That’s it from me, Samantha Lock, for today’s live blog.
Thanks for following along – this blog is now closed. You can catch up with the latest coronavirus coverage here.
Here is a recap of some of the main developments so far today.
- Covid pandemic pushes poor countries to record debt levels, the World Bank says. David Malpass, the bank’s president warned the virus had widened the gap between rich and poor nations, setting back progress by years and, in the case of some countries, by a decade. Figures show the debt burden of more than 70 low-income nations had increased by a record 12% to $860bn (£630bn) in 2020.
- Thailand is to re-open its borders to vaccinated tourists on 1 November, according to a speech made by the country’s prime minister today.Prayut Chan-o-cha also confirmed alcohol will be allowed to be served at restaurants from 1 December, with entertainment venues reopening on the same date.
- Rome’s violent protests against Covid-19 vaccine prompts calls to abolish Italian neofascist movements.
- French study of over 22m people finds vaccines reduces the risk of dying or being hospitalised in people over the age of 50 with Covid-19 by 90%. The research published on Monday also found that vaccines appear to protect against the worst effects of the most prevalent virus strain, the Delta variant.
- The UK reported a further 40,224 Covid cases on Monday, according to official data. Meanwhile, a further 28 deaths were reported.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended immunocompromised people be given an additional dose of the Covid vaccine, due to their higher risk of breakthrough infections after standard immunisation.
- From today people in Wales must show an NHS Covid Pass or demonstrate their vaccination status to enter nightclubs and attend large events in the country.
- People in Germany will now need to pay for lateral flow coronavirus tests out of their own pockets, as the government is trying to nudge vaccine-hesitant citizens into getting the jab.
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Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, seen coughing during a televised government meeting, reassured officials on Monday that he was fine and said he was being tested for Covid virtually every day.
- Meanwhile, Russia’s daily Covid numbers remain close to their highest figures with 957 coronavirus-related deaths and 29,409 new cases in the past 24 hours.
Updated
Rare Snow Leopard Likely Died of Covid-19
A snow leopard at the Great Plains Zoo in South Dakota is believed to have died from Covid-19 last week, zoo officials said.
The big cat, a female snow leopard named Baya, died last Thursday after developing a cough, followed by a loss of appetite, lethargy and severe respiratory symptoms. One cat at the zoo has so far tested positive for the virus and others have been unwell. Officials will conduct an examination of Baya’s body to determine her cause of death.
By 6 October, a Siberian tiger named Keesa tested positive for the virus. A day later, Baya began experiencing a “rapid decline in respiratory function.” Sadly, Baya died Thursday evening.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Baya. Our animal care and veterinary staffs fought arduously and did their best to help give Baya a fighting chance,” Becky Dewitz, CEO of the Great Plains Zoo, said in a statement.
Moderna has no plans to share the recipe for its Covid-19 vaccine because executives have concluded that scaling up the company’s own production is the best way to increase the global supply, the company’s chairman said.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Noubar Afeyan also reiterated a pledge Moderna made a year ago not to enforce patent infringement on anyone else making a coronavirus vaccine during the pandemic.
“Within the next six to nine months, the most reliable way to make high-quality vaccines and in an efficient way is going to be if we make them,” he said.
Asked about appeals from the World Health Organisation and others, Mr Afeyan contended that such pleas assumed “that we couldn’t get enough capacity, but in fact we know we can”.
An expert group advising the World Health Organisation (WHO) on vaccines has recommended that older people and those with compromised immune systems get an extra dose of Covid-19 vaccine as part of their regular schedule.
It is in line with what many rich countries including Britain, France and the US have already recommended for their populations, the Associated Press report.
At a press briefing, the WHO’s vaccines director Dr Kate O’Brien said the group was advising that people who have weaker immune systems “should receive an additional dose” of all of the WHO-approved vaccines beyond the normally recommended two doses, to produce an immune response to protect them from severe disease, hospital admission and death.
Dr O’Brien said this third dose should be given to people sometime between one to three months after the second dose and was not considered a booster.
Summary
Here is a round-up of all the top Covid stories from the UK and around the world:
- The UK reported a further 40,224 Covid cases on Monday, according to official data. Meanwhile, a further 28 deaths were reported in the latest figures released this afternoon.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended immunocompromised people be given an additional dose of the Covid vaccine, due to their higher risk of breakthrough infections after standard immunisation.
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Thailand is to re-open its borders to vaccinated tourists on 1 November, according to a speech made by the country’s prime minister today.
- Multinational pharmaceutical firm Merck has asked US regulators to authorise its pill against Covid for general use, with a decision possible within weeks. If cleared by the Food and Drug Administration, it would be the first pill shown to treat coronavirus.
- From today people in Wales must show an NHS Covid Pass or demonstrate their vaccination status to enter nightclubs and attend large events in the country.
- In Australia, nearly 60% of people who have died during the New South Wales Delta wave lived in the south-western or western Sydney local health districts, according to data that further underlines a deadly divide in Australia’s experience of the pandemic.
- A new French study, said to be the largest of its kind, shows that vaccination is highly effective at preventing severe cases of Covid-19, even against the Delta variant.
- Calls are growing to abolish Italian neofascist movements after violent protests against Covid-19 vaccine passes in Rome, during which demonstrators tried to force their way into the official residence of the Italian prime minister.
- People in Germany will from today have to pay for lateral flow coronavirus tests out of their own pockets, as the government is trying to nudge vaccine-hesitant citizens into getting the jab.
- Developing nations and the head of the United Nations have demanded a fairer global distribution of Covid vaccines.
- In the UK, a minister has refused to confirm whether Russian spies “stole” the British-made Covid-19 vaccine to create its own jab.
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Turkey recorded 30,563 new Covid cases on Monday, the highest number of daily infections since April 30, health ministry data showed.
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Italy reported 34 coronavirus-related deaths on Monday, up from 27 the previous day, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections fell to 1,516 from 2,278.
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Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, seen coughing during a televised government meeting, reassured officials on Monday that he was fine and said he was being tested for Covid virtually every day.
- Meanwhile, Russia’s daily Covid numbers remain close to their highest figures with 957 coronavirus-related deaths and 29,409 new cases in the past 24 hours.
- And finally, New Zealand has been described as being on a ‘knife-edge’ as Covid cases are expected to rise further. The island nation recorded 94 new infections over the weekend, as experts say an “exponential growth curve” will occur where new cases will quickly top 100 a day if the government stays its current course.
That’s it from me, Tom Ambrose, for this evening. My colleague Charlie Moloney will be keeping you across all the breaking Covid news for the rest of this evening. Goodbye.
Turkey recorded 30,563 new Covid cases on Monday, the highest number of daily infections since April 30, health ministry data showed.
Turkey recorded 188 deaths from the virus in the same period, Reuters reported.
The country’s daily cases have risen over the past month at a rate higher than most comparable countries, according to global data, while the country’s vaccination rate based on population is higher than most peers.
Daily deaths have edged lower after touching 290 in September.
Relatives of coronavirus victims in Italy are pushing for a full public inquiry into the government’s handling of the pandemic as documents from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) show the first Covid-19 cases registered in 16 European countries originated from Italy.
Italy was the first western country to report an outbreak and has the second highest Covid-related death toll (131,335) in Europe after the UK (137,763).
The first local transmission of the infection was diagnosed in Codogno, a Lombardy town south of Milan, on 21 February 2020. However, a parliamentary commission set up to investigate the government’s handling of coronavirus will only focus on the period until 30 January 2020, the day before a national emergency was declared.
The inquiry will look into the initial outbreaks in countries such as China and the appropriateness of measures adopted by those states and the World Health Organization (WHO) to avoid contagion around the world.
It was originally intended to look more broadly at the government’s response to the pandemic, especially in the early stage as it scrambled to contain rapidly rising infections and deaths. But the cut-off date was imposed after amendments from politicians from the centre-left Democratic party, the Five Star Movement (M5S) and the far-right League, which were supported by the commission in July.
Thousands of bereaved relatives have signed a petition in recent days to widen the inquiry before its terms are rubber-stamped next week.
England’s rate of new cases of Covid has climbed to its highest level since the summer, figures show.
A total of 201,660 cases were recorded in the seven days to 7 October - the equivalent of 356.6 per 100,000 people. This is the highest figure since July 24, when the seven-day rate stood at 375.1, according to analysis by the PA news agency.
Data for the most recent four days (8-11 October) has been excluded as it is incomplete. Two-thirds of local authority areas in England are currently recording a rise in rates, with Trafford in Greater Manchester having the highest rate in the UK, at 832.6.
In second place is Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria (782.3), followed by Kettering (775.8) and Wellingborough (735.5), both in Northamptonshire.
Updated
In Australia, nearly 60% of people who have died during the New South Wales Delta wave lived in the south-western or western Sydney local health districts, according to data that further underlines a deadly divide in Australia’s experience of the pandemic.
As Melbourne’s case numbers hit record numbers, one of its most disadvantaged local government areas has also had nearly a third of Victoria’s fatalities during Delta, data compiled by Guardian Australia shows.
Guardian analysis has already found areas of Sydney and Melbourne with higher levels of socio-economic disadvantage have recorded a disproportionate number of cases during the Delta outbreak.
At the key stages of both outbreaks, many of these areas also had vaccination rates lower than the city average, before authorities boosted access for those communities.
“We knew they were going to be at much greater risk,” said Prof Sharon Friel, director of the Menzies Centre for Health Policy at the Australian National University. “If there was a much greater focus on the policy responses, it wouldn’t have played out the way we’re seeing.”
NSW health data to 6 October, obtained by Guardian Australia, shows 137 (or 34%) of the 403 deaths during the Delta outbreak occurred in the south-western Sydney local health district. The department said it could not provide data by local government area for privacy reasons.
Italy reported 34 coronavirus-related deaths on Monday, up from 27 the previous day, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections fell to 1,516 from 2,278.
Italy has registered 131,335 deaths linked to Covid since the outbreak in February last year.
It has the second highest toll in Europe behind Britain and the ninth highest in the world. The country has reported 4.7 million cases to date.
Patients in hospital with Covid - not including those in intensive care - stood at 2,688 on Monday, up from 2,651 a day earlier.
There were 18 new admissions to intensive care units, increasing from 13 on Sunday. The total number of patients in intensive care with Covid rose to 374 from a previous 364.
WHO recommends booster jabs for immunocompromised people
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended immunocompromised people be given an additional dose of the Covid vaccine, due to their higher risk of breakthrough infections after standard immunisation.
The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunisation said the additional dose should be offered “as part of an extended primary series since these individuals are less likely to respond adequately to vaccination following a standard primary vaccine series and are at high risk of severe COVID-19 disease”.
WHO vaccine director Kate O’Brien, referring to people with lower immunity due to other conditions, told a news briefing:
The recommendation is for a third vaccination, an additional vaccination in the primary series and again that is based on the evidence showing that the immunogenicity and evidence on breakthrough infections is highly disproportionately represented by those people.
The panel also recommended that people over 60 receive an additional dose of the shots made by Chinese vaccine makers Sinopharm and Sinovac some one to three months after completing their schedule, citing evidence in studies in Latin America that they perform less well over time.
Updated
Meanwhile, one of the creators of the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab has said lessons have not been learnt from the coronavirus pandemic in the need to properly fund the development of vaccines into other infectious diseases.
Prof Dame Sarah Gilbert said her team was struggling to raise the money needed to develop vaccines against diseases already known about, yet alone those yet to emerge.
During an event at the Cheltenham Literature Festival with Oxford colleague Dr Catherine Green, Gilbert said her work had gone “backwards” since the pandemic. She said:
We’ve actually gone backwards in terms of the work we’re doing on development of vaccines for the outbreak pathogens before the pandemic. It’s just really slowed right down, trying to get that moving again is really difficult and the funding still isn’t there to move that on.
We learned in the pandemic that we could do things faster, we could do things better, we want to be applying those lessons, but we still need to get the funding in place to do that. We need stockpiles of vaccines against these pathogens we already know about because how’s it going to look if suddenly there’s a big Nipah outbreak that starts to spread around the world?
We’ve known about that for years and we started making a vaccine five years ago, but we haven’t done it yet, it’s not finished.
Scientists believe Nipah virus has the potential to cause a pandemic and recently a 12-year-old boy died in India having become infected, PA Media reported.
Updated
Acting sooner and harder is best to deal with future Covid variant, says UK scientific adviser
The UK government’s chief scientific adviser has said acting sooner and harder is the best way to deal with the spread of a future variant of Covid.
Sir Patrick Vallance said his job was “not to sugarcoat” the reality or tell ministers what they want to hear, but instead to ensure they understand what the science currently is.
He said his “mantra” throughout the pandemic has been that action needs to be taken sooner than it appears to be needed, PA Media reported.
In a wide-ranging interview on BBC Radio 4, Vallance said:
My mantra for a long time during this [pandemic] has been... ‘You’ve got to go sooner than you want to in terms of taking interventions. You’ve got to go harder than you want to, and you’ve got to go more geographically broad than you want to’.
And that is the Sage advice. And that’s what I’ve been saying. And I will say it going forward and the prime minister knows that’s what I think. And he knows that’s what I would do in that situation.
He said action must be taken “at a time when it doesn’t look particularly worrying”, adding:
My job is not to sugarcoat it. My job is not to tell them things they want to hear... It’s to make sure that they understand what the science at that moment is saying, what the uncertainties are, and to try to make that as clear as possible.
Updated
In Northern Ireland, the country’s first minister has declined to say if all of his DUP party’s MLAs have received the Covid vaccine.
Paul Givan was challenged by SDLP MLA Pat Catney to introduce a mandatory Covid vaccine certificate. Both Givan and deputy first minister, Michelle O’Neill, have expressed reservations about the move, stating last week that they would prefer public co-operation with health measures, PA reported.
Catney said unvaccinated Covid patients over the age of 50 were five times more like to be admitted to hospital, and urged Givan to “show leadership and make Covid certificates mandatory in spaces where social distancing requirements have been removed ... to prevent a further lockdown”.
Givan said the “overwhelming majority” of those over 50 had been vaccinated. He said mandatory vaccine certificates would require the weighing up of equality impact considerations.
Catney also asked Givan to confirm whether all the DUP MLAs have received both doses of the jab. Givan said he “regrets this demand to ask people if they have been vaccinated or not”, adding:
We’re at a point in our society where people who have not got the vaccine, and I wish they did, but they haven’t got it and it is not the place of either members of this society to be asking people, ‘have you been vaccinated or not’, we don’t do it for any other type of illness.
Nobody walks up to somebody and says ‘are you on medication because of your depression’, or ‘are you taking medication because you’ve got a heart condition’ ... and there comes a point where we need to respect people’s decisions when it comes to this.
I have received my vaccination, I have taken both vaccinations, but the way in which people are trying to coerce people actually is counterproductive.
Updated
Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, seen coughing during a televised government meeting, reassured officials on Monday that he was fine and said he was being tested for Covid virtually every day.
When Valentina Matviyenko, speaker of the upper house of parliament, expressed concern about his health, he said:
Don’t worry, everything is fine. They test me practically on a daily basis not just for Covid-19 but all kinds of other infections, so it’s all good.
Putin, who turned 69 last week, was seen sitting alone at his screen for the online meeting. He blamed the cough on the cool air temperature and took the opportunity to urge his colleagues to get fully vaccinated, Reuters reported.
Russia’s daily Covid death toll is near an all-time high and Putin was forced to self-isolate last month after members of his entourage tested positive for the coronavirus, but the Kremlin said at the time he was “absolutely healthy”.
Updated
The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a “tragic reversal” in development and pushed debt in poor countries to record levels, the head of the World Bank has said.
David Malpass, the bank’s president warned the virus had widened the gap between rich and poor nations, setting back progress by years and, in the case of some countries, by a decade.
Announcing new World Bank figures showing the debt burden of more than 70 low-income nations had increased by a record 12% to $860bn (£630bn) in 2020, Malpass called for a comprehensive plan to ease the debt pressures and for rich countries to make vaccines available to the less well-off.
He said one particular problem was the lack of a bankruptcy process to help in cases where debts had become unsustainable. Under the current system, companies can declare themselves bankrupt but countries cannot.
With income per head expected to rise by an average of 5% in developed countries this year compared with 0.5% in developing countries, Malpass said the problem of inequality was getting worse. The bank fears the problems of poor countries could deteriorate further as global interest rates rise from the emergency levels seen during the crisis. Malpass said:
We need a comprehensive approach to the debt problem, including debt reduction, swifter restructuring and improved transparency. Sustainable debt levels are vital for economic recovery and poverty reduction.
Updated
In Italy, data suggests that the government’s attempt to boost vaccination take-up by making a health pass necessary to go to work is not having the desired effect.
Prime minister Mario Draghi’s government decreed last month that from 15 October any worker who fails to present the so-called ‘Green Pass’ will be suspended without pay, hoping to convince “no-vax” Italians to have the jab.
The Reuters news agency reports:
Public administration minister Renato Brunetta said when the measure was announced on 26 September that it would trigger such an “enormous” acceleration of vaccinations that its goal could be largely achieved before it actually came into force. This “announcement effect” has not materialised.
In the week to 8 October, some 410,000 people received a first shot, data from the Covid-commisioner’s office showed, a fall of 36% from the week before and the lowest weekly tally since early July.
The government’s announcement initially seemed to trigger a modest acceleration in jabs, which rose by 11% in the first week after 16 September while remaining well below the rate of two weeks earlier. There was a further pick-up of 15% in the seven days from 24 September to 1 October, before the steep decline of the last week.
The Green Pass, which certifies the holder has either been vaccinated, recently recovered from infection or tested negative in the previous 48 hours, was originally conceived to ease travel around Europe.
UK confirms 40,224 new Covid cases and 28 more deaths today
The UK reported a further 40,224 Covid cases on Monday, according to official data.
Meanwhile, a further 28 deaths were reported in the latest figures released this afternoon.
Updated
Ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and former president Win Myint pleaded not guilty to violating Covid restrictions, their lawyers said.
The pair were formally indicted after the army seized power and each was charged with two counts under the Disaster Management Act for failing to observe pandemic restrictions during last year’s general election campaign.
Each count carries a penalty of up to three years in prison.
Ms Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party won last November’s election in a landslide, but was unable to take a second five-year term in office when the military seized power on 1 February.
Ms Suu Kyi and leading members of her government and party remain under arrest, Reuters reported. The military said it acted because of widespread voter fraud, an assertion for which it has presented little proof.
In case you missed it earlier, a study of 22 million people over the age of 50 in France has found that vaccination reduces the risk of dying or being hospitalised with Covid-19 by 90%.
The research published on Monday also found that vaccines appear to protect against the worst effects of the most prevalent virus strain, the Delta variant.
“This means that those who are vaccinated are nine times less at risk of being hospitalised or dying from Covid-19 than those who have not been vaccinated,” the epidemiologist Mahmud Zureik, who oversaw the research, told AFP.
The study – the largest of its kind so far – was carried out by Epi-Phare a scientific group set up by France’s health system, its national health insurance fund, l’Assurance Maladie (CNAM), and the country’s medicine’s agency (ANSM).
In the UK, government ministers have urged parents to get their children vaccinated against Covid amid concerns about the vaccination programme in secondary schools.
The plea comes after the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show that around one in 15 children in school years 7 to 11 in England are estimated to have had coronavirus in the week to 2 October.
A school leaders’ union has said head teachers are “increasingly frustrated” about delays to the Covid vaccination programme for 12- to 15-year-olds in schools at a time of rising pupil absences. The PA Media news agency reported:
The latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) suggests that just 9% of this cohort in England had been vaccinated by October 3. In a joint letter to parents of secondary school and college pupils, the Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi and Health Secretary Sajid Javid have said “vaccines are our best defence”.
Three million pupils aged between 12 and 15 across the UK are eligible to receive a first Covid-19 jab as part of a rollout that began three weeks ago.
The programme is expected to be delivered primarily within schools, but in Scotland young people in this cohort can also go to drop-in vaccine clinics. More than a third of 12- to 15-year-olds in Scotland have received a jab, the latest figures suggest.
The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) has said it would support the use of walk-in centres in England if it would help to “boost take-up and speed of delivery” of vaccines among the age group.
It comes after figures showed the number of children out of school for Covid-related reasons in England increased by two-thirds in a fortnight.
The Department for Education (DfE) estimates that 2.5% of all pupils - more than 204,000 children - were not in class for reasons connected to coronavirus on 30 September.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of ASCL, said:
We welcome the intervention of the Education Secretary in encouraging take-up of Covid vaccinations, and indeed anything else that can be done to boost this crucial programme.
However, school leaders are increasingly frustrated about delays to the rollout of coronavirus vaccinations. There appear to be logistical issues around the capacity of health teams to deliver vaccinations at the speed and scale required.
The urgency of this programme is self-evident from the fact that the latest Government statistics show that more than 200,000 pupils were out of school at the latest count because of coronavirus-related reasons. Many schools are also experiencing teacher shortages because staff are contracting the virus.
Mr Barton has called on the Government to “do everything possible” to ensure the vaccination programme is properly resourced in a bid to tackle disruption.
More than a third of fully vaccinated people aged 80 and above in England are likely to have received their Covid booster jab, latest figures suggest.
Of the nearly 2.7 million people in this age group in England who have already received two doses of vaccine, around 923,000 are estimated to have had their booster dose – the equivalent of 34%.
The figures, from NHS England, also show that 18% of double-jabbed people aged 75 to 79 are likely to have received a booster, along with 8% of those aged 70 to 74.
In total, more than 2.4m booster doses have now been delivered in England. This is the equivalent of just over 6% of the double-jabbed population – around one in 16 – according to analysis by PA Media.
Booster doses can only be offered to people who are at least six months on from receiving their second dose of coronavirus vaccine. If eligible, people who can receive a booster dose include all adults aged 50 and over; frontline health and social care workers; and those living in residential care homes for older adults.
Updated
Thailand to re-open to vaccinated tourists in November
Thailand is to re-open its borders to vaccinated tourists on 1 November, according to a speech made by the country’s prime minister today.
Prayut Chan-o-cha also confirmed alcohol will be allowed to be served at restaurants from 1 December, with entertainment venues reopening on the same date.
Thailand hopes to have 170m doses of coronavirus vaccines by the end of the year, the prime minister added.
The country has some of the most intense Covid restrictions in the region, as the nation battles raising case rates due to coronavirus variants.
Updated
Calls are growing to abolish Italian neofascist movements after violent protests against Covid-19 vaccine passes in Rome, during which demonstrators tried to force their way into the official residence of the Italian prime minister.
Twelve people, including Roberto Fiore, the founder of the far-right Forza Nuova party, were arrested in connection to Saturday’s unrest, in which a group of about 30 raided a hospital accident and emergency unit – injuring four medical workers – and the offices of a trade union were stormed.
Protesters also tried to force their way past riot police and into the Chigi palace, the official residence of Italy’s prime minister, Mario Draghi, in scenes reminiscent of supporters of the former US president Donald Trump storming the Capitol in January.
Neofascists had infiltrated a crowd of an estimated 10,000 people who had gathered in central Rome to protest against a government rule that obliges public and private workers to have a “green pass” before entering their workplaces.
The measure comes into force on 15 October and will require workers to have been double vaccinated, to show proof of a negative test taken within the previous 48 hours, or of having recovered from Covid-19.
Giuliano Castellino, the leader of Forza Nuova who has been banned from protests in the capital after previous violence, allegedly incited the crowd to ransack the offices of CGIL, Italy’s oldest trade union. A gang used metal bars and sticks to smash their way into the building.
The scenes were widely condemned on Monday, with politicians from the centre-left Democratic party presenting a motion in parliament calling for Forza Nuova and other neofascist movements to be dissolved. A similar motion was presented by the centrist Italia Viva party and the Italian Socialist party.
Updated
Developing nations and the head of the United Nations have demanded a fairer global distribution of Covid vaccines.
At a meeting to mark the 60th anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement (Nam), founder member Ghana hit out at global powers for failing to share vaccines equitably, suggesting poor nations were at the mercy of powerful states hoarding supplies.
Ghanaian president Nana Akufo-Addo told the meeting in Belgrade:
We are observers of a global power play and are subject to the benevolence of powerful countries who give out their hoarded [vaccine] supplies at their own pace.
Meanwhile, the UN’s secretary-general António Guterres urged wealthy nations to allocate half of the funds they provide to developing nations to tackle the climate crisis to the job of helping those countries to adapt and survive in a heating world, the Reuters news agency reported.
Guterres said in a video message at the opening of a two-day meeting:
Fifty percent of all climate finance provided by developed countries and multilateral development banks should be dedicated to adaptation, to resilience.
Updated
Scotland records 2,297 coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours
Scotland has recorded 2,297 coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, the latest Scottish government figures show.
No new deaths have been recorded, meaning the death toll under this daily measure - of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days - remains at 8,792.
The daily test positivity rate is 11.4%, up from 8.7% the previous day, reports the Press Association.
A total of 933 people were in hospital with recently confirmed Covid-19, down two, with 56 patients in intensive care, up two.
So far, 4,261,124 people have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccination and 3,864,670 have received a second dose.
Updated
NHS test-and-trace units in the UK run by G4S have cut the pay of some workers by up to 5% after a new contract from the government that specifies they should receive the real living wage.
The affected workers are part of a group of 1,000 who work at mobile Covid-19 testing units at about 100 sites around the country, and are employed by G4S via the HR Go recruitment agency.
Some were told their hourly pay rate would drop from £10 an hour to a maximum of £9.50 an hour outside London, a cut of 5%. Those in London will drop from a maximum £11 an hour to £10.85, a 1.4% cut.
In a note sent to staff, G4S said the pay change was the result of a new 12-month contract with the government, under which it was required to pay all staff the real living wage, an independently verified minimum of £10.85 in London and £9.50 elsewhere.
While this will result in a pay rise for some workers, who earned as little as £9.30 an hour, others contacted the Guardian to say their pay had been cut from £10 an hour.
The letter to workers said that the previously higher rates of pay reflected “uncertainty around how long [the government] would require sites to operate”.
It said: “The longer-term nature of the [new one-year contract] provides more certainty and therefore the real living wage is more appropriate for the longer-term role.”
Sara Gorton, the head of health at the Unison union, said: “Living wage clauses are designed as a minimum – not an excuse for some greedy contractors to reduce pay.”
Updated
In the UK, a minister has refused to confirm whether Russian spies “stole” the British-made Covid-19 vaccine to create its own jab.
Home Office minister Damian Hinds would not be drawn on allegations that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine’s design was used to create Russia’s Sputnik V jab, instead saying more generally that “state activity” was involved in “industrial espionage”.
His comments come after a report by the Sun newspaper that suggests “security services” sources have evidence that Russian intelligence agents had stolen the Oxford vaccine design.
Downing Street has said accusations of intellectual property theft and cyberattacks were taken “extremely seriously”. Hinds told LBC:
We live in world, I am afraid, where there is state activity seeking to engage in industrial espionage and economic espionage, there are cyber attacks that happen and so on.
I won’t comment on the specific case that you mention because that wouldn’t be right to do in detail, but it would be fair to say, correct to say, that we face threats of this type that are different, they are more sophisticated, they are more extensive than they ever have been before.
The face of espionage, the face of spying, is very different from when you and I were growing up and we need to constantly upgrade our capability. These are very serious matters.
Conservative MP Bob Seely, a member of the foreign affairs committee, told the Sun that the UK needed to “get serious about Russian and Chinese espionage”.
The Isle of Wight MP said:
Whether it is stealing the design for AstraZeneca or blackmailing us over energy by these authoritarian and totalitarian regimes, we need to get wise to them.
Last year, UK security services had accused Russian spies of trying to steal details of coronavirus vaccine research being carried out by the UK, US and Canada.
Updated
There’s an interesting piece written by Jennifer McDermott, of the Associated Press, this morning about the return of the Boston Marathon in the United States for the first time since the pandemic began last year.
Here is an extract, which really sets the scene for the event:
It’s been 30 months since athletes raced 26.2 miles (42.2km) to Copley Square in Boston, the 125th edition of the Boston Marathon, which is the world’s oldest and most prestigious annual marathon.
Race director Dave McGillivray sent a group of about 30 from the Massachusetts National Guard that walks the course annually out at 6 am, announcing the start of the event. McGillivray said after that he was relieved to finally be back. “It’s a great feeling to be out on the road,” he said. “Everyone is excited. We’re looking forward to a good day.”
Last year’s race was postponed until September because of the pandemic, then called off for the first time in its history. Registered runners were encouraged to complete the distance by themselves as a virtual event. This year’s race was moved from Patriots’ Day in April in hopes that the pandemic would abate.
Everything is different. It’s the first fall edition of the marathon ever. Runners had to show proof that they’re vaccinated or they had to test negative for Covid-19. They’re being bused from Boston at staggered times for a rolling start. They’re not waiting and stretching in the traditional athletes’ village before lining up in corrals. They’re expected to walk to the start and go. Masks are required until they cross the start line.
Doug Flannery, a 56-year-old Illinois resident, was at the start, waiting to run his sixth Boston Marathon. He said the Covid-19 procedures went smoothly at the medical tent and it’s great to be toeing the line at a race again. “I love that we’re back to races across the country and the world,” he said. “It gives people hope that things are starting to come back.”
Updated
A memorial will be created to honour London transport workers who have died from coronavirus, the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced.
Transport for London (TfL) has released designs for a space in the City of London featuring a cherry blossom tree, a plaque and benches to allow quiet reflection.
Ninety-eight transport workers have died from coronavirus, TfL said. This includes people working on TfL services such as bus and Tube staff, but does not include the capital’s taxi or private hire drivers.
Khan said:
I am devastated that 98 London transport workers have died from Covid, and each and every one of them will always be in my thoughts.
As the son of a bus driver, this is deeply personal to me, and I can’t help but think how it could have been my dad or his colleagues or friends.
I hope that the new permanent memorial in the middle of our city will be a place where those that have lost loved ones will find solace, and be a reminder of the heroic key workers who have made it possible for us to come through the pandemic by keeping our city moving.
Updated
Good morning, I’m Tom Ambrose and I will be bringing you the Covid news making headlines throughout today.
We start with the news that the multinational pharmaceutical firm Merck has asked US regulators to authorise its pill against Covid for general use, with a decision possible within weeks.
If cleared by the Food and Drug Administration, it would be the first pill shown to treat coronavirus, according to the Associated Press. It reports:
An antiviral pill that people could take at home to reduce their symptoms and speed recovery could prove groundbreaking, easing the crushing caseload on US hospitals and helping to curb outbreaks in poorer countries with weak health care systems.
It would also bolster the two-pronged approach to the pandemic: treatment, by way of medication, and prevention, primarily through vaccinations.
The FDA will scrutinise company data on the safety and effectiveness of the drug, molnupiravir, before rendering a decision.
Merck and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutic said they specifically asked the agency to grant emergency use for adults with mild-to-moderate Covid who are at risk for severe disease or hospitalisation.
Dr Nicholas Kartsonis, a senior vice president with Merck’s infectious disease unit, said:
The value here is that it’s a pill so you don’t have to deal with the infusion centers and all the factors around that. I think it’s a very powerful tool to add to the toolbox.
The company reported earlier this month that the pill cut hospitalisations and deaths by half among patients with early symptoms of coronavirus. The results were so strong that independent medical experts monitoring the trial recommended ending it early.
German government ends free lateral flow tests as part of vaccination drive
People in Germany will from today have to pay for lateral flow coronavirus tests out of their own pockets, as the government is trying to nudge vaccine-hesitant citizens into getting the jab.
Public gatherings across Germany have since 23 August been allowed to go ahead if they follow the so-called “3G” rule (short for geimpft, genesen oder getestet), meaning participants have to show proof of either vaccination, a recent recovery from the virus, or an up-to-date test result.
A large-scale infrastructure offering free government-subsidized rapid antigen tests that sprung up across Germany over the spring and summer made testing part of people’s everyday routine while vaccinations were still hard to come by.
But as of 11 October the government says it can no longer justify paying for free tests out of the public purse since all residents over the age of 12 can now get the jab if they want to.
The hope is that the cost and inconvenience of paying for coronavirus tests will help to boost Germany’s stagnating vaccination rate, a problem politicians did little to address while the country was locked in election campaign mode. Only 65% of the country’s population is fully vaccinated, one of the lower rates in the European Union.
Children under the age of 12, and those who are advised against taking the vaccine for medical reasons can still get free tests.
Today so far
- From today people in Wales must show an NHS Covid Pass or demonstrate their vaccination status to enter nightclubs and attend large events in the country. It means all over-18s need one to enter nightclubs, indoor non-seated events for more than 500 people, such as concerts or conventions, outdoor non-seated events for more than 4,000 people and any setting or event with more than 10,000 people in attendance. People will also be able to show they have had a negative lateral flow test result within the last 48 hours.
- First minister of Wales Mark Drakeford has been forced to concede that the scheme is open to the falsifying of lateral flow test results, but said “Having the Covid Pass there will help [hospitality venues] stay open during the autumn and winter – that is the purpose of it, not to be an extra burden on them or to single them out, but to protect them so they can go on operating successfully as we go into what is going to be a challenging time of year.”
- A new French study, said to be the largest of its kind, shows that vaccination is highly effective at preventing severe cases of Covid-19, even against the Delta variant. The researchers compared the outcomes of 11 million vaccinated people with 11 million unvaccinated subjects.
- According to new figures from NHS England, one in six of the most critically ill patients are unvaccinated pregnant women with Covid.
- NHS England’s medical director of primary care, Dr Nikki Kanani, said pregnancy puts “quite a strain” on the heart and lungs and if pregnant women get Covid-19 then that “lays on pressure on an already pressurised system. So the evidence is really clear - if you’re not vaccinated yet and you’re pregnant please take up that lifesaving offer of protection.”
- Heathrow’s passenger numbers remained only 38% compared to their pre-pandemic levels last month, the London airport has announced. As of 4am this morning, just seven countries will remain on England’s international travel red list: Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama, Peru and Venezuela.
- Russia’s daily Covid numbers remain close to their highest figures with 957 coronavirus-related deaths and 29,409 new cases in the past 24 hours.
- AstraZeneca says it has demonstrated that a new antibody treatment AZD7442 was effective in preventing severe disease in non-hospitalised patients with mild to moderate coronavirus.
- There were long queues outside pubs, hairdressers and beauty salons as Australia’s most populous city reopened on Monday, as part of Sydney’s first steps towards living with Covid-19 after more than 100 days of lockdown.
- New Zealand’s government would be committing “modern genocide” by reopening the country as Covid spreads among under-vaccinated indigenous people, the Māori party has said.
- New Zealand has been described as being on a ‘knife-edge’ as Covid cases are expected to rise further. The island nation recorded 94 new infections over the weekend, as experts say an “exponential growth curve” will occur where new cases will quickly top 100 a day if the government stays its current course.
That is your lot from me today. Tom Ambrose will be here shortly to bring you the latest coronavirus updates from the UK and around the world.
At 231 days into its vaccine rollout, Australia still lags behind many OECD nations. More than 50 countries have administered at least one dose to a greater share of their populations. But many of them have much smaller populations than Australia. As of 8 October 68.2% of Australians had had at least one dose.
Australia also trails other powerful nations on its share of the fully vaccinated population. The United States, Germany and Israel all have higher fully vaccinated populations – as do almost 30 other OECD countries, according to the latest data available.
Read more of Josh Nicholas’ report here: Australia still lags many other countries on vaccine rollout – but it’s catching up fast
According to new figures from NHS England, one in six of the most critically ill patients are unvaccinated pregnant women with Covid.
Our community team would like to hear from women in the UK about their experiences of Covid vaccines. Have you recently changed your mind having previously been hesitant, or vice versa?
Find out more details of how to get in touch here: Pregnant women in the UK – have you changed your mind about Covid vaccination?
Russia’s daily Covid numbers remain close to their highest figures. Reuters are carrying the latest figures of 957 coronavirus-related deaths in the previous 24 hours, which is just shy of the record of 968, set two days earlier. There were 29,409 new cases over the same period.
Heathrow passenger numbers 38% of pre-pandemic levels
Heathrow’s passenger numbers remained only 38% compared to their pre-pandemic levels last month, the airport has announced.
2.6 million people travelled through the west London airport in September, compared with 6.8 million during the same month in 2019. The airport says the decline was driven by North American traffic being only a quarter of 2019 levels.
Neil Lancefield, PA’s transport correspondent, notes that the US has been closed to UK visitors during the coronavirus pandemic, although the restriction is expected to be lifted in November for those who are fully vaccinated. Heathrow said rival airports in the European Union “enjoyed stronger resurgence over summer”.
John Holland-Kaye, the airport’s chief executive, added an environmental message to the numbers release, saying: “We should aim for 2019 to have been the peak year for fossil fuel use in global aviation.
“The UK Government can show real leadership in decarbonising aviation at Cop26 to accelerate the transition to sustainable aviation fuel in the UK, which will protect the benefits of flying for future generations.”
AstraZeneca releases promising data on new antibody treatment
AstraZeneca says it has demonstrated that a new antibody treatment AZD7442 was effective in preventing severe disease in non-hospitalised patients with mild to moderate coronavirus, when compared with a placebo.
The study found that a single dose of 600mg of AZD7442 given by injection into muscle managed to reduce the risk of developing severe Covid-19 or death from any cause by 50%, when compared with a placebo, in people who had been symptomatic for seven days or less.
For those who received the treatment within five days of their symptoms first appearing, AZD7442 reduced the risk of developing severe Covid or death by 67% compared with a placebo.
Jane Kirby, PA’s health and science editor reports that the treatment has been billed as suitable for those who cannot have a regular vaccination, who respond poorly to Covid-19 vaccines or whose health conditions put them at particular risk of serious illness.
AstraZeneca submitted a request to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week for emergency use authorisation for AZD7442, which is made up of two antibodies.
A separate study on the treatment published in August showed there were no cases of severe Covid or coronavirus-related deaths in those treated with AZD7442.
You can excuse my colleagues down under from being a little bit excited about lockdown in Sydney and the rest of New South Wales ending after more than 100 days. Here’s a photo gallery – not of them – but of other Sydney residents enjoying the day.
Drakeford: Welsh Covid passes will 'help' hospitality venues stay open during autumn and winter
First minister of Wales Mark Drakeford has been on the media round this morning talking about the NHS Covid pass system for events which comes into effect in the country today.
Pressed on ITV’s Good Morning Britain he conceded there was a vulnerability in the system, in that people could falsify lateral flow test results. He said:
“We have created a specific offence which will mean that if someone deliberately falsifies the result of a lateral flow test they will be breaching the law in Wales.
“The broader point for me is that we have literally thousands and thousands of people taking lateral flow tests in Wales every day of the week - they’re not doing it in order to evade the law they’re doing it to make sure they themselves are safe from coronavirus and they’re keeping other people safe as well.
“I’m quite sure that the huge bulk of people who are attending a rugby match or visiting a nightclub will use the lateral flow devices in exactly this way - not to get round the rules but to make sure they’re keeping themselves safe from this dreadful disease.”
PA media report he went on to tell the show: “If we see rising numbers of coronavirus in Wales - and we have high numbers already in the community - then the first places that will have to close will be the highest risk venues.
“Having the Covid Pass there will help them stay open during the autumn and winter - that is the purpose of it, not to be an extra burden on them or to single them out, but to protect them so they can go on operating successfully as we go into what is going to be a challenging time of year.”
There’s been a bit of reaction on the airwaves this morning in the UK to the news that one in six of the most critically ill NHS patients are unvaccinated pregnant women with Covid.
NHS England’s medical director of primary care, Dr Nikki Kanani, told BBC Breakfast that pregnancy puts “quite a strain” on the heart and lungs and if pregnant women get Covid-19 then that “lays on pressure on an already pressurised system inside a pregnant women, and that’s why almost 20% of people with coronavirus who are having extra support on critical care are pregnant women who are unvaccinated.
“So the evidence is really clear - if you’re not vaccinated yet and you’re pregnant please take up that lifesaving offer of protection.”
PA media report she added: “I’m a mum of two and you read so much about what you should and shouldn’t do during your pregnancy.
“My advice is clear, the best thing that you can do is to take the vaccine if it is offered to you, and if you’re unsure because of all of the advice out there, speak to a medical professional who can talk about your concerns - and like the 81,000 other pregnant women - you may well feel reassured enough to have that really important first dose of protection.”
Read more of Denis Campbell’s overnight report on this story here: One in six most critically ill NHS patients are unvaccinated pregnant women with Covid
French study: vaccination highly effective at preventing severe Covid cases
Agence France-Presse have news this morning of a vast study in France which shows that vaccination is highly effective at preventing severe cases of Covid-19, even against the Delta variant.
The research on prevention of severe Covid and death, not infection, looked at 22 million people over 50 and found those who had received jabs were 90 percent less likely to be hospitalised or die. Researchers say it is the largest study of its kind so far.
Looking at data collected starting in December 2020, when France launched its jab campaign, the researchers compared the outcomes of 11 million vaccinated people with 11 million unvaccinated subjects.
They formed pairs matching an unvaccinated individual with a vaccinated counterpart from the same region and of the same age and sex, tracking them from the date of the vaccinated person’s second jab to 20 July.
Starting 14 days after a second dose, a vaccinated subjects’ risk of severe Covid was reduced by 90 percent. Vaccination appears to be nearly as effective against for the Delta variant, with 84 percent protection for people 75 and older and 92 percent for people 50-75.
Sydney reopens after more than 100 days in lockdown
There were long queues outside pubs, hairdressers and beauty salons as Australia’s most populous city reopened on Monday, as part of Sydney’s first steps towards living with Covid-19 after more than 100 days of lockdown.
About 5 million Sydneysiders awoke to new freedoms on Monday morning after enduring 106 days of strict stay-at-home orders in a bid to battle the highly contagious Delta strain.
Despite an unseasonably cold and rainy start to the day, thousands defied grey skies and flocked to newly opened cafes, barbers and beauty salons to kick off what some have described as “freedom day”.
Some even queued outside department stores in the minutes before midnight to shop in-store for the first time in nearly four months. Others crowded into pubs to enjoy the day’s first freshly poured beers in a boost to the city’s hospitality and entertainment industry.
Read more here from my colleagues Samantha Lock, Mostafa Rachwani and Rafqa Touma in Sydney: With queues at the pubs and beauty salons, Sydney reopens after more than 100 days in lockdown
NHS Covid pass compulsory for large events in Wales from today
It is possibly a less exciting day if you are running a nightclub in Wales. From today people must show an NHS Covid Pass or demonstrate their vaccination status to enter nightclubs and attend large events in the country.
It means all over-18s need one to enter nightclubs, indoor non-seated events for more than 500 people, such as concerts or conventions, outdoor non-seated events for more than 4,000 people and any setting or event with more than 10,000 people in attendance.
People will also be able to show they have had a negative lateral flow test result within the last 48 hours.
But those who fake a coronavirus test result or vaccination status will be committing a criminal offence and face a fixed penalty notice.
Rod Minchin reports for PA Media that Wales is facing some of the highest infection rates since the beginning of the pandemic, particularly among young people.
Economy minister Vaughan Gething said: “Our fantastic vaccination programme continues to go from strength to strength but the pandemic is not over.
“Cases remain high across Wales and, unfortunately, families across the country are losing loved ones to this awful virus. The clear advice from our scientific advisers is that we need to take early action now.
“The Covid Pass is just one of a series of measures in place to help prevent people spreading and catching coronavirus while helping to keep the economy open.
“None of us want to see further lockdowns and for businesses to have to close their doors once again. Showing a Covid Pass is already part of our collective effort to keep businesses open.”
Updated
England's travel red list changes take effect
It is potentially a big day for the travel industry in the England. At 4am this morning, forty-seven countries were removed from the international travel red list. Arrivals from those locations will no longer need to spend 11 nights in a quarantine hotel.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has lifted its advice against non-essential travel to a further 42 countries and territories, following the removal of travel advisories to 41 locations last week.
PA note that just seven countries will remain on the red list from Monday: Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama, Peru and Venezuela. People arriving from those locations will still be required to enter a quarantine hotel at a cost of £2,285 for solo travellers.
Updated
Good morning from London, it is Martin Belam here taking over from Samantha Lock, and I’ll be with you for the next few hours. Damian Hinds, the minister of state for security, is doing the media round in the UK this morning. I’ll bring you any Covid lines that emerge from that, though I suspect his focus is going to be on the energy crisis and that treasury reprimand for business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng. I’ll also bring you the latest coronavirus news from around the world.
Reopening New Zealand amid Covid outbreak would be ‘modern genocide’, Māori party warns
New Zealand’s government would be committing “modern genocide” by reopening the country as Covid spreads among under-vaccinated indigenous people, the Māori party has said.
The comments come as the country is struggling to contain its current Delta outbreak, with 95 cases reported over the weekend, and another 35 on Monday. Most current cases and hospitalisations are among Māori and Pacific New Zealanders, despite the fact those groups make up less than 30% of the total population. New Zealand is also in the process of pivoting away from its longstanding elimination strategy.
“Māori are now presenting over half of daily cases. We need to be placed back into a level that will break the circuit of this outbreak for Māori,” co-leader of the Māori party Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said on Monday.
“If the government is prepared to open the borders as soon as our country is 90% vaccinated, they are willingly holding Māori up to be the sacrificial lambs. It is a modern form genocide.”
Read the full story here:
Hello and welcome to our rolling live news coverage of the coronavirus outbreak.
I’m Samantha Lock and I’ll be giving you a rundown of the latest updates as they happen.
Millions of Australians have woken up today to new freedoms after 106 days of lockdown. Greater Sydney reopened at 12:01am on Monday as stay-at-home orders were lifted across the state of New South Wales after state reached its milestone of 70% of the over-16 population fully vaccinated last week.
Gyms, cafes, restaurants, pools, shops, hairdressers and beauticians can now reopen, people can have 10 people over to their home, gather in groups of 30 people outdoors in public, and travel more than 5km from their home. The new freedoms are only available to the fully vaccinated and those who have a medical exemption.
- New Zealand on a ‘knife-edge’ as Covid cases are expected to rise further. The island nation recorded 94 new infections over the weekend, as experts say an “exponential growth curve” will occur where new cases will quickly top 100 a day if the government stays its current course.
- The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention says 187 million people in US are fully vaccinated.
- Dr Anthony Fauci warns the US must not ‘prematurely declare victory’ over Covid. As the holiday season approaches, the White House medical adviser urged caution in celebrating declining Covid cases.
- One in six of England’s most critically ill patients are unvaccinated pregnant women, new figures reveal. Twenty of the 118 patients with Covid who received extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (Ecmo) between July and September were mothers-to-be, NHS England said. Of these, 19 had not had a jab and the other had only had one dose of a vaccine. The health service is urging pregnant women to get fully vaccinated amid new evidence that the virus can cause serious problems for the mother-to-be and her baby in the later stages of pregnancy.
- Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, plans to “accelerate” the resumption of international travel and home quarantine sooner than planned, but only for those in the state of New South Wales.
- UK Health Security Agency chief executive Dr Jenny Harries has warned that people who catch flu and Covid at the same time this winter are twice as likely to die than those who only have coronavirus.
- Harries also said that it’s hard to predict what the next chapter of the pandemic will look like in the UK, as immunity from vaccines wanes among older people.
- Two million people in England have received a Covid booster jab, NHS England said. The health secretary, Sajid Javid, tweeted: “This is great progress which is helping to reinforce our wall of defence so we can keep the virus at bay.” Over-50s, younger adults with health conditions and frontline health and care workers are eligible for a third shot.
- Singapore’s health ministry reported 3,703 new cases of Covid-19 on Saturday, the highest since the beginning of the pandemic, while it recorded 11 new deaths.
Updated
