Coronavirus - 7th September

Summary for Monday, 7th September

• India overtakes Brazil in the number of infections recorded, and is now second only to the US
  
• India recorded more than 90,000 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours
  
• Here in the UK, almost 3,000 people tested positive on Sunday - the highest daily total since May
  
• Australia secures almost 85m doses of a vaccine to be rolled out next year if trials prove successful
  
• Tokyo Olympics will go ahead next year "with or without Covid", the vice-president of the International Olympic Committee says
  
• Globally more than 27 million cases and 883,000 deaths have been confirmed, according to Johns Hopkins University
  

Good morning and thank you for joining our rolling coverage of the global coronavirus pandemic. Here are some of today’s main developments:

• India now has the second-highest number of infections in the world, overtaking Brazil. It’s confirmed a surge of 90,000 new cases in the last 24 hours – bringing the national total to 4,204,613. It’s death toll is also the third-highest globally
  
• The UK is also seeing a spike - on Sunday it recorded positive 2,988 cases - the highest daily increase since 22 May
  
• Australia says it will secure almost 85 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine if two promising trials prove successful. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the country had struck two deals that would allow free doses to be rolled out in 2021 if they were approved for use.
  
• The postponed Tokyo Olympic Games will go ahead next year "with or without Covid", the vice-president of the International Olympic Committee says
  
• More than 27 million cases of coronavirus have been reported worldwide, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. The number people who’ve died after contracting the disease has also risen to 883,000
  

UK has highest increase since 22 May

A further 2,988 cases of coronavirus were reported in the UK in the 24 hours to Sunday, government data showed - the highest number reported on a single day since 22 May.
It represents more than 50% increase from a day earlier, according to the UK government's coronavirus dashboard.
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he was "concerned" about a rise in cases "predominantly among young people".
The BBC's health editor Hugh Pym said the spike in cases was "significant".
England recorded 2,576 cases on Sunday and Scotland recorded 208 new cases- its highest daily increase for more than 17 weeks.
Wales recorded a further 98 cases, its highest daily rise since 30 June, and Northern Ireland recorded 106 new cases, its highest rise since 25 April.
Overall, since the start of the pandemic, 347,152 cases have been confirmed in the UK.
Two further deaths within 28 days of a positive test were recorded on Sunday, taking the total number of UK deaths to 41,551.

India overtakes Brazil in Covid-19 cases

As we indicated earlier, India recorded more than 90,000 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, taking its total above that of Brazil.
The country now has the second-largest number of confirmed cases in the world, 4,204,613. It has reported 71,642 deaths, the third highest after the US and Brazil.The surge in reported infections has mostly come from five states.
The rise comes as the government continues to lift restrictions to try to boost an economy that lost millions of jobs when the virus hit in March.
For the last seven days India's caseload has galloped, adding more than 75,000 daily infections per day.
Read more here.

Numbers on the rise in France

France’s health body, Sante Publique France, has confirmed 15,621 new cases of Covid-19 over the weekend (Saturday and Sunday).
France hit a high of nearly 9,000 new cases on Friday.

Hundreds to self-isolate after football outbreak

The outbreak is linked to a charity match at Burnside Working Men's Club

Up to 300 people who attended a charity football match in North East England are being told to self-isolate after 28 people tested positive for Covid-19.
The event at Burnside Working Men's Club, on the border of Sunderland and Durham, took place on 30 August.
Anyone who attended must self-isolate for 14 days from then.
Durham County Council has been working with Sunderland City Council and Public Health England to manage the outbreak response.

• Read more here
  

Officials call for vigilance ahead of US public holiday
As the public holiday of Labor Day gets under way in the US, authorities have been warning people to be vigilant.
The weekend before Labor Day is usually a time of huge social gatherings, with many Americans visiting beaches or meeting with friends and family.
But against the backdrop of a pandemic, officials have said states in the Midwest may see an increased spread of coronavirus as people visit from harder-hit areas of the country.
Dr Anthony Fauci, a top adviser in the White House's coronavirus task force, said North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Indiana and Illinois are particularly “at risk for surging”.
“If we’re careless about it, then we could wind up with a surge following Labor Day,” he told Bloomberg. “It really depends on how we behave as a country.”
America continues to be the worst-affected country in the world, in terms of infections numbers and deaths. But the outbreak has shown signs of abating, with hospitalisation rates falling in hotspots like Florida and California.

US students dismissed over hotel gathering

Northeastern University, in the US city of Boston, says it has dismissed 11 students for gathering in a hotel room, and will not refund their tuition fees.
University staff found the first-year students in a room at the city's Westin Hotel, which Northeastern is using as temporary accommodation for around 800 students. The group have been told to take a coronavirus test and leave campus within 24 hours, the university said.
The students were part of a study abroad programme and will be allowed back next spring. In the meantime, Northeastern said they'll be able to appeal their punishment.
It's among the most severe punishments dished out by a US college for breaking rules on coronavirus.
Several universities around the country are reporting spikes in cases as the academic year begins. Across 1,500 institutions, more than 26,000 coronavirus infections and 64 deaths have been reported since the pandemic began, according to a survey by the New York Times.

Next three days 'decisive' for Berlusconi

The next three days will be decisive for Italy's former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, says professor Alberto Zangrillo who's treating him for pneumonia as San Raffaele hospital in Milan.
The patient remains "tranquil", said Prof Zangrillo.
Mr Berluconi was admitted on Thursday evening. His children have also contracted Covid-19

Five states are driving India's Covid-19 outbreak

Only five of India's states are responsible for more than half the country's Covid-19 caseload - 4.2 million confirmed cases and counting.
After overtaking Brazil earlier today, India now has the world's second-highest tally.
The five states - Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh - also have the highest number of active cases.
Maharashtra - which has recorded more than 900,000 cases - has been at the top for months now. It has also reported the highest number of deaths so far - more than 26,600.
Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, which seemed to have the outbreak under control initially, have raced to the top more recently.
But all of them have been reopening since June, and any further lockdowns seem unlikely.
Experts believe that economic woes have left the government with no choice, while a relatively low death rate has kept panic at bay.

Australian hopes of millions of vaccine doses

Australia says it will secure almost 85 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine if two promising trials prove successful.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the country had struck two deals that would allow free doses to be rolled out in 2021 if they were approved for use.

:Left Quotes:  Australia needs some hope today. And particularly in Victoria, they need some hope today. And so that is what we're here to deliver today. Today, we take another significant step to protect the health of Australians against the coronavirus pandemic.
Australia needs some hope today. And particularly in Victoria, they need some hope today. And so that is what we're here to deliver today. Today, we take another significant step to protect the health of Australians against the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Morrison estimated the cost to be A$1.7bn (£0.9bn; $1.24bn).Australia's 25 million people could begin receiving doses from January but there were "no guarantees", he said.
"However the agreement puts Australia at the top of the queue, if our medical experts give the vaccines the green light," the prime minister said.
One vaccine is from Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, while the other is a local one from the University of Queensland and CSL.
Australia has recorded more than 26,000 coronavirus cases and 769 deaths, most in the past two months after an outbreak in Victoria.

More train services restored in England, Wales and Scotland

More train services in England, Wales and Scotland will run from Monday as schools reopen and people are encouraged to return to work.
The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators and Network Rail, says around 90% services will be running.
Rail passenger numbers are now back to about one-third of pre-pandemic levels.
Operators "want people to feel confident taking the train", said Rail Delivery Group boss Jacqueline Starr.
Train operators across the country have designed the new timetable, taking into consideration potentially busy stations and parts of routes that will experience higher demand for travel by schoolchildren.
Where possible, more frequent services will be put on or extra carriages added to create more room.
Staff will also be on hand to explain the rules on wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing to older children.

War-torn Yemen's Covid-19 struggle

The conflict in Yemen between the Houthi group based in the north and an internationally recognised government in the south shows no signs of ceasing, despite the coronavirus crisis.
Nearly six months since coronavirus spread in Yemen, the BBC is the first international broadcaster to reach the country to see how people are dealing with the pandemic.
The BBC's Nawal Al-Maghafi reports from the capital Sanaa, in the north.

France spike takes toll on hospitals

France is expecting a further rise in patients admitted to intensive care

Let's take a look at France now, where cases are rising far more quickly than in other European countries.
It recorded almost 9,000 new cases on Friday, the biggest daily increase since the start of the pandemic in March. That rise is almost twice as high as in Spain and four times higher than in Italy.
The surge is taking a toll on the country's hospitals, with some warning that intensive care beds are nearing capacity. Almost all 70 beds in the southern region of Bouches-du-Rhône are currently occupied, officials say.
But the number of patients in intensive care - 473 as of Friday - is still far fewer than at the peak of the outbreak.
Over the weekend, Health Minister Olivier Veran warned that more people would be admitted to intensive care over the next two weeks. "It will not be massive but there will nevertheless be an increase in the number of severe cases," he said.
But he ruled out a new nationwide lockdown. “I cannot envision a general lockdown. The lockdown was a lid on an overflowing cooking pot,” he told BFMTV.

Trend downwards in the Philippines?

The health ministry in the Philippines reported 1,383 new coronavirus infections on Monday - the lowest number of new daily cases in nearly eight weeks.
A total of 3,890 people have died in the country with Covid-19.
It has the largest number of coronavirus infections in south-east Asia, with 238,727 confirmed cases.

Sardinia becomes a focal point of Italy's outbreak

Costa Smeralda, a stretch of coast along the island of Sardinia, is known as a tourist hotspot for the wealthy and famous.
But it has been drawing attention for different reasons - as a source of outbreaks in other parts of Italy. During recent weeks, around 800 infections in Lazio have been traced back to Costa Smeralda, particularly its nightclubs.
Last week the area gained more publicity after former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi tested positive for coronavirus after returning from his villa on Costa Smeralda.

Packed beaches in Brazil and other Latin American news

There was little room at Ipanema beach as temperatures soared

Hot weather and a long weekend to mark independence day drew large crowds to Brazil's beaches on the weekend. The famous beaches in Rio de Janeiro were packed with the coastline near São Paulo and resorts in the north of the country also reporting high numbers of visitors. Brazil has slipped to the third place in the list of countries with the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases but there is concern a recent downward trend in daily new cases could be reversed if social distancing rules are not followed.
Chile, too, will soon be marking its independence day. But unlike Brazil, where lockdown measures have been eased considerably, the government there has urged extreme caution ahead of the holiday on 18 September. In a U-turn, the government has banned even small gatherings of people from different households in the 46 areas with the highest infection rates. It had earlier said there would be a temporary lift on the ban to allow small groups of friends and relatives to gather for up to six hours. But local governors and mayors had criticised the move saying it was "incoherent and contradictory" and would lead to spike in new cases.
Some good news out of Bolivia, where the number of daily reported cases has been below 1,000 for the past week. Health officials hope the lower numbers indicate that the worst may be over. The peak of the pandemic had been forecast for September.

School in England closes as staff test positive for Covid-19

Samuel Ward Academy in Haverhill has closed for deep cleaning

A school in England has closed after five members of teaching staff tested positive for Covid-19.
Samuel Ward Academy in Haverhill, Suffolk, said a further two members of staff were waiting to hear the results of their tests.
Unity Schools Partnership, Suffolk County Council and Public Health England said the closure was a "precautionary measure" and the school will undergo a deep clean.
It is hoped it will reopen on Tuesday.

• Read more here
  

'Concern' over crowd scenes at bar in Wales

Health officials in Wales are "concerned" about a video which has emerged showing crowds of clubbers appearing to ignore social distancing guidelines.
It shows crowds outside the Coyote Ugly bar in Cardiff at about 00:30 BST on Saturday. The venue said it adhered to coronavirus rules and turned away large crowds.
Cardiff council said it could close the venueunless there were improvements.
Dr Giri Shankar, from Public Health Wales, said people needed to be responsible.
"I saw the videos and I was really concerned," he told BBC Radio Wales.

Doctors in Nigeria's state-run hospitals go on strike

Chris Ewokor - BBC News, Abuja
Doctors in Nigeria's state-run hospitals have embarked on a strike to demand a pay rise, better welfare and adequate facilities.
The strike by the National Association of Resident Doctors (Nard) is the latest in a string of strikes by medics in Africa’s most populous nation.
More than a third of Nigeria's 42,000 practising doctors will take part in the indefinite strike as the country struggles to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Doctors' union leader Aliyu Sokomba told the BBC that 14 doctors had died from Covid-19 since the country reported its first coronavirus cases in March.
So far Nigeria has recorded more than 55,000 cases of the virus.

Delhi metro opens five months after being shut

The metro in the Indian capital, Delhi, has reopened more than five months after it was shut down to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
It's India's largest rapid transport system - it carried 2.7 million passengers a day before the lockdown.
Masks, social distancing and temperature checks are mandatory according to the new rules.
The metro is opening on the day that India recorded more than 90,000 new cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours, taking its total above that of Brazil.
The country now has the second-largest number of confirmed cases in the world, 4,204,613. It has reported 71,642 deaths, the third-highest in the world.

Israel imposes overnight curfews as death toll passes 1,000

Israel’s government has announced that overnight curfews will be imposed in 40 “red” cities and towns with the highest Covid-19 infection rates, after the country’s death toll from coronavirus passed 1,000.
From tonight, curfews will last from 19:00 until 05:00 (16:00-02:00 GMT). Non-essential businesses will have to close during the curfews, while schools will be closed at all times.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the decision was “well considered, responsible and committed to reality”.
However, the cabinet reportedly backed away from a recommendation by the country’s coronavirus tsar to impose full lockdowns on 10 areas with the worst outbreaks.
Religious parties in Mr Netanyahu’s governing coalition opposed such a move, which would have affected four predominantly ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities.
The mayors of those four areas warned Mr Netanyahu that they would stop co-operation with authorities if the full lockdowns were imposed, while Interior Minister Arye Dery told the prime minister to impose a nationwide lockdown instead.
Israel has experienced a resurgence of Covid-19 since the government began easing restrictions in May. Last week, the country reported the highest rate of new infections per capita in the world, according to data from Johns Hopkins University in the US.

Rising cases - the three at the top

We have been reporting today how India has overtaken Brazil to have the second-highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the world.
India's reported 90,000 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing its tally to more than 4.2 million, according to Johns Hopkins University in the US.
Brazil meanwhile is reporting over 4.1 million infections, but still has the second-highest number of deaths in the world - currently 126,650.
The US continues to be the worst-hit country in the world, with over 6.2 million cases and 188,000 deaths. Areas of California, Illinois, Florida and Arizona have reported some of the highest numbers of infections in the US. And while hospitalisation rates are showing signs of abating, US officials are urging caution as Americans celebrate the public holiday of Labor Day today.

Welsh county could see lockdown 'if necessary'

A local lockdown could be put in place in Caerphilly county if "necessary", the leader of the council has warned.
Phillipa Marsden told BBC Radio Wales any decision would be made after advice was taken from Public Health Wales.
She was speaking after a class of 21 pupils was told to self-isolate for two weeks after a member of staff tested positive for Covid-19.
While one class at St Gwladys Primary School in Bargoed must stay at home, the school remains open.
Public Health Wales will "inform us of what we will need to do," she said.
Read the full story here.

When will we have a vaccine?

James Gallagher - Health and science correspondent, BBC News
Coronavirus still poses a significant threat, but there are no vaccines proven to protect the body against the disease it causes - Covid-19.
By the end of the year, there could be at least half a dozen different coronavirus vaccines in clinical trials, including one being developed by University of Oxford that is already in an advanced stage of testing.
Research is happening at breakneck speed. About 140 vaccines are in early development, and around two dozen are now being tested on people in clinical trials.
However, no-one knows how effective any of these vaccines will be.
A vaccine would normally take years, if not decades, to develop. Researchers hope to achieve the same amount of work in only a few months.
Most experts think a vaccine is likely to become widely available by mid-2021, about 12-18 months after the new virus, known officially as Sars-CoV-2, first emerged.
That would be a huge scientific feat and there are no guarantees it will work.

• Read more on what needs to be done
  

UK government must 'step in' over university return

Today Programme - BBC Radio 4
The UK government must "step in" and give a "clear steer" on how universities should operate during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, President of the National Union of Students Larissa Kennedy has said.
She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme students were concerned whether their safety was being "prioritised" as they prepare to return to campuses.
"We need to recognise that just like the rest of the population the student community is made up of lots of different people, many of whom are afraid," she said.
"University management is doing nowhere near enough to make students feel safe because fundamentally lots of people still don't know what they are doing, it's up in the air."

• University return 'could spark Covid avalanche'
  

However, Prof Anton Muscatelli, vice-chancellor of the University of Glasgow, said: "I think it's been remarkable what universites have been able to do, we've been adaptable."
Prof Anton added that he was "confident" Glasgow a "robust system" in place for the new academic year.
He said that the university was well prepared and flexible "because if public health regulations were to relax further on this academic year we could ramp up face to face [teaching], if we had more local restrictions we can revert to more online provision".

Irish Post

Boris Johnson is reportedly drawing up new legislation to circumvent the UK’s Brexit withdrawal agreement on Northern Irish border checks.

According to a report published late on Sunday, the UK government is readying a new section of the internal market bill, which has been designed to deliberately override parts of the withdrawal agreement signed with the EU back in January.

The bill is set to impact some of the legally binding special arrangements in place for Northern Ireland.

Specifically, it will undermine parts of the withdrawal agreement and give greater priority to seamless trade between England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.  

Some of the clauses will also override parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol agreed last year, in a move that could pave the way for a return to a hard border.

The Internal Market Bill would also go against the agreement reached on state aid in last year's Northern Ireland Protocol.  

Under the Protocol agreed, the EU retained the right to oppose any UK Government subsidy in Northern Ireland under EU competition rules designed to ensure a level playing field among member states.  

The Internal Market Bill would change that, forcing UK courts to follow the new UK law rather than last year's EU deal.

A UK government source has told the Guardian the bill is part of a wider set of preparations being put in place in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The changes would ensure the free movement of goods within all of the UK, including Northern Ireland.
However, there are  concerns that the movie could lead to the collapse of the Brexit trade talks at what is a crucial juncture.
 
As part of a concerted effort to pressure Brussels into conceding to the UK’s demands on fishing rights and state aid, Mr Johnson is also set to issue an ultimatum declaring a post-Brexit trade deal must be agreed by October 15, otherwise Britain will walk away for good.

:tweet:   :Left Quotes:  Simon Coveney:
This would be a very unwise way to proceed. #Brexit .

UK Plan to undermine withdrawal treaty threatens Brexit talks
Internal market bill to override elements of protocol on Northern Ireland

The UK Prime Minister is also set to insist no deal would be a “good outcome” for the country once he sets the deadline.

“If we can’t agree by then, then I do not see that there will be a free-trade agreement between us and we should both accept that and move on,” he will reportedly say.

The reports have been met with dismay with Ireland’s foreigen affairs minister, Simon Coveney, warning that any change would be “very unwise”.

Michelle O’Neill, the deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, went further in her condemnation of the potential plans.

“As the Brexit negotiations between the EU and British Government enter their eighth round this week in London, any threats of a roll back on the Irish protocol would represent a treacherous betrayal which would inflict irreversible harm on the all-Ireland economy, and GFA,” she said.

“With clock ticking towards the end of the transition period, time is of the essence to conclude negotiations on future economic partnership & fully implement Irish protocol.  

"Our priority is to avoid any border in Ireland & protect the peace process, GFA & all-Ireland economy."

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood, meanwhile, warned that the UK Government was in danger of undermining the Good Friday Agreement and causing irreprable damage to the UK’s status in the world with what he viewed as one of the most “reckless” acts concerning Ireland by a British government “in a long long time”.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour, he hoped the reported plans were “just posturing, because if they try to do this at the same time as trying to convince people in Scotland and Northern Ireland about the future of their Union, well they may as well forget about that as well, because people here will see this as a tremendous act of bad faith”.


A CAMPAIGN group is lobbying US politicians to block any potential new trade deal with the UK in the event that Boris Johnson reneges on the terms of the EU Withdrawal Agreement.

The Border Communities Against Brexit group is also calling on the Taoiseach to call for the cancellation of this week’s planned talks between representatives from the UK and EU until new legislation being proposed by the UK government is taken off the table.
The UK government is reportedly readying a new section of the internal market bill, designed to override parts of the withdrawal agreement signed back in January.  
If correct, it could impact the legally binding special arrangements in place for Northern Ireland, specifically overriding parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol agreed last year, in a move that could pave the way for a return to a hard border.  
The Border Communities Against Brexit group has branded the idea an international treaty could be deliberately torn up “utterly unacceptable” given the damage it could do.
“It is utterly unacceptable that an International Treaty could be deliberately torn up, in the full knowledge that the consequences would mean a Hard Border on the Island of Ireland and the havoc that would entail,"” they said.
"The EU must stand solidly behind its member state, Ireland, and BCAB will also be contacting senior figures in the United States to ensure that there would be no UK / US Trade Deal in these circumstances.”


Democratic Congressman Brendan Boyle previously warned that any Brexit deal that undermines peace in Ireland would have economic consequences for the UK.

"I think it would be incredibly naive for anyone to think that there would be no impact if there was in any way backsliding from the Good Friday Agreement," he said.

"Just as the United States was pivotal in the 1990s, we're prepared again to make sure that we preserve the peace that has been achieved on the island of Ireland," he added.

Sturgeon: 'Key moment' in pandemic

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said the country is facing a "key moment" in the pandemic.
During her daily briefing, she announced a further 146 new positive cases. That's down from the 208 reported on Sunday, which was the highest daily increase in positive tests since May.
There have been no new deaths in Scotland in the past 24 hours, but Ms Sturgeon said hospital admissions were now rising.
More than half of the new cases (78) were in the Greater Glasgow area, where renewed restrictions on family visiting in three local authority areas were put in place last week.
The first minister said those restrictions were being reviewed today - along with the possibility of extending them to other council areas within the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area.
The review of national Scottish restrictions takes place later this week, and Ms Sturgeon said in the light of the new figures the government may have to "put the brakes on" easing them further.

Russian teachers petition against vaccine

In Russia more than 1,450 people have signed an online petition set up by the Uchitel teachers' union against any compulsory vaccination of teachers.
The government says it wants teachers and health workers to get the new Russian coronavirus vaccine first. Vaccination will be voluntary, it insists, in line with Russian law.
Uchitel's petition to the government, on the Change.org campaign website, warns that teachers may be pressurised into having the vaccine - either threatened with dismissal or a pay cut. So it urges them to say no.
The union says Russia's Sputnik V vaccine has not yet had an essential Phase Three clinical trial, involving thousands of volunteers. So mass vaccination is still too risky, it is argued.
Results published on Friday from two small clinical trials pointed to the vaccine triggering antibodies safely. Russia plans to launch Phase Three trials this week.

What are the latest global developments?

Hello and thank you for following our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
If you're just joining us, here are some of the biggest developments from around the world:

• More than 27.1 million cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed worldwide, along with 889,000 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University
  
• America continues to be the worst affected country, accounting for a fifth of all global cases
  
• India has overtaken Brazil and is now reporting the second-highest number of infections. For the last seven days India's caseload has galloped, with over 75,000 new infections per day
  
• Meanwhile the Philippines has announced its lowest number of new daily cases in nearly eight weeks. It continues to have the largest number of infections in south-east Asia, however
  
• Doctors in Nigeria's state-run hospitals have started strike action to demand a pay rise, better welfare and adequate facilities
  
• Israel has introduced overnight curfews in 40 cities and towns with the highest Covid-19 infection rates
  
• The postponed Tokyo Olympic Games will go ahead next year "with or without Covid", the vice-president of the International Olympic Committee has said
  

Football match precautions were 'not strict enough'

The football club that hosted a charity match linked to a recent coronavirus outbreak has expressed "deep regret and sadness" that it "caused a significant rise" in local cases.
Up to 300 people who attended the event at Burnside Working Men's Club in Fencehouses on 30 August are being told to self-isolate, after 28 people tested positive for Covid-19.
"I would hope that people understand that if we knew at the time what we know now, this football match would never have gone ahead. The club would also like people to support each other, instead of issuing out fault," a statement issued by a representative of Burnside Working Men's Club FC says.
It wishes those affected a "quick recovery" and adds that the club has been working with Public Health England to help tracing efforts.
"I will admit the precautions set in place were not strict enough. Going forward this will change to ensure any matches played, home or away, by the Burnside WMC will be played in the safest possible way, to make sure something like this never happens again," the statement continues.
"I’d like to reiterate that this event would never had taken place if we had known back then, what we know now, and the day was planned with the best intentions."

FA investigates alleged quarantine breach by England players

Manchester United's Mason Greenwood made his England debut on Saturday against Iceland

The Football Association (FA) is investigating reports that England players Mason Greenwood and Phil Foden broke quarantine rules after a match in Iceland.
Both players made their debut for the national team in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Iceland, but were absent from training on Monday morning.
Manchester City's Foden, 21, and Manchester United's Greenwood, 18, are not expected to feature in England’s next Uefa Nations League fixture against Denmark on Tuesday.
England manager Gareth Southgate is due to hold a pre-match news conference this afternoon.
In a separate development, Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez and defender Aymeric Laporte have tested positive for Covid-19.
Mahrez and Laporte - neither of whom were displaying coronavirus symptoms - have gone into quarantine in line with UK government rules.

The latest UK headlines this afternoon

Here's what you need to know if you're just catching up:

• The UK could see a second spike in coronavirus cases if young people don't follow social distancing rules, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said
  
• Leading business groups have warned that the UK risks another wave of job cuts and a slower economic recovery if its furlough scheme is not extended
  
• In Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said ministers could "put the brakes" on further easing of lockdown restrictions amid a rise in the number of cases
  
• The Football Association is investigating allegations England midfielder Phil Foden and forward Mason Greenwood broke quarantine rules after Saturday's victory in Iceland
  
• Representatives of Northern Ireland's pub industry said they are meeting Stormont ministers seeking "urgent" measures to help reopen non-food bars
  
• A local lockdown could be put in place in Caerphilly county in Wales if "necessary", the leader of the council has warned
  
• Also in Wales, secondary schools and colleges are to receive £2.3m to provide face masks for students
  
• Positive test results in some schools mean pupils are being told to stay home. They include Castle Rock School in Leicestershire (which was visited by the PM last month), Samuel Ward Academy in Suffolk and Ysgol Bro Edern in Cardiff
  

Spanish row over reopening of schools

Many Spanish children are returning to school today

Spain is seeing a growing row over the reopening of schools, with some parents refusing to send their children in amid a spike in cases.
"Going back to school is being treated like an experiment, we're like guinea pigs," one parent, Aroa Miranda, told the AFP news agency.
"For my eight-year-old, I will pretend he's ill so I don't have to send him to school," she said.
Some Spanish pupils have been back on a voluntary basis since late May, but all students are set to return this month.
There have been some protests and petitions calling for increased safety measures after a record spike in cases was recorded on Friday.
Many children are returning today for the first time since the pandemic began. Masks will be mandatory for anyone over the age of six and social distancing measures have been put in place.
You can read more about how European countries are reopening schools here.

A further 133 cases in Wales

A further 133 cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in Wales, bringing the total number there to 18,514.
Public Health Wales said no further deaths had been reported. The death toll remains at 1,597.
It comes as the leader of Caerphilly County Borough Council warned that a local lockdown could be put in place if "necessary".
Dr Giri Shankar of Public Health Wales says the body is "concerned" about the rise in cases in the area.
Speaking about Wales more broadly, he urges parents not to withdraw children from schools unless asked to do so by the school or local authority.
"We are now seeing a steady increase in cases in a number of communities across Wales and our investigations show that many of these have been transmitted due to a lack of social distancing," he says.

Sturgeon urged to close pubs

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been urged by a councillor from her own party to consider shutting Scotland's pubs to tackle the spread of Covid-19.
Chris McEleny, who has served as SNP group leader on Inverclyde Council, said keeping bars open is "not compatible" with efforts to control the virus.
He said: "If we want to keep ourselves and others safe, keep schools open full time and make workplaces more productive again, the decision to reimpose lockdown restrictions on all pubs must now be on the table."
He added: "Pubs being open has clearly desensitised our caution at a population level with people regularly asking why can I not visit a family member, why can I not go to a funeral, or go here or there when pubs are full across the country?"
Last week, Scotland's deputy first minister defended a decision to keep pubs open in greater Glasgow despite the introduction of limits on social contact.

Canadian parents challenge mandatory school attendance

With school terms beginning again, students in the Canadian province of Quebec have been ordered to return to classrooms, despite concerns about coronavirus.
The province was once the epicentre of Canada's outbreak, but in May elementary schools outside of Montreal reopened briefly, without major problems. Returns were voluntary and classes were capped at 15 students, with strict social distancing rules.
But under this latest order, there are no limits on class sizes and attendance is mandatory unless students have a doctor's note.
A group of parents are also challenging the mandatory order in court.
Quebec authorities argue there aren't enough teachers to take on both in-person and remote learning. They also insist safeguards are in place to ensure students' health, and keeping kids at home is more dangerous than sending them back to their classrooms.

UK government expected to back 'regional travel corridors'

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is expected to give the government’s backing to the idea of “regional travel corridors” in a statement in the Commons this afternoon.
It would allow the UK government to apply its travel corridor to either a country’s mainland or specific islands if the infection rates were significantly different.
That could mean that certain regions with a lower infection rate, like Spain’s Canary islands, could, at some point, be removed from the quarantine list.
However, it is also possible that Greek islands, which have been causing concern, could be added very soon to the UK government’s quarantine list.
One airline called the anticipated announcement “too little too late”

Hancock tells young: 'Don't kill your gran'

BBC Newsbeat
"Don't kill your gran". Those are the words of Health Secretary Matt Hancock as he urges people to adhere to rules designed to tackle the spread of coronavirus.
"The message to everybody of any age, the risk of spreading it to others - and, especially others who are older, and therefore highly vulnerable to the disease - that risk is real," he tells BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat.
He says sticking to social distancing rules is "incredibly important" and reminds listeners that the virus can be passed on before symptoms appear.
"The question is, how much are you willing to risk the lives of yourself and others by breaking the social distancing rules?" he says.
"Don't kill your gran by catching coronavirus and then passing it on."
His concerns about the spread among young people were echoed by Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon earlier, who said that even for younger people Covid-19 could be a "really nasty disease".
The virus "will eventually seep into older and more vulnerable groups", she said, adding: "To be blunt, some young people will go on to infect their older friends or relatives."

Denmark to limit further public gatherings

Denmark announced new limits on public gatherings in 18 municipalities, including the capital Copenhagen, after a recent spike in coronavirus cases.
From Wednesday, the number of people allowed to gather will be lowered from 100 to 50. Restaurants, bars and cafes will also have their opening hours limited to midnight.
Over 1,000 cases of Covid-19 have been reported in Denmark over the last week - the highest increase for months. Copenhagen has also seen a marked increase, with more than 190 cases since the beginning of this month.

England players removed from squad over rule breach

Gareth Southgate described Mason Greenwood and Phil Foden as "naive"

We reported earlier that England players Mason Greenwood and Phil Foden were under investigation by the Football Association (FA) for allegedly breaching coronavirus regulations in Iceland.
Now England manager Gareth Southgate has confirmed that the pair broke coronavirus “secure-bubble” guidelines and have been asked to return home.
The breach happened on Saturday, after Manchester City’s Foden, 20, and Manchester United’s Greenwood, 18, made their international debuts in England’s 1-0 win over Iceland.
At a news conference on Monday, Southgate described the pair as "naive" and said they have apologised.
"We had to decide very quickly that they [Greenwood and Foden] couldn't have any interaction with the rest of the team and wouldn't be able to train,” Southgate said.
"Given the procedures we have to follow now they will have to travel back to England separately.
"Nobody from outside our party has been into the areas of the hotel that we occupy."

UK sees another daily rise of almost 3,000 cases

The UK has recorded a further 2,948 coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, pushing the total number of cases above 350,000, official figures have shown.
Three more deaths linked to Covid-19 were also reported on Monday, taking the overall toll to 41,554 in the UK, according to the latest data.
Coronavirus infections have risen markedly in recent days, after increasing at a steadier rate of about 1,000 a day for most of August.
The rise has, in part, been attributed to an increase in testing capacity since the peak of the first wave of coronavirus earlier this year.

Island quarantine policy announced in England

England is to introduce different quarantine rules for overseas travel from island or mainland regions of the same country, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says.
It means that England will be able to add or remove specific islands from its quarantine lists.

Seven Greek islands removed from UK's travel corridor list

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps adds that seven Greek islands will be removed from the UK's travel corridor list at 04:00 BST on Wednesday.
They are Lesvos, Tinos, Serifos, Mykonos, Crete, Santorini and Zakynthos (also known as Zante).
Mr Shapps tells MPs: "Greece remains within our travel corridor programme, but our new analysis shows that some of the islands are well outside of the parameters."
He said that those travelling from those islands were "at risk of spreading the new infection back home" and therefore would have to quarantine upon their return.

Russia to start new vaccine trial this week

Russia will give its coronavirus vaccine to volunteers this week in a new phase of the testing process, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko has told local media.
Murashko told RIA Novosti news agency on Monday that the vaccinations would be part of the post-registration stage of clinical trials. He gave no further details.
Russia licensed the Sputnik-V vaccine for local use in August, the first country to do so and before data had been published.
Last week, Russian scientists published the first report on their vaccine, saying early tests showed signs of an immune response.
Experts say the trials were too small to prove effectiveness and safety, and some Western experts have raised concerns that Russian researchers might be cutting corners.
But Moscow has dismissed those concerns, with President Vladimir Putin saying the vaccine works "quite effectively".

BA owner criticises 'slow' decision-making

A spokesman for British Airways' owner, IAG, says it was "evident back in July that islands should be treated separately" when it comes to quarantine restrictions.
"The government is being too slow in making obvious decisions," he says.
"For most families summer is now over and the damage to the industry and the economy is done."
It comes after the transport secretary announced that England will be able to add and remove a country's islands to and from its quarantine list, and said officials are considering the use of testing to shorten the quarantine period.
The IAG spokesman adds: "On testing, we need to get on with it. We are way behind other countries on what has to be a more nuanced approach."

South Korean pastor linked to outbreak jailed again

Jun Kwang-hoon has for years been an outspoken critic of the South Korean government

A controversial South Korean pastor, whose church has been linked to a resurgence of coronavirus cases, has been jailed again after a court revoked his bail, local reports say.
Jun Kwang-hoon was accused last month of breaching his bail conditions by taking part in an anti-government rally in the capital, Seoul.
The decision comes after Jun was released on bail pending an investigation into charges he violated election laws ahead of a parliamentary poll in April. He was also charged with defamation against President Moon Jae-in.
Jun, 63, has for years been an outspoken government critic. Many of South Korea’s recent coronavirus infections have been linked to his Sarang Jeil Church.
Read more: South Korea church coronavirus cluster causes alarm

WHO chief: ‘This will not be the last pandemic’

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has urged the world to be ready for the next pandemic

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned the world to be better prepared for the next pandemic, as he urged countries to invest in public health.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday that public health was “the foundation of social, economic and political stability”.
Without robust health systems, countries cannot respond effectively to outbreaks of infectious diseases, Dr Tedros said.
“This will not be the last pandemic,” Dr Tedros said at a briefing in Geneva. “History teaches us that outbreaks and pandemics are a fact of life. But when the next pandemic comes, the world must be ready – more ready than it was this time.”
To date, more than 27 million people have been reported to be infected by coronavirus globally and almost 900,000​ have died, a tally by Johns Hopkins University says

Thousands may wait until 2022 for justice

Dominic Casciani - Home Affairs Correspondent
Hundreds of thousands of people in England and Wales may have to wait until 2022 for justice despite a government announcement to speed up work in the Crown Courts, lawyers have warned.
Ministers unveiled measures - including holding suspects for longer - in an attempt to manage pressure on courts amid the pandemic.
But critics say delays in criminal courts are entirely of the government's making and pre-date coronavirus.
More than 9,000 trials have been put back since the UK went into lockdown.
On Sunday, the Ministry of Justice announced that it wanted Parliament to pass temporary legislation to extend the time that defendants can be held in custody in England and Wales while awaiting trial.

• Read more here
  

Spain becomes first western European nation to surpass 500,000 cases

Spain has reported 2,440 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, as it became the first country in western Europe to record half a million infections.
The country's ministry of health said 26,560 new infections had been registered since Friday - including Monday's rise.
The increase has pushed Spain’s total number of infections to 525,549, up from 498,989 on Friday, the health ministry said.
The ministry said another 98 deaths had been added to the official count, bringing the overall toll to 29,516.
Spain managed to bring its initial outbreak under control earlier in the year, after a first wave that took a heavy toll on the country’s elderly population.
But as lockdown restrictions were lifted in late June, infections rose from a few hundred a day to a new peak of over 10,000 recently.
Cases have since decreased and, despite Monday's milestone, hospitals have had enough capacity to cope with Covid-19 patients and the death rate remains relatively low.

Lockdown restrictions extended in west of Scotland

Coronavirus restrictions on home visits in the west of Scotland have been expanded to Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire after a rise in the number of cases.
The move comes the week after measures were re-imposed in Glasgow city, West Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said acting quickly now could "stem the tide of transmission" in the area.
But she has warned that there is a "definite trend" of rising case numbers across Scotland.
Read the breaking story here.

Extend furlough scheme 'or risk second wave of job cuts'

The UK risks a second wave of job cuts and a slower economic recovery if it does not extend its furlough scheme, leading business groups have warned.
Manufacturing body Make UK said the job retention scheme should last beyond October for hard-hit sectors that are already slashing posts.
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said a replacement was needed to avoid a "cliff edge".
But the prime minister has refused to extend the scheme, saying it would only keep people "in suspended animation".
Under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, workers placed on leave have received 80% of their pay, up to a maximum of £2,500 a month.
At first this was all paid for by the government, but firms are now having to make a contribution to wages as well.
Read the full story here.

Positive tests on HMS Queen Elizabeth

The Royal Navy says a small number of crew tested positive for Covid-19 on board the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth - delaying her planned departure from Portsmouth this afternoon.
The BBC understands fewer than 10 crew were taken off the carrier and have been put in isolation ashore.
The Navy says the delay to her departure would be short and she is still expected to set sail within the next few days.
A Royal Navy spokesperson says: “A small number of HMS Queen Elizabeth’s personnel have tested positive for Covid during routine preparation for sailing.
"Those affected have been isolated and are working with the NHS Test and Trace system to ensure the virus does not spread further.
"The crew will continue to follow appropriate health guidelines and the HMS Queen Elizabeth will depart once their status has been confirmed.”

Mexico to print one million death certificate forms

More than a million extra death certificate forms will be printed in Mexico after three states in the country reported shortages.
Baja California said it had run out completely of the forms while Mexico state and Mexico City reported running low.
The certificates are printed on special forms to make it harder to falsify them.
Mexico's coronavirus death toll exceeds 67,000, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. But health experts say the real number probably lies much higher and that many deaths are not being attributed to the coronavirus because so few tests are being carried out.
Only the US, Brazil and India have had registered more Covid-related deaths.

Is it safe to take public transport?

Rachel Schraer - BBC Health Reporter
Children are returning to school in the UK and Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants people to return to workplaces, making public transport services busier.
A lot of the potential risk of infection on trains and buses depends on how crowded they are and how far away you can keep from other people at stops, stations and on board.
Coronavirus spreads when an infected person coughs, sneezes or exhales small droplets packed with the virus into the air.
These droplets can enter the body through the eyes, nose and mouth, either directly or after touching a contaminated object.
The risk indoors, in enclosed spaces, is higher than outdoors. Indoors, good ventilation helps - so being able to open a window on public transport can be an advantage.
Read more.

Caerphilly county to go under local lockdown

The county borough of Caerphilly in Wales is to be placed under a local lockdown from 18:00 BST on Tuesday after a "rapid" rise in coronavirus cases.
People will not be able to leave or enter the borough without good reason, the Welsh government said.
Face masks will be required for everyone over 11 in shops and people will not be able to meet indoors.
Seeing others within extended households will be banned, and no overnight stays will be allowed.
There have been 133 new Covid-19 cases in Caerphilly county in the last seven days.
Read the full story here.

Tougher enforcement of quarantine rules

People who break quarantine restrictions after returning to the UK will face tougher enforcement measures, the transport secretary has said.
Speaking to MPs, Grant Shapps stressed that failing to self-isolate for 14 days is a criminal offence that endangers "the people you love and others that you've never even met".
"We absolutely will be stepping up measures and I'm working with the home secretary and others to secure that, and I again will say more about it very soon," he said.
Mr Shapps also suggested it was more important for testing capacity to be made available for schools and universities rather than recent arrivals from overseas.
"Schools have gone back, universities have gone back, pressure on testing is very real at this particular moment in time," he said.
"I am not sure that we should be prioritising holidaymakers returning in the testing system over, for example, children going back to school."
Asked whether passengers could be tested before they fly, he said it is "worth additional examination".
"A sort of pre-quarantine is something that other countries are using ... it's not an entirely straightforward solution, but I do think it is worth additional examination, and again I look to the scientists to help advise on this and they're being very forthcoming with that advice," he said.

Nigerian pair arrested over PPE scam

Mayeni Jones - BBC News, Lagos
Two Nigerian men have been arrested over a multi-million euro scam involving the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Nigerian police say both men are members of a cybercriminal network spread between Nigeria and the Netherlands.
They cloned the website of a Dutch company to obtain €2.3m ($2.7m; £2m) for an order of PPE from the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
When the PPE didn’t show up, a government representative visited the company’s offices in the Netherlands and was told they had never done business with him. He notified the Dutch police, who arrested two suspects in the Netherlands.
The investigation was extended to Nigeria, where the remaining alleged culprits, including a 50-year-old with a Masters' degree in cell biology, were eventually found.

France sees rise of 4,203 cases

France has recorded a rise of 4,203 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, an increase on the previous day's tally, the country's health ministry has said.
Monday's rise brings the total number of cases in the country to 328,980, the third highest in Europe.
The number of coronavirus-linked deaths also rose by 25 over the last 24 hours to 30,726.
France is among a number of European countries that has seen a sharp rise in coronavirus cases in recent weeks, after lockdown restrictions were eased and testing for the disease was ramped up.

Trump claims US has world’s lowest fatality rate

In a speech on Monday (see our earlier post), President Donald Trump claimed the US had the lowest coronavirus fatality rate of any country in the world.
It is not clear what figures Trump was referring to. But according to data recorded by Johns Hopkins University, the fatality rate per 100,000 people in the US ranks among the highest in the world.
At 57.75, the fatality rate per 100,000 people in the US is the 10th-highest in the world, the university says.
President Trump also said the US was “rounding the final term” of the pandemic.
Yet, most health experts agree that the pandemic is far from over, with further rises in infections expected in the coming months.
In recent days, infections have increased by more than 40,000 a day in the US, adding to the country’s 6.2 million tally, the highest in the world.

What you need to know from the UK

Our live coverage is coming to an end soon. Here's a round-up of some of the key stories from the UK:

• Health Secretary Matt Hancock told young people "don't kill your gran" in an interview with BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat. He made the comment as he warned the UK could see a second spike in coronavirus cases if young people don't follow social distancing rules
  
• Travellers arriving in England from seven Greek islands will have to self-isolate for 14 days from 04:00 BST on Wednesday. They are Crete, Lesvos, Mykonos, Santorini, Serifos, Tinos, and Zakynthos (also known as Zante).
  
• From midnight, more than 1.1 million people in Scotland will face tougher restrictions on home visits after they were extended to Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire
  
• It comes as thousands of Scottish NHS workers will join a study to establish whether Covid-19 antibodies reduce the risk of reinfection
  
• In Wales, the county borough of Caerphilly is to be placed under a local lockdown from 18:00 BST on Tuesday after a "rapid" rise in coronavirus cases
  
• Public Health Wales said a further 133 people have tested positive for coronavirus - the highest daily number of cases in Wales since 27 June
  
• In Northern Ireland, a fourth haematology patient at Craigavon Area Hospital has died after testing positive for coronavirus
  
• Former DUP health minister Jim Wells believes young people in Northern Ireland have "totally lost the message" when it comes to Covid-19
  

We’re ending our live coverage for today

We’re suspending our live page coverage for the day. Thanks for joining us. Come back again tomorrow for more updates.

Today’s coverage was brought to you by Joshua Nevett, Hazel Shearing, Joshua Cheetham, Paulin Kola, Lauren Turner and Ella Wills.

Before we wrap up, here’s an overview of all the main developments from across the world today:

• India recorded more than 90,000 new cases of Covid-19, taking its total above that of Brazil
  
• Spain became the first country in western Europe to record half a million infections, after tallying more than 26,000 new infections over the weekend
  
• President Donald Trump said a US-made vaccine against the coronavirus may be ready by October, shrugging off safety concerns expressed by Democrats
  
• Russia said it would give its coronavirus vaccine to volunteers this week in a post-registration phase of testing
  
• The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned the world to be better prepared for the next pandemic, as he urged countries to invest in public health
  
• The postponed Tokyo Olympic Games will go ahead next year "with or without Covid", the vice-president of the International Olympic Committee said