will rise to 17 million.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said there had been an

acceleration of Covid-19 cases across the country, especially in thenorth-west and the north-east.

Working alongside our scientific and public health experts and local leaders, we are prepared to take swift and decisive action to reduce transmission of the virus and protect communities.

I recognise the burden and impact these additional measures have on our daily lives but we must act collectively and quickly to bring down infections.

It comes as all London boroughs were added to the government’s list of areas of concern following a rise in cases in the city.

The new status means the capital could receive extra testing and other help such as engagement with high-risk groups as a result of rising Covid-19 cases.

Elsewhere:

  • Manchester Metropolitan University students at two accommodation sites in the city have been instructed to self-isolate for 14 days following a spike in coronavirus cases.
  • Boris Johnson will urge world leaders to overcome their differences and unite in the battle against coronavirus in a speech to the UN general assembly on Saturday.
  • The Office for National Statistics infection survey suggested the number of coronavirus cases across England has jumped 60% in one week.
  • The seven-day rolling average of cases in Blackpool has risen from 48.8 per 100,000 a week ago to 69.6 per 100,000 on Friday, the government’s coronavirus dashboard shows.
  • The latest seven-day Covid-19 rate in Leeds was found to be 113.3 per 100,000 people, according to government figures, while Leeds director of public health Victoria Eaton said there was an 8.4% positive test rate.
  • The dashboard also shows the seven-day Covid-19 rate in Wigan has risen to 122.6 per 100,000 people, while in Stockport it is up to 77.4 per 100,000 people.

Updated

Sage member predicts 100 Covid deaths per day within four weeks

The UK can expect 100 deaths a day from coronavirus within three to four weeks, according to one of the government’s scientific advisers.

Infectious disease modelling expert Prof Graham Medley, who attends the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said: “The treatments have improved, the way the virus is transmitting is going to be different, but nonetheless it is a dangerous virus and inevitably it will lead to some deaths.”

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he added:

Now whether it is as many - in February and March we were essentially assuming 1% of infections would lead to deaths. Now even if that is 0.8%, which I think would be a great success in terms of treatment, it still means that we are going to see deaths increase.

At a level of 10,000 (cases) we are seeing now, it means that in three or four weeks we are going to see 100 deaths a day.”

In order to stop that process increasing again, then we need to make sure that that transmission comes down now because that doubling time will carry on. The things that we do now will not stop 100 people dying a day but they will stop that progressing much higher.

Medley also said he had “never heard” the 10pm curfew for hospitality discussed during Sage meetings.

On Monday the government’s chief scientist, Sir Patrick Vallance, told a televised briefing that the UK could see 200 deaths every day if fast action was not taken to curb the spread of the disease.

Updated

Members of StandUpX community who are anti-vaccine and are against Covid restrictions gathered in at Trafalgar Square on 19 September
Members of StandUpX community who are anti-vaccine and are against Covid restrictions gathered in at Trafalgar Square on 19 September Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Protesters planning to taking part in an anti-lockdown demonstration in London have been urged to abide by coronavirus restrictions and warned that violence will not be tolerated, PA reports.

Saturday’s protest in Trafalgar Square and Hyde Park comes a week after a separate event which saw more than a dozen officers injured when a “small minority” targeted police and more than 32 arrests were made.

The Metropolitan police said it had been engaging with organisers throughout the week to remind them of their legal obligations and explaining the events could be in breach of coronavirus regulations.

While protests are exempt from the rule of six which is in force in England, organisers must submit a risk assessment and comply with social distancing.

Police said some organisers had done so but where this had not happened the Met will “increase their engagement and encourage attendees to disperse”.

They added that enforcement “remains a last resort but will be undertaken if required”.

Commander Ade Adelekan, who is leading the Met operation, said while there is “great frustration” at the regulations, a large midday protest could put the health of protesters and their contacts at risk.

He said:

By flagrantly gathering in large numbers and ignoring social distancing, you are putting your health and the health of your loved ones at risk.

Last weekend it was highly disappointing to see that a small minority of demonstrators targeted officers with violence. Some 15 officers were injured during this protest, with more than 32 arrests being made during the course of the day.

I will not tolerate a repeat of this behaviour this weekend and officers will respond quickly to any scenes of violence.

Updated

The Czech Republic has reported 2,946 new cases its second highest rise since the start of the pandemic, Czech media report, citing figures from the ministry of health.

The total number of cases reached 61,318 in the country of 10.7 million. There had been 582 deaths as of Friday, up 15 from the previous count.

The news site Lidovky.cz says the the number of Czechs currently suffering from the virus is around 30,000 – about the same as number of those who have recovered.

Updated

And with that, I’ll hand you over to my colleague Matthew Weaver in London. Thanks as always for reading.

Ukraine registered a record 3,833 cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, the national security council said on Saturday, up from a previous record of 3,584 new cases reported on 17 September.

The daily tally of Covid-19 infections spiked in September above 3,000, prompting the government to extend lockdown measures until the end of October. The council said a total of 195,504 cases were registered in Ukraine as of 26 September, with 3,903 deaths and 86,873 people recovering.

Updated

Covid-19 is driving Londoners to the country. Here, Sarah Marsh talks to some of them about what’s driving the decision.

Sally Yates, 44, from Hackney, lives in social housing in Highbury, and has never lived anywhere other than London – until now. She has just had an offer accepted on a property in Dorset.

“What I really want is to have space around me, some privacy and more living space. I live in a basement flat and coronavirus has been pretty intense as it has been me and my 22-year-old daughter shuffling around the flat,” he says.

“I have got a vulnerable family so I have to be very cautious. I want a nicer environment – more space and to be in a community that is small and supportive. I want to be near the sea.”

Updated

The Guardian’s UK political editor, Heather Stewart, has written about a difficult week for Boris Johnson as the country’s Covid-19 case numbers continue to soar.

Updated

Hi there,

Here is a breakdown of the latest Covid-19 statistics from Victoria:

  • One death, taking the state’s toll to 782 and the national figure to 870
  • The woman was aged in her 80s and the death is linked to aged care
  • 12 new cases, five linked to known outbreaks and seven under investigation
  • The 14-day rolling case average is 23.6 for Melbourne and 0.8 for regional Victoria
  • Cases with an unknown source from 10 to 23 September are 31 for Melbourne and zero for regional Victoria
  • There are 444 active cases in Victoria, including 10 in regional areas
  • 53 people are in hospital, with nine in ICU including five on ventilators
  • 72 active cases involve healthcare workers
  • There are 231 active cases linked to aged care
  • Four active cases are linked to disability accommodation, all are staff
  • 4,270 cases have an unknown source, up two from Friday
  • About 2.65m test results have been returned, an increase of 16,027 since Friday
  • Victoria police issued 82 fines in the past 24 hours, including 26 for curfew breaches, eight for failing to wear a face covering and 10 at vehicle checkpoints

Updated

Summary

I’m handing the liveblog over to my colleague Michael McGowan to take you through the evening. In summary:

  • The health minister of the state of Victoria, Australia, Jenny Mikakos, resigned on Saturday morning after the premier, Daniel Andrews, described her as “accountable” for the state’s hotel quarantine program on Friday. Mikakos said there were elements of the premier’s evidence she had to “strongly disagree” with, and handed in her resignation.
  • We still don’t know who decided to use private security contractors to monitor returned international travellers in Victoria’s hotel quarantine program, rather than defence personnel and police used by other states. Breaches in infection control including by security staff meant the virus spread from hotels to the community, triggering a second wave.
  • The premier said on Saturday during his press conference this did not mean that the hotel quarantine inquiry, when it delivers its final report in five weeks’ time, would not have answers to those questions.
  • The health minister’s resignation prompted calls from the opposition for Andrews to resign. Andrews refused on Saturday, saying he has a job to do.
  • The minister for mental health, creative industries and equality, Martin Foley, will replace Mikakos.
  • The premier flagged “good news” will be announced on Sunday, as well as further plans for eased restrictions next month. Most of the state remains under strict lockdown. There were 12 new cases of the virus announced on Saturday, prompting calls from the opposition to lift restrictions like curfew immediately. However, Andrews made it clear that the state would not be opening up any time soon.
  • Meanwhile in the United Kingdom, the prime minister, Boris Johnson, will tell the UN general assembly that the coronavirus pandemic has frayed the bonds between nations and will urge world leaders to unite against the common foe of Covid-19.
  • Confirmed coronavirus cases in Mexico rose to 720,858 on Friday, according to updated data from the health ministry, along with a reported death toll of 75,844.
  • Brazil deaths passed 140,000 on Friday.
  • In the United States, the number of cases has reached 7m, a 1m increase in less than one month.

Updated

The premier has made it clear he won’t be going anywhere anytime soon, but he is asked if his stance would remain the same if the hotel quarantine inquiry finds he was responsible in some ways for the failures in the program that led to the virus spreading from the hotels and into the community.

Andrews says:

I’m committed to the job that I’ve got, and it’s a very, very significant job. And I work hard every day to make sure I do the best I possibly can. That’s what I’m focused on. What I will do after the board of inquiry’s report has come down is I will take the action necessary to ensure these sorts of errors can never happen again. That’s the role I’ve got. I can’t presuppose what those recommendations will be, though, and I don’t think it’s appropriate to speculate on that, other than to say I think it’s almost certain there will be certain actions, things that need to happen, and I will make sure they do.

Victorian premier Daniel Andrews speaks at a press conference in Melbourne on Saturday
Victorian premier Daniel Andrews speaks at a press conference in Melbourne. Photograph: William West/AFP/Getty Images

Updated

Earlier in the press conference Andrews flagged “good news” coming on Monday. He clarifies, though: “We’re not throwing the doors open tomorrow.

“The place is not opened up tomorrow and I’ve tried to be really clear about that. And people can be optimistic and really positive about the fact that these numbers are coming down.”

He said he would outline what October will look like for the state, implying some restrictions may lift a little earlier than intended then. But not this month, it seems.

Updated

Victorian premier Daniel Andrews says he will not resign

After his health minister resigned today and after calls from the opposition for his resignation, Andrews makes it clear he is not going anywhere.

I don’t run from problems and challenges. I’ve got a very important job to do and that is to continue to get these case numbers down, and then to [announce] the biggest recovery project that our site has ever seen. So I don’t run from challenges.

I’ve got a very important job to do. And I’m going to get it done. We are going to have a situation where we can make announcements tomorrow. Next month we’ll be able to find that Covid-normal. And then we will hand down a budget this year that will have the biggest, most significant program of investment this state has ever seen. It will be truly unprecedented, both in its size, scale and nature. And that’s what’s needed.

This is a 1-in-100-year event. I have an enormous amount of work to get done. And I’m gonna get it done. Because that’s what I do.”

Updated

The soon-to-be new health minister, Martin Foley, is asked about being appinted to the role. Does he have faith in the department of health?

I have nothing but confidence in both the secretary and the department, and I look forward to continuing a very productive relationship with [them].”

Martin Foley speaks to the media after being announced as Victoria’s new health minister
Martin Foley speaks to the media after being announced as Victoria’s new health minister. Photograph: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Updated

Andrews is asked if a woman should replace Mikakos in parliament.

I think my record in relation to the advancement of women in our party and our government is well known. Ultimately it will be a matter for the national executive to determine who should fill that seat.

He’s asked about himself and ministers not being briefed about a range of issues including the offer from the commonwealth of Australian defence force personnel for the hotel quarantine program. It follows revelations from the secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Chris Eccles, that he was “not aware” whether he passed on the commonwealth offer in early April.

Andrews says:

I wouldn’t read that to mean that he doesn’t brief me. Now that is out of character for him. He’s an outstanding public servant. And I don’t think it is fair to reflect upon all of the work he does that through that one incident.”

Updated

Andrews is asked why he first mentioned the use of private security in a March press conference when announcing the establishment of the hotel quarantine scheme, given he also has said he does not know who ordered private security be used instead of police or defence personnel.

Andrews told the hotel quarantine inquiry on Friday that he could not remember why he mentioned private security, but pointed out he also said at the time the details had not been finalised.

“I cannot give you a specific [reason] why it is I mentioned police, why I mentioned security, why I mentioned the public health team and didn’t add in a fourth or fifth or a sixth different group,” Andrews said.

“I think it is important, though, to acknowledge that just half a sentence later I made it very, very clear that these matters had not been settled and it was not until the next day that I came out and then made announcements about what had happened. I think that is relevant.”

Updated

Andrews is asked when he last had a conversation with Mikakos. He can’t give an exact answer. He said at least not in the past week, because they were both giving evidence before the hotel quarantine inquiry. It’s put to Andrews that it’s unusual different sections of the government had different lawyers working with ministers before the inquiry.

Andrews responds: “If you want to draw that conclusion, that’s fine, that’s a matter for you.”

Updated

Andrews is asked why is it appropriate for the health minister to resign in the midst of a pandemic?

Well the health minister has decided to tender her resignation. That’s happened. I can’t change that ... A new minister is going to be sworn in. Very soon. And I want to assure every single Victorian that there’s a lot of work going on. And we’ll have meetings right into the night in order to finalise arrangements for announcements tomorrow.”

Had he ever asked her to improve her performance?

I don’t think I’ve ever had a conversation like that.”

Victorian premier Daniel Andrews at his press conference on Saturday
Victorian premier Daniel Andrews at his press conference on Saturday. Photograph: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Updated

Andrews hinted in the press conference that he has “good news” to announce tomorrow. He’s not been asked yet, or elaborated on, what that might be – whether it’s about restrictions easing early, or new funding announcements.

Updated

Statement from the Victorian premier

In the middle of the Daniel Andrews press conference, his office has sent media a statement. It says:

Jenny Mikakos has today resigned her ministerial position. I believe that is the right decision. I would like to thank Jenny for her many years of service to the parliament and to the government. I acknowledge her commitment and hard work in all of the portfolios she has held as a minister. I wish her well.

Martin Foley will become the minister for health, minister for ambulance services and minister for the coordination of health and human services Covid-19. Throughout his ministerial career, Martin has already overseen vital reforms in mental health, housing and disability. He has always demonstrated great care and compassion for the most vulnerable members of our community, and I know he will do an outstanding job leading our health response to the global pandemic.

“Further arrangements for the ministry will be announced in due course.”

Updated

Andrews is asked why when on multiple occasions when he was asked who was accountable for the hotel quarantine program, he did not say it was Mikakos.

He says:

“I am focused on getting on and making sure that we’ve got very positive news for people tomorrow.”

He is pressed further. When was he aware that she did not realise she was accountable for the program?

“She’s the one referring to differences and her statement is her statement,” Andrews said.

He is asked what he thinks Mikakos meant in her resignation statement when she said that she disagreed with assertions made before the hotel quarantine inquiry.

The premier says:

She made comment. I’m not in a position to speculate on what she’s referring to.”

Updated

The premier is asked about Mikakos’ parting comments – that she was disappointed in the premier’s evidence before the hotel quarantine inquiry on Friday when he said he believed the health minister was accountable for the hotel quarantine decisions.

“I’m aware of my statement,” Andrews says. “It’s a statement of fact.

“She’s free to make comments; she’s free to have a view. And with respect, I am free ... to wait for the findings of the report of the board of inquiry. That is a very important process, and that is one that is not yet finished, but it will be finished soon.

The former Victorian health minister, Jenny Mikakos.
The former Victorian health minister, Jenny Mikakos. Photograph: James Ross/AAP

“And until the conclusion of the inquiry or until the findings of the inquiry to come to a conclusion but Jenny Mikakos’ resignation is the appropriate course to take gloms on to my profession. My judgment on this matter doesn’t change the outcome. Whether I thought it appropriate or not, she resigned. She resigned this morning, and I believe that is the appropriate course of action.”

Andrews is asked if he made it clear to Mikakos that she was accountable for the hotel quarantine inquiry.

“That’s in the past,” Andrews said. “I outlined to the best of my knowledge and ability the facts.”

Updated

Mikakos resignation was 'appropriate course of action', says Daniel Andrews

The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, has begun his press conference by running through the daily case numbers which we already know, before addressing the resignation of the health minister. Jenny Mikakos.

Andrews says:

“I believe that was the appropriate course of action for her to take. I believe Jenny’s made the right choice, but she made that choice.”

Asked why he believes she made the right choice, he does not comment.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank her for her dedicated service.”

Martin Foley will replace Jenny Mikakos as health minister, says Daniel Andrews.
Martin Foley will replace Jenny Mikakos as health minister, says Daniel Andrews. Photograph: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

He said he would wait for the report from the hotel quarantine inquiry due in about five weeks.

Asked if she was given an ultimatum by his office to resign, Andrews says: “I have not spoken to the minister before she resigned.

“She sent me a text. It was simply to inform me of the fact that a letter [of resignation] had been sent. I did not speak to her and I have not spoken to her since.”

Andrews says mental, creative industries and equality minister, Martin Foley, will replace Mikakos.

Updated

Ahead of the Victorian premier’s press conference, the state opposition has called for the state’s 9pm-5am curfew to be immediately abolished.

Victoria’s restrictions have been the most onerous in Australia, but it has been the only state to grapple with a second wave of the virus that at one point saw it dealing with upwards of 700 new cases each day and double-digit deaths.

Victoria recorded 12 new cases overnight. Its 14-day average is 23.6 in metropolitan Melbourne and 0.8 for regional Victoria.

In a joint statement the state Liberal leader Michael O’Brien and state Nationals leader Peter Walsh said:

“The only reason Victoria is currently locked down is because of Daniel Andrews’ inept management of Labor’s hotel quarantine program and botched contact tracing. As a direct result of Andrews’ incompetence 782 Victorians have died, Victorians have been locked down in their homes and jobs and businesses have been decimated.

“Leading modellers have criticised Andrews’ restrictions as too stringent and leading epidemiologists have demanded ‘tailored, precise, evidence-based responses’, instead of Labor’s sledgehammer approach.”

Walsh and O’Brien called on Andrews to significantly ease restrictions from tomorrow. They want him to immediately abolish the 9pm curfew, and say all primary and secondary students should return to school in the first week of term four with appropriate Covid-safe plans around drop-off and collection.

The Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh.
The Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh. Photograph: Alex Murray/AAP

“Restrictions on businesses and industry in metropolitan Melbourne should immediately proceed from the first step to the third step (with masks),” the statement said.

“General retail of all sizes including restaurants and cafes would be permitted to operate subject to density rules, hairdressers and barbers permitted to operate, and private appointments for property inspections permitted ... In the event of a localised outbreak, the re-imposition of tighter localised restrictions will be available.”

They also called for no stay at home requirements, up to 20 visitors in homes, no intrastate travel restrictions, open schools, open gyms, less restrictive weddings, funerals and religious services. Mornington Peninsula and the areas of the Yarra Ranges outside of suburban Melbourne should also be treated as regional Victoria for the purposes of easing restrictions, they said.

This seems unlikely given the premier has repeatedly said metropolitan Melbourne, which encompasses most of the state. would not see restrictions eased until 26 October and only then if the daily average number of cases in the last 14 days is less than five and there were less than 5 cases with an unknown source in the same period.

Updated

Daniel Andrews will speak to the media at 3pm

The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, will hold his press conference at 3pm in Melbourne.

On Thursday he said he had confidence in all his ministers: “I have confidence in all my ministers, otherwise they wouldn’t be my ministers.”

On Friday, he said he held the health minister, Jenny Mikakos, accountable for the much criticised hotel quarantine program.

By Saturday morning, Mikakos had resigned, saying: “I have never shirked my responsibility for my department but it is not my responsibility alone.

“I am deeply sorry for the situation Victorians find themselves in. In good conscience, I do not believe that my actions led to them.”

Updated

A number of Victorian Labor MPs have supported the state’s outgoing health minister, Jenny Mikakos, who announced her resignation earlier today.

In a statement on Twitter, Nick Staikos, the MP for Bentleigh and a parliamentary secretary to the treasurer, said he was saddened Mikakos’ career “has ended this way”.

“She is a person of integrity who has worked her guts out while carrying the extraordinary weight of an unprecedented health crisis on her shoulders. I wish her only the best post-politics,” he wrote.

Oakleigh MP Steve Dimopoulos said Mikakos had been “an amazing servant for our community” with “an ambition to do good”.

“Few people have worked as hard or have more passion for helping others,” he said. “I’ve never seen a hint of personal ambition – just an ambition to do good. Proud to call you a friend, Jenny.”

Updated

The Australian prime minister is asked about what can be expected from the 6 October budget. Scott Morrison responds:

“Jobs first. That’s what this budget is all about.

“It’s going be a great budget. It’s going to have the most unprecedented investment in Australia’s future that this country has ever seen. It will be a titanic effort that we’re involved in to ensure this country can get back on the growth path that we want to be on. And that means we’re gonna have to do some very heavy lifting in this budget and that comes at a significant cost.”

Australia’s prime minister, Scott Morrison: “Jobs first. That’s what this budget is all about.”
Australia’s prime minister, Scott Morrison: “Jobs first. That’s what this budget is all about.” Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

He’s asked about the situation in Victoria after the resignation of the state’s health minister on Saturday:

I don’t think it helps, my commentary on those matters. What helps is me continuing to work with every premier and trade minister in this state, in this country, to ensure that we can get Australia firing on all cylinders.

I’d say South Australia’s firing on all cylinders, and it’s great to see. And that’s because of tremendous leadership from [the] premier, but I will continue to work with all states. It’s not my role to get involved in those matters that are being investigated in Victoria, they have their processes ... I respect those processes and let them get on with it, I’ll get on with my job which is to work with everybody rebuild the country.”

He’s also been asked if his video address to the UN general assembly risked offending China. In his address Morrison praised the World Health Organization for establishing an inquiry into the global response to coronavirus, and added there was “a clear mandate to identify the zoonotic source of the Covid-19 virus and how it was transmitted to humans”.

He said:

What I was simply saying was that our purpose in raising this issue was to ensure ... that we understand what occurred, so we can make sure it doesn’t happen again. That’s just common sense.”

Updated

In an unsurprising development, Victoria’s opposition leader has called on the premier, Daniel Andrews, to resign.

Meanwhile the Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, is addressing the media in Adelaide, after touring a shipbuilding yard where nine anti-submarine warfare frigates are being built. Morrison said it was contributing the the creation of jobs in the middle of the pandemic.

“This is rebirthing South Australia,” he says.

“Yes, we’re going to have a big deal of work to do when it comes to dealing with the cost of supporting Australians through this pandemic. And the way you pay that bill back is by getting to work ... This is a magnificent achievement.”

Jobkeeper, the Australian government’s wage subsidy plan, is due to be wound back from October.

People queue outside a Centrelink office. Jobkeeper, is due to be wound back from October.
People queue outside a Centrelink office. Jobkeeper, is due to be wound back from October. Photograph: Dan Peled/AAP

“We’ve got 2,500 thousand jobs right here on this project,” Morrison says in response to questions about unemployment when jobkeeper ends, “just on this project. Our economic plan isn’t just about cushioning the blow, which we have done.

“The most important part of our economic plan is to build for the future. So manufacturing is important; defence industries are incredibly important as part of that.

“We’ve got to cushion the blow. We’ve got to support the recovery, and we’ve got to build for the future. That is our economic plan for jobs.”

Updated

Games will go ahead in 2021, says Japanese prime minister

Japan is “determined” to host the postponed Olympic Games in 2021 despite the coronavirus pandemic, the country’s newly elected prime minister told the United Nations General Assembly.

Japan’s prime minister, Yoshihide Suga: “I will continue to spare no effort in order to welcome you to Games that are safe and secure.”
Japan’s prime minister, Yoshihide Suga: “I will continue to spare no effort in order to welcome you to Games that are safe and secure.” Photograph: Reuters

From AFP:

“In the summer of next year, Japan is determined to host the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games as proof that humanity has defeated the pandemic,” Yoshihide Suga said in his first international address since taking office last week.

“I will continue to spare no effort in order to welcome you to games that are safe and secure.”

The march of the coronavirus around the globe forced the historic decision to delay the games earlier this year.But with continued spikes in infection worldwide, there are questions about whether the event will be possible next year.

Organisers and Olympic officials have insisted the games will go on, with International Olympic Committee vice president John Coates saying, “This has to happen,” citing athletes who would be devastated by a cancellation.

Updated

The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, is touring the Osborne naval shipyard in South Australia with media in tow. It is likely he will address the media afterwards.

Updated

After the resignation of Victoria’s health minister, Jenny Mikakos, on Saturday morning it is interesting to look at contracts records on the Victorian government’s website. The $30m contract between Unified Security and the government for “security services at accommodation during Covid-19 isolation” has the jobs, precincts and regions department listed as the public body involved with the contract.

The starting date on the contract is 29 March, but the contract was signed on 9 April. The signatures are redacted.

The premier, health minister, jobs minister and police minister have all denied before the state’s hotel quarantine inquiry being involved in the decision to use security guards instead of the police or the Australian defence force for the hotel quarantine program, which assisted in other states.

Updated

British prime minister Boris Johnson will tell the UN general assembly that the coronavirus pandemic has frayed the bonds between nations and will urge world leaders to unite against the common foe of Covid-19.

He will use his speech on Saturday to say that nine months into the pandemic, the very notion of the international community looks tattered, Associated Press reports.

British prime minister Boris Johnson will address the UN general assembly on Saturday.
British prime minister Boris Johnson will address the UN general assembly on Saturday. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

Johnson will call for countries to share more data on disease outbreaks and to stop slapping export controls on essential goods as part of efforts to prevent future pandemics.

Johnson, who was admitted to hospital with Covid earlier in the year, is seeking to counter the impression that Britain is retreating from the world stage after its departure from the European Union.

Updated

People in NSW urged to be tested if experiencing symptoms

In good news for New South Wales, Australia, just one case of the virus was recorded overnight, and that was in a returned international traveller in hotel quarantine.

Sydneysiders are urged to be tested if they have even the slightest symptoms.
Sydneysiders are urged to be tested if they have even the slightest symptoms. Photograph: Loren Elliott/Reuters

With the start of school holidays and increased movement of people, NSW Health is appealing to everyone to get tested as soon as symptoms appear:

Testing numbers have declined in recent weeks. Please come forward for testing right away if you have a runny nose or scratchy throat, cough, fever or other symptoms that could be Covid-19.

If you have symptoms at all we need your help. We all need to do our part to keep the community safe from another outbreak. Get tested right away at the earliest symptoms and help protect friends and family from serious disease. This is especially important in south-west Sydney.

Updated

Reuters reports that Mexico’s confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 720,858 on Friday, according to updated data from the health ministry, along with a reported death toll of 75,844. Authorities reported 5,401 new cases along with 405 deaths on Friday, but the true figures are likely to be significantly higher due to low testing rates.

Updated

The Health Workers Union has welcomed the resignation of the health minister, Jenny Mikakos, in the state of Victoria, Australia. Spread in health workplaces, including in aged care and hospitals, has been a significant driver of infections throughout Victoria’s second wave.

But it took some weeks for the premier, Daniel Andrews, and he Mikakos to acknowledge this, as they both repeatedly said health workers were being infected in the community, not in the workplace, even as senior clinicians said otherwise.

Australia’s opposition Labor health spokesman, Chris Bowen, and the New South Wales health minister, Brad Hazzard, have also commented on the resignation of Mikakos on Saturday.

Meanwhile we still haven’t been given a time for the daily press conference for the premier Daniel Andrews. Media have usually received an alert with the timing and location by now.

Updated

Full statement from Victoria's health minister, Jenny Mikakos

Jenny Mikakos’ resignation follows a six-week inquiry into the Australian state of Victoria’s hotel quarantine program for returned international travellers, with infection control failures in the program ultimately sparking Victoria’s second wave.

Much of the state is under strict lockdown restrictions, and borders to other Australian states remain closed or heavily restricted.

While most other states and territories opted to use police or Australian defence force (ADF) staff to implement the hotel quarantine program, Victoria used private security contractors who were poorly trained in infection control, the inquiry previously heard. The premier, Daniel Andrews, and Mikakos have been under pressure to explain why ADF and police were not used.

Her resignation follows comments from Andrews on Friday at the inquiry into the hotel quarantine program that he held her “accountable for the program”.

Victorian health minister Jenny Mikakos: “I am deeply sorry for the situation that Victorians find themselves in.”
Victorian health minister Jenny Mikakos: “I am deeply sorry for the situation that Victorians find themselves in.” Photograph: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

In a statement issued on Twitter on Saturday, Mikakos said:

Since the start of this pandemic I have worked every day with a single focus to protect the Victorians from an unprecedented global public health threat in our lifetime. It has been a responsibility for which I have felt only a sense of urgency and resolve. I have been in awe of our health professionals saving lives every day and I can never express my admiration of them enough.

When the case numbers started to rise in June I sought explanation. On 30 June, I received a briefing on a genomic sequencing report. To say that I was shocked would be a massive understatement. The sacrifice and suffering of Victorians is something that I feel deeply. As I said to the board of inquiry, I take responsibility for my department. The buck stops with me. With the benefit of hindsight, there are clearly matters that my department should have briefed me on. Whether they would have changed the course of events, only the board and history can determine.

For three months I had looked forward to learning who made the fateful decision to use security guards. Victorians deserve to know who.

I have always put everything into my ministerial responsibilities. I have never wanted to leave a job unfinished but in the light of the premier’s statement to the board of inquiry, and the fact that there are elements in it that I strongly disagree with, I believe that I cannot continue to serve in his cabinet. I have never shirked my responsibility for my department but it is not my responsibility alone.

I look forward to the board of inquiry’s final report. I am disappointed that my integrity has sought to be undermined. I know that my statement and evidence would have been uncomfortable for some. I have today written to the governor of Victoria to resign my commission’s as a minister effective today.

I will also be resigning from the parliament.

I am deeply sorry for the situation that Victorians find themselves in. In good conscience, I do not believe that my actions lead to them. I thank Victorians for the privilege of serving them. I thank the premier, my colleagues, my loyal staff, the Labor party and broader Labor movement for their support.

I will not be making any further public statements.

Victoria’s second wave has resulted in more than 780 deaths and prompted weeks of strict lockdown measures for Melbourne.

Mikakos’ resignation follows her appearance at the hotel quarantine inquiry on Thursday, where she said she was “very disappointed” problems identified with the program early on were not raised with her.

Mikakos said she did not know public health commander Finn Romanes had written to health and human services department secretary Kym Peake on 9 April, warning of a “risk to the health and safety of detainees” due to governance issues.

The letter was backed by chief health officer Brett Sutton and his deputy Annaliese van Diemen. Peake also failed to brief Mikakos on two Safer Care Victoria reports, which identified problems with the hotel quarantine program.

Updated

Welcome

Welcome to our live coronavirus coverage.

Here are some of the main developments from the last 24 hours:

Updated

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