Covid-19

‘The holiday is over,’ says Norwegian health minister; cases continue to mount in Japan; PPE destroyed in Beirut blast; Africa passes 1m confirmed cases ‘We’re still so tired’: European doctors brace for second wave Global report: WHO warns against dangers of ‘vaccine nationalism’ Lockdown will have ‘negligible’ impact on climate crisis – study UK coronavirus … Read MoreRead more

Latest ONS figures appear to show better picture, even as more lockdown measures relaxed Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Community spread of Covid-19 in England may be levelling off even as some lockdown measures are relaxed, experts said following the release of official data. Related: Preston added to areas with bans … Read MoreRead more

At least 100,000 expected for Sturgis rally in state’s Black Hills Worker at local bar says crowd seems larger than usual At least 100,000 people are expected to attend the 10-day annual Sturgis motorcycle rally in South Dakota’s Black Hills from Friday, as opportunities for the local economy have overridden concerns it could become a … Read MoreRead more

Shutterstock How does walking through a forest make you feel? Peaceful? Blissful? Reflective? For many people, lockdown brought a new appreciation of nature and what it means for our well-being. The health benefits of immersing ourselves in “greenspace” are now widely accepted. Living in areas with grass and trees has been linked to lower risk … Read MoreRead more

Speculation comes after new countries were added to UK list late on Thursday Belgium, Andorra and Bahamas added to UK’s quarantine list NHS must never again be a Covid-only service, doctors warn The Cummings effect: study finds public faith was lost after aide’s trip 7.52am BST Sunak has also said winding down the furlough scheme … Read MoreRead more

Canberra residents returning home from Victoria with permits told to go back, fly to Sydney, then quarantine there for 14 days Follow the Australia coronavirus blog here Covid restrictions state by state; Melbourne stage 4 rules; Vic stage 3 rules Australia’s full Covid stats; Vic cases map; NSW cases map; NSW hotspots list Canberrans who … Read MoreRead more

Letitia James says her office uncovered ‘years of self-dealing’ Trump tells Ohio airport crowd that Biden is ‘against God’ Another 1.18m Americans file for unemployment Deutsche Bank gave Trump records to New York prosecutors – report Join us today at 5pm ET for an online event with Eric Holder to discuss voter suppression in the … Read MoreRead more

Air passengers looking for that one-metre buffer between seats must be ready to pay for the luxury Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage After the government changed its advice against all but essential foreign travel last month I joined some of the first passengers to board a flight in almost four months. … Read MoreRead more

Letter to Matt Hancock comes as Preston faces fresh coronavirus lockdown Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Nine Conservative MPs in Greater Manchester have written to Matt Hancock criticising the government’s “crude and ineffective strategy” to regional lockdowns and requesting a more hyper-local approach. Their letter to the health secretary came as … Read MoreRead more

Artazum/Shutterstock Over 200 scientists, including myself, signed a letter that was published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases on July 6 2020 saying that COVID is not only spread by touch and droplets sprayed from the mouth and nose but, importantly, via a third route too. The third infection pathway is in very tiny airborne … Read MoreRead more

Artazum/Shutterstock Over 200 scientists, including myself, signed a letter that was published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases on July 6 2020 saying that COVID is not only spread by touch and droplets sprayed from the mouth and nose but, importantly, via a third route too. The third infection pathway is in very tiny airborne … Read MoreRead more

The pandemic is affecting everyone, but it has been particularly tough for visually impaired people. A report by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) notes that two-thirds of visually impaired individuals feel they have become less independent since the start of lockdown. This could have a negative impact on their mental health. Visually … Read MoreRead more

The pandemic is affecting everyone, but it has been particularly tough for visually impaired people. A report by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) notes that two-thirds of visually impaired individuals feel they have become less independent since the start of lockdown. This could have a negative impact on their mental health. Visually … Read MoreRead more

I’m yearning to go to Greece, but in the absence of effective UK government policy, there are no clear choices On social media, the holiday photos have started again. They are more muted now, not so brash and boastful. More tasteful views of the sea, less infinity pool luxury. Still, I feel a benevolent sort … Read MoreRead more

The PM’s offer to help Western Australia in a fresh court case aims to unwind federal intervention in Clive Palmer challenge Scott Morrison has promised to “assist” the Western Australian premier’s push to have a fresh case consider the state’s border ban, in an attempt to unwind commonwealth intervention to strike down the ban. Morrison’s … Read MoreRead more

Florida tops 500,000 cases; Spain sees highest daily post-lockdown infections; Italy threatens to ban Ryanair. Follow the latest updates WHO surge team arrives in South Africa Global deaths pass 700,000 Facebook removes Trump post for spreading false information on Covid France ‘could lose control of Covid-19 at any time’ See all our coronavirus coverage 7.52am … Read MoreRead more

District backed away from tentative plans to have most kids return to classroom for two days a week due to Covid-19 Students in Chicago public schools, the third largest district in the country, will start the school year in September with all-remote instruction, officials announced on Wednesday. The district backed away from a previously announced … Read MoreRead more

Tahir Malik apologises for attending large gathering with fellow councillors Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The mayor of Luton has stepped down after breaking lockdown rules to attend a large gathering. Tahir Malik said he regretted his actions, which were “below the standard of my position”, adding: “There is no excuse … Read MoreRead more

The rapid spread of COVID-19 across developing countries has led to a devastating loss of life and livelihoods. The pandemic is having both immediate economic effects and long-lasting consequences on development. This is because developing economies are less able to handle shocks than advanced ones. Around 80% of workers in developing countries are engaged in … Read MoreRead more

The coronavirus lockdown has amplified the problem of access to clean and safe public toilets for everyone. Shutterstock As lockdown began to be relaxed in England from mid-May and people started venturing out for the first time since March, crowds flocked to parks, beaches and other beauty spots to take exercise, enjoy the outdoors and … Read MoreRead more

TheCreativeBrigade/Shutterstock There’s no doubt that the pandemic has been difficult for people in different ways. But for a lot of people what has kept them going has been their daily exercise. Whether it’s a bike ride, a run around the park or a daily walk, many have seen lockdown as an opportunity to get active. … Read MoreRead more

sergio souza/Unsplash, FAL While the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are still unclear, it is certain that they are a profound shock to the systems underpinning contemporary life. The World Bank estimates that global growth will contract by between 5% and 8% globally in 2020, and that COVID-19 will push between 71-100 million into extreme … Read MoreRead more

Man in his 30s becomes youngest person to die, as Australia records deadliest day; NSW reports 12 new cases and says residents returning from Victoria must go to hotel quarantine for 14 days. Follow all the latest news and updates, live How did Victoria get here? NSW residents returning from Victoria must go to hotel … Read MoreRead more

Anne Longfield said children had too often been ‘an afterthought’ during the crisis Keeping England’s schools open ‘must take priority’ in second wave England’s contact tracers ‘making handful of calls’ a month Lockdown has ‘pernicious impact’ on LGBT community’s mental health Global coronavirus updates – live 7.48am BST Schools minister Nick Gibb has confirmed the … Read MoreRead more