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Coronavirus live news: anti-lockdown protesters march in central London; Colombia due to surpass 1m cases Coronavirus live news: anti-lockdown protesters march in central London; Colombia due to surpass 1m cases
(32 minutes later)
Tory MP Ben Bradley agrees with tweet saying free school meals money goes to ‘crack den and brothel’; EU fights second waveTory MP Ben Bradley agrees with tweet saying free school meals money goes to ‘crack den and brothel’; EU fights second wave
Police have now called time on the anti lockdown protest in London, where several thousand people remain in Trafalgar Square after a long march through the city. Damien Gayle with a video from London’s anti-lockdown protest, which has been ordered to disperse:
In a tweet posted on a Metropolitan police account, the force said: “ The protest under the name of “Stop The New Normal” have failed to comply with the terms of their risk assessment, Government guidelines and they are not maintaining social distancing. Jason Rodrigues also reports that there’s been “at least one arrest” by Westminster Bridge:
There have been a further 23,012 lab-confirmed coronavirus cases recorded in the UK, according to government data. This compares with 20,530 new cases registered on Friday.
A total of 854,010 people have tested positive.
A further 174 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were reported on Saturday, bringing the total to 44,571. There were 224 deaths on Friday.
An investigation is underway in the Chinese region of Xinjiang after an asymptomatic coronavirus case was identified in the city of Kashgar on Saturday, the health commission said.
It is mainland China’s first local case since 14 October, when one was reported in Qingdao. No new cases have been found in Xinjiang since 15 August, when a cluster of infections were reported.
The case was identified after the patient, a 17-year-old woman, was tested during a regular inspection. She has been transferred to a hospital in the city and all close contacts have been isolated.
Police have called time on the anti-lockdown protest in London, where several thousand people remain in Trafalgar Square after a long march through the city.
In a tweet posted on a Metropolitan police account, the force said: “The protest under the name of ‘Stop The New Normal’ have failed to comply with the terms of their risk assessment, government guidelines and they are not maintaining social distancing.
“The officer in charge has now determined their protest is no longer exempt from the regulations and is an illegal gathering.“The officer in charge has now determined their protest is no longer exempt from the regulations and is an illegal gathering.
“We are now telling those participating in this protest to leave. Officers will be engaging with crowds and informing them of this development.“We are now telling those participating in this protest to leave. Officers will be engaging with crowds and informing them of this development.
“By leaving now, you can keep yourself safe and avoid any enforcement action being taken by officers.”“By leaving now, you can keep yourself safe and avoid any enforcement action being taken by officers.”
Soon after, the Square was flooded with police asking people to leave. The square was flooded with police asking people to leave soon after.
The announcement came at the end of a long and noisy protest march through the city. Louise Creffield, founder of Save Our Rights UK, who organised the protest said: “We’re really pleased, the turnout was phenomenal and we’ve managed to get away with no one being injured or arrested.The announcement came at the end of a long and noisy protest march through the city. Louise Creffield, founder of Save Our Rights UK, who organised the protest said: “We’re really pleased, the turnout was phenomenal and we’ve managed to get away with no one being injured or arrested.
“It’s really good to be able to have a voice, and this is the only way we get it.”“It’s really good to be able to have a voice, and this is the only way we get it.”
Among the protesters taking part was Chloe Toop, 32, a schoolteacher.Among the protesters taking part was Chloe Toop, 32, a schoolteacher.
“I’m doing it for the next generation, fighting for them,” she said. She said she was anxious about young people “not having a life that I have growing up, not being able to go on holiday or to festivals.” “I’m doing it for the next generation, fighting for them,” she said. She said she was anxious about young people “not having a life that I have growing up, not being able to go on holiday or to festivals”.
“Kids are now scared to go and meet each other, hug each other. Social interaction is so important.” “Kids are now scared to go and meet each other, hug each other. Social interaction is so important,” she said.
Hello, Clea Skopeliti taking over the blog for the next few hours. My Twitter DMs are open for any suggestions for global coverage, or you can drop me an email. Thanks in advance!Hello, Clea Skopeliti taking over the blog for the next few hours. My Twitter DMs are open for any suggestions for global coverage, or you can drop me an email. Thanks in advance!
I will shortly be handing over the blog to my colleague. Below are the latest updates.I will shortly be handing over the blog to my colleague. Below are the latest updates.
Welsh government called on to reverse a ban on supermarkets selling non-essential items during the firebreak lockdown. The country’s first minister, Mark Drakeford, said the restriction was a “matter of fairness” as non-essential retail has to close during the two-week period, which began at 6 pm on Friday and will last until 9 November.Welsh government called on to reverse a ban on supermarkets selling non-essential items during the firebreak lockdown. The country’s first minister, Mark Drakeford, said the restriction was a “matter of fairness” as non-essential retail has to close during the two-week period, which began at 6 pm on Friday and will last until 9 November.
Colombia is set to surpass a million Covid-19 infections on Saturday, becoming the eighth country to do so. As scientists around the world race to find an effective inoculation, Colombia says it is ready to distribute any vaccine that proves effective.Colombia is set to surpass a million Covid-19 infections on Saturday, becoming the eighth country to do so. As scientists around the world race to find an effective inoculation, Colombia says it is ready to distribute any vaccine that proves effective.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called on Saturday for strict punishments for violators of Covid-19 restrictions as the Middle East’s hardest-hit country tried to tackle its third wave of infections.Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called on Saturday for strict punishments for violators of Covid-19 restrictions as the Middle East’s hardest-hit country tried to tackle its third wave of infections.
Poland’s president, Andrzej Duda, has tested positive, adding another name to the list of leaders to have been diagnosed with the virus. Aside from the diagnosis, the 48-year-old Duda is believed to be in good general health.Poland’s president, Andrzej Duda, has tested positive, adding another name to the list of leaders to have been diagnosed with the virus. Aside from the diagnosis, the 48-year-old Duda is believed to be in good general health.
Thousands of people have signed a petition calling on the Welsh government to reverse a ban on supermarkets selling non-essential items during the firebreak lockdown in Wales. The country’s first minister, Mark Drakeford, said the restriction was a “matter of fairness” as non-essential retail has to close during the two-week period, which began at 6 pm on Friday and will last until 9 November. Guidance published by the Welsh government says certain sections of supermarkets must be “cordoned off or emptied, and closed to the public”. These include areas selling electrical goods, telephones, clothes, toys and games, garden products and dedicated sections for homewares. Supplies for the “essential upkeep, maintenance and functioning of the household” - such as batteries, lightbulbs and rubber gloves - can be sold during the lockdown.Thousands of people have signed a petition calling on the Welsh government to reverse a ban on supermarkets selling non-essential items during the firebreak lockdown in Wales. The country’s first minister, Mark Drakeford, said the restriction was a “matter of fairness” as non-essential retail has to close during the two-week period, which began at 6 pm on Friday and will last until 9 November. Guidance published by the Welsh government says certain sections of supermarkets must be “cordoned off or emptied, and closed to the public”. These include areas selling electrical goods, telephones, clothes, toys and games, garden products and dedicated sections for homewares. Supplies for the “essential upkeep, maintenance and functioning of the household” - such as batteries, lightbulbs and rubber gloves - can be sold during the lockdown.
Colombia is set to surpass a million Covid-19 infections on Saturday, becoming the eighth country to do so. As scientists around the world race to find an effective inoculation, Colombia says it is ready to distribute any vaccine that proves effective. Its preparedness is thanks to decades of work on a free government immunisation programme that offers 21 vaccines to all Colombians, among the South America’s most generous for vaccine provision. “We have a really strong vaccination programme that serves as a model and which will incorporate the new formula that will arrive against Covid,” Gerardo Burgos, the secretary general of the health ministry, told Reuters. The programme covers not onlyColombia’s own population of about 50 million people but also more than 1.7 million Venezuelan migrants and includes everything from infant shots to human papillomavirus. The country delivers about 23 million vaccinations a year. Colombia has already committed $213m to the global Covax initiative, guaranteeing Covid-19 vaccinations for about 10 million people. People over 60, those with pre-existing conditions and healthcare workers will be immunised first. Colombia’s cases have climbed steadily despite more than five months of a gradually loosened lockdown. The death toll is set to top 30,000 people over the weekend.Colombia is set to surpass a million Covid-19 infections on Saturday, becoming the eighth country to do so. As scientists around the world race to find an effective inoculation, Colombia says it is ready to distribute any vaccine that proves effective. Its preparedness is thanks to decades of work on a free government immunisation programme that offers 21 vaccines to all Colombians, among the South America’s most generous for vaccine provision. “We have a really strong vaccination programme that serves as a model and which will incorporate the new formula that will arrive against Covid,” Gerardo Burgos, the secretary general of the health ministry, told Reuters. The programme covers not onlyColombia’s own population of about 50 million people but also more than 1.7 million Venezuelan migrants and includes everything from infant shots to human papillomavirus. The country delivers about 23 million vaccinations a year. Colombia has already committed $213m to the global Covax initiative, guaranteeing Covid-19 vaccinations for about 10 million people. People over 60, those with pre-existing conditions and healthcare workers will be immunised first. Colombia’s cases have climbed steadily despite more than five months of a gradually loosened lockdown. The death toll is set to top 30,000 people over the weekend.
Chile has identified more than 500,000 coronavirus cases since the outbreak began in March, the health ministry said on Saturday. The ministry said 500,542 Chileans were now confirmed to have suffered from the virus, including 1,631 cases added in the past day and 48 deaths, taking fatalities to a total of 13,892. Active cases are at a record low of 9,900, it added. Chile, which was among the worst-hit countries in July, ranking only behind Qatar globally for per capita cases , has gradually eased its lockdown over the past two months. Restaurants and bars have opened with limited capacity, office workers are returning and some schools have reopened. Chileans will vote on Sunday in a referendum on whether to replace the country’s Pinochet-era constitution. The charter, drawn up by a key lieutenant of the military leader Augusto Pinochet in 1980, is blamed for segmenting pension, health and education provisions and entrenching inequality.Chile has identified more than 500,000 coronavirus cases since the outbreak began in March, the health ministry said on Saturday. The ministry said 500,542 Chileans were now confirmed to have suffered from the virus, including 1,631 cases added in the past day and 48 deaths, taking fatalities to a total of 13,892. Active cases are at a record low of 9,900, it added. Chile, which was among the worst-hit countries in July, ranking only behind Qatar globally for per capita cases , has gradually eased its lockdown over the past two months. Restaurants and bars have opened with limited capacity, office workers are returning and some schools have reopened. Chileans will vote on Sunday in a referendum on whether to replace the country’s Pinochet-era constitution. The charter, drawn up by a key lieutenant of the military leader Augusto Pinochet in 1980, is blamed for segmenting pension, health and education provisions and entrenching inequality.
The organiser of a party attended by more than 50 people has been handed a £10,000 fine for “blatant disregard” of Covid-19 regulations.The organiser of a party attended by more than 50 people has been handed a £10,000 fine for “blatant disregard” of Covid-19 regulations.
Police were called to a flat in Simpson Street, Angel Meadows, Manchester, shortly after 11.20 pm (BST) on Friday. Officers found DJ mixing decks, speakers, a buffet and about 50 people in attendance, Greater Manchester Police said.Police were called to a flat in Simpson Street, Angel Meadows, Manchester, shortly after 11.20 pm (BST) on Friday. Officers found DJ mixing decks, speakers, a buffet and about 50 people in attendance, Greater Manchester Police said.
The force said the party was closed down and the organiser given a £10,000 fixed penalty notice for breaching coronavirus legislation, one of the first issued since Greater Manchester entered tier 3 restrictions.The force said the party was closed down and the organiser given a £10,000 fixed penalty notice for breaching coronavirus legislation, one of the first issued since Greater Manchester entered tier 3 restrictions.
A further 1,324 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Wales, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 41,577. Public Health Wales said 16 people with Covid-19 had died, bringing the total number of deaths to 1,772.A further 1,324 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Wales, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 41,577. Public Health Wales said 16 people with Covid-19 had died, bringing the total number of deaths to 1,772.
The government is set to deliver £75m in grants to 35 of the country’s top cultural organisations and venues, from the Old Vic to Shakespeare’s Globe.The government is set to deliver £75m in grants to 35 of the country’s top cultural organisations and venues, from the Old Vic to Shakespeare’s Globe.
It is the latest tranche of money to be distributed from the government’s £1.57bn culture recovery fund. These grants are the largest to have come from the package to date and will go to bodies which require between £1m and £3m.It is the latest tranche of money to be distributed from the government’s £1.57bn culture recovery fund. These grants are the largest to have come from the package to date and will go to bodies which require between £1m and £3m.
Money was allocated based on whether applicants provided jobs, supported the wider community and engaged with the public through innovative means during the pandemic.Money was allocated based on whether applicants provided jobs, supported the wider community and engaged with the public through innovative means during the pandemic.
More than £52m – 70% of the total awarded in this round - will go to organisations outside London. The culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, said: “As part of our unprecedented £1.57bn rescue fund, today we’re saving British cultural icons with large grants of up to £3m - from Shakespeare’s Globe to the Sheffield Crucible. The fund has also distributed £188m to the devolved administrations - with £97m for Scotland, £59m for Wales and £33m for Northern Ireland.More than £52m – 70% of the total awarded in this round - will go to organisations outside London. The culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, said: “As part of our unprecedented £1.57bn rescue fund, today we’re saving British cultural icons with large grants of up to £3m - from Shakespeare’s Globe to the Sheffield Crucible. The fund has also distributed £188m to the devolved administrations - with £97m for Scotland, £59m for Wales and £33m for Northern Ireland.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called on Saturday for strict punishments for violators of Covid-19 restrictions as the Middle East’s hardest-hit nation battled the third wave.
Latest officials figures showed coronavirus had killed 32,320 Iranians and infected 562,705, with 5,814 new cases and 335 fatalities in the previous 24 hours. Taking a swipe at arch-foe the United States, Khamenei said Iran must enforce curbs better and end disputes between institutions over the pandemic.
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Spanish regions are urging the central government to take measures that would give them legal backing to impose curfews as the country battles a resurgent coronavirus epidemic. As of Saturday, 10 of Spain’s 17 regions, including Valencia, Asturias, Castilla-La Mancha and the Basque Country, had called on the government to decree a state of emergency, which would allow regions to limit people’s movement.
Regions expect the government to call an extraordinary council of ministers on Sunday to approve the measure, Spanish media including El País reported. “I would say with almost total certainty there will be one. But it has not officially been called yet,” a source from the Spanish government told Reuters.
While many regions favour some form of curfew, the powerful Madrid region opposes it, which has so far prevented a nationwide decision. Spain has recorded the highest number of Covid-19 infections in western Europe.
Thousands of anti-lockdown protesters have begun a noisy march through central London.
After gathering at Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park, crowds began to walk down Oxford Street in the direction of Oxford Circus.
Before leaving, they heard from Piers Corbyn, the brother of the former Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who exhorted followers to “stop new normal, save lives”.
Louise Creffield, the founder of Save Our Rights UK, one of the groups behind the protest, told the crowd: “Today we are standing in our power and we are not abiding by their rules.
“It doesn’t matter what they say, it doesn’t matter what threats they bring, it doesn’t matter if they try and intimidate us, we are not going to accept it, because we don’t abide by their rules. We don’t listen because we do not consent.”
As they marched down Oxford Street, protesters chanted for freedom and told passersby to take off their masks. Others played the drums, blew whistles and played music on portable sound systems.
Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:
More than 1.1 million dead
The virus has claimed at least 1,145,847 lives worldwide since it first emerged in China late last year, according to an AFP tally based on official sources. At least 42,262,299 cases have been registered across the globe. The US is the worst-affected country with 223,998 deaths, followed by Brazil with 156,471, India with 117,956, Mexico with 88,312 and Britain with 44,571.
WHO warning
The WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has said “too many countries are seeing an exponential increase in Covid-19 cases and that is now leading to hospitals and intensive care units running close to or above capacity - and we’re still only in October.”
The message was echoed by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), whose director, Andrea Ammon, spoke of a “highly concerning epidemiological situation”.
Germany deaths top 10,000
The Robert Koch Institute, a federal government agency, has recorded a total of 10,003 coronavirus deaths in Germany, where 14,714 new cases have also been diagnosed in the last 24 hours, a record figure.
Lothar Wieler, the president of the institute’s disease control authority, said the country was facing a very serious situation. The chancellor, Angela Merkel, told citizens in a weekly video podcast that “the order of the day is to reduce contacts, to meet as few people as possible”.
New daily record cases in US
Johns Hopkins University has reported 79,963 new US cases in 24 hours, a record, although the number of daily deaths has remained broadly stable since the beginning of autumn at between 700 and 800.
Poland president tests positive
Poland’s president, Andrzej Duda, has tested positive, adding another name to the list of leaders to have been diagnosed with the virus.
Aside from the diagnosis, the 48-year-old Duda is believed to be in good general health.
Naples clashes
Hundreds of protesters in Naples threw projectiles at police and set rubbish bins on fire late on Friday during a demonstration against restrictions in the southern Italian city.
A mostly young crowd marched through the streets of the regional capital and chanted as a curfew in the Campania region started at 11:00 pm. Some protesterslit smoke bombs.
Grants for UK arts institutions
The British government has announced a £75m rescue package to save 35 cultural institutions hit by the pandemic, including London’s Globe Old Vic theatres.
New coronavirus restrictions are to take effect in Madrid on Saturday as the Spanish government weighs declaring a national state of emergency to allow curfews to be imposed.
Days after the country registered more than a million cases of Covid-19, the regions - which are responsible for managing public healthcare - have put pressure on the government to give them legal right to impose tighter restrictions.
In practice, that would involve the prime minister, Pedro Sánchez declaring a national state of emergency that would enable the regions to impose curfews, a measure increasingly applied across Europe.
Nine of Spain’s 17 autonomous regions have formally requested such a move, and a decision is expected to be at an extraordinary meeting of ministers on Sunday.
The government can impose an emergency for up to a fortnight, but it would need parliamentary approval to extend it.
Spain used the powers in spring to enforce one of the world’s tightest lockdowns, and a similar measure has been in force in Madrid for the past fortnight, although only to impose movement restrictions on the capital and various nearby towns.
That measure ends at 4:47 pm (1447 GMT) on Saturday, when new restrictions drawn up by the regional authorities will come into force.
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The Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus has killed at least 1,145,847 people since the outbreak emerged in China last December, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP.
At least 42,262,290 cases have been registered, of which at least 28,754,900 are now considered recovered.
The tallies, using data collected from national authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO), probably reflect only a fraction of the actual number of infections. Many countries are testing only symptomatic or the most serious cases.
On Friday, 482,954 new cases and 6,366 new deaths and were recorded worldwide.
Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu has been admitted to hospital after testing positive for coronavirus and suffering a fever.
“Yesterday evening around 9pm I got a fever and with a temperature of 38 degrees. I came and spent the night in hospital,” he said in a video.
“Now I am actually well. My fever is not bad. The process is continuing. There is nothing that can be viewed as negative in a medical sense.”
Istanbul’s American hospital said in a statement that Imamoğlu, an opponent of the country’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was admitted at 10pm (1900 GMT) after displaying symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection. It said he tested positive for coronavirus and that his treatment was continuing.
Imamoğlu, from the secular Republican People’s party (CHP), was elected mayor in a re-run election in June 2019 in a blow to Erdoğan and his ruling AK party.
There have since been sporadic tensions between his municipality and the central government, including disputes over fundraising and measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic in its early stages.
Spanish regions have urged the central government to take measures that would give them legal backing to impose curfews as coronavirus cases rise.
As of Saturday, 10 of Spain’s 17 regions, including Valencia, Asturias, Castilla-La Mancha and the Basque Country, had called on the government to decree a state of emergency, which would allow regions to limit people’s movement, Reuters reported.
Regions expect the government to call an extraordinary council of ministers on Sunday to approve the measure, Spanish media including El País reported.
Many regions favour some form of curfew, but the powerful Madrid region opposes it, which has so far prevented a nationwide decision.
Spain has recorded the highest number of Covid-19 infections in western Europe. Total cases rose to 1,046,132 on Friday, and the death toll is nearing 38,000.
Catalonia said on Friday night that it would impose a curfew across the region, which includes Barcelona, as soon as the central government acted.
The deputy Catalan leader, Pere Aragones, told a press conference:
Some regions are considering imposing curfews by alternative means, such as going through regional courts, if the central government does not act.
“We cannot wait any longer and we have to take steps forward,” Murcia’s regional president, Fernando López Miras, told the Spanish broadcaster TVE on Saturday. “If the central government does nothing, we will approve a curfew.”