Summary

  • New tests for Covid-19 and flu that can give results in 90 minutes are to be rolled out in the UK next week

  • While hopes for a vaccine are strong, there may never be a "silver bullet" for the coronavirus, the WHO warns

  • The pandemic is likely to be "lengthy", the UN health agency says, and response fatigue is a risk

  • Infections in the Australian state of Victoria are surging - many businesses to close under new lockdown

  • UK firm Hays Travel has said up to 878 employees out of 4,500 may lose their jobs because of the pandemic

  • Diners at UK restaurants to get 50% off meals as "Eat Out to Help Out" scheme launches

  • Manchester, in northern England, declares a major incident after a rise in the infection rate

  • Globally, more than 18 million infections and 689,000 deaths have been recorded - Johns Hopkins University

Live Reporting

Edited by Julian Joyce

  1. What's the latest from around the world today?

    Here are the top global stories this morning:

    • Health officials have arrived in Hong Kong from mainland China to carry out Covid-19 testing. The city is seeing a spike in cases
    • The number of deaths from coronavirus in Iran is nearly triple what its government claims, a BBC Persian service investigation has found
    • Australia’s Victoria state has recorded 429 cases and 13 deaths over the past 24 hours. The state’s premier has just announced that non-essential services will shut in Melbourne for six weeks
    • One of President Trump’s top medical advisers has warned that the US is entering a new phase in its fight against the pandemic. Deborah Birx said the disease was “extraordinarily widespread” across the country and was now affecting rural areas
    • Poland’s Health Minister says checks in shops will start this week to see if people are following virus regulations
    • More than 27 million people in the Philippines will go back into lockdown on Tuesday after infections surpassed 100,000 on Monday
    A jeepney driver wears a mask in Quezon CityReuters

    Millions are set to go back into lockdown in the Philippines

  2. Good morning and welcome

    A person having a swab testGetty Images

    Almost half a million of the new rapid swab tests will be available from next week

    Good morning to our audience in the UK who are just waking up. Throughout the day we’ll be bringing you the latest coronavirus news from here and around the world.

    The top story in the UK this morning is on a new type of coronavirus test that is being rolled out in care homes and labs from next week.

    The “on-the-spot” 90-minute swab tests, which will test if someone currently has the virus, will also be able to differentiate between Covid-19 and other seasonal illnesses like flu, the government said.

    The idea is that it will be beneficial over the winter, when flu cases could rise as well as the virus.

    Currently, the majority of test results are returned within 24 hours, but a quarter can take up to two days. Read more here.

    Also this morning: