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As it happenedended1598987604

57 countries see surge in new cases as global count passes 25m with Portugal likely to return to UK quarantine list

Rise in new coronavirus cases worldwide as Glasgow lockdown tightened

Chiara Giordano,Jane Dalton
Tuesday 01 September 2020 20:13 BST
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WHO state cooperation is key to coronavirus recovery

More than 50 countries around the world are experiencing a rise in new coronavirus cases, figures show.

Europe, north Africa and south Asia have the highest concentration of countries that are experiencing an upswing in coronavirus cases, as the worldwide total passed 25 million.

The UK is among the worst hit. Infections have spiked in two northern areas of England due to be released from lockdown against the advice of local officials.

Meanwhile, there have been hints that Portugal will be put back on the list of countries arrivals from which must self-isolate for 14 days.

Lockdown restrictions have been tightened in Glasgow after a spike in coronavirus cases in the area.

Please see below for how the day’s events unfolded.

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Three more Covid-19 deaths in UK

Another three people have died with coronavirus, the government has announced, bringing its official total to 41,504.

The number is people who died in the UK within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19.

But separate figures from the UK's statistics agencies show there have now been 57,200 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

As of 9am on Tuesday, there had been a further 1,295 lab-confirmed cases, the government also said. Overall, 337,168 cases have been confirmed.

Jane Dalton1 September 2020 17:02
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Trump hints at backing 'herd immunity' approach

Donald Trump has given credence to the idea of relying on mass infection to create “herd immunity”. Andrew Naughtie reports:

Jane Dalton1 September 2020 17:19
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Test-and-trace system 'not yet world-beating'

The shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth has questioned the government's track-and-trace figures, after health secretary Matt Hancock said the government would do everything in its power to prevent a second wave of Covid-19 in the UK.

Mr Ashworth told the Commons: "In order to avoid a second national lockdown, which we all want to avoid, an effective test-and-trace regime is absolutely vital.

"I listened carefully to the figures (Matt Hancock) outlined but he didn't tell the House that of the numbers actually going into the system, they have fallen in the last week - down from 79 per cent to 72 per cent.

"This system is not yet world-beating."

Mr Ashworth suggested money should be invested in local public health teams rather than paying for "so-called influencers on Instagram to big up test-and-trace".

Jane Dalton1 September 2020 17:40
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More than 110 pupils in Scottish schools test positive for virus

A total of 117 children have tested positive for coronavirus since Scotland's schools reopened last month, the education secretary has revealed.

John Swinney announced the number of positive tests for the virus as teachers' unions spoke out about their fears over safety inside schools.

Since pupils returned to school in August, 77 youngsters aged between 12 and 17 have been found to have Covid-19, along with 40 children aged between five and 11.

The education secretary told MSPs at Holyrood the evidence uggested most cases were "coming within households".

But he added that overseas travel was also "resulting in quite a number of the cases".

Meanwhile, a class of primary-school children in Dublin has been sent home after a youngster tested positive for Covid-19, a principal has confirmed.

Jane Dalton1 September 2020 18:08
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Lockdown tightened in Glasgow

Lockdown restrictions have been tightened in Glasgow after a spike in coronavirus cases in the area, Scotland's first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has announced.

Residents will not be allowed to visit other households for two weeks.

It comes after 66 new positive tests were recorded in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area.

Jane Dalton1 September 2020 18:28
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No evidence for PM's claim huge numbers returning to office, No 10 admits

Boris Johnson has claimed that "huge numbers" of people are returning to the office amid a government drive to stop people from working from home, despite a lack of evidence.

But pressed on the prime minister's claim, Downing Street said the PM's comments were not based on any hard figures, and that he was in fact expressing more of a wish, Jon Stone writes:

Jane Dalton1 September 2020 19:25
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Passengers from Zante must go into quarantine, Wales orders

Passengers landing at Cardiff International Airport tonight on a flight from the Greek island of Zante are being asked to self-isolate for 14 days due to the risk of spreading coronavirus, the Welsh government says.

Vaughan Gething said: "In the last week our NHS Wales Test Trace Protect service has identified multiple separate clusters linked to the Greek island of Zante, which currently has no returning quarantine restrictions.

"There are currently six clusters amounting to over 30 cases in the last week from four flights, of which two of these flights landed in England.

"There are concerns from our public health teams that the current advice and control measures for returning travellers are insufficient.

"Unfortunately our consultants in communicable disease control have several examples of Covid-19 positive travellers who have not self-isolated on return to Wales. That is a real concern for all of us."

He added: "Without action it is likely that there will be significant health and economic impacts arising from new clusters of infections and renewed disease transmission in Wales."

Travellers arriving in England from Greece are not yet being told to quarantine for 14 days, the Department for Transport said.

Jane Dalton1 September 2020 19:57

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