Coronavirus - 20th August

Summary for Thursday, 20th August

• Germany has reported its highest daily infection rate for the coronavirus since April
  
• Spain and Italy also logged their highest daily figures in months on Wednesday and cases are rising steadily in France
  
• Australian airline Qantas reports an annual loss of almost A$2bn (£1bn; $1.4bn) as it struggles with the impact of the pandemic
  
• India has reported a record daily increase of 69,652 infections on Thursday, taking the total number of cases there to 2.84 million
  
• South Korea tightens restrictions as the country sees a spike in new cases linked mostly to a church
  
• More than 787,000 deaths have been recorded worldwide, according to data collated by Johns Hopkins University
  

Hello and welcome back to our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Our teams from around the world are again ready to bring you the latest developments.

• Countries in Europe are seeing a rise in coronavirus cases, with Spain, Italy and Germany reporting their highest daily figures in months
  
• Australian airline Qantas has reported an annual loss of almost A$2bn (£1bn; $1.4bn) as it deals with the impact of the pandemic
  
• India reported a record daily increase of 69,652 infections on Thursday, taking the total number of cases there to 2.84 million
  
• Concerns are rising over an outbreak in South Korea as the country sees a spike in new cases linked mostly to a church
  
• The US Democratic Party is holding its convention as a virtual event of pre-recorded and live speeches amid coronavirus restrictions
  
• More than 22 million cases have now been reported globally and more than 787,000 deaths, according to data collated by Johns Hopkins University
  

India reports record daily jump in infections

India has reported a record daily increase of 69,672 coronavirus infections.
The total number of cases in the country now stands at about 2.84 million, according to official data published on Thursday.
A further 997 deaths were reported, taking the total number of fatalities to 53,886.
India is behind only the US and Brazil in terms of numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases.
Read more: How many Covid-19 deaths is India missing?

Europe sees surge in cases

Countries across Europe are reporting a surge in coronavirus cases, with several posting their highest figures in months:

• Spain reported 3,715 new infections in its daily count on Wednesday - the highest figure since the country came out of a strict lockdown in late June
  
• Italy reported 642 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, marking its highest daily jump since late May
  
• Germany's daily figures on Thursday showed 1,707 new cases, in its highest toll since April
  

Several European countries have introduced travel restrictions in addition to measures on social distancing and mask-wearing in a bid to curb the spread of the virus.

Seoul bans gatherings of more than 10 people

Authorities in the South Korean capital, Seoul, have banned gatherings of more than 10 people after new cases of coronavirus reached a five-month high.
The measure takes effect on Friday and will remain in place until the end of the month.
The latest virus cluster originated in a church and has spread to over 100 facilities in greater Seoul.
The conservative Sarang Jeil Church - whose members rallied in the city at the weekend - is highly critical of the South Korean government. They say they are being unfairly targeted and some are refusing to be tested for the virus.

Masks compulsory throughout French Riviera city

More than one in three French towns and cities have introduced rules on wearing masks in centres, markets or other busy areas, but the southern Riviera city of Nice has gone one step further.
As of this morning, you'll now have to wear a mask anywhere outdoors in Nice. Another southern city, Toulouse, will have the same rule from Friday.
Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi says he's made the decision "to limit too strong a spread, to remain consistent in our fight against Covid-19 and so there's no further doubt on where masks should be worn".
Police have been handing out an increasing number of fines to people without face coverings and Mr Estrosi says the rate of transmission locally has risen from 1.2 to 6.
France is seeing daily rates of infection as high as in May - yesterday it was almost 3,800 - and the area worst hit on the mainland is around Marseille with 85 people infected for every 100,000 inhabitants.

Cases surge in Croatia, and other news from the Balkans

Guy Delauney - BBC News, Belgrade
The UK may remove Croatia from its “safe list” of countries as early as Thursday. It follows a significant rise in the number of cases in Croatia – the 14-day cumulative number is 37.7 per 100,000, compared to 21 in the UK. British health authorities have also identified coronavirus cases “imported” from Croatia.
Croatia reported a record number of new coronavirus cases on Wednesday. Some 219 people tested positive for Covid-19, including a player for Croatian football league champions Dinamo Zagreb.
Slovenia is also expected to place Croatia on its “red list” for travel on Thursday. Arrivals from Croatia are likely to face a 14-day quarantine from the weekend.

Virus-hit Qantas posts £1bn annual loss

Australian airline Qantas has reported an annual loss of almost A$2bn (£1bn; $1.4bn) as it struggles to deal with the impact of the pandemic.
The global airline industry has been hit hard by travel restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the virus.
Qantas has announced thousands of job cuts amid what it describes as the worst trading conditions in its 100-year history.
"The impact of Covid on all airlines is clear. It's devastating and it will be a question of survival for many," Qantas Group chief executive Alan Joyce said in a statement.
"Recovery will take time and it will be choppy.”
Read more here

Pupils get GCSE results

Hundreds of thousands of teenagers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are receiving their GCSE results.
The grades will be given by their schools after a flawed algorithm was scrapped in a series of U-turns.
Public examinations were cancelled earlier this year and most GCSE pupils have received no in-school lessons since March.
The results are expected to be higher than previous years as it is generally thought that teachers and schools tend to be more optimistic about their students’ chances than exam boards.
BTec students will no longer receive their results on Thursday, after exam board Pearson said it would be re-grading them in line with the school-assessed A-levels and GCSEs.
Read more: Pupils get GCSE grades as BTec results are pulled

Thousands seek to rehome hens amid lockdown shortages

A chicken rehoming charity in the UK says it has seen a massive surge in requests for hens during the coronavirus pandemic.
Fresh Start for Hens saves birds that have reached the end of their peak laying years and face being slaughtered.
Operations director Jaki Hann told the BBC the charity was innundated with requests after there was a shortage of eggs in shops in March.
"We had to introduce a waiting list for the first time and so far we've had 9,480 people register, requesting a total of 52,106 hens," she said.
Although restrictions have since been eased, the charity says it still has a long waiting list.
Read more

Will Germany's 'fifth season' go ahead?

Jenny Hill - BBC Berlin correspondent


They call it the fifth season: from November through to February, south and western Germany celebrates Carnival. Revellers, decked in bright fancy dress, drink, sing and party in packed halls or crowded streets.
But there’s now fierce debate over whether this cherished tradition can go ahead at all as the number of new daily infections continues to rise. On Thursday, at 1,707, it’s the highest it’s been since late April.
That’s partially a result of increased testing - three weeks ago, there were 578,000 tests in a week. Last week, there were 875,000, according to the Robert Koch Institute.
But scientists say that’s not the only reason for the rise. Returning holiday makers and people ignoring social distancing guidelines are also a big part of the problem.
And, in another blow to those hoping to enjoy the traditions of a German autumn, Angela Merkel - herself extremely worried by the rise - has said that there was no way football fans could be allowed back into stadia for the new Bundesliga (Germany’s football league) season.

England pupils get record GCSE results

Grades were awarded by schools after a flawed algorithm was scrapped

GCSE students in England have received record-breaking results following the most disrupted academic year in UK history.
Exams were cancelled this year because of the pandemic and grades were awarded by schools after a flawed algorithm was scrapped.
Official results show that 78.8% of GCSEs in England were graded 4 or better – the pass rate under the grading system introduced in 2017.
Last year, 69.9% of pupils achieved the passing grade.
There was also a rise in the top grades - a 7 or above, which is equivalent to an A in the old system.
You can get all the latest updates about GCSE results on the BBC live page

'Three quarters of UK does grocery shopping online'

More than three quarters of people in the UK now do at least some online grocery shopping, according to supermarket chain Waitrose.
It said the growth in online supermarket shopping due to coronavirus was "reminiscent of scaling Everest".
Separate research suggests almost half of consumers feel their shopping habits will change permanently due to the crisis.
Retail Economics said many retailers were "scrambling" to adapt.
The coronavirus lockdown which began in March saw a massive jump in demand for online grocery deliveries as people sought to minimise trips to supermarkets.

• Ocado says switch to online shopping is permanent
  
• Retail sales near pre-lockdown levels in June
  

What's the latest in Europe?

If you're just joining us, here's a quick recap of some of the biggest headlines from across Europe:

• Germany has recorded 1,707 infections in 24 hours - the highest number since 26 April. The increase is reportedly down to travellers returning from abroad as well as a lack of social distancing and hygiene
  
• In France, which has recorded another 3,776 cases and 399 active "clusters", the southern city of Nice has announced that wearing masks is now compulsory everywhere outside, not just in the centre
  
• Spain has seen another 127 deaths in the past 24 hours as well as 3,715 new infections. As in Germany, that infection rate has not been seen since late April. El País newspaper reports that many of the new infections are in residential homes for the elderly - that was the setting for many of the deaths in the initial outbreak
  
• Italy has also reported a sharp rise in infections, with 642 new cases in its latest daily count. The number isn't as high as some other European countries but these infection rates haven't been seen there since late May
  

Virus back 'in full swing' in South Korea

South Korea has warned that coronavirus is back "in full swing" amid a surge in cases linked to a local church.
In its latest daily figures, the country reported 288 new infections.
"This is a grave situation that could possibly lead to a nationwide pandemic," Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip told a briefing, according to Reuters news agency.
Kwon Jun-wook, deputy director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), said that without aggressive contact tracing, the country could see the kinds of spikes in infections reported in the US and Europe.
Many of the new cases in South Korea have been linked to the Sarang Jeil Church, whose pastor has been a vocal critic of President Moon Jae-in.
Another church, the Shincheonji Church of Jesus was identified earlier this year as South Korea's biggest virus cluster.
South Korea was once considered a global hotspot for the virus, but earned praise for bringing infections under control through intensive tracing and testing.
In total, the country has reported more than 16,000 cases and 307 deaths, according to data collated by Johns Hopkins University.

French paediatricians 'worried' about children going back to school

French paediatricians say they are concerned about children going back to school in September, particularly as the country is seeing a surge in cases.
"We are worried about the organisation of the start of the new school year, as much in terms of prevention as in terms of childcare," they said in an open letter (pdf document in French) on Wednesday.
The surge in cases "makes the situation tricky and requires the adoption of appropriate, but reasonable and efficient measures".
Last month, ministry guidelines were sent to schools saying physical distancing would no longer need to apply in outdoor spaces, and that it would be no longer compulsory in closed spaces "when it is not physically possible" or "when it will not accommodate all the students", BFMTV reports.
Even if children seem to be less affected by the virus, it is still not clear how contagious they might be if they have the virus, but are asymptomatic, medical experts say.
Paediatricians are also urging parents to have their children vaccinated for flu and certain types of stomach bugs so as to reduce pressure on the health system during the winter season.

Croatia could be next on UK quarantine list

Around 875,000 British nationals visited Croatia in 2019

The UK may remove Croatia from its “safe list” of countries as early as Thursday. It follows a significant rise in the number of cases in Croatia – the 14-day cumulative number is 37.7 per 100,000, compared to 21 in the UK. British health authorities have also identified coronavirus cases “imported” from Croatia.
Croatia reported a record number of new coronavirus cases on Wednesday. Some 219 people tested positive for Covid-19, including a player for Croatian football league champions Dinamo Zagreb.
Slovenia is also expected to place Croatia on its “red list” for travel on Thursday. Arrivals from Croatia are likely to face a 14-day quarantine from the weekend.

What's happening in the US?

Here's a quick look at some of the biggest headlines from the US:

• Michigan State has become the latest US university to suspend in-person learning amid coronavirus concerns. The universities of Notre Dame and North Carolina have also announced in recent days that they will be holding lessons online
  
• President Donald Trump has criticised decisions to suspend in-person classes, saying it is "significantly safer for students to live with other young people than to go home and spread the virus to older Americans"
  
• There were 1,356 coronavirus-related deaths recorded in the US on Wednesday, according to media reports
  
• The Democratic Party is holding its convention as a virtual event of pre-recorded and live speeches amid coronavirus restrictions
  
• In total, the US has now recorded more than 5.5 million cases of coronavirus and more than 173,000 deaths, according to data collated by Johns Hopkins University. This is more cases and more deaths than any other country
  

12:20

Latest from around the world

It's lunchtime here in London, and if you're just joining us, here's a round-up of the latest coronavirus-related news from around the world.

• A number of countries in Europe are seeing a rise in coronavirus cases, with Spain, Italy and Germany reporting their highest daily figures in months. France, meanwhile, has recorded another 3,776 new cases
  
• It looks like the UK will impose quarantine measures on people travelling to the country from Croatia, the BBC has learned
  
• South Korea tightens restrictions as the country sees a spike in new cases linked mostly to a church
  
• GCSE students in England have received record-breaking results following the most disrupted academic year in UK history. Exams were cancelled this year because of the pandemic and grades were awarded by schools after a flawed algorithm was scrapped
  
• The World Health Organization (WHO) in Europe has appealed to younger people not to relax their guard against Covid-19. Dr Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, told a news conference that he was "very concerned" that more and more young people were being counted among recorded cases
  

Confusion in Bolivia over suspension of school year

There is confusion in Bolivia after a court annulled the government's decision to finish the school year four months early amid the pandemic.
The government had announced the early end to the school year on 2 August, saying that online classes were putting rural pupils, many of whom don't have access to the internet, at a disadvantage.
Officials said at the time that teachers would continue to receive their salaries and all pupils would automatically pass into the higher year, due to begin in January.
But the court argued that the suspension of classes violated the pupils' right to education.
The government has said it will appeal against the ruling.

Public urged to get cancer checks

Singer Linda Nolan and presenter Bill Turnbull are among the UK celebrities with cancer backing a campaign urging the public not to delay important health checks.
There are concerns that people are not coming forward because they are worried about coronavirus.
About 141,600 people were referred for cancer checks in June, compared to almost 200,000 during the same month last year.
Nearly half of the public have said they have concerns about seeking help during the pandemic.
Former BBC Breakfast host Turnbull said cancer "unfortunately did not disappear" during the coronavirus outbreak.
Read more

Outdoor adventure days for families of NHS staff

Some NHS workers in the UK have been given a break from the stress of four months on the front line fighting coronavirus.
An activity centre near Reading in Berkshire, southern England, has teamed up with a local charity to say thank you by running outdoor adventure days.
Forty families from hospitals across Berkshire and Oxfordshire have had the chance to spend time together in socially distanced groups - learning activities like raft building and making campfires.

Ministers had herd immunity strategy for Covid-19, Corbyn claims

Jeremy Corbyn was Labour leader when the virus broke out in the UK

The government failed to make "adequate preparations" for the coronavirus pandemic because it was pursuing a "herd immunity" strategy at the start of the outbreak, Jeremy Corbyn has claimed.
In an interview with left-wing magazine Tribune's A World to Win podcast, the former Labour leader said he had a briefing at the Cabinet Office and was given a "lecture" about the plan.
Mr Corbyn claimed "allowing people to die" was the "absurd" official policy at the time.
The government has said it was "categorically wrong to suggest herd immunity was [its] aim" and denied Mr Corbyn's claims.
A government spokeswoman said: Our goal is to reduce the impact of coronavirus - protecting the most vulnerable and ensuring our NHS and social care system has capacity to cope, while leading the world on scientific research into therapeutics and a vaccine."
Read more here

Scotland records highest number of cases in nearly three months

Some 19,534 people have now tested positive for Covid-19 in Scotland, an increase of 77 from yesterday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.
"This is the highest number of new cases in almost three months, which underlines the need for continued caution," she explained during her daily briefing.
She added that the country would remain in phase three of her four-part plan for easing lockdown restrictions.
For Scotland to move into phase four ministers would have to be satisfied that "the virus is no longer considered a significant threat to public health", she said.
The latest figures show "this is definitely not the case", she added.

Schools minister warned about grading algorithm in July

Schools minister Nick Gibb said he was warned about potential problems with the algorithm for moderating A-level and GCSE results back in July.
His boss, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, had previously said the problems became "clear" last weekend.
But Mr Gibb told BBC Breakfast he was made aware of concerns by the former top official at the Department for Education, Sir Jon Coles, that poorer students could be disadvantaged by the system for moderating exam results.
The Times newspaper reported that Sir Jon, who is now the chief executive of a group of academies and fee-paying schools, warned Mr Williamson about potential problems six weeks ago.
Mr Gibb, who first became a schools minister in 2010, said he had called a meeting with the regulator Ofqual and other senior officials to discuss the issues raised by Sir Jon.
But he said he was "reassured" the algorithm would not have that effect.
The algorithm downgraded around 40% of last week's A-level results, leading to a public outcry and concerns about GCSEs.

Airbnb brings in global party ban during pandemic

Airbnb has imposed a global ban on all parties and events at its rental properties in an attempt to enforce social distancing during the pandemic.
"Instituting a global ban on parties and events is in the best interest of public health," the short-term letting platform said in a statement.
The party ban applies to all future bookings and will remain in effect indefinitely, it added.
The new rule includes a maximum limit of 16 people in any of its rental homes.
Airbnb said: “Some have chosen to take bar and club behaviour to homes, sometimes rented through our platform. We think such conduct is incredibly irresponsible – we do not want that type of business, and anyone engaged in or allowing that behaviour does not belong on our platform.”
The company said rule-breakers may be pursued legally by Airbnb for violating the policy.

More than 1.1 million new unemployment claims in US

The number of people in the US claiming unemployment has exceeded one million again, according to the latest figures from the US Labor Department.
Just over 1.1 million people filed new claims for unemployment benefits in the week ending 15 August.
Although experts had expected a moderate rise, this was an increase of 135,000 from the previous week.This is only the third time new applications for jobless benefits have increased since the start of April.
First-time claims peaked at 6.97 million in March.
Read more about the US unemployment figures here

Gyms and pools to reopen in Scotland at end of August

Gyms, swimming pools and indoor sports courts in Scotland will be able to reopen from 31 August, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.
The first minister said she was bringing forward the reopening of the facilities, which had previously been expected to open in mid-September.
She said it meant people aged 12 and over could take part in non-contact activity in places such as dance and gymnastics studios.
More restrictions could be lifted on 14 September, she added, with sports stadiums, theatres and live music venues reopening with social distancing, limits on capacity and enhanced hygiene.
But she added that given the volatility in transmission of the virus, "there is a very real possibility that these plans will change".

If you're just joining us...

Good morning to our readers in the Americas, good afternoon to readers in Europe and Africa, and good evening to those of you in Asia.
To help you catch up with what's happened today, here's the latest from around the world.

• Cases are rising in Europe. Germany has reported its highest daily infection rate since April, while Spain and Italy logged their highest daily figures in months. Cases are also steadily rising in France
  
• It looks like the UK will impose quarantine measures on people arriving from Croatia, the BBC has learned
  
• In the US, more than 1.1 million people filed new claims for unemployment benefits. The US still has the highest death toll and total number of infections in the world
  
• Australian airline Quantas has reported an annual loss of almost A$2 billion (£1 billion; $1.4 billion) as it struggles with the fallout of global lockdown measures and travel restrictions
  
• In India, 69,652 new cases of the virus were reported on Thursday, taking the total number of cases up to 2.84 million
  
• South Korea has tightened restrictions after a spike in new cases, most of which have been linked to a church
  
• More than 788,000 people have died globally, and more than 22.4 million people have tested positive for the virus
  

This isn't a 'second wave' - we're still in the first

Nick Triggle - Health Correspondent
Whenever there is a jump in cases, it does not take long for someone to start talking about a second wave.
But the truth is we are still in the first wave in Europe. The wave is being suppressed, but it is still there.
Where we see cases rising, it is more a case that the defences are being breached.
What gets less attention is the fact that it is falling in some places too – Sweden and Portugal are both examples of this over the past month or so.
It is also important to consider the context of the rise. Has it risen to a high level or just a higher level from a low base?
And to what extent are the rises being caused by more testing? The more you look, the more you find.
Certainly the numbers being tested is rising in many countries and that is certainly a factor.
It means the rises seen in Germany, Italy and the UK for example are less concerning than those seen in Spain, France and Croatia.
It is a very mixed picture across Europe, reflecting the fact countries are just at different points of the first wave or having varying degrees of success in keeping it at bay.

Weekly test and trace numbers in England drop again

The number of people being reached through England's test and trace programme has dropped again this week to 71% - down from 74% last week, and down on the 91% in its first week (week ending 3 June), according to the latest figures.
In the 11 weeks since it launched, 227,577 close contacts of people who have tested positive for Covid-19 have been reached through the tracing system and asked to self-isolate.
This is 81% out of a total of 281,118 people identified as close contacts. The remaining 53,541 people (19%) identified as close contacts were not reached.
The figures also show that, for cases handled by local health protection teams, 98% of close contacts of people who tested positive for Covid-19 have been reached and asked to self-isolate.
For those cases handled either online or by call centres, 57% of close contacts have been reached.

NI health minister set to recommend new Covid-19 measures

Mr Swann is expected to recommend changes to NI restrictions

Northern Ireland's health minister is expected to recommend a tightening of Covid-19 restrictions at a meeting of the NI Executive, currently under way.
It is thought Robin Swann will recommend lowering the number of people allowed to meet indoors from 10 to six.
It comes after a marked increase in the number of coronavirus cases in recent weeks.
The Department of Health has confirmed 51 new positive cases of the virus in Northern Ireland, bringing the total to 6,556.
No further deaths have been recorded by the department, meaning the death toll remains at 559.
On Thursday, the head of the Public Health Agency said localised lockdowns were "practically inevitable".

More restrictions on the cards over Scotland cluster

Further restrictions over a coronavirus cluster linked to a food processing plant in Coupar Angus, Scotland, are being "carefully and urgently" considered, Nicola Sturgeon has said.
The number of cases linked to the 2 Sisters poultry factory has risen to 43, an increase of 14 since Wednesday.
Scotland's first minister said 37 of the cases in the "significant" cluster were employees and the six others were their contacts.
The plant has been closed for two weeks while staff at the site are tested.
All of the plant's approximately 900 employees have been advised to self-isolate for 14 days.
Meanwhile, Cranswick meat processing plant in Cullyback, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, is to close on Saturday following the discovery of a cluster of cases among workers.
A company spokesman has declined to confirm how many people are involved in the current outbreak but said staff welfare was the primary concern. A cluster is defined as two or more cases.

Analysis: UK's increase in testing comes at a price

Nick Triggle - Health Correspondent
The increase in tests carried out in the UK seems to have come at a price.
The proportion of tests in England taking longer than 24 hours to turn around is increasing.
At the end of June, around 90% of tests carried out at mobile testing units and testing centres were processed and results given within a day.
But by mid-August that had dropped to 65% and 58%, respectively. Falls have also been seen in the number of tests posted out that are turn around in 24 hours.
NHS Test and Trace said an IT failure at one of its mega labs, which processes the tests, had caused problems and there was also a growing backlog because of the rising number of tests being carried out.
An average of 170,000 tests a day were being carried out in mid-August in the UK – a rise of more than a quarter since the end of June.
The UK is now carrying out twice the number of tests per head of population than countries such as Germany, Spain and France.

UK adds three more countries to quarantine list

Travellers coming to the UK from Croatia, Austria and Trinidad & Tobago will now need to quarantine for 14 days, the transport secretary has said.
Grant Shapps tweeted that the measure will come into force at 04:00 on Saturday.

:tweet:  Rt Hon. Grant Shapps MP:
:Left Quotes: Data shows we need to remove Croatia, Austria and Trinidad & Tobago from our list of #coronavirus Travel Corridors to keep infection rates DOWN. If you arrive in the UK after 0400 Saturday from these destinations, you will need to self-isolate for 14 days.

In pictures: Zagreb's binmen bicycle race

It wasn't clear if what is possibly the most bizarre race of the year was going to take place at all, in view of the coronavirus pandemic. But in the end, the Croatian authorities gave the go-ahead to the country's biggest street festival in Zagreb, which features the unusual binmen bicycle race.
This is despite Croatia seeing a significant rise in cases over the last few days, as we reported earlier.


The event was held in Ban Jelacic Square in the Croatian capital as part of the street art festival called Cest is d'Best


The festival started in 1997, but there had been concerns that this year's edition might be cancelled because of the pandemic.


The festival itself runs until Sunday.

Only travel abroad if you are prepared to quarantine, Shapps warns

Grant Shapps' announcement that travellers coming to the UK from Croatia, Austria and Trinidad and Tobago will now have to self-isolate upon arrival for 14 days follows a similar move in recent weeks for people coming from Spain, France and Malta.
When those restrictions were announced, it led to a rush of tourists trying to return home before the measures came into force.
On Portugal being removed from the quarantine list, Shapps said: “As with all air bridge countries, please be aware that things can change quickly.
"Only travel if you are content to unexpectedly 14-day quarantine if required (I speak from experience!)."
Shapps flew out to Spain for a family holiday, but quickly headed back home when the 14-day quarantine rule was imposed on those returning from the country.

:tweet:  Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP:
:Left Quotes:  Data also shows we can now add Portugal to those countries INCLUDED in Travel Corridors. As with all air bridge countries, please be aware that things can change quickly. Only travel if you are content to unexpectedly 14-day quarantine if required (I speak from experience!)

The Scottish government also issued a statement saying it had issued quarantine restrictions on travellers coming back from Croatia, Austria and Trinidad and Tobago – and that they have also added Switzerland. People coming back to Scotland from Portugal are now also exempt from quarantine.
Croatia in particular had a record number of new cases on Wednesday, with 219 people testing positive. The 14-day cumulative number of cases there is 37.7 per 100,000, compared to 21 in the UK.
Croatia is a popular holiday destination for people in the UK. Approximately 875,000 British nationals visited Croatia in 2019.
Read more about the changes here

Defeat for Brazil's Bolsonaro as mask veto overturned

Brazil's President, Jair Bolsonaro, suffered a defeat in Congress on Wednesday when lawmakers overturned his veto on the wearing of masks in schools, places of worship and businesses.
Congress had passed a bill at the beginning of July which made the wearing of face coverings in enclosed spaces mandatory.
But Bolsonaro vetoed the article in question, arguing it could lead to people being forced to wear masks in their own homes.
Even though the World Health Organization says that "masks should be used as part of a comprehensive strategy of measures to suppress transmission and save lives", Bolsonaro has been openly critical of their use and on Wednesday claimed that "their effectiveness is almost zero".
He also removed his mask when speaking to journalists after he had tested positive for coronavirus back in July.

UK death toll increases by six

A further six people have died in the UK within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19, as of 17:00 BST on Wednesday, according to the latest government figures. It takes the UK's overall toll for such deaths to 41,403.
Separate figures published by the UK's statistics agencies show there have now been 57,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.
As of 09:00 on Thursday, there had been a further 1,182 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus.
Overall, 322,280 cases have been confirmed.

'Quarantining is more than the cost of my holiday'

Holidaymakers have begun reacting to the news that people travelling to the UK from Croatia, Austria and Trinidad and Tobago will now have to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival.
Steve Davies, a 50-year-old from Yeovil in Somerset, is currently in Drasnice in Croatia.
He told the Press Association that self-isolating when he gets back will cost him up to £1,200 in unpaid wages at his job as a production supervisor for a helicopter company, "which is more than the cost of the holiday".
And amid rumours Greece would be added to the quarantine list too, Jess from Milton Keynes said she paid an extra £1,000 to reschedule a £6,500 family holiday for her and her husband's 40th birthdays. The holiday had already been rescheduled once, from the beginning of the summer to now.

Number of new Covid-19 cases in US falls

New cases of coronavirus in the US are falling - although the reason for this is disputed.
According to Johns Hopkins University data, cases over the past week averaged about 47,300 - down from a peak average of 67,317 on 22 July. The US hit a record number of new daily cases on 17 July, with more than 75,000 infections reported.
The trajectory of the virus is now "going in the right direction", Brett Giroir, the White House physician overseeing US coronavirus testing, said on Wednesday during a briefing.
He said the decline was partly due to measures such as face coverings and social distancing being put in place.
But some analysts, including those at the Atlantic's Covid Tracking Project, point to a fall in testing.
The Project says that the rate of testing is falling "nearly as much as cases are" - and that in the South, where cases surged in June and July, testing has "precipitously declined".

What are the UK's travel rules now?

Earlier, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced that travellers coming to the UK from Croatia, Austria and Trinidad and Tobago will now have to self-isolate upon arrival for 14 days.
It comes after a similar decision in recent weeks affecting people coming from Spain, France and Malta.
So what are the UK's travel rules now and which countries can you visit?
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Religious schools 'can't be forced to close' in Kentucky

Kentucky's attorney general has ruled that the state can't force religious schools to close if they're following health recommendations.
The school year in the US begins in August. The state's Governor, Andy Beshear, previously recommended that schools in Kentucky start the year with online tuition, until 28 September.
But Attorney General Daniel Cameron has ruled that forcing religious schools to close would violate the US constitution and state law, Associated Press reports.
Local paper the Courier-Journal quoted Beshear as saying that "nobody is trying to close" schools that comply with coronavirus measures.

Four men arrested in Vietnam over PPE scam

Vietnamese police have arrested four men, aged between 22 and 36, accused of defrauding Americans who had tried to buy Covid-19 protective equipment online.
According to the Ministry of Public Security, more than 5,000 Americans were defrauded of almost $1m (£760,000). A statement said the men set up 110 websites in March and offered PPE, including hand sanitisers, masks and disinfectant wipes.
The suspects never had the items they were offering, the ministry said, and the Americans - who had paid via PayPal - never received their items.
The men have been charged with "appropriation of property using a computer network, telecommunications network or electronic device", a crime that carries a prison term of up to 20 years.
The arrests were the result of a joint investigation by the ministry and the US Department of Homeland Security.

Today’s main coronavirus devopments

Soon we'll be pausing our live coverage for today. But before we do, here's a reminder of today’s main headlines from the UK and around the world:

• Travellers coming to the UK from Croatia, Austria and Trinidad and Tobago will now have to self-isolate upon arrival for 14 days. However, quarantine rules for Portugal have been lifted after a fall in cases
  
• Gyms, swimming pools and indoor sports courts will be able to reopen in Scotland from 31 August
  
• Cases in Europe are rising - Germany has reported its highest daily infection rate since April, while Spain and Italy logged their highest daily figures in months. Cases are also steadily rising in France
  
• India has reported a record daily increase of 69,652 infections on Thursday, taking the total number of cases there to 2.84 million
  
• Australian airline Quantas has reported an annual loss of almost A$2bn (£1bn; $1.4bn) as it struggles with the fallout of global lockdown measures and travel restrictions
  
• And South Korea has tightened restrictions after a spike in new cases, most of which have been linked to a church
  

That's it from us for today

We are now closing our live page for today - thanks for joining us. We'll be back tomorrow.

The live page writers today were:
Alice Cuddy, Alexandra Fouché, Vanessa Buschschluter, Jo Couzens and Ashitha Nagesh.
The page was edited by Deirdre Finnerty and Alex Therrien.