Health officials are expecting Nottingham to be placed in lockdown after a surge in Covid-19 cases.
The city's infection rate has soared, with 1,273 new cases recorded in the seven days to October 2 - the equivalent of 382.4 cases per 100,000 people.
This is up from 59.5 per 100,000 in the seven days to September 25.
The director of public health for Nottingham, Alison Challenger, said current restrictions in the city "are no longer enough to stop the spread of the virus".
The rising rate has coincided with a recent outbreak at the University of Nottingham, as figures on its website showed 425 students had tested positive for Covid-19 during the week ending last Friday.
Nottingham City Council said it was expecting the Government to introduce tougher rules later this week, "similar to those introduced in other cities such as Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds".
The council has asked people in the city to "take urgent steps" and to "not mix indoors with people from other households".
06:04 PM
Key developments
Good evening. Here are some key developments from around the world today:
There have been a further 14,542 Covid-19 cases and 76 deaths reported in the UK today - a rise of almost 2,000 cases from the day before.
Scotland's pubs and bars are braced for closure at the end of this week as part of a 'circuit breaker' lockdown after Nicola Sturgeon confirmed extra restrictions are being examined for hospitality.
Donald Trump told Americans "to get out there" and not fear Covid-19 as he returned to the White House on Monday after a three-night hospital stay to be treated for the virus and removed his surgical mask to pose for pictures.
Medical experts have urged caution over experimental Covid-19 treatments touted by a recovering Donald Trump, after the president told Americans “not to be afraid” of the virus. The president also faced a backlash from doctors and emergency workers treating Covid-19 patients as they urged the public not to be complacent about the disease.
More than half of the Paris region's poorest residents, notably migrants, have been infected with the coronavirus, according to French aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres.
“Pandemic fatigue” - a “demotivation to follow recommended protective behaviours”, such as hand washing or sticking to social distancing rules - is on the rise across Europe and with it comes the risk of further disease spread, the World Health Organization has warned.
05:54 PM
MPs vote in favour of 'rule of 6' regulations
MPs have voted in favour of Covid-19 regulations which enforce the rule of six in England by 287 votes to 17, majority 270.
The regulations are already in force, with the motion offering a retrospective vote on it.
05:54 PM
Minister criticised for suggesting alternative to restrictions is allowing virus to 'let rip'
Helen Whately, a health minister, faced criticism from MPs after suggesting the alternative to imposing restrictions would be allowing the virus to "let rip".
Making an intervention, Steve Baker said: "Nobody is suggesting that we let the virus rip. You know, radical as I may be, I quoted some supportive passages in my own remarks.
"But also when she says it's deadly, I think we all accept that it is deadly for people who have prior risk factors which raise the infection fatality rate, but isn't it the truth that for a great many people who are younger and without prior conditions, this is not an especially deadly disease?
"We knew that at the beginning, we know it today. It is deadly for a certain section of our society and it's them we're looking after. Can we please be honest about that?"
Ms Whately responded: "The majority of those that have spoken this evening have absolutely supported the fact that we do need to have restrictions in place which is very good to hear."
Mark Harper added: "We all want the Government to be successful but if every time somebody asks a question or posits a different strategy, we are accused of wanting to let it rip and kill tens of thousands of people, this debate will not remain good-tempered and I would just say to her please accept we are all trying to get this right."
05:52 PM
'It's not clear that the benefits outweighs the costs of lockdown', says Steve Baker
Tory Steve Baker (Wycombe) said: "I have real concerns about the very high cost of these measures ... Absolutely appalling set of costs which people are bearing and the anecdotes now increasingly rising of poor compliance, indeed people seem to have a gap between their intentions to comply versus what they actually do."
He added: "It's not clear now that the benefit outweighs the costs of lockdown. We have to ask whether this set of circumstances is really what we want.
"We're hearing about people who are being destroyed by this lockdown, strong, confident people, outgoing people, gregarious people who are being destroyed and reduced to repeated episodes of tears on the phone.
"This is a devastating social impact on our society and I believe that people would make different choices were they the ones able to take responsibility for themselves."
Intervening, Tory Craig Mackinlay (South Thanet) said: "There are other effects of such draconian rules."
The Government, he added, should be publishing "what those other effects are" including mental health, cancer and "deaths that we're simply stocking up for the future that we're not seeing yet".
05:50 PM
Influential Tory backbencher asks whether Government has considered 'rule of 8' instead
Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 committee of Tory backbenchers, asked whether the Government had considered a "rule of eight" instead.
During a Commons debate on Covid-19 regulations, he said: "Can she (health minister Helen Whately) share with us her estimate of the efficacy of the rule of six compared to that of a rule of eight had that been introduced instead.
"Is the rule of six more or less effective than a ban on household mixing?"
He added: "These rules are a massive intrusion into the liberty and private lives of the whole British people, and they're having a devastating economic effect as well which will result in big job losses and masses of business failures."
Liberal Democrat health spokeswoman Munira Wilson questioned why ministers in England have not followed colleagues in the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales and exempted children under 12 from the rule of six.
She added: "I'd like to know does she (Ms Whately) think that people in Scotland and Wales are able to follow a slightly more complex message as opposed to people in England needing a simpler message about children?"
05:47 PM
Rule of six will 'do more harm than good', says Tory MP
Tory MP Huw Merriman said he cannot vote in favour of the Government's public health motion as he fears the rule of six will "do more harm than good".
Mr Merriman (Bexhill and Battle) told MPs: "When it comes to the rule of six I do have great concerns because I do not see the evidence in terms of how this will reduce the rates of Covid.
"My biggest concern which I'd say to the Government and to the front bench is this - we are ruling by consent, we need people to come with us.
"When people look at these rules, people I speak to who have been absolutely religious devotees of lockdown, they now say I'm just not going to do this any more. And the concern is that they won't follow some of the other rules that do make sense that we should have in place."
Returning to the rule of six, Mr Merriman said: "Now I look for that evidence, but I still don't see it.
"On that basis, I am afraid that I am unable to vote for the rule of six because I just do not believe it is proportionate and that it will actually do what the Government hopes it will do, and I hope and fear that it will actually do more harm than good."
05:45 PM
Belgium tightens social contact rules as coronavirus cases surge
Belgium will tighten coronavirus restrictions at the end of the week, limiting groups to a maximum of four people in a bid to stem a sharp rise of Covid-19 infections.
New prime minister Alexander De Croo, who took office five days ago, told a news conference he was aware Belgians were tired of restrictions, but they had to stick to the rules to avoid a fresh lockdown.
Health minister Frank Vandenbroucke said that from Friday Belgians should limit to three the number of people outside their homes for whom they did not observe social distancing.
No more than four people should be invited inside a home, be seated at a single bar table or gather outside. Bars will all have to close at 11pm.
Belgians have been able to see up to five people without social distancing and be in groups of up to 10 people at a table in a bar or restaurant.
05:43 PM
Poland reports new record of daily coronavirus-related deaths
Poland said it would enforce restrictions more strictly as it reported a daily record of 58 coronavirus-related deaths today, as well as sharp increases in the number of ventilators and hospital beds being used by Covid-19 patients.
The country reported 2,236 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, close to Saturday’s record of 2,367. Poland, which has a population of 38 million, has reported 104,316 cases overall and 2,717 deaths, much lower than many other European countries.
“Only those with a medical certificate from a doctor can choose not to wear a mask where it is mandatory ... any person who doesn’t wear a mask (and doesn’t have a certificate) will face the harshest of punishments,” health minister Adam Niedzielski said.
He said there would be a ban on using some venues for dancing and new distancing rules to prevent mass gatherings.
05:41 PM
Covid fiasco: almost 6,000 people who tested positive still haven't been traced
Almost 6,000 people who tested positive for Covid-19 have yet to be traced following the testing fiasco which saw 16,000 cases “lost” in the system.
Call handlers are still trying to reach thousands of positive cases – some of whom received their test results nearly two weeks ago – to obtain contact details of those they may have exposed to the virus.
Last night Labour urged ministers to “get a grip” on the test and trace service, as the Health Secretary admitted health officials still do not know how many contacts they need to track down.
A vaccine is 'quite a while away', says Mark Drakeford
A vaccine which would bring the coronavirus pandemic to an end is "quite a way away", the First Minister of Wales has said.
Mark Drakeford said the public would have to learn to live with the virus and accept a re-escalation of restrictions for "quite a while yet", while suggesting the first immunisations could only protect a person for a matter of weeks.
The First Minister made his comments during a Welsh Government online question and answer session with members of the public today.
Mr Drakeford said: "I wouldn't get carried away, myself, by some of the things you sometimes hear ministers at the UK Government level saying, or some of the more typical reports you hear in newspapers, suggesting there is some miracle around the corner that is going to get us all out of this in short order.
"There is an enormous amount of work going on to create a vaccine. But I don't think the first vaccines we will see will be the sort of vaccine we are used to."
He added: "The early vaccines will be vaccines that will give you some protection for a relatively short period of time. Months, sometimes maybe weeks, and then you'll have to have it again.
"The sort of vaccine that really will put an end to coronavirus is quite a way away, I think. So we've got to learn to live with it."
05:28 PM
More than half of Paris' poorest residents have Covid, new survey finds
More than half of the Paris region's poorest residents, notably migrants, have been infected with the coronavirus, according to French aid group Doctors Without Borders, or MSF.
The alarming figures were released on the day the French capital closed down bars for two weeks and imposed tighter restrictions on restaurants in a bid to stem rising infection and intensive care occupancy rates.
After conducting tests in emergency shelters and food distribution centres in late June and early July, MSF concluded that the positivity rate was 55 per cent compared with just 12 per cent currently for the general population in Paris.
Migrants accounted for 90 per cent of the more 800 people tested, said MSF, adding that this was the first study in Europe of its kind.
"The results show an extremely high prevalence. The main reason is the conditions at shelters and being packed together, which leads to clusters" of infection, Corinne Torre of MSF told AFP.
Donald Trump is doing “extremely well” and reporting no symptoms of Covid-19, a day after returning to the White House after being hospitalised with the virus, his doctor has said in a statement.
Sean Conley, a Navy commander, said a team of physicians met with the president this morning.
“He had a restful first night at home, and today he reports no symptoms. Vital signs and physical exam remain stable, with an ambulatory oxygen saturation level of 95-97 per cent,” he said in a statement released by the White House. “Overall he continues to do extremely well.”
05:13 PM
Universities accused of 'cashing in' by charging self-isolating students hundreds of pounds for basic food deliveries
Universities have been accused of cashing in on self-isolating students by charging hundreds of pounds in some cases for basic food deliveries.
The University of East Anglia (UEA) initially charged the students living in its self-catered accommodation halls £252 for two weeks of supplies.
International relations and politics Morgan Burdick, 20, said that UEA was “taking every opportunity to cash in on the pandemic” with the charge.
“Many universities are facing dire financial situations in the wake of Covid, and it’s clear UEA are using this as an opportunity to cash a cheque,” she said.
“My friends being charged nearly £300 for their self-isolating meals by the university feels like a slap in the face.”
Health department to investigate after man in Wales is sent 20 Covid results intended for others
The Department of Health has ordered an investigation into why a 63-year-old lawyer in North Wales was sent 20 results of coronavirus tests intended for complete strangers.
The messages are understood to have included the names and dates of birth of other people who had been tested for coronavirus, together with the fact the person's test result was negative.
They were sent to Adrian Mason's mobile phone in two batches on different days in the past 10 days.
Mr Mason, 63 from Colwyn Bay, said he was amazed to receive the results not least because he has never been tested for coronavirus and did not know why he would receive them.
Mr Mason, who is a Conservative councillor, said he would like the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) to investigate why he has received the coronavirus test results because he has never been tested for coronavirus.
Romanian authorities to close theatres, cinemas and indoor restaurants and require Britons to quarantine
Romanian authorities will close theatres, cinemas and indoor restaurants in the capital Bucharest and several other cities from Wednesday to try to stem an increase in coronavirus infections.
Also from Wednesday, travellers from 49 high-risk countries, including France, Spain and Britain, will need to self-isolate for two weeks upon arrival, except those travelling for less than three days, who must have a negative coronavirus test.
Romania has been reporting more than 2,000 new cases daily almost every day for the past week, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 139,612.
While 109,898 people have recovered, 5,121 have died, the highest fatality rate in the EU’s eastern wing, and the government has extended a state of alert until mid-October.
Indoor restaurants, cinemas and theatres re-opened in September after being shut since March. The restrictions will remain in place until the number of infections in the affected areas drops to 1.5 per 1,000 people over 14 days.
Across the country, officials said on Monday they were banning religious pilgrimages.
04:56 PM
Labour concerned by 'mixed messages and confused communications' from Government
Shadow health minister Justin Madders said Labour has been concerned by the "mixed messages and confused communications" from the Government.
He told the Commons: "We have been clear from the outset that we will do whatever we can to support the national effort by supporting whatever reasonable steps are necessary to protect the NHS and save lives.
"That does not mean, though, we give the Government a free pass. We've been concerned by months of mixed messages and confused communications from the Government."
Mr Madders added: "The timeline of these regulations has been the perfect demonstration of the lack of strategy, the lack of transparency and the lack of accountability that has been the hallmark of this Government.
"Following media briefings the night before, an announcement was made about the rule of six by the Prime Minister on September 9, not to this place as it should have been, even though he was in the House that day to answer Prime Minister's questions.
"I call that a discourtesy to this place, something I hope we are going to see the end of because not only does it show a lack of respect to all members in here and to our constituents, it also shows a lack of confidence in what is being proposed."
04:53 PM
Government purchases 1m antibody tests to help track virus spread
The Government has purchased one million antibody tests as part of efforts to track the spread of Covid-19.
Health minister Lord Bethell announced the tests had been purchased from the UK-Rapid Test Consortium (UK-RTC).
These tests identify if somebody has had coronavirus in the past, and can be used on people who experienced no symptoms.
They do not need to be sent to a laboratory and instead involve a fingerprick device, providing a result within 20 minutes.
Antibody tests gained attention earlier in the outbreak and were described by Prime Minister Boris Johnson as a "game-changer" in March.
However, there is currently no firm evidence that having antibodies means a person cannot be reinfected with the virus.
04:49 PM
Care home installs UK’s first self-disinfecting door pads to tackle virus spread in winter months
A care home has installed the UK’s first self-disinfecting door pads to tackle virus spreading during the winter months.
Vida Grange, a specialist dementia care home near Harrogate, north Yorkshire, has installed push pads and pull handles which kill germs within seconds in order to break chains of infection.
The Yorkshire-based team behind the Surfaceskins pads said they are prioritising local care providers amid a surge in demand for their products brought about by the pandemic.
The pads were developed by entrepreneurs, textile scientists and infection control experts across seven years, and were validated in NHS laboratories.
“The product works in two main areas,” said Adam Walker, founder and director of Surfaceskins. “It kills germs in seconds to protect every user going through the door, and exists to deliver messaging around alcohol gel and washing your hands.
“The product does not clean your hands, but self-disinfects in seconds to keep you clean and sterile."
Mr Walker said the company has to date sold 40,000 push pads which last for one thousand activations per push pad, meaning 40 million protective touches have been achieved so far - PA
04:41 PM
Parental anxiety about Covid leads to rise in homeschooling
More than one in three schools visited by Ofsted have reported a rise in children being home educated.
Anxiety among parents about Covid-19 safety appears to have driven the increase, according to Ofsted.
The watchdog's findings are based on 121 pilot visits to schools across England last month.
Ofsted found that misinformation and myths - often from social media - about the different approaches taken to prevent transmission of the virus are causing confusion and parental anxiety.
This includes "fake news" about schools having to keep all doors open no matter what the weather.
Chief inspector Amanda Spielman said most schools reported "decent attendance figures", but she added that parental anxiety over coronavirus remains an issue.
04:34 PM
Scientist urge 'return to normal' now to avoid future health crises
UK scientists are among thousands of experts warning of "grave concerns" over the physical and mental toll of lockdown and calling for a return to normal living.
Almost 2,500 medics and scientists from around the world have signed a "declaration" calling for societies to be allowed to reopen, with efforts focused on protecting the most vulnerable.
Experts from the universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Edinburgh have joined others from Harvard, Stanford and other leading US institutions in calling for a new strategy to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
Dr Sunetra Gupta, an infectious disease epidemiologist and professor of theoretical epidemiology at the University of Oxford, is among thousands of scientists and medics who have signed the Great Barrington Declaration, named after the US town in which it was drawn up.
The declaration argues against lockdown policies which it says are "producing devastating effects on short and long-term public health".
America learning to live with Covid as it did with flu, says Donald Trump
Donald Trump has said America is "learning to live with Covid" on his first day back at the White House since being taken to hospital with the virus.
The US president was discharged from Walter Reed hospital on Monday night after receiving an experimental course of treatment for Covid-19.
Mr Trump's doctors have stressed that the president is in "uncharted territory" with the mix of medications he has been given and the fact that he is still in a vulnerable phase for the infection.
However, the president played down the risks of coronavirus on Tuesday, tweeting: "Many people every year, sometimes over 100,000, and despite the Vaccine, die from the Flu. Are we going to close down our Country? No, we have learned to live with it, just like we are learning to live with Covid, in most populations far less lethal!!!"
Coronavirus death rate in coastal towns lower than inland areas
Coastal towns in England and Wales have far lower coronavirus death rates than inland areas despite having older populations and worse deprivation, new figures show.
The Office of National Statistics (ONS) found that there had been 63 Covid-19 deaths per 100,000 for large coastal towns during the pandemic so far, but 102 per 100,000 for non-coastal towns.
In smaller coastal towns, 57 deaths per 100,000 were recorded, compared to 84 per 100,000 for comparable inland populations.
Around 5.3 million people live on the coast in England and Wales, with 3.5 million in seaside towns with tourist beaches and visitor attractions.
The coronavirus figures are intriguing given that coastal towns have higher levels of older people – 30 per cent of residents are over the age of 65, compared with just 22 per cent in inland towns.
Coastal towns such as Eastbourne, in East Sussex, have have higher levels of older people in their populations - Christopher Pledger
04:19 PM
Knowsley and Liverpool join Manchester weekly rate of cases above 500 per 100,000 people
Knowsley and Liverpool have joined Manchester in having a weekly rate of new Covid-19 cases that is now above 500 cases per 100,000 people, new data shows.
Manchester's rate - the highest in England - continues to climb, with 3,105 new cases recorded in the seven days to October 3. This is the equivalent of 561.6 cases per 100,000 people and is up sharply from 261.2 per 100,000 in the previous week.
Knowsley has the second highest rate, which has jumped from 335.4 to 534.3, with 806 new cases.
Liverpool is in third place, where the rate has also soared, from 325.1 to 516.0 with 2,570 new cases.
All figures are based on Public Health England data published on Tuesday afternoon.
04:14 PM
Jerusalem's open-air merchants feel the pinch in second lockdown
West Jerusalem’s open-air market should be alive with haggling merchants and the occasional thunk of a cleaver on a slab of beef.
Instead, the Mahane Yehuda Shuk has a moribund atmosphere as Israel enters its third week of a second, nationwide lockdown. Many of the shops are closed, and only a smattering of masked people weave through the maze of fruit, meat and spice stalls.
“The situation is really bad,” admits Yoram Ben David, a spice seller. “Today it should be packed, but it’s deserted. We are doing our best to comply with the rules, but people have seen the reports in the media about the situation worsening and they stay away.”
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, had won plaudits for swiftly locking down Israel in March and driving daily infection rates to single digits.
But Mr Netanyahu now admits he reopened the country too quickly, triggering a severe second wave of the virus which has seen up to 9,000 infections per day and forced him to declare another lockdown.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews in the empty Mahane Yehuda market on the Eve of Yom Kippur in Jerusalem, 27 September - Shutterstock
04:06 PM
Coronavirus around the world, in pictures
Children visit Guangdong Science Center in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province - Xinhua News Agency Palestinian bodybuilders work out on the rooftop of a house amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, in Rafah, southern Gaza strip - Shutterstock Vida Grange employee Debs Bannister looks through a glass door at a Surfaceskins self-disinfecting door pad at the Vida Grange, a specialist dementia care home in Harrogate - PA A waiter a wearing mask stands next to distanced tables in a restaurant in Paris - AFP
03:57 PM
'Extraordinary talent drain' faces music industry if workers aren't given support, union warns
The music industry will experience an "extraordinary talent drain" unless the Government offers its workers more support, the general secretary of the Musicians' Union has said.
Horace Trubridge told the Economic Affairs Committee that 40 per cent of his union's 30,000 members have not qualified for Government schemes to help workers and the self-employed.
He said: "Those are the people who are being left out of the equation and will leave the industry, and we will slip back in the world rankings, I'm afraid, unless something is done urgently."
The situation is "really alarming", he said, adding that 30 per cent of Musicians' Union workers said in a survey they are considering leaving the industry.
"This is an extraordinary talent drain if it happens," he said.
03:53 PM
Apathy towards Covid-19 growing across Europe, warns WHO
“Pandemic fatigue” is on the rise across Europe and with it comes the risk of further disease spread, the World Health Organization has warned
WHO defines pandemic fatigue as a “demotivation to follow recommended protective behaviours”, such as hand washing or sticking to social distancing rules.
And a report last month showed that has reached more than 60 per cent of the population in some places.
Dr Hans Kluge, director of the World Health Organization's European region, said citizens “had made huge sacrifices” since the emergence of the virus. “It has come at an extraordinary cost, which has exhausted all of us regardless of where we live, or what we do. In such circumstances it is easy and natural to feel apathetic and demotivated and to experience fatigue,” he said.
Finland has reported its highest daily number of Covid-19 infections since the start of the pandemic and they now exceed the rate that Helsinki sets for other countries before their citizens are allowed to visit without being quarantined.
The health authority data recorded 227 new cases, above a previous daily peak of 211 infections in April during the first Covid-19 wave.
However, far fewer people were being tested then, suggesting a significant number of cases may have gone undetected in the early months.
“The coronavirus situation is getting worse in Finland too,” prime minister Sanna Marin tweeted, adding the government would consider possible new measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, possibly next week.
The new data means that Finland’s 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 inhabitants has more than doubled to 30.6 from 14.2 in the past two weeks.
03:34 PM
Cases up by 14,542 - almost 2,000 more since yesterday
There have been a further 14,542 lab-confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the UK, up from 12,594 on Monday.
It brings the total number of cases in the UK to 530,113.
A further 76 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of today. This brings the UK total to 42,445.
Separate figures published by the UK's statistics agencies show there have now been 58,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.
03:31 PM
Private and NHS testing labs competing for small pool of staff, expert warns
Private and NHS testing laboratories are competing for the same "small group of expert" staff which could be leading to problems in opening new facilities, an expert has said.
Allan Wilson, president of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences, told MPs that the reason the opening of two new lighthouse laboratories for Covid-19 tests was delayed was due to staffing problems.
He said that two facilities had passed their opening date without any "operational activity as far as we can see".
Mr Wilson added: "We are all recruiting, we all looking for staff to deliver this testing over the next year to two years and also now the lighthouse labs and pillar two are doing the same.
"So we are now all competing for a relatively small group of expert staff, biomedical scientists, clinical scientists and other expert staff.
"I think that's going to be a real issue and I do think that's a potential factor in the fact that these lighthouse labs have not opened on their due date, it's simply because I think they are struggling to find staff.
"We are fishing in the same relatively small pool of expert individuals."
03:29 PM
Did Donald Trump's under-pressure doctors suffer from 'VIP syndrome'?
For the past three days they have come under intense public scrutiny and pressure as they treat the world’s most powerful patient.
But as Donald Trump’s doctor, Sean P Conley, and his team announced the US president’s imminent discharge from hospital on Monday he struck an optimistic note, declaring with a smile: “he’s back”.
The US president had indicated he was regaining his strength on Sunday, when he emerged from his hospital suite to greet his cheering fans with a drive-by, giving two thumbs up and waving to those gathered outside.
However, the sequence of events leading to Mr Trump's discharge prompted questions about whether the president is making demands of his doctors for political rather than health reasons.
Pub curfew vote pulled amid claims that ministers are 'running scared' of Tory rebellion
The Government has been accused of "running scared" after a vote on the 10pm 'coronavirus curfew' for pubs and restaurants tomorrow night was quietly dropped.
Dozens of Tory rebels had been threatening to vote against the order that all pubs, bars and restaurants in England must close amid claims that it is not grounded in scientific evidence.
It emerged today that the 10pm curfew will not be put to MPs tomorrow night and will be held at a later date, possibly next month. Instead MPs will vote on whether to approve lockdown restrictions in the north of England.
A vote on the rule of six - which a handful of Tory MPs are expected to rebel against - will go ahead as planned tonight.
Ministers have to ask MPs to approve coronavirus lockdown measures in simple unamendable 'yes/no' votes in the House of Commons within 28 sitting days of them coming into force.
The United Arab Emirates, with a population of around 9.9 million people, surpassed 100,000 recorded cases of Covid-19 infection today.
The UAE, whose tally stands at 100,794 infections and 421 deaths, has seen the number of daily new cases surge over the past two months from 164 on August 3 to a new high of 1,231 cases on Saturday.
Authorities have blamed people’s poor adherence to social distancing for the rise. The government does not disclose where in the seven emirates that make up the UAE the cases occur.
Today it recorded 1,061 new infections and 6 deaths.
The UAE has a high per capita rate of Covid-19 tests. The country has carried out more than 10 million tests so far, the government statistics authority says.
03:15 PM
Hundreds of Cambridge students opt into weekly Covid testing scheme
Hundreds of Cambridge University students have opted into a weekly Covid-19 testing scheme designed to minimise the chance of outbreaks as the Michaelmas term begins.
Tests will be delivered to Cambridge's 31 colleges where students are living in households of between six and 10 people sharing kitchen and bathroom facilities.
It is hoped that by testing on a pooled basis by household the university could effectively test 15,000 students in college accommodation with around 2,000 tests per week.
Everyone in a household would complete a nose and throat swab, with up to 10 swabs going into a single test tube for a single test.
If the pooled swabs test positive for Covid-19, everyone in the household would be tested individually to establish who is positive.
The voluntary scheme, available for those without symptoms, is initially for those living in the 31 colleges, with the university's mail service transporting the tests.
03:10 PM
More pain for cinemas as Warner delays The Batman
Warner Bros blockbuster The Batman has been postponed as the pandemic continues to play havoc with the blockbuster release schedule.
The caped crusader's latest installment starring Robert Pattinson was slated for October 1 next year but will now hit the silver screens on March 4, 2022.
The upheaval will see Denis Villeneuve's remake of Dune fill the gap, with the sci-fi opus moved forward from December 18 to October 1 next year.
Production delays have hobbled Warner's attempts to release movies on time, with The Batman's filming paused after Pattinson caught coronavirus.
European countries face shortages of Covid-19 drug remdesivir
European countries are facing shortages of Covid-19 drug remdesivir because limited supplies are running out, with cases surging and the US having bought up most of drugmaker Gilead’s output.
In July, the 27 EU countries and Britain, with a combined population of 500 million, secured doses to treat about 30,000 patients. The US signed a deal for more than 500,000 courses of treatment, accounting for most of Gilead’s output through September.
“Remdesivir has run out,” Dutch health ministry spokesman Martijn Janssen told Reuters, adding however that new deliveries were expected shortly.
The antiviral drug has been shown to shorten hospital recovery time in severe cases of Covid-19. Remdesivir and the steroid dexamethasone are the only drugs authorised in Europe to treat Covid-19. Both have been given to US president Donald Trump, who is also receiving an experimental antibody cocktail.
03:00 PM
Trump says he'll be ready for presidential debate next week
I am looking forward to the debate on the evening of Thursday, October 15th in Miami. It will be great!
Two Royal Shakespeare Company theatres to remain closed next year
Two Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) theatres will remain closed next year as a result of the pandemic.
The RSC said it will focus its efforts on the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, its largest theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, over the coming year.
As well as keeping the Swan Theatre and The Other Place closed in 2021, the RSC is beginning formal consultation with its workforce "as a result of the ongoing impact of Covid-19".
Its artistic director Gregory Doran said: "We want to welcome our audiences back, to re-open again and to help our regional and wider economy rebuild itself, bringing people back into our towns and cities.
"Our financial position and uncertainty around future restrictions means that our immediate focus will be on... the Royal Shakespeare Theatre."
02:56 PM
Sir Keir Starmer tells Hancock to 'get on with the job'
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has refused to back his deputy's call for Matt Hancock to "consider his position", instead telling the Health Secretary to "get on with the job".
Sir Keir said deputy party leader Angela Rayner had been expressing national "frustration" when she called for the Health Secretary to quit.
Asked twice if he backed Ms Rayner's stance, Sir Keir told reporters: "I think Angela was probably expressing a frustration that is deeply felt across the country.
"What I want is for the Government to concentrate on the job in hand and for Matt Hancock and others to get on and deliver what they are promising.
"Because what we get from this Government is very good promises, but not real delivery.
"I think it is time for Matt Hancock to get on with the job of delivering on the Government's promises."
Nottingham braced for local lockdown restrictions as cases surge
Health officials are expecting Nottingham to be placed in lockdown after a surge in Covid-19 cases.
The city's infection rate has soared, with 1,273 new cases recorded in the seven days to October 2 - the equivalent of 382.4 cases per 100,000 people.
This is up from 59.5 per 100,000 in the seven days to September 25.
The director of public health for Nottingham, Alison Challenger, said current restrictions in the city "are no longer enough to stop the spread of the virus".
The rising rate has coincided with a recent outbreak at the University of Nottingham, as figures on its website showed 425 students had tested positive for Covid-19 during the week ending last Friday.
Nottingham City Council said it was expecting the Government to introduce tougher rules later this week, "similar to those introduced in other cities such as Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds".
The council has asked people in the city to "take urgent steps" and to "not mix indoors with people from other households".
02:39 PM
Why Scotland isn't faring much better than England despite Nicola Sturgeon's 'zero-Covid' approach
Scotland's "zero Covid" strategy appears to be slipping away as new infections continue to grow - driven by the return of students in the cities.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is said to be considering more lockdown restrictions as new cases continue to rise, risking her strategy to eliminate the virus entirely.
While England's situation is worse, with high-risk areas seeing rates double after 15,000 new cases were dumped on Sunday - missed from the system after an Excel spreadsheet error - there are now very real warning signs in Scotland.
And though Scots endured a much stricter lockdown through the summer, as the country begins to open up the rate of infections is now gathering pace, matching England's.
Dominic Gilbert, Anne Gulland and Alex Clark have all you need to know about why that's the case here.
02:31 PM
Comment: The risks of a Covid-19 human challenge trial are significant, but entirely justified
In times of crisis, people are called upon to take risks to help out. Firefighters run into burning buildings, lifeguards jump into turbulent waters, and search-and-rescue teams enter dangerous terrains to benefit the greater good, despite the personal cost, writes Richard Roberts and Seán O’Neill McPartlin.
The Covid-19 pandemic may demand a similar sacrifice. Each day we live without an effective vaccine, thousands of people die.
That’s why we’re signing a petition urging Parliament to prepare facilities for a Covid-19 human challenge trial, in which volunteers would be vaccinated, checked for antibody production and if positive deliberately exposed to the coronavirus to see if the vaccine works.
Challenge trials are not new. They were instrumental in the development of vaccines and treatments for typhoid, cholera, and malaria.
In the case of Covid-19, we need multiple effective vaccines to meet global demand. Since 100 per cent of volunteers would be exposed to the coronavirus soon after receiving a vaccine candidate, scientists could quickly narrow the field of promising vaccine candidates, saving tens of thousands of lives.
Scotland's pubs and bars braced for shutdown in Nicola Sturgeon 'circuit breaker'
Scotland's pubs and bars are braced for closure at the end of this week as part of a 'circuit breaker' lockdown after Nicola Sturgeon confirmed extra restrictions are being examined for hospitality.
The First Minister confirmed she will make an announcement on Wednesday afternoon about additional restrictions in Scotland to tackle the Covid-19 second wave, with 800 cases and two deaths reported in the previous 24 hours.
But she said she wanted to give Scots "an insight" into her thinking and singled out pubs, bars and restaurants as places where "large groups" of people are more likely to form.
In a clear signal they face further nationwide restrictions including possible closure, she said "these are the kind of things we will just have to look at" to get the virus under control.
Jason Leitch, Scotland's national clinical director, said he had advised the First Minister to target restrictions at places where households mix "and that of course that leads you into a conversation about what you can do with hospitality."
Iran has recorded more than 4,000 new cases of Covid-19, the most in a single day for the Middle East country hardest hit by the pandemic.
"The number of infected persons... is 4,151" in the past 24 hours, during which "we unfortunately lost 227 of our dear compatriots", said health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari.
The grim tally was announced a day after Iran reported 235 fatalities from the virus, a figure equal to the record high death toll set on July 28.
According to Iran's official figures, the pandemic has claimed 27,419 lives out of a total 479,825 cases of infection in the Islamic republic.
The situation in Tehran has worsened, with provincial authorities indicating it will be compulsory to wear masks in all public places in the capital from Saturday in a bid to halt the spread.
01:56 PM
People wanted 'frank acknowledgement' of coronavirus response problems, says Starmer
Responding to Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Tory conference speech, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer focused on coronavirus, telling the media: "I think that what NHS workers on the front line and the country want from the Prime Minister is a frank acknowledgement that there are real problems with the Government's approach.
"The testing regime just isn't working.
"What people, I think, wanted was a frank acceptance that those problems are there and a road map to get out of where we are now, a road map, if you like, from here through to when we get a vaccination."
01:54 PM
63% of missing coronavirus positive cases have now been contacted
A Number 10 spokesman said that as of 9.30am on Tuesday, 63 per cent of the near 8,000 people who were not contacted by Test and Trace because of an IT error have now been reached.
"They are continuing to work through the rest. Over the past 24 hours we have made some progress in that regard."
'My daughter was nearly Superspreader A in our locked down Northern town'
As Warrington and surrounding areas see restrictions increase, one woman confesses that the problem almost started very close to home.
Back in July, not long after Leicester had the dubious honour of being the first UK city to enter local lockdown, I joked with my neighbours over the garden fence that should our town meet the same fate then we’d surely have my daughter, Jenny, to thank for it.
The Prime Minister, Jenny cheerfully declared on Instagram, had personally saved her 23rd birthday by reopening hospitality a couple of weeks earlier. She and her friends weren’t going to let the fairly arbitrary rules in place back then get in the way of making it a night to remember – they’d separately booked 15 tables for the evening in a local bar, meaning they’d be in the same venue but with households kept apart.
"We’re not breaking any rules," Jenny insisted when I expressed concern at an event that appeared to have more guests than the 30 that were allowed to attend a wedding at that time. "We’ll be really sensible."
And so, naively, I persuaded myself that an evening of toasts and cheery wishes passed on from table to table in a perfectly civilised, socially distanced manner would ensue. Although I can’t pretend it was a total shock when pictures uploaded to social media the next morning told a far less salubrious story.
Another 800 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Scotland over the past 24 hours - 13.2 per cent of the total swabbed, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said.
A further two people have died within 28 days of testing positive. This takes the number of virus-related deaths in Scotland to 2,532.
01:39 PM
425 further cases and ten deaths in Wales
There have been a further 425 cases of Covid-19 in Wales, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 26,872.
Public Health Wales said ten further deaths had been reported, with the total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic rising to 1,640.
01:38 PM
Northern Ireland reports 669 new cases and one more death
A further 669 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Northern Ireland - up from 320 last Tuesday.
That brings the total number of confirmed infections to 15,359.
One more person has died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus, which brings Northern Ireland's death toll to 585.
01:33 PM
Hospital deaths in England up by 50
A further 50 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths reported in hospitals to 30,176, NHS England said today.
Patients were aged between 42 and 96 years old. All but four patients, aged 76, 80, 82 and 92, had underlying health conditions.
The deaths were between October 1 and October 5. Most were on or after October 3.
Seven other deaths were reported with no positive Covid-19 test result.
01:32 PM
Comment: When will this never-ending Covid stasis end? Boris doesn't seem to know
In his speech to the Conservative Party conference the PM spoke of post-pandemic renewal, but he didn't say how this would actually happen, writes Janet Daley.
Lots and lots of gutsy optimism. Lots and lots of plans for the future that would follow this transitory crisis. But not a lot about how exactly we are going to get through this little temporary difficulty to what he likened to the New Jerusalem that had been promised after the Second World War.
Covid, Boris Johnson made it clear, must be seen as a way to make changes in the way we lived.
The only explicit reference he made to the present situation in which Covid was actually running our lives, was at the very beginning: “I have had more than enough of this disease …” he said, obviously channelling the national exasperation at the loss of all those things that make life worth living, from social contact to creative endeavour.
However, what he did not acknowledge was the sense that so many people now have, that the loss of those things was as much attributable to his Government’s policies as to the disease itself.
Michelle Obama: Covid response is 'just one example of Trump’s negligence'
Michelle Obama is currently broadcasting a video on the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus, and is urging Americans to vote for Joe Biden.
There’s no better person to convey what’s at stake in this election than my friend, @MichelleObama. Tune in to hear her closing argument. https://t.co/wc7mywLUHy
Wagamama owner The Restaurant Group (TRG) hailed a sales revival at its suburban pubs and restaurants after the cornavirus pandemic caused its half-year losses to almost triple.
TRG said its flagship Wagamama chain reported strong trading in the 11 weeks to Sept 20, with like-for-like sales at the chain increasing 11pc during the period, boosted by a 24pc rise at its out-of-town locations.
Chief executive Andy Hornby said these outlets were benefitting from an increase in working from home, which has encouraged people to visit their local pubs and restaurants.
Sales at TRG's leisure arm, which includes the Frankie & Benny’s brand, reported a 4pc rise, its strongest trading performance in five years, boosted by higher footfall at its leisure and retail parks and increased demand for delivery and takeaway.
However the group's sales in central London suffered, reflecting the sharp drop in footfall in the capital. Wagamama reported a 25pc sales decline, while its leisure business was down 68pc and its pubs by 38pc.
What it's like to have 'long Covid' — six cases with very different symptoms
Many are so fatigued they have barely been able to walk upstairs for months, others still get short of breath from the simplest task, and for some every bite of food that passes their lips tastes of ash.
For the growing number of people diagnosed with what is known as long Covid, living with the after-effects of Covid-19 has been harder than the virus itself. Now, experts say it could turn out to be a bigger public health problem than the excess deaths that have occurred since the start of the pandemic.
Professor Tim Spector, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London and the scientist behind Britain’s symptom-tracking app, says long Covid sufferers could turn out to be the real public health fallout of this period.
These so-called “long-haulers”, with quietly debilitating symptoms that baffle doctors and prove difficult or even impossible to treat, have shown that the virus can act like an auto-immune disease in some, affecting multiple parts of the body long after the initial illness subsides.
Researchers, along with the health-science company ZOE, tracked data from more than four million people and found that one in 10 sufferers had symptoms of long Covid for a month, while one in 50 were found to be suffering at least three months later.
Here, Eleanor Steafel and Luke Mintz speak to six people who are yet to fully recover from their bout of Covid-19.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has defended the Government's controversial 10pm coronavirus curfew for pubs and restaurants, warning the alternative was for them to close altogether.
Ministers are under pressure from Tory MPs to scrap the curfew in England, as well as easing the so-called "rule of six", amid claims such intrusive measures are not justified by the evidence and damage the economy.
The Government is braced for a potential backbench rebellion when the Commons comes to vote tonight on continuing the rule of six which bans social gatherings of more than six people.
With a further vote is expected on Wednesday on the 10pm curfew, rebels are urging ministers to make concessions.
At the same time, Professor Neil Ferguson, whose modelling contributed to the decision to order the original lockdown in March, has warned that further measures could be needed to curb the current upsurge in infections.
In a clear message to would-be Tory rebels, Mr Sunak indicated the alternative to the existing restrictions would be even tighter controls.
01:08 PM
Number of non-Covid excess deaths passes 25,000
The number of excess deaths not linked to Covid-19 that have occurred in private homes in England and Wales since the start of the coronavirus pandemic has now passed 25,000.
Excess deaths are the number of deaths that are above the average for the corresponding period in the previous five years.
There were 25,183 non-Covid excess deaths in homes in England and Wales registered between March 7 and September 25, according to the Office for National Statistics.
The total number of excess deaths in private homes registered during this period was 27,648.
This includes 2,465 Covid-19 deaths. Any death involving Covid-19 is counted as an excess death, because Covid-19 did not exist before this year.
01:06 PM
Labour will support Government in rule of six vote
Sir Keir Starmer has said Labour will support the Government in a Commons vote on the rule of six Covid regulations today.
He told the media: "We will support on the rule of six.
"There are, of course, arguments about whether it should be six or a different number, I think clarity and simplicity is really important here and therefore we will support the rule of six tonight."
12:50 PM
Trump still dangerously vulnerable and shedding the virus
Donald Trump may be out of the hospital, but as his doctor cautiously pointed out, he is not out of the woods.
A four-day recovery time for coronavirus would be, frankly, astonishing. Boris Johnson was in hospital for 16 days, and needed several weeks to recover afterwards.
It could be that the president’s infection was less severe than the prime minister’s. But being given oxygen, remdesivir and dexamethasone is highly unusual for a mild case. All three suggest that at one point his condition was looking fairly serious.
Mr Trump first announced his diagnosis on Twitter early on Friday morning (Washington time) and was flown to hospital after developing a fever and fatigue that evening.
For a president so obsessed with the ‘optics’ it is unlikely he would have been persuaded to leave the White House had his condition simply been mild.
Pregnant woman waited a week for Test and Trace call after catching virus
A pregnant woman who caught Covid-19 was only contacted by the Test and Trace service eight days after she learned of her positive result.
Sally Fazeli, from Preston, Lancashire, received the call - asking for details of people she had been in contact with and offering advice on self-isolating - just as her own period of self-isolation was ending.
Her husband, Ayman Fazeli, told the PA news agency: "They said on the call, ironically, they knew she was in the vulnerable category by way of being pregnant and that they wanted to get in touch with her as soon as they could."
Mrs Fazeli, 33, first experienced symptoms - a cough and a fever - on September 19, had a test the following day and received notification of the positive result on September 21.
In that message she was told to isolate for 10 days from the point when the symptoms first appeared.
But she did not receive a call from Test and Trace until September 28 - nine days into the 10-day self-isolation period.
12:44 PM
Residents die in new care home coronavirus outbreaks
Residents have died and dozens of people have tested positive in new coronavirus outbreaks at two care homes in Scotland.
NHS Lothian said a "small number" of residents at Redmill Care Home in East Whitburn, West Lothian and Milford House in Edinburgh have died after getting the virus.
The health board said the number of people who have died cannot be released as it is under five across both homes.
More than 80 residents and staff in total at both homes have tested positive and further testing is being carried out.
In addition to those who died, 53 further residents and staff have been confirmed to have coronavirus at Redmill Care Home, with 29 at Milford House.
NHS Lothian is leading an investigation into the outbreaks and said the homes were closed to visitors and additional testing of all staff and residents was introduced as soon as the first cases were identified.
12:34 PM
Covid no deadlier than flu, tweets Trump
Donald Trump has said that the coronavirus is "far less lethal" in "most populations" than flu, adding "we have learned to live with it, just like we are learning to live with Covid".
It comes as the President has attracted criticism from doctors after telling Americans not to be afraid of the virus.
Mr Trump, who was released from hospital after three days on Monday after testing positive, said people should not let the threat of the novel coronavirus “dominate their lives” as his administration had developed “some really great drugs and knowledge.”
But Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, described the president’s message as “tone deaf”: “It was so upsetting to some many; to those who perished because they didn’t have access to those drugs, to their families and especially to those inside the medical community,” he said.
Mr Trump, 74, has been put on a powerful, experimental cocktail of drugs, including steroid dexamethasone, monoclonal antibody Regeneron, and Remdesivir.
Flu season is coming up! Many people every year, sometimes over 100,000, and despite the Vaccine, die from the Flu. Are we going to close down our Country? No, we have learned to live with it, just like we are learning to live with Covid, in most populations far less lethal!!!
Treatment used on Donald Trump developed by using blood samples from patients in Singapore
One of two antibodies used to treat Donald Trump for his Covid-19 infection was developed using blood samples from three patients in Singapore, according to a report by Asian Scientist Magazine.
Trump had on Friday received a high dose of REGN-COV2, a combination of two antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein which causes the Covid-19 disease, the report said on Monday.
The treatment was developed by Regeneron, a US-based biotechnology company, which was able to clone the antibodies from “humanised” mice, and recovered Covid-19 patients.
The magazine reported that the human plasma was supplied by three Singapore patients through an agreement with the country’s National Centre for Infectious Diseases.
12:22 PM
'Rapid achievement' allows vaccine trial to move to next phase
The developers of a potential coronavirus vaccine have moved trials to a third phase, hailing "rapid achievement" with no safety concerns to date.
The world's largest vaccines player, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), and Vir Biotechnology said their trial programme was also to be expanded across new sites in North America, South America and Europe.
The pair have been working on an antibody-based treatment since April while GSK has a separate vaccine partnership with Sanofi that entered clinical trials last month.
George Scangos, chief executive officer of Vir, said of the shift to phase three: "The rapid achievement of this important milestone reflects the urgency with which we're mobilising our resources in the hope of preventing the worst consequences of this deadly virus."
12:19 PM
Margaret Ferrier 'put elderly at risk' by attending church service the day after taking virus test
A disgraced MP who travelled to the Commons with coronavirus gave a church reading to elderly parishoners after developing symptoms, it has emerged.
Margaret Ferrier was accused of taking a “deliberate gamble” with the health of the public after she defied church guidelines to attend the Sunday service, after taking a Covid test.
The former SNP MP has so far resisted intense calls to quit her Commons seat, after she flouted rules by traveling to Westminster by public transport and gave a speech at the Commons, after taking the test.
After finding out she had tested positive for the virus, she then returned to her home near Glasgow by train, a journey of more than 400 miles.
There is no miracle cure, warn doctors after Trump tells people 'not to be afraid' of Covid-19
Medical experts have urged caution over experimental Covid-19 treatments touted by a recovering Donald Trump, after the president told Americans “not to be afraid” of the virus.
Mr Trump, who was released from hospital after three days on Monday after testing positive, said people should not let the threat of the novel coronavirus “dominate their lives” as his administration had developed “some really great drugs and knowledge.”
However, the president faced a backlash from doctors and emergency workers treating Covid-19 patients as they urged the public not to be complacent about the disease.
Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, described the president’s message as “tone deaf”: “It was so upsetting to some many; to those who perished because they didn’t have access to those drugs, to their families and especially to those inside the medical community,” he said.
The proportion of secondary schools that are not fully open has increased in the past week, Government figures suggest.
Approximately 82 per cent of state secondary schools were fully open on October 1 - down from 84 per cent a week earlier, according to the Department for Education's (DfE) latest attendance statistics.
Schools are considered to be not fully open if they are unable to provide face-to-face teaching for all pupils for the whole school day and have asked a group of students to self-isolate.
Overall, approximately 92 per cent of state schools were fully open, down from 93 per cent on September 24.
Responses from schools indicate that most were not fully open due to Covid-19-related reasons.
11:53 AM
Far more than 500,000 jobs expected to go by end of year, warns hospitality boss
Pubs, bars and restaurants will see "far higher" than half a million job losses by the end 2020, industry chiefs have warned MPs.
The boss of trade body UKHospitality told MPs at a Treasury Select Committee that a combination of the 10pm curfew, local lockdown restrictions and downturn in customer confidence has hit hospitality firms in recent weeks.
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of the industry group, said that around 900,000 hospitality workers remain on full furlough payments as parts of the sector remain "in stasis".
She said the group anticipated 560,000 additional job losses by the end of the year, following research two weeks ago, but now expects redundancies to be much more severe.
"We are doing that data again but we anticipate it will be far higher due to local restrictions, the national constraints on events, working from home and the curfew," she said.
11:48 AM
Boris Johnson pledges to use Covid as 'trigger' to fix country's problems
Boris Johnson has promised to use the pandemic as a "trigger" for change, including turning "Generation Rent into Generation Buy" as he looks to fix the housing crisis with lower thresholds to mortgages.
The Prime Minister told the Conservative party conference the country has been "through too much hardship... to go back to how things were before the plague", saying these kind of major events are "a time to learn and improve on the time that went before."
In an optimistic speech that ended with a utopian vision of the future, Mr Johnson promised to introduce 95 per cent mortgages with long fixed terms to help young people get on the housing ladder. He also pledged one-to-one teaching for students who have fallen behind or those who show particular talent.
As trailed overnight, he also said offshore wind power would be powering every home in the country within 10 years.
Catherine Neilan has all you need to know about the Prime Minister's conference speech on our politics live bloghere.
11:45 AM
Singapore offers pandemic baby bonus
Singapore is set to offer a one-off payment to encourage couples to have a baby during the coronavirus pandemic, amid fears that people may delay starting a family because of job layoffs and the shrinking economy.
“We have received feedback that Covid-19 has caused some aspiring parents to postpone their parenthood plans,” Heng Swee Keat, the deputy prime minister, said in parliament on Monday. “To help with expenses during this period, we will introduce a one-off additional support for newborns.”
Mr Heng did not elaborate on the details, but the baby bonus comes on top of already existing benefits of up to $7,330 to help Singaporeans expand their families and avoid a demographic crisis as the city-state of 5.6 million ages.
Singapore’s fertility rate touched an eight-year low in 2018, according to government data, and the rate of 1.14 births per woman remained unchanged last year.
Ahead of the announcement of further restrictions tomorrow, Nicola Sturgeon has said that the Scottish Government will not be imposing the kind of lockdown seen in March.
The First Minister said that there won't be blanket stay-at-home orders, travel limits or the shutting down of the entire economy.
"We are not proposing to close schools," she added, fully or partially.
11:36 AM
Apathy towards Covid-19 measures on the rise across Europe, says WHO
New data shows significant increases in apathy towards Covid-19 across Europe, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Fatigue has been measured in different ways across 27 countries but "is now estimated to have reached over 60 per cent" of the population in some places, said WHO regional director for Europe Dr Hans Kluge.
Dr Kluge set out three strategies for addressing the slide towards apathy.
Regular community consultation, including with local authorities as well as "expertise beyond the medical and public health sectors", should be promoted, he suggested.
There had been positive responses when Scandinavian countries asked the public to help devise "reasonable guidance", which Dr Kluge said is "a good example of recognising that people are experts in their own environment".
"Citizens are at the heart of a solution to the pandemic and policymakers should treat them as such," he added.
11:30 AM
Further action is necessary, says Sturgeon
Speaking at her daily coronavirus news briefing, Nicola Sturgeon has said that the Scottish Government is receiving "very strong" public health advice that further action against the virus is necessary, as she is set to announce further restrictions tomorrow.
It is "probably the most difficult decision point we have faced so far", the First Minister said, as "figures demonstrate that we face a sharp rising rate of infection again". The situation is particularly prevalent in the Central Belt, she added.
Notwithstanding, it's "important to recognise that cases are rising everywhere" and levels of infection are now higher in most parts of Scotland "than we are comfortable with", she said.
Most places in the country have cases higher than 50 per 100,000 now. For context, she added that Aberdeen went into lockdown when cases were at around 20 per 100,000.
There is also now evidence of spread from younger to older age groups, and the numbers of people being admitted to hospital and also intensive care are rising.
But for balance, she said, the situation is "not out of control" because cases were reduced so heavily in the summer and also because of Test and Protect. However, it is still of "increasing concern".
Two weeks ago cases in Scotland were at an average of 285 per week but are now at 729, she added.
11:11 AM
Joe Biden leads criticism of Donald Trump after president urges America 'don't be afraid' of Covid-19
Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, has hit out at Donald Trump for downplaying the severity of coronavirus.
Just hours after the president returned to the White House following a three day hospital stay and removed his face mask, Mr Biden gave a swift reprimand: “Masks matter.”
"I would hope that the president, having gone through what he went through – and I'm glad he seems to be coming along pretty well – would communicate the right lesson to the American people," Mr Biden said at a NBC News town hall from Miami, Florida.
In a video released shortly after leaving Walter Reed Medical Centre, Mr Trump urged Americans "get out there" and not to be afraid of the virus. Although he wore a mask upon leaving hospital, the 74-year-old president later removed it for a photo opportunity.
NHS cannot cope with its current budget, says NHS Providers
The NHS cannot cope with its current budget, health leaders have said as they called on the Prime Minister to avoid a "have our cake and eat it" approach to NHS funding.
NHS Providers called for more investment in the health service which is facing a "perfect storm" as it goes into winter.
The NHS faces multiple challenges alongside traditional winter pressures including the threat of a second spike of Covid-19, recovering services which were disrupted during the pandemic, staff in danger of burnout and additional pressures for infection control, NHS Providers said.
Even before the pandemic struck earlier this year "growing demand for treatment has consistently outstripped capacity", according to NHS Providers chief executive Chris Hopson.
"Despite the best efforts of frontline staff treating more patients than ever before, many patients have not received the care they need and that NHS staff wanted to provide," he added.
NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, called for the Government to examine funding for the NHS.
Mr Hopson told the NHS Providers' first online conference that the health service faces a "similar fate" to social care - which is "in crisis" because it has not been funded properly and sustainably.
11:00 AM
Italy confirms mask wearing to be made compulsory outside
The Italian Government has confirmed reports that it will make the wearing of face masks outside compulsory across the country, reports Nick Squires in Rome.
Currently just a few regions, such as Lazio and Campania, have decreed that everyone must wear masks when they are in outdoor public spaces. But that will soon be extended to the whole country, says health minister Roberto Speranza, who is presenting a new anti-virus decree to Parliament.
"There has been a significant leap in the number of cases in two months," the minister said. "At the moment 3,487 people are in hospital (with Covid-19) and we have 323 in intensive care.
"Today these figures are sustainable for the national health service.
"It is clear that the situation is manageable compared to the most difficult days (of the emergency), when we had 4,000 people in intensive care.
"But the virus is circulating and it continues to put people into a state of great suffering".
A pink flamingo mannequin at a restaurant is seen with a protective mask at Campo de Fiori - Corbis News
10:55 AM
How do Britons feel about new restrictions?
As the UK experiences a second wave of Covid-19 infections, with new restrictions in place and fears of a second wave, how to Britons feel about these new developments?
According to a poll of over 12,000 people from Piplsay, 75 per cent would support new goverment-imposed restrictions amid the second wave.
A further 42 per cent think that schools should be shut down again to safeguard children, and 66 per cent would support another national lockdown if the situation worsens.
10:49 AM
Diagnostics for cancer 'could be on a high street', says Hancock
Asked for assurances that there is a cancer recovery plan in light of referrals and treatment being affected by the coronavirus pandemic, Matt Hancock said that the "most important" thing is to "bear down on the long waits", which he claims is happening.
It's also important to make sure that referrals are brought forward, he said.
As such, they are "expanding the diagnostics available" in both hospitals and community health, he said, which is "safer from a Covid point of view" but also means that diagnostics can be sped up.
Diagnostics for cancer "could be on a high street or perhaps where people live", he said, adding that you "shouldn't have to go to hospital" to get that part of the diagnosis pathway done.
10:43 AM
Hancock answers questions on cancer referrals
The NHS recovery approach is restoring urgent cancer referrals and treatment to "at least 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels", Matt Hancock has claimed in the Commons today.
Answering questions from MPs, the Health Secretary was also asked whether private hospitals could be used as "Covid secure" treatment venues for patients who may be nervous about contracting the virus, such as those with cancer.
Mr Hancock responded that because private hospitals very rarely have the same pressures as emergency hospitals, they are as "free as feasibly possible from coronavirus" and an important part of the recovery plan.
"It's very important that the message goes out that the NHS is open," he added.
10:30 AM
US still lagging in Covid-19 testing, says Fauci
The United States remains behind when it comes to Covid-19 testing, Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), has said.
"We're better off now than we were a couple of months ago, that's for sure," Fauci told CNN's Chris Cuomo Monday night. But the country is still not where it needs to be, he said.
"We need to flood the system with testing," he added.
10:27 AM
Universities vow to ensure students can access essentials during self-isolation
Vice-chancellors have pledged to support students who have to self-isolate in university halls when campus outbreaks occur.
Universities UK (UUK), which represents 139 institutions, has published a checklist to help universities support student wellbeing in the autumn term as they face a variety of challenges amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Universities should ensure that students have access to basic necessities during self-isolation, including food, laundry services, cleaning materials, bin bags, tissues and toilet rolls, the guide says.
It comes after students have hung signs out their windows claiming they did not have food.
More than 50 universities in the UK have confirmed cases of coronavirus as students return to campus.
A surge in cases has led to thousands of students having to self-isolate in their halls, including Manchester Metropolitan and Glasgow University.
UK: Weekly coronavirus deaths rise by more than half in seven days
The number of weekly deaths involving coronavirus in England and Wales has risen by more than half in seven days, official figures show.
There were 215 deaths registered in the week ending September 25 mentioning "novel coronavirus" - 2.2 per cent of all deaths in England and Wales, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
It was the third weekly rise in a row and represents a 54.6 per cent increase in deaths involving Covid-19 from the previous week, when 139 deaths were registered.
The number of deaths involving coronavirus increased in eight of nine regions in England, and in Wales.
The exception was the East Midlands, where the weekly total fell from 14 to 11.
Just two areas - London and the East - had lower overall deaths than the average over five years for this time of year.
10:12 AM
Compulsory tests for Britons arriving in Italy
British travelers to Italy could soon be subjected to compulsory Covid-19 tests as the country tries to contain what looks increasingly like a second wave of infections, reports Nick Squires from Rome.
According to reports in the Italian press, British, Dutch and Belgian travelers will soon be obliged to take swab tests on arrival. Currently, that applies to people arriving from the high-risk countries of Spain, Malta and Croatia, as well as some regions of France.
The government in Rome is due to issue a new decree on Wednesday with a raft of new anti-virus measures. It is likely to include an obligation for all Italians to wear face masks in public outdoors - currently just a handful of regions, such as Lazio which includes Rome, have introduced the measure.
In Rome, the vast majority of people are now wearing masks on the streets and in piazzas, as well as on public transport, in shops, bars and restaurants.
People wear face masks as local authorities in the Italian capital Rome order face coverings to be worn at all times out of doors - Reuters
10:00 AM
What are the social distancing rules and when will it end?
The most recent update from the Government means that people can no longer socialise in groups of more than six (the "rule of six").
The latest announcement has scuppered the previous hope that the rules on social distancing could be lifted by the end of the year.
On September 22, Boris Johnson told the House of Commons that the new restrictions could last for six months - taking them well beyond Christmas - "unless we palpably make progress".
The boss of trade body UKHospitality, Kate Nicholls, told MPs: "In hospitality, the question is going from whether we are endangering jobs to are we endangering the businesses who will employ people further down the line?
"There is a very real danger that we will lose large chunks of the economy - in hospitality we will have insolvent businesses, businesses going into administration and therefore that engine of growth for re-employing people will be lost for good," the head of UKHospitality said.
"I think that's what we need to be focusing on to make sure we support viable jobs for the future."
09:37 AM
Elderly likely to get vaccine first, says Government adviser
A coronavirus vaccine will not offer a "sudden and complete solution" to the pandemic but is likely to be given to older people first, a Government adviser has said.
Professor Adam Finn from the University of Bristol, who is a member of the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation (JCVI), which advises ministers on vaccines, said the evidence showed that the jab should be first given to older people, carers and those who are vulnerable, before other considerations such as people's occupations were looked at.
It comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the Commons on Monday that the Government would follow JCVI advice on who to vaccinate.
Mr Hancock has distanced himself from comments made by the head of the UK vaccine taskforce, who said less than half of the UK population could be given a jab to protect against the virus.
Kate Bingham told the Financial Times (FT) it was "misguided" for people to think the whole population would be vaccinated.
She said: "It's an adult-only vaccine for people over 50 focusing on health workers and care home workers and the vulnerable."
09:30 AM
Cases rise by more than half in a week
The number of weekly deaths involving coronavirus in England and Wales has risen by more than half in seven days, official figures show.
There were 215 deaths registered in the week ending September 25 mentioning "novel coronavirus" - 2.2% of all deaths in England and Wales, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
It was the third weekly rise in a row and represents a 54.6% increase in deaths involving Covid-19 from the previous week, when 139 deaths were registered.
The number of deaths involving coronavirus increased in eight of nine regions in England, and in Wales.
09:20 AM
Fifty-three workers at Bernard Matthews turkey plant test positive for coronavirus
The firm in Suffolk has brought in Covid-19 bus marshals on its free staff transport in response to the outbreak at the facility in Holton near Halesworth.
Around 1,000 staff work at the site and 125 of them have been tested for coronavirus, with the majority returning negative results.
Most of the workers who have tested positive live in the Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft areas.
Thirty-nine of the 53 workers who tested positive are currently self-isolating, with the others having finished their period of self-isolation.
Food production at the facility has not been affected.
09:15 AM
Coronavirus-ravaged music industry to be debated in Parliament
The debate today comes as the industry steps up its calls for the Government to help the crippled sector.
Industry body UK Music says the pandemic has wiped out at least £900 million of the £1.1 billion live music was expected to contribute to the economy in 2020.
MPs are expected to use the debate to outline the perilous state of the music industry as well as the threat of closure hanging over venues.
Pre-Covid, the UK music industry contributed £5.2 billion a year to the economy, sustained 190,000 jobs and generated exports of £2.7 billion a year, according to figures compiled by UK Music.
The shutdown has been devastating for the industry, including for the 72% in the sector who are self-employed - many of whom are not eligible for financial support according to UK Music.
The body is calling for more assistance. Many music events cannot break even due to Government restrictions on social distancing.
08:57 AM
Almost 60,000 people in UK had Covid mentioned on death certificate
More than 58,000 deaths involving Covid-19 have now been registered in the UK.
Figures published on Tuesday by the ONS show that 52,943 deaths involving Covid-19 had occurred in England and Wales up to September 25, and had been registered by October 3.
Figures published last week by the National Records for Scotland showed that 4,257 deaths involving Covid-19 had been registered in Scotland up to September 27, while 901 deaths had occurred in Northern Ireland up to September 25 (and had been registered up to September 30), according to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.
Together, these figures mean that so far 58,101 deaths have been registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, including suspected cases.
08:49 AM
Labour calls for NHS support ahead of winter
Labour is calling for urgent action to ensure the NHS is properly equipped to deal with the winter amid warnings that staff shortages and failing equipment are putting patients at risk.
An analysis by the party of 114 NHS Trust risk registers found more than half the trusts in England reported risks classified as "significant" or "extreme" just as coronavirus cases are picking up again.
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: "In a normal winter, these risks would be worrying.
"In the coming winter, with the incompetent handling of the Test and Trace system leaving the NHS wide open and poorly supported, they take on a whole new meaning.
"We urgently need a commitment from ministers to fix the problems with Test and Trace and a timetable by which these issues will finally be sorted."
08:34 AM
Families missing out on having children due to restrictions
Age-related restrictions for NHS fertility care mean that some families may miss out on conceiving children due to the coronavirus pandemic, charities have said.
Many NHS bodies around the country have restrictions on the age limit for women eligible for NHS-funded fertility care.
A coalition including charities and patient organisations has warned that as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, some patients are falling outside of this threshold and missing out on their chance of creating a family.
They have called for health officials to "stop the clock" to prevent patients from falling outside the criteria during the pandemic.
The upper age limit ranges from 34 to 42 across England, the coalition said.
08:22 AM
NHS staff winter burnout concerns
Hospital bosses in England have raised concerns about staff burnout from the first wave of coronavirus ahead of the winter months.
Leaders warned of a "perfect storm" of workforce shortages, staff burnout, a second wave of Covid-19 and a difficult winter, according to a survey by NHS Providers.
Concerns were also raised by hospital bosses about funding for social care in their local area, and the impact of seasonal pressures over winter amid rising coronavirus cases.
Almost all surveyed (99%) said they were either extremely or moderately concerned about the current level of burnout across the workforce.
Just over a third of trust leaders (34%) said they were extremely concerned about the current level of burnout across their workforce, while 48% reported being moderately concerned and 17% slightly concerned.
08:09 AM
John Bercow: We've had months of mixed and misleading messages
The former Commons speaker has condemned the Government over its handling of the pandemic and described the coronavirus Test and Trace system as "shambolic at best and non-existent at worst".
"This is a Government that doesn't believe in accountability," he told ITV's Good Morning Britain.
Asked whether he thought Prime Minister Boris Johnson is the right man for the job, he replied that it is "in a sense a red herring".
"If the Prime Minister is not going to demand the resignation of the (Education Secretary) after the exams fiasco over which he presided, if he's not going to ask for the resignation of the Heath Secretary despite the fiasco over Covid which he has presided, manifestly he's not going to resign himself," he said.
"My critique of the Government is that they have had months and months and months of mixed and misleading messages and, frankly, doing press conferences offering scripted soundbites and televised addresses to the nation or taking to Twitter are no substitute for accountability."
07:44 AM
Private renters suffering during pandemic
Around half of private renters did not feel safe in their homes during the coronavirus pandemic, while a quarter say their housing situation made lockdown harder, according to research.
England is in the midst of a housing, health and economic emergency, with just 51% of private renters saying their home made them feel safe during the Covid-19 outbreak, housing charity Shelter found.
Its survey, of 5,177 adults between September 4 and 7, also found that a quarter of private renters said their overall housing situation made lockdown harder to cope with, and their mental health had worsened.
If extrapolated to population level, Shelter's findings suggest 2.1 million people found lockdown more difficult due to their housing situation, while three million were living in poor conditions.
07:24 AM
Joe Biden criticises Trump for not taking virus seriously
"I would hope that the President, having gone through what he went through, would communicate the right lessons to the American people - masks matter," he told NBC News.
"The only thing I heard from him was a tweet saying something like 'don't be so concerned about all this' essentially. There's a lot to be concerned about.
"I've been fastidious about social distancing and wearing a mask when I'm not socially distanced."
07:13 AM
Chancellor Rishi Sunak: Priority is to protect jobs
"My overall focus at the moment is trying to protect as many jobs as possible. What is happening in our economy at the moment is significant and severe, many people are losing their jobs," he told Sky News.
"So the focus of my intention in the short term is doing what we can to support as much employment as possible.
"Over time we need to have sustainable public finances. That is important to me, it is important to the Government, but in the short term the best way to have long-term sustainable public finances is to protect as much employment as possible."
Mr Sunak has defended the 10pm curfew for pubs and restaurants saying it was "better than having places closed".
07:11 AM
Paris-style bar and restaurant closure may be needed to keep schools open, warns Prof Neil Ferguson
"Whilst we don't think primary schools are a major vector of transmission, older teenagers do transmit the virus. We don't yet know if we can control this virus with high schools open. If we want to keep schools open we have to reduce contacts in other areas of society by more. In other areas we may have to give up more to keep them open," the Imperial College London epidemiologist told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Asked if bars and restaurants should be closed entirely, like in Paris, he said: "We see from the contact tracing data that attending bars, restaurants, hospitality venues is a risk. We may need to consider those measures, particularly in hotspot areas where case numbers are increasing fast.
Drinkers in Paris - Kiran Ridley /Getty Images Europe
"The death rate has gone down, we know how to treat cases better, hospitals are less stressed and we have new drugs. But admissions to hospitals and deaths are all tracking cases. They're at a lower level but they're doubling every two weeks.
"We just cannot have that continue indefinitely. The NHS will be overwhelmed again. If we allow the current trends to continue, modelling indicates there's that risk."
Universities UK president Professor Julia Buckingham said that the vast majority of students are being "looked after extremely well" by their universities during local lockdown measures.
07:03 AM
End of 10pm curfew in sight as dozens of Tories prepare to rebel
Boris Johnson's 10pm coronavirus curfew for pubs, restaurants and bars could be thrown out after it emerged that dozens of Tory MPs are prepared to vote against the measure on Wednesday night.
The rebel Conservatives, due to meet at lunchtime on Tuesday to plot their next steps, have been emboldened by comments from the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, questioning the measure.
A bar in Soho, London - Victoria Jones /PA
Tory backbenchers have also been encouraged by Labour's refusal to say whether it will support the curfew until it has seen the scientific evidence that underlies it. A Labour decision on how to whip the vote is not expected until Wednesday.
There were rumours in Westminster on Monday that Government whips might even pull the curfew vote on Tuesday in order to allow more time to work on bringing the rebels to heel.
Almost 40% of psychiatric ward patients infected with Covid-19
At least 38% of older adults in psychiatric wards in London were infected with Covid-19 at the height of the pandemic, a new study has suggested.
University College London (UCL) researchers found that 15% of infected patients (19 people) in the mental health wards died from the disease.
According to the study, psychiatric wards were slow to receive tests and personal protective equipment (PPE), which may have increased the mortality rates.
The research looked at data from all 344 hospital patients of five mental health trusts in London who were either over 65 or had young onset dementia in March and April 2020.
More than half (56%) had dementia while most others had either a psychotic illness or depression.
06:23 AM
Police hand single offender four Covid fines totaling £800 for repeatedly throwing parties in Bolton
The single offender in Bolton now has four Fixed Penalty Notices by Greater Manchester Police, with an accompanying fine totaling £800.
Officers were called to reports of a large gathering at the same property in Pentland Terrace, Bolton on four separate occasions.
The last report of a party at the property was at 2am on Sunday 4 October 2020, the force aid.
Greater Manchester Police said they had issued a total of 400 FPNs for breaches of Covid 19 legislation following a busy weekend for officers - with 85 issued between Friday to Sunday.
Charging migrants to use NHS hospital services is putting lives at risk, warn health experts
Doctors of the World UK (DOTW), the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) and Lancet Migration - a research arm of the medical journal - have launched a campaign to call for "universal and equitable access" to NHS services during the Covid-19 pandemic and afterwards.
So far more than 20 organisations have joined the call for the Government to "immediately suspend the NHS charging regulations, which pose a serious risk to public health and are causing unnecessary suffering and death among some of those in the most vulnerable situations in the UK, such as destitute migrants."
The group accused the Government of failing to act so far, arguing the change is "urgently needed" to ensure checks are not carried out and data is not shared to make sure no-one avoids seeking health care for fear of immigration enforcement.
Migrants from Afghanistan walk ashore in Lesbos, Greece - Konstantinos Tsakalidis/Bloomberg
Launching the campaign, the group said: "The Government cannot afford to ignore the experts and wealth of evidence any longer.
"Failure to include migrant and refugee populations in the UK's Covid-19 response at this critical point in time means any public health measures to control the virus are inequitable and ineffective.
"The Covid-19 pandemic shows clearly that nobody is protected unless everybody is protected."
05:57 AM
How the latest fiasco hit the UK's Test and Trace system
Ministers have blamed technical blunders after almost 16,000 confirmed coronavirus cases became lost in their various aged computer systems.
The fiasco occurred when an Excel spreadsheet, used in outdated software being employed by Public Health England (PHE), was unable to cope with high numbers of cases.
As a result – and as infection numbers soared – thousands of positive cases were automatically thrown off the database when they should have been passed to the Test and Trace system.
Labour said as many as 48,000 contacts of positive cases may not have been traced, with "thousands blissfully unaware" that they had been exposed to Covid-19 and could now be spreading it.
One in five people are less likely to buy a home in the near future than they would have been before the coronavirus lockdown started, but one in 10 are now more likely according to a survey.
Some 20% of people surveyed by PwC in September said they are now less likely to purchase a home over the next couple of years compared to their situation in February 2020.
Concerns about the labour market and personal job security, recent income losses and uncertainty about the future direction of house prices are weighing on people's willingness to commit to buying a home.
But 10% of people surveyed said they are more likely to do so. This may be partly due to a stamp duty holiday which is currently in place.
05:32 AM
Hospitals face 'tsunami of cancellations'
Surgeons are calling for hospital beds to be "ring-fenced" for planned operations, to avoid a "tsunami of cancellations" due to rising Covid-19 cases.
A survey for the Royal College of Surgeons of England found most surgeons thought the NHS could not meet its targets to get surgery back to pre-pandemic levels.
Sir Simon Stevens, the head of the NHS in England, wrote to NHS trusts in July saying that, in September, they should hit at least 80% of their last year's activity for both overnight planned procedures and for outpatient or day case procedures.
In October, this figure should rise to 90%, the letter said.
But the Royal College of Surgeons said its analysis showed trusts were not hitting the target, with issues including surgeons being forced to wait for coronavirus test results and a lack of access to operating theatre space.
05:17 AM
Sri Lanka confirms cluster in 300 factory workers
Sri Lanka on Tuesday confirmed a cluster of more than 300 garment factory workers infected with the coronavirus, days after reporting its first community infection in two months.
The health ministry said all 321 people infected are co-workers of the first patient, who was diagnosed at a hospital two days ago and was from the densely populated Western province.
The cluster in the suburbs of Sri Lanka's capital Colombo was identified despite the government saying it has successfully controlled the spreading of the virus.
The country has reported 3,471 patients with 13 deaths. Of the total patients, 3,259 have recovered.
Women walk past a mural painting in Minuwangoda on the outskirts of the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo - AFP
05:12 AM
How bungled Excel spreadsheets have fed disaster since 1800 BC
When the affair of the London Whale became public in 2012, it sent shockwaves through the global financial system. Senior traders at JP Morgan Chase, scrambling to mitigate existing losses, had made a series of complex financial bets so big that they had visibly shaken the market.
In the end, the bank lost more than $6bn (£4.6bn) and paid almost $1m in fines. It was, as long-serving chief executive Jamie Dimon said later, "the stupidest and most-embarrassing situation I have ever been a part of". And it might not have happened if not for a badly-written Excel spreadsheet.
Today, Britain's health services appear to have suffered an Excel error even more consequential. We do not yet know how much suffering, or even death, the temporary loss of 16,000 coronavirus case records by Public Health England (PHE) – and the resulting distortion of England's Covid-19 statistics – may have caused.
India's infections near 6.7 million after death toll passes 100,000
India's total coronavirus cases rose by 61,267 in the last 24 hours to 6.69 million on Tuesday morning, data from the health ministry showed.
Deaths from Covid-19 infections rose by 884 to 103,569, the ministry said.
India's death toll rose past 100,000 on Saturday, only the third country in the world to reach that bleak milestone, after the United States and Brazil, and its epidemic shows no sign of abating.
Last week, India further eased restrictions and permitted states to open schools and movie theatres.
A woman is assisted to walk at a government- run hospital in Jammu, India - AP
04:30 AM
Malaysia and Myanmar emerging as Asia's newest hotspots
Malaysia and Myanmar have emerged as Asia’s two newest coronavirus hotspots, while Indonesia and the Philippines are still struggling to control the spread of Covid-19.
Elsewhere in Asia, other countries are seeing a return to normal, including Vietnam and Japan and South Korea who are expected to soon resume two-way business travel.
Malaysia currently has 12, 813 cases after reporting record daily cases last week, partly because of clusters linked to an election in its second-largest state of Sabah.
In Myanmar, coronavirus infections have soared, and a record 41 deaths were recorded on Sunday, bringing the death toll to 412 from only seven a month ago.
The toll of 18,781 is now the third-highest in Southeast Asia, after Indonesia and the Philippines, and both deaths and case numbers are doubling more quickly than anywhere in the world. Myanmar also faces nationwide elections next month.
A medical staff member works at a quarantine center amid the outbreak of the coronavirus in Yangon, Myanmar - Reuters
04:09 AM
Mexico reports record number of deaths and infections
Mexico on Monday reported a sharp increase in the daily number of coronavirus infections and deaths, breaking previous records due to what the government said was a change in methodology.
The Health Ministry reported a jump of 2,789 deaths and 28,115 cases, far outstripping the prior daily records of 1,092 deaths and 9,556 cases. Total confirmed cases now stand at 789,780, with a reported death toll of 81,877.
The Health Ministry said the record jump includes additional cases and deaths that date back to June.
Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell, the public face of the government's coronavirus strategy, said Monday's increase was a one-off event. He said critics would use the figures to attack the government.
03:56 AM
What Trump's return to White House tells us about his campaign plans
It could have been the trailer for an action movie. Donald Trump cast himself as a hero returning from battle in a clip of his dramatic return to the White House shared with the American people on Monday night.
The 37 second video, accompanied by an upbeat soundtrack, showed the US president leaving Marine One, striding purposefully across the White House lawn and up the steps to the Truman Balcony.
Against this iconic background, he saluted the departing helicopter and, despite still being treated for coronavirus, ripped off his face mask before stepping into the White House. The message to the country was clear: the president intends to return to business as usual.
Donald Trump's nonchalant message about not fearing the virus has alarmed infectious disease experts.
"We have to be realistic in this: Covid is a complete threat to the American population," Dr. David Nace of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, said of Mr Trump's comment.
"Most of the people aren't so lucky as the president," with an in-house medical unit and access to experimental treatments, added Nace, an expert on infections in older adults.
"It's an unconscionable message," agreed Dr. Sadiya Khan of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "I would go so far as to say that it may precipitate or worsen spread."
Likewise, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said during an NBC town hall Monday night that he was glad Trump seemed to be recovering well, "but there's a lot to be concerned about - 210,000 people have died. I hope no one walks away with the message that it's not a problem."
More than 200,000 Americans have died. 50,000 Americans are getting the virus every day. 1,000 a day are dying. This is a national emergency.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is detailing his approach on what he's called a "national mask mandate" as he campaigns against President Donald Trump.
Mr Biden told NBC News during a town hall on Monday night that he doesn't believe a president can impose a national mandate nationwide. But Mr Biden says as president he'd require masks on federal property, an executive action with wide reach across the country.
Mr Biden says he'd use the bully pulpit of the presidency to urge all governors, mayors and county executives to use their authority to require masks in their jurisdictions. Mr Biden says he'd call governors to the White House to talk about Covid-19, though he adds that he knows not all of them would come.
12:52 AM
Trump urges Americans to 'get out there' despite virus
President Donald Trump emerged on Monday from four days in a U.S. military hospital where he was treated for Covid-19 with a video message to Americans to "get out there" and not be afraid of coronavirus.
Though his doctors said he still was not "out of the woods," Mr Trump appeared maskless and defiant in a video released shortly after he returned to the White House from Walter Reed Medical Center.
"Don't let it dominate you. Don't be afraid of it," Mr Trump said. "We're going back, we're going back to work. We're going to be out front. ... Don't let it dominate your lives. Get out there, be careful."
Vice presidential debate to include plexiglass barrier after outbreak
Vice President Mike Pence and challenger Kamala Harris will be separated by a plexiglass barrier during their debate on Wednesday in an effort to lower the risk of coronavirus transmission, the commission overseeing the event said.
The debate, the only one scheduled between the vice presidential candidates, is scheduled for Salt Lake City, six days after President Donald Trump announced he had contracted the virus.
Both Ms Harris and Mr Pence have tested negative in recent days, with the vice president working from home over the weekend instead of at the White House. A number of White House staffers and prominent Republicans, including three US senators, have tested positive.
The Commission on Presidential Debates also said the two candidates would be seated more than 12 feet (3.7 m) apart. There will be a limited number of guests at the debate, all of whom will undergo testing, and anyone who does not wear a mask will be "escorted out", the commission said.
Boris Johnson's 10pm coronavirus curfew for pubs, restaurants and bars could be thrown out after it emerged that dozens of Tory MPs are prepared to vote against the measure on Wednesday night.
The photographer reflects on how he took the memorable shot back in 2004, in one of the martial arts academies that had sprung up near the Shaolin Temple.
In the context of a sprawling global leviathan that has just posted profits of $7.7bn (£6.1bn) in the last three months alone, Shell’s decision to close a small power generation unit in China amounts to little more than a rounding error on its books.
Here are three Singapore blue-chip stocks that delivered a robust set of earnings. The post 3 Singapore Blue-Chip Stocks That Reported Solid Earnings appeared first on The Smart Investor.
Emily Ratajkowski attended the 2024 The King's Trust Global Gala wearing a gold satin backless dress with a plunging neckline best described as melted butter.
Bodies have been found in the search for two Australian brothers and a US tourist who went missing in northern Mexico. The remains were found south of Ensenada, near where the men - Jake and Callum Robinson from Australia and American Jack Carter Rhoad - went missing last weekend. The location where the bodies were recovered, close to the town of Santo Tomas in Baja California state, is near where the men went missing, Mexican authorities said.
If you talk to any frequent traveler, they'll all probably tell you the same thing. They'd prefer to be toward the front of the plane than squished near the back, fighting for space on the armrest....
The post Good Gai: Singapore’s first Thai fried chicken specialty store within Aperia Mall with 2 kinds of crispy chicken appeared first on SETHLUI.com.
