Hello and welcome to today’s live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
My name is Helen Sullivan and I’ll be bringing you the latest developments from around the world for the next few hours. What is the biggest Covid-19 story where you’re from? Let me know on Twitter @helenrsullivan or via email: helen.sullvan@theguardian.com.
Global coronavirus deaths have passed 890,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. A toll higher than 1 million looks inevitable at this stage.
Meanwhile Spain has become the first European country to pass 500,000 cases. The country reported 2,440 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 525,549.
Recent infections have been more common among younger people who often develop no symptoms thanks to their stronger immune systems, and the death rate remains far below the March-April peak when daily fatalities routinely exceeded 800.
Here are the key developments from the last few hours:
- Spain passes 500,000 coronavirus cases in western European first. Spain has become the first western European country to record more than half a million Covid-19 cases, logging a total of 525,549 infections.
- India becomes country with second highest number of Covid cases. India has surpassed Brazil to become the country with the second highest number of coronavirus cases, as the virus continues to spread through the country of 1.3 billion at the fastest rate of anywhere in the world.
- France could face “critical situation” in winter if cases keep rising. A leading epidemiologist in France has warned that if the number of Covid-19 cases continues to rise at the current rate, the country could face a “critical situation” in several regions in December.
- Rise in UK cases because people have “relaxed too much” says senior health official. England’s deputy chief medical officer, Jonathan Van-Tam, said the rise in the number of coronavirus cases was of great concern adding: “We have got to start taking this very seriously again”.
- Fatigue and headache most common Covid symptoms in children – study. Fatigue, headache and fever are the most common symptoms of coronavirus in children, with few developing a cough or losing their sense of taste or smell, researchers have found, adding to calls for age-specific symptom checklists.
- France forward Mbappé tests positive for Covid. France forward Kylian Mbappé has tested positive for Covid-19 and will miss this week’s Nations League international against Croatia, the French football federation said.
- Seven Greek islands to be added to quarantine list of England. Lesvos, Tinos, Serifos, Mykonos, Crete, Santorini and Zakynthos are being removed from England’s list of locations exempt from 14-day Covid quarantine, in a significant shift in the government’s travel corridor policy.
- Local lockdown to be enforced in Caerphilly, Wales after rise in covid cases. The Welsh government said coronavirus laws would be tightened across the borough to prevent a local outbreak of the virus spreading.
- Scotland could reimpose restrictions amid continuing rise in cases. The Scottish first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has warned the Scottish government could “put the brakes” on further relaxation of the lockdown, or even reimpose some restrictions later this week, after a continuing rise in Covid 19 cases.
- French ‘anti-maskers’ most likely to be educated women in 50s, says study. French people who reject mask-wearing are more likely to be older, educated women who support the gilets jaunes (yellow vests) protest movement and the controversial virus specialist Didier Raoult, and would refuse to have a coronavirus vaccination if one were available, according to a new study.
