Coronavirus news: Pubs reportedly face closure in new regional England lockdown

See how we covered Wednesday’s events live

MPs vote in favour of 'rule of six' regulations in England

Ministers are reportedly considering closing pubs and restaurants in regions of England, as part of moves to simplify lockdown rules with a three-tier system. The Independent previously reported on leaked documents revealing the plans in the works.

The reports by the Financial Times and BBC follow Nicola Sturgeon’s ban on pubs and restaurants in much of Scotland selling alcohol indoors for more than two weeks.

Scotland’s first minister insisted that the new measures were not a return to lockdown but she acknowledged the restrictions would “feel like a backward step” for many people.

The potential for drastic action to contain a second wave comes as Sir Simon Stevens, the head of NHS England, warned of a “disturbing” rise in hospital admissions of Covid-19 patients.

He told a virtual conference of NHS leaders: “Speaking frankly there are disturbing signs that infection rates from coronavirus are, again, rising. They are clearly headed in the wrong direction, not just nationally, but particularly in some regions and local areas across the country.  

“At the start of September, we had under 500 coronavirus inpatients in hospitals across England. That is now nearly 3000. And we know that hospital admissions lag community infection by several weeks.”

Key Points

• New lockdowns loom in England with pubs facing closure
• Pubs in Scotland barred from selling alcohol for more than two weeks
• Second wave of infections rising ‘quite sharply’ among over-60s, Hancock warns
• Coronavirus tests hit by delay in Roche supply chain
• Daily hospital admissions jump by nearly 25 per cent in England

[7 October 2020 20:37 · Samuel Osborne]

Italy makes coronavirus testing compulsory for travellers from UK

Italy will make testing for Covid-19 compulsory for people traveling from the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Belgium and the Czech Republic, the country’s health minister, Roberto Speranza has announced.

"Infection data are growing across all of Europe and in Italy too", Mr Speranza wrote on Facebook.

“I've signed an order which makes coronavirus testing compulsory for travellers from Belgium, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Czech Republic.”

[7 October 2020 20:58 · Samuel Osborne]

Young doctor who died of coronavirus was forced to wear the same mask for ‘weeks and weeks'

A 28-year-old doctor who died from coronavirus had been forced to wear the same mask for “weeks if not months” while treating patients with the disease, her family has said.

Louise Hall has the story:

[7 October 2020 21:16 · Jon Sharman]

Covid-19 situation in Ireland ‘rapidly deteriorating’ amid exponential growth

Ireland’s coronavirus epidemic has reached an exponential growth phase and a coming surge in hospital admissions will create a "very significant challenge" for society there, a top public health official has warned.

On Monday the Irish government banned indoor restaurant dining nationwide and limited the number of visitors to people's homes in an attempt to restrict the second wave of infections following prior easing of lockdown.

But the government rejected a recommendation, made at the weekend by public health officials on the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), that a much stricter lockdown was necessary.

In a statement on Wednesday, the experts said that the situation had worsened further since they gave that advice.

"We are looking at a rapidly deteriorating position, we're looking at a position that is very precarious because we are in a phase of exponential growth," Philip Nolan, head of NPHET's Covid-19 modeling group, told a press briefing.

"Unless there is a very, very significant reduction in the levels of viral transmission over the coming weeks, we will see case numbers and hospitalisations that will be a very significant challenge for us as a society."

Ireland's seven-day average of new cases has more than doubled to 493 cases per day over the past three weeks.

But that figure could increase to between 1,100 and 1,500 cases daily by 7 November if the rate of transmission is not immediately reduced, Professor Nolan said.

[7 October 2020 21:29 · Jon Sharman]

Trump back in Oval Office less than a week after testing positive

Donald Trump entered the White House’s Oval Office for the first time since returning earlier this week from a military hospital where he was being treated for Covid-19, a White House spokesman said.

"Was just briefed on Hurricane Delta, and spoke with @GovAbbott of Texas and @LouisianaGov John Bel Edwards," the president said in a tweet a short while later. 

Mr Trump’s return to the White House has sparked fears for the safety of other people working there. Several aides and senior officials have also tested positive for coronavirus in recent days.

Concerns have been raised in particular for housekeeping staff.

[7 October 2020 21:46 · Jon Sharman]

New lockdowns could close pubs and restaurants in England - reports

Pubs and restaurants could be closed again in parts of England under new coronavirus plans being considered by ministers, according to reports, writes Jon Stone.

The new changes, which would come in from Monday, would see a three-tier system introduced for local lockdowns in a bid to simplify the rules across the country.

Pubs and restaurants are being closed under new rules introduced in central Scotland today.

[7 October 2020 22:01 · Jon Sharman]

Nottinghamshire households asked not to mix indoors

Residents across Nottinghamshire have been asked not to mix indoors with other households after a spike in coronavirus infections.

Nottinghamshire County Council asked people to follow stricter rules as stringent measures are expected to be imposed on the area by the government.

The local authority asked residents to not mix indoors with people from other households, following similar advice from Nottingham City Council on Tuesday.

As well as asking residents not to mix indoors, the council has also asked care homes to restrict visitors.

Nottingham's infection rate has soared, with 1,654 new cases recorded in the seven days to 4 October - the equivalent of 496.8 cases per 100,000 people.

[7 October 2020 22:20 · Jon Sharman]

Trump not yet up for a national address about his coronavirus experience, aide says

Donald Trump still plans to address the country about his coronavirus diagnosis and treatment, but does not yet feel up to it, a White House aide said on Wednesday, writes John T Bennett.

The president has been telling aides since before he returned to the White House on Monday evening that he wants to talk directly to the American people about his experience. There was scuttlebutt he might do so on Tuesday evening, but the White House instead called a lid before 4pm, a signal the president would not be moving outside the executive compound or speaking.

[7 October 2020 22:26 · Jon Sharman]

Brazil’s coronavirus cases top 5 million

A total of 5,000,694 Covid-19 infections have been logged in Brazil, up from 4,969,141 yesterday.

The death toll there now stands at 148,228, up from 147,494.

[7 October 2020 22:40 · Jon Sharman]

Tunisia clamps down with curfew

Tunisian authorities will impose a curfew in Tunis, the capital, to slow a surge in coronavirus cases.

The north African nation stopped its first wave with an expensive lockdown that the government says it cannot afford to repeat.

The governors of four provinces that make up greater Tunis said in a statement broadcast on state TV that there would be a curfew between 9pm and 5am, as well as a suspension of Friday prayers in mosques.

The curfew will take effect from Thursday. State TV said the curfew would start at 7pm on weekends.

[7 October 2020 23:00 · Jon Sharman]

Scots asked to abide by new restrictions

Scotland's deputy first minister has urged the country to stick with the new measures introduced to curb the spread of coronavirus.

In a statement to the Scottish Parliament earlier on Wednesday, Nicola Sturgeon announced "difficult but important temporary measures" which will begin on Friday evening.

While pubs and restaurants in most areas will only be able to open indoor spaces between 6am and 6pm, similar establishments in five health boards across the central belt - Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Arran, Lothian, and the Forth Valley - face 16 days of closure.

John Swinney, the deputy FM, told STV on Wednesday night: “Without the interventions that we have set out today and without the level of public compliance that we have needed throughout this pandemic, I'm afraid the virus will spread to a much more significant level within our community.”