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The former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson appears to have been arrested for breaking coronavirus restrictions during a heated rally in London, PA media reports.
Images on social media showed him being led away by police officers. The 37-year-old, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, co-founded the far-right EDL in 2009.
The Metropolitan police said they arrested a man who was at a rally at Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park, London, on Sunday.
A spokesman said: “At 14.44hrs a man aged in his 30s was arrested under the coronavirus regulations for holding or being involved in the holding of the event:
More than 300 Brazilians gathered on São Paulo’s main commercial thoroughfare on Sunday to protest state governor João Doria’s support for mandatory Covid-19 immunisation and testing the potential vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac, Reuters reports.
Doria has previously spoken in favour of making immunisations mandatory, once vaccines are available, sparking a spat with President Jair Bolsonaro who vows it will be voluntary. The Supreme Court’s chief justice has said the court will ultimately decide on the issue.
A number of vaccines are obligatory in Brazil, including for example Hepatitis B which is given to newborns. Brazil has had great success with large vaccination campaigns in the past, eradicating polio in the 1980s for example.
In São Paulo, the Sinovac vaccine is being tested as part of phase III clinical trials with support from the Doria government.
Brazil’s federal health ministry announced last month it would buy 46 million doses of the vaccine, contingent on regulatory approval, in a deal supported by state governors. But a day later right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro said that Brazil would not buy the vaccine.
Bolsonaro has bashed China intermittently since the campaign trail in 2018, over the country’s growing investments and influence in Brazil.
Brexit Party to rebrand as 'anti-lockdown' party, Farage says
Nigel Farage plans to rebrand the Brexit Party as an anti-lockdown party called Reform UK, the party leader has announced in an article in the Telegraph where he says “it is time to redirect our energies”.
The plans to change the name are subject to approval of the Electoral Commission.
None of the party’s candidates won a seat in the 2019 general election.
Updated
A ban on care home visits in England’s winter lockdown would violate the “fundamental human rights” of residents and their families, the National Care Forum (NCF) has warned health secretary Matt Hancock in a letter.
In a letter signed by 60 organisations, NCF leaders have urged the health secretary, along with social care secretary Helen Whately, to allow limited numbers of relatives to visit care homes.
Government guidelines currently tell care homes to “follow existing guidance” with more to come ahead of the lockdown, which will be introduced from Thursday.
Speaking at a press conference in October, Boris Johnson acknowledged the situation is “absolutely wretched” for people unable to see loved ones in care homes, adding he was “certainly looking at what we can do to... allow people to visit their elderly relatives in extreme circumstances”.
Vic Rayner, executive director of the NCF, said said: “We must balance the risk of harm from Covid-19 with the risk of harm from isolation and physical, mental, and emotional deterioration (for residents).”
Updated
Brazil recorded 10,100 additional confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, and 190 deaths from Covid-19, the health ministry said on Sunday.
Brazil has registered more than 5.5 million cases of the virus since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 160,074, according to ministry data.
Summary
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Iran’s true death toll is likely to be at least three times higher than the reported figure, the head of Iran’s medical council has said.
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Brazil’s health minister, who was admitted to hospital with coronavirus and dehydration two days ago, has been discharged from hospital.
- There have been a further 23,254 lab-confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK, according to government data. This compares to 21,915 new cases registered on Saturday.
- Donald Trump’s campaign rallies may have led to 30,000 additional confirmed cases of Covid-19, and likely resulted in more than 700 deaths overall, according to a Stanford University paper posted online this weekend.
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Greece has reported a further 1,678 new coronavirus cases, bringing the country’s total to 40,929. It comes after a record daily increase of 2,056 was announced on Saturday.
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Geneva will impose a partial lockdown on Monday after the Swiss canton reported more than 1,000 new cases on several days.
- France reported 46,290 further coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the total to over 1.4 million cases. Infections rose by 35,641 the previous day.
- Slovakia tested almost half of its entire population yesterday, as part of a two-day mass testing programme designed to bring coronavirus under control without implementing further lockdown measures. Of the 2.58 millio people tested, 1% were positive and will have to quarantine.
- Russia’s daily tally of coronavirus cases hit a record high of 18,665, taking the national total to 1,636,781. Meanwhile, Iran has marked its highest daily increase in its coronavirus death toll, with 434 recorded on Saturday.
Just a reminder that you can get in touch with any news tips or suggestions for coverage by email or Twitter DM – thanks to everyone who’s already written in.
Scott Atlas, a top coronavirus adviser to the White House, has apologised for giving an interview to Russia’s Kremlin-backed television station RT, saying he was unaware the outlet was a registered foreign agent in the United States.
Atlas, a neuroradiologist and member of the White House coronavirus task force, appeared on the channel on Saturday and criticised coronavirus lockdowns measures, calling them an “epic failure” at stopping the virus’ spread.
“I recently did an interview with RT and was unaware they are a registered foreign agent,” Atlas tweeted. “I regret doing the interview and apologize for allowing myself to be taken advantage of.
“I especially apologize to the national security community who is working hard to defend us,” Atlas said.
RT registered as a foreign agent three years ago.
Education unions, backed by northern leaders, have warned that keeping schools and universities open in England is an inadequate “half-measure” which will sow the seeds for another lockdown next year and prolong the suffering from Covid.
The National Education Union (NEU), the biggest teaching union in the UK with almost half a million members, says schools are “an engine for virus transmission” and wants them to close again to all except “vulnerable” pupils and those with key-worker parents, to drive down transmission.
Read education correspondent Sally Weale’s report here.
Another Tory MP has warned she will vote against England’s new lockdown measures.
In a post on Instagram, Esther McVey wrote: “I will be voting against the new national lockdown on Wednesday when it comes before the House of Commons.
“The ‘lockdown cure’ is causing more harm than Covid.
“The world cannot be put on hold, and the Government must stop pressing the pause and stop button for the whole nation on a whim, with all the disastrous effects this brings to our lives, livelihoods, health and relationships.”
Senior Conservative MP Sir Graham Brady has said he is likely to vote against the new coronavirus restrictions set to come into force in England on Thursday.
He told BBC BBC Radio 4’s The Westminster Hour that he was concerned about the intrusion into people’s rights: “The freedom of association, the right to a family life.
“We even have the government telling people who they are allowed to sleep with or not depending on whether they are deemed to be in an established relationship or not.
“If these kinds of measures were being taken in any totalitarian country around the world we would be denouncing it as a form of evil and here the removal of people’s fundamental liberties is going almost without comment and I think it is very important that we focus on those basic human rights and find ways, of course, to deal with the serious threat of Covid-19 but do it working with people rather than doing things to people.”
Updated
US reports 80,932 further cases
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday reported 9,105,230 coronavirus cases, an increase of 80,932 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 823 to 229,932.
The CDC figures do not necessarily reflect cases reported by individual states.
Updated
Robert Jenrick, the housing secretary, has confirmed people will be able to move house despite the new lockdown coming into effect in England later this week:
Housing market update ahead of Thursday’s measures:
— Robert Jenrick (@RobertJenrick) November 1, 2020
🏡 Renters & homeowners will be able to move
📦 Removal firms and estate agents can operate
👷🏻♀️Construction sites can and should continue
🔧Tradespeople will be able to enter homes
📋But all must follow the Covid safety guidance
Police broke up a series of illegal gatherings across England this weekend, including a 1,000-strong music event and a christening with 200 guests.
Around 300 people gathered near Wigan on Saturday night while dozens more were turned away, a spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said.
Seven police vehicles had their tyres slashed and officers searching the site found a machete in an area of bushes, the force said.
Meanwhile, in Yate, near Bristol, Avon and Somerset Police broke up an illegal rave where some of the 500-strong crowd were violent towards officers.
In London, the Metropolitan Police dispersed up 11 illegal gatherings, including a christening with 200 guests on Saturday.
Around 1,000 people went to a music event in Poplar, east London, where seven people were arrested under the coronavirus regulations for holding or being involved in staging it.
As England prepares to head into a second national lockdown on Thursday, a review of Boris Johnson’s previous statements on the issue reveals a number of mixed messages.
The lockdown will come into force on 5 November, and is due to end on 2 December – however, Michael Gove admitted on Sunday that it may be extended if if the infection rate does not fall sufficiently.
On 23 March, the prime minister announced the first lockdown, saying:
We will look again in three weeks, and relax them if the evidence shows we are able to.
On 17 July, he hoped for a ‘more significant return to normality’ from November:
It is my strong and sincere hope that we will be able to review the outstanding restrictions and allow a more significant return to normality from November at the earliest.
Andrew Sparrow has written a round-up of what Johnson has said about lockdown since mid-March – you can read it here.
Updated
France reports 46,290 new coronavirus infections
France reported 46,290 further coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the total to over 1.4 million cases. Infections rose by 35,641 the previous day.
The country said 231 more people had died from Covid-19, taking the toll to 37,019.
Updated
Geneva to enter partial lockdown from Monday
Geneva will impose a partial lockdown on Monday after the Swiss canton reported more than 1,000 new cases on several days.
The new measures will see bars, restaurants, close-contact services and non-essential shops closed from 7pm on 2 November. Schools will remain open.
The measures will remain in effect until 29 November.
Cinemas, museums, concert halls, gyms, swimming pools and ice rinks will also be shuttered, the cantonal government said in a statement on Sunday.
Updated
Thousands gathered outside the main church in Montenegro’s capital, Podgorica, on Sunday for the burial of Bishop Amfilohije, who died of Covid-19 on Friday.
The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church led the prayers inside the packed church joined by dozens of officials and clergy, many of whom did not wear face masks. Montenegro has recently recorded a surge in virus cases.
In an illustration of the bishop’s popularity, thousands have paid their respects since Saturday, passing by an open casket with his body. Many kissed the bishop’s remains, prompting an appeal from doctors to close the coffin.
Updated
Greece has reported a further 1,678 new coronavirus cases, bringing the country’s total to 40,929. It comes after a record daily increase of 2,056 was announced on Saturday.
An additional nine deaths have been registered, bringing the toll to 635.
Donald Trump’s campaign rallies may have led to 30,000 additional confirmed cases of Covid-19, and likely resulted in more than 700 deaths overall, according to a Stanford University paper posted online this weekend.
The new research analysed data following 18 Trump rallies held between 20 June and 22 September, three of which were indoors.
Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said the Stanford paper was “suggestive” of spread from the events, but not definitive because it was not based on an investigation of actual cases. That would help confirm whether participants were exposed to the virus at the event, rather than other places where transmission is rampant.
Minnesota public health officials have attributed four Covid-19 outbreaks and more than 25 cases to Trump rallies held in the state in September and October.
An additional 11 state health departments contacted by Reuters said they had not been able to trace infections to the rallies, although some, including Michigan and Wisconsin, have determined that individual people who later tested positive for Covid-19 were present at Trump campaign events.
Updated
A further 137 people have died after testing positive for the coronavirus in England, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals to 32,992, according to NHS England figures.
The number of deaths of patients with Covid-19 by region are as follows:
East of England – 11
London – 7
Midlands – 40
North East & Yorkshire – 35
North West – 32
South East – 6
South West – 6
Updated
UK reports 23,254 new cases and 162 deaths
There have been a further 23,254 lab-confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK, according to government data. This compares to 21,915 new cases registered on Saturday.
A total of 1,034,914 people have tested positive.
A further 162 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were reported on Sunday, bringing the total to 46,717. There were 326 on Saturday.
There have been 58,925 deaths were Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, registered up to 16 October.
It is important to note that Sunday figures are often lower due to delays in reporting over the weekend.
The latest figures come as England prepares to enter a national lockdown on 5 November, which will last until 2 December.
Scotland will introduce its new five-tier system on 2 November, and the current Wales-wide ‘firebreak’ lockdown will end on 9 November, while Northern Ireland’s restrictions will end on 13 November.
Updated
Hello, I’ll be taking over the blog for the next few hours.
Please do get in touch with me by email or Twitter DM if you’d like to draw attention to a development you think I’ve missed. I might not always be able to reply but will read them all. Thanks in advance!
I’m going to be handing over to my colleague Clea Skopeliti, who will take you through the next few hours. Thank you for reading along.
Iran will restrict travel to the cities hit hardest by the novel coronavirus, amid a record high of daily coronavirus deaths.
The measure takes effect at Monday midday and will last until Friday, according to a state broadcaster.
Under the new restrictions, residents will be unable to leave and non-residents to enter, based on vehicle plate numbers. Public transport is exempt.
The measures apply to the capitals of 25 provinces considered “red” – the highest level on Iran’s colour-coded risk scale – and includes the capital Tehran, which has more than 8 million residents.
The order will be backed by fines for those who violate it.
It follows measures imposed on Saturday in the cities, which forced the closure of some public spaces and businesses.
Updated
Brazil’s health minister, who was admitted to hospital with coronavirus and dehydration two days ago, has been discharged from hospital.
Eduardo Pazuello tested positive for coronavirus on 21 October. Roughly half of president Jair Bolsonaro’s 23-member cabinet has been infected with coronavirus, with the president and his wife contracting the disease in July.
Although Bolsonaro has sought to downplay the severity of the disease and opposed strict lockdowns, Brazil has experienced the second deadliest outbreak of coronavirus. The country has recorded more than 5.5 million cases, and lost 159,884 lives – second only to the US.
Updated
If you spot something you think we should be reporting on in this blog, you’re very welcome to drop me a message on Twitter. I won’t always be able to reply, but will do my best. Thanks in advance!
Iran death toll three times higher than official figure, independent medical leader says
Iran’s true death toll is likely to be at least three times higher than the reported figure, the head of Iran’s medical council has said.
Earlier, it was reported that the country’s daily tally of coronavirus deaths had hit a record high of 434. The deaths, announced by Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari on state TV, take the official toll to 35,298 in the Middle East’s worst-hit country. She also said the number of confirmed coronavirus cases had increased by 7,719 to 620,491.
However, the head of Iran’s medical council, Mohammadreza Zafarghandi, doubted the accuracy of the official toll and warned that Iran had reached a “catastrophic mortality rate”, according to the Students News Agency, ISNA.
The official death toll is only based on the number of registered patients,” Zafarghandi said. “Through field surveys in hospitals and cemeteries, our Council has obtained a figure at least three times higher than the official death toll.”
The medical council is a non-governmental organisation responsible for licensing doctors in Iran.
Updated
Summary of recent events
Here’s a summary of the key developments in the coronavirus pandemic over the past few hours:
- Slovakia tested almost half of its entire population yesterday, as part of a two-day mass testing programme designed to bring coronavirus under control without implementing further lockdown measures. Of the 2.58 millio people tested, 1% were positive and will have to quarantine.
- Russia’s daily tally of coronavirus cases hit a record high of 18,665, taking the national total to 1,636,781. Meanwhile, Iran has marked its highest daily increase in its coronavirus death toll, with 434 recorded on Saturday.
- In the US, the public health expert Dr Fauci, who regularly speaks at White House briefings along with president Trump, said democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden was taking the virus seriously and focusing on public health, while Trump was “looking at it from a different perspective …” and prioritising the economy. The White House has accused him of “playing politics”.
- Spain saw demonstrations against further lockdown measures last night, with more than 30 arrests in Madrid after bins were set alight and makeshift barriers constructed. The prime minister has urged an end to the “violent and irrational behaviour”.
- Israel has begun human trials for its coronavirus vaccine, starting with a trial of eighty people,
- Italy’s health minister has described new data on coronavirus pandemic as “terrifying”, saying that the country has two days to approve further restrictions to curb the spread of the virus.
Updated
The prime minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, has called for an end to “the violent and irrational behaviour” of a minority of people after a weekend of angry demonstrations in cities around the country against further lockdown restrictions.
Last week, the Spanish government announced a six month state of emergency which would allow them to implement further measures to limit the spread of the virus.
Madrid saw the largest demonstrations last night, with thirty-two people arrested and 12 injured. There were also protests over the weekend in Barcelona, Málaga, Vitoria, Valencia, Santander and Burgos.
Read the full report here from Sam Jones, who is in Madrid.
Updated
Fauci says Biden is taking virus seriously, as he warns of bleak winter for US
The US is “in for a whole lot of hurt” under the coronavirus pandemic, the senior public health expert Anthony Fauci has said, predicting a winter of 100,000 or more cases a day and a rising death toll.
Fauci has regularly appeared with president Trump at press conferences on the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s not a good situation. All the stars are aligned in the wrong place as you go into the fall and winter season, with people congregating at home indoors. You could not possibly be positioned more poorly,” he told the Washington Post.
Fauci said that Trump’s challenger, the Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, was “taking it seriously from a public health perspective”. Trump, he said, was “looking at it from a different perspective … the economy and reopening the country”.
Unsurprisingly, this has caused outrage in the Trump administration, who have accused Fauci of “playing politics”.
Judd Deere, a White House spokesman, said: “It’s unacceptable and breaking with all norms for Dr Fauci, a senior member of the president’s coronavirus taskforce and someone who has praised President Trump’s actions throughout this pandemic, to choose three days before an election to play politics.”
You can get more information in this report from my colleague Martin Pengelly in the US.
Updated
Scientists think that tiny genetic differences are causing some people to suffer much more severely with coronavirus than others.
Key developments include research which indicates that interferon – a molecular messenger that stimulates immune defences against invading viruses – may play a vital role in defending the body.
Scientists have found that rare mutations in some people may leave them unable to make adequate supplies of the interferon they need to trigger effective immune responses to Covid
Read the full report from the Observer’s science and environment editor, Robin McKie, here.
“Europe, once again, is the centre of the global pandemic, accounting for almost half the world’s infections last week.
But as desperately needed financial support fails to materialise, and track and trace systems fail to cope with the surge, there is public exasperation and, in some cases, open rebellion.”
Read the full report on the rise in anti-lockdown demonstrations from my colleague Julian Coman here:
Italy’s health minister has described new data on coronavirus pandemic as “terrifying”, saying that the country had two days to approve further restrictions to curb the spread of the virus.
On Saturday, Italy recorded almost 32,000 new coronavirus cases, its highest daily record since the start of the crisis. It also confirmed just under 300 deaths, bringing the total death toll to 38,618.
“We have 48 hours to try to approve a further tightening (of the rules), there are too many people around,” health minister Roberto Speranza was quoted as saying in the daily Corriere della Sera.
He said another lockdown, though not as extended as the one introduced in March, seemed to be the only option.
“The epidemiological curve is still very high. What worries me the most is the absolute data, which shows a terrifying curve,” Speranza said.
Last week, Italy introduced restrictions on business activity, ordering bars and restaurants to close at 6pm and shutting gyms, cinemas and theatres in an attempt to limit the spread of coronavirus. Many cities and regions, including Lombardy, which has been at the heart of the nation’s outbreak, also adopted local curfews.
While prime minister Conte has repeatedly said he wants to avoid a new national lockdown to prevent further economic damage, the localised measures have not been enough to bring transmissions rates under control.
Today, the prime minister is meeting with representatives from the regional government and the opposition parties to discuss further measures. Limits on travel between regions, the imposition of local lockdowns in areas with a high rates of transmission, and an increase the use of remote learning is expected to be announced as early as Monday.
Iran marks highest daily increase in deaths
A bit more information on the situation in Iran here ...
The daily tally of coronavirus deaths reached 434 on Sunday, marking the highest daily increase on record.
The record comes a day after the county announced strict new restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus, including the closure of schools, universities and mosques in most of the country.
President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday that new restrictions would take effect on Wednesday in 25 of Iran’s 31 provinces, and last for 10 days.
The government has also banned weddings, wakes and conferences in the Iranian capital until further notice.
Updated
The UK health regulator has launched an accelerated review of a potential coronavirus vaccine from AstraZeneca Plc.
The company confirmed that the health regulator had begun a “rolling review”, which enables regulators to see clinical data in real time and engage in a dialogue with drugmakers about the manufacturing processes and trials, in order to accelerate the approval process.
The approach is designed to speed up evaluations of promising drugs or vaccines during a public health emergency. AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine is being developed along with the University of Oxford.
Bloomberg reported on Friday that regulator had also begun an accelerated review for a vaccine candidate from Pfizer Inc.
The two firms are among the frontrunners in the race to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus.
Updated
Families in Spain have been forced to alter plans to celebrate the Day of the Dead festival this year as a second wave of coronavirus sweeps the nation.
The groups normally honour their dead relatives by visiting cemeteries on the day, but are instead spacing out trips to avoid increasing the spread of coronavirus.
Authorities have advised families to limit their trips to 30 minutes at graveyards, and not to go in large groups to mark the event, which is linked to the Catholic holidays of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day at the start of November.
“Our family is coming separately, two or three days apart. We are the last to visit,” said Francisco Gonzalez, 81, who visited the Almudena cemetery in Madrid with his wife.
Flower sellers have reported that people are staying aware from the graveyards.
Last week, Spain imposed a six-month state of emergency last week, which enables the government to impose restrictive measures to limit the spread of coronavirus, including night curfews.
Updated
Nearly half of Slovakia’s entire population tested for Covid-19 in one day
Nearly half of Slovakia’s entire population were tested for coronavirus on Saturday, as the country began a two day testing programme which it hopes will bring the virus under control without further lockdown measures.
Of the 2.58 million Slovaks who took the test, 25,850, or 1%, tested positive and must go into quarantine.
More than 40,000 medics and support teams of soldiers, police, administrative workers and volunteers staffed around 5,000 sites to administer the antigen swab tests. The country, which has a population of 5.5m, is aiming to test as many citizens as possible, except those under the age of 10.
The scheme is the first in the world in a country of a comparable size, and is being carefully watched by countries around the world to see if it might offer an alternative approach to the pandemic.
While the testing was free and technically voluntary, Slovakia’s government will impose a lockdown on those who do not participate, which includes a ban on going to work.
“Freedom must go together with responsibility toward those who ... are the weakest among us, oncology patients, old people, people with other diseases,” prime minister Igor Matovic told a news conference.
During the first wave of the virus, Slovakia recorded just a few thousand cases of coronavirus after swiftly imposing restrictions, but cases have soared in recent weeks.
On Sunday, Slovakia reported 2,282 new cases, bringing the total to 59,946 - not including those identified in the nationwide scheme. The country has lost 219 lives.
Iran has recorded a further 7,719 cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of recorded cases to 620,491.
The death toll in the country has risen by 34 to 35,298.
Updated
The coronavirus pandemic has hindered efforts to tackle the aftermath of a deadly typhoon which has battered the Philippines.
At least seven people were killed as Typhoon Goni hit the country on Sunday, causing floods and devastating homes. The typhoon, the strongest of the year, also caused a landslide which buried houses in the most populous island of Luzon, officials said.
Coronavirus patients being treated in tent facilities have been evacuated, officials said. The virus has stretched resources in the country and make typhoon evacuations more difficult.
Schools, which have been closed since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, are being used as emergency shelters, along with government-run evacuation centres and gymnasiums.
The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons every year.
The country has recorded more than 380,000 infections, including more than 7,200 deaths.
India’s gasoil consumption rose 6.6% this October from a year earlier, the first such increase since coronavirus restrictions were introduced.
The preliminary findings indicate an increase in industrial activity.
Diesel sales by the country’s three state fuel retailers totalled 6.17 million tonnes in October, according to provisional data compiled by Indian Oil Corp, the country’s biggest refiner and fuel retailer.
India is the world’s third biggest oil consumer and importer, so this uptake will be a boost to refiners, who had to cut crude-processing runs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. It should also support other markets hit by slow demand recovery.
Israel begins human trials for coronavirus vaccine
Israel has today begun testing its coronavirus vaccine on humans.
Eighty volunteers will initially take part in the trial, and it will be expanded to 960 people in December. If these trials are successful, the vaccine will move to a third stage with 30,000 volunteers in April or May.
If these stages are successful, it could be ready for the general public by the end of next summer.
The trials are being run by the Israel Institute for Biological Research, whose director general said the organisation was “in the final stretch”.
The institute, which is overseen by the Defense Ministry, began animal trials for its “BriLife” vaccine in March. Last week, it announced that it had received regulatory approval to take the vaccine to the next stage.
Malaysia has reported 957 new cases of coronavirus, but no new deaths.
This brings the total number of infections in the country to 32,505, while the death toll stays at 249.
Updated
Dozens of people were arrested in Spain last night as anti-lockdown protesters clashed with police for a second night.
The largest protests were in Madrid, with demonstrators shouting “freedom!” setting rubbish bins alight and constructing makeshift barricades on the city’s main thoroughfare, the Gran Vía. Police were pelted with stones and flares as they tried to disrupt the assembly.
According to emergency services, twelve people – including three police officers – were injured. Police said they made 32 arrests.
Last week, Spain imposed a nationwide nighttime curfew to limit the spread of the virus. Almost all of Spain’s regions have imposed regional border closures to prevent long-distance travel.
Here are some photographs from Madrid:
Updated
Parts of Portugal are set to enter a “state of calamity” on Wednesday, following a spike in coronavirus cases in the country.
The prime minister, António Costa, told the nation on Saturday that they “must stay at home”, unless shopping, exercising or providing assistance to elderly or disabled people.
People must work from home if they can.
All commercial establishments and services, including shopping centres, must close at 10pm, but restaurants can allow a maximum of six people per table (except family groups) until 10.30pm.
The measures will be applied to 121 municipalities where there have been more than 240 cases per 100,000 inhabitants for the past 14 days, and will last until 15 November.
Updated
Global overview: where are we now?
Around the world, more than 46 million cases of coronavirus have been recorded, with a global death toll of 1,195,930.
Of the lives lost, 230,556 were in the US. The country has the highest death toll from coronavirus, and the highest number of cases, at more than 9 million.
In order of case number, the next most severely hit are:
- India, which has counted more than 8.1 million cases and has lost 122,111 lives.
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Brazil, which has recorded over 5.5 million cases and 159,884 deaths.
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Russia, which has confirmed 1.6 million cases and 28,026 deaths.
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France, which has recorded 1.4 million cases and 36,826
The UK has the ninth-highest number of cases, at more than 1 million, and has recorded 46,645 deaths.
These figures come from Johns Hopkins University, whose coronavirus tracker you can find here.
Updated
Indonesia has reported 2,696 new coronavirus infections, taking the total number of cases to 412,784, according to data from the health ministry.
A further 74 deaths were recorded, taking the country’s total coronavirus death toll to 13,943.
Indonesia has the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths in south-east Asia.
Updated
The Czech Republic recorded a further 11,428 cases of coronavirus on Saturday, and a further 173 new deaths.
This takes the total number of cases in the country, which has a population of 10.7m, to 335,102. It also increases the death toll to 3,251.
Updated
Good morning everybody, I’m Molly Blackall. I hope you’re all safe and well, wherever you’re reading from.
I’ll be taking you through the all the key developments in the coronavirus pandemic around the world over the next few hours.
If you see something you think we should be reporting on in this blog, you can drop me a message on Twitter. Tips and pointers always welcome! Thanks in advance.
That’s all from me, I’m now handing over to my colleague in London, Molly Blackall, who will keep you updated with the latest global coronavirus developments.
Russia reports record 18,665 new cases
Russia’s daily tally of coronavirus cases hit a record high of 18,665 on Sunday, including 5,261 in Moscow, taking the national tally to 1,636,781, Reuters reports. Authorities also reported 245 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 28,235.
Updated
It was a single job advert for a minimum wage role as a waiter in a Manchester restaurant, writes the Observer’s Jamie Doward, in a story that shows the grim reality of job hunting in the pandemic.
Buoyed by the “eat out to help out” scheme, Peru Perdu, a Peruvian-themed eatery in the heart of the city was looking for someone to join its serving staff. Within four days, 320 people had applied. And by the time the ad was taken down, 947 people had submitted applications.
Among the applicants for the job, even those with years of experience in hospitality were finding it hard to get noticed. Jake was most recently a manager in a luxury hotel. “I thought it would be easier with a degree and 10 years of experience, but it has been a struggle,” he said. “I probably only have one-and-a-half month’s rent left in the bank account … That would only take me through November.”
Updated
In the UK, Sunday’s front pages are dominated by the news that month-long national lockdown measures will be imposed across England from Thursday. Here’s a roundup of this morning’s coverage:
Updated
Summary
- The UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, has announced a second month-long national lockdown for England as the UK surpassed 1m infections on Saturday.
- Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has urged Scots not to travel to England.
- The number of Covid-related hospitalisations hit record numbers in at least 14 European countries this week as the second wave of the pandemic hit.
- Austria announced a night-time curfew and the closure of cafes, bars and restaurants on Saturday amid “exploding” coronavirus infections.
- In cities across Spain, where a state of emergency was introduced this week, protesters opposing coronavirus measures clashed with police on Saturday.
- Brazil’s health minister, Eduardo Pazuello, is in stable condition in a hospital after being diagnosed with Covid-19.
- The trial over the 2015 Charlie Hebdo massacre has been suspended until Wednesday, after the main suspect tested positive for coronavirus.
- England’s Catholic church has criticised the government for banning communal worship under new lockdown measures, saying such gatherings helped wellbeing.
- In the Philippines, almost 1 million people have been evacuated from the projected path of Super Typhoon Goni, prompting concern over the possible spread of the virus in emergency centres.
- Australia has recorded a day of no new community cases for the first time in nearly five months.
Updated
Catholic church criticises ban on communal worship in England
England’s Catholic church has strongly criticised the government for banning communal worship in the country’s new lockdown, saying such gatherings have been a great help to the nation’s wellbeing throughout the pandemic, PA media reports.
Most religious services are banned under winter lockdown restrictions expected to last throughout November, which were announced by the UK’s prime minister, Boris Johnson, on Saturday.
The government has said weddings will not be allowed, apart from under “exceptional circumstances” – which are yet to be defined, and funerals can be attended by a maximum of 30 people.
In England, pubs, bars, restaurants and non-essential retail businesses will close from 5 November until 2 December, and people will be told to stay at home unless they have a specific reason to leave – but schools, colleges and nurseries will remain open.
Places of worship will be closed, unless used for funerals, to broadcast acts of worship, individual prayer, formal childcare or essential services such as blood donation or food banks.
The president and vice-president of the Catholic Church’s Bishops’ Conference – Cardinal Vincent Nichols and Archbishop Malcolm McMahon – demanded that the government explain its reasons for the ban on communal worship, saying churches had acted responsibly in enacting Covid-safe practices.
“It is ... a source of deep anguish now that the government is requiring, once again, the cessation of public communal worship,” the bishops said.
“Whilst we understand the many difficult decisions facing the government, we have not yet seen any evidence whatsoever that would make the banning of communal worship, with all its human costs, a productive part of combatting the virus.”
Updated
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 14,177 to 532,930, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed on Sunday. The reported death toll rose by 29 to 10,481.
Updated
Zoe Wood, the Guardian and Observer retail correspondent in London, reports the toll of the pandemic on British shops:
The next two months are supposed to be the most lucrative time of the year for the high street, but a grisly update from Marks & Spencer will this week provide a grim reality check as the pandemic sets up nightmarish trading conditions for the golden quarter.
Analysts expect M&S to have made a loss of about £60m in the first six months of its financial year because of the huge sales hit suffered by its clothing arm during the three-month spring lockdown. This time last year, the UK’s biggest clothing retailer was reporting profits of £176m.
The financial toll the pandemic has taken on the high street is underlined by the impact it has had on the finances of even the strongest retail brands. On Tuesday, M&S’s arch-rival Primark is expected to report annual profits of about £350m, which will be less than half last year’s £913m haul. The budget clothing chain does not sell online and – like M&S – desperately needs its customers to feel safe about venturing out to high streets and shopping malls this Christmas.
Updated
Active wastewater surveillance has become a popular tool used by governments as they try to stay a step ahead of new Covid-19 outbreaks. Here’s a video explainer:
Papua New Guinea has approved nearly US$3m from its threadbare budget for an as-yet-unidentified Covid-19 treatment – allocating the money to an unknown biomedical company that was formed in August, reports Rebecca Kuku.
The prime minister, James Marape, has insisted the national executive council had not completed its approval process to engage a PNG company to find a treatment, but leaked cabinet documents appear to show 10.2m kina (US$2.85m) being awarded to Niugini BioMed Ltd for research into discovering a treatment for Covid infections from existing drugs.
The cabinet submission, splashed on the front page of a national newspaper, claimed a University of Papua New Guinea team had “scanned and analysed” 30,000 known drugs worldwide to identify 10 potential treatments.
The submission, signed by Marape, “directs ministers, treasury and finance to make available 10.2 million kina immediately for the procurement of Covid-19 drugs, commencement of treatment on Covid-19 patients in the country”.
While treatment of Covid has improved globally since the outbreak of the pandemic, lowering death rates, there is no vaccine. Several potential vaccines are undergoing trial internationally.
Updated
Charlie Hebdo trial suspended after suspect tests positive for Covid
The main suspect in a trial over the 2015 Charlie Hebdo massacre has tested positive for coronavirus, prompting the court to suspend hearings until Wednesday.
Ali Riza Polat is accused of having helped the killers of 12 people in the 2015 attack on satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, a female police officer a day later, and four hostages at a Jewish supermarket.
The 10 accused accomplices must now be tested and “the resumption of the trial will depend on the results of these tests and the development of the health of the people concerned”, presiding judge Regis de Jorna said in an email to lawyers Saturday.
Updated
As at the end of Saturday, China has confirmed 54 Covid-19 cases, six of them severe, and 219 asymptomatic cases in the north-western region of Xinjiang, state-backed Global Times reports.
The outbreak in Xinjiang, one of the largest to occur in China in months, appears to have emerged in a factory linked to forced labour and the government’s controversial policies towards Uighur residents.
The region is home to ethnic Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims who have been subjected to abuses that some analysts say amount to cultural genocide.
Updated
Mexico’s health ministry reported 6,151 new confirmed coronavirus cases and 464 additional deaths on Saturday, bringing the total to 924,962 cases and 91,753 deaths.
The government has said the real number of infected people is likely to be significantly higher than the confirmed cases.
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Associated Press reports on Barack Obama’s comments in Michigan on Saturday, where he accused Donald Trump of failing to take the coronavirus pandemic and the presidency seriously.
Obama and Biden held drive-in rallies in Flint and Detroit, predominantly black cities where strong turnout will be essential to swing the longtime Democratic state to Biden’s column after Trump won it in 2016.
“Three days until the most important election of our lifetime – and that includes mine, which was pretty important,” said Obama, urging Democrats to get to the polls.
As of Saturday, nearly 92m voters had cast ballots nationwide, according to a tally by AP. Tens of millions more will vote by the time polls close on Tuesday night.
The former president hammered on Trump’s continued focus on the size of his campaign crowds.
“Did no one come to his birthday party when he was a kid? Was he traumatised?” Obama said. “The country’s going through a pandemic. That’s not what you’re supposed to be worrying about.”
Biden has focused almost exclusively on Trump’s inability to control the coronavirus. “We’re gonna beat this virus and get it under control and the first step to doing that is beating Donald Trump,” Biden said.
The pandemic has killed nearly 230,000 people in the US.
Updated
Australia records zero new community cases
It’s official. Australia has recorded a day of no new community cases, for the first time in nearly five months.
With zero new cases in Victoria, and zero community transmissions in NSW, the country recorded no new locally acquired Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours until 8pm yesterday – a feat last achieved on 9 June.
The federal health minister, Greg Hunt, confirmed the statistic with the national incident centre.
Advice just in from the National Incident Centre - Zero community transmission cases today Australia wide- the 1st national zero community transmission day since June 9. Thankyou to all of our amazing health & public health workers & above all else the Australian people.
— Greg Hunt (@GregHuntMP) November 1, 2020
Australians are celebrating the milestone – they’re calling it a national donut day – especially after Melbourne eased restrictions last week.
Whoa a national donut day! Hell yeah! No local cases of covid Australia wide. Incredible stuff!
— dan nolan (@dannolan) November 1, 2020
However, NSW did record a new case of community transmission late last night, which will be included in tomorrow’s statistics. And there were four cases of overseas-acquired Covid-19 in NSW and one in WA over the past 24 hours.
Updated
In the Philippines, almost one million people have been evacuated from the projected path of super typhoon Goni, which slammed into the country this morning.
The strongest typhoon of the year made landfall at 4.50am, and is expected to cause “catastrophic violent winds and intense to torrential rainfall” across the Bicol region over the next 12 hours, according to the state weather agency.
There is concern the conditions in evacuation centres could fuel the spread of the Covid-19. The Philippine Daily Inquirer reports that safety officers will be deployed to monitor evacuees, and to ensure people comply with physical distancing and wear masks.
The Philippines has reported more than 380,000 confirmed Covid cases, the second-highest in south-east Asia, with 7,221 deaths.
Updated
The UK’s culture secretary Oliver Dowden has provided more clarity on the lockdown measures due to be imposed in England from Thursday 5 November. Pubs and restaurants will shut unless serving takeaway food, and all leisure and entertainment venues and non-essential shops will close.
However, Dowden said elite sport and film and TV productions will be allowed to continue behind closed doors. Under the previous lockdown, the Premier League season was suspended for three months.
2/3
— Oliver Dowden (@OliverDowden) October 31, 2020
The changes mean people should WFH where possible
But where this is not possible, travel to a place of work will be permitted - e.g. this includes (but not exhaustive) elite sport played behind closed doors, film & tv production, telecoms workers
Updated
Anti-lockdown protesters clash with police in Spain
Protesters opposing Covid-19 restrictions have clashed with police in cities across Spain after a six-month state of emergency was imposed this week.
Reuters reports that riot police shot blank bullets to disperse scores of demonstrators who were setting fire to rubbish bins in Madrid’s main thoroughfare, Gran Via. Meanwhile, protesters pelted police with rocks and other projectiles in Barcelona. In the northern Spanish city of Logroño, about 150 people attacked police with stones, set fire to containers and looted shops. Riot police were drafted in to quell disturbances in Haro, in the wine-growing region of La Rioja.
This follows demonstrations on Friday, when 14 people were arrested and 30 injured.
Earlier local police said about 1,500 hotel and restaurant workers took part in a peaceful demonstration against restrictions imposed under the state of emergency which they claim will threaten their jobs.
All bars and restaurants have been closed in the Spanish region of Catalonia, which includes Barcelona, until 13 November. Similar disturbances happened in the cities of Burgos, Vitoria, Santander, Valencia and Zaragoza on Friday.
Updated
Hello, it’s Rebecca Ratcliffe here in Bangkok, taking over from my colleague Naaman Zhou. Here’s an update from Brazil, which is home to the world’s second-deadliest outbreak after the US.
On Saturday Brazil’s health ministry announced 18,947 additional confirmed cases of the coronavirus. A further 407 deaths had also been registered over the past 24 hours.
Brazil has reported more than 5.5m cases of the virus since the pandemic began.
Updated
NSW records no new locally transmitted cases
New South Wales in Australia has recorded no new locally transmitted cases of Covid-19 over the past 24 hours to 8pm yesterday local time.
However, it did record four new cases among people who had acquired it overseas and are in hotel quarantine.
Health authorities also said they had detected one new case of local transmission, after 8pm yesterday – that will be included in tomorrow’s figures.
NSW Health said this new diagnosis was a person linked to the Hoxton Park cluster in south-west Sydney.
“This case is the second child to have likely acquired their infection at Flip Out Prestons Indoor Trampoline Park, Unit B/238 Hoxton Park Road, Prestons, while there at the same time as a positive case, also a child, on Sunday 25 October,” it said.
Anyone who attended this venue from 11am to 2pm on Sunday 25 October is considered a close contact and must get tested immediately and isolate for a full 14 days from exposure regardless of the result. Anyone who was there after 2pm is considered a casual contact and must monitor for symptoms and get tested immediately if they develop.
Anyone who attended Spendless Shoes at Westfield Liverpool on 28 October from 4-4.20pm is considered a casual contact and do the same.
Updated
Large crowds have been left behind at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania.
Trump has finished and left, but there’s thousands of supporters who have been let loose into the night with no sign of the shuttles they’ve been told will take them back to parking. People are filling the street, blocking the road for ambulances and police. pic.twitter.com/uMgfvUZ4Jg
— DJ Judd (@DJJudd) October 31, 2020
The Victorian deputy premier and education minister, James Merlino, is leading the daily coronavirus press conference in Melbourne today.
He described it as a “very, very good day”, with no new cases or deaths for the second day in a row: “My thanks to all Victorians.”
Updated
Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, has condemned violent protests against Covid-19 restrictions after the country imposed a six-month state of emergency this week.
On Saturday local time, protesters pelted police with rocks and other projectiles in Barcelona in a second night of disturbances in the city.
Reuters report that in the northern Spanish city of Logroño about 150 people attacked police with stones, set fire to containers and looted shops. Riot police were drafted in to quell disturbances in Haro, in the wine-growing region of La Rioja.
Sanchez tweeted: “Only from responsibility, unity and sacrifice will we be able to defeat the pandemic that is devastating all countries. Violent and irrational behaviour by minority groups is intolerable. It is not the way.”
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Butler also paid tribute to Labor’s Queensland election win, saying that “federally we are going to take a lot of heart from last night’s result”.
“[Opposition leader] Deb Frecklington had called for the borders to be opened 64 times. This is a premier who has stood up to the bullying, has listened to the health advice and as a consequence has kept people safe, so full credit to Annastacia Palaszczuk.
“There was a lot of concern around seats like Cairns and Townsville, but once the PM became involved, people didn’t like what they saw from the prime minister and did like what they saw from Labor.
“The lesson for federal Labor is if you get the policies right, if you get the health response right, then people will like what we are going to say.”
Updated
There’s been a bit of a groundhog day moment on the ABC.
Insiders host David Speers is interviewing Labor’s environment spokeswoman, Terri Butler, following Labor’s previous public brawling over gas and this week’s decision to support new gas projects.
He asks her the same question four times: “Would you like to see more gas used in Australia or less?”
Butler answers, mostly, the same way each time: “Australia can become a renewable energy super power and we also believe that gas will be an important part of the transition to getting there”.
Speers asks Butler repeatedly to clarify if this means “more gas or less”.
Butler replies: “We would like to see gas form an important part of the transition to Australia becoming a regional superpower.”
Speers: “I will try one more time: does that mean more reliance on gas or less?”
Butler: “It means that gas is an important part of the energy mix while we transition to becoming a renewable energy super power.”
She tells him: “I know it is not the answer that you necessarily want, but ... that’s the ambition we have for this country.”
Updated
Counting to resume in Queensland
Counting will resume in the Queensland state election, and more results in the closer seats will trickle in today.
It is clear that premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has won a third term – the first woman in Australian history to win three consecutive elections – and she could have an increased majority.
The ABC’s election analyst, Antony Green, has just been on the Insiders program with a morning update.
“It is certain that Labor has a majority,” he said. “47 is the bare majority in the parliament, but as it is, at the end of the night, based on prediction, the Labor party could end up with 50 or 51 seats by the end.
“Labor has held all of the Townsville and Cairns and regional city seats, so the concerns that Labor had in the north of the state were washed way.”
Updated
Record numbers of children in Australia are being vaccinated, statistics released today show.
AAP reports:
Notably the vaccination rate has also risen among five-year-old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, where it has reached 97% coverage.
The vaccination rate for all five-year-olds, from January to September this year, rose to 94.9%.
Among all two-year-old children, the coverage rate has risen to almost 92.4%, which is the first time it has climbed above 92% since 2014.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander two-year-old vaccination rate has also risen to almost 91.2% in the current quarter.
The overall vaccination rate for one-year-olds has also increased in the past 12 months, reaching 94.7%, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander one-year-old vaccination rate increased to 93.5%.
The federal health minister, Greg Hunt, said the results were “a clear indication that the Morrison government’s childhood immunisation education campaign is getting results”.
“The most recent phase of the campaign specifically targeted parents of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0-5 years,” he said.
Updated
More than 9.6m Texans voted early
In the US, Texas’s final early voting statistics are in. And it’s huge. More than 9.6 million Texans have voted early this year – which is more than the total number of votes cast in the state in all of 2016.
My colleague Alexandra Villarreal reports that 30.4% of this year’s early ballots have been cast by voters who didn’t participate in 2016.
Updated
In the UK, prime minister Boris Johnson has just announced that the government will extend its furlough system – “until December” – as he announced a return to at least four weeks of lockdown.
However, it’s still unclear precisely how the extended furlough system – which provides support to people who have lost their jobs or had their hours reduced – will work.
Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon asked for clarification earlier this morning.
This is good and expected. But a key question - is it only available during the period of English lockdown? Or will it be available in event a devolved gov thinks it necessary to have tougher restrictions at a later stage? https://t.co/KfXyZDaSzT
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) October 31, 2020
Victoria records zero cases and zero deaths
The state of Victoria in Australia has recorded zero new cases of coronavirus, and zero deaths, for the second day in a row.
The 14 day average is now down to 2.2.
Yesterday was also a day of zero cases in the state, after one reported in the morning turned out not to be new.
In the past 24 hours, no new cases reported and no lives lost. The 14 day average is down to 2.2. There is 1 case with an unknown source. More info: https://t.co/eTputEZdhs
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) October 31, 2020
#COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/zNmzqBgAbt
UPDATE: Follow up testing has confirmed that today’s single reported coronavirus case is NOT a case.
— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) October 31, 2020
Therefore there are officially 0 cases for today. This change will be reflected in the overall case numbers tomorrow.#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData https://t.co/snzwoujI7N
Updated
Hello everyone, and welcome back to our continuing global coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It’s Naaman Zhou here in Sydney. We’ll take you through the developments in Australia and around the world as they happen.
So far, in the past 24 hours:
- UK prime minister Boris Johnson has announced a second month-long national lockdown for England, as the UK surpassed 1m infections on Saturday.
- Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has urged Scots not to travel to England.
- The number of Covid-related hospitalisations hit record numbers in at least 14 European countries this week, as the second wave of the pandemic hit.
- Italy recorded 31,758 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said on Saturday, its highest daily tally since the start of the pandemic.
- Austria announced a night-time curfew and the closure of cafes, bars and restaurants on Saturday amid “exploding” coronavirus infections.
- Brazilian health minister Eduardo Pazuello is in stable condition in a hospital after being diagnosed with Covid-19.
