Image source, Reuters

The government has confirmed a Sky News report, external that said the NHS contact-tracing app for England and Wales has only sent one alert about a coronavirus outbreak in a venue since its launch.

While the main function of the app is contact-tracing – using the phone’s Bluetooth connection to detect the user’s proximity to people who later test positive for the virus – it also features a QR code scanner allowing users to check in at pubs, restaurants and other businesses.

Then if somewhere is linked to an outbreak, an alert can be sent to people who have visited that location, with a general warning to them to be aware they may have been put at risk.

The Department of Health and Social Care confirmed that only one such alert had been sent, but stressed that, two weeks after the app’s launch, it was not surprised by that, despite the app being downloaded more than 16 million times.

A spokesperson added: "If health protection teams believe a venue is linked to an outbreak they may send a ‘warn and inform’ message to app users who attended the venue at a similar time based on when they checked-in."

Image source, Getty Images

The Slovakian government has approved up to 1,500 troops to help public health officials as the country experiences another record number of new infections.

An initial 267 have been deployed to assist in helping trace contacts of infected people this weekend.

Some 1,184 new cases were identified on Thursday, the government said on Friday.

"I am beginning to be concerned whether the measures adopted can be effective with such marked growth in the numbers of positive people," Prime Minister Igor Matovic told a news conference.

While strict lockdowns have so far been avoided, rules including compulsory facemasks in indoor public places and bars shutting at 10 pm have been in place.

A total of 57 people are known to have died of the virus in the country.

Image source, Getty Images

Council leaders in the north-east of England have said they will oppose any changes to the local coronavirus regulations, including a possible shutdown of pubs and restaurants.

As the government prepares an announcement on a new system of local restrictions next week, leaders of Northumberland, Newcastle, South and North Tyneside, Gateshead, Sunderland and County Durham said they want more time for existing measures to take effect.

Gateshead Council leader Martin Gannon said "despite three sets of regulations in 10 days", there was evidence that cases were beginning to "plateau" outside of universities.

“We believe the current measures can work without further damage by closing hospitality," he said, adding that 60,000 workers' jobs in hospitality were at risk.

“Our message to government is give us more time. Further changes could further undermine public confidence which needs to be built not undermined,” Gannon said.

Several European countries, including the UK, France and Spain have seen record daily numbers of new cases in recent days.

The Spanish government has ordered a 15-day state of emergency to bring down infection rates in the capital, while bars and restaurants are shutting in some French cities.

A data processing issue in the UK meant nearly 16,000 cases of coronavirus were added to the weekend's figures, and daily cases have continued to rise since then.

Here are some of the latest graphics illustrating Europe's second wave.

Image source, Getty Images

England is expected to announce a new three-tier system for local restrictions next week. But the change is frustrating some directors of public health in places facing rising cases, as they wait to hear how the new policy will affect their area.

Sharon Stoltz, director of public health in York, told the BBC "changing government policy" on local restrictions is making her job "incredibly difficult".

York's infection rate is now 198.9 cases per 100,000 people and the city had been expected to be named an "area of concern" under the existing approach.

Stoltz said the change meant "me, as the director of public health for York, waiting to hear like everyone else what the announcement will be".

She said it also made it hard to advise the public, who were becoming "increasingly confused" about what they can and can't do.

Image source, EPA

If you're just joining us, here's a quick recap of the latest key developments around the world:

• A number of European nations see record jumps in new daily cases as the continent is hit by "a second wave"
• In Spain, the government orders a 15-day state of emergency in the Madrid region - a move opposed by the regional authorities
• Four more French cities are preparing to shut bars and restaurants on Saturday
• China joins a World Health Organization-backed global initiative in a "vaccine diplomacy" push
• US President Donald Trump is ready to return to public duties at the weekend, his doctor says
• India reports more than 70,000 new daily cases

Stay with us as we’ll be bringing you experts’ analysis, first-hand eyewitness accounts, and reports from BBC correspondents around the world.

Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford has said the pandemic is "getting worse again and getting worse quickly", with a "sharp, steep and continuing" rise in cases even in areas subject to extra restrictions.

"The virus is waking up for winter", he told his regular Friday news conference, adding that hospital admissions are rising and there are more reports of infections in care homes.

“There is no quick way of making things get easier, or better, soon,” Mr Drakeford said.

“Over this winter, we will all be asked to make sacrifices to protect the most vulnerable, to prevent our NHS from being overwhelmed and to keep as many businesses and livelihoods operating safely.”

But he said they would make coronavirus measures easier to live with where they could, announcing that children would be allowed to take part in organised sporting activities outside of their county boundaries, despite travel restrictions.

The first minister also said he wrote to the UK chancellor saying today's expected announcement on funding to support businesses in local lockdowns should be available to the whole UK.

You can read more from the news conference in Wales here

Scotland recorded six deaths of confirmed coronavirus patients in the past 24 hours, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced.

This takes the total under this measure - patients who died within 28 days of first testing positive - to 2,544.

Ms Sturgeon added that 1,246 new coronavirus cases were recorded during the same period - a record high.

Of the new cases, 440 are in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 306 in Lanarkshire and 192 in Lothian.

A total of 37,033 people have now tested positive for the virus in Scotland, up from 35,787 on Thursday.

Image source, Reuters

The Spanish government has ordered a 15-day state of emergency to bring down Covid-19 infection rates in the capital, after a court overturned a partial lockdown imposed a week ago.

Madrid and nine nearby cities will see restrictions on movement enforced.

The capital has been at the centre of a political row, with the centre-right city authorities challenging the Socialist government's demands.

Cases are down and a state of emergency is unjustified, say city officials.

Madrid Health Minister Enrique Ruiz Escudero insisted that measures already in place were working and that the national government order was "a measure no Madrileño will understand".

Read our full story here.

Image source, Getty Images

An estimated one in 240 people in England were infected with coronavirus after cases "increased rapidly" at the end of September, data from the Office of National Statistics shows.

The ONS estimates that 17,200 people a day were being infected in homes in England between September 25 and October 1, with the highest rates in the North East, North West and Yorkshire and The Humber.

This is a "marked increase" from an estimated 8,400 new cases per day for the previous week, the ONS said.

The figures come as science advisers warn hospital admissions are "very close" to levels in early March and ministers say cases are "getting out of control".

Adam Easton
Warsaw Correspondent

Image source, Reuters

Poland has reported 4,739 new cases and 52 virus-related deaths in the past 24 hours - the third consecutive daily record spike, the health ministry has said.

In total, Poland has reported 116,338 cases and 2,919 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

The number of daily infections has more than doubled this week and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki says the second wave - much bigger than the first one - has arrived.

Mr Morawiecki says hospital bed and ventilator capacity nationally is sufficient - but individual hospitals are reportedly experiencing shortages.

The prime minister hasn't ruled out introducing a state of emergency if new infections continue to increase so rapidly.

Heightened restrictions will take effect nationwide from Saturday. All Poles must again wear face masks in public, and numbers at weddings and in cinemas and restaurants will be further reduced.

In the worst affected "red zone" areas bar and restaurants close at 22:00 local time.

Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, is self-isolating at home after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19 earlier this week.

Buckingham Palace said she is not displaying any symptoms.

A palace spokeswoman said: "Earlier this week the Countess of Wessex came into contact with someone who has subsequently tested positive for Covid-19.

"Her Royal Highness is not experiencing any symptoms, but is following all relevant government guidelines and is self-isolating at home."

The countess is married to Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, the Queen's youngest son.

Image source, PA Media

Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill will be tested for Covid-19 after a family member was infected with coronavirus.

It is understood the Sinn Fein politician has been self-isolating at her home in Mid-Ulster since she learned her relative had tested positive.

Sinn Féin confirmed that she is being tested, adding: "Michelle will continue to follow the public health advice and carry out her duties in government remotely."

In April, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said she would never take her health for granted again after she tested positive for coronavirus.

And on Thursday night, Alliance Party Leader Naomi Long told BBC NI's The View programme that she had been infected with the virus earlier this year and felt unwell for some time.

Image source, Getty Images

Earlier this week, it was announced that all pubs and restaurants across central Scotland - home to 3.4 million people - will be closed to try and stop the virus spreading.

Now Wales could adopt the same rule, the country's health minister has warned.

Vaughan Gething said the Welsh Government was "considering" the measure, but said it could mean "significant unemployment" unless there was financial support from Westminster.

Currently, pubs, cafes and restaurants in Wales stop serving alcohol at 22:00 - as is the case in England.

Mr Gething told BBC Radio Wales "we are not yet at a point" where widespread closures of bars was needed, but the situation was "rapidly evolving".

"I'm not itching to press a button, I'm looking to see what we can do to keep people alive, and to keep Wales safe," he added.

Read the full story here.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, Reuters

Russia has reported the highest daily number of coronavirus infections since the pandemic began - 12,126 in the past 24 hours.

The previous record was on 11 May - 11,656 new cases.

The number of new infections has been growing steadily since early September, but the authorities have so far stopped short of reintroducing strict lockdown measures or even calling it a second wave.

In Moscow, free or discounted travel has been suspended for high-risk groups, e.g. over-65s.

Earlier in October, employers in the capital were told to move a third of their employees to home working.

In total, Russia has reported 1,272,238 cases and 22,257 deaths over the course of the pandemic.

Cases are continuing to rise in the UK, with a further 17,540 recorded in the UK yesterday, up from the 14,162 reported the day before, government data showed, external.

A further 77 people died after testing positive for the virus within 28 days.

Our graphs, which track the seven-day average, show the rise in cases and deaths:

Image source, PA Media

MPs will get to vote on the plans to bring in a new three-tier system of coronavirus restrictions in England, a senior Conservative politician has said.

The new system - which would see areas categorised into one of three levels of lockdown rules - is due to be announced next week.

Conservative chief whip Mark Spencer suggested the tiered system was "being worked on at the moment".

He told BBC Radio Nottingham that ministers and scientific advisers were striving to come up with a "very clear and easily understood system…so we all know what the aim is".

Many Tory MPs have previously been unhappy that the government cracked on with new lockdown rules without a vote in Parliament first. The government then agreed to give MPs a vote before any new nationwide curbs come into force.

Mr Spencer, who is in charge of maintaining discipline on the Conservative benches, told BBC Radio Nottingham that the government would honour its promise to its MPs and give them a vote on any new rules.

He said he hoped the vote would take place next week and the new system would kick in immediately if it was approved by MPs.

There's more on this story here.

Guy De Launey, BBC Balkans Correspondent

Image source, EPA

Countries in the Balkans are scrambling to limit the spread of coronavirus after many of them reported record numbers of new cases in the past 24 hours:

• Croatia - 542
• Bosnia - 453
• Slovenia - 387
• North Macedonia - 364

Even where records remain unbroken, there is cause for serious concern.

Almost a third of tests carried out in Montenegro came back positive.

In comparison, just 2.5% of Serbia’s coronavirus tests confirmed an infection.

Slovenia’s authorities had already been alarmed by the rising numbers of cases in the country. Police are enforcing new restrictions from Friday, including a ban on gatherings of more than 10 people.

But some events will still be allowed to go ahead with as many as 500 people if they secure a licence - including religious services and sports fixtures.

Croatia’s authorities say they are preparing new measures, including the compulsory use of facemasks indoors.

But in the meantime, there was one piece of good news: Italy is removing Croatia from its travel “red list”. That means crossing borders will be possible without a negative coronavirus test or quarantine for the first time since August.

Image source, PA Media

The government is expected to announce a new three tier system to categorise coronavirus rules next week.

Under the new system, different parts of the country would be placed in different tiers, which would each have different rules.

Oxfordshire County Council already has its own coronavirus ranking system, external which categorises smaller areas under five coloured alert levels from red to dark green.

The council says it could scrap its alert levels when the government brings in its system, since having both "risks causing confusion".

The average weekly new rate of cases across the whole of Oxfordshire is now more than 50 in 100,000 - which, under its own system, takes it into the top "red" alert level.

Read more here.

Robin Brant
BBC News, Beijing

Image source, Reuters

There’s diplomacy, there’s mask diplomacy and then there’s vaccine diplomacy.

China is determined to increase its influence at multilateral - and often regulatory - bodies like the United Nations and the World Health Organization.

This pledge to support Covax is fresh evidence of that commitment.

The scheme is aimed at distributing two million doses of a vaccine across the world, particularly to developing nations, by the end of next year.

The move is also though an element of what is certain to be "vaccine diplomacy", as China seeks to repair its image across a world dealing with a pandemic which originated in its borders.

We don’t know the specifics of the financial commitment to Covax - but it's a commitment that the US has not made.

President Donald Trump has labelled the organisation behind it, the WHO, "corrupt".

Stepping in where the US, and Russia, have so far refused to go demonstrates China’s wish to ensure what it called an "equitable" distribution of a vaccine.

But there are plenty questions that remain: will China, or indeed others, act unilaterally to give a vaccine to favoured nations?

Will it reveal more about the vaccines it says it's given to thousands of key workers who are not part of the official human trials?