Coronavirus news - live: Mainland Portugal added to quarantine list and England sees highest weekly case rise since May
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Your support makes all the difference.Travellers returning to England from mainland Portugal must self-isolate for 14 days if they arrive after 4am on Saturday, Grant Shapps has said.
It came after the number of weekly coronavirus cases in England rose by 43 per cent, according to government data, in the highest weekly figure since the end of May.
In total 9,864 new infections were reported in the seven days up 2 September. Positive cases have been increasing since the start of July and are now 12 per cent higher than the number recorded when Test and Trace first launched.
Austria sees highest rise in cases since March
Austria has reported 664 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, the biggest daily increase since late March when an initial spike in infections was rapidly fading due to a strict lockdown.
Of those new cases, 387 were in Vienna, the Interior Ministry said in a statement today.
Infections have been increasing since late June, and more recently the government has mainly blamed the rise on people returning from tourism hotspots such as Spain and Croatia.
How Covid-19 attacks brain
The coronavirus targets the lungs foremost, but also the kidneys, liver and blood vessels. Still, about half of patients report neurological symptoms, including headaches, confusion and delirium, suggesting the virus may also attack the brain.
A new study offers the first clear evidence that in some people, the coronavirus invades brain cells, hijacking them to make copies of itself. The virus also seems to suck up all of the oxygen nearby, starving neighbouring cells to death.
Apoorva Mandavilli explains more in this report:
New study explains how coronavirus attacks the brain
Virus exploits brain cells’ machinery to choke off oxygen to adjacent cells, causing them to wither and die
Spain has announced plans to create safe travel corridors despite having the fastest rise in daily confirmed cases of coronavirus in Europe, writes Joanna Whitehead.
In a bid to relieve the popular destination’s devastated tourism industry, Arancha González Laya, the country’s foreign minister, has said that Spain intends to negotiate with the UK, Germany and Scandinavian countries to open up travel corridors to the Spanish Balearic and Canary islands without the need for visitors to quarantine upon return to their home country, El Pais reported.
Although the peak holiday season is drawing to a close on the Spanish mainland, the Canary Islands, located off the west coast of Africa, are now entering their busiest period.
Spain set to negotiate travel corridors with UK
Spain’s foreign minister seeks a more relaxed approach to the Canary and Balearic islands
Birmingham could be heading for lockdown
Birmingham could be on the brink of a local lockdown as a meeting is expected to be held later today to decide whether tighter restrictions are needed in the city.
The health secretary, Matt Hancock, is due to lead the meeting, which could also consider whether tighter restrictions are necessary for the wider West Midlands region, reports Birmingham Live.
It comes after the coronavirus infection rate doubled in one week and at least 14 Birmingham schools were hit by outbreaks.
Who does the ‘rule of six’ apply to?
Restrictions banning groups of more than six from gathering in England will come into force on Monday - however the prime minister has said there are some “limited exemptions” to the new rules.
So, who doesn’t the “rule of six” apply to? Here is everything you need to know.
Who is exempt from Boris Johnson's new 'rule of six'?
New restrictions come into effect in England from Monday
Mask causes plane passenger to hyperventilate
A man with chronic asthma hyperventilated and suffered a “storm of abuse” after crew on an easyJet flight threatened to remove him unless he wore a face mask, writes Joanna Whitehead.
Nick, who declined to give his name, was travelling from Jersey to London’s Gatwick Airport in August when the incident occurred.
Respiratory problems mean he is unable to wear anything around his face or neck: “Whether it's a polo neck or a scarf round your face, the sensation is stifling. I just find it increasingly difficult to breathe,” he told the BBC.
Man with chronic asthma hyperventilated after being forced to wear face mask on easyJet flight
‘I was insulted, shouted at, laughed at’, said the man
New coronavirus restrictions only for as long as necessary
Health secretary Matt Hancock said the new coronavirus restrictions will not be kept in place "for any longer than we have to".
Discussing the new "rule of six", he told MPs: "As the chief medical officer said yesterday, we must learn from the recent experience of countries like Belgium who successfully put in place these measures to combat a similar rise in infections."
Mr Hancock added: "These are not measures that we take lightly. I understand that for many they'll mean changing long-awaited plans or missing out on precious moments with loved ones, but this sacrifice is vital to control the virus for the long term and save lives.
"And I vow that we will not keep these rules in place for any longer than we have to."
AstraZeneca awaiting patient diagnosis
Drugmaker AstraZeneca should still know before the end of the year whether its experimental vaccine protects people against Covid-19, chief executive Pascal Soriot said, as long as it can resume trials soon.
The company suspended late-stage trials this week after a UK volunteer suffered a side effect. The patient was reportedly suffering from symptoms associated with a rare spinal inflammatory disorder called transverse myelitis.
Mr Soriot said during an online event that AstraZeneca did not yet know the diagnosis, adding that it was not clear if the volunteer had transverse myelitis and more tests were needed.
He said the diagnosis would be submitted to an independent safety committee and this would usually then tell the company whether trials can be resumed.
Highest weekly cases in England since May
The number of weekly coronavirus cases in England has risen by 43 per cent, according to the latest government data.
A total of 9,864 new infections were reported in the seven days up 2 September - the highest weekly figure since the end of May.
Positive cases have been rising since the start of July and are now 12 per cent higher than the number recorded when Test and Trace launched.
Highest weekly increase in coronavirus cases in England since May, figures show
Total of 9,864 new infections reported in seven days up 2 September
India sees record spike in cases
India has reported a record 95,735 new coronavirus cases within the past 24 hours, bringing the country’s total number of identified infections to nearly 4.5 million.
It has the second largest caseload in the world behind the US, and the third-largest death toll, with a further 1,172 fatalities bringing the total to 75,062.
While the country’s health ministry attributed the rise in new cases to a ramping up of daily testing to a total now surpassing one million, experts warned the outbreak was entering a more dangerous phase as the virus spreads to remote towns and villages.
Additional reporting by AP
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