Coronavirus - 27th November

Summary for Friday, 27th November

• A revolt is brewing among the UK government's own MPs over areas of England being put into the higher tiers of Covid restrictions
  
• Some 55 million people will face the strictest two tiers of rules when lockdown ends on 2 December
  
• The government says it will publish an impact assessment before MPs get a chance to vote on the new rules on Tuesday
  
• If 40 Tory backbenchers rebel, the PM may need Labour's help in winning the vote
  
• Labour is expected to decide next week whether to back the plans, after consulting Covid experts
  
• Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has defended the tier allocations and says they are "not going to change" before next week
  
• Fans in Italy have defied lockdown rules by gathering at Napoli stadium for a second day, to mark the death of football legend Diego Maradona
  
• There have been more than 60 million coronavirus cases and 1.4 million deaths across the globe, according to Johns Hopkins University
  

Good morning and welcome to today’s live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s a quick look at the main headlines to bring you up to date with the latest developments in the UK:

• Conservative MPs are pressuring the government to publish more evidence about the tier system of Covid rules in England, which will come into force when a national lockdown ends on 2 December. One group called the imposition of stricter measures "authoritarianism at work"
  
• Meanwhile, Northern Ireland has begun another two-week period of tougher coronavirus measures as it seeks to bring transmission down ahead of Christmas
  
• The Oxford vaccine has been referred to the UK medicines regulator as part of a “significant first step” in getting it approved for use, the government has said. It comes a week after the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency was asked to assess the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine
  
• Employers notified the government of plans to cut up to 51,000 jobs in October, more than double the number at the same time last year. But the proposed job losses are lower than the exceptional peaks caused by the pandemic in June, July and September
  
• Research by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Royal Foundation has found that loneliness among parents of young children has “dramatically increased” during the pandemic. In a survey of half a million people across the UK about bringing up children under five, parents said they were increasingly worried about feeling cut off from support, particularly in more deprived areas.
  

Paper review: Tiers of 'rage' and 'north sees red'

The UK's morning papers are dominated by reaction to most of England facing strict new coronavirus restrictions when the national lockdown ends next week.
"New Covid Madness" is how it is described by the Daily Mail, with its front page shows the pretty village of Penshurst in Kent - which will enter the top tier of measures despite having "just a handful" of coronavirus cases and no deaths.
The Daily Mirror accuses the prime minister of pursuing a "muddled" strategy that will cause "fury", "desperation" and "confusion".
The Daily Express backs Boris Johnson - suggesting he "gave hope to the nation" that every region of England could escape the new restrictions if people followed them for the time being.
Read our full paper review.

What's happening around Europe?

The number of infections in Germany during the pandemic has passed one million - with 22,806 new cases in 24 hours and a record 426 deaths. Russia has also reported record figures this morning with 27,543 daily cases and 496 deaths.
Belgium's prime minister will meet experts at 12:00 GMT to decide whether to reopen non-essential businesses, which have been shut since 2 November. France is making that move tomorrow, and fewer than 5,000 people are being treated in hospital in Belgium. But PM Alexander De Croo says Belgians will pay the consequences if the wrong decisions are made.
Latest figures from Sweden's health and welfare board reportedly show 73% of all Covid deaths involved people in nursing homes. Of the 3,002 deaths from 1 March to 23 November, 1,696 were in nursing homes, public broadcaster SVT reports.
Italy has seen another 822 deaths in 24 hours but the number of patients in hospitals is falling. Virologist Andrea Crisanti says infection rates in Italy have passed the peak and that fatalities reflect the level of infection two to three weeks ago.
France will allow people to go cross-country skiing individually from tomorrow, as long as it doesn't prompt big gatherings of people. Ski lifts have been shut for downhill skiing but cross-country skiing will be permitted, for example for people who live in mountainous areas.

Northern Ireland under tough new lockdown measures

Tougher new Covid-19 restrictions came into force across Northern Ireland this morning as part of a two-week circuit breaker.
It means Northern Ireland will revert to similar measures introduced in March, with the exception of schools remaining open.
Non-essential retailers have been told to close - except for click-and-collect services, while cafes and restaurants can only provide a takeaway service.
Close-contact services such as hairdressers and beauty salons have also had to shut their doors. The restrictions will be in place until 00:01 GMT on 11 December.

England's tier rules 'unacceptable', say some Tory MPs

The UK government is facing a possible revolt among its own MPs in the House of Commons over the tiers of coronavirus restrictions it plans to introduce when England’s national lockdown ends.
Tory MPs have called for the government to publish more evidence ahead of a vote after most areas were placed in the tiers with the toughest measures.
Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the influential 1922 committee of backbenchers, said the restrictions “interfered in people's private and personal lives in a way which is unacceptable”.
And the Conservative backbench Covid Recovery Group said the fact that most people in England will be in the highest tiers was “authoritarianism at work”.
If 40 of his own MPs oppose the move, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will have to rely on votes from Labour - which is expected to decide next week if it will support the plans, after consulting with government scientific experts.

Tier allocations won't change before lockdown ends - minister

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has defended England’s tiers of Covid restrictions, in the face of a possible revolt by Tory MPs.
He told BBC Breakfast the tier allocations are “not going to change” before the system comes into effect on 2 December, despite complaints from some areas that they are being placed under measures too strict for their infection rate.
The tiers were set by a “rigorous process” looking at five criteria, including the infection rate, the number of cases among older people and the healthcare capacity, Jenrick said.
But he said the tiers would be reviewed on 16 December and “with a collective effort in those communities there's every chance they could come down a tier”.
Jenrick initially claimed tier three measures would cause case numbers to fall.
But challenged that the scientific evidence was that infections would only flatten rather than fall, he said: “We should start to see a flattening out in all tiers, but particularly tiers two and three.”

Irish cabinet to meet on easing Covid-19 rules

The Republic of Ireland's cabinet will meet later to finalise plans for easing its highest level of coronavirus restrictions, after a five-hour meeting last night.
The country has been in a lockdown broadly similar to that of the first wave of the virus earlier in the year - but this time around, schools have stayed open and construction work has continued.
It is understood public health officials have expressed concerns about the dangers posed by opening up restaurants and pubs serving food - both of which were due to reopen on 7 December.
New rules are expected about the distance between tables in premises, and customers will not be able to stay at venues for as long as before.
From next Wednesday, all shops and hairdressers can open and people will be able to travel within their county and attend religious services.
The Irish government plans to ease Covid restrictions for about two weeks over Christmas.

New Northern Ireland lockdown 'soul-destroying'

Some business owners in Northern Ireland have criticised the decision to impose strict new coronavirus measures, having relaxed some of the restrictions a week earlier.
Hairdresser Bridgeen King says it is "impossible" to keep opening and closing her salon. Close-contact services re-opened last Friday, after being closed since 17 October.
She says it is "soul destroying" to find out they would only be able to reopen for a week before closing again.
"You are doing two months work in a week to get everybody booked up," says Bridgeen.
"I have worked 12-hour shifts since Sunday. I am totally exhausted at this stage of the game - but you do it because they are your clients."
Bangor toy shop owner Gareth Richardson, who is only able to offer a click-and-collect service, is worried the lockdown will send more of his customers to online retailers.
"This is not good. It's going to push more and more people to online sales which, at the end of the day, is the death of the High Street.
"We have been here 23 years. We have no intention of going anywhere anytime soon, but it's going to be an uphill struggle."

Huge crowds gather for Maradona funeral

Argentine police struggled to control the crowds as they queued to see the coffin

Football legend Diego Maradona has been buried in a private ceremony after a day of emotional scenes in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, following his death from a heart attack at the age of 60.
Only a handful of relatives and close friends attended the final ceremony on Thursday, but huge crowds turned out to pay their respects and file past his coffin beforehand.
At the end of last month Argentina became the fifth country in the world to record one million confirmed coronavirus cases. The news followed protests in Buenos Aires about the government's handling of the pandemic.
Many measures are still in place to curb the spread of the virus but, according to local media, rules have been eased in the capital to move towards a "social distancing" approach rather than a stricter "isolation" approach.
That didn't stop the crowds from gathering to say goodbye to their national hero.
And at the Italian club Napoli, where Maradona played for seven years and transformed their fortunes, fans flocked to the stadium to pay tribute, chanting "Diego, Diego!".
It is the second day people have defied coronavirus rules in Italy to mark the football legend's death.

Maradona was revered in the Italian city of Naples, where he played club football for seven years

More than half a million daily Covid cases across the globe

Coronavirus cases have surged over the past few months in several regions of the world and large numbers of new infections are being reported daily.

• Track the global outbreak
  

The most recent figures show more than 580,000 new cases were reported in 24 hours. Here's a look at the global outbreak, in charts and graphs:

New Covid restrictions for Wales

New restrictions are to be brought in for the whole of Wales.
They include hospitality restrictions to come into effect next Friday. Cinemas, bowling alleys and other indoor entertainment venues will close.
But non-essential retail, hairdressers, gyms and leisure centres will continue to operate as they are now.
We're expecting to hear from First Minister Mark Drakeford shortly with more information.

Latest UK headlines

As we approach lunchtime in the UK, here's a round-up of the latest developments across the country:

• The UK prime minister has defended the decision to place 55 million people in England into the two highest tiers of Covid restrictions when the national lockdown ends, saying the country needs "simplicity and clarity"
  
• New Covid rules for Wales will see cinemas, bowling alleys and indoor entertainment venues shut next week, the Welsh government has announced. First Minister Mark Drakeford said details on new rules for pubs and restaurants, which will also come into force next Friday, are still being worked out
  
• Tougher restrictions are already in place across Northern Ireland as a two-week "circuit breaker" lockdown came into effect this morning
  
• Sir Philip Green's retail empire Arcadia, which includes Topshop, Burton and Dorothy Perkins, is understood to be on the brink of collapse, putting 13,000 jobs at risk
  
• Discussions have taken place about whether the Christmas school holidays could be extended in Scotland
  
• And the government has asked the regulator to assess the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, bringing the UK a step closer to a possible rollout
  

What you need to know about Wales' new restrictions

We've been hearing from First Minister Mark Drakeford about new restrictions coming in for Wales. This is what we know so far:

• Pubs, restaurants and bars will be subject to tougher restrictions from 4 December
  
• Details have not yet been finalised but a financial support package will form part of plans
  
• Cinemas, bowling alleys and indoor entertainment venues will have to close - the date when this will happen is yet to be agreed
  
• Andrew RT Davies, the Conservative's health spokesman in the Senedd, criticised the announcement
  
• He is unhappy at the "blanket nationwide approach that absurdly throws in low-medium incidence areas such as Conwy, Ynys Mon, Gwynedd, Denbighshire, Powys and Pembrokeshire with high-incidence areas in Wales"
  
• The first minister has ruled out a tier system, like that used in England, saying: "The advice we have is that a single set of arrangements for Wales works best, is easiest to communicate, and delivers benefits in all parts of Wales."
  
• Meanwhile, the UCAC teaching union has said schools should close on 11 December, with lessons moved online, as coronavirus cases could force whole class "bubbles" into self-isolation over the holiday.
  

China steps up measures to protect elderly ahead of winter

Kerry Allen - BBC Monitoring, Chinese Media Analyst
This week, China has been beefing up measures to ensure that the elderly are well protected in the winter months.
Although the risk of Covid-19 is low in the country - and no new symptomatic cases have been confirmed in the last 24 hours - there have been recent concerns that smart track-and-trace technologies, increasingly being introduced in urban areas, potentially leave the elderly vulnerable.
Currently in China, many areas have strict systems in place that require people scan a "health code" – a digital QR code that is connected to carriers’ Covid-19 records - on their smartphone to enter and exit buildings and public transport.
Unlike the UK system, this is mandatory; in cases where the technology has failed, or the user has struggled to grasp the technology, there hasn’t been a lot of leeway.
Earlier this week, the General Office of the State Council said that it was rolling out a two-year plan to ensure that the elderly are not left vulnerable while the country continues to promote such technologies.
This will involve improving services to facilitate smart-tech difficulties for this group, and in some areas smartphone “training courses” are also being rolled out.
And today, the National Health Commission has issued a notice requiring that “hospitals accommodate non-users of smartphones, especially senior citizens, while implementing high-tech epidemic prevention and control measures”.
It has also said that it is working with various departments to ensure that “health codes” are integrated with senior citizens’ public transportation cards, to make it easier for them to travel around.
Government mouthpiece People’s Daily has publicised a number of public service posters this week, calling on people to “be more patient and take care of the elderly”.

Italian woman serenaded by husband outside hospital dies

The image of 81-year-old Stefano Bozzini playing the accordion from an Italian street below his wife's hospital window stole hearts around the world.
Carla Sacchi was allowed out of the hospital near Piacenza a few days ago but has now died at her home.
Although she had not contracted coronavirus, hospital rules meant her husband was unable to visit her.
Stefano and Carla, who lived in the town of Castel San Giovanni, in the Emilia-Romagna region, had been married for 47 years.
He blew his wife a kiss as she watched him perform from behind the hospital window. His son Maurizio said Stefano had asked the hospital if he could "perform a few songs for her to give her five minutes of happiness".

Calls to dig up dead mink in Denmark after Covid cull

Opposition MPs in Denmark have urged the government to dig up millions of mink that were buried in mass graves amid Covid-19 fears.
The discovery of a mutated form of the virus led to a cull of nearly 17 million animals from mink farms. The Danish fur industry is the largest in the EU.
The two sites where their bodies were buried - one near a bathing lake and another not far from a source of drinking water - proved highly controversial, and the burial decision was judged illegal.
The government has admitted the cull was mishandled but now politicians are arguing about how to dispose of more than 10,000 tonnes of dead mink.
Read more here.

Life in tier three: 'We've done our bit, but there's no change'

Nottinghamshire residents have expressed their disappointment at returning to the top tier of England's Covid-19 restrictions when the national lockdown ends on Wednesday.
The city and county moved into tier three in October, but has seen the rate of positive cases drop since lockdown began.
However, the government said rates in Nottingham remain "very high" among those over 60.
Nottingham Trent University students Laura Puttock and Emma de Duve said they were "absolutely gutted" at the news.
"It's our 21st [birthdays] in December," said Laura.
"It's our last year of uni and we thought we could have a last celebration, but now it's going to have to be a takeaway.
"It's hardly the 21st I'd dreamed of. It just feels [as if] we've done our bit, cases are going down, but we're still not seeing any change."
Pat West, 63, from Newark, said she did not understand why the region was still in tier three.
"I'm really disappointed," she said. "My grandchildren can't come round to see me at home. I'm not seeing them grow up."

When does lockdown actually end? And other questions

We've been busy answering questions you have about the restrictions in place - including the end of England's lockdown, and the new tougher tiers.
Kevin from Norwich wanted to know whether businesses can reopen on 2 December - or if they have to wait til the following day.
The government has confirmed that the new tiers system will “come into effect from the beginning of Wednesday 2 December”, marking the end of the lockdown.
In all tiers, all non-essential retail, including indoor and outdoor markets and car boot sales, can reopen from Wednesday, but must continue to follow Covid-19 secure guidelines.
Read other questions we have answered here - you can also submit your own.

Analysis: Areas might not move down a tier until January

Pallab Ghosh - Science correspondent, BBC News
According to the government’s scientific advisory group, Sage, England's former three-tiered system was not controlling the spread of the virus.
That was largely because cases were rising in tier one areas, so it would only be a matter of time before those areas would have to move up a tier.
It’s now expected to work the other way round – with the areas with the tighter restrictions expected to move down a tier as infections decrease.
Ministers have promised a review of their tier allocations every two weeks - with the first one expected on 16 December.
But some Sage experts have said today that they believe mid-December is too soon to make any significant changes.
The next assessment will be after the UK-wide relaxation of measures for the Christmas period, which is likely to see a rise in cases.
Depending on how much of a surge there is, it’s likely to be mid-January at the very earliest before significant numbers of regions could be moved to lower tiers - with some possibly even going up one.

Canada reveals vaccine plans after Trudeau is criticised

Now for some news on the global race to develop and distribute a coronavirus vaccine, to help bring an end to the pandemic.
Canada's federal government has said that as many as three million people in the country could be vaccinated by early 2021 - but how this will happen remains unclear.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was criticised this week after he said Canada's pharmaceutical industry is not equipped to produce Covid vaccines domestically.
It means Canada will likely have to import the vaccine from the US, and will therefore be second in line.
The government has tried to reassure Canadians, noting that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine could be approved by December and that three million people - less than 10% of the population - could be vaccinated by early next year.
However, supplies will be limited to begin with, and early vaccines will be distributed to high-priority groups only.

Analysis: Switzerland's ski resort reopening is a gamble

Imogen Foulkes - BBC News, Geneva

Slopes in ski resorts in Switzerland are already open

Across the Alps, countries are agonising over how to control the spread of coronavirus while allowing the winter sports season to begin.
Germany has suggested keeping all ski resorts closed over the festive season, while Italy would like to wait to open them until mid-January.
In Switzerland however, the slopes are already open – despite the country having one of the highest infection rates in Europe.
The idea of closing the ski slopes has caused indignation in Switzerland - perhaps especially since closures are being proposed by its bigger European neighbours.
The idea is almost as bad, harrumphed one editorial, as joining the EU itself.
Switzerland’s ski resorts seem convinced of their safety measures: masks on all lifts, strict distancing while waiting, and no apres-ski bars.
The Swiss government knows the strategy is risky. With everywhere else closed, skiers from across Europe might come to Switzerland, catch the virus, and then take it home – a nightmarish, Europe-wide superspreader event.
But there is method in what seems like madness.
If the Christmas and New Year ski weeks go safely, Switzerland stands to make a tidy profit while its neighbours are left empty-handed.

UK reports 521 Covid deaths in latest daily figure

A further 521 people have died within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test, the UK government has announced.
By this measure, that brings the total number of Covid deaths in the country to 57,551.
Meanwhile, the government also reported a further 16,022 new cases of the virus in the past 24 hours.
More than 1.5 million cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the UK since the epidemic began.

How does England's tier system affect you if you live in Wales?

In Wales, while rules are in place, people can still go to the pub, meet others at a social distance and head out to buy presents.
But from 2 December, across the border in England, about 55 million people will be living under strict rules.
So what do England's tiers mean for those living and working in Wales?
Next Wednesday as the lockdown ends in England, areas will be placed under tiers, from one to three, depending on how high their case rate is.
But while the rules do not apply in Wales, the changes over the border could affect your family, work or business over the coming days.
We've taken a look at what the changes could mean for you. Read more here.

Village pubs split by 'perplexing' tiers

The landlords of two pubs in an English village that sits on a county border say it makes no sense that only one of them can open under coronavirus measures coming into force next week.
Groombridge has two pubs, but the Crown Inn is in Kent's tier three and the Junction is in East Sussex's tier two.
In tier three, pubs must close apart from offering takeaway or delivery services, but in tier two, they can open as long as they serve substantial meals.
Under next week's rules, residents on either side of Groombridge, home to about 1,600 people, should not cross over the county border at a bridge over the River Grom - meaning Kent villagers cannot enjoy the reopening of the East Sussex pub.
Steve Harmes, at the Crown, says not being able to open is "very frustrating".
"We were not in such a bad position before, but now, being put in this position, it's really hard for us to move forward."
He said even if the tiers were reviewed in December, the pub would not be able to prepare and take advantage of the busy Christmas period.
A seven-minute walk away - or 0.4 miles - at the Junction pub, landlady Tiffany Pearson-Gills calls the new rules "perplexing".

The Crown Inn is in Kent, so will go into tier three next week

"For such a small village... it just doesn't make any sense at all," she said.
She took over the Junction in September and spent several weeks renovating it but had to put off an opening on 5 November.
She said the pub had been fortunate, adding: "It's great for us, but it doesn't make sense that the Crown up the road cannot [open]. It's just so close, it's a really, really difficult one."

Melbourne's long road to lockdown success

Shaimaa Khalil - Australia correspondent
Melbourne's second lockdown, which began in July, went on to become one of the longest and strictest in the world until it ended last month.
"The streets were completely deserted. It was like something out of [post-apocalyptic film] Mad Max," says Matt Lanigan, who owns a cafe on Chapel St, the city's iconic shopping strip.
"It was brutal," Matt says of trying keep his business afloat. "It was like I was in a boxing match and I just got knocked to the floor. For a moment there, I felt like maybe it wasn't worth getting up."
But things are slowly turning around.
Earlier today, Melbourne and the state of Victoria reported the 28th consecutive day with no new infections.
After seeing daily cases soar above 700 in July and August, the city is seen as an example for the rest of the world on how to handle a second outbreak.

Melbourne's Chapel St is buzzing again

Now on reopened Chapel St, music and chatter fill the air as people enjoy their Sunday brunches.
But despite the high spirits, everywhere you look there are signs of how battered this city has been.
Many businesses are still shut, and others are open but half empty. Matt says the real economic and mental health toll will become clearer in the months to come, especially when government wage subsidy schemes end.

Hundreds get wrong results due to test error

Hundreds of people in England have been wrongly told they have coronavirus by NHS Test and Trace after a "laboratory error".
More than 1,300 people who gave samples between 19 and 23 November received positive results, when the tests were actually void.
All of those affected will be told to take another test, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said.
Duncan Larcombe, said his two children, aged 14 and nine, were both sent home from school to self-isolate and he was unable to work.
His 14-year-old daughter who tested positive "had not left her bedroom" for four days, with meals being left outside her door, until learning the result was void on Thursday. "We were taking it very seriously," he said.
DHSC said it was an "isolated incident" caused by an "issue with a batch of testing chemicals" which had affected tests taken across the UK.

'Rules have changed mid-game'

The announcement of the new coronavirus restrictions for England, which will come into force from 2 December, has prompted questions and concerns from business owners and families.
"They have changed the rules in the middle of the game," says Amanda Thompson, managing director of amusement park Blackpool Pleasure Beach in Lancashire, which will go into the toughest tier of measures - tier three.
Amanda has been trying to work out how she will make it to Christmas.
"I had a pantomime due to start next week, a dinner show due to begin, a lot of people who have been unemployed all year because they are performers unable to perform."
The visitor attraction, which is almost 125 years old, has survived two world wars only to be bought to a "grinding halt" this year.
"Without Blackpool Pleasure Beach there is no Blackpool. Perhaps people don't find it interesting in London but it is of interest to the millions of people who come here."
While the resort had been operating in a Covid-secure way over the summer, Amanda says it will now be closed until next year unless restrictions are relaxed. "£250,000 of cancellations came in yesterday," she adds.
Read more about how others are coming to terms with the new measures.

The main UK headlines this Friday

Here are some of the main UK stories from today.

• The R number in the UK - which represents how many people each infected person passes the virus on to - has fallen to between 0.9 and 1, the lowest level since mid-August, which means the epidemic is thought to be no longer growing. But cases in some regions of England are still high
  
• Hundreds of people have been wrongly told they have coronavirus by Test and Trace after a laboratory error. More than 1,300 people who gave samples between 19 and 23 November received positive results, when the tests were actually void
  
• Pubs, restaurants and bars in Wales will be subject to stricter Covid-19 restrictions in the run up to Christmas, the first minister has said. The new restrictions, which have not yet been finalised, will come into force from Friday, 4 December.
  
• Boris Johnson has defended his decision to place 55 million people in England into the two highest tiers of Covid restrictions, arguing the country needs "simplicity and clarity"
  
• On Friday in the UK, 521 deaths were reported within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test. There were also 16,022 new cases reported - a 25% fall on the previous week
  

Thanks for joining us

We are ending our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic for the day, so thank you for joining us.

Friday's coverage has been brought to you by: Joseph Lee, Katie Wright, Lauren Turner, Robin Levinson King, Alice Evans and Rob Corp.