Covid updates: PM does not want national lockdown 'right now'

Summary

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tells a news conference he is taking a "balanced approach" to managing the virus
But he says he does not favour another national lockdown "right now" because it would harm the economy
Boris Johnson tells the Commons there will be a new three-level alert system for England - medium, high and very high
Liverpool will be on the highest level of alert, the PM says. He adds he does not want a new national lockdown
More people are in hospital with Covid than before lockdown in March, says NHS medical director Stephen Powis
Top UK scientific advisers have said NHS Nightingale hospitals are on stand-by in Manchester, Sunderland and Harrogate
Most A-level and GCSE exams in England will be delayed by three weeks in 2021
In China, Qingdao's population of nine million will be tested for Covid-19 over five days after 12 cases
There are more than 37 million confirmed cases globally with more than 1.07 million deaths

Welcome and thanks for joining uspublished at 07:05 British Summer Time 12 October 2020

Police patrol as revellers enjoy a night out in the centre of Liverpool on October 10, 2020 — Image caption,
Liverpool is expected to face the tightest restrictions

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic response. Throughtout the day, we will bring you the latest measures being taken to tackle Covid-19 as its menace remains a challenge for many authorities world-wide.

To begin with, here’s a round-up of the latest updates from around the globe, and some of the things to be keeping an eye on.

New local lockdown rules for England are due to be announced later. The Liverpool City Region is expected to face the tightest restrictions under a new "three tier" system, which will classify regions as being at a "medium," "high" or "very high" level of alert. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will chair a meeting of the emergency Cobra committee this morning "to determine the final interventions"
The virus responsible for Covid-19 can remain infectious on surfaces such as banknotes, phone screens and stainless steel for 28 days, researchers say
The Chinese city of Qingdao is testing its entire population of nine million people for Covid-19 over a period of five days
Top US government scientist Anthony Fauci has said an edited clip of him used in a Trump campaign ad is misleading
South Korea has now lifted most of its restrictions. Karaoke centres, gyms, buffets can now open, while crowds of up to 30% of stadium capacity are now allowed at sporting events
There have now been 37.4 million cases of coronavirus and 1.07 million recorded deaths worldwide, according to the Johns Hopkins University, external

Summary

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