Coronavirus - 25th July

Summary for Saturday, 25th July

• Catalonia is to close all nightlife in the region due to a spike in coronavirus infections
  
• Indoor gyms, swimming pools and sports facilities have started to reopen in England
  
• Being obese or overweight puts you at greater risk of serious illness or death from Covid-19, experts in England say
  
• The World Health Organization reported 284,196 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours on Friday, a new record
  
• The biggest increases were in the US, Brazil, India and South Africa
  
• South Korea reported 113 new infections on Saturday, its biggest one-day increase for three months
  
• There have been more than 15.7 million cases globally and almost 640,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University
  

Hello and welcome. We are back up and running our rolling coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Here's a quick summary of the latest developments to get us started.

• The World Health Organization says there has been a record spike in cases across the world, with 284,196 new infections in 24 hours
  
• Indoor gyms, swimming pools and sports facilities in England have started to reopen in the latest easing of lockdown measures
  
• A review by Public Health England says obesity puts people at greater risk of needing hospital treatment for Covid-19
  
• South Korea - long hailed as an example of how to handle the pandemmic - has seen its biggest one-day increase in cases for three months with 113 new infections reported on Saturday
  
• Chile has unveiled a plan to begin easing restrictions in parts of the capital, Santiago, as the number of daily infections slows
  
• Globally there have been more than 15.7m cases and almost 640,000 deaths
  

WHO reports record daily increase in cases

Peru had the biggest increase in new coronavirus deaths, according to the World Health Organization

Despite many countries starting to ease lockdown measures, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a record increase in daily coronavirus cases across the world.
It said there were 284,196 new infections in 24 hours on Friday. The number of deaths increased by 9,753, which was the largest single-day increase since 30 April.
The latest figures broke WHO's previous record for new cases - 259,848 on 18 July.
The number of new cases by country were:

• US - 69,641
  
• Brazil - 67,860
  
• India - 49,310
  
• South Africa - 13,104
  

WHO said the biggest increases in new deaths were:

• Peru - 3,876
  
• Brazil - 1,284
  
• US - 1,074
  
• Mexico - 790
  
• India - 740
  

Peru increased its total death toll by 3,000 in one day following a review of its Covid-19 data. Cases in the US have passed four million with at least 145,000 deaths.

Catalonia closes nightclubs amid spike in infections

Barcelona, the Catalan capital, is among Spanish cities seeing a rise in infections

The government of Catalonia in north-eastern Spain says all nightclubs and late-night bars in the region are to close for the next two weeks due to a spike in coronavirus infections.
Barely a month after Spain ended a state of emergency, cities including Barcelona, Zaragoza and the capital Madrid have seen a surge in new infections.
The Spanish health ministry reported more than 900 new cases of the virus on Friday. The BBC's Guy Hedgecoe in Madrid says contagion among young people is a particular worry.
France has warned its citizens not to travel to Catalonia while Norway has said it will start quarantining people arriving from Spain.

France to roll out on-the-spot tests for travellers

French Prime Minister Jean Castex says people arriving from 16 countries where the virus is widely circulating will be subject to on-the-spot coronavirus tests.
The move comes as the number of new infections in France starts to climb again. The health ministry said there were now more than 1,000 new cases each day in hospitals.
Mr Castex said the tests would be for "French citizens who live in these countries or citizens of these countries with an established residence in France". Any travellers testing positive will have to spend 14 days in isolation.
The new rules apply to people arriving from the US, Brazil, Algeria, Bahrain, Israel, India, South Africa, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Panama, Peru, Serbia, Turkey and Madagascar. France - and the European Union - do not allow general travel to and from these countries.

Multiple vaccines needed for global scale - UK scientist

BBC Radio 4


Professor Robin Shattock, who is leading work on a coronavirus vaccine at Imperial College London, says it is crucial to have multiple vaccines available, as his version moves to the next stage of its clinical trials on Monday.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think we need a series of vaccines so, while we talk about this often as a race, it is a race where we need as many groups to get past the finishing post as possible because when we think of things on a global scale, developing enough vaccines for seven billion people is going to be too big a thing for any single group to do."
In an update on the progress of his team’s vaccine work, he said the “good news” is that they’ve seen “very mild side effects, if any”, adding that the trial, which currently has 100 people enrolled, would be expanding to six new centres to enrol another 200, with the maximum age of volunteers expanded from 45 to 75.
When will have a vaccine? Some of the answers are to be found here

Asymptomatic virus spread unknown early on - UK scientist

More now from Professor Shattock at Imperial College London.
Asked for his view on Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s admission that the government did not understand the virus during the"first few weeks and months" of the UK outbreak, nor the extent of the role of asymptomatic spreaders, Prof Shattock said there was a “worry” the virus could be spread asymptomatically but nobody knew “quite how big a problem” it might be at that stage.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that that it was always easy to see things “in hindsight”, adding that the "rapidly moving" nature of the pandemic meant decisions had to be made quickly.

South Korea records sudden rise in cases

South Korea reported 113 new infections on Saturday, its biggest one-day increase for three months.
Health officials said most of the new patients were people arriving from abroad - with just 27 caused by local transmission.
The number of imported cases spiked with the arrival on Friday of two planes carrying nearly 300 South Korean workers evacuated from Iraq. Health authorities said 36 passengers were so far confirmed to have the coronavirus and nearly 90 had shown symptoms.
Another 34 cases were traced to a Russian fishing vessel that docked in the port city of Busan.
Kwon Jun-Wook, deputy director of the centre for disease control and prevention, said the latest cases were "another opportunity to realise how critical and urgent the coronavirus infection is in other countries around the world".

UK passport renewals to be fast-tracked amid backlog

It was revealed earlier this week that disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic has led to a backlog of more than 400,000 passport applications in the UK.
But there may be some relief for worried holiday goers waiting for their passports to be processed - the Home Office has announced applications will be expedited if people are due to go on holiday within two weeks.
Passport renewals will be delivered within five days for people waiting more than four weeks who produce evidence they are to due to travel.
But people who have applied to renew their passports are also being told not to book foreign holidays until they receive their documents.
The Passport Office is also advising people who don't need to renew now to wait until after the summer.

Police turn 60 cars away from Snowdon before 08:00

About 60 vehicles have been turned away from close to the base of Snowdon mountain in North Wales before 08:00 BST, police say.
Motorists had been warned cars could be towed away if they parked illegally in Snowdonia National Park.
It follows chaotic scenes in the area last weekend when more than 500 cars have been parked along roads. Officials warned that dangerous parking at beauty spots was "putting lives at risk".
North Wales Police posted a photo of the tow truck on Twitter to show they were serious about the towing threat:

Police and a tow truck are at Pen-y-Pass, one of the main routes leading to Snowdon

"Drivers told us they thought we were just 'bluffing' when we said cars would be towed away if obstructing the road. A recovery vehicle is already parked up at Pen-y-Pass," police said.

Gyms and pools open - and other headlines

If you're just tuning into our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, here is a quick round-up of the latest headlines in the UK and around the world:

• Indoor gyms, swimming pools and sports facilities in England have started to reopen in the latest easing of the coronavirus lockdown. But leisure providers warn they will struggle because of the financial impact of the pandemic
  
• The government of Catalonia in north-eastern Spain says all nightclubs and late-night bars in the region are to close for the next two weeks due to a spike in coronavirus infections
  
• America's top infectious diseases expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, has said that "we could start talking about real normality again" in 2021. Although a coronavirus vaccine could be determined "safe and effective" by the end of the year, he doesn't expect it to be widely available in the US until "several months" into 2021
  
• Experts at Public Health England say being obese or overweight puts people at greater risk of serious illness or death from Covid-19. It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to set out an ambitious programme to tackle obesity in the coming days.
  

Analysis: Pandemic has been profound challenge for PM

Laura Kuenssberg - Political editor
Boris Johnson doesn't tend to do remorse.
He is fond of looking on the bright side and moving forward. "Come on! Come on!" and "Fantastic, fantastic!" are the phrases you hear in public most frequently from his mouth.
Even some of his allies agree privately with his detractors that he is a politician for the good times, a spreader of cheer, rather than seeming like a statesman for a crisis.
That's one reason why the handling of this terrible epidemic has been a profound political challenge for this prime minister, beyond the enormous strain that coronavirus has put on the government machine and his own health.
You can read more from Laura here and watch her interview with the prime minister where he discusses his response to the pandemic:

Fauci tells of 'serious threats' to family

US infectious diseases chief Dr Anthony Fauci says he and his family have received "serious threats" because of his work trying to contain the coronavirus outbreak.
He told CNN's David Axelrod that the amount of hate mail and threats were "not good". He said there were "many people who get really angry thinking I'm interfering with their life because I'm pushing a public health agenda".
"It's tough. Serious threats against me, against my wife, against my daughters. I mean, really? Is this the United States of America?" he said.
Dr Fauci has emerged as the face of America's fight against Covid-19, having made regular appearances at news conferences alongside President Donald Trump.
However, tensions have risen between Dr Fauci and the president with the health expert having contradicted Mr Trump's comments on the pandemic a number of times.

• Anthony Fauci: The face of America's fight against coronavirus
  

Controversy over call to reopen US schools

A call by America's top public health body to reopen the nation's schools is receiving a lot of attention in the US media.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a statement on Thursday listing the benefits of children being in school, although its director later said exceptions could be made in virus "hot spots".
"Aside from a child’s home, no other setting has more influence on a child’s health and well-being than their school," the statement said.
However, the CDC guidance is not enforceable by law and correspondents say it is unclear how much weight it will carry with school districts.
President Donald Trump had earlier pressed for schools to reopen. He said it was vital for the well-being of children and for parents who needed to work.
US media has questioned how much influence the White House has had on the new guidelines. CDC director Robert Redfield told reporters on Friday that the new documents had been cleared by the White House. The Washington Post, quoting sources, said at least one was substantially edited by White House officials.

The week when everything changed for Trump

Jon Sopel - BBC North America Editor
Donald Trump made a series of U-turns this week.
What the polls are showing and what his scientists have been repeatedly calling for are totally aligned. And he really doesn't want to be a loser in November. The man who only knows how to double down, now doubled up in the pain of these very public reverses.
The conversion may be insincere; may well be borne of polling necessity - but what a lot of Americans will see is their president behaving rationally and normally; making decisions consistent with the scale of the threat the American people are facing - and Americans are fearing.
Some will no doubt write that this has been the president's worst week ever. If he wins in November, it will come to be seen as his best.
Read Jon's analysis here.

Chinese football resumes after five-month delay

The Chinese Super League - China's top tier of professional football - has kicked off its new season five months late because of the coronavirus pandemic.
A minute's silence to honour victims of the pandemic and medical staff was held before reigning champions Guangzhou Evergrande faced Shanghai Shenhua at the Dalian Sports Center Stadium in Dalian, Liaoning province.
Wuhan Zall play newly promoted Qingdao Huanghai later on Saturday in Suzhou, near Shanghai.
The league's 16 teams are divided into two groups that will play without spectators at Dalian and Suzhou until 28 September. Players and staff were tested for coronavirus on their arrival and further tests will be conducted every week.
Players will stay in hotels that are closed to the public, including their family and friends, for two months.
The new season was supposed to begin in February but was postponed by the pandemic, which first emerged in China.

Virus 'spreading among young people' in Catalonia

We reported earlier that officials in Catalonia have closed down the Spanish region's nightclubs, suspended cultural and sports events for two weeks, and banned gatherings of more than 10 people.
Now, Spanish epidemiologist Andrea Buron has told the BBC that there was a high infection rate among young people in Spain because they were gathering in large numbers.
Buron said outbreaks in cities including Barcelona, Zaragosa and Madrid were linked to large gatherings of young people at night - "not only official places like discos and so on, but also gatherings on the street, at beaches and so on".
Another epidemiologist, Dr Daniel Lopez-Acuna, told the BBC there was a risk young people would pass the virus to elderly people, who are more vulnerable to serious illness and death from Covid-19.
"We are beginning to observe that the average age of cases will be rising because the transmission is going from the youngsters to the rest of the household, and certainly the elderly," he said.
On Friday, less than a month after Spain ended its state of emergency, the country's health ministry reported more than 900 new infections.

Brazil's Bolsonaro clear of virus

President Jair Bolsonaro has announced that he has tested negative for coronavirus.
"Good day to you all," the Brazilian leader said as he revealed the news on his Facebook page.
Bolsonaro said on 7 July that he had Covid-19 - and three subsequent tests showed he still had the virus.
In the past, he has dismissed the risks of the virus and boasted that it would have little effect on him if he got it due to his "athletic past".
Brazil is the second-worst affected country with more than 2.3 million confirmed cases.

New virus cases in Scotland and Wales

The latest official coronavirus figures for Scotland and Wales have just come in.
In Wales no new deaths were reported on Saturday, Public Health Wales figures show. This means the total number of deaths reported by PHW is 1,548. Only one death has been reported in Wales in the last week.
There are 30 new cases, bringing the total number of infections to 17,105.
In Scotland, there have been 27 new confirmed cases of coronavirus in a day, according to the latest Scottish government figures.
This brings the total number of people who have tested positive in Scotland to 18,547 people.
No coronavirus deaths have been recorded in Scotland for nine consecutive days. Its death toll remains at 2,491.

India has almost 100,000 new cases in two days

Infections are continuing to surge in India, where almost 100,000 new confirmed cases of the virus have been recorded in just two days.
There have now been more than 1.3 million confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country since the start of the outbreak - the third-highest number of infections in the world.
One of those to have tested positive was the chief minister of the state of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
In a series of tweets posted in Hindi, Chouhan urged people not to be careless - to get tested as soon as possible if they develop symptoms, and to follow their doctors' orders.
In total, more than 31,000 people have died with coronavirus in India, the sixth-highest overall number in the world. However, experts warn that the peak of the virus is yet to come.

Football legend Xavi Hernandez tests positive

Former Spain and Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez has tested positive for coronavirus.
Xavi, 40, is now the coach of Qatari football club Al-Sadd. He posted about his diagnosis on Instagram on Saturday, saying that he had been tested according to the Qatar league protocol.
"Fortunately, I'm feeling OK, but I will be isolated until I'm given the all-clear," Xavi wrote. "When the health services allow it, I will be very eager to return to my daily routine and to work."
Al-Sadd said on its website that Xavi wouldn't be joining the rest of the team for its league game against Al-Khor later today.

Texas bar owners 'to defy closure order'

Hundreds of bar owners in the US state of Texas say they will open on Saturday, in defiance of an order from Governor Greg Abbott.
Mr Abbott previously eased restrictions on bars in the state but then ordered them closed again on 26 June as coronavirus infections surged.
About 800 bar owners said they would take part in "Freedom Fest" - an event organised by Fort Worth bar owner Chris Polone. The owners say they face going out of business.
“If you can get every single bar to stand up in solidarity, well, that’s a statement that won’t be ignored,” Mr Polone said, quoted by local publication Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
He urged Mr Abbott to allow bars to reopen with a set of safety guidelines. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission said it was aware of the event and that those violating the order could face a 30-day suspension of their licence.

Washington DC orders hotspot visitors to quarantine

Mayor Muriel Bowser also ordered DC residents to wear face masks in public

All travellers arriving in Washington DC on non-essential business from areas where coronavirus is widely circulating will have to quarantine for 14 days from Monday.
The order, issued by District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser, excludes neighbouring Maryland and Virginia. A full list of hotspots will be published later.
“We know, unfortunately, there are states that are seeing significant spikes in new cases,” Ms Bowser told reporters. “We know there are places where people are not being as cautious or making the sacrifices we are making here in Washington DC.”
It is unclear how the order will be enforced. On Wednesday, the Democratic mayor ordered residents to wear a mask while outside in public. Those who violate the ruling risk being fined up to $1,000 (£780).

Did Bournemouth beach crowds spread coronavirus?

It has been a month since thousands of people flocked to Bournemouth beach for this year's warmest weekend.
The pictures of crowded stretches of sand - at a time when more than 100 people a day were still dying of Covid-19 - caused concern about the spread of the virus, following the loosening of lockdown rules in early June.
On 25 June, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council declared a "major incident".
However, a month on, the statistics do not suggest a significant spike in coronavirus cases.
But how does Bournemouth's experience compare to other tourist hotspots?
Read more here to find out.

Vietnam on high alert after grandfather case

Vietnam is back on high alert after detecting its first locally transmitted case in about three months.
A 57-year-old grandfather in the central city of Danang tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday. State media reported today that he was in a critical condition, and specialist doctors had flown from Ho Chi Minh City to Danang to treat him.
Where he caught the virus is a mystery, but officials say 50 people he came into contact with have been put into isolation. In total, 103 people connected to the patient have been tested for the virus, but all of their results were negative.
Vietnam, a single-party communist state, has been praised for its swift and effective response to the outbreak. It has only had 417 cases of coronavirus in total, and zero deaths.
Until Friday, the country had gone 100 days without a locally-transmitted case of the virus.

Mild infections can still have lasting effects - US report

Covid-19 patients with only mild symptoms can still take weeks to fully recover from an infection - even younger people with no underlying health conditions, US researchers say.
The public health body Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said about a fifth of patients under the age of 35 did not return to their normal state of health up to 21 days after testing positive.
The CDC said the findings warranted the targeting of public health messages at groups which might not perceive Covid-19 as being a severe illness.
In its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on Friday, the CDC said that a telephone survey of mildly symptomatic adults across 13 states found that 35% were reporting health issues two to three weeks later. Fatigue, a cough and shortness of breath were among the symptoms that persisted weeks later, the report said.

767 new coronavirus cases in the UK

There have been 767 new coronavirus cases reported across the UK, according to the Department of Health and Social Care.
This brings the total number of people who have tested positive for coronavirus in the UK to 298,681.
Data on deaths has been paused while an urgent review into Public Health England's data is carried out.

Gym-goers happy to be back - but not all are convinced

There were queues outside some fitness clubs in England, with members telling the BBC they were overjoyed to be back.
Jamelah May was delighted to be one of the first people through the doors of her south-west London gym when it opened for the first time since March.
"I’m so happy. It’s been awful being stuck at home for four months. I’ve been coming here for 12 years. All my friends come here - it’s a social thing and you miss it a lot," she says.
But not everyone is convinced it's safe to return yet. Michelle and Tomasz, a couple from south-west London, used to train in the gym together.
While Michelle has cancelled her membership and says she won't return for the foreseeable future, Tomasz has already enjoyed his first gym session since lockdown began.
"I work in the leisure industry - I still don't believe it's 100% safe," says Michelle.
But for Tomasz, who used to do bodybuilding in Poland, the gym is part of his lifestyle.
"To not have that, it affects his mindset," Michelle says. "Training outside doesn't do it for him. I can't stop him going to the gym and he can't make me go!"
Read more.

Sniffer dogs could detect coronavirus - German study

The army sniffer dogs are undergoing training at Ulmen near Koblenz, Germany

Sniffer dogs can be trained to detect people who have Covid-19, researchers in Germany have found.
A study published by scientists at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover found that the trained dogs detected the coronavirus with a relatively high rate of accuracy.
Eight sniffer dogs from the German army were used in the study, Deutsche Welle reported.
After only a week's training they could distinguish between the mucus and saliva of infected and non-infected patients.
Holger Volk, chair of the university's department of small animal medicine, said it was only a pilot study but there was "potential to take this further - to really use these dogs in the field".
Earlier this month, a UK charity said it was making progress with training dogs to detect coronavirus.
Claire Guest, who runs Medical Detection Dogs in Milton Keynes, has previously trained dogs to spot the scent of malaria, cancer and Parkinson's disease.

The vulnerable mum and daughter continuing to shield

Coronavirus: The vulnerable mum and daughter continuing to shield

The 2.2 million medically vulnerable people who have been self-isolating in England for four months during the coronavirus pandemic will no longer need to shield from 1 August.
It will mean the government's free food boxes will stop being delivered to their door.
Rebecca Richmond and her daughter Poppy are both at risk and say they will continue to self-isolate at their home in Billingham, County Durham, due to fears over a second wave of the virus.
They, and families like them, are helped by charities like Pipsco, a Teeside-based organisation which buys food and collects donations from the supermarket before making them up into meal kits to deliver to vulnerable people’s homes.

England reports 25 Covid deaths

A further 25 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospitals in England, official figures show.
This brings the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals to 29,272, NHS England has said.
Patients were aged between 52 and 93 years old and all had known underlying health conditions.
Another eight deaths were reported with no positive Covid-19 test result.

Massachusetts brings in 14-day quarantine

As confirmed cases of the virus rise exponentially in the US, many states are continuing to enforce strict measures to try and prevent its spread.
Massachusetts is the latest to announce restrictions. Under a new executive order, announced by governor Charlie Baker yesterday, people - including residents - will need to go into quarantine for 14 days after travelling to the state.
Anyone who doesn't comply will face a $500-per-day fine (£391).
There are some exemptions, though: people travelling from low-risk states including New York, Maine and Hawaii, for example, as well as anyone who can prove that they've had a negative Covid-19 test no more than 72 hours prior to their arrival.

Please stay seven chihuahuas apart

Signs instructing people to keep two metres apart have become part of life since lockdown around the UK.
But in the town of Montgomery in Powys, Wales, graphic designer Keith Williams and friend Katrina Collins wanted to lighten the mood a little.
They've been painting messages on pavements that describe two metres in quirky ways, such as "7 Chihuahuas" and "50 chips".


Mr Williams said: "I thought we could do something different. Every two metres there are random phrases."
Phrases also include "14.3 pairs of scissors", "23.5 tins of tuna", "85.36 pound coins" and "153.85 marbles".
Read more here.

Mega-rich splash out on safe havens

What do you do if you're super-rich and stuck in a coronavirus hotspot?
The answer's simple - just buy yourself a safe haven somewhere else.
According to Bloomberg, they are spending millions of dollars on investor visas in countries with low Covid-19 infection rates.
Some are moving to remote Caribbean islands where they can isolate on sunny beaches, while others are choosing countries where the pandemic has been halted.
One of these visas in New Zealand, for example, sets people back between NZ$3m ($2m; £1.5m) and NZ$10m ($6.7m; £5.2m).
New Zealand has had just over 1,500 confirmed cases of coronavirus, and 22 deaths.

Golf's Westwood rules out US PGA bid over Covid-19 fears

Lee Westwood in action during this week's British Masters

Leading golf professional Lee Westwood says he will not play at next month's US PGA Championship, for which coronavirus quarantine rules have been relaxed for players and caddies.
The lifting of the 14-day quarantine on arrival in the US means Westwood could have gone straight into the tournament "bubble" and played.
"I still don't feel comfortable and I don't feel it is right to jump on a plane for 12 hours," said the Englishman, who is world number 34.
The tournament is scheduled to be the first major of 2020 and will be played in Haring Park, San Francisco, from 6 August with no fans present.
The delayed US Open is set to be contested in September, with the Masters, normally the April highlight, being held in November. Britain's Open Championship has been cancelled.

We're pausing our live coverage

Thank you for joining our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic today. We're pausing for now - but before we go, here are the main headlines from the UK and worldwide today.

• Indoor gyms, swimming pools and other indoor sports facilities in England have seen a cautious return of customers as they reopen their doors for the first time since March.
  
• The Spanish region of Catalonia is closing all of its nightlife venues because of a spike in cases. The surge in infections has prompted fears of a second wave in Spain
  
• India has recorded almost 100,000 new confirmed cases of the virus in just two days
  
• Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has said he's now tested negative for the coronavirus, more than two weeks after contracting it
  
• More than 10,000 health workers in African countries have contracted coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, the WHO said - adding that the situation is "really worrying"
  
• Experts in England warn that being overweight or obese makes you more likely to become seriously ill or die from coronavirus
  
• Spanish footballer Xavi Hernandez has tested positive for the virus. The 40-year-old, who's now the coach of Qatari club Al-Sadd, said he was "feeling OK" but would isolate until being given the all-clear
  
• And researchers in the US say even people with only mild symptoms can still take weeks to fully recover from Covid-19 - including younger people with no underlying health conditions
  

Our coronavirus live page has been brought to you today by: David Walker, Mary O'Connor, Oliver Brett, Ashitha Nagesh, Sarah Collerton and Paulin Kola.

Thanks for joining us.