Summary for Saturday, 17th October
Hello and welcome to our coronavirus live coverage this Saturday.
As millions of people wake up to tighter Covid-19 rules in England, here's the latest:
We'll bring you updates on Covid-19 in the UK and around the world today.
It comes after the PM warned on Friday that he would impose the extra restrictions if no agreement was reached.
Local leaders are resisting a move to tier three's strict rules on hospitality - pressing instead for more shielding measures for the vulnerable, extra financial aid and stricter local powers to shut down venues breaking virus guidelines.
"We firmly believe that protecting health is about more than controlling the virus and requires proper support for people whose lives would be severely affected by a tier three lockdown," Greater Manchester deputy mayors and council leaders said in a joint statement.
Read more here.
It feels like there is a constant stream of information and you would be forgiven for getting lost in the whirlwind of headlines.
So - let's keep this really straight and really simple. Where are we, is this a repeat of spring and how worried should we be?
The BBC’s health correspondent James Gallagher has looked into it.
He warned there were signs compliance with rules and regulations was reducing and that it is hard to get on top of outbreaks while "just biting around the edges".
Sir John told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Things look pretty grave at the moment and the numbers are going up pretty rapidly.
"The other phenomenon you're seeing is that people are pretty unhappy, they are tired, this has been going on too long, they can't go about their business, they can't do the normal things they would expect to do. Hospital staff are exhausted from the last go."
He added: "I can see very little way of getting on top of this without some kind of a circuit-breaker, because the numbers are actually pretty eye-watering in some bits of the country and I think it's going to be pretty hard to get on top of this just biting around the edges."
Sir John says he thinks "there will be every effort to keep schools open".
"This is not a good place to be so if in the end we have to take kids out for two weeks, calm it all down and then embed it in a much more rigorous testing regime then that's maybe what we may have to do."
Also on Friday, the Office for National Statistics said that approximately one in 160 people in England had coronavirus in the week ending 8 October. That equates to 336,500 people - approximately 50% higher than the figure the previous last week.
It believes there are around 27,900 new infections a day in England - and that does not include outbreaks in communal residences like student halls of residence.
Check the cases in your area here.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I've always thought that it's better to do things quickly and decisively than to wait until the virus has grown, so I have a lot of sympathy with that.
"But I think more important right now is we stop this public war of words between local leaders and national leaders because in a pandemic the most important thing is a consistent message because you really have to have compliance with the very, very important public health messages about social distancing.
"And if local leaders and national leaders are saying different things, it's incredibly damaging.
"I really do urge Andy Burnham and other local leaders to have these arguments, and I'm sure they're very fierce arguments and I'm sure there's some justification for some of their concerns, but have those arguments in private not in public because that's so damaging to the national fight against the virus."
From three tiers to a “circuit-breaker” - it can be hard to keep up with the latest rules and advice.
Luckily, the BBC’s Alice Evans has waded through the small print and produced a handy simple guide for us - best read with a brew.
Jake Berry told BBC Breakfast: "I do think the British public would react extremely well to having the data shared with them in a simple and meaningful way.
"My preference would be through the NHS Test and Trace app to try and bring the people with us.
"Because I think the point that's made by Greater Manchester is that people are very sceptical about whether this new tiering system will work.
"I think that spoonful of scepticism is because we've been in very similar measures since August and no one has really demonstrated to us the way out or how these measures are working."
- Millions of people in England are now living under tighter Covid restrictions
- London, York and Essex are among the places moving into the second highest category
- Lancashire joins the Liverpool City Region in the highest alert category
- Stalemate continues between Greater Manchester's leaders and central government over virus measures
- No 10 and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham arrange phone call for Sunday morning
- A month-long night curfew begins in Paris and other French cities
- Austria’s foreign minister Alexander Schallenberg tests positive for coronavirus
- Israel is to ease its second nationwide lockdown after cases decline
- More than 39 million cases have been confirmed worldwide globally with more than 1.1 million deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University
Hello and welcome to our coronavirus live coverage this Saturday.
As millions of people wake up to tighter Covid-19 rules in England, here's the latest:
- Council leaders in Greater Manchester say they're ready to meet ministers at any time to try to resolve the stalemate over introducing the highest level of coronavirus measures in the region
- London and York are among those moving up to tier two - high - meaning people cannot mix with other households indoors
- Lancashire has entered tier three - very high - with tighter restrictions on mixing outdoors and with pubs that only serve alcohol closed
- Coronavirus patients admitted to intensive care have a better chance of surviving now than they did in April, according to the dean of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine
- Demand for pet dogs during lockdown has led to a significant increase in pets being stolen, experts have said
- Elsewhere, Austria’s foreign minister Alexander Schallenberg has tested positive for the virus
We'll bring you updates on Covid-19 in the UK and around the world today.
Greater Manchester uncertainty continues
A stalemate between Greater Manchester's local leaders and central government over stricter new measures continues, even as neighbouring Lancashire accepts tougher curbs.It comes after the PM warned on Friday that he would impose the extra restrictions if no agreement was reached.
Local leaders are resisting a move to tier three's strict rules on hospitality - pressing instead for more shielding measures for the vulnerable, extra financial aid and stricter local powers to shut down venues breaking virus guidelines.
"We firmly believe that protecting health is about more than controlling the virus and requires proper support for people whose lives would be severely affected by a tier three lockdown," Greater Manchester deputy mayors and council leaders said in a joint statement.
Read more here.
How worried should we be about Covid?
Winter looks like it is going to be tough. Cases are rising across the whole of the UK, the restrictions on our lives are already tightening, there are fears some hospitals are starting to fill up and there are ongoing political and scientific rows.It feels like there is a constant stream of information and you would be forgiven for getting lost in the whirlwind of headlines.
So - let's keep this really straight and really simple. Where are we, is this a repeat of spring and how worried should we be?
The BBC’s health correspondent James Gallagher has looked into it.
Government testing adviser calls for circuit-breaker
Prof Sir John Bell, who has advised the government on its coronavirus testing programme, says a "circuit-breaker" - a short, limited lockdown - is now needed as cases soar to "eye-watering" levels in some parts of the UK.He warned there were signs compliance with rules and regulations was reducing and that it is hard to get on top of outbreaks while "just biting around the edges".
Sir John told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Things look pretty grave at the moment and the numbers are going up pretty rapidly.
"The other phenomenon you're seeing is that people are pretty unhappy, they are tired, this has been going on too long, they can't go about their business, they can't do the normal things they would expect to do. Hospital staff are exhausted from the last go."
He added: "I can see very little way of getting on top of this without some kind of a circuit-breaker, because the numbers are actually pretty eye-watering in some bits of the country and I think it's going to be pretty hard to get on top of this just biting around the edges."
Sir John says he thinks "there will be every effort to keep schools open".
"This is not a good place to be so if in the end we have to take kids out for two weeks, calm it all down and then embed it in a much more rigorous testing regime then that's maybe what we may have to do."
What are the latest UK figures?
The government announced 15,650 confirmed cases on Friday - with 136 new deaths.Also on Friday, the Office for National Statistics said that approximately one in 160 people in England had coronavirus in the week ending 8 October. That equates to 336,500 people - approximately 50% higher than the figure the previous last week.
It believes there are around 27,900 new infections a day in England - and that does not include outbreaks in communal residences like student halls of residence.
Check the cases in your area here.
Jeremy Hunt calls for end of 'public war of words' over restrictions
Conservative former health secretary Jeremy Hunt indicated support for a national circuit-breaker lockdown as he called for an end to the "public war of words" over local restrictions.He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I've always thought that it's better to do things quickly and decisively than to wait until the virus has grown, so I have a lot of sympathy with that.
"But I think more important right now is we stop this public war of words between local leaders and national leaders because in a pandemic the most important thing is a consistent message because you really have to have compliance with the very, very important public health messages about social distancing.
"And if local leaders and national leaders are saying different things, it's incredibly damaging.
"I really do urge Andy Burnham and other local leaders to have these arguments, and I'm sure they're very fierce arguments and I'm sure there's some justification for some of their concerns, but have those arguments in private not in public because that's so damaging to the national fight against the virus."
Are you feeling daunted by all the rule changes?
All four UK nations have responded to a surge in coronavirus cases by tightening up restrictions.From three tiers to a “circuit-breaker” - it can be hard to keep up with the latest rules and advice.
Luckily, the BBC’s Alice Evans has waded through the small print and produced a handy simple guide for us - best read with a brew.
Tory MP calls for more evidence that tough curbs work
Ministers need to demonstrate how coronavirus restrictions are working to win over the "spoonful of scepticism", a Conservative Lancashire MP has said.Jake Berry told BBC Breakfast: "I do think the British public would react extremely well to having the data shared with them in a simple and meaningful way.
"My preference would be through the NHS Test and Trace app to try and bring the people with us.
"Because I think the point that's made by Greater Manchester is that people are very sceptical about whether this new tiering system will work.
"I think that spoonful of scepticism is because we've been in very similar measures since August and no one has really demonstrated to us the way out or how these measures are working."