Daily coronavirus cases in the UK are the highest since the end of May, new data from the Depart of Health and Social Care (DHSC) shows. - Jacob King/PA Wire
11:43 PM
Today's top stories
Boris Johnson has been warned by the bosses of the UK's 20 biggest airports that he risks "irreparable damage" to the economy unless he moves to replace quarantine with Covid-19 testing in the next week
Daily coronavirus cases in the UK are the highest since the end of May, new data from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) shows.
On Sunday, 2,988 new Covid-19 cases were reported. The last time it was higher was on May 22 with 3,287 cases.
Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, said he is "concerned" by the rise in cases, which are predominantly among younger people.
"The rise is predominantly among younger people and it's important to remember, as we've seen in other countries, that younger people can infect their grandparents, and we don't want to see the spread of this disease because it inevitably (will) then lead to more hospitalisations," he said.
UK deaths rose by two, bringing the total deaths, recorded within 28 days of a positive test, to 41,551.
There have now been 347,152 confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK since the beginning of the pandemic.
Scotland also recorded its highest number of new cases since May with 208 new cases.
05:03 PM
What’s happened today?
That's it from us today at Telegraph HQ, we will be back early tomorrow morning to bring you all the latest Covid-19 news from across the UK and around the world.
Here is a roundup of everything that happened today:
Daily coronavirus cases in the UK are the highest since the end of May, new data from the Depart of Health and Social Care (DHSC) shows. 2,988 new Covid-19 cases were reported, the last time it was higher was on May 22 with 3,287 cases.
The Health Secretary said he was “concerned” about the rise and urged everyone to continue to adhere to social distancing.
A prisoner is being treated for Covid-19 after becoming the first inmate in Northern Ireland to test positive for the virus.
Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, said Labour's call for more airport testing was not a "silver bullet".
Dr Devi Sridhar, professor and chair in Global Public Health at University of Edinburgh, said she was "worried" about the test and trace system's ability to keep the coronavirus suppressed as the population returns to school and work.
Primary school children are less likely to transmit coronavirus than teenagers, potentially due to their height, Dr Sridhar added.
Both Portugal and Italy have reported their highest daily increase in coronavirus cases since lockdown was lifted in May.
India added more than 90,000 cases of the coronavirus on Sunday, a global daily record, according to data from the federal health ministry.
France could reduce the self-isolation period for people with Covid-19 or those who have been in contact with them to five days down from 14, say reports.
South Korea has reported the smallest rise in coronavirus infections in three weeks, remaining under 200 for a fourth consecutive day as tighter restrictions cap a second wave.
04:57 PM
Health Secretary urges younger people to social distance amid rising cases
Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, said he is "concerned" by the rise in Covid-19 cases which is predominantly among younger people.
"The rise is predominantly amongst younger people and it's important to remember, as we've seen in other countries, that younger people can infect their grandparents, and we don't want to see the spread of this disease because it inevitably (will) then lead to more hospitalisations," he said.
Mr Hancock urged "everyone to do their bit" and continue to social distance, which he called the "first line of defence" against the virus, along with Test and Trace.
"I am concerned about the figures, the most important thing is that everybody must follow social distancing," he said.
04:38 PM
Are cases rising where you live? Try our postcode tracker
04:23 PM
Rise in cases shows 'continued risk from this virus', says PHE
Public Health England (PHE) have said the large increase in coronavirus cases reported today serves as a reminder of the "continued risk" of the virus, with Birmingham and the North of England experiencing significant increases.
Yvonne Doyle, Medical Director at PHE said:
“2,576 new cases of Covid-19 have been reported overnight, compared to 1,477 overnight cases reported yesterday. Most of these cases are people tested in the community.
“There were broad increases in cases of Covid-19 across England and although no single area accounts for the overnight change, Birmingham had the largest increase in overnight cases and the majority of new cases were in the North of England.
“This is a reminder of the continued risk from this virus. People should continue to follow social distancing rules, wash their hands regularly and wear a face covering in enclosed spaces.
“We continue to monitor the situation. Our local Health Protection teams are working with local councils and Directors of Public Health to manage the increase.”
04:10 PM
Portugal reports record rise in cases as Italy joins UK's 'amber list'
Both Portugal and Italy have reported their highest daily increase in coronavirus cases since lockdown was lifted in May.
Most of Portugal's 486 new cases were found in and around the capital, Lisbon, as well as the country’s second city, Porto.
The rise has renewed fears that the country could soon be stripped of its travel corridor with England. Scotland and Wales have already removed it from their quarantine-exempt lists.
Cricket match abandoned after player tests positive
A cricket match between Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire has been abandoned after a player tested positive for Covid-19.
In a statement released by Gloucestershire Cricket the positive case of a Northamptonshire player came to light “just before lunch of the first session of play”.
“Although the player was not part of the group that travelled with the squad to Bristol (and has been self-isolating at home), further members of the Northamptonshire squad have been in contact with the player within 48 hours of the player developing COVID-19 symptoms,” the statement read.
The statement went on that the decision was made to abandon the match by Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire and the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to protect the “health and safety of the players, officials and administrators involved in this match”.
France considers reducing isolation period to five days
This just in on the latest in France by Henry Samuel in Paris
France could reduce the self-isolation period for people with Covid-19 or those who have been in contact with them to five days down from 14, say reports.
France's health minister, Olivier Véran, made it clear this weekend that he wanted to reduce the current self-isolation period by telling BFMTV: "This famous two-week quarantine is doubtless too long.
"I have asked scientific authorities to advise whether we can't reduce it."
According to Le Journal du Dimanche, France's scientific council has already given its green light to the idea of a period of between five to seven days. Antoine Flahault, an epidemiologist at the institute of global health in Geneva, told the paper: "Data shows today that most contagions occur in the window of the first five days after symptoms appear.
"If we could already respect these five days, we would no doubt let a few people still carrying the disease through, but (these would) apparently not be very contagious."
According to JDD the government is tempted to opt for the shorter period to make it "more socially acceptable" and thus better respected. "Five to seven days is a pragmatic compromise," said Mr Flahaut.
However, some experts say such a move would be "imprudent".
"We would drop our guard just as the spread of virus is becoming very active again. It seems a risky bet," said William Dab, former director-general of French health.
03:23 PM
UK daily cases highest since end of May
Positive coronavirus cases in the UK are the highest since the end of May, new data from the Depart of Health and Social Care (DHSC) shows.
Today 2,988 new Covid-19 cases were reported, the last time it was higher was on May 22 with 3,287 cases.
UK deaths rose by two bringing the total deaths, recorded within 28 days of a positive test, to 41,551.
There has now been 347,152 confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK since the beginning of the pandemic.
Scotland also recorded its highest number of new cases since May with 208 new cases.
03:19 PM
In pictures: Coronavirus pandemic around the world
Aerial view of social distancing circles at Mission Dolores Park amid the coronavirus outbreak on September 5, 2020 in San Francisco, California. - Liu Guanguan/China News Service A Palestinian student wears a face mask at a United Nations-run school, as schools gradually reopen amid the coronavirus outbreak, in Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank - REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman People wearing face masks and shields pull the chariot of God Minnath during the Rato Machhindranath chariot festival, after they were allowed to take the chariot out following violent demonstrations amid the ban on public and religious gatherings to control the spread of Covid-19, in Lalitpur, Nepal - REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar A boy looks at Sinovac Biotech LTD's vaccine candidate for Covid-19 on display at the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing - NOEL CELIS/AFP via Getty Images
02:50 PM
Speed of coronavirus vaccine race 'crazy' and unsafe, scientists warn
Political pressure has overtaken scientific evidence in the push for a Covid-19 vaccine, scientists said - REUTERS/Tingshu Wang
Leading scientists across the world have said rushing the development of a coronavirus vaccine to bring it to the public before the end of this year is unrealistic, unsafe, and even "crazy".
Despite reports from across the world suggesting a vaccine could be ready in weeks - particularly from the United States, where "Operation Warp Speed" reportedly has officials on standby to distribute the vaccine by October, ahead of the presidential election - experts are increasingly concerned that the rhetoric is in no way matched by the data.
Sick of WFH but office still shut? Try the home-working hotel
Could a 'working mini-break' at a member's club offer respite for tired employees? Helen Chandler-Wilde charged up her laptop to find out...
Helen Chandler-Wilde in one of the work rooms at Birch in Hertfordshire - Andrew Crowley
Coronavirus means I haven’t been on a foreign holiday in 12 months, so I book two days of work and play at Birch – a new “lifestyle membership community” just north of London in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire.
It’s difficult to explain what it is in a few words: there are bedrooms, but it’s not a hotel; there is work space, but it’s not an office; there are yoga and spinning classes, but it’s not a gym. There are also the beginnings of a full working farm, but more on that later.
Read about Helen's trial of the home-working hotel here.
02:11 PM
NHS England reports three further deaths
A further three people, who tested positive for Covid-19 have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 29,607.
Patients were aged between 69 and 89 years old and all had known underlying health conditions.
Date of death ranges from September 4 to 5 2020.
02:02 PM
Worldwide cases reach 26,878,514
01:38 PM
Israel's Covid-19 death toll surpasses 1,000
A Palestinian teacher keeps students at a safe distance in the school's courtyard in the flashpoint city of Hebron - HAZEM BADER/AFP
The death toll from the coronavirus in Israel has surpassed 1,000, as the government considered steps for imposing new restrictions to quell a resurgence in infections.
Israel had earned praise for its early handling of the virus crisis and imposing tight movement restrictions. Since reopening the economy in May, however, new cases have spiked to record levels and the government has been blamed for mismanaging the resurgence.
More than 3,000 new cases a day have been confirmed in the most recent spike, raising the possibility of a renewed nationwide lockdown.
Dr. Ronni Gamzu, the national "coronavirus project manager", has issued recommendations for restrictions on numerous so-called "red" cities that have seen the most widespread outbreaks.
The government is expected to convene today to vote on which cities and neighborhoods could go under some form of lockdown. Those included will likely face new restrictions on movement within the city limits, a ban on entering or leaving the locality and a suspension of all in-person school activities.
Overall, Israel has recorded nearly 130,000 cases of the virus, with more than 26,000 still active.
01:15 PM
Wales reports no further Covid-19 deaths
There have been no further reported deaths of people who tested positive for coronavirus in Wales, health officials have said.
The total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic remains at 1,597.
Public Health Wales said the total number of Covid-19 cases in the country had increased by 98, bringing the revised confirmed cases to 18,381.
12:50 PM
First prisoner tests positive for Covid-19 in Northern Ireland
A prisoner is being treated for Covid-19 after becoming the first inmate in Northern Ireland to test positive for the virus.
The man tested positive for coronavirus after being remanded into custody at Maghaberry Prison on Thursday.
The Northern Ireland Prison Service said the case had been contained due to "robust processes" put in place in response to the pandemic.
A spokesman said: "A man remanded into the custody of Maghaberry Prison on Thursday has tested positive for Covid-19.
"As with all new committals during the pandemic, he was separated from the main prisoner population to ensure the safety of staff and other prisoners.
"He is being cared for by our staff and colleagues from the South Eastern Trust. His family have been informed.
"This is the first positive test of a prisoner in Northern Ireland.
"The robust processes put in place in response to the pandemic have ensured this has been contained and the Prison Service will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of everyone in our prisons during these challenging times."
12:34 PM
Silvio Berlusconi 'responding well to treatment', doctor says
Italian professor Alberto Zangrillo, San Raffaele Hospitals personal doctor of former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, speaks during a press conference last week after Berlusconi was hospitalised - Piero CRUCIATTI / AFP
Italy's former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is responding well to treatment after he was taken to hospital with coronavirus, his doctor said, but warned "victory" cannot be claimed just yet.
The 83-year-old media tycoon is being treated for a lung infection at San Raffaele hospital in Milan where he was admitted on Thursday night.
"The patient is calm and is responding optimally to treatments," his doctor Alberto Zangrillo said.
"I am cautiously optimistic, which I reiterate, we must not claim victory since (Berlusconi) belongs in the category defined as the most fragile."
Berlusconi tested positive for coronavirus earlier this week after returning from a holiday at his luxury villa in Sardinia.
Two of his children - daughter Barbara, 36, and son Luigi, 31 - have also contracted the virus, as has his companion Marta Fascina.
12:16 PM
Nervous Bolshoi prima ballerinas prepare for post-Covid return
Theatres worldwide will be watching to see if the Bolshoi can stage full-scale productions while keeping performers and audiences safe, writes Theo Merz.
Russian ballet dance, peolpe's artist of the USSR, prima ballerina of the Bolshoi theatre Svetlana Zakharova with Jacopo Tissi, leading soloist during a rehearsal of Silentium ballet. - Andrey Borodulin
The Bolshoi has reported two Covid-related incidents since the start of the pandemic: the first in April, when dozens of staff tested positive ahead of a televised performance to an empty hall, and again last month, when more than 50 people were sent home from rehearsals after one dancer found to have the virus.
Meanwhile the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg restarted its productions at the start of August but was forced to halt its ballets after just three weeks following an outbreak among the cast.
The tentative reopenings come as daily infection rates tick up and Russian coronavirus cases top one million, the fourth highest total in the world.
An update on our post from 07:15am by Our Foreign Staff:
India added more than 90,000 cases of the coronavirus on Sunday, a global daily record, according to data from the federal health ministry.
There were 90,632 new cases in the 24 hours to Sunday, according to the data from the Ministry of Health and Famlily Welfare, while the number of deaths rose by 1,065 to 70,626.
The country is set to pass Brazil on Monday as the second most affected country by total infections and will be behind only the United States, which has 6.4 million cases and nearly 193,000 deaths.
Coronavirus cases in India have reached 4.1 million and about 3.2 million affected people have been treated so far, the government data showed.
An Indian health worker collects a slip before taking nasal swab sample to test for Covid-19 in Gauhati, India - AP Photo/Anupam Nath A municipal worker sanitises a Roman Catholic Church graveyard after the burial of Covid-19 coronavirus infected people in Ranchi - AFP via Getty
Medical experts said the country was seeing a second wave of the pandemic in some parts of the country, and that case numbers have surged because of increased testing and the easing of restrictions on public movement. The government will partially restore metro train services in the national capital of New Delhi from Monday.
The pandemic will not finish this year as the virus has spread from big cities to other parts of the country, Randeep Guleria, the director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, said in an interview with India Today TV.
The number of cases could continue to rise before the curve flattens out, he said.
11:42 AM
We will have to embrace change before return to work
Those who claim the economy should return to normal immediately are on a hiding to nothing, writes Christopher Williams.
One of the recurring themes of the pandemic is the way it exposes the limits of power in the face of cold biological facts. Time and again we see politicians and business people make demands of the population that are roundly ignored on the basis of the available evidence.
They are instead forced to confront their own powerlessness in a process that resembles the stages of grief...
Horse antibodies to be used in Costa Rican vaccine
Researchers in Costa Rica are due to begin trials of an inexpensive coronavirus treatment based on antibodies taken from horses injected with Covid-19, according to scientists.
Developed by University of Costa Rica's Clodomiro Picado Institute (ICP), the equine antibodies medication is to be tested on 26 patients from mid-September, Roman Macaya, president of the Social Security Fund that manages public health centers, told Reuters.
Costa Rican authorities hope to be able to begin applying the treatment more widely in hospitals if the results from the phase 2 study are encouraging.
"We are proud to know that this product will save lives until the vaccine reaches the population," said Alberto Alape, a project coordinator at ICP.
"We do it with our resources, without having to stand in line or compete against other countries, as can be seen with possible vaccines."
10:55 AM
South Korea reports smallest case rise in three weeks
South Korea has reported the smallest rise in coronavirus infections in three weeks, remaining under 200 for a fourth consecutive day as tighter restrictions cap a second wave.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 167 new cases of coronavirus for the 24 hours through midnight on Saturday, down from 168 the previous day.
That brings the country's total infections to 21,177 with 334 Covid-19 deaths. Success in crushing early outbreaks was partially reversed after a wave infections among members of a church spread when they attended a political rally in mid-August.
Daily infections have hovered below 200 for four days after peaking at 441 in late August, as tougher social distancing curbs have taken effect.
The measures have included unprecedented restrictions on eateries in the Seoul area, where the spread is concentrated, banning onsite dining after 9 pm and limiting coffee and bakery franchises to takeout and delivery all day.
The government on Friday extended the curbs until September 13, saying more time is needed to induce sharper drops in new infections.
In pictures: South Korea brings in unprecedented restrictions
Visitors wearing masks to avoid the spread of COVID-19 fill out a form which is mandatory to get into a hospital in Seoul, South Korea - REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji A visitor scans a QR code to log his entry at the Seongdong district government office building in Seoul - SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg An employee wearing a protective mask serves customers from behind a plastic sheet barrier at a bakery in Seoul - SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg The South Korean government has announced it was implementing heightened restrictions starting 30 August 2020 to restrict operations of restaurants; bakeries can operate until 9 p.m., and only takeaway and delivery will be permitted from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. in Seoul and surrounding areas. The measures are aimed at halting a second wave of COVID-19 and coronavirus infections. - JEON HEON-KYUN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
10:38 AM
Sunak urged to extend furlough amid fears of cliff-edge job crisis
Rishi Sunak is under mounting pressure to stave off an unemployment crisis by extending the furlough scheme, politicians have warned.
MPs from across the political divide are pressing the Chancellor for a more targeted successor scheme aimed at sectors hit hardest by Covid-19, such as the hospitality and entertainment industries.
Trade body UKHospitality estimates at least 350,000 jobs could go in the industry with a cliff-edge end to the scheme, currently scheduled for next month.
Airport testing is not a 'silver bullet', says Raab
Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, said Labour's call for more airport testing was not a "silver bullet".
Mr Raab told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "Let's just be clear about this when we think about airports - there is no silver bullet in airports.
"The current data suggests that the success rate of positively identifying people with Covid with a test in the airport is less than 10 per cent."
Put to him that those numbers increase if passengers are then tested again seven days later, Mr Raab said: "There is no silver bullet in the airport alone and that's why we have the quarantine.
"So, the direction of travel will be making sure we have the capacity and the ability for when the time is right to ease up on the self-isolation at home, and that's certainly something that we'll be looking at."
Italy joins the UK's 'amber list' with highest number of cases since May
Italy has recorded its highest number of new coronavirus cases since May, moving it into the 'amber' zone on the system used by the UK to judge how safe a travel destination is.
New figures show the number of cases per 100,000 over seven days – the metric used by the Government to determine which country is on the UK’s travel corridors list – is now at 15.3. If a country surpasses 20, it enters the 'red' zone and is typically removed from the list.
A member of the Indonesian Red Cross Society (PMI) wearing protective suit and mask sprays disinfectant inside the National Museum in Jakarta, Indonesia - Dimas Ardian/Bloomberg
Indonesia reported 3,444 new coronavirus cases today, bringing the total to 194,109, data from the country’s health ministry website showed.
The Southeast Asian country also reported 85 new deaths, taking the total to 8,025, the highest coronavirus death toll in Southeast Asia.
09:09 AM
90pc of China's Sinovac employees and families took coronavirus vaccine
A Chinese firm which has developed an experimental coronavirus vaccine said around 90 per cent of their employees and families have taken the shot under the country's emergency use programme.
The extent of inoculations under the emergency programme, which China launched in July but has released few details about, points to how actively it is using experimental vaccines in the hopes of protecting essential workers against a potential Covid-19 resurgence, even as trials are still underway.
The programme is intended for specific groups, including medical staffers and those who work at food markets and in the transportation and service sectors.
Sinovac Biotech Ltd, whose CoronaVac is in Phase 3 clinical trials and has been included in the emergency scheme, offered the candidate vaccine to approximately 2,000 to 3,000 employees and their families on a voluntary basis, CEO Yin Weidong told Reuters.
Mr Weidong said those who chose to be inoculated, including himself, his wife and parents, had been informed of the potential side effects prior to taking the shot.
He added that doctors asked about their health conditions before the vaccination, and the occurrence rate of adverse reaction among those vaccinated has been "very low".
Side effects after taking CoronaVac include fatigue, fever and pain, with mostly mild symptoms, according to results of a mid-stage trial sponsored by Sinovac, involving 600 participants and published last month ahead of peer review.
UK testing rate ahead of Germany, France, Spain, and Italy, says Raab
The UK is testing more people than Germany, France, Spain and Italy, Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary has said.
Speaking on the Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme, Mr Raab said the UK's testing rate meant the Government is now testing one in five people, and testing capacity is at around 300,000.
"In terms of per capita, as a proportion of the population, our testing rate is ahead of Germany, France, Spain, Italy, so we need to craft and make sure we keep ramping that up," he said.
He added there is "plan" to get testing up to 500,000 capacity and couples with localised lockdowns - where needed - "we can make these steps to get people back to work".
08:50 AM
Test and trace systems 'racing to catch up' as schools and officers reopen
Dr Sridhar said she was "worried" about the test and trace system's ability to keep the coronavirus suppressed as the population returns to school and work.
"What we've seen in Scotland in the last few weeks is the testing system really having to race to catch up with the demand of all the children coming home with coughs and colds and fevers," she told Sophy Ridge on Sunday.
"You add on top of that all the adults coming back into offices as well your testing system is really under strain."
She added the only way to keep the virus suppressed and prevent further lockdowns is ensure the test and trace system is working at a high capacity.
"When the testing and tracing starts to breakdown that's when you need your local restrictions," she said.
But she added she thought it was "unlikely" the UK would experience another national lockdown.
"We've learned a lot about this virus but its up to the test and trace and each of us in our behaviours to make sure that the virus stays suppressed and keep things running as normally as possible."
08:42 AM
Primary aged kids less likely to transmit virus due to height
Primary school children are less likely to transmit coronavirus than teenagers, potentially due to their height, an expert has said.
Devi Sridhar, professor and chair in Global Public Health at University of Edinburgh, told the Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme that a number of hypotheses have been put forward as to why younger children have been found to be less infectious.
"Children can have the virus regardless of their age, they have the same viral load as adults, they can transmit the virus, but for an unconfirmed reason primary aged children transmit less than older children," she said.
"We have seen... clusters in teenagers occurring, but primary school kids seems to be less affected."
Possible reasons for this is that primary aged children appear to be more asymptomatic, Prof Sridhar said, meaning they are less likely to be infecting others as they are not coughing and sneezing.
"Primary school kids are shorter so they are less likely to be exposing adults or others around them," she added.
"There is a difference but science has not confirmed yet what of those hypotheses it could be."
08:24 AM
Are Covid-19 cases rising in your area?
08:09 AM
Russia's death toll nears 20,000
Russia has reported 5,195 new coronavirus cases today taking its total to 1,025,505.
The Russian coronavirus crisis centre said 61 deaths had been confirmed in the past 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 17,820.
07:48 AM
Worldwide summary
Here are the latest coronavirus developments from around the world this morning.
India added more than 90,000 coronavirus cases today, a global daily record, according to health ministry data. That brought the country's total cases to 4.1 million, while the number of deaths rose by 1,065 to 70,626.
South Korea reported the smallest rise in infections in three weeks today, remaining under 200 for a fourth consecutive day as tighter restrictions cap a second wave of the virus.
Italy's former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is in a stable condition two days after being hospitalised with the coronavirus, his doctor said yesterday.
Brussels honoured health workers battling the pandemic on Saturday by dressing up the Belgian capital's famed bronze statue of the Manneken Pis as a doctor in a white gown and wearing a protective face mask.
Mexico has recorded 122,765 deaths more than would be expected during the pandemic up to August, the health ministry said in a report on excess mortality rates, suggesting the country's true coronavirus toll could be much higher. Mexico has recorded 67,326 confirmed coronavirus deaths, the world's fourth highest death toll.
United States vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris said she would not take President Donald Trump's word alone on any potential coronavirus vaccine.
07:37 AM
Airport testing reduces rates of infections better than quarantine, data shows
A passenger is being tested for COVID-19 on arrival at Charles de Gaulle airport in France - REUTERS/Christian Hartmann
Countries that have expanded their airport testing of arriving holidaymakers have seen their national Covid infection rates decline, according to a new analysis.
The data, covering the period from mid-August to this weekend, shows Greece, Denmark, Iceland, Germany, Cyprus and Singapore all reduced their rates after intensifying border testing to allow arrivals to avoid 14-day quarantine.
The disclosure challenges the Government’s contention that testing on arrival is ineffective and only catches seven per cent of cases - an argument deployed by both Boris Johnson and Grant Shapps on Friday.
More than 90,000 infections in India in just 24 hours
India saw another record surge of 90,632 cases in the past 24 hours, as infections spread to smaller cities and rural parts of the country.
According to the Health Ministry, India's caseload reached 4,113,811 - slightly short of Brazil's confirmed 4.123 million infections.
The ministry on Sunday also reported 1,065 deaths for a total of 70,626.
More than one million cases have been detected in India in less than two weeks.
Authorities said India's daily testing now exceeds one million.
Dr Randeep Guleria, a government health expert, said India was seeing a resurgence with more than 70 per cent of its nearly 1.4 billion people still susceptible to infections: "We could say that we are seeing some sort of a second wave in certain parts of the country."
04:53 AM
Wuhan recast as a heroic coronavirus victim
China is recasting Wuhan as a heroic coronavirus victim and trying to throw doubt on the pandemic's origin story as it aims to seize the narrative at a time of growing global distrust of Beijing.
The PR blitz plays out daily in comments by Chinese officials and lavish state media coverage of a "reborn" Wuhan that trumpets China's epidemic-control efforts and economic recovery while the United States struggles.
The drive peaked in the past week as Chinese primary schools welcomed back students with considerable fanfare and Wuhan hosted executives from dozens of multinationals on a highly choreographed tour of the central Chinese city.
"There are few places in the world today where you don't need a mask and can gather," Chinese official Lin Songtian told the executives, implying that Wuhan was one of those places.
"This testifies to Wuhan's triumph over the virus and that (the city) is back in business."
04:12 AM
Melbourne lockdown to continue until late September
Australia's coronavirus hotspot state of Victoria on Sunday extended a hard lockdown in its capital Melbourne until September 28.
The announcement came as the state's infection rate declined more slowly than hoped.
"We cannot open up at this time. If we were to we would lose control very quickly," State Premier Daniel Andrews told a televised media conference on Sunday.
The hard lockdown was ordered on August 2 in response to a second wave of infections that erupted in Melbourne.
Australia's second-most populous state has been the epicentre of a second wave of coronavirus, now accounting for about 75 per cent of the country's 26,282 cases and 90 per cent of its 753 deaths.
Victoria on Sunday reported 63 new infections and five deaths, down from a peak of 725 new cases on August 5. By contrast, Australia's most populous state, New South Wales, has had no more than 13 cases a day since early August.
Statement from the Premier on Victoria's steps to COVID Normal.
Melbourne's stage four restrictions, which had been due to end on September 13, shut most of the economy, limited people's movements to a tight zone around their homes for one hour a day and imposed a night curfew.
From September 14, the rules won't be quite as tough, because the curfew will begin an hour later at 9pm, and people can go outdoors for two hours instead of one, while those living alone will be allowed to have a visitor.
If the infection rate subsides as hoped by the end of September, Mr Andrews said restrictions would be relaxed gradually over the subsequent two months, though some businesses would have to remain shut through late November.
03:03 AM
China's Covid cases imported
People flocked to the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing on Saturday. The fair is the first such large-scale event on Chinese soil since the start of the pandemic - WU HONG/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Mainland China reported 10 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday - unchanged from a day earlier - the country's national health authority said on Sunday.
The National Health Commission said in a statement that all the new cases were imported, marking the 21st consecutive day with no locally transmitted infections.
The number of new asymptomatic cases rose to 17 from eight a day earlier. China does not count symptomless infections as confirmed cases.
The total confirmed cases for mainland China now stands at 85,122, while the death toll remains unchanged at 4,634.
An employee checks a customer's temperature at Starbucks in Seoul - SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg
South Korea on Sunday reported the smallest rise in coronavirus infections in three weeks, remaining under 200 for a fourth consecutive day as tighter restrictions cap a second wave.
The Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported 167 cases of coronavirus for the 24 hours through midnight on Saturday, down from 168 the previous day.
That brings the country's total infections to 21,177 with 334 Covid-19 deaths.
Daily infections have hovered below 200 for four days after peaking at 441 in late August, as tougher social distancing curbs have taken effect.
The measures have included unprecedented restrictions on eateries in the Seoul area, where the spread is concentrated, banning onsite dining after 9pm and limiting coffee and bakery franchises to take-away and delivery all day.
12:30 AM
Exclusive: Infections fall in countries using testing at airports
Countries that have expanded their airport testing of arriving holidaymakers have seen their national Covid infection rates decline, according to a new analysis.
The data, covering the period from mid-August to this weekend, shows Greece, Denmark, Iceland, Germany, Cyprus and Singapore all reduced their rates after intensifying border testing to allow arrivals to avoid 14-day quarantine.
The disclosure challenges the Government’s contention that testing on arrival is ineffective and catches only seven per cent of cases - an argument deployed by both Boris Johnson and Grant Shapps on Friday.
A man in traditional Mexican attire wears a protective face shield as he plays the organ in Mexico City - CLAUDIO CRUZ/AFP
Mexico's health ministry on Saturday reported 6,319 new cases of coronavirus infections and 475 fatalities.
The increase brings the total in the country to 629,409 cases and 67,326 deaths.
12:19 AM
Czech daily cases surge beyond 700
The number of people infected with coronavirus has continued to surge in the Czech Republic, surpassing 700 for the first time.
The Health Ministry said the day-to-day increase reached a record of 798 new confirmed cases on Friday.
Health authorities have already imposed new restrictive measures in the Czech capital, reacting to the spike.
Starting on Wednesday, it is mandatory again to wear face masks in stores and shopping malls. At the same time, bars, restaurants and nightclubs must be closed from midnight to 6am.
The Czech Republic has 27,249 cases and 429 deaths.
12:04 AM
Germany considers official memorial for victims
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has suggested the country mourn the victims of the coronavirus pandemic at an official memorial.
Mr Steinmeier told newspaper group RND on Saturday that Germany "must help people who are mourning and think about how we can express our compassion".
The German president said he was in talks with other officials regarding a memorial.
On Saturday, Germany registered 1,378 new infections for a total of nearly 249,000 cases.
Total deaths stand at more than 9,300 people, according the country's disease control centre.
11:57 PM
Exclusive: GPs text warnings in areas at risk of lockdown
GPs have started texting patients to urge them to social distance when fears surface that an area could go into lockdown, The Telegraph can disclose.
Surgeries are sending messages warning when there is a "slight increase in cases" in their catchment area, and advising people to keep their distance from those outside their own households.
The texts also remind patients to wear masks, wash hands regularly and avoid unnecessary gatherings.
A woman takes a selfie in front of Rome's Trevi Fountain after a government decree that states face coverings must be worn between 6pm and 6am near bars and pubs and in areas where gatherings are more likely - REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
The daily number of coronavirus deaths in Italy has been rising, with 16 registered on Saturday by the Health Ministry.
The number is five more than the previous day. However, those numbers are dramatically lower than in the early weeks of the pandemic in the nation, when hundreds of people were dying daily.
With nearly 1,700 more cases on Saturday, Italy has confirmed a total of 276,338 infections.
Most of the recent cases have been linked to popular holiday locales, particularly among those who vacationed on the island of Sardinia.
Countries that have expanded their airport testing of arriving holidaymakers have seen their national Covid infection rates decline, according to a new analysis
Teachers who fail to pull their weight with remote learning must not be allowed to “put their feet up and watch Netflix”, a former headteacher has said
Dan Wetzel, Ross Dellenger & SI’s Pat Forde react to the huge performance this weekend by Texas QB Arch Manning, Michigan and Notre Dame's spring games, Jaden Rashada entering the transfer portal, and more
Trump is entitled to an additional 36 million shares if the company's share price trades above $17.50 "for twenty out of any thirty trading days" over the next three years.
