Coronavirus news live: Latest updates as UK cases surpass 6,000 in one day

France unveils a map of “ risk areas ” for the Corona virus

The French Health Minister unveiled a map of Coronavirus ‘risk areas’ across the country and gave the hardest-hit local authorities, including Marseille, days to tighten restrictions or risk declaring a health emergency there.

Olivier Ferrand said in a press conference that the country will be divided into regions according to the level of alert, with Marseille, the second largest city, and the French island of Guadeloupe in the Caribbean at the present time, the only two regions that have been placed on the “maximum” alert level.

Mr. Ferrand added that Paris and its suburbs, as well as the northern city of Lille, the southwestern town of Toulouse and six other cities have been declared “enhanced risk areas”.

“In the event the health situation deteriorates further in those areas, a state of health emergency will be declared,” the minister said.

Nicola Sturgeon writes to Boris Johnson calling for urgent talks to tackle the spread of the virus

Nicola Sturgeon has written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling for urgent talks with four countries to tackle the spread of the Coronavirus.

The Prime Minister indicated a scientific opinion that restoring control of the virus will require measures that go beyond those announced so far.

The letter also highlights that the capacity of delegated departments to take action has been diminished by the lack of financial leverage to provide economic support.

The spread of sniffer dogs at Helsinki airport as the experiment continues in the United Kingdom

The trial of the scheme, which includes police dogs that detect the Corona virus on passengers, began today at Helsinki Airport.

The experiment comes after research by the University of Helsinki School of Veterinary Medicine that suggested dogs can detect Covid-19 with almost 100% certainty.

The trial involved 16 dogs with four being deployed on each shift, all from WiseNose, a small, non-profit detection agency in Finland.

Finnish airport operator Vinavia said: “We are among the pioneers. As far as we know, no other airport has attempted to use large-scale dog odor detection against Covid-19.”

“This may be a further step forward on the road to defeating Covid-19,” they added.

Publish laws that increase fines for not wearing a face covering

Laws increasing fines for not wearing a face covering were published, which took effect on Thursday.

Also, health protection regulations (Coronavirus, wearing face coverings in a relevant place and on public transport) (England) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2020 broaden the range of places that people are required to wear.

She said existing laws were amended to include theaters, restaurants, pubs and pubs in the list of places where members of the public must wear face coverings or face a fine of £ 200 for the first offense, rising to £ 6,400 for repeat offenses.

The exemption is when they need to be removed for eating or drinking.

It also requires employees and anyone else providing service in stores, cafes, restaurants, bars and pubs to wear face coverings when they are in close proximity to members of the public unless they are exempt or have a reasonable excuse.

Kerr Starmer blames the government’s failure to impose new restrictions

In his first televised address to the nation, the Labor leader repeated his speech in the House of Commons yesterday that “the reinstatement of the restrictions is not an act of God, it is a failure of the government.”

Sir Kerr Starmer said the new restrictions were necessary but “they were not inevitable,” adding: “The British people have done everything they have been asked to do. But I fear the government has not.”

“We are a great country. We should not have one of the highest death rates in the world, or one of the worst recessions.

“It’s a national scandal that we still don’t have a functioning testing system.”

He called for an alternative plan for the economy, “because it is not logical to impose new restrictions at the same time as the gradual elimination of job and corporate support.”

“There was nothing in the prime minister’s statement last night to protect people’s jobs, businesses, or our city centers and main streets,” Sir Kiir added. “There is no clarity on what happens when the leave scheme expires. This is a big hiatus, a fatal mistake and it could lead to a wave of job losses this winter.”

How can a Rishi Sunak protect jobs when the leave scheme ends?

With new restrictions announced this week aimed at slowing the alarming rise in coronavirus cases, pressure is mounting on Rishi Sunak to provide additional job and corporate support.

Industry groups, unions, companies and lawmakers all warned that failure to extend or replace the furlough scheme in particular would result in hundreds of thousands of people losing their jobs.

Now, with bars and restaurants, providing jobs to large numbers of people, forced to close at 10 pm and more restrictions considered possible if not possible, the chancellor is ready to act.

He is due to make a statement to the House of Commons on Thursday outlining plans to protect jobs.

Ben Chapman Requests: But what options are being considered and what might they mean for workers and business owners?

An International Monetary Fund official has warned that the Coronavirus will weaken growth in some countries for years

The second IMF official said the coronavirus crisis is continuing longer than expected and it will take some countries years to return to growth.

Jeffrey Okamoto, Senior Deputy General Manager, said the fund has provided about $ 90 billion (£ 70 billion) in emergency financing to nearly 80 countries, but continues to work with member states on how to contain the pandemic and mitigate its economic impact. Center for Strategic and International Studies on Wednesday.

“We are trying to preserve our financial strength,” Okamoto said, adding, “We’re talking about … a return to growth that will take a few years, and many countries along the way that will likely need help.”

The number of public schools is not fully open due to Covid four times a week

The latest government figures indicate that the number of public schools that have not been fully opened due to a case of coronavirus infection – or one suspected case – has quadrupled in a week, Zoe Tedman Reports.

Four percent of the public schools that responded to the survey, some 650 schools, said they closed partially for this reason last Thursday.

That’s a jump from one percent, or about 160, they said they weren’t fully open due to a confirmed or potential Covid-19 infection on September 10 the previous week.

About three-quarters of public schools responded in the two weeks.

In its most recent figures, the Department of Education (DfE) estimated that 99.9 percent of public schools were open – fully or partially – on September 17, while 94 percent were fully open on the same date.

The US reports nearly 50,000 new cases

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 6874982 cases of coronavirus, an increase of 49,285 from the previous number, and said that the number of deaths increased by 813 to 200,275.

The CDC reported the tally of Covid-19 cases as of 4 PM ET on September 22 compared to its previous report the day before.

The CDC numbers do not necessarily reflect cases reported by individual countries.

Belgium begins easing coronavirus rules despite the rise in cases

Belgium’s Prime Minister, Sophie Wilms, said that requirements for masks, some attendance restrictions and other public health measures would be eased as part of a less stringent and long-term strategy for the coronavirus.

The move comes despite a steady rise in Covid-19 cases in a country hit hard by the virus.

Wilms said Belgians should learn to live with the disease, but she warned against “widespread laxity” of basic social distancing rules.

“We are in the risk management stage,” she said after a meeting of the National Security Council.

“Some of the rules will be relaxed because they are no longer useful or defensible.”

Starting next month, Belgium will no longer require a mask to be worn outdoors, except in crowded places where social distancing cannot be practiced.

The government is also reducing the mandatory quarantine period from 14 days to one week for people with symptoms of Covid-19 who eventually tested positive for the virus.

While 10 guests maximum will still be the norm for private gatherings, parties or weddings hosted by professional organizers will not be subject to the limit.

“The virus is still there, but life must go on in an adaptive way to try to control this epidemic,” Wilms said.

The Prime Minister also announced that everyone can now have close physical contact with up to five people from outside their families each month.

“They are people you can hug, and you can eat or drink with them while you are very close to each other,” she said.