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Coronavirus live news: UK to announce tourists returning from Spain must quarantine for two weeks Coronavirus live news: UK advises against all but essential travel to Spanish mainland and imposes two-week quarantine
(32 minutes later)
Johnny Depp’s in-person court case ‘galling’; Germany may introduce compulsory testing; funeral fees rise in Great BritainJohnny Depp’s in-person court case ‘galling’; Germany may introduce compulsory testing; funeral fees rise in Great Britain
The number of people in Israel who have tested positive for coronavirus topped 60,000 on Saturday as the government struggles to contain a resurgence in infection rates.
The latest daily tally showed 1,770 new infections, bringing the total number of cases to 60,496, the country’s health ministry reported.
With a population of 9 million, Israel has reported a total of 455 fatalities from the pandemic.
Israel was one of the first countries to impose a nationwide lockdown and initially was successful in clamping down on the outbreak.
Daily cases that numbered in the hundreds dropped to low double digits, according to Reuters.
Concerned about the economic toll, the government eased those restrictions - too quickly, some officials have since acknowledged - and infection rates resurged.
Renewed sporadic closures of various sectors of the economy have deepened public vexation, sparking daily demonstrations.
This from the scientist Eric Topol:
The UK government has advised against all but essential travel to mainland Spain, and confirmed earlier reports that all people arriving from Spain from Sunday will have to self-isolate for two weeks.
The government said it does not advise against travel to Spain’s canary islands or balearic islands, but travellers will still need to go into quarantine on return to the UK.
The government also urged employers to be understanding towards staff who have to self-isolate.
Kuwait will end the strict lockdown imposed in the Farwaniya governorate from 5am (0200 GMT) on Sunday, the centre for government communication announced on Twitter on Saturday.
Farwaniya was the last area to be effectively isolated in a country which has reported 63,309 coronavirus cases and 429 deaths.
The governor of Lombardy, Italy’s hardest-hit region in the pandemic, acknowledged Saturday that he is being investigated by Milan prosecutors over a lucrative contract to obtain protective medical gowns from his brother-in-laws company, the Associated Press reports.
The contract for 75,000 gowns reportedly was awarded without public bidding in April, when the coronavirus outbreak was devastating Italy, Italian news reports said.
Governor Attilio Fontana said in a Facebook post about the probe that he represents the region responsibly and was confident about the correctness of Lombardy’s actions.
In the aftermath of an Italian investigative TV program report on the deal, Fontana contended last month that he didn’t know anything about the contract, which reportedly was valued at more than half a million euros (more than $600,000).
The governor insisted that the region never paid for the gowns, which were reportedly eventually donated to Lombardy.
The region at the time was struggling, like all of Italy, to obtain vitally needed medical protective gear for doctors and nurses treating coronavirus patients.
Fontana’s wife has a minor stake in the company, according to Italian media.
The governor is a prominent figure in Matteo Salvini’s right-wing opposition League party, which often rails against corruption among public officials.
In a tweet on Saturday, Salvini blasted the probe as one-way wrong justice. Lombardy is a League stronghold.
Meanwhile, some politicians from the center-left government’s parties called Saturday for Fontana’s resignation.
This from my colleague Sam Jones in Madrid:This from my colleague Sam Jones in Madrid:
A spokeswoman for the Spanish government declined to comment on the reported quarantine measures, instead referring the Guardian to comments made on Friday by the foreign minister, Arancha González Laya.A spokeswoman for the Spanish government declined to comment on the reported quarantine measures, instead referring the Guardian to comments made on Friday by the foreign minister, Arancha González Laya.
In an interview with CNN, the minister said Spain was one of the countries with the “most controls and mechanisms for identifying outbreaks” and played down suggestions of a second wave of Covid-19.In an interview with CNN, the minister said Spain was one of the countries with the “most controls and mechanisms for identifying outbreaks” and played down suggestions of a second wave of Covid-19.
“We’re not worried; we’re identifying cases and isolating them to cut off transmission,” said González Laya.“We’re not worried; we’re identifying cases and isolating them to cut off transmission,” said González Laya.
“As long as we don’t have a vaccine or a treatment, this is what the new normality will be like. We ask citizens to comply with the restrictions and behave in a responsible manner.”“As long as we don’t have a vaccine or a treatment, this is what the new normality will be like. We ask citizens to comply with the restrictions and behave in a responsible manner.”
She added: “There isn’t a second outbreak but there are one-off outbreaks. Our strategy is to detect and isolate those outbreaks.”She added: “There isn’t a second outbreak but there are one-off outbreaks. Our strategy is to detect and isolate those outbreaks.”
The minister also noted that other countries were experiencing similar situations.The minister also noted that other countries were experiencing similar situations.
Earlier this week, Spanish health authorities said they were dealing with 283 active outbreaks, many of them in the northeastern regions of Catalonia and Aragón.Earlier this week, Spanish health authorities said they were dealing with 283 active outbreaks, many of them in the northeastern regions of Catalonia and Aragón.
While they have acknowledged that a second wave may have hit, they insist all outbreaks are being swiftly detected and isolated.While they have acknowledged that a second wave may have hit, they insist all outbreaks are being swiftly detected and isolated.
On Friday, the health ministry logged 922 new Covid-19 cases – slightly down from 971 over the previous 24 hours.On Friday, the health ministry logged 922 new Covid-19 cases – slightly down from 971 over the previous 24 hours.
María José Sierra, the deputy head of Spain’s centre for health emergencies, said that while the curve had been flattened, “community transmission” was being seen in north-eastern areas.María José Sierra, the deputy head of Spain’s centre for health emergencies, said that while the curve had been flattened, “community transmission” was being seen in north-eastern areas.
“It could already be a second wave, but that’s not the most important thing,” Sierra told reporters on Thursday. “The most important thing is that we keep following what’s going on, see what measures are necessary, and take them early.”“It could already be a second wave, but that’s not the most important thing,” Sierra told reporters on Thursday. “The most important thing is that we keep following what’s going on, see what measures are necessary, and take them early.”
She also said people needed to remember the incidence of the virus had tripled in just two weeks, from 8.76 cases per 100,000 people on 3 July to 27.39 per 100,000. “Obviously, the curve is going up, but let’s wait to see what kind of situation we’re in,” she added.She also said people needed to remember the incidence of the virus had tripled in just two weeks, from 8.76 cases per 100,000 people on 3 July to 27.39 per 100,000. “Obviously, the curve is going up, but let’s wait to see what kind of situation we’re in,” she added.
The announcement of a compulsory, two-week quarantine for returning British visitors will only place even greater strain on the beleaguered Spanish tourist sector, which has already been badly hit by the coronavirus.The announcement of a compulsory, two-week quarantine for returning British visitors will only place even greater strain on the beleaguered Spanish tourist sector, which has already been badly hit by the coronavirus.
The sector generates 12% of the country’s GDP and Britons make up the largest national group among Spain’s foreign visitors. More than 18 million Britons visited the country last year, accounting for almost a quarter of all foreign visitors.The sector generates 12% of the country’s GDP and Britons make up the largest national group among Spain’s foreign visitors. More than 18 million Britons visited the country last year, accounting for almost a quarter of all foreign visitors.
Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has said that people returning to any part of the UK from Spain will have to quarantine from midnight.Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has said that people returning to any part of the UK from Spain will have to quarantine from midnight.
“Spain will be removed from the list of countries exempt from quarantine requirements due to an increased number of cases of coronavirus (Covid-19) in the last few days,” Scotland’s government said in a statement.“Spain will be removed from the list of countries exempt from quarantine requirements due to an increased number of cases of coronavirus (Covid-19) in the last few days,” Scotland’s government said in a statement.
“The decision, also made by the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland and Wales as well as the UK Government, has been made to reduce the risk of the transmission of the virus by those travelling from Spain,” it added.“The decision, also made by the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland and Wales as well as the UK Government, has been made to reduce the risk of the transmission of the virus by those travelling from Spain,” it added.
The British government’s decision to remove Spain from list of safe countries to travel to means those coming back from Spain will have to self-isolate for two weeks upon their return to England.The British government’s decision to remove Spain from list of safe countries to travel to means those coming back from Spain will have to self-isolate for two weeks upon their return to England.
A formal announcement is expected to be made by the Department for Transport on Saturday, PA reports.A formal announcement is expected to be made by the Department for Transport on Saturday, PA reports.
According to Reuters, the Spanish foreign ministry and the office of the Spanish prime minister were not immediately available for comment.According to Reuters, the Spanish foreign ministry and the office of the Spanish prime minister were not immediately available for comment.
In Spain, Catalonia became the latest region to crack down on nightlife, trying to halt new infection clusters.In Spain, Catalonia became the latest region to crack down on nightlife, trying to halt new infection clusters.
The wealthy north-east region - home to Barcelona - ordered all nightclubs to close for 15 days and put a midnight curfew on bars in the greater Barcelona area and other towns around Lleida that have become contagion hot zones.The wealthy north-east region - home to Barcelona - ordered all nightclubs to close for 15 days and put a midnight curfew on bars in the greater Barcelona area and other towns around Lleida that have become contagion hot zones.
Spain has reported more than 900 new daily infections for the last two days as authorities warn the country that lost 28,000 lives before getting its outbreak under control could be facing the start of a second major outbreak.Spain has reported more than 900 new daily infections for the last two days as authorities warn the country that lost 28,000 lives before getting its outbreak under control could be facing the start of a second major outbreak.
The expected announcement about the removal of a so-called “air bridge” with Spain comes only a day after a further five countries were added to the quarantine-free list for people travelling to England.The expected announcement about the removal of a so-called “air bridge” with Spain comes only a day after a further five countries were added to the quarantine-free list for people travelling to England.
Anyone coming from Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia and St Vincent and the Grenadines will not be required to isolate for two weeks on arrival, the government confirmed on Friday.Anyone coming from Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia and St Vincent and the Grenadines will not be required to isolate for two weeks on arrival, the government confirmed on Friday.
Popular holiday destinations including Portugal, Thailand and the United States remain notable absentees.Popular holiday destinations including Portugal, Thailand and the United States remain notable absentees.
The British government said people should continue to check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s travel advice and their insurance policies before embarking on any overseas travel.The British government said people should continue to check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s travel advice and their insurance policies before embarking on any overseas travel.
Ministers had previously warned that travel corridors could be closed if coronavirus rates escalated in other nations.Ministers had previously warned that travel corridors could be closed if coronavirus rates escalated in other nations.
Travellers, even those from exempt destinations, are still required to complete a passenger locator form when they arrive in the UK.Travellers, even those from exempt destinations, are still required to complete a passenger locator form when they arrive in the UK.
In Yemen, where an already weak health system has been destroyed by five years of conflict and 80% of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance, the coronavirus pandemic is exacerbating what was already the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, a charity has warned.In Yemen, where an already weak health system has been destroyed by five years of conflict and 80% of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance, the coronavirus pandemic is exacerbating what was already the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, a charity has warned.
MedGlobal, alongside partners Project HOPE and the Center for Global Health at the University of Illinois, have detailed the ongoing impact of Covid-19 on Yemen’s fragile health system in a new report.MedGlobal, alongside partners Project HOPE and the Center for Global Health at the University of Illinois, have detailed the ongoing impact of Covid-19 on Yemen’s fragile health system in a new report.
There have been 1,610 confirmed cases and 446 deaths from Covid-19 according to official reports.There have been 1,610 confirmed cases and 446 deaths from Covid-19 according to official reports.
This amounts to around a 27% mortality rate of Yemenis who are confirmed to have Covid-19 – more than five times the global average and among the highest Covid-19 mortality rate in the world.This amounts to around a 27% mortality rate of Yemenis who are confirmed to have Covid-19 – more than five times the global average and among the highest Covid-19 mortality rate in the world.
According to the report, the Covid-19 outbreak is also disproportionately harming Yemen’s health workers, with 97 health workers – epidemiologists, medical directors, midwives, and other critical medical professionals – reportedly having died in Yemen from the virus.According to the report, the Covid-19 outbreak is also disproportionately harming Yemen’s health workers, with 97 health workers – epidemiologists, medical directors, midwives, and other critical medical professionals – reportedly having died in Yemen from the virus.
As health workers are among the country’s most critical human resources, the death of one health worker has an exponential effect and extends to their entire community, the researchers wrote.As health workers are among the country’s most critical human resources, the death of one health worker has an exponential effect and extends to their entire community, the researchers wrote.
The tallies for people hospitalised with coronavirus in New York are continuing to drop to the lowest levels since the pandemic began, governor Andrew Cuomo said Saturday, CBS News reports.The tallies for people hospitalised with coronavirus in New York are continuing to drop to the lowest levels since the pandemic began, governor Andrew Cuomo said Saturday, CBS News reports.
There were at least 646 people hospitalised in the state on Friday, a new low since 18 March and down slightly from the previous day, the Democratic governor said in a statement.There were at least 646 people hospitalised in the state on Friday, a new low since 18 March and down slightly from the previous day, the Democratic governor said in a statement.
The number of ICU patients was at its lowest since 16 March at 149.The number of ICU patients was at its lowest since 16 March at 149.
The number of reported deaths in the state rose by one, to 10.The number of reported deaths in the state rose by one, to 10.
The British government said 45,738 people had died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Friday, up by 61 from the day before, the Press Association reports.The British government said 45,738 people had died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Friday, up by 61 from the day before, the Press Association reports.
Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show there have now been more than 56,100 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show there have now been more than 56,100 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.
The government also said in the 24-hour period up to 9am on Saturday there had been a further 767 lab-confirmed cases.The government also said in the 24-hour period up to 9am on Saturday there had been a further 767 lab-confirmed cases.
Overall, a total of 298,681 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed.Overall, a total of 298,681 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed.
The Sunday Times’ Tim Shipman has tweeted that the UK government will be announcing shortly that tourists who have visited Spain will have to quarantine for two weeks when they return to England from Sunday, as Spain experiences a second wave of coronavirus infections.The Sunday Times’ Tim Shipman has tweeted that the UK government will be announcing shortly that tourists who have visited Spain will have to quarantine for two weeks when they return to England from Sunday, as Spain experiences a second wave of coronavirus infections.
According to Reuters, Britain’s health ministry had no immediate comment on the report.According to Reuters, Britain’s health ministry had no immediate comment on the report.
Chief Justice John Roberts again sided with the liberals on the US supreme court on Friday, as it denied a rural Nevada church’s request to strike down a 50-person cap on worship services as part of the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Associated Press reports.
Roberts, a conservative appointed by George W Bush, has sided with the four liberal justices on recent rulings regarding abortion, immigration and LGBTQ+ rights. Observers have pointed to his votes in other cases while cautioning that he has not necessarily changed his stripes.
In a 5-4 decision on Friday, the court refused to grant a request from Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley, east of Reno, to be subjected to the same Covid-19 restrictions that allow casinos, restaurants and other businesses to operate at 50% of capacity with proper social distancing.
The church argued that a hard cap on religious gatherings was an unconstitutional violation of first amendment rights to express and exercise beliefs.
Roberts did not explain his vote. Three justices wrote strongly worded dissenting opinions on behalf of the four other conservatives who said they would have granted injunctive relief while the court fully considers the merits of the case.
Justice Samuel Alito said that by allowing thousands to gather in casinos the state cannot claim to have a compelling interest in limiting religious gatherings to 50 people – regardless of the size of the facility and measures adopted to prevent the spread of the virus.
“That Nevada would discriminate in favor of the powerful gaming industry and its employees may not come as a surprise, but this court’s willingness to allow such discrimination is disappointing,” Alito wrote in a dissent joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh.
“We have a duty to defend the constitution, and even a public health emergency does not absolve us of that responsibility. The constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion. It says nothing about freedom to play craps or blackjack, to feed tokens into a slot machine or to engage in any other game of chance.”
TV stations across the US owned by Sinclair Television will this weekend run an interview with a conspiracy theorist who claims baselessly that Dr Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, created the coronavirus behind the current pandemic, my colleagues Martin Pengelly and Oliver Milman report.
Dr Judy Mikovits, a former research scientist, is behind the widely discredited Plandemic video, which makes a string of false and outlandish claims including that any coronavirus vaccine will kill millions and that beaches should not be closed because the sand and ocean will somehow treat Covid-19.
Fauci is the 79-year-old director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He has served six presidents but US president Donald Trump has sought to keep him off television, called him “alarmist” and frequently undermined his work.
Full story below.
My colleague Rob Davies has written a report on the patchy recovery from lockdown that restaurants and pubs in England continue to face, three weeks after pubs, bars and restaurants in England were allowed to reopen.
Three in five restaurants and around half of all pubs are still closed, and small, cosy, independent venues in town and city centres face a particularly grim future.
Wales has recorded no new coronavirus deaths for the fifth time this week, Public Health Wales (PHW) said on Saturday, announcing that the number of deaths with lab-confirmed Covid-19 since the outbreak began remained at 1,548.
There have now been no new deaths reported by the NHS trust on 11 days this month, WalesOnline reports.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean no-one died with the virus on those specific dates as it can take several days for a death to be logged officially.
Meanwhile, PHW has said the number of lab-confirmed positive cases of coronavirus in Wales has increased by 30 to bring the total to 17,105.
Wrexham recorded the most positive cases with 11, followed by the capital Cardiff and Flintshire with four each.
Despite testing capacity standing at 15,000 each day in Wales, only 5,865 were used on Friday, 24 July.
Storm Hanna, the first hurricane of the 2020 Atlantic season, was forecast to make landfall on the Texas coast on Saturday, threatening one of the nation’s Covid-19 hot spots with storm surge and flooding.
Hanna was about 75 miles (120 km) east-northeast of Port Mansfield, Texas, packing maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour, the US National Hurricane Center said on Saturday morning.
“Additional strengthening is forecast before Hanna makes landfall later today,” the Miami-based forecaster said, adding that the hurricane will rapidly weaken after it moves inland.
Video footage on Twitter of Port Aransas in Nueces County, Texas showed gray skies and lashing waves that had already engulfed a beach ahead of the storm’s landfall.
The storm was projected to hit the coast between Corpus Christi and Brownsville, a region that has struggled to contain outbreaks of coronavirus in recent weeks.
Cases along the state’s coast have soared into the tens of thousands, and more than 400 people in Corpus Christi’s city of 325,000 were hospitalised with the novel coronavirus on Friday, according to city data.
On Friday, residents in several Texas communities in Kleberg County, south of Corpus Christi, were urged to evacuate their homes ahead of Hanna’s arrival, according to Reuters.
Corpus Christi mayor Joe McComb warned residents who live in flood-prone areas to heed coronavirus precautions when deciding to evacuate, the Texas Tribune reported.
“Take several masks with you because you might be there a couple days if you’re in a flood area,” McComb said, according to the Tribune.
“We don’t want to expose anyone during this storm. ... Even when you’re in the house, I recommend wearing a mask if you’re in crowded conditions.”
Hanna will be the second named storm this season to make landfall along the US Gulf of Mexico, after Tropical Storm Cristobal, which hit Louisiana in early June.
Hanna could bring a life-threatening storm surge and flash flooding, with up to 15 inches of rain in pockets of southern Texas and northeastern Mexico.
Hello, I’m taking over from my colleague Aaron for the next few hours. As always, feel free to contact me if you have any relevant updates to share, you can get me on Twitter @JedySays or via email.
The UK will never know the true figure of how many people died from coronavirus due to the lack of testing at the outset of the crisis, according to a scientist on the government’s Sage advisory board.
Sir David Spiegelhalter, professor of the understanding of risk at the University of Cambridge, has said that Britain was “operating in the dark for so long” at the beginning of the pandemic.
The professor was asked how long it will take to get an accurate statistical picture of the impact the virus has had on the UK during an online lecture held by the New Scientist on Saturday.
His response, reported by the Telegraph (£), was as follows:
Speigelhalter said that the lack of testing from the offset affected the overall picture given to statisticians and modellers of what was happening in the community.
“We were operating in the dark for so long without knowing how many people in the country had it,” he added.
“If we had random sampling of testing much earlier on we would have had a much better idea of what was going on.”
Almost three-quarters of mothers in the UK have been forced to cut work hours because of childcare issues under Covid-19 lockdowns, according to a survey by a maternal rights group which warned more action was needed to protect women’s careers.
More than eight in 10 employed mothers said they needed childcare to be able to work, but fewer than half said they had enough childcare to let them do their job during the pandemic, showed the survey by Pregnant Then Screwed released on Saturday.
“This lack of childcare is destroying women’s careers,” the campaign group’s founder and chief executive Joeli Brearley told Reuters news agency.
“They are being made redundant, they are being forced to cut their hours, and they are being treated negatively all because they are picking up the unpaid labour.”
Studies around the world have found women are picking up more of the extra chores and childcare during the pandemic.
The International Labour Organization has warned coronavirus could wipe out “the modest progress” made on gender equality at work in recent decades, with women globally at greater risk of losing their jobs.
Across Britain, schools and nurseries were ordered to close under lockdown, leaving many families struggling to balance work with childcare and home schooling responsibilities.
The Department for Education said it was working to ensure hard-hit nurseries and childcare providers in England stay afloat as they gradually re-open by “block-buying” childcare places for the rest of this year.
“This will provide financial security to nurseries and childminders, meaning they can continue to provide the high quality childcare needed by parents as they return to work,” said a spokeswoman.
Many women also reported that they were losing their jobs entirely due to pregnancy or childcare issues during the lockdown, according to the survey of almost 20,000 pregnant women and mothers conducted online last week.
Among those who were or expected to be made redundant during the pandemic, about half said they believed that their pregnancy or problems with childcare had played a role.
Black and ethic minority women were more likely to report that they were being made redundant, or expected to be, as a result of having children.
Here are a few more photos of exercise enthusiasts flexing their muscles in public, in England’s indoor gyms and leisure centres, for the first time in months:
The head of the UK’s largest operator of leisure facilities has warned that gyms and leisure centres will be unable to dig themselves out of a “financial hole” caused by lockdown closures for around “two to three years”.
Mark Sesnan, chief executive of social enterprise GLL, said “profit” is a word he “hasn’t heard in a while”.
Speaking at the London aquatics centre and gym at its reopening on Saturday, he said: