Advertisement

Holidaymakers rush home to to beat quarantine, with France set to retaliate

People queue in line to check-in for a British Airways flight to Heathrow airport from Nice airport - AP Photo/Daniel Cole
People queue in line to check-in for a British Airways flight to Heathrow airport from Nice airport - AP Photo/Daniel Cole
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter ..
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter ..

12:01 AM

What happened today

Follow all the latest news in Sunday's live blog


11:09 PM

Holidaymakers rush home to to beat quarantine, with France set to retaliate

Thousands of Britons have cut holidays short in a scramble to make it home before new restrictions on arrivals from European countries came into effect this morning. 

France - along with the Netherlands, Monaco, Malta, Turks & Caicos and Aruba - has been removed from the "safe list" of quarantine-exempt countries, with restrictions in place from 4am today, sparking a rush for plane, train and ferry tickets.

The cost of travel surged amid the spike in demand, with British Airways was selling tickets for a flight from Paris to London Heathrow on Friday night costing £452. The same journey on Saturday could be made with the airline for just £66. 

The cheapest ticket on a Eurostar train from Paris to London was £210, compared with £165 on Saturday.

According to the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps - who insisted the Government had taken "a practical approach" to the new restrictions - roughly 160,000 holidaymakers were attempting to return to the UK from France on Friday.

It comes amid a resurgence of infections on the continent, with France reporting more than 2,500 new cases for the last three days - levels not seen since May. 

But the French government reacted to restrictions with anger, warning that "reciprocal measures" would be introduced for Britons arriving in France - although it is not yet clear what this might include or when it will be imposed.  

And the Netherlands warned against all but essential travel to the UK once the restrictions came into force today.


04:28 PM

Telegraph view: Quarantine highlights our basic Covid errors

The desperate dash of thousands of Britons to get home from France by 4am this morning reflects poorly on the Government. Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, insists that going abroad was always going to be a gamble in the middle of a pandemic.

But the least the Government could have done was give travellers a sense of the odds. Only yesterday did Mr Shapps reveal the benchmark for closing the travel corridor: when a foreign destination hits an infection rate of 20 cases out of 100,000. He presumably did not pluck this number out of the air, in which case why were people not given this figure, along with its scientific rationale, ages ago – before they booked their trips?

This is about a lot more than ruined holidays. Returnees buying passage home have had to pay over the odds for tickets in order to meet the deadline; those who could not get back face a 14-day quarantine that may put their jobs at risk. Their employers will be in dire straits, too.

The tourism industry is in jeopardy and bilateral relations with France, Malta and the Netherlands, the three largest countries affected by this week’s measures, will worsen – at a time when we are already negotiating with France to help stem the flow of migrants across the Channel.

Read the full editorial here


04:19 PM

Watch: UK 'staycations' in huge demand after new quarantine rules


04:09 PM

Child marriages skyrocket in Malawi as Covid-19 closes schools

Child marriage has almost doubled in parts of Malawi during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to figures from a national helpline. 

Even before the pandemic, around half of all girls in Malawi got married before the age of 18. The situation has worsened dramatically as a result of the school closures and rise in poverty linked to the coronavirus outbreak, the charity Care International told The Telegraph.

From April to June this year, the national youth helpline recorded 669 child marriages, up by 83 per cent on last year, according to its director, MacBain Mkandawire. His organisation Yoneco runs the helpline on behalf of the government. 

Calls about child rape also went up by 150 per cent under lockdown when compared with last year, the figures showed. Under Malawian law, sex with a minor is rape, so the numbers are linked to the marriage statistics. 

Amos Zaindi, country director of Care International in Malawi, said: "Before Covid-19, Malawi had a high rate of child marriage. With schools closed and increased poverty, the situation is getting worse." 

Jennifer Rigby has the full details here.


04:00 PM

Summary of today's key developments

Just joining us? Here's an overview of the key stories in the UK:

  • For the fifth day in a row, the UK has reported more than 1,000 new coronavirus infections, according to government figures. 
  • Tens of thousands of UK tourists in France made last-ditch bids to return home before the imposition of quarantine restrictions at 4am today - with France warning that "reciprocal measures" may be introduced. 
  • Businesses have said they are "delighted" to be welcoming customers back through their doors on today as part of the latest easing of lockdown restrictions in England - theatres, bowling alleys and beauty salons are among those able to reopen.
  • More than 100 pilots are to be made redundant at Jet2 after the airline rejected alternative proposals, a union has said.

And across the rest of the globe:

  • The chairman of tourism promotion body Failte Ireland has resigned after holidaying in Italy despite Government advice for citizens to take a staycation.
  • South Korea has introduced stricter measures in Seoul and its surrounding areas as the country reports 166 new cases - the highest daily figure in more than five months. But thousands of anti-government protesters ignored officials pleas to stay home and still marched through the capital city.
  • Almost half of Brazilians think President Jair Bolsonaro bears "no responsibility at all" for the country's more than 100,000 dead from the pandemic, the world's second highest death toll, according to a new poll.
  • Germany's health minister has said that "party holidays" were irresponsible as he defended a decision to declare nearly all of Spain, including the tourist island of Mallorca, a coronavirus risk region following a spike in cases there.
  • Russia has produced the first batch of its new vaccine for Covid-19, Interfax news agency reported, hours after the government said manufacturing had started. The vaccine is controversial with many scientists fearing that Moscow is putting national prestige before safety amid the global race to develop an immunisation.
  • California became the first US state to surpass 600,000 Covid-19 cases, while the Midwest has seen several record one-day rises, as some states struggled to contain the pandemic even as a few welcomed students back to school campuses.

Scroll down for more details on these stories and today's other developments.


03:41 PM

Analysis: Germany ICU occupation at lowest level since pandemic

The number of intensive care beds occupied by Covid-19 patients has hit a new low in Germany despite an uptick in recorded cases in recent weeks. The pattern is similar in other Europe countries.

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany’s official disease control body, confirmed in its daily report on Friday evening that 230 intensive care beds were currently being occupied by coronavirus patients - less than one percent of the total number.

It marks the continuation of a decline in the need for intensive care among Covid-19 patients since early April when close to 3,000 of the country’s ICU beds were taken by the virus.

The drop in serious cases comes despite an uptick in daily cases since mid-July from around 400 to over 1,400 today, with the RKI describing the trend as “very concerning.”

That serious symptoms in Germany are dropping despite an overall rise in positive test results is backed up by figures from the European Centre for Disease Prevention.

These put hospital admissions per 100,000 people for the week August 3rd-9th at lower than the first week of February when the virus had barely gained a foothold in Germany.

Jorg Luyken has the full story here.


03:29 PM

Rush to return to the UK is 'exactly what you don’t want'

Thousands of Britons have cut holidays short in a scramble to make it home before new restrictions on arrivals from European countries came into effect this morning  (see 2:54pm for pictures).

But according to Prof Devi Sridhar, chair of global public health at Edinburgh University, this is "exactly what you don’t want" - crowds are the ideal place for the virus to spread.


03:16 PM

More than 1,000 new cases reported across the UK - again

For the fifth day in a row, the UK has reported more than 1,000 new coronavirus infections, according to government figures. 

In the 24 hours leading up to 9am this morning, 1,012 new cases were confirmed. This compares to 758 last Saturday, and takes the UK's cumulative total to 317,379 - although experts believe this is probably an underestimate (see here).

A further three people were also confirmed to have died in the last 28 days after testing postive for Covid-19. 

The Government also said 41,361 people have died in total in the UK within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19, as of Saturday. Separate figures published by the UK's statistics agencies show there have been 56,800 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

Related: Why local spikes may not lead to more coronavirus deaths


03:08 PM

Florence's 400-year-old 'wine windows' undergo renaissance

A tradition that evolved in Florence centuries ago during an outbreak of the Black Death has been given a new lease of life by the coronavirus crisis, writes Nick Squires.

Bars in the city’s historic centre have started reusing “wine windows”, tiny holes that were carved into the walls or wooden doors of palazzi owned by noble families.

The 12 inch-high holes – known in Italian as “buchette del vino” – enabled wine to be sold without the risk of buyer and seller catching the plague, which ravaged the city in the early 1630s.

An empty flask would be placed in the niche and then filled up with wine. The customer would hand over a few coins on a metal palette and the money would immediately be sterilised in vinegar to prevent infection.

The holes, protected by little wooden or iron doors, were manned by servants employed by Florence’s aristocratic dynasties.

Read the full article here.

A wine window at Babae in Via Santo Spirito, Florence - Wine Windows Association (Buchette Del Vino)
A wine window at Osteria delle Brache in Piazza Peruzzi, Florence - Wine Windows Association (Buchette Del Vino)

02:55 PM

Equatorial Guinea's government and prime minister resign

The government and prime minister of Equatorial Guinea tendered their resignation yesterday to President Teodoro Obiang, who said they had not done enough to help the country at a time of crisis, authorities said in a statement.

The Central African oil producer is suffering a double economic shock linked to the coronavirus pandemic and a drop in the price of crude, which provides around three-quarters of state revenue.

"The head of state regretted that the outgoing government did not fulfill its policy objectives, which undoubtedly led to this crisis situation," a statement on the government website said.

Obiang, 78, has ruled the former Spanish colony since overthrowing his uncle in a 1979 coup, relying on repression of political opponents and the country's offshore oil riches.

He dissolved the last government in February 2018, before reappointing Francisco Asue as prime minister, who had served as premier since 2016.

A new government is expected to be announced soon, said Tutu Alicante, the head of EG Justice, a US-based organisation, working to promote human rights and rule of law in Equatorial Guinea.


02:43 PM

Watch: Government secures access for two new potential vaccines


02:32 PM

Irish tourism boss quits after holidaying abroad

The chairman of Ireland's tourism authority, former Ryanair Chief Operating Officer Michael Cawley, resigned today after going on holiday to Italy, contrary to government advice to avoid non-essential travel abroad.

Cawley, a Ryanair director who also served as finance chief and deputy CEO at the airline, faced calls from opposition parties to quit after he confirmed to the Irish Independent newspaper on today that he was holidaying in Italy.

Cawley is the first senior official in Ireland to resign for flouting coronavirus guidance. 

Italy is one of 10 countries on the government's green list, meaning anyone arriving in Ireland can avoid a 14-day quarantine requirement that applies to travellers from anywhere else.

However official travel advice since Ireland's coronavirus outbreak began in February has remained that non-essential travel abroad should be avoided and people have been encouraged to holiday at home to support the hard-hit tourism sector.

Failte Ireland, the tourism development authority, has been giving extra funding to promote domestic tourism.

Cawley said in a statement that he decided to step down because he did not wish to allow the issue to distract from Failte Ireland's work in rebuilding the Irish tourism industry.

Tourism Minister Catherine Martin said she was disappointed to learn that Cawley was holidaying in Italy and believed his position was untenable.


02:21 PM

'No country' has an effective strategy to prevent outbreaks linked to pubs and clubs

From Aberdeen to Seoul, coronavirus outbreaks linked to pubs, bars and nightclubs have become commonplace. The layout of the venues themselves coupled with human behaviour create the “perfect storm” for the virus to spread, experts say - while tracing such an outbreak after the event is a tall order. 

With winter on the horizon and fewer opportunities to socialise outside, there are growing concerns that this problem will only get worse - especially as governments attempt to reopen more and more aspects of society. 

“No country I know of has got a handle on how to deal with this,” says Prof Devi Sridhar, chair of global public health at Edinburgh University. “It almost feels like reopening the nighttime economy is the piece that makes the tower of building blocks collapse.”

The venues themselves are part of the problem - bars, pubs and clubs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with some easier to make "Covid secure" than others. But often they are poorly ventilated, loud, enclosed spaces with few windows to open, providing the ideal conditions for the virus to spread. 

However experts say it is this combined with human behaviour that turn these settings into one of the “most dangerous” places during a pandemic. 

Read the full analysis here.


02:08 PM

Nearly half of Brazilians say Bolsonaro is not to blame for Covid death toll

An interesting poll here, which suggests that almost half of Brazilians think President Jair Bolsonaro bears "no responsibility at all" for the country's more than 100,000 dead from the pandemic, the world's second highest death toll.

The poll was published today in Brazil's Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper and says 47 per cent of Brazilians do not assign him any blame for the body count, whereas 11 per cent do.

Brazil has the world's worst outbreak outside of the United States and Bolsonaro's response to the pandemic has been widely condemned by health experts.

Right-wing Bolsonaro has pushed for the use of an unproven anti-malarial drug to fight the disease, replaced health ministers who opposed his agenda, encouraged Brazilians to oppose lockdown measures and shown indifference to the rising death toll.

Results from the same polling sample released yesterday showed that Bolsonaro currently enjoys the highest popularity rating of his administration, which began in 2019 - 37 per cent percent of Brazilians rated his term as great or good, compared with 32 per cent in June.

As of Friday, Brazil had 106,523 deaths and 3,275,520 confirmed cases.

Datafolha, the polling company, interviewed 2,065 people between August 11-12, and the poll has a margin of error of two percentage points up or down.


01:54 PM

In pictures - the mad rush to beat the quarantine

Thousands of Britons have cut holidays short in a scramble to make it home before new restrictions on arrivals from European countries came into effect this morning:

People queue in line to check-in for a British Airways flight to Heathrow airport from Nice airport - AP Photo/Daniel Cole
Passengers wearing facemasks as a precaution against the spread of the novel coronavirus walk along the platform to an escalator after arriving on a Eurostar train from Paris at St Pancras International station in London - TOLGA AKMEN/AFP
A DFDS ferry moors at the port of Dover in southeast England - Ben STANSALL / AFP
Passengers wait next to the Eurostar Terminal at the Gare du Nord train station in Paris - AP Photo/Michel Euler

01:43 PM

Four more coronavirus fatalities in England

Four more people who tested positive for Covid-19 have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals to 29,456, NHS England revealed today.

The patients were aged between 66 and 88 and they all had known underlying health conditions.

There were also six deaths reported among people with no positive coronavirus test result.


01:38 PM

Record number of new cases reported in Ukraine

Ukraine has reported a record number of new cases, an increase of 1,847, according to figures from the National Council of Security and Defence, overtaking a previous record set on Friday.

Infections have been on the rise since June when the authorities eased some restrictions and allowed cafes, churches and public transport to reopen.

The country has now logged a total of 89,719 cases including 2,044 deaths. Below is a look at the trajectory of the country's outbreak:


01:27 PM

Coronavirus has exposed extent of slavery in UK, says Sir Iain Duncan Smith

Coronavirus has shone a light on a “lawless state” within Britain, where people are held as slaves and criminal gangs steal from the taxpayer, says Sir Iain Duncan Smith.

The former Conservative Party leader tells of the “enormous criminal sub-society thriving in the UK”, whose practices have been exposed during the pandemic.

Writing in The Telegraph, Sir Iain says: “A significant and well-organised network of gangs brings people into this country by different methods, including illegal passports. But the gangs don’t just go away when the migrants land in the UK. Too many migrants are then forced into slavery in disgusting conditions.”

He made the comments after a report was published by the Centre for Social Justice, the think tank, on slavery and exploitation of workers in Leicester.

It follows reports of a clothing factory in Leicester that allegedly paid staff illegally low wages and flouted safety measures.

Read the full article here.


01:17 PM

Could a breakthrough drug be too expensive for most of the world?

Scientists awaiting the results of the first drugs specifically designed to target Covid-19 are quietly optimistic that the preliminary data, set to be revealed next month, will herald a major breakthrough. 

If confirmed as safe and effective the drugs, known as monoclonal antibodies, could have a dramatic impact on efforts to halt the pandemic and reduce the death toll, say experts. 

Monoclonal antibodies are already used to treat conditions including cancer, arthritis and Ebola. They are laboratory produced antibodies specific to the disease in question and delivered via injection. But there's a major drawback: they are expensive to manufacture and distribute.

“These are pretty revolutionary products that have real potential to save lives and alter the pandemic’s trajectory,” said Dr Lindsay Keir, innovations partner at Wellcome. “But historically we haven’t thought early enough about how to lower development costs and  how they would actually be used in clinics.” 

Find out more in this article from our Global Health Security team.


01:06 PM

French government under pressure to require masks more widely

In France, pressure is growing on the government to require masks in all workplaces and in public as coronavirus infections surge.

Paris police stepped up mask patrols today as the French capital expanded the zones where face coverings are required in public, including neighborhoods around the Louvre Museum and Champs-Elysees shopping district.

With cases in Paris rising particularly fast, police can now shut down cafes or any gathering of more than 10 people where distancing and other hygiene measures aren't respected.

Masks are currently required outdoors in hundreds of French towns, but rules vary widely.

In an appeal published in the daily Liberation, a collective of medical workers urged a nationwide return to working at home, which France largely abandoned after two months of strict lockdown.

France recorded more than 2,800 new cases yesterday, up from a few hundred daily cases a month ago. While the rise is partly attributed to increased testing, the rate of positive tests is also growing, and is now at 2.4 per cent. However, the number of virus patients in French hospitals and intensive care units has not risen so far.

Related: Second wave looms as France reports more than 12,000 new coronavirus cases


12:52 PM

Watch: France has been 'heading the wrong way' in terms of coronavirus infections

 


12:41 PM

Protesters march in South Korea despite pleas to stay home

Thousands of anti-government protesters, armed with umbrellas and raincoats, marched through the soggy streets of South Korea's capital on Saturday, ignoring official pleas to stay home amid a surge in Covid-19 cases infections.

It appeared that at least several were detained after scuffles with police, which deployed about 6,000 officers to closely follow the protesters in streets near Seoul's presidential palace.

There were no immediate reports of major clashes or injuries. Officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency did not immediately say how maony protesters were taken into custody.

The protests came as the government moved to impose stronger social distancing restrictions in the city and nearby towns following a spike in infections (see post at 9:27am). 

Municipal officials in Seoul had sought to frbid the slew of rallies planned by conservative activists and Christian groups for a holiday celebrating the 75th anniversary of the nation's liberation from Japanese colonial rule at the end of World War II.

But a court allowed some of them to go on, citing civil liberties after protesters challenged the city's administrative order banning the gatherings.

The demonstrators, many of them wearing masks and carrying the South Korean flag, paraded through rain near Seoul's presidential palace, calling for liberal President Moon Jae-in to step down over what they see as kowtowing to North Korea, policy failures, corruption and election fraud.

 Members of pro-US conservative right-wing and religious christian groups wave flags and shout slogans during an anti-government rally in the central Gwanghwamun area of Seoul -  ED JONES/AFP

12:30 PM

German health minister: 'Party holidays are irresponsible'

In Germany the health minister today has called party holidays irresponsible, as he defended he government's decision to declare nearly all of Spain, including Mallorca, as a coroanvirus risk region.

"I know how much the Germans love Spain ... But unfortunately the infection rates there are rising sharply, too sharply," Jens Spahn told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

"Whoever goes to Spain despite the warning should protect themselves and others while on holiday. Party holidays are irresponsible in this pandemic."

People returning to Germany from designated risk regions face a coronavirus test or two weeks' compulsory quarantine.

Spahn's comments came as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany rose by 1,415 to 222,828, the biggest increase since late April, data from the Robergh lockdown seven weeks ago. The German move, which is slightly different from the Ut Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed on Saturday.

Infections in Spain have also spiked in recent days after it ended a touK approach, deals a new blow to hopes for a swift revival of mass tourism after months of lockdown all but wiped out this year's high season.


12:18 PM

Saints or sinners: young people and Covid-19

Recent virus spikes have been linked to people in their teens and 20s partying - but is criticism of 'generation Covid' unfair? Harriet Barber finds out in this piece:

When the pandemic hit, Ian Soh, a first year medical student at St George’s Hospital Medical School in London, channelled his spare time into translating World Health Organization (WHO) safety guidelines for people who could not read English.

“As a medical student I just wanted to help – the number of cases was increasing in Europe but without more training I couldn’t work on the frontline,” he says.

But while at the beginning of the pandemic young people were being celebrated for helping their communities the conversation has shifted - young people are now being castigated for spreading the virus. 

The WHO has warned young people could be driving spikes across Europe, while reports of illegal raves across the UK and parts of Europe have regularly made headline news. 

Dr Andy Mycock, reader in politics at Huddersfield University, told the Telegraph that “young people are framed as either being saints or sinners and the Covid-19 story seems to have fallen into that.” 


12:07 PM

Today in photos

Here's a visual look at the pandemic across the globe today:

New York, US:

People relax on socially distant mini lawns at the rooftop of Pier 17, called "The Greens", in New York. The venue had to cancel its entire run of concerts and special events this season due to the Covid-19 - ANGELA WEISS/AFP 

Bogota, Colombia:

Nurse Lina Acevedo checks the plasma donated by a man who recovered from Covid-19 - Guillermo Legaria/Getty Images

 Rio de Janiero, Brazil:

A worker of AquaRio disinfects the lobby entrance of the Rio de Janeiro Aquarium under the skeleton of a humpback whale prior to the reopening of the tourist attraction - MAURO PIMENTEL/AFP

 New Delhi, India:

A security personnel wearing a PPE suit checks the body temperature of a photojournalist before the start of a ceremony to celebrate India's 74th Independence Day, which marks the of the end of British colonial rule, at the Red Fort in New Delhi  - Prakash SINGH / AFP

11:54 AM

Silver linings: marsh harriers have thrived during lockdown

A fall in visitors to National Trust sites due to lockdown had an upside for a rare species of bird, which has had the most successful breeding year in decades, Helena Horton writes.

The striking marsh harrier was once on the brink of extinction in the UK, with only one breeding female thought to be existing in the wild in the 1970s. 

Since then, conservation efforts have helped bolster numbers, with 400 nesting pairs in the country, but this year's quiet conditions have caused a true success for the raptor, which is still classed as Amber on the RSPB's conservation list.

At least twelve marsh harrier chicks have successfully fledged at the National Trust’s Wicken Fen Nature Reserve in Cambridgeshire, making 2020 the most successful breeding year in over 20 years.

Rangers at the reserve witnessed four nests of chicks successfully fledging over the past few months, two of which had been built in an area usually busy with visitors.

Read the full report here. 


11:43 AM

Jet2 to make more than 100 pilots redundant

More than 100 pilots are set to be made redundant at the airline Jet2 after attempts to save jobs were rejected, a union has said today.

In June, the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) union said the Leeds-based carrier was proposing cutting 102 pilot jobs after flights were grounded due to the pandemic.

Today the union has revealed that Jet2 has announced plans to cut pilots at most of its bases, despite a range of options which Balpa said it had offered.

Several other airlines have announced job cuts after a collapse in demand caused by the pandemic including British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair. Balpa general secretary Brian Strutton said:

"This announcement is yet another which shows the desperate state of the British aviation sector. Despite enormous efforts to work with Jet2 to find ways of saving these jobs, the airline is insisting on 102 redundancies.

"This will be a particular kick in the teeth as many of those who may lose their jobs have recently joined the airline after having been dismissed from Thomas Cook which went into administration last year.

Mr Strutton also called for support for the industry which has also been affected by the implementation of quarantines. PA has contacted Jet2 has for comment.


11:34 AM

It's Super Saturday Mark II – but where has all the joy gone?

After false starts, ruined holidays and warnings of a second wave of Covid-19, the country is in a more sober mood as lockdown again eases, writes Rosa Silverman:

When pubs and restaurants reopened on July 4 after more than three long months of lockdown, the occasion was greeted with a sense of jubilation. Dubbed Super Saturday, it felt like a moment of release, when we could collectively rush towards the good things in life – family meet-ups, evenings out with friends, Sunday lunches that don't involve washing up the dishes yourself. We raised a glass and spilled out onto Britain's streets on a suitably balmy evening. Summer had been saved.

Or so we thought.

Today, a further tranche of businesses will reopen, after the Government announced yesterday that plans that had been put on ice two weeks ago are now being allowed to thaw. 

In one sense, we should be celebrating again (as much as parents may bemoan a trip to the soft play, it does at least pass the time in a way that staying at home for the umpteenth day in a row cannot). And yet, the unalloyed joy and hyperbole that surrounded Britain’s “Independence Day” last month is missing this time around. Scarred by a series of false starts and backward steps, and warnings of a second wave of the virus, the mood is more sober this week. 

Read the full article here.


11:23 AM

Is the world playing a dangerous game of 'vaccine nationalism'?

There’s been another flurry of deal making around access vaccines in the last few days, with the European Union agreeing to buy at least 300 million doses of AstraZeneca’s potential coronavirus vaccine. 

Meanwhile the UK announced yesterday that it has secured an additional 90 million potential Covid-19 vaccines - meaning Britain has now placed orders for six experimental vaccines, with a total potential stockpile of 340 million doses.

But while some suggest that this is sensible as it is unclear which vaccines will prove effective,  some onlookers are concerned about "vaccine nationalism".

Alex Harris, Head of Global Policy at Wellcome, said the EU and UK need to publish plans to demonstrate how they will ensure countries without the resources to sign these sorts of deals will not miss out:


11:11 AM

Holiday makers react to restrictions: 'A complete shambles, beyond incompetent'

There are lots of angry holiday makers this morning, after a mad dash to get back to the UK before new travel restrictions came into effect at 4am. 

Matt, a teacher from Manchester who did not share his second name, told the Press Association his story. He took a car on the Channel Tunnel train - which was due to arrive just moments before quarantine, at 3.55am.

His family had been camping in the Dordogne and had planned to come home on Monday but changed their tickets for an extra £115.

The family drove for 10 hours to Calais to catch the train and spent another £66 to stay at a hotel in the early hours before driving on to Manchester.

"We literally got on the last available train... we'd been keeping up-to-date with the chaos at Calais so we were fearing the worst," the 40-year-old said.

"Luckily, once we got to Calais we sailed through and actually got back at just gone 3am."

Matt said he did not want his family to be in quarantine on his daughter's eighth birthday next Friday, and the new measures would also have prevented a trip to see family in Scotland next weekend.

Asked about the Government's timing over imposing the deadline, Matt said: "How much swearing are you allowed to include if I give you my honest views on the Government?

"They're a complete shambles, beyond incompetent... they need to be clearer and give more warning.

"Is there a tipping point figure (of coronavirus cases), or do they just apply it as and when they feel like it?"


11:01 AM

Ryan Reynolds weighs in: 'I hope young people don't kill my mom'

The Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds has urged young people in his native Canada to stop going to parties and help slow the spread of Covid-19, saying: "I hope young people don't kill my mom."

The Deadpool star responded to a request for help from British Columbia premier John Horgan, who said he has been trying to get the message to the younger generation as Covid-19 cases have spiked in the province.

Reynolds replied with a voice message to Mr Horgan, starting by suggesting that he was not sure he was the person that young people wanted medical advice from. But he added the following, complete with a few quips:

"Young folks in BC, they're partying, which is of course dangerous. They probably don't know that thousands of young people aren't just getting sick from coronavirus, they're also dying from it too.

"It's terrible that it affects our most vulnerable. BC, that's home to some of the coolest older people on earth. David Suzuki (the environmental activist), he lives there.

"My mom, she doesn't want to be cooped up in her apartment all day. She wants to be out there cruising Kitsilano Beach looking for some young 30-something Abercrombie burnout to go full Mrs. Robinson on. She is insatiable.

"I hope young people in BC don't kill my mom frankly. Or David Suzuki. Or each other. Let's not kill anyone. I think that's reasonable."

Actor Ryan Reynolds - Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

10:50 AM

India: Modi announces stimulus plan and vaccine production strategy

India's prime minister has today insisted that his country has done well in containing the coronavirus pandemic, as he announced $1.46 trillion in infrastructure projects to boost the sagging economy.

"The coronavirus epidemic is a big crisis, but it can't stall India's economic progress," Modi said in a speech from New Delhi's 17th century Mughal-era Red Fort to mark the 73rd anniversary of India's independence from British rule.

He also said that three vaccines are in different phases of testing in India and mass production will begin as soon as scientists give the green light.

"Not one, not two, as many as three coronavirus vaccines are being tested in India," Modi said.

"Along with mass-production, the roadmap for distribution of vaccine to every single Indian in the least possible time is also ready. The country is also ready for mass production of those vaccines," he said, adding that a vaccine will be made "available to every Indian."

India has now confirmed more than 2.5 million virus cases, third behind the U.S. and Brazil. Its death toll of over 49,000 is fourth in the world.

School children wave after India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi speech to the nation during a ceremony to celebrate India's 74th Independence Day, which marks the of the end of British colonial rule, at the Red Fort in New Delh - Prakash SINGH / AFP

10:38 AM

France quarantine advice: What the new rules mean for you and your holiday

Related: Second wave looms as France reports more than 12,000 new coronavirus cases


10:27 AM

Los Angeles Mayor joins growing calls for a rethink of the US testing strategy

The mayor of the second-largest US city has joined a growing clamor among health experts and politicians for a radical shift in the nation's coronavirus testing strategy - from an emphasis on the utmost accuracy to a focus on speed and simplicity.

The concept envisions mass production and distribution of low-cost, do-it-yourself diagnostic kits based on paper-strip designs that can be used frequently and produce results in minutes, similar to home pregnancy tests. No lab equipment or special instruments would be required.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said this week he has convened a team of public health experts, bioscience executives, government leaders and philanthropists to push for accelerated research, development and production of such tests.

Proponents say that rapid, at-home Covid-19 testing would allow for real-time detection of new clusters of cases, including asymptomatic individuals - before they can spread. Such a feat has proven unattainable within the existing testing framework, which relies on laboratories to process samples and typically takes days or weeks to return results.

"If we get this right, we could be doing as many as a million tests a week using paper strip testing just here in Los Angeles," Garcetti said, as the city appeared to be on the verge of tamping down its latest surge of infections.

When paired with expanded contact-tracing to locate and quarantine other exposed individuals, rapid in-home test kits could be as effective as a vaccine in breaking the Covid-19 transmission cycle, according to advocates led by Harvard University epidemiologist Michael Mina.


10:19 AM

Analysis: Local spikes are unlikely to lead to more deaths

The recent spikes of coronavirus cases in localised areas around the UK are unlikely to lead to more deaths, the latest NHS Test and Trace data suggests.

New charts showing the age range of those testing positive for the virus in hotspot areas such as Blackburn with Darwen, Oldham, Leicester and Bradford, reveal that the vast majority of those impacted are under 65.

In contrast, large numbers of older people were testing positive at the height of the pandemic. The age difference matters  because older people are far more likely to be hospitalised and to die from the virus.

And there is evidence that the death rate from Covid-19 has been falling steadily since March, when it was around six per cent overall. It is now around one per cent. 

Professor Francois Balloux, of UCL, said the effect could be due to improved treatment and also a "mortality displacement" effect after many at-risk people died in the first wave. Prof Balloux believes that may reduce the number of deaths in the event of a second wave (see potential scenarios below).

Read more here on this subject from our Science Editor, Sarah Knapton.


10:08 AM

What's happening across the globe?

Here's a brief roundup of the key international stories to be aware of this morning:

  • South Korea has announced that stronger social distancing restrictions will be enforced in the region surrounding the capital, Seoul, where a surge in infections threatens to erase hard-won gains against the coronavirus (see post at 9:27am).
  • Confirmed Covid-19 infections in India have topped 2.5 million after a record single-day spike of 65,002 new cases. But these figures are likely to be a vast underestimate as testing is patchy.
  • Meanwhile in Latin America coronavirus cases have exceeded six million and outbreaks are continuing to accelerate. Experts say this is set to get worse as most nations begin to relax restrictions.
  • The state of Victoria in Australia is continuing to flatten the curve in its new wave of coronavirus infections and deaths - today the state reported 303 new cases and four fatalities, the second lowest-figure this month. But authorities say it is too soon to lift lockdown restrictions. 
  • In New Zealand the director general of health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield, has said that authorities are investigating whether the spike in cases in the country could be linked to the outbreak in Australia. And the Prime Minister Jacinda Arden is set to decide whether the election will be postponed or not by Monday (see 8:55am). 
  • According to a report from Interfax news agency citing the health ministry,  Russia has started manufacturing its controversial new vaccine for Covid-19.
  • And in Denmark, wearing face masks on public transport will be compulsory in  from August 22 following a spike in infections.

09:52 AM

Denmark set to make face masks compulsory on public transport

In Denmark the Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has announced this morning that wearing face masks on public transport will be compulsory in Denmark from August 22, following a spike in numbers of new coronavirus cases.

In mid-April, Denmark became one the first European countries to ease its lockdown as the epidemic appeared to be contained, but the reproduction rate at which it is spreading rose above 1.5 in the past week, the highest reading since early April.

Frederiksen said the surge also meant that plans to remove a limit on the size of public gatherings would be deferred, with the limit remaining at 100 people for the time being.


09:43 AM

Ethiopia: Crackdown sees opposition denied trials and put at risk of Covid

Opposition politicians and journalists caught up in recent mass arrests in Ethiopia have been denied access to lawyers while being held in conditions that make them vulnerable to th coronavirus, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said today. 

The allegations play into concerns that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who won last year's Nobel Peace Prize in part for domestic political reforms, is embracing repressive measures to silence critics. HRW's Horn of Africa director Laetitia Bader said in a statement:

"The actions of Ethiopia's investigative authorities raise concerns that they have not moved on from past practices of arresting first, and investigating later.

"The authorities should promptly bring credible charges based on clear facts and evidence against the detainees or ensure their release."

More than 9,000 people have been rounded up in connection with violence that erupted in late June following the killing of Hachalu Hundessa, a popular singer from the Oromo ethnic group, leaving more than 200 people dead.

Among the detainees are high-profile opposition politicians and journalists from multiple outlets.

Investigations have so far "been marred by serious due process violations", with authorities failing to disclose the whereabouts of detainees and disregarding bail orders, HRW said.

At least two detainees - a senior member of the opposition Oromo Federalist Congress and Kenyan journalist Yassin Juma - have reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 while in custody.


09:34 AM

Today in photos

Here’s a look at life during the pandemic across the globe:

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:

A worker disinfects the oceanic tunnel of the Rio de Janeiro Aquarium on the eve of the reopening of the touristic attraction - MAURO PIMENTEL/AFP

Beijing, China:

Children wearing face masks to protect against the coronavirus watch a clown magician perform at a shopping mall - AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

 Yura, Peru:

Residents of the rural community of Yura, close to the city of Arequipa, in southern Peru, participate in the burial of their mayor Angel Benavente, with an outdoor mass and an animated funeral possession - Diego Ramos / AF

Delhi, India:

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspects the honour guard during Independence Day celebrations at the historic Red Fort in Delhi - REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

09:21 AM

Greece on course to join quarantine red list

In more travel news, Greece could be added to Britain’s mandatory two-week quarantine list if the number of Covid-19 cases in the country continues to surge.

Greece is experiencing its highest daily increase in infections since the start of the pandemic and on Friday the government ordered the quarantining of the country’s third-largest migrant camp, on the island of Chios, after a Yemeni asylum seeker and a staff member tested positive for the disease.

If the country is added to the list, it would throw the travel plans of tens of thousands of British tourists into chaos, as it already has for Britons in France, Malta and the Netherlands, who must now go into quarantine for two weeks on their return to the UK.

Greece, which was keen to open up tourism to revive its battered economy, reported 262 new infections on Wednesday, its highest daily tally since the start of the outbreak. On Thursday, another 204 cases were reported.

That brings the total number of infections in Greece to 6,381 since late February, although the death toll remains very low – at just 216 (see chart below). 

The sharp increase in infections has led the authorities to introduce more restrictions, just as the tourism season is reaching its peak - find out more here


09:11 AM

Dfid pledges funding to factories in developing countries hit by Covid-19

The UK’s Department for International Department (Dfid) has unveiled new funding to protect workers in developing countries supplying goods to the UK as the fallout from Covid-19 threatens global supply chains.

Under the £6.85 million scheme, Dfid will partner with businesses including Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Primark, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose to improve conditions for workers in countries including Bangladesh, Ghana and Rwanda. 

The UK businesses will contribute £2 million while the remainder will come from the UK government.

“We want to ensure people in Britain can continue to buy affordable, high quality goods from around the world,” said international development secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

Peter Alexander, senior lecturer in global food security at the University of Edinburgh, said the production ends of supply chains could still be hit by Covid outbreaks or worker lay-offs in major exporting countries, such as Bangladesh or Kenya.

This alone is unlikely to create supply shortages. But if food prices rise as a result—or because of inflation—governments may respond by limiting exports.

Susannah Savage has the full story here.


09:11 AM

Dfid pledges funding to factories in developing countries hit by Covid-19

The UK’s Department for International Department (Dfid) has unveiled new funding to protect workers in developing countries supplying goods to the UK as the fallout from Covid-19 threatens global supply chains.

Under the £6.85 million scheme, Dfid will partner with businesses including Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Primark, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose to improve conditions for workers in countries including Bangladesh, Ghana and Rwanda. 

The UK businesses will contribute £2 million while the remainder will come from the UK government.

“We want to ensure people in Britain can continue to buy affordable, high quality goods from around the world,” said international development secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

Peter Alexander, senior lecturer in global food security at the University of Edinburgh, said the production ends of supply chains could still be hit by Covid outbreaks or worker lay-offs in major exporting countries, such as Bangladesh or Kenya.

This alone is unlikely to create supply shortages. But if food prices rise as a result—or because of inflation—governments may respond by limiting exports.

Susannah Savage has the full story here.


09:00 AM

Watch: Joe Biden issues call to make mask wearing compulsory for three months


08:51 AM

France quarantine: What next for holidaymakers?

Thousands of Britons have seen their holiday plans go up in smoke after the Government tool six countries, including France and the Netherlands, off a "safe travel" list.

It means that arrivals from these countries will now be subject to a 14 day quarantine - our Travel team have unpicked what that means in practice:


08:38 AM

Vaccine news: Reports Russia has started manufacturing controversial jab

According to a report from Interfax news agency citing the health ministry,  Russia has started manufacturing its new vaccine for Covid-19.

Russia has said the vaccine, developed by Moscow's Gamaleya Institute and the first for the coronavirus to go into production, will be rolled out by the end of this month.

But some scientists said they fear Moscow may be putting national prestige before safety - and as Theo Merz reports here, the scientists who developed the vaccine are not certain it will work, with concerns that side effects will include swelling, fever and pain. 


08:27 AM

South Korea tightens coronavirus restrictions

Meanwhile in South Korea this morning, the government has tightened restrictions on the capital city Seoul and the surrounding areas, after the county reported the highest number of new infections in more than five months. 

The stricter social distancing guidelines include restrictions on gatherings and activities including professional sports, which will be played behind closed doors in the capital area again.

On Saturday the country reported 166 new cases - the highest daily figure since early March (see chart below) - bringing the country's total infections to 15,039 with 305 deaths.

South Korea stands at a "critical juncture" in the battle to control the surge in cases, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said at a government response meeting.

"Our top priority is to contain the spread of the virus in the greater Seoul area."

A majority of the new cases came from the greater Seoul region - home to half of the country's 51 million people - raising fears about a major spike with a three-day weekend starting in South Korea from Saturday.


08:17 AM

NHS prepares for post-Covid spike in demand for mental health help

More health staff are being trained to treat people with post-traumatic stress disorder in preparation for a possible spike in demand for mental health services in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

Nearly 3,000 trainees are expected to start courses in psychological therapies and former staff are being asked to consider returning to frontline roles.

The aim is to be prepared for growing numbers of people with anxiety and depression and related conditions.

NHS national director for mental health Claire Murdoch said the pandemic had "turned lives upside down".

"Although talking therapy services have been available throughout, this is about making sure the NHS is ready for a potential spike in demand further down the line, which we know can happen during periods of extreme crisis," she said.

"With more people than ever coming forward for mental health care, the health service needs more staff to support them, so if you are a former member of staff or are looking for a career where you can make a real difference, there is a role in the NHS for you."


07:55 AM

New Zealand: Jacinda Ardern weighs up election delays

In New Zealand the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, is set to decide by Monday whether a general election will go ahead on September 19, with most analysts expecting her to resist opposition calls for a delay due to a flare up in infections.

New Zealand, home to five million people, has fared far better than most countries during the pandemic, but a spate of new infections forced Ardern earlier this week to lockdown Auckland, the largest city. Seven new cases were reported today.

Having kept New Zealand clear of infections for 102 days straight before the flare-up, Ardern has won praise for her decisive response to the pandemic, and opinion polls have shown her Labour Party in a winning position.

The opposition National Party have said they would like the election to be delayed, in the hope that Ardern loses some of her lustre once hardships caused by the lockdown begin to bite.

"She is a savvy politician," Grant Duncan, professor of politics at Massey University, told Reuters. "It pays for the government to have an election sooner rather than later, while the opposition wants it delayed."

Forced to cancel campaign events due to restrictions on movement and crowds due to the health scare, the opposition has accused Ardern of using the pandemic to shore up support as she appears on television nearly everyday to reassure New Zealanders, while their own leaders struggle to draw audiences.

Parliament is due to be dissolved on Monday, and Ardern told reporters yesterday that she would have decided by then, while giving assurances that the election commission had already planned for the vote - which must be held by November 21 - to be conducted safely.


07:44 AM

Today's top stories

In the UK this morning, travel chaos is dominating the headlines after the quarantine on France came into effect at 4am this morning.

In our front page splash our Science Editor Sarah Knapton reports that MPs and industry figures have called for a testing regime for those returning from abroad to end the chaos – but it emerged that the Government was told by scientists two months ago that testing travellers could help avoid a blanket quarantine.

It has also emerged that holidaymakers were originally due to have until 4am on Sunday to make it back to the UK, but Scotland, backed by Wales and Northern Ireland, pushed for that deadline to be brought forward to 4am on Saturday (read more here).

In other developing UK news this morning:

  • Businesses have said they are "delighted" to be welcoming customers back through their doors on Saturday, as part of the latest easing of lockdown restrictions in England.
  • More health staff are being trained to treat people with post-traumatic stress disorder in preparation for a potential spike in demand for mental health services after the coronavirus crisis.
  • Schools in England will be able to appeal against A-level and GCSE grades free of charge, according to the Education Secretary.

We'll bring you all the latest UK and international news throughout the day.


07:18 AM

Coronavirus robs already-struggling circus clowns of an income

Circus clown Santos Chiroque, whose performance name is "Piojito", or Little Tick, laughs at his grandchild's comment that he looks like a woman, as he shows off his clown costume - AP Photo/Martin Mejia

Circuses in Peru are built around clowns, providing work for more than 500 of the characters. But the shows have been struggling in recent years, their patrons lured away by the internet, video games and other live entertainment, and then the pandemic hit.

Cronavirus has kept millions of Peruvians locked down at home, dealing a hard blow to the hundred or so small circuses in the country.

In an empty lot in Lima, Santos Chiroque keeps the yellow tent, logs and ropes that he used until March to set up the circus that fed him and his family.

He had put money into the new tent in hopes of boosting business. "Money invested in vain," says the 74-year-old, whose clown name is "Piojito".

Now his wife and five children sell caramel apples on the streets of Lima in search of some coins.

clown in lima - ERNESTO BENAVIDES/AFP

At least one clown has died from coronavirus - William Tovar in the city of Huancayo. His white coffin was painted with coloured circles and six saddened clowns carried him through the streets of the city.

Other clowns are trying to adapt to the pandemic confinement. Carlos Olazabal and his four children perform children's shows using video calls from their four-storey house. His family also sells apples and salty popcorn to bring in an income.

Olazabal, who performs as "Chiquitin", says he also had put away some money for times of crisis.

"I was not thinking of a pandemic. My fear is earthquakes," he says, alluding to the frequent tremors that shake Peru.


06:23 AM

Infection cases reach 2.5 million in India

Security personnel wear masks while waiting for the start of the Independence Day ceremony at the Red Fort monument in New Delhi, India - AP Photo/Manish Swarup

India's confirmed coronavirus cases have crossed 2.5 million with another biggest single-day spike of 65,002 in the past 24 hours.

India is behind only the United States and Brazil in the number of cases.

The Health Ministry on Saturday also reported another 996 deaths for a total of 49,036.

The average daily reported cases jumped from around 15,000 in the first week of July to more than 50,000 at the beginning of August.

The Health Ministry said the rise showed the extent of testing, with 800,000 carried out in a single day. But experts said India needed to pursue testing more vigorously.

India's two-month lockdown imposed nationwide in late March kept infections low, but it has eased and is now largely being enforced in high-risk areas.

The new cases spiked after India reopened shops and manufacturing and allowed hundreds of thousands of migrant workers to return to their homes from coronavirus-hit regions.

Subways, schools and movie theatres remain closed.


03:19 AM

Peru mourns as Covid continues to claim lives

Peru remains one of worst-hit countries in Latin America after Brazil and Mexico, with more than 25,000 reported deaths and half a million cases. 

Infections in Peru have been on the rise since a national lockdown was lifted on July 1, prompting the government on Wednesday to reinstate a Sunday curfew, ban social gatherings and enforce mandatory lockdown in more provinces.

On Friday, residents of the rural community of Yura paid their respects to mayor Angel Benavente at an outdoor mass.

Neighbours and musicians said farewell to their mayor, who died of Covid.

paying their respects - DIEGO RAMOS/AFP
paying their respects - DIEGO RAMOS/AFP
paying their respects - DIEGO RAMOS/AFP
paying their respects - DIEGO RAMOS/AFP
paying their respects - DIEGO RAMOS/AFP

03:02 AM

Mexican officials believe peak has been reached

Mexico's number of confirmed coronavirus cases has risen to 511,369, with health officials believing the country's infections have peaked.

They reported 5,618 new cases on Friday, and said 615 more deaths had increased the pandemic death toll to 55,908.

Assistant Health Secretary Hugo Lopez-Gatell said Mexico had reached its peak of infections over the past three weeks.

However, he predicts that second waves of outbreaks will continue around the world for some time.

"This is a phenomenon that is going to be with us in the whole world for several years," he said.


02:16 AM

Australia records its youngest coronavirus victim

A man in his 20s has become the youngest person to die of coronavirus in Australia.

He was among 14 deaths reported by Victorian state health officials on Friday in an outbreak centred in Melbourne, the second-largest city.

Victoria on Saturday recorded 303 new coronavirus cases and four deaths.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said 188 elderly people had died over the past week as the virus ripped through aged-care homes in Melbourne.

Officials said about 70 per cent of Australia's 375 virus deaths had been at aged-care facilities.

Mr Morrison said Australians had high expectations of the services and standards at aged-care homes and other facilities like hospitals and schools.

"On the days that the system falls short, on the days that expectations are not met, I'm deeply sorry about that, of course I am," he said.


01:46 AM

Greece on course to join quarantine red list

Greece could be added to Britain’s mandatory two-week quarantine list if the number of Covid-19 cases in the country continues to surge.

Greece is experiencing its highest daily increase in infections since the start of the pandemic.

If the country is added to the list, it would throw the travel plans of tens of thousands of British tourists into chaos, as it already has for Britons in France, Malta and the Netherlands, who must now go into quarantine for two weeks on their return to the UK.

Read the full story here.


01:39 AM

New Zealand continues to record new cases

New Zealand has reported seven new cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours as a lockdown in the country's biggest city, Auckland, was extended on Friday in response to the country's first coronavirus outbreak in months.

Six of the seven new cases have been linked to the cluster responsible for all the previous community cases, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said.

The lockdown in Auckland, home to 1.7 million people, has been extended for nearly two weeks.


01:27 AM

South Korea fears infections are out of control

Doctors, medical students and healthcare professionals attend a rally in the Yeouido district of Seoul to protest against a South Korean government proposal to increase its annual intake of medical students - ED JONES/AFP

New coronavirus cases in South Korea have reached the highest level in five months, and authorities fear infections are getting out of control in the Seoul region, which is home to half the country's 51 million people.

Officials reported 166 new cases on Saturday. That is the highest since March 11, when South Korea reported 242 amid an outbreak in the southeastern city of Daegu and nearby towns.

With 103 new cases reported on Friday, this is the first time since late March that the daily increase has surpassed 100 two days in a row.

Officials said all but 11 of the new cases were local transmissions, and most were in the Seoul area.

Lee Jae-myung, governor of Gyeonggi province near Seoul, issued an administrative order to shut down the province's 15,779 religious facilities - mostly Christian churches - for two weeks to slow the spread of the virus.

Churches have emerged as major sources of infections after many of them failed to require worshippers to wear masks or allowed them to sing in choirs or eat together in diners.

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said authorities would be forced to consider elevating social distancing measures if transmissions continued to rise.

That could include bans on large gatherings, shutting high-risk facilities, such as karaoke bars, and again banning spectators from sports stadiums.


01:03 AM

Fears virus may spread during Californian heatwave

People escape the heat at Echo Park Lake in Los Angeles, California - REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

California is withering under a heatwave that has brought dangerously high temperatures, increased wildfire danger and fears of coronavirus spread as people flock to beaches and recreation areas.

Los Angeles opened cooling centres, but with limited capacity because of social distancing requirements.

Health officers are worried that people will pack beaches, lakes and other recreation areas without following mask and social distancing orders - a major concern in a state that has seen more than 600,000 cases.

Dr George Rutherford, an epidemiologist at the University of California, told the San Francisco Chronicle that Israel saw a Covid resurgence after a May heatwave inspired school officials to let children remove their masks.

"People will want to take off their masks when it's hot," Dr Rutherford said. "Don't do it."


12:57 AM

Saturday morning brings changes in Paris

Pedestrians obey the rules along the Champs-Elysees near the Arc de Triomphe, as France reinforces the use of masks - REUTERS/Charles Platiau

Paris is expanding the areas of the city where pedestrians will be obliged to wear masks starting on Saturday morning, with health officials saying coronavirus is "active" in the French capital and the Mediterranean city of Marseille,

The Champs-Elysees Avenue and the area around the Louvre museum are among zones where masks will be mandatory.

Paris police checks ensuring respect for mask wearing in designated areas will be reinforced.

Bars and restaurants could be ordered to close if social distancing and other barriers to virus transmission are not respected.


12:46 AM

Borders to stay shut as North Korea lifts lockdown

Kim Jong-un attends a ruling party meeting in Pyongyang, North Kore - KCNA via KNS

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has lifted a lockdown at a major city near the border with South Korea where thousands had been quarantined for weeks over coronavirus concerns.

At a ruling party meeting, Kim insisted the North will keep its borders shut.

State media reported Kim said the virus situation in Kaesong was stable and expressed gratitude to residents for cooperating with the lockdown, which was based on a suspected virus case that North Korea later said was inconclusive.


12:20 AM

Pandemic has exposed extent of slavery in the UK

Coronavirus has shone a light on a “lawless state” within Britain, where people are held as slaves and criminal gangs steal from the taxpayer, says Sir Iain Duncan Smith.

The former Conservative Party leader tells of the “enormous criminal sub-society thriving in the UK”, whose practices have been exposed during the pandemic.

Writing in The Telegraph on Saturday, Sir Iain says “there is an enormous criminal sub-society thriving in the UK today”.

“A significant and well-organised network of gangs brings people into this country by different methods, including illegal passports.

“But the gangs don’t just go away when the migrants land in the UK.

“Too many migrants are then forced into slavery in disgusting conditions.”

READ MORE:


12:11 AM

Second wave looms in France

There are concerns in France that people are failing to maintain social distancing and wear masks - AP/Christophe En

France reported more than 12,300 new coronavirus cases this week as the infection rate rose to its highest in more than two months, sparking fears of a deadly second wave.

Young people have been blamed for failing to maintain social distancing and not wearing masks, perhaps because many think they will not fall seriously ill if they catch Covid-19.

But health minister Olivier Véran said it was not just the young at fault.

"When family or groups of friends who know each well have met up after not seeing each other for a long time, many have forgotten the need to keep their distance, not shake hands or kiss on the cheek. I cannot over-emphasise that it is imperative for everyone to keep following the rules," he said.

Read the full story here.


12:00 AM

Today's top stories