- New Zealand extends lockdown measures in its largest city, Auckland, as the PM calls 2020 a "frankly terrible year"
- The US Food and Drug Administration gives emergency authorisation for the use of plasma to treat coronavirus patients
- South Korea tightens social distancing requirements as daily new cases continue to rise
- France and Italy record their highest numbers of daily cases since May
- UK PM Boris Johnson says it is "vitally important" children go back to school
- The world has had 23 million confirmed cases and more than 800,000 related deaths, Johns Hopkins University says
Good morning and welcome back to the live page, where we'll be bringing you the latest coronavirus updates from around the world.
Here’s what you need to know if you’re just waking up in the UK:
- The PM has said the risk of contracting coronavirus in schools is “very low”, as classrooms in England, Wales and Northern Ireland prepare to reopen. Boris Johnson said "it is far more damaging for a child's development and their health... to be away from school any longer".
- His comments come as a study suggests anxiety levels among young teenagers dropped during lockdown, raising questions about the impact of the school environment on their mental health.
- Labour has warned that job losses triggered by the pandemic will deepen regional inequality, with areas like north west England - where 10% of the workforce is employed in retail - among the hardest hit.
- And the UK’s travel industry is calling for further support to stem job losses, saying it has reached a "critical point".
- A further easing of lockdown restrictions in Scotland from today means organised outdoor contact sports can resume and bingo halls, amusement arcades, casinos, funfairs and snooker halls can reopen.
- And there are calls for renters in Wales to have more protection from eviction over fears that homelessness services could "crack" under increased demand.
The latest picture from around the world
Here are the main international headlines this Monday, to bring you up to speed.- We’ll start by telling you about coronavirus measures in New Zealand - which earlier in the pandemic went 102 days without a community transmission. Now, amid a resurgence in new cases, restrictions in Auckland are being extended until the end of the week
- Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also announced it will be compulsory to wear masks on public transport throughout New Zealand - bringing it in line with many other countries
- The US Food and Drug Administration has given emergency authorisation for the use of blood plasma. The method, which uses antibody-rich plasma from those who have already recovered from the virus, has already been used on more than 70,000 patients in the US.
- Officials in South Korea say the number of new cases is increasing in each of its 17 regions. Masks have to be worn in the capital, Seoul, in both indoor and outdoor public places, under new rules introduced today
- In Europe, France reported 4,897 new infections in a 24-hour period on Sunday. It’s the highest daily level since May
- There’s been a steady rise in Italy recently - with 1,210 new cases on Sunday and 1,071 on Saturday. But the government there says it’s not considering a new lockdown
- And EU trade commissioner Phil Hogan has apologised for attending a dinner in the west of Ireland which more than 80 people attended. The Irish parliamentary golf society dinner breached coronavirus guidelines
2020 has been a 'frankly terrible year'
Jacinda Ardern has been praised for her handling of the pandemic
New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern has echoed what many of us have probably been thinking, calling 2020 a "frankly terrible year".
She has extended lockdown measures in Auckland, the country's biggest city, until at least midnight on Sunday, adding that Covid-19 is "a hard reality to accept".
"We know it's been tough. I know there are many who've found it harder this time," she said, adding: "In a world where 2020 has frankly, been terrible, we are strong, we have been kind, and we are doing really well... if any one country knows how to bounce back, it is us."
New Zealand has had success containing coronavirus, and went 102 days without a community transmission before a new cluster was detected in Auckland earlier this month.
Everyone will also be required to wear masks on public transport. "If Covid can spread on a bus, and we know masks make a difference, let's wear masks," Ardern said.
France and Italy see record daily cases over the weekend
There have been fears of a resurgence of the coronavirus in Europe for a while now - and the latest figures from France and Italy over the weekend have left many worried.France reported more than 4,800 new infections over the previous 24 hours on Sunday - the highest daily number since May.
The health minister, Olivier Véran said the virus was spreading four times faster among people under 40 - partly due to younger people attending parties where social distancing was not observed.
Meanwhile, Italy - once the epicentre of the pandemic - is also seeing its highest rise in cases since May, with 1,210 new cases on Sunday and 1,071 on Saturday.
The increased was closely linked to travel and summer entertainment for tourists, according to an official report.
However, the overall number of new cases in Italy is still lower than those seen in France and Spain.
Germany mulls party ban and a row grows in Italy
Gareth Evans - BBC News, Europe deskIf you're just joining our live coverage of the pandemic, welcome. Here are the latest headlines from around Europe:
- Much of the continent is facing a sharp rise in coronavirus cases. France reported its highest daily figure since May on Sunday, and its health minister said the majority of these new cases were circulating among the under-40s
- Germany, Spain, Italy and the Czech Republic also recorded major daily increases over the weekend
- In Germany, politicians are calling for a temporary ban on private parties to combat the rise. "Since the start of summer a certain recklessness has spread," Ralph Brinkhaus, the leader of the CDU/CSU conservative parliamentary bloc, said
- And in Italy, Sicily's governor said he wanted to close migrant centres on the island. He alleged they were hotspots for Covid-19 transmission, but the Italian government in Rome said he did not have the authority to close them
- Ukraine's former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has tested positive for the virus and is in a serious condition in hospital, a spokeswoman said. She served as PM twice and ran for president in 2010 and 2014
Does blood plasma treatment work?
A bit more on the news from the US, that emergency authorisation has been given for blood plasma to be used to treat coronavirus patients.President Donald Trump told reporters he had been "looking forward" to making such an announcement "for a long time".
He called for Americans to come forward to donate plasma if they've already recovered from Covid-19.
The US Food and Drug administration says it's a safe treatment - but more trials are needed to prove its effectiveness. Early research suggests it can decrease mortality rates as long as it's given within the first three days of hospitalisation.
Those under the age of 80, who were not on a respirator and received plasma containing high levels of antibodies, had benefited the most from the treatment, said the FDA. They had a 35% better survival rate a month after the treatment than those who had received plasma with a low level of antibodies.
Some experts - including Dr Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House's coronavirus task force - have expressed reservations about the robustness of studies so far, however.
In a statement, the Infectious Diseases Society of America said that while there were "some positive signals that convalescent plasma can be helpful in treating individuals with Covid-19.... we lack the randomised controlled trial data we need to better understand its utility in Covid-19 treatment".
The World Health Organization last month said that "Covid-19 convalescent plasma can be made available on an experimental basis through local production provided that ethical and safety criteria are met for its preparation and use".
Ten countries kept out Covid. But did they win?
Covid-19 has infected almost every country in the world – apart from 10.The countries with no recorded cases are Palau, Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Samoa, Vanuatu and Tonga.
But the pandemic has still hit the economies of many of these countries hard. So what are they doing now?
You can read more in this feature from the BBC's Owen Amos here.