Coronavirus - 20th September 2021

Summary for Monday, 20th September

• A booster shot will start being offered to all adults over 50 across the UK from today
  
• Those eligible include younger adults with health conditions and front-line health and social care workers
  
• Children aged 12 to 15 in England and Scotland are also now able to get a Covid vaccine
  
• The roll-out is also beginning in Wales this week, while in Northern Ireland it is likely to be offered from October
  
• Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to urge President Joe Biden to end the US ban on British travellers when they meet this week
  
• The UK reported a further 29,612 coronavirus cases on Sunday and 56 more people died within 28 days of a positive test
  

Good morning

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Stick with us for updates from the UK and around the world throughout the day. Here are the main headlines this morning:

• Children aged 12 to 15 in England and Scotland will begin receiving coronavirus vaccinations today
  
• A booster shot will also start being offered to millions of people aged over 50 and vulnerable people across the UK
  
• Emergency state-backed loans for energy companies are being considered by the government as wholesale gas prices have risen by 250% since January. PM Boris Johnson says the supply problems stem from economies around the world waking up after coronavirus lockdowns
  
• A vaccine summit being hosted by US President Joe Biden must come up with a plan this week to transfer 100 million stockpiled Covid vaccines to poorer countries before they reach their expiry date, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown said
  
• Remote working should become "a permanent fixture of Irish working life", Irish Tánaiste (Deputy PM) Leo Varadkar has said
  
• The UK reported a further 29,612 coronavirus cases on Sunday and 56 more people died within 28 days of a positive test
  

Jabs for young teens and boosters for over-50s begin

Children aged 12 to 15 in England and Scotland will begin receiving coronavirus vaccinations from today.
The programme is expected to be delivered mainly within schools, although the jabs will also be available at drop-in centres.
The roll-out is also beginning in Wales this week, while in Northern Ireland jabs are likely to be offered from October.
Millions of over-50s and vulnerable people across the UK will also be contacted from today to arrange their booster shots.
Those eligible include younger adults with health conditions and front-line health and social care workers.
It will be given at least six months after a person had their second dose - with the Pfizer-BioNTech jab recommended.

Vaccinating children - how the UK compares

As children in the UK aged 12 to 15 start being offered a Covid jab, some other countries have been vaccinating younger teenagers for a while.
In May, US and Canadian regulators were the first to approve the Pfizer jab for use in children from 12 years and older. The rollout started immediately at sites across the US with two injections given three weeks apart
The Pfizer vaccine was also approved in the EU in May for 12 to 15-year-olds. Since then, different EU countries have moved at different speeds:

• Denmark (12 to 15-year-olds) and Spain (12 to 19-year-olds) have both now vaccinated most of their child population with at least a single dose
  
• France too has been moving quickly with 66% of those aged 12 to 17 now single-jabbed, and 52% fully vaccinated
  
• Germany's scientific advisers recommended the vaccine should only be offered to children aged 12 to 15 with underlying health conditions. But in August, after the Delta variant started spreading more widely, the rollout was extended to all those over 12 years old
  

Meanwhile, China began to allow some children from three to 17 years old to be offered shots of a vaccine produced by drug-maker Sinovac, making it the first country to approve a jab for such a young age group
Read more here.

Why is Biden still keeping Britons out of the US?

Jon Sopel - BBC North America Editor
The travel ban - understandably - was introduced by Donald Trump last March as the pandemic was starting to spread. There was much speculation that when President Biden visited Cornwall in June for the G7 international summit he would lift the ban.
Certainly, the US tourism industry was hoping so.
And I get more unsolicited emails on this subject than any other from British people frustrated beyond belief that they can't get to see elderly family members who are too sick to travel from the US.
I did an interview with President Biden's National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, before the gathering in Carbis Bay, and he had two buckets of ice cold water to pour over the idea that there was to be an imminent lifting of the ban.
He did his best to sound sympathetic - and said (entirely reasonably) that the US would be guided by the science, and working parties would be established to examine the issue.
OK, I hear you say - that seems reasonable.
But if entry into the US is being governed by epidemiological concerns about the risk from Covid, why are there no restrictions for people coming from countries which have a much higher incidence of the disease, like some nations in the Caribbean, or from those countries which have a far lower percentage of the population vaccinated, like Argentina?
And if it is about concern over the spread of the Delta variant can someone explain to me the science that allows American citizens to freely come and go to the UK and Europe without any quarantine requirements when they return?
Read more here.

Not sharing vaccines 'will come back to haunt' UK

There is a "desperate need" to get vaccines to Africa as quickly as possible, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said.
He told Sky News that only 2% of people in Africa and 2% in low-income countries had been vaccinated.
“It's in our interests in Britain that they are vaccinated because the disease will spread in Africa, it will mutate and there will be new variants - it will come back to haunt even the fully vaccinated in Britain unless we take action."
He said that governments in Europe and the US had been stockpiling vaccines, many of which would not be used by those countries for booster programmes or vaccinating children.
"There are still millions of vaccines left over and we've got to get them to the rest of the world, otherwise they are going to pass their use-by date and expire, and be of no use to anybody."
Brown added that he feared that unless this action was taken then Africa could become the "centre for Covid".

We want homeworking to stay in Irish life, says Varadkar

Remote working should become "a permanent fixture of Irish working life", Irish Tánaiste (Deputy PM) Leo Varadkar has said.
He was speaking as workers in the Republic of Ireland return to the office following further easing of restrictions there.
From today, up to 100 people who have been jabbed - or recovered from Covid-19 - will be able to gather indoors.
Mr Varadkar said the public were able to return to office spaces and indoor activities thanks to the success of the vaccination programme.
"We are now one of the best in the world for vaccine uptake, 90% of people over 16 are now double-jabbed," he said.
The new changes will mean activities including indoor dance, yoga, art classes, and indoor sports and fitness classes will be able to go ahead.
For indoor activities among groups which have mixed immunity status, numbers are still restricted to six.

People 'spreading Covid disinformation' at Irish hospital

A hospital group in the Republic of Ireland has expressed "grave concerns" about people spreading disinformation about Covid-19 at its sites.
It followed two incidents at Letterkenny University Hospital, County Donegal, in the past week.
In one instance, a video emerged which showed a Covid patient being encouraged to leave the hospital.
The Saolta University Healthcare Group said it was worried about "the impact of this type of activity on both patients and staff".
"The deliberate spreading of disinformation and at times defamatory comments against named staff members along with the posting of these videos on social media platforms is adding significantly to the burden already facing healthcare professionals," the group said.
Gardaí (Irish police) said enquiries were ongoing.
Read more here.

PM making it 'very clear' to US that travel from UK is safe

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has arrived in the US for diplomatic talks, and one of the topics he is expected to discuss with his American counterparts is an end to its ban on Britons travelling to the country.
The measure was brought in by former President Donald Trump in March 2020 when Covid was beginning to spread.
Asked abut the situation on BBC Radio 4's Today programme Foreign Office minister James Cleverly said international travel is "incredibly important" for the UK.
He says Britons want to be able to travel to one of our closest partners and Boris Johnson will be making it "very, very clear that travel to and from the UK is very safe" during a visit to America.
Cleverly says the Aukus submarine deal shows that the two allies are still very much on the same page and says there "will be no need to bang any tables".

Auckland Covid restrictions to ease

PM Jacinda Ardern says the country's lockdown has worked

Coronavirus restrictions in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, are to ease slightly from Tuesday night, allowing some businesses to be able to reopen.
Auckland will move from level four to level three, which it will stay at for at least two weeks, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.
Life will still be heavily restricted, with schools largely remaining closed and people being urged to work from home.
The rest of the country will remain at level two - though the number of people who gather in public venues such as restaurants can increase from 50 to 100.
Ardern accepted that the lockdown had been difficult but said “it has worked”. Earlier, the country’s ministry of health announced 22 new cases of the virus.
New Zealand had been largely virus-free for months until an outbreak of the Delta variant prompted Ardern to order a snap nationwide lockdown on 17 August.

What do I need to go on holiday in Europe?

With changes coming to the UK's travel system early next month you may be thinking about booking a quick half-term trip away.
Here is a quick overview of the travel rules for some popular holiday destinations:

• Spain - Everyone 12 or over arriving from the UK must present either a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of travelling or proof of being fully vaccinated at least 14 days before travel. You must also complete a health control form no more than 48 hours before travelling
  
• Portugal - Anyone travelling to the country aged 12 or over must show a negative result from a PCR test taken less than 72 hours before arrival or an approved lateral flow test within 48 hours (you should not use the NHS testing service but arrange to take a private test). They must also complete a passenger locator card and be prepared to be temperature-checked upon arrival
  
• Greece - You must complete a passenger locator form before travelling, which will give you a QR code. Everyone aged 12 or over must also provide one of the following: a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before arrival; a negative rapid antigen test (lateral flow) taken within 48 hours before arrival; proof of recovery from Covid (a positive PCR result dated 30-180 days before travel); proof of being fully vaccinated at least 14 days before arrival
  
• France - If you are fully vaccinated you can enter France from the UK as long as you provide proof of your vaccination status and complete a "sworn statement". Fully vaccinated adult travellers don't have to provide proof of a negative PCR/antigen test result - but children aged 12 or over travelling with them do
  

Some countries accept the NHS Covid pass issued in England and Wales as proof of vaccination, a letter or QR code from people living in Scotland or a Northern Ireland Covid certificate but others do not so it is worth double checking.
You can read a full guide to holiday travel restrictions here.

Pandemic casts shadow as Canadians go to the polls

Justin Trudeau has faced protests over his handling of the pandemic

Canadians are going to the polls today to vote in an early general election, which comes two years ahead of schedule.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is seeking a third term in office, said the election was necessary because it was a "pivotal moment" for the country to choose the next steps in the pandemic recovery.
His main rival is new Conservative leader Erin O'Toole, who is running in his first federal campaign at the helm of the centre-right party.
More than 27,000 Canadians have died from Covid. Some provinces have been hard hit in the latest surge, especially in Alberta, where hospital intensive care units are close to being overwhelmed.
Alberta has declared a public health emergency and began re-imposing health measures lifted early in the summer.
That's become an issue on the campaign trail, with Mr O'Toole's past praise for how the province handled the pandemic coming back to haunt him.
Meanwhile, Mr O'Toole has attacked Mr Trudeau for his pandemic election call, saying the decision was "selfish" and "un-Canadian".
Vaccinations have also been a hot topic over the past weeks.
Canada has one of the world's highest vaccination rates - more than 80% of eligible Canadians have received at least one jab - and provinces have begun to implement vaccine passports.
Mr Trueau, leader of the Liberal Party, has been followed across the country by aggressive anti-vaccine protesters.
A Liberal government would require Covid vaccinations for bureaucrats, transport workers and most domestic air and rail travel by the end of October - something the Conservatives don't support.
Read more here.

Welsh Labour conference cancelled over expected autumn surge

Welsh Labour has called off its party conference for 2021 because of an expected peak in cases and pressure on the NHS in the autumn.
It had originally been moved from February to 5 to 7 November.
The party, led by First Minister Mark Drakeford, was expecting about 1,000 delegates. It has not held a Welsh conference since 2019 - with last year's event called off at the start of the pandemic.
In a statement, a spokesman said the ruling Welsh Executive Committee agreed to cancel the conference, which was planned to be held in Llandudno.
"The virus has not gone away, and all indications are that we should expect a peak in cases and subsequent pressure on health and social care services in the autumn," a party spokesman said.
"It has not been an easy decision, but we think it is the right one at this time."
Read more here.

China reports 49 new cases, down from 66 the day before

China reported on Monday 49 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the mainland for 19 September, down from 66 a day earlier, according to National Health Commission data.
Of the new infections, 28 were locally transmitted, all of them in the south-eastern province of Fujian, the health authority said. That compares with 43 local cases a day earlier.
China reported two new asymptomatic coronavirus cases, which it does not classify as confirmed infections, compared with 19 a day earlier. No new deaths were reported.
As of Sunday, mainland China had recorded 95,738 confirmed cases, with the death toll unchanged at 4,636.

Covid restrictions in Hanoi, Vietnam, are set to ease this week as new cases continue to decline and the majority of its adult population are at least partially vaccinated.
Its government has announced that most construction projects can resume on Wednesday, according to the Reuters news agency.
While Hanoi has managed to avoid the brunt of the coronavirus wave to hit the country since late April, average daily cases are down to 20.
Authorities have confirmed that 94% of adults in Hanoi have received at least one shot of the Covid jab, with second doses aiming to be completed by the end of November.
The deputy chairman of Hanoi’s ruling People’s Committee, Duong Duc Tuan, said:

  :Left Quotes:   We can’t maintain the social distancing measures indefinitely.

Tuan added that the city’s approach will be flexible and scientific, aimed at containing the virus while reviving economic activities.

A barrier is pictured in a quarantine area amid the coronavirus disease in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photograph: Reuters

Vietnam has suffered from Covid throughout spring and summer 2021 but fewer than 50 of more than 17,000 deaths nationwide were recorded in the city, as well as just 4,414 of the country’s total 687,000 cases.
The centre of the outbreak, the business hub Ho Chi Minh City, more than 1,50 km (932 miles) away by road, has been hardest hit, with 49% of the country’s cases and 78% of its fatalities.

Victoria Covid update: Moderna vaccine headed for pharmacies as construction protest turns violent
Josh Taylor - The Guardian
In Australia, Victorians will have access to 300,000 doses of Moderna’s Covid vaccine this month at hundreds of pharmacies across the state, premier Daniel Andrews says.
Andrews announced Moderna will be available at 440 pharmacies across the state this week, and a further 281 next week.
But he urged anyone who had not yet booked to take up any available vaccine available to them now and not wait. It comes as the state pushes to get up to 70% and 80% double-dose vaccination targets as part of its roadmap out of lockdown. He said:

  :Left Quotes:  Please don’t defer, please don’t wait, because these things are uncertain. Get the vaccine that is on offer right now.
That’s the most powerful contribution you can make to your safety, your health and of course to us meeting all those national cabinet timelines so we are open the place up.

Anthony Tassone, president of the Victorian branch of the Australian Pharmacy Guild, said people aged 60 and over could still only access AstraZeneca.
He said they should not wait for the other vaccines, noting he already had patients over 60 trying to get Moderna.

President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte has given the go-ahead for face-to-face school classes to resume in areas of the country seen as “low risk”.
Reuters reports that up to 120 schools to join a two-month pilot scheme in areas with low Covid case rates.
The Philippines is among 17 countries globally where schools have been closed for the entirety of the pandemic, according to a report last week by the United Nations children’s agency Unicef, highlighting what it called “18 months of lost learning”.
Previously Duterte has said he would keep schools close until a vaccine was available but his education secretary Leonor Briones confirmed on Monday that lessons, limited to three to four hours per session, will resume with the consent from parents and guardians required.
However, Briones warned in a media briefing:

  :Left Quotes:  If there are changes in the risk assessment, then we will stop it.

Student activists staged a protest for a safe reopening of classes on 13 September, with millions of students remaining at home attending online classes. Photograph: Mark R Cristino/EPA

The pilot, which will begin immediately, will include 100 public schools and 20 private institutions, limiting class size to 12 children in kindergarten, 16 in grades 1-3, and 20 at senior high school level.

Construction Union blames 'extremists' as Melbourne protest against vaccine mandate turns violent

Construction workers clash with unionists at a protest at Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) headquarters in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Photograph: James Ross/EPA

Riot police have moved in to disperse crowds at the Melbourne headquarters of a construction union, after a protest against mandatory vaccines turned ugly, with the CFMEU blaming “outside extremists” for the violence.
Police used pepper spray and rubber bullets to move the crowd, which took over the intersection outside the Queen Victoria Market.
Bottles were thrown at the already smashed glass entrance doors to the building in Melbourne’s city centre as those protecting the entry sought refuge indoors just before 4pm local time.
Protesters also seemed to be turning against each other, with a number of small fights breaking out within the crowd of bright orange and yellow.
The union released a statement just after 4pm, saying it has always supported freedom of choice regarding vaccination. It read:

We are not going to be intimidated by outside extremists attempting to intimidate the union, by spreading misinformation and lies about the union’s position.
The CFMEU will always advocate for safety, jobs, and freedom of choice.

Read more.

“Uncertainty” over Covid in Germany means restrictions may need to stay over winter
The German government has said it will not be setting a ‘freedom day’ date for lifting all Covid social distancing regulations.
A spokesman for the government told Reuters that because of the lack of certainty over how the pandemic would develop over winter there could not be a commitment to ending all restrictions.
Local media reported at the weekend that some German health experts have been calling for a ‘UK-style freedom day’.
Andreas Gassen, the head of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), said Germany should take inspiration from England and lift Covid restrictions at the end of October.
“After the experience of Britain, we should also have the courage to do what worked on the island,” Gassen told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung.
“So what’s needed now is a clear announcement from politicians: in six weeks, it’s Freedom Day here too! On October 30th, all restrictions will be lifted!”
Germany is trying to boost vaccination rates as it goes through what some are saying is a fourth Covid wave. Around 67.2 percent of the total population has received at least one jab in Germany, and 63.1 percent are fully vaccinated.


Workers in Ireland have started returning to offices for the first time since March 2020 after the latest easing of Covid restrictions.
Rory Carroll - The Guardian
The government on Monday also allowed the resumption of indoor group activities such as dance and yoga for up to 100 people who are vaccinated or have recovered from the virus. Bowling alleys and amusement arcades can also reopen.
The full vaccination of 90% of those aged over 16 had enabled the relaxation, said the taoiseach, Micheál Martin. He added:

  :Left Quotes:  If we continue this progress, we can look forward to the further removal of public health restrictions, to be replaced by guidance and advice.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin at the Fianna Fail Think-In at the Slieve Russell Hotel in Cavan. Photograph: Conor McCabe/PA

Leo Varadkar, the deputy prime minister, thanked employers and employees for respecting pandemic rules and said remote working should become a permanent fixture of Irish life.
A small group of anti-vaccination protestors picketed Varadkar’s Dublin home on Sunday.

Russia has reported 778 new deaths for coronavirus in the past 24 hours, according to the Reuters news agency.
It comes days after president Vladimir Putin said “dozens” of people in his inner circle at the Kremlin have tested positive for Covid, which has affected more than 7 million people in the badly-hit country.
Putin said he was self-isolating after announcing an outbreak among members of his entourage.
“Cases of the coronavirus were detected in my inner circle. Not just one or two but several dozen people,” Putin said, speaking via video link at a meeting of a Moscow-led security alliance.

Summary

Here is a round-up of all the day’s main Covid news stories from around the world so far:

• Coronavirus vaccines are being rolled out to children aged between 12 and 15, with 3 million youngsters eligible across the UK.
  
• China reported on Monday 49 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the mainland for 19 September, down from 66 a day earlier, according to National Health Commission data.
  
• In Australia, riot police have moved in to disperse crowds at the Melbourne headquarters of a construction union, after a protest against mandatory vaccines turned ugly, with the CFMEU blaming “outside extremists” for the violence.
  
• In the US, a group of disgruntled Republicans has questioned if the Texas governor, Greg Abbott, used political influence to pull a TV ad criticising his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
  
• India carried out its lowest number of daily coronavirus tests since mid-August on Sunday as its health ministry urged local governments to remain resilient throughout the autumn festival season.
  
• Workers in Ireland have started returning to offices for the first time since March 2020 after the latest easing of Covid restrictions. The government on Monday also allowed the resumption of indoor group activities such as dance and yoga for up to 100 people who are vaccinated or have recovered from the virus.
  
• Russia has reported 778 new deaths from coronavirus in the past 24 hours.
  

What's happening so far today?

As we head into the second half of Monday in the UK, here's a brief summary of the main Covid-led news stories:

• Children aged 12 to 15 in England and Scotland will begin receiving coronavirus vaccinations from today - with the jab typically given in a school setting.The roll-out is also beginning in Wales this week, while in Northern Ireland jabs are likely to be offered from October
  
• Millions of over-50s and vulnerable people across the UK will also be contacted from today to arrange their booster shots. Those eligible include younger adults with health conditions and front-line health and social care workers
  
• Coronavirus restrictions in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, are to ease slightly from Tuesday night, allowing some businesses to reopen - although most schools will remain closed. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern ordered a snap lockdown on 17 August following an outbreak of the Delta variant
  
• Boris Johnson is expected to urge President Joe Biden to end the US ban on British travellers when they meet this week. US travellers are able to travel freely in the UK, but the ban imposed by former President Donald Trump in March 2020 on UK and EU citizens remains in place
  
• Former PM Gordon Brown says there is a "desperate need" to get vaccines to Africa as quickly as possible - with only 2% of people there vaccinated. He claims millions of vaccines are about to expire "and be of no use to anybody".
  

Pfizer plans to seek jab approval for 5 to 11-year-olds

Pfizer and BioNTech plan to seek regulator approval for use of their Covid vaccine in children aged five to 11 years old.
The companies say results from a trial showed "a favorable safety profile and robust neutralizing antibody responses" in children in the age group using a smaller dosage than that given to people aged 12 and over.
The companies plan to ask for authorisation for the use of the vaccine in the five to 11 age group in the US, Europe and elsewhere as soon as possible.
Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla said: "We are eager to extend the protection afforded by the vaccine to this younger population, subject to regulatory authorization, especially as we track the spread of the Delta variant and the substantial threat it poses to children."
He added: "These trial results provide a strong foundation for seeking authorization of our vaccine for children five to 11 years old, and we plan to submit them to the FDA and other regulators with urgency."

What will university be like this term?

As university students begin the new term, they'll find many Covid restrictions have been lifted - with more face-to-face teaching, for example.
But things still won't be entirely normal. And many may have questions.
Do students have to be vaccinated? Will there still be parties to enjoy during Freshers' Week? And who can you talk to if you are feeling stressed or isolated by pandemic-related issues?
Check out our explainer - for answers to all those questions, and more.

People shielding have lower protection against Covid after jab - study

People who were on the shielding list have lower protection against serious illness from Covid-19, even after two doses of vaccine, research from Scotland suggests.
Public Health Scotland and the University of Edinburgh published a study as a booster programme for vulnerable people and over 50s begins.
The study found those classed as clinically extremely vulnerable had 66% protection against severe illness after two vaccine doses, compared with 93% protection in fully vaccinated people without any high-risk conditions.
Prof Helen Colhoun, of the University of Edinburgh, says: "The fact that we see an increase in protection from the first to the second dose gives hope that a third dose might increase protection further."
Of more than 3.5 million people who have had two vaccine doses in Scotland, the study found just 330 cases of severe Covid-19.
Almost half were in people whose health conditions meant they were classed as "extremely vulnerable". Most of the remainder were in people with more moderate risk conditions.

NI's deputy first minister 'frightened' by Covid bout

Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister, Michelle O'Neill, has said she contemplated going to hospital while suffering from a "quite severe" bout of Covid-19 in recent weeks.
Ms O'Neill announced on 31 August that she had contracted the virus.
She said she was "absolutely floored" and it was probably her "worst experience" of illness.
The Sinn Féin vice-president, who returned to work earlier, said she was "so grateful" she was fully vaccinated.
"Given that I felt so bad, I can only imagine what it would have been like if you didn't have the vaccination," she told BBC News NI.
Describing one evening during her illness, Ms O'Neill said she felt "frightened" and "scared" by her symptoms and "contemplated hospitalisation".
"I think I would have been hospitalised had it not been for the vaccination, so I would use this opportunity to say to people who still haven't taken that step to please get the vaccine, particularly that younger cohort of people," she said.
"This is a horrible, horrible illness. I don't want to see anyone experience it."
Read more here.

Universal Studios Beijing opens with 'strict prevention measures'

Kerry Allen - BBC Monitoring, Chinese Media Analyst

Visitors walk to the entrance to Universal Studios, Beijing on the official opening day

The Universal Studios Beijing theme park officially opened on Monday after much hype, with Chinese media hailing the attraction's Covid-safe procedures.
Currently there are no cases of Covid-19 in China’s capital, with cases of the virus limited to China's southern regions.
Nonetheless, the number of visitors is limited in different zones of the park, reports the Global Times newspaper.
In additions, there are checkpoints for different zones where visitors are required to scan a digital QR code on their phones. These are linked to visitors’ health records and show that they do not have Covid-19 and whether or not they have been vaccinated.
Beijing News says that more than 12,000 employees at the park have received vaccines; and pictures on China Central Television showed staff onsite wearing masks.
There are also hand sanitiser dispensers throughout the attraction.
Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday in China, meaning many people are off work and school. Last week China Daily said tickets for Monday and Tuesday sold out within 30 minutes of going on sale.
The theme park has been in development for 20 years, with more than 40 billion yuan ($6.2bn) invested in it.

Booster jabs must be UK's priority, says Johnson

Boris Johnson says the rollout of booster jabs "has to be our priority" rather than sending all the UK's surplus vaccine to poorer nations.
It comes as booster invites are being sent out to 1.5 million people who are over 50 or clinically vulnerable across the UK.
Speaking in New York, the prime minister defended the "huge contributions" Britain has made to Covax - which distributes vaccines internationally to nations in need.
He added: "I've looked at the evidence for what boosters can do, I've looked at the extra protection it can give people - and I have to say I think that that has to be our priority and we're going to continue to do that.
"But that doesn't mean we're not making also a massive commitment to the rest of the world, because we fundamentally agree that nobody's safe until everybody is safe."
Former PM Gordon Brown has argued that Africa could become the "centre for Covid" if richer nations do not act quickly to distribute vaccines to lower-income countries.
"The disease will spread in Africa, it will mutate and there will be new variants," he told Sky News on Monday.

Trials begin in Manchester for new Covid drug

UK scientists are beginning human trials of a new Covid jab that they hope may work against new variants and offer longer-lasting immunity than the vaccines currently in use.
The new drug – GRT-R910 – will initially be trialled on participants over 60 in Manchester and will be investigated to see if it boosts the immune response created by the first jabs.
The trials are taking place at the National Institute for Health Research Manchester Clinical Research Facility at Manchester Royal Infirmary.
Prof Andrew Ustianowski, of Manchester University, one of the clinical leads of the study, said: “We now know the immune response to first-generation vaccines can wane, particularly in older people.
“Coupled with the prevalence of emerging variants, there is a clear need for continued vigilance to keep Covid-19 at bay.
“We think GRT-R910 as a booster vaccination will elicit strong, durable and broad immune responses, which are likely to be critical in maintaining protection of this vulnerable elderly population who are particularly at risk of hospitalisation and death.”
The research is being done through collaboration between US pharmaceutical company Gritstone, The University of Manchester and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.
The vaccine GRT-R910 is a self-amplifying mRNA second generation Sars-CoV-2 vaccine – or SAM for short.

UK PM defends booster programme as ‘priority’ over vaccine donations

Boris Johnson has been speaking about the UK vaccine programme to reporters in New York where he has arrived for the UN General Assembly.
The Prime Minister said: “If you ask me, should we interrupt the booster programme for elderly and vulnerable people in this country? Well, I’ve looked at the evidence for what boosters can do, I’ve looked at the extra protection it can give people, and I have to say I think that that has to be our priority and we’re going to continue to do that.
He defended the UK’s contribution to global vaccine programmes saying: “That doesn’t mean we’re not making also a massive commitment to the rest of the world, because we fundamentally agree that nobody’s safe until everybody is safe.”
Invitations for vaccine boosters were sent out to 1.5 million people in England this week. They are available for anyone aged 50 and over, people living and working in care homes for the elderly, and frontline health and social care workers.
All those who are clinically extremely vulnerable and anyone aged 16 to 65 in an at-risk group for Covid will also be eligible.
The debate over boosters has focused on whether it would be better practice to try and tackle Covid globally by ensuring poorer countries have access to the vaccine.

Czechs begin offering booster jabs to at-risk groups

Rob Cameron - BBC Prague Correspondent
The first text messages have been sent out offering a booster Covid jab to certain groups of the Czech population.
The messages will go out to those who had their first dose eight months ago.
This will primarily be health workers and people in their 80s.
Some 40,000 such people will be eligible by the end of September, with perhaps a million eligible by the end of the year.
The authorities have previously said a third dose will be available to anyone who wants it.
But the health minister says the priority will be administering booster jabs to those in vulnerable groups - and that doctors can give a booster dose to someone even if eight months have not elapsed since their first, if the medical circumstances demand it.

Man jailed for breaking Guernsey self-isolation rules

A man has been jailed for breaking Covid isolation rules in Guernsey.
Aivis Licitis, 34, was sentenced to two weeks in prison after admitting allowing a visitor into his then accommodation at the Farmhouse hotel in May while he was supposedly isolating.
His visitor, Gundega Dremaine, 43, was given a £1,000 fine and two-year suspended sentence after she admitted aiding and abetting the breach.
Sentencing, Judge Graeme McKerrell said it was "selfish people" like the two of them "which could send Guernsey spiralling into another lockdown".
Licitis was jailed after he told the court he would not be able to pay any fine.

 

Airline industry told to expect easing of US rules for UK travellers

Caroline Davies - Transport correspondent
An airline industry source has said they have been told to expect fully vaccinated UK travellers to be able to travel to the US from November.
The US government is expected to make an announcement on this at 15:00 BST.

Why have UK and EU travellers been kept out of US?

We're expecting an update shortly from the White House in Washington on the United States' travel policy for people visiting from the UK and the EU.
The US imposed a travel ban in March 2020 due to the pandemic and the country's tourism industry had hoped it would be lifted after President Biden visited the G7 summit in Cornwall in June.
You can't fly to the US from the UK or European Union unless you have a National Interest Exemption, so that means you can't visit sick relatives, see family members, or go on holiday.
Why has the travel ban been kept in place for so long? North America editor Jon Sopel has taken a look.

US to lift travel ban for vaccinated UK and EU travellers

Jon Sopel - BBC North America Editor
The travel ban for people living in the UK and EU, that was introduced last March by Donald Trump, is finally going to be relaxed.
An announcement is expected later today from the US administration.
It looks as though those who can demonstrate they have been double-vaccinated will, from November, be allowed to enter the US.
One British official told me the decision had come completely out of the blue. Prime Minister Boris Johnson had been planning to raise it tomorrow in his meeting at the White House with the president, but with little hope of making progress.
Though details have not been given, it is thought that the relaxation of the rules will come in time for people to travel over Thanksgiving.
This has been something that had been demanded by the travel industry – but more importantly for the thousands of families who’ve been unable to see loved ones for 18 months as a result of the restrictions introduced at the height of the pandemic.

Analysis: A much awaited change for the industry

Caroline Davies - Transport correspondent
This is really early days, we are still waiting to have that official announcement from the US government but my understanding from speaking to industry sources is that some of these airlines are now being briefed a change will happen.
Of course this is a much-awaited change for the industry - they have been desperate to get the US-UK lines connected again.
If you happen to be from the the US coming into the UK you have been able to come in if you have been double jabbed in the US since August - and not have to quarantine - so that has opened up for people travelling in one direction.
But at the moment you can't travel from the UK to the US unless you have a green card or you have a special stipulation or a US passport as well.
That has really limited things for businesses which rely on being able to go back and forth between the US and UK, but of course crucially for families who have been disconnected during this time and haven't been able to visit.
A lot of these long-haul airlines really rely on UK-US routes and that has been closed pretty much since the beginning of the pandemic so that is a long time without that source of income.

Airline shares soar ahead of expected US travel announcement

Airline shares have flown higher after reports that the US government is set to relax travel requirements for UK and EU citizens.
British Airways owner IAG led the risers on the FTSE-100, up as much as 10% on the day, while EasyJet climbed 2.6% higher, and jet engineer Rolls-Royce advanced 4.6%.
Fully-vaccinated passengers look set to be able to travel to the US from November.
An announcement from the Biden administration is expected as soon as Monday afternoon.
The move will mark the end of an 18-month travel ban which has been in force since 17 March 2020.

Austria will require protective face masks and Covid-19 passes for the use of ski lifts this winter as it tries to attract foreign skiers for the first time in two years and also prevent coronavirus outbreaks.
The conservative-led government outlined the rules for the coming season at a news conference that underlined the importance of reviving tourism, which directly contributes about 5% of economic output in Austria.
The new rules stop short of requiring all skiers to be vaccinated and left many details unclear even though public frustration over confusing coronavirus rules has grown.
“This year there will definitely be winter holidays in Austria,” Tourism Minister Elisabeth Koestinger said. “We have developed strict rules for a safe winter.”

Proof of immunity from Covid-19 certificate required for entry to the Vatican
A health certificate showing proof of immunity from Covid-19 immunity will be required to enter the Vatican as of Oct. 1, the city state said.
Residents, workers, and visitors will have to carry the so-called “Green Pass” that is already widely used in surrounding Italy, the Holy See said in a statement. An exception will be made for those attending mass “for the time strictly necessary for the rite”.
The Green Pass - originally conceived to ease travel among European Union states - shows that someone has been vaccinated, has tested negative, or has recently recovered from the coronavirus.

 

White House confirms end of ban on vaccinated UK travellers

The White House says it will lift most restrictions which bar foreign nationals who have been in the UK, and other countries including China and Brazil, from travelling to the US.
But foreigners flying to the US will face a requirement to be fully vaccinated from early November.
The White House also says US citizens who are not vaccinated will face stricter Covid testing requirements.

Out of the blue in one way, quite logical in another

Jon Sopel - BBC North America Editor
For months a joint working party has been looking at ways to relax the travel ban.
The work, I’m told, has been detailed and assiduous.
But last Friday in Washington next to no-one (not even in the Biden administration) was expecting today’s announcement. So what’s changed?
The Biden administration is aware of the growing disquiet among European allies about a range of issues – Afghanistan notably, but in recent days French fury over the Aukus submarine deal.
And remember France is America’s oldest ally.
This week Joe Biden will be meeting not only Boris Johnson, but a whole pile of EU leaders during the UN General Assembly in New York.
And all had it on their dance cards to raise the travel ban.
According to one diplomatic source, the US over the weekend just weighed the countervailing forces: annoy some Americans with a policy that could be characterised as being weak on Covid; or continue to alienate your European allies who are growing increasingly irritable.
With the data no longer supporting the ban, this weekend came a decision. Out of the blue in one way, but quite logical in another.

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More than 36,000 new Covid cases recorded in UK

There have been a further 36,100 cases of coronavirus reported in the UK today, according to the latest government figures.
There have been a further 49 deaths of people who tested positive for coronavirus within the past 28 days. It takes the total UK Covid death toll to 135,252.

What are the new rules for travel?

The US has said it will start letting fully vaccinated travellers from the UK enter the country from November.
They will, however, need to take part in testing and contact tracing.
A ban forbidding UK travellers from entering the US, except under exceptional circumstances, or where residency or dual citizenship was held, has been in force since March 2020 when the pandemic began.
The news comes days after Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced the travel rules were changing for people in England - removing the 'fit-to-fly' test and replacing the post-arrival PCR test with a cheaper lateral flow test from October.
So who is allowed to travel and where - and what are the latest quarantine requirements?
We have everything you need to know.

Case numbers still falling, despite school return

Case numbers and hospital admissions have continued to fall in the UK, albeit slowly - despite most school pupils in England returning two weeks ago.
However deaths are increasing, from a low point over the summer. The seven-day average is 142 deaths.
Both first and second vaccinations are very low. First vaccinations on Sunday were the lowest on record:14,586 - although typically weekend figures are low.
Sunday's figure for second doses - 35,131 - was also the lowest since 14 March.

What happened on Monday?

That's pretty much it from us for today, but before we close the live page, here is a quick look at today's main headlines:

• The White House says the ban on UK and EU travellers coming to the US will be lifted in November - a move welcomed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, along with key players in the travel and aviation industries
  
• Children aged 12 to 15 in England and Scotland have begun receiving coronavirus vaccinations today. Invites are also being sent out in Wales this week, while in Northern Ireland vaccinations for this age group are likely to be offered from October
  
• Boris Johnson says the rollout of booster jabs in the UK "has to be our priority" rather than sending all the surplus vaccine to poorer nations. It comes as booster invites are being sent to 1.5 million people who are over 50 or clinically vulnerable across the UK
  
• On Monday the UK recorded 36,100 new Covid cases and 49 deaths within 28 days of a positive test. First vaccinations on Sunday were the lowest on record at 14,586 - although typically weekend figures are low
  

Thanks for reading

Thanks for joining us - we'll be back first thing tomorrow morning.
The live page writers for the BBC today were Doug Faulkner, Victoria Lindrea and Katie Wright. The page was edited by Rob Corp.

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Here’s a summary of the day’s Covid news

The Guardian

• Dutch government warns vaccine ‘pass’ will be needed to use restaurant toilets.
  
• The leader of the Scottish Conservative Party, Douglas Ross, called on the Scottish government to follow the rest of the UK and relax Covid travel restrictions.
  
• UK transport secretary Grant Shapps has been telling MPs in parliament that the UK’s successful vaccination programme can be used to “restore lost freedoms”.
  
• US vet shops report shortage of ivermectin despite warnings against using it to treat Covid.
  
• Construction sites across the state of Victoria in Australia are to close for at least two weeks following violence at anti-vaccine protests earlier today.
  
• The UK has recorded 36,100 new cases in the latest 24-hour period, with the number of Covid patients in hospital now at 7,847.
  
• The British prime minister welcomed the news that the US will lift Covid-19 travel restrictions to allow fully vaccinated passengers from the UK and EU to travel into the country from November.
  
• Pfizer and BioNTech said trial results showed their Covid vaccine is safe and produces a robust immune response in children aged five to 11, adding that they would seek regulatory approval shortly.