Coronavirus live: Brazil regulator to investigate claims Covid patients unknowingly tested with unproven drugs | World news

The World Health Organization (WHO) says it is sending Covid-19 aid for North Korea through China’s border port of Dalian.

Josh Smith reports for Reuters that in its latest weekly report for South and East Asia, which covers the period to the end of September, the WHO said it had begun shipments through Dalian port in China, which is near the border with North Korea.

“To support DPR Korea with essential Covid-19 medical supplies, WHO started the shipment through Dalian port, China for strategic stockpiling and further dispatch to DPR Korea,” the agency said.

WHO did not elaborate on whether the aid had actually reached North Korea, and a spokesperson for the agency did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

Officially the country still has no cases, a figure which has been treated with some scepticism. Earlier this year leader Kim Jong-un appeared to issue a coded request for outside help

There’s a couple of bits of vaccine and Covid business news kicking about this morning from Reuters. Moderna has said today that it plans to invest about $500m (£370m) to build a factory in Africa to make up to 500 million doses of mRNA vaccines each year.

Malaysia, meanwhile has struck a deal with US pharmaceutical Merck & Co to buy 150,000 courses of its experimental antiviral pill. It joins other Asian countries in a rush to secure supplies.

Clinical data has shown that Molnupiravir, which would be the first oral antiviral medication for Covid-19 if it gets regulatory approval, could halve the chances of dying or being hospitalised for those most at risk of contracting severe Covid-19.

Malaysia’s health minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the government signed a letter of undertaking for the purchase on Thursday.

“This decision was made as we prepare to transition into an endemic phase, where we can co-exist with the virus by adding new innovative treatments as ‘weapons’ to fight Covid, apart from vaccinations and other public health measures,” Khairy said in a statement.

Hello, it is Martin Belam here in London taking over for the next few hours. Overnight PA have been carrying a preview story of what we are expecting to see happen in Northern Ireland today, where ministers will convene to consider further relaxations to Covid rules, with the restrictions on the hospitality sector set to be a key focus.

Last month First Minister Paul Givan signalled that 14 October could see significant changes to coronavirus measures that continue to apply, but that any moves would be subject to Executive approval today.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill has struck a cautious note on the prospect of major relaxations, stressing the need for a precautionary approach to ensure the under-pressure health service is not overwhelmed by a fresh surge in cases.

Last week, ministers agreed to end social distancing restrictions for shops, theatres and a number of other indoor settings, but they did not take a decision on the hospitality sector, and capacity remains limited in bars and restaurants due to the ongoing one metre social distancing requirement.

The decision to end social distancing in the retail sector, indoor attractions and seated indoor venues proved controversial last week as ministers clashed over whether mandatory vaccine passports should be introduced as an entry requirement.

As a reminder, here are some of the restrictions that still apply in Northern Ireland:

• a ban on large house parties and indoor raves
• a “work from home where possible” message
• people have to be seated to consume food and drink in hospitality settings
• people need to be seated at indoor music events and dancing is banned
• face coverings are required in indoor areas such as retail and public transport
• risk assessments must be carried out before staging events
• contact details must be taken in certain settings

Prevent Senior, a major healthcare chain serving tens of thousands of patients in the Sao Paulo area of Brazil, has been accused of testing unproven drugs on elderly Covid-19 patients without their knowledge.

The Brazilian agency that regulates health insurance plans opened an investigation into the allegations, according to statements made to a Senate inquiry on Wednesday, Reuters reports.

Paulo Rebello Filho, head of the National Regulatory Agency for Private Health Insurance Plans (ANS), said his staff has detected “assistance abnormalities” at Prevent Senior and the health chain will be put under special technical supervision.

At least nine people died of Covid-19 during the trials at Prevent Senior from March to April 2020, but their charts were altered to hide the cause of death, the inquiry was told last week by a lawyer for 10 whistleblowing doctors.

The Senators were told the hospital chain sought to validate far-right President Jair Bolsonaro’s policy of advocating the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid patients.

Prevent Senior has said the accusations, including the altering of patient charts and the firing of doctors who opposed the practice, are unfounded.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the coronavirus outbreak.

I’m Samantha Lock and I’ll be giving you a rundown of the latest coronavirus updates as they happen.

Here are the key developments from the last few hours.

An investigation is underway in Brazil after allegations emerged claiming a hospital chain tested unproven drugs on elderly Covid-19 patients without their knowledge.

The Brazilian agency that regulates health insurance plans made the allegations against Prevent Senior, a major healthcare chain serving tens of thousands of patients in the Sao Paulo area, during a Senate inquiry on Wednesday.

• England’s Covid travel red list to be cut to a dozen countries. Destinations including Brazil, Mexico and South Africa are expected to be moved off the red list on Thursday, meaning passengers returning from them will not have to isolate in a hotel.
• The UK government has lifted its advice against non-essential travel to 32 countries and territories, including Bangladesh, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana and Malaysia. The UK will stop advising Britons to avoid all but essential travel to non-red list countries on Covid-19 grounds except in “exceptional circumstances”.
• UK reports 39,851 new Covid cases and 143 deaths.
• Brazil records 530 more coronavirus deaths on Wednesday.
• Turkey reports record number of daily coronavirus cases, surpassing 30,000 on Wednesday, the highest number of infections since 30 April.
• A skin condition known as ‘Covid toe’ may be a side-effect of the immune system’s response to fighting off the virus, according to a recent study.
• Russia reports record number of daily Covid deaths with 929 coronavirus-related deaths recorded on Wednesday, the largest single-day death toll since the pandemic began.
• Wales to go ahead with the introduction of a Covid pass for nightclubs and big sporting events.
• New Zealanders should ‘plan to encounter’ Covid before Christmas, expert warns.