Northern leaders have said they "cannot accept" the financial package offered by the Government that will pay two-thirds of the wages of workers at businesses forced to close by local lockdown measures, and may launch a legal challenge.
Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, said that the current financial package would "surrender our residents to hardship and our businesses to potential failure or collapse, and we are not prepared to do that".
Mr Burnham added that the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, had told local leaders that the package was "final and non-negotiable". But the mayor said the package suggested that hospitality workers were "second-class citizens", given that national furlough was much higher at 80 per cent.
Steve Rotheram, the mayor of Liverpool City region, echoed the comments and said that "imposing new restrictions without providing adequate Government support is simply not acceptable".
The leaders have written to MPs that represent areas in the north of England, asking them to back their message and "support their constituents" and bring a vote on the package to Parliament.
If that political challenge fails, Mr Burnham said "he wouldn't rule out a legal challenge" against the new financial package.
Follow the updates below.
04:08 PM
Italy holidays in disarray amid testing confusion
Holiday plans in Italy have been thrown into disarray, as the country introduces a new testing regime for British travellers.
The new rule means that British holidaymakers must prove they don’t have Covid-19 on entering the country. The negative test needs to have been taken within 72 hours of travel, or at an Italian airport on arrival.
However, there was confusion when it emerged that some Italian airports are only offering the testing service between nine and five, and the UK Government has confirmed travellers will not be able to use the NHS testing system to satisfy the requirement. Only those with Covid-19 symptoms can obtain a test.
This means holidaymakers will need to use a private PCR testing clinic, which have struggled to keep up with capacity in recent weeks.
Read about the day's developments on our travel live blog here.
03:56 PM
Comment: The price of all this disruption and dysfunction? Our mental health
World Mental Health Day is an important event that is in danger of becoming completely meaningless due to the increasing number of companies that have come to see it as a marketing opportunity, writes Bryony Gordon.
This is, of course, the danger with all awareness days... they are introduced for all the right reasons, then hijacked by corporates for all the wrong ones, and this week my inbox has been filled with press releases from companies wanting to "highlight" their commitment to good mental health practice.
It has taken all the skills I have learnt through years of therapy to delete each message, instead of sitting down in a rage and replying to them all with the following note: “Dear [insert name of brand here], you don’t need to ‘highlight’ your commitment to good mental health practice. You just have to commit to it. And if you spent as much time lobbying the Government about the importance of this as you have me via my inbox, the world sure would be a better place! Kind regards, Bryony.”
Forgive me for being cranky, but I think I have hit another wall in the endless ultra-marathon that is this pandemic. This year, our brains have had to normalise so much that is abnormal, and I wanted to focus on that this World Mental Health Day, because I really worry about how this normalisation of dysfunctional behaviour is affecting our heads, without us even realising it.
A further 60 people who tested positive for the coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths reported in hospitals to 30,439, NHS England said today.
Patients were aged between 41 and 93 years old. All but five patients, aged 72 to 86, had known underlying health conditions.
The deaths were between March 30 and October 9. Most were on or after October 7.
Seven other deaths were reported with no positive Covid-19 test result.
03:37 PM
Myanmar reports more than 2,000 daily coronavirus cases in new record
Myanmar's health ministry reported 2,158 new cases of coronavirus today in a record daily rise, along with 32 new deaths.
The Southeast Asian nation has locked down its biggest city, Yangon, and air and overland travel in the country has been halted
A total of 26,064 cases and 598 deaths have been reported in Myanmar, the vast majority since a second wave began in mid-August.
03:32 PM
Government spokesperson responds to criticism from mayors
In response to criticism from some mayors of the Job Support Scheme, a Government spokesman said: "Throughout the pandemic, we have worked hard to protect jobs and support the economy, whilst trying to limit the spread of coronavirus.
"This is why we have set out an unprecedented package of financial support. The Job Support Scheme is just one element of this comprehensive package, which includes rental support, mortgage holidays and £9.3 billion of extra funding for the welfare safety net to help those unable to access other forms of support.
"Ministers are continuing to work closely with local leaders on how we can combat coronavirus together.
"We will keep all financial support under review to support businesses who need it most and protect jobs over the coming weeks and months."
03:27 PM
Over 65s exercising more than before lockdown, UCL study finds
Over 65s are exercising more than they did prior to lockdown, a study by University College London (UCL) has found.
Researchers tracked data from a free activity-tracking smartphone app to find how much physical activity different age groups took part in before, during and after lockdown.
They found that most exercise habits changed during the pandemic, with most people doing less exercise once lockdowns began.
The biggest drop was seen in people under the age of 40 and those who were most active before the pandemic.
More than 250 inmates are in lockdown at Glasgow's Barlinnie prison after four members of staff and two prisoners tested positive for coronavirus, the BBC reports.
Twelve staff are also isolating in the jail's A hall, the Scottish Prison Service confirmed.
All visits to the hall have been suspended until the end of October.
Earlier this year, the Scottish Government approved new early release regulations to help the prison system cope with Covid cases. The move, designed to free up more cells for single-use occupancy, could allow up to 450 inmates to get out of prison early.
But only those sentenced to 18 months or less and with 90 days or less left to serve are potentially eligible. Some serious offences are excluded.
03:04 PM
Joe Wicks on his MBE: 'It's my proudest acheivement and I feel honoured'
Joe Wicks has said being made an MBE is his "proudest achievement" as he thanked everyone who has supported and taken part in his daily exercise sessions during lockdown.
His workouts raised £580,000 for the NHS.
The 35-year-old is among those named in the Queen's Birthday Honours and has been made an MBE for helping children keep active and mentally fit with his online PE lessons, which began during lockdown, and for his charity efforts.
He wrote on Instagram: "You dress up like a plonker and bounce around your living room like a kangaroo and your given an MBE ?? Can't quite believe it really ??Thank you to everyone who took park in £pewithjoe and made this such a special moment in my life. It's my proudest achievement and I feel honoured to have been given an MBE. Thank you ??."
Wicks, known as The Body Coach, this year claimed a Guinness World Record after one of his online fitness classes was watched by nearly a million people.
02:58 PM
Brides buy two dresses after Covid-19 kills off big weddings
Brides are buying two wedding dresses because the coronavirus pandemic is forcing them to have smaller nuptials and a bigger celebration next year.
As cases began to rise again, the Government announced that from September 28 no more than 15 people are allowed to legally attend a marriage or civil partnership.
Wedding planners Rock My Wedding said the restrictions, similar to those imposed during the initial lockdown, resulted in 65 per cent of their brides choosing to host a smaller wedding now with a larger celebration next year - meaning brides get to indulge in two dresses.
Founder Charlotte O’Shea said: “The vast majority of them are choosing to purchase two gowns, one for each gathering. For this year’s weddings we are witnessing simpler more understated silhouettes."
Will we be in lockdown for Christmas? What celebrations will look like during Covid-19
It may be too early to put up the Christmas tree, but that doesn't mean Christmas isn't on the minds of many Britons. It will be here before we know it, but it's clear Christmas 2020 will be unlike any other.
The Government has announced yet another fresh wave of lockdown rules following a rapid increase in coronavirus cases in the UK. In addition to the 'rule of six', which bans social gatherings of more than six people, Britons will face new curfews for hospitality venues, stricter face mask requirements and pleas to work from home if possible from later this week.
"Unless we palpably make progress, we should assume that the restrictions I have announced will stay in place for six months," Boris Johnson said in his September 22 update.
The Prime Minister's statement on September 22 makes it clear - Christmas 2020 will be like no other. If the guidance stays as is for half a year, which Boris Johnson has hinted at, the 'rule of six' will remain firmly in place. Larger families will have to rethink their family festivities.
Yolanthe Fawehinmi has more on what this may mean for you and your family here.
Even Santa Claus isn't exempt for the new face mask rules - Heathcliff O'Malley
02:46 PM
Face masks can almost halve number of new coronavirus cases, study claims
Face masks can almost halve the number of new coronavirus cases, a study has claimed.
Covering the face indoors resulted in up to 46 per cent fewer new Covid-19 cases every week in Canada, researchers from Simon Fraser University found.
If masks had been made compulsory in enclosed spaces in the country in early July, the number of cases could have been reduced by up to 40 per cent (1,100 fewer infections) every week in mid-August, they claim.
Mask mandates are associated with an average weekly reduction of 25 to 31 per cent in newly diagnosed Covid-19 cases in the first few weeks after they are introduced, the research concludes.
Northern leaders' words a 'breath of fresh air', says bar owner
Martin Greenhow, who owns the five MOJO bars in the UK based in Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Nottingham and Harrogate, has described the words of northern leaders as a “breath of fresh air”.
The managing director, who is on the brink of having four of his five bars in local lockdown areas, told PA:
"We’re looking like we’re going to be hit from all angles - I’m beginning to feel like we’re being stalked.
"To hear the the northern leaders in that press conference say those things, that was a breath of fresh air and it’s refreshing to hear people are listening.
"A large portion of that is, I think, it is now coming home to people - we are looking at a total collapse of a whole sector."
Greenhow described local lockdowns as the “metaphorical final nail” - saying the 10pm curfew is “killing us already”.
02:23 PM
Make masks compulsory in UK workplaces, urges BMA
Wearing face masks in all offices and working environments should be mandatory unless you are working alone, the British Medical Association (BMA) has urged.
The Guardian reports that the UK doctors' trade body said that clearer, stronger measures were needed to control the spread of the Covid-19, as the government prepares to unveil a three-tiered system of coronavirus restrictions on Monday.
It warned that as things stand, the public was in danger of losing faith in coronavirus measures due to the government’s “inconsistent” messaging.
The BMA’s chairman, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, said: “The infection has risen following rapid relaxation of measures and with the Westminster government letting down its guard – as recently as August, the government was encouraging people to travel, go to work and mix in restaurants and pubs.
“The government has a duty to regain the public’s confidence and faith in measures being taken to get the spread of the virus back under control. It must also provide the financial support businesses need to enable them to make premises and settings Covid secure while providing clear rules on what ‘Covid secure’ means.”
02:09 PM
Eton parents accuse school of 'spreading virus round country' as pupils sent home to isolate
Eton parents are understood to be "furious" that pupils have been sent home to isolate, accusing the school of "spreading the virus around the country".
The whole of the Lower Sixth, as well as some pupils in other year groups, have been told to leave the £42,000-a-year boarding school and isolate at home while continuing their lessons online.
The unusual move came after a "significant" number of pupils tested positive for coronavirus and it was decided that, in order to protect the rest of the pupils, they should be sent to isolate off site.
A source told The Telegraph: "The children who live abroad are being farmed out to the families of fellow pupils. They [the parents] don't mind the extra children at all, but they do object to the spreading of the virus round the country when it could be contained in the school."
There have been a further 627 cases of Covid-19 in Wales, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 29,654.
Public Health Wales said that a further 21 deaths had been reported, taking the total number of related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic to 1,667.
But it added that the large increase was the result of a delay in incorporating 17 deaths that occurred in the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board area between October 3-7.
01:53 PM
Hospitality workers in Scotland stage protest against closures
Hospitality workers in Glasgow last night staged a protest against the 16-day closure of pubs and restaurants across the Central Belt in response to rising coronavirus cases.
Protests took place outside the City Chambers in George Square, where workers dumped ice and left signs reading "RIP hospitality".
Left over ice was dumped on the street as the closures came into effect at 6pm on Friday - PA Mini gravestone reading "RIP hospitality" alongside Scotland flags - PA Ice sits outside the City Council's chambers - PA
01:43 PM
Germany enforces new restrictions as cases climb
Bars and restaurants are to close at 11pm in Berlin until October 31 in a partial curfew, a measure already imposed - but starting an hour earlier - in the financial capital Frankfurt.
The shutdown in the German capital - with more than 400 new cases daily - also covers all shops except pharmacies and petrol stations, although they will be banned from selling alcohol.
"This is not the time to party," said Berlin's social democratic mayor Michael Muller. "We can and we want to prevent another more severe confinement."
Chancellor Angela Merkel had already warned on Friday that high-infection areas would be given ten days to bring down cases or face tougher action, calling big cities the "arena" to keep the pandemic under control.
01:40 PM
Netherlands records new record in cases as government warns of restrictions
The Netherlands has reached a new record in daily coronavirus cases, hitting nearly 6,500 infections in 24 hours.
The government has warned that new restrictions will have to be imposed across the country, one of the worst hit in Europe's second Covid-19 wave, if the number of infections and hospital admissions do not drop this weekend.
01:37 PM
Poldand announces new measures after reporting record daily infections
Poland announced new measures today to curb the coronavirus pandemic after reporting record infections for a fifth straight day, but stopped short of introducing mandatory distance learning for schools.
Seniors would now have special shopping hours every morning from 10am to noon, and care homes would receive an extra 38 million zlotys in government funding, Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told a news conference.
However, Morawiecki said that there was no need to shut schools yet, after he had indicated the government might do so earlier this week.
The country recorded 5,300 cases in the last 24 hours.
Poland, a country of 38 million, has so far recorded 121,638 confirmed cases and 2,972 deaths overall. During the first wave of the pandemic in the spring, the highest daily new cases were in the hundreds.
01:35 PM
Far-right Spanish party launches court appeal against partial lockdown
Spain’s far-right Vox party said it would lodge a court appeal against a partial lockdown imposed on Madrid, as thousands of police today enforced curbs intended to contain one of Europe’s worst coronavirus outbreaks.
Vox leader Santiago Abascal also called for demonstrations against the restrictions, implemented on Friday by the government via a state of emergency.
“I have given instructions to appeal to the Constitutional Court (against) the illegal state of emergency,” he tweeted late on Friday.
Abascal’s move escalates a standoff between Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the conservative-led Madrid regional government, on which Vox holds 12 of 132 seats, and which argues that the government’s curbs are illegal and excessive and will spell disaster for the local economy.
The restrictions include a ban on leaving locked-down areas other than for work, school or medical reasons. Around 7,000 police were deployed on roads, rail stations and at airports to make sure 3.8 million people affected in the capital city and eight satellite towns abided by them, the interior ministry said.
01:30 PM
Parents with young children could be protected against severe Covid-19
Parents with young children may be protected against severe Covid-19 symptoms because their immune systems are boosted by regularly catching coughs and colds, a study has found.
A team of scientists believes exposure to seasonal coronaviruses from the same family as Covid-19, like the common cold, may prevent people falling seriously ill or requiring hospitalisation if they catch it.
The academics have called for more research to be carried out to try to establish whether primary school and nursery teachers, as well as parents, are benefiting from young children acting as “natural vaccine boosters”.
This latest study, which has not yet been peer reviewed, gathered data from more than 300,000 Scottish households containing a healthcare worker to see whether those living with children under the age of 11 were offered some protection from the virus.
Spanish way of life at risk in Madrid as second lockdown threatens to kill off restaurants
Madrid has always been a nocturnal city, but now the Spanish capital’s famous hospitality sector says it is in danger of being permanently ruined by Covid-19 curfews that fail to accommodate local traditions of late-night socialising.
Ernest Hemingway noted in Death in the Afternoon that “Nobody goes to bed in Madrid until they have killed the night,” and the custom of meeting at or after midnight is as real today as it was when the book about bullfighting was published in 1932.
Currently, however, Madrid is the leading Spanish hotspot for Covid-19 transmission, leading to a series of measures that have cut short the night and are driving businesses such as restaurants and bar to the wall.
After Spain’s national state of emergency lockdown was lifted in June, nightclubs were initially allowed to open, but a steep rise in cases amongst young people saw an across-the-board closing time of 1am imposed in August, before the latest restrictions have brought that forward to 11pm.
A random police check inside a restaurant at the Plaza Mayor of Madrid - ZUMA Press Inc / Alamy Live News/ZUMA Press Inc / Alamy Live News
12:55 PM
Burnham: 'Very concerned' about Covid compliance from supermarkets
Wrapping up the press conference with northern leaders, Andy Burnham has said that he remains "very concerned" by the level of compliance on Covid measures seen by the Big Four supermarkets in terms of enforcing face mask wearing.
It comes after Mr Burnham said that local authorities should have greater powers to target businesses that aren't following measures, as opposed to blanket restrictions and closures on entire areas.
The problem goes beyond pubs and restaurants and includes supermarkets, he said.
12:51 PM
How the return of students caused 'inevitable' spike in Covid cases
Covid rates in university towns are over 40 per cent higher than the rest of the UK, an analysis by The Telegraph has revealed.
Virus hotspots are emerging in student areas around the country with the number of new cases up to 38 times higher following freshers’ week, official data shows.
It comes as a leading public health expert warns that students must not be blamed for fuelling outbreaks in their local areas as he says it is “inevitable” that a lot of young people will catch the virus.
The Telegraph analysed Covid-19 cases before and after the start of Freshers’ week for every university in the UK.
It reveals the trajectory of new Covid-19 cases is rising more rapidly among areas with student populations, as outbreaks erupt in university halls and teaching is taken online to combat the problem.
Dominic Gilbert, Camilla Turner and Dominic Penna have more here.
12:43 PM
Government 'doesn't like reality' of 'leveling up' pledge, says Burnham
The Government has "talked a lot about devolution and leveling up", but they "don't like the reality of it", Andy Burnham has said.
"We are faced with a failing Test and Trace system and we are powerless to change it, and all we can do is get these restrictions imposed on us," he said. "It's not good enough."
The Greater Manchester mayor urged the Government to "allow us to be masters of our own destiny", and give local authorities greater control over Test and Trace. That request will be put to the Government this weekend, he said.
Any restrictions must come with not just further financial support but also allowing local authorities to be "masters of our own destiny".
Boots on the ground are needed, he said, rather than just people in call centres.
"A quarter of the people testing positive in Greater Manchester are not reached by the national system", he added "and almost half of contacts".
The people of Greater Manchester "shouldn't accept that" when their lives are put under restriction, he said.
12:34 PM
Northern leaders write open letter to Government calling for lockdown financial support
As mentioned in the press conference, northern leaders have published their open letter to the Government calling for further lockdown financial support.
It reads: "Earlier this year, the Government set its national furlough scheme at 80 per cent. We can see no justifiable reason why the local furlough scheme should be set at 67 per cent. To accept it would be to treat hospitality workers as second-class citizens and we think that is wrong. Many of these workers have already faced severe hardship this year.
"On top of this, the timetable for the introduction of the scheme also presents a major problem. It will start in early November which means that payments will not be made until early December, six weeks after businesses have been forced to close."
It continued to call for financial support to be extended to those in Tier 2 areas, not just Tier 3: "Many businesses and individuals will be impacted by the proposed measures included in Tier 2, and indeed by limiting financial support to Tier 3 only, it could create a perverse incentive for areas to move into Tier 3 to support local businesses."
12:28 PM
Burnham threatens Government with legal challenge
Andy Burnham has said that he may launch a legal challenge against the Government's financial support package if the proposed political challenge fails.
"We are explicitly asking MPs to bring a vote on the new measures to Parliament," he said, but if this political challenge fails, he "wouldn't rule out a legal challenge".
"Because on what basis do we say the lowest paid in our society could be treated to differently to those on higher wages or still on 80 per cent furlough?"
We should not accept that hospitality workers are second class citizens, he said.
"I would be prepared to launch a legal challenge if the political one fails. It is that serious," he added.
12:24 PM
Use 'muscle of the North in Parliament' to secure better financial package, says Burnham
Speaking at the press conference, Andy Burnham has urged cross-party MPs across the Commons to "use the muscle of the north" in Parliament to "tell the Government that this isn't good enough".
Mr Burnham said that "it would be nice" to see Parliament working on a regional basis for once, and has asked MPs to make it plain to the Government that their support for the new tier-system restrictions will be conditional upon greater financial support.
The financial package as it currently stands "will plunge their constituents into hardship and businesses into closure", he said.
12:06 PM
'Moral' case for workers being paid 100% of wages, says Burnham
Asked that financial support they would be willing to accept, Steve Rotheram, mayor of the Liverpool City region, said that workers should be paid at least 80 per cent of their wages.
If it was right at the start of the pandemic then it is right now, he said, adding that local lockdowns can't be done "on the cheap".
Andy Burnham said that there is a moral case for wages to be paid at 100 per cent, but at the "very least" that figure should be 80 per cent.
12:03 PM
Government's approach has been 'overly centralised', 'top-down' and not effective
Dan Jarvis, mayor of Sheffield City Region, expressed frustration at the Government for an "top-down" and "overly centralised" approach which "hasn't been effective".
Mr Jarvis said that it is a source of "great frustration" that northern leaders offered to "work constructively" with the Government at the start of the pandemic, but that offer had not been met.
He added that the Government briefing journalists on new local lockdown measures before holding "meaningful conversations" with local leaders around the country was particularly problematic.
Nobody in Whitehall can understand the situation on the ground in the areas that we represent, he said.
11:57 AM
New restrictions without further support will deepen north-south divide, says Burnham
Andy Burnham has said that further restrictions in the north of England without additional financial support will deepen the "north-south divide".
There is also a problem with the timetable of the financial support package, he said, which could "leave people with no money for six weeks".
No support for the self-employed will also be a blow to many, Mr Burnham said, pointing out that the closure of pubs and restaurants will heavily impact taxi drivers' trade.
11:52 AM
Liverpool City Mayor sets deadline for additional Government support: Today
Steve Rotheram, mayor of Liverpool City region, echoed Andy Burnham's comments and said that "imposing new restrictions without providing adequate Government support is simply not acceptable".
If they don't get that extra support today, he said, "we are saying that we will not accept" a package that does not include an underpinning and recognition of the detrimental impact that such measures will have in the area.
It comes after Andy Burnham confirmed that Rishi Sunak told northern leaders that the financial support package was "final and non-negotiable".
11:47 AM
Northern leaders 'cannot accept' financial support package from Government
Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, is currently speaking at a snap press conference held by northern leaders on the Government's plans to close hospitality venues in the north of England next week.
Mr Burnham began by stressing that all leaders on the call will put the health of their residents first, and they "certainly understand" why the Government wants to "simplify, clarify and possibly strengthen" restrictions.
However, he said that they "cannot accept" the financial support package offered by the Chancellor yesterday, which he said will "surrender our residents to hardship and our businesses to potential failure or collapse, and we are not prepared to do that".
The current proposals will pay two-thirds of the wages of workers of businesses forced to close, and for people that work in a bar or a kitchen linked to a pub often on minimum wage this is not enough, he said.
"These people can't choose to just pay two-thirds of their rent of bills," Mr Burnham added.
He then questioned why national furlough was set at 80 per cent when local furlough has been set at just 67 per cent. It suggests that hospitality workers are second class citizens, he said.
As such, the group of northern leaders will be writing to MPs that represent areas in the north of England, and ask them to support their message and "support their constituents".
Dubai is witnessing a rare uptick in homelessness as migrant workers left destitute by the Covid downturn have begun sleeping out in parks under the glistening skyscrapers.
Blue collar workers from Asia and Africa say they are trapped after losing jobs and running out of money to return home.
Migrant workers who spoke to The Telegraph claimed they have been left abandoned after losing their jobs as the economy tightens.
With no jobs and expired visas, many have congregated in parks in Dubai’s poorer Satwa area, appealing for help for repatriation flights home.
Migrant labourers have been made destitute by the coronavirus lockdown in Dubai - Telegraph Media Group
11:01 AM
UK Government's job support scheme has 'sink or swim' mentality, says shadow Chancellor
Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds has said the UK Government's job support scheme shows a "sink or swim" mentality and needs to be changed.
She told the Co-operative Party virtual conference: "Government has got to junk its insinuation right now that businesses that are struggling right now are necessarily unviable.
"From the arts to manufacturing, those businesses need a temporary helping hand but they're being left to sink or swim.
"Yesterday we saw a partial acknowledgement of this... but we really need broader changes to the job support scheme."
She said other countries with wage support schemes had incentivised businesses to "keep staff on part-time rather than just keeping some on and making the rest redundant".
10:57 AM
North Korea: We have had no domestic infections
North Korea appears to have held a military parade early today to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of its ruling Workers' Party, South Korea's military said.
The anniversary, celebrated with a raft of concerts and festivals, was closely watched around the region as it was seen as an event where leader Kim Jong-un could deliver messages to domestic and foreign audiences.
The North's state media has not shown any images of a parade.
The event comes as the isolated country carries out strict measures to prevent the coronavirus - the secretive state has not reported any domestic infections. State media said the curbs have caused delays in some of Mr Kim's key economic and construction projects, already dogged by international sanctions.
A perfect storm: How did one city lose so many to Covid-19?
Manaus, in Brazil, suffered one of the world’s most devastating outbreaks. Now, epidemiologists want to know why. Sarah Newey reports from Amazonas, with pictures by Simon Townsley:
Ulisses Xavier will never forget the noise. At the peak of the pandemic, when workers here were forced to abandon individual graves in favour of long trenches excavated with a faded yellow digger, the cemetery’s tranquility was shattered.
“At that time you could barely hear yourself think,” the 52-year-old gravedigger recalls.
“There was just the sound of machines working, men digging, families crying. It was relentless.”
On the outskirts of Manaus, a sprawling port-city in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, this new clearing at Parque Tarumã cemetery is a grim reminder of what can happen if Covid-19 spreads uncontrolled.
On April 10 Francisco da Silva Nascimento was the first to be buried here. Within three days the 63-year-old was joined by 102 others; by April 16 that figure had more than doubled to 250.
Mourning at the grave of Iris Goncalves Alves who died aged 54 - Simon Townsley
10:22 AM
Are pubs and restaurants really driving the rise in Covid cases? None of the data say so
In case you missed it earlier in the week, Sarah Knapton took a look at Public Health England data which reveals that only around five per cent of reported close contacts are in a "leisure or community setting".
Still, a decision to close pubs and restaurants in the north of England now looks inevitable.
On Thursday, Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, briefed nearly 150 MPs, warning them that the hospitality sector is driving soaring case rates.
The problem is that none of the published data shows that to be the case.
NHS Test and Trace has been recording the locations at which infected people met close contacts who were later found to have the virus. Overwhelmingly, that was in the home.
Sir Keir also told the Co-operative Party virtual conference: "Test, trace and isolate is critical.
"The Prime Minister said we would have a world-beating system - we didn't need that, we just need an effective one that works.
"'World beating' is just Johnson rhetoric.
"Getting a test quickly, getting the result quickly and then reaching the contacts so that self-isolation works - that's not working properly, which means that thousands and thousands of people are walking around today who should be in self-isolation.
"So, that bit needs to be fixed."
10:15 AM
Government has no 'anchors' in its economic approach to Covid, says Starmer
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has accused the Government of not having any "anchors" in its economic approach to the coronavirus crisis.
Speaking at a Co-operative Party virtual conference, Sir Keir said: "At the moment, amongst my concerns is that the Government hasn't really got any anchors.
"It's bobbing all over the place."
10:09 AM
Boris Johnson congratulates 'heroes' that carried Britain through pandemic
The Prime Minister has congratulated those who made it onto the Queen's Birthday Honours list, which is dominated by those who have helped in Britain's fight against Covid-19.
The list includes famous faces from footballer Marcus Rashford and fitness guru Joe Wicks to doctors, nurses and volunteers.
Today we recognise the local, often unsung heroes, whose hard work and dedication has helped carry us through this pandemic. Their care, compassion and resolve is truly a testament to the sort of country we are.
Czechs mull lockdown amid fastest virus spike in Europe
The Czech Republic is facing the prospect of a lockdown as the growth in Covid-19 cases in the EU member reached a fourth straight daily record, according to data released today.
The health ministry said the country of 10.7 million people had 8,618 new cases on Friday, beating Thursday's record of 5,394 and bringing the total tally to 109,374 cases with 905 deaths.
In comparison, neighbouring Poland with 38 million inhabitants said Saturday it had registered 5,300 new cases over the last 24 hours, which was also a record.
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said Friday the government may reimpose a lockdown if the growth continues, calling on Czechs to behave responsibly.
"The situation is very serious," he added.
"Either we will all comply with the safety measures, or we will have to adopt further restrictions fast, and we can't rule out a lockdown," he added.
09:56 AM
Unlike Trump, the world's elite are very cautious about Covid - these are the measures they've taken
While Donald Trump may be dominating the news agenda with his assertion that Covid-19 is "nothing to be afraid of" - despite tens of people falling ill in the White House and his own hospitalisation - other powerful people, it seems, don’t believe his hype.
Over in Moscow, President Vladimir Putin, 67, has been taking the virus very seriously indeed despite urging his countrymen to get back to life as normal. He has not travelled since January 2020 and, reportedly, will not be doing so until after he’s received a Covid-19 vaccine - which he has not done yet, unlike one of his two adult daughters who took part in a vaccine trial as a volunteer. "Thank God, my daughter is feeling well," the president said.
Reports claim that the Russian politician has only been holding very limited meetings with others since March (briefings with senior officials are held by video link) and even then, anyone meeting Putin must quarantine for a minimum of two weeks beforehand and have a negative Coronavirus test.
And while Her Majesty the Queen almost certainly hasn’t grown out her hair or installed spray disinfectant tunnels at Windsor Castle or Balmoral - where she has split her time since March - the 94-year-old monarch does have her own strict Covid-19 protocols.
Poland reported a record 5,300 new coronavirus infections today, according to health ministry data published on Twitter, as new restrictions including wearing masks outside at all times go into effect.
Poland has now recorded 121,638 confirmed coronavirus cases and 2,972 deaths.
09:33 AM
Government urged to 'pause' new restrictions as cases of Covid caught in hospital soar
Imposing more new coronavirus restrictions would be "too hasty", scientists have said after figures revealed that up to a quarter of patients currently in hospital with Covid-19 caught the virus after being admitted.
Leading statisticians called on the Government to "pause", having shown that a significant proportion of the escalating hospital case total is down to poor Covid security within trusts.
Across England as a whole, 18 per cent of patients in hospital with Covid-19 tested positive for the virus for the first time seven days or more after admission. The proportion was highest – at 24 per cent – in the North-West, which is under imminent threat of further lockdown measures.
The rising number of hospitalised Covid-19 patients in the region was referred to by Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, as he talked about possible new restrictions this week.
The Philippines’ health ministry today recorded 2,249 new coronavirus infections and 87 additional deaths, Reuters reports.
The ministry said total confirmed cases in the Philippines have increased to 336,926, the highest in Southeast Asia, while deaths have reached 6,238.
09:13 AM
How Boris Johnson plans to shut down the North of England with three-tier scheme
Just five days ago Boris Johnson was proclaiming that he was a "freedom lovin' Tory". This weekend, he is signing off on plans for new lockdown restrictions across the North of England.
With a stroke of a pen next week he will be shutting thousands of pubs in areas at greatest risk from coronavirus. As the Prime Minister might have quipped, it was always going to end in tiers.
Mr Johnson is assailed from all quarters this weekend about how to manage the response to this second spike in coronavirus cases.
His Cabinet ministers signed off on the plans for a three tier scheme – dubbed traffic lights without any green or amber – three weeks ago to make sense of the different local lockdown rules.
England will be divided into one of three tiers, each of which will have predetermined restrictions. The challenge for Mr Johnson will be deciding the level of restrictions in those tiers.
People in Glasgow had one last meal at Stravaigin before the two week lockdown in Scotland's central belt of pubs and restaurants - Wattie Cheung A patient infected with Covid-19 is treated in one of the intensive care units at the Severo Ochoa hospital in Leganes, outskirts of Madrid, Spain - AP Rabbi Rafael Schaffer, wearing a face mask, stands outside the Holocaust memorial during the National Holocaust Remembrance Day commemorations in Bucharest, Romania - AP A health worker sprays sanitizer on a migrant domestic worker from Africa before she gets tested for the coronavirus in a hotel, ahead of her travel to her country. Lebanon - Reuters
08:54 AM
Germany records over 4,700 new infections
Germany has recorded 4,721 new Covid-19 cases over the past 24 hours, and another 15 deaths, according to the country’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI).
The new infections are an increase on the approximately 4,500 cases reported on Friday.
08:49 AM
We stayed home to protect the NHS last time - is the health service ready for the second wave?
On Friday, the health service launched a new campaign – Help Us To Help You – reminding patients that they are not “a burden” and urging those in need of help to get it.
While the NHS is battling a mammoth backlog of cases whose care was delayed by the pandemic – including an 100-fold rise in those waiting a year for surgery – it is “open for business,” senior figures insist.
The first wave of coronavirus saw a national diktat from NHS England, ordering hospitals to empty almost a third of their beds, in order to avoid a situation like that seen in Italy when hospitals were overwhelmed.
Accident & Emergency attendances dropped sharply, and the number of deaths from causes such as heart attacks soared. Latest figures show A&E attendance is still a fifth down on normal levels, while face-to-face appointments with GPs in England have also fallen rapidly.
Dr Fauci condemns Trump's remarks about 'cure' for coronavirus
The US’ top virus expert has condemned Donald Trump for referring to Regeneron as a “cure” for the coronavirus.
Dr Anthony Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Disease, said the effectiveness of antibody treatment has not yet been proven, and that so far the drug only seems to have modest results.
"We don't have any indication - I think you really have to depend on what you mean by a cure, because that's the word that leads to a lot of confusion," he told CBS News on Friday.
Dr Fauci also criticised the White House for hosting a gathering last month that has since been linked to a number of coronavirus cases.
He referred to the unveiling of Mr Trump’s Supreme Court nominee in the Rose Garden as a “superspreader event”.
More than 30 people in attendance at the September 26 event are thought to have tested positive.
08:42 AM
Rishi Sunak unveils new wages scheme as lockdown looms again
In case you missed the news last night, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak has unveiled a new furlough-style scheme to pay workers' wages, with Britain braced for stricter lockdown restrictions to be imposed from the middle of next week.
On Friday, Mr Sunak announced that hundreds of millions of pounds a month will be spent paying workers at companies forced to close by new coronavirus restrictions.
The cash is not limited to pubs, bars and restaurants, fuelling fears that closures will be widened to further businesses in a return to a full-scale lockdown.
The scheme will see taxpayers cover two thirds of the wages of staff in firms that have to close for up to six months, and there is no limit on how much it will cost.
Russia’s coronavirus cases rose by 12,846 today, a new daily record since the start of the outbreak and pushing the overall total number of infections to 1,285,084.
The previous record of 12,126 new cases was registered on Friday.
Russia’s coronavirus crisis center said 197 more deaths were confirmed in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 22,454.
08:29 AM
Donald Trump and Joe Biden's virtual face off will not go ahead
Donald Trump and Joe Biden are supposed to go head-to-head in three debates. But these dates were thrown into doubt since the president tested positive for the coronavirus.
On Thursday, Donald Trump refused to participate in the second event, set for October 15, after it was announced the event would be held virtually.
"I'm not going to do a virtual debate," Mr Trump told Fox News, calling the decision "ridiculous" moments after the Commission on Presidential Debates announced the changes.
And on Friday the Commission on Presidential Debates made it official, saying next Thursday's debate is scrapped, leaving an October 22 event the final Trump-Biden showdown before election day on November 3.
The number of daily coronavirus deaths in Ukraine has exceeded 100 for the first time since the pandemic began, jumping to 108, the national security council said on today.
The previous record of 93 deaths was registered on October 8. The council said a total of 256,266 cases had been registered in Ukraine as of October 10, with 4,887 deaths and 112,570 people recovered.
The Government said on Friday it would open more hospitals to accept coronavirus patients amid a recent spike in cases.
It is also mulling ways to toughen lockdown measures, which have been gradually eased since June to help the economy, which plunged 11.4 per cent in the second quarter.
08:18 AM
Existing measures need to be given time to work, says Gateshead council leader
Martin Gannon, the leader of Gateshead Council, said that current measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19 needed to be given time to work.
Mr Gannon said: "Our argument is that even with the mixed messaging, even with the confusion and frustration, the measures that are in at the moment are beginning to work.
"Work with us, give us more time, help us to win confidence and persuade people who want to do the right thing.
"Help us to win confidence to the measures that are currently in, not bring in new measures and get even further resistance and further confusion."
08:15 AM
Obese people in their 50s could be asked to shield in local lockdowns
Obese people who are in their 50s may be asked to shield under local lockdowns, with a "blanket approach" to shielding replaced by more individualised advice, The Telegraph understands.
Ministers are expected to outline a three-tier local lockdown system next week, which will see shielding advice linked to the local threat level.
During the first wave of the pandemic, roughly 2.2 million people in England deemed "clinically extremely vulnerable" were asked to shield at home for months.
British rider Simon Yates pulls out of Giro d'Italia after testing positive for Covid-19
British rider Simon Yates has been withdrawn from the Giro d’Italia ahead of today’s eighth stage after testing positive for Covid-19.
Yates' team, Mitchelton-Scott, revealed the 28 year-old had been checked for the virus after experiencing "very mild symptoms" following Friday's seventh stage. Both that initial test and a follow-up test returned positive results.
Following Geraint Thomas’s crash in the neutral zone on stage three, which left the Ineos Grenadiers rider with a fractured pelvis, it means Britain has lost its top two contenders, and the Giro its top two pre-race favourites, within the space of seven days.
Both men began the race in Sicily last Saturday with high hopes.
Yates also produced a better performance against the clock last Saturday than many anticipated - Velo
08:06 AM
New measures 'would be counter-productive', says Gateshead Council leader
The Labour leader of Gateshead Council Martin Gannon said he is opposed to a lockdown of hospitality venues across the north-east region.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think new measures would be counter-productive.
"We had three different sets of regulations in 10 days which caused huge resistance and confusion.
"Even the Prime Minister at one stage didn't have the foggiest idea what actual restrictions he had imposed on the north-east of England."
Mr Gannon also complained that no minister took part in a conference call with North East leaders regarding the situation on Friday.
08:03 AM
Northern leaders to meet Government over new restrictions as Liverpool mayor suggests restaurants could be spared closure
It is "very likely" that local areas in the North West will face further restrictions, MPs representing the region have been told in a letter from Downing Street, ahead of further discussions between the Government and northern leaders this afternoon.
While the measures are expected to be tier three - meaning that pubs, restaurants and hairdressers could be closed - the mayor of Liverpool said that he expects restaurants will be allowed to stay open until 10pm.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning, he said: "We will be in the local lockdown, new local lockdown, which is announced, which will probably be, well, will be tier three, and that that will be enacted in Parliament on Tuesday.
"We are continuing the discussions and conversations today."
He added: "Now we are engaged in a conversation that's telling us that these decisions have been made, so that's... a conversation, not a consultation.
"But the main point of the imposition of the measures are clearly that: imposition. We have not be consulted."
07:43 AM
'Here’s to you, Nicola!', was the cry as Glasgow enjoyed a last hurrah before the pubs closed
Glasgow's Ashton Lane on a Friday early evening would be a bustling picture in normal times.
Cobbled and strung with fairy lights, at the heart of the city's West End, it boasts some of the city’s most beloved drinking spots.
Whatever the weather – which can notoriously change by the minute – you can expect the mood to be light and bars just as busy with rowdy 20-somethings as it is with middle-aged professionals who have trickled out of the office for a glass of wine ahead of the weekend.
On Friday, a far more grim picture was painted. As of 6pm, all pubs and restaurants in Scotland’s central belt are to close for 16 days until October 25 – a move which the Scottish Hospitality Group described as an effective death sentence for many businesses.
Although numbers appeared to be up compared to the past few weeks as customers braved the rain for a final drink, their frustration was palpable and the tone a very different mood to what Glasgow's West End normally sees.
Georgina Hayes has more on what happened as last orders were called in one of Glasgow's most popular bars here.
Pub-goers on Ashton Lane in Glasgow's West End - Wattie Cheung Patrons looking to enjoy a final hurrah in Glasgow’s pubs pose beside a stark warning to Nicola Sturgeon about the future of Glasgow’s famous Ashton Lane - Georgina Hayes
07:36 AM
Expert: Cases rising all over the country but especially in North
Susan Hopkins, deputy director of Public Health England's national infection service told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The picture shows that all over the country the numbers of cases are rising.
"They are rising more quickly in the North West, the North East and Yorkshire and Humber than they are in the south of the country.
"Concerning aspects in terms of the North West is that in certain pockets of the North West it is rising quite fast now in the over-60s. And that's the group of people that we know would need admission to hospital more significantly than the younger population."
07:01 AM
Covid marshals will use body cameras to catch rules breaches
Covid marshals have been ordered to target weddings, parties, pubs and restaurants with body-worn videos to film evidence of breaches, under new Government guidelines.
The marshals - who the Government suggests should have security guard training - will be expected to call in police or council inspectors to enforce any breaches at premises they visit.
Dubbed “Covid Wombles,” they will be issued with a checklist of Covid measures to ensure compliance in restaurants, pubs, bars, takeaways, shops and branches, tourist attractions, “close contact services” like hairdressers and nail bars, “wedding receptions and celebrations.”
The Government suggests council marshals could operate a yellow card system, where they issue up to two warnings before businesses face fines or even closure.
Mayor expects Liverpool to be put in tier three lockdown within days
The mayor of Liverpool has said he expects the city to be put in a tier three lockdown within days.
Joe Anderson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Saturday: "We had some conversations with Downing Street yesterday, we have got further conversations, discussions with them this afternoon.
"And I expect that Liverpool will be one of those announced. We will be in the local lockdown, new local lockdown, which is announced, which will probably be, well, will be tier three, and that that will be enacted in Parliament on Tuesday.
"We are continuing the discussions and conversations today."
05:23 AM
India's confirmed cases near 7 million
India's confirmed coronavirus cases are nearing 7 million with another 73,272 reported in the past 24 hours.
The Health Ministry on Saturday also reported 926 additional deaths, taking total fatalities to 107,416.
India is seeing a slower pace of coronavirus spread since mid-September when the daily infections touched a record of 97,894 cases. It's averaging more than 70,000 cases daily so far this month, while the recovery rate has exceeded 85 per cent.
But health experts have warned that congregations during major festivals later this month and in November have the potential for the virus to spread.
"We have to work aggressively to make sure that during winter months and during the festive season coronavirus cases don't rise dramatically," said Dr. Randeep Guleria, a government health expert.
A man wearing a mask to protect reads a newspaper in front of a closed shop in Dharmsala, India - AP
04:12 AM
Australia records no deaths but hotspot faces prolonged lockdown
Australia recorded no coronavirus deaths for a third straight day on Saturday, but its hotspot city of Melbourne faced a prolonged lockdown as new infections stayed stubbornly above the target for re-opening.
Victoria reported 14 new cases, taking the two-week average up slightly to 9.5, double the target of fewer than five set for easing curbs in eight days' time.
Victoria state premier Daniel Andrews has dashed hopes for a broad easing.
"I think it is unlikely that we will be able to take as big steps as we would have hoped to take next Sunday," Andrews told a televised news conference."There's no shortcuts here, otherwise we will have literally five minutes of sunshine and we'll be pinballing back and forth in and out of restrictions all summer and all 2021."
Mainland China's new cases all from overseas travellers
Mainland China reported 15 new confirmed cases on Oct. 9, down from 21 a day earlier, the country's national health authority said on Saturday.
All the new cases were imported infections involving travellers from overseas, the National Health Commission said in a statement.
The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, rose to 39 from 15 a day earlier. All of them were imported.
The total number of confirmed cases in mainland China now stands at 85,536, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,634.
Tourists wearing masks to protect from the coronavirus line up for security checks before visiting the Tiananmen Square area in Beijing - AP
02:43 AM
Six Sage scientists awarded OBEs in Queen's Birthday Honours list
Leading scientists on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) have been rewarded with honours despite the ongoing controversy over the scientific advice that led the UK into lockdown.
Six members of the committee have been awarded OBEs for "services to the Covid-19 response" in the Queen's Birthday Honours list, alongside dozens of health workers and volunteers who have fought the virus on the front line.
Meanwhile, Government officials including England's chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, and senior officials from Public Health England are understood to have been passed over for honours amid concerns that their handling of the pandemic could be criticised during a future public inquiry.
Trump says he is 'medication free' after Covid battle
US President Donald Trump said he was "medication free" and revealed more details of his fight with Covid-19 in a televised interview which aired on Friday, one week after he was hospitalised with the virus.
The President appeared on Fox's Tucker Carlson Tonight for what the White House described as an on-air "medical evaluation" conducted remotely by Fox contributor doctor Marc Siegel.
"Right now I'm medication-free, I'm not taking any medications as of, you know, probably eight hours ago," Mr Trump told Dr Siegel.
Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, has unveiled a new furlough-style scheme to pay workers' wages, with Britain braced for stricter lockdown restrictions to be imposed from the middle of next week.
US President Donald Trump said he was "medication free" and revealed more details of his fight with Covid-19 in a televised interview which aired on Friday, one week after he was hospitalised with the virus.
Footage taken by a Brazilian tourist shows several pedestrians stepping to soothe the black horse which caused damage after running through the London streets on Wednesday.
David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst will forever be remembered for their roles as Del Boy and Rodney Trotter in Only Fools and Horses, but the pair's relationship off-screen has been far from perfect.
Maxine Longmuir, 69, was thrilled when she won a £2,500 holiday to Portugal on the ITV quiz show, but claims she was left devastated when she was told she was unable to rebook it
They contain a triple whammy of alpha linolenic acid, fibre and lignans which help protect against heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol
Britain's Got Talent has been hit with Ofcom complaints after a string of viewers were left feeling sick over one act's routine during the launch episode
Prince Harry was left upset by his father's decision to evict him and Meghan from Frogmore Cottage as they were under the impression that the property would always be available to them, according to a royal expert.
Prince Harry is set to return to the UK in less than two weeks to mark the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games - and he is likely feeling some trepidation about his visit
This Morning's Alison Hammond has debuted a hair transformation as she has swapped her signature brunette tresses for a copper look, just a week after going public with her new boyfriend
