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Coronavirus: The 7 major developments that happened on Tuesday

Watch: UK becomes first country to back studies that would infect volunteers with coronavirus

Here’s what you need to know on 20 October. This article was updated at 3pm.

Deaths: There were 15 deaths in Scotland. A further 10 deaths were reported in Wales. A further 134 deaths have been reported in England, but happened between 13 and 19 October. There were three further deaths reported in Northern Ireland.

The number of COVID deaths in the UK has gone up by a third in the last week, statistics show. There were 474 deaths involving coronavirus in the UK in the most recent week, up 131, or 38 per cent higher than the previous week, the Office for National Statistics announced today. Read more here.

Manchester: Talks between Andy Burnham and the government have ended without an agreement as the Manchester mayor sought more money before imposing a Tier 3 lockdown. Boris Johnson is due to give a press conference at 5pm which is likely to address next steps. Read more here.

Lockdown loopholes: The government has denied that working lunches could be an exemption to rules around meeting indoors in Tier 2 areas. There is an exemption but it helps freelancers without places to work from home, No 10 said. Read more here.

A person wearing a face mask walks past a sign on Theatre Impossible in Manchester as the Government is preparing to impose stringent new coronavirus controls on 2.8 million people after talks with the local leaders for Greater Manchester failed to reach agreement. Leaders have been given until midday on Tuesday to reach a deal, or face unilateral Government action, after 10 days of negotiations failed to reach an agreement. (Photo by Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images)
A person wearing a face mask walks past a sign on Theatre Impossible in Manchester as the Government is preparing to impose stringent new coronavirus controls. (Martin Rickett/PA Images)

Vaccine developments: The UK has become the first country to agree to deliberately infect healthy volunteers with coronavirus to help find an effective vaccine. The government will be investing £34m into the challenge trials. Read more here.

Scotland: Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister, has announced a tiered system will be in place in the country from next week, if approved. It would mean some areas have stricter rules. Read more here.

Wales: The Welsh government is asking for financial support from the UK government as it prepares to enter a two-week fire break lockdown. First Minister Mark Drakeford had again written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak urging him to resolve a “simple administrative issue” to allow the job support scheme to be topped up in Wales. Read more here.

Watch: Can you catch the coronavirus twice?

Coronavirus: what happened today

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