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Canada's economy added more than 378,000 new jobs in September, officials say.

Statistics Canada says almost all of these were full-time positions.

The gains mean that the job market is now within 720,000 positions of where it was back in February - just before the pandemic hit.

Three million jobs were lost in lost before the recovery started in June.

Canada has reported more than 178,000 infections, with more than 9,600 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The UK has recorded 13,864 confirmed coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, 3,676 fewer than yesterday.

It also reported another 87 people died within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test, the highest total since 14 June.

Separate figures published by the UK's statistics agencies show there have now been 58,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

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There's been more reaction coming in to Chancellor Rishi Sunak's announcement that UK workers will get two-thirds of their wages paid for by the government, if the firm they work for has to shut in a local lockdown.

"This new intervention should provide a lifeline for many companies and people impacted by the efforts to stop the virus spreading," says Roger Barker, from the Institute of Directors.

He added that the government should also be aware of what he calls "potential second-order impacts of local lockdowns" - for example firms in other areas that are in the same supply chain and might be impacted.

The general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, Frances O'Grady, also warns of other sectors.

"This scheme will protect jobs in businesses forced to close by local restrictions, but ministers still need to do more to stop the devastation of mass unemployment," she says.

"Firms which aren't required to close but will still be hit by stricter local restrictions need a more generous short-time working scheme, and there needs to be extra help for self-employed people in local lockdown areas too.

"Nationally, industries like the arts, hospitality, retail and aviation face a long, tough winter. These sectors need targeted help."

Jenny Hill
BBC Berlin correspondent

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned the public they will face tighter restrictions in 10 days if a rise in infections isn’t stopped.

Merkel held an online conference with the leaders of 11 German cities to discuss a sharp increase in case numbers.

There is growing alarm in Germany where new cases have exceeded 4,000 for the second day in a row.

Of particular concern are cities such as Berlin and Frankfurt, where public health experts say a steep rise in infection rates is due to people having parties or gathering in large numbers.

Merkel and the mayors of 11 German cities today agreed that measures - already adopted in Berlin - like restrictions on the sale of alcohol at night could be introduced to other badly affected areas. The army may be used more widely to help with contact tracing.

If those measures don’t halt the rising numbers within 10 days, Germany will face tighter targeted restrictions, Merkel said.

Marianna Spring
Specialist disinformation and social media reporter

With the possibility of new measures to tackle coronavirus being introduced by the government in different parts of the UK, rumours are understandably spreading in Facebook and WhatsApp groups.

A lot of the online conversation has been fuelled by speculation in the press and conflicting briefings from politicians.

Many of us are worried and frustrated about the changes and about the future. It’s hard accepting that we don’t really know what’s going on or what’s going to happen next, and so many people take to social media to talk about it.

That means it’s a fertile time for misinformation to spread on social media. Here’s a reminder of how you can stop bad information going viral:

1. Interrogate the source - and pause before you share. Where has the information come from? A copied and pasted message that’s attributed to a friend of a friend is much less reliable that trusted sources for updates.
2. Ask yourself how a post makes you feel. Often misleading information and conspiracy theories play on the feelings of worry and frustration that come with news about possible restrictions
3. Think about bias. Lots of people share false claims about lockdown or coronavirus that confirm their political opinions.

Criticism of the government’s handling of the pandemic, general confusion and opposition to lockdown may be legitimate.

False claims coronavirus is a “hoax” or unhelpful panicky messages are less useful.

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Away from the UK, Sweden's minister for higher education has told students to "get a grip" after a series of outbreaks linked to universities.

"To the student parties - unfortunately there are far too many of you who are not taking responsibility and you have to get a grip now. We can't have universities becoming corona transmission clusters," Matilda Ernkrans told a news conference, according to The Local. , external

"If you go to a party and get infected, you put those close to you [at risk]. Your friends, your professor, the staff at your local supermarket, the person next to you in the library," she added.

"It is not acceptable that adults act in any other way than by taking responsibility."

Public Health Agency general-director Johan Carlson said that eight regions had been hit by outbreaks linked to universities since students returned to campus.

At least 200 students have been infected this autumn, Carlson said.

Earlier, Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said he had written to the chancellor, calling for any additional support for workers when businesses are shut down due to coronavirus restrictions to be applied across the UK.

He seems to have got his wish: the Treasury said the scheme is intended to be "UK-wide", adding that the government will work with the devolved administrations to ensure it operates across all four nations.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Steve Barclay said there would be £1.3bn extra given to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to fund similar schemes run by the devolved administrations if they wish.

Sacha Lord, night time economy adviser to the mayor of Greater Manchester, say he's "slightly bemused" by the decision to begin this new support scheme on 1 November, saying it could leave workers without help for weeks.

"If the North locks down on Monday, that's three weeks without any financial support for those who took PM's advice to 'get off furlough and get back to work'," he said.

However, it should be noted that it is not yet known if and when businesses will be told close.

Simon Jack
BBC Business Editor

It is a sign of how quickly the coronavirus situation has soured that the chancellor is having to return to a policy he thought he’d parked less than two weeks ago when he announced his Winter Economic Plan.

The government insists this is not a re-tread of the furlough scheme, which is due to expire at the end of this month, but in all important aspects this is furlough mark II.

The crucial bit is that small employers will not have to make any contribution to their workers’ wages if they are legally forced to shut down. Larger businesses will have to contribute around 5% of employee costs in the form of National Insurance and pension contributions.

That is much more generous than the expiring furlough scheme and way more generous than the Job Support Scheme he announced 10 days ago, which requires employers to pay 55% of active workers’ salaries.

The reason for that is simple – those measures applied to businesses that were allowed to be open. This new scheme only applies to businesses that are not.

Other questions are not simple – who will be eligible? What about businesses that were never allowed to reopen since March?

Will it be applied by postcode? Will you be able to walk 10 minutes down the road to go to the pub that is open but having to pay 55% of staff wages when it's less than half full?

And perhaps most importantly for the expected “beneficiaries” of this scheme – the hospitality industry – how strong is the evidence on which this policy is based and can we see it in detail?

The help Rishi Sunak is announcing today is specifically for people who are in businesses that will be formally or legally told to close.

It's an expansion of the job support scheme that is replacing the furlough scheme on 1 November for some workers, and which you can read about here.

Mr Sunak describes today's news as "a very different scheme to what we've had before".

Asked whether today's announcement suggested the government was going to ask businesses, such as those in hospitality, to close, Mr Sunak said: "The rise in cases and hospital admissions in certain parts of the country is a concern.

"It's right the government considers a range of options.

"But it's also right they engage with local leaders. That is what’s happening this afternoon and over the weekend so those conversations can happen and collectively we can decide on the appropriate response."

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Some business leaders have welcomed the government's announcement of help for firms that might be told to close.

The chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, Mike Cherry, said thousands of small firms "will be pleased" to see the news.

"Evolving the job support scheme to provide two-thirds of total salary costs together with enhancing existing cash grants for those faced with this scenario are both game-changers, and it’s welcome to see them adopted today."

Meanwhile the head of the Confederation of British Industry, Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, said: “The steep rise in infections in some areas means new restrictions to curb numbers feel unavoidable.

“The chancellor’s more generous job support for those under strict restrictions should cushion the blow for the most affected and keep more people in work."

You can read more reaction from businesses here.

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Labour has responded to Chancellor Rishi Sunak's announcement, saying it has come late.

“The fact the chancellor is having to tear up his Winter Economic Plan before the autumn is out demonstrates the chaos and incompetence at the heart of government," says Labour's shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds.

"His delay in delivering support has caused unnecessary anxiety and job losses.

“Even at this late stage, he still has no plan to support sectors that are currently unable to operate at full capacity.

“None of this was inevitable if the chancellor had just taken his fingers out of ears and listened to the warnings from Labour and others.

“Businesses and families don’t have the luxury of going at Rishi Sunak’s pace when millions of jobs and livelihoods are on the line.”

Alex Forsyth
Political correspondent

The chancellor’s been under growing pressure to come up with extra support for those businesses in areas of local lockdown.

Many thought the scheme he announced last month to replace furlough didn’t go far enough – the government says this is an extension of that job support scheme, aimed at any businesses that may have to close due to extra coronavirus regulation.

The extra support for those who can’t work will only apply to businesses that have to close as a result of government regulations, but as yet we have had no clarity from government about what - if any - businesses may have to close, or indeed when.

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As well as paying two thirds of the workers' wages, the government is also increasing the amount of grants that shut businesses can apply for.

These grants - which can help for costs like rent - will be increased to up to £3,000 a month.

For example, currently, if a business is forced to close because of lockdown rules, they could apply for between £1,000 to £1,500 every three weeks. That is now being increased to every two weeks.

The government says this could benefit hundreds of thousands of businesses including restaurants, pubs and nightclubs.

Image source, Reuters

We've got some more details about the new financial support for businesses that may have to shut due to lockdown rules.

Workers at businesses that close will get two-thirds of their wages paid by the government, up to a maximum of £2,100 a month.

Employers will not need to pay any wages. They will only be asked to cover national insurance and pension contributions.

Announcing the scheme, Mr Sunak said it would “provide a safety net for businesses across the UK who are required to temporarily close their doors, giving them the right support at the right time”.

According to a Treasury source, a rough calculation suggests this will cost hundreds of millions of pounds a month.

The new financial help is part of the Job Support Scheme, which you can read more about here.

It will begin on 1 November and will last for six months. Payments will be made in arrears.

Rishi Sunak, the UK’s chancellor, is today setting out further financial support for businesses that could be forced to close by law.

Tougher lockdown rules are expected to be announced in England next week and the BBC has been told that pubs and restaurants could be closed in the worst-affected areas of England.

Mr Sunak says the government’s job support scheme is being expanded.

If businesses are asked to close, “those workers will receive two-thirds of their wages for the time that they are unable to go to work”, he says.

“I hope that this provides reassurance and a safety net for people and businesses in advance of what may be a difficult winter,” he says.

“We obviously won’t know the exact take up of the scheme like this because as we enter an uncertain period the exact scope of any restrictions that may be necessary is uncertain at this time.

“We obviously have all the costings for the previous schemes that we have done.

“But it’s right that we take action now to protect people’s jobs, provide that reassurance if indeed their businesses are asked to close throughout the winter.”

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Country singer Morgan Wallen has been dropped from performing on Saturday Night Live after a video surfaced on TikTok showing him flouting the US show's virus guidelines.

Wallen was caught on camera socialising without a mask in a crowded bar and at a house party.

After being pulled from the show, Wallen apologised in a video posted to Instagram, in which he admitted his actions were "short-sighted".

"I respect the show's decision because I know I put them in jeopardy," he said.

Image source, PA Media

There have been a further 766 cases of Covid-19 recorded in Wales over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 29,028.

Public Health Wales said two further deaths had been reported, with the total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic rising to 1,646.

The R number for the UK - that's the number of people that one infected person will pass on a virus to, on average - is slightly down on last week.

Scientists advising the government say the R value is now between 1.2 and 1.5. Last week, it was between 1.3 and 1.6

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, which advises the government, said it was almost certain that the epidemic continues to grow exponentially across the country, and is confident that the transmission is not slowing.

"While the R value remains above 1.0, infections will continue to grow at an exponential rate.

"This is currently the case for every region of England and all have positive growth rates, reflecting increases in the number of new infections across the country."

Read more about what the R number is here.

Danai Howard
BBC News

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The Greek capital is launching a campaign to provide information about the Covid-19 pandemic to migrants and refugees in 12 languages.

Athens’ municipal radio station, Athens 9.84 FM, will begin broadcasting information, external in Arabic, French, German, Greek, Spanish, Italian, Kurdish, Urdu, Punjabi, Romanian and Farsi, and printed information will be handed out on the city’s streets.

The decision comes after the Mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakogiannis, met the Council for the Integration of Immigrants and Refugees (SEMP) on Thursday to discuss how to co-ordinate prevention efforts against the spread of coronavirus among Athens’ migrant community.

The number of refugees and asylum seekers in Athens is estimated to be around 18,000, external, and migrants, including children born in Greece to migrant parents, make up more than 20% of the city’s population.

For many migrants, arriving from the Middle East and North Africa, Greece is a key entry point into Europe. The influx of migrants since the 2015 migration crisis has put a strain on the country, which struggles to cope under the pressure.

Several charities have criticised Greece for imposing mandatory lockdowns on migrant camps, which they say are ill-equipped to handle, external outbreaks. Greece had kept its infection rate low throughout the summer but recently numbers have been rising, reaching over 21,000 cases as restrictions eased.