Coronavirus news - live: 'Completely wrong' to say Boris Johnson's mass testing plan will save Christmas, Vallance warns
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England’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance poured cold water on Operation Moon Shot, warning it is “completely wrong” to say that ministers’ proposed mass coronavirus testing regime could allow for a return to semi-normality by Christmas - just minutes after Boris Johnson touted hopes that it could.
Speaking at Downing Street, the prime minister tightened England’s coronavirus restrictions, making it illegal from Monday for people to gather in groups larger than six, with some exemptions.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Donald Trump came under fire after it was revealed he had downplayed the potential severity of the virus to ‘avoid panic’.
And case numbers continue to rise around the world - with India reporting 90,802 new confirmed infections in a 24 hour period, the nation’s highest daily spike so far.
Czech cases top 1,000 for first time
The Czech Republic has reported a record one-day spike in infections with 1,164 new cases as it battles a surging spread of the coronavirus.
The country’s daily case figures have regularly come in above 500 so far in September, already well above a previous daily peak of 377 in March during the first wave of infections.
Czech authorities, which acted quickly to impose a strict lockdown in March to halt the spread of the virus, are keen to avoid taking that costly route again after the economy shrank by 11 per cent in the April-June period on an annual basis.
The spike in Czech cases has been among the fastest in Europe, with infection rates over the last two weeks only faster in Spain, France, Malta, Romania and Croatia, according to the European Union agency European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Coming weeks will be ‘pivotal’ for UK
Professor Sir Jeremy Farrar said he supports the new coronavirus restrictions and hopes they will be enough.
But the Wellcome Trust director and Sage member said the next few weeks will be "absolutely pivotal" to the sort of autumn and winter the country will have.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The next four to six weeks as we reopen schools and we start to try to get the economy going again - which is just so critical - are going to be absolutely pivotal to the sort of autumn and winter we have.
"So I am very supportive of the restrictions coming in and sincerely hope they are going to be enough."
Is the worst yet to come?
Covid-19 restrictions have been increased again in England, and with students back to school and winter on the horizon, Sophie Gallagher asks if the worst is yet to come
Winter is coming: How worried should we be about coronavirus?
Covid-19 restrictions have been increased again in England, and with students back to school and winter on the horizon, Sophie Gallagher asks if the worst is yet to come
Hancock blames people without symptoms for test shortage
Matt Hancock has claimed the NHS Test and Trace system is “excellent” – and blamed people getting tests without displaying coronavirus symptoms for recent struggles to cope with testing demand, Adam Forrest reports.
A shortage in the system in recent days has led to a deluge of complaints from people either unable to get a test, or asked to travel hundreds of miles to find the nearest testing site.
Mr Hancock said the difficulty in meeting demand was down to a 25 per cent increase people coming forward for a test despite not having any symptoms or a referral from a doctor
Matt Hancock blames coronavirus testing problems on people asking for tests without symptoms
Health secretary says rising demand from ‘people who are not eligible’ causing shortages
Queen returns to work
The Queen is returning to work at Buckingham Palace in October after shielding for months.
On 19 March, the monarch and the Duke of Edinburgh left London, just days before the nationwide coronavirus lockdown was introduced.
The 94-year-old suspended all official duties in the capital and moved to Windsor Castle as a precautionary measure amid the outbreak.
Queen to resume royal engagements at Buckingham Palace in October
Monarch left London in March as a precautionary measure
Latest gathering rules ‘will add to pressure on police’
The national chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales has said the ban on gatherings of more than six people in England from Monday will put more pressure on forces.
John Apter said: “With the increase in confirmed Covid cases, it’s no surprise the government has made this announcement.
“For policing, these constant changes to legislation are becoming the norm. The pressures on policing have increased significantly over recent months, and this latest change will add to this pressure.
“My colleagues will support the public through what is going to be a very difficult time. At all times they will also remind people that a breach of these regulations means breaking the law.
“However, the government needs to play its part. With so many changes in legislation, an effective public information campaign must be a priority - as there’s been so much confusion for the public and many people don’t know exactly what the law says.
“We would urge the public to do the right thing and comply with the new rules, to help protect each other and prevent the further spread of this deadly virus.”
Lockdown job losses
More than 185,000 major job losses have been announced since the pandemic began in March.
Here is a list of some of the major British employers that have announced job cuts since the start of the lockdown:
All the major job cuts that have happened since the start of coronavirus
Over 185,000 jobs have been lost due to Covid-19
A motorcycle rally held in South Dakota in August and attended by hundreds of thousands of Americans from across the country is linked to more than 260,000 Covid-19 cases recorded in the US since 2 August, a new study suggests, with researchers describing the event as a "worst-case scenario" for spreading the disease.
Between 7 and 16 August, around 450,000 people from across the states flocked to Sturgis for the annual 10-day Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which featured several concerts and was held despite cases soaring across the country. Last week, a 60-year-old man with underlying health conditions was the first known person thought to have died with coronavirus having attended the event.
Matt Mathers has the full details in this article:
Motorcycle rally linked to almost 20% of US coronavirus cases in past month
Controversial festival was attended by Americans from across the country
US cases approach 190,000 amid new hot spots
Coronavirus deaths in the United States are approaching 190,000 along with a spike in cases in the Midwest with states like Iowa and South Dakota emerging as the new hotspots in the past few weeks.
Iowa currently has one of the highest rates of infection in the nation, with 15 per cent of tests last week coming back positive. Nearby South Dakota has a positive test rate of 19 per cent and North Dakota is at 18 per cent, according to a Reuters analysis.
The surge in Iowa and South Dakota is being linked to colleges reopening in Iowa and an annual motorcycle rally last month in Sturgis, South Dakota.
Kansas, Idaho and Missouri are also among the top 10 states for positive test rates.
New coronavirus infections have fallen for seven weeks in a row for the US with a death rate of about 6,100 per week from Covid-19 in the last month.
No refund for Portugal-bound Scottish holidaymakers
Jet2 has said it will not refund Scottish travellers scheduled to fly to Portugal, following the introduction of new travel restrictions by the Scottish government.
Officials in Scotland confirmed last week that holidaymakers returning to Scotland from Portugal would be required to quarantine for 14 days.
Despite this, Jet2 flights and holidays from Scotland to the country are still scheduled to go ahead.
Joanna Whitehead reports:
Jet2 will not refund Scottish travellers scheduled to fly to Portugal
Jet2 flights and holidays from Scotland to Portugal will go ahead, despite new quarantine measures
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