Image source, Reuters

There is a lot of talk in the UK this morning about introducing a so-called circuit-break lockdown.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called on the government to do so, Sage papers show it advised one three weeks ago, but the government refused to do so.

Northern Ireland is to close schools for two weeks from Monday and introduce tighter restrictions while the Welsh government has said it is actively considering a circuit break.

Rachel Reeves, shadow chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it had been a "mistake" for the government not to follow scientific advice to impose a short lockdown.

But senior Tory MP Sir Bernard Jenkin told Today he supported short circuit-breaker restrictions but not on a national level.

"In the areas where there are very sharply rising cases there is a strong case for going straight to tier-3 measures, but these should be selective, they should not be national. Whereas Essex has got an 82% increase over the last seven days, Cornwall has only got 16.2%, Somerset has only got 39%."

Professor Matt Keeling, one of the scientists behind a non-peer-reviewed paper claiming a circuit-breaker lockdown could save lives, said the "stricter the restrictions, the greater the impact".

You can read more about circuit break lockdowns here.

Image source, EPA

Germany has recorded more than 5,000 new daily coronavirus infections for the first time since April.

According to the Robert Koch Institute, 5,132 infections were reported on Tuesday. A further 43 deaths were also confirmed.

It comes as transmission figures continue to rise across Europe.

A number of German states have agreed that residents of high-risk areas should not be allowed to stay in hotels in other parts of the country.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was "watching with great concern" the situation in Europe.

"I must say the situation continues to be serious," she added.

Image source, Unspecified

Police dispersed large crowds who gathered in Liverpool city centre hours before new coronavirus restrictions came into force today.

The city and surrounding region have been placed in the very high risk tier of England's new system.

But social media footage showed people dancing and surrounding a police car in the city's Concert Square.

City mayor Joe Anderson said the pictures "shame our city".

Merseyside Police said the crowd was dispersed quickly and safely.

Ch Supt Peter Costello said: "While we understand how the new rules which are due to be implemented are frustrating for some, we would continue to advise everyone to abide by them - including keeping social distancing - for the safety of everyone."

New Zealand's football team will not travel to Wembley to face England in an international friendly next month, because of travel and player availability complications.

England were due to host the All Whites on 12 November but New Zealand Football (NZF) said the game could "potentially jeopardise" their players' careers.

"A number of the team would be subject to quarantine or restrictions on their return home," NZF said in a statement.

"This would heavily disrupt their domestic seasons."

New Zealand have not played an international match since their friendly defeat by Lithuania last November.

"The shifting nature of travel restrictions and commercial flight availability under Covid means that we do not have certainty we could assemble a squad at Wembley," the NZF statement continued.

"Defaulting on this fixture at the last minute is not an option."

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Image source, Reuters

The Covid situation in Russia remains "very strained", the country's health minister has warned.

Mikhail Murashko said that many people were not following safety guidelines.

The country has recorded more than 1.3 million cases and over 22,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

It comes as Moscow has announced the introduction of online learning for most of its students.

The move applies to students from grades six to 11 and is set to be in place for two weeks.

Students in grades one to five are set to return from a two-week holiday put in place to prevent a further outbreak among younger students.

According to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, older students account for two thirds of children infected with the virus.

Image source, House of Commons

In the UK, the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, has urged MPs who are particularly vulnerable to stay away from parliament amid rising cases of coronavirus.

A spokeswoman for the Speaker's Office confirmed he has told "a number of members" in a recent phone call to avoid travelling to Westminster.

In a statement, the spokeswoman said: "The advice we have given all staff, which is to work from home if they can, is the same for MPs, particularly those who are under medical supervision.

"As Covid cases are rising across the country, the last thing the speaker wants to do is encourage MPs who are vulnerable to take risks by travelling into Parliament.

"This is exactly what he told a number of members during a recent phone call."

Image source, Reuters

Czech Health Minister Roman Prymula went on TV last night to say the next weeks would be "complicated and cheerless", as a partial lockdown came into force, shutting schools, university dorms, and bars. And Dutch cafes and restaurants are looking at four weeks of closures from 22:00 (20:00GMT) tonight.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron will go on national TV tonight, with reports of 20:00 or 22:00 curfews planned for cities with the highest rates of infection such as Paris. "Nothing's been ruled out", Equalities Minister Marlène Schiappa has said.

And Catalonia's government in north-east Spain will decide today whether to close bars and restaurants for the rest of October, as total hospital admissions have reached 984.

It's not all bad news. Stefano Lancilli, a 55-year-old policeman has finally left hospital, more than seven months after he tested positive for Covid-19 in Codogno, at the height of the Lombardy outbreak in northern Italy. Corriere della Sera says he had already been treated for pneumonia and legionella. No wonder he says "it's a very tough virus".

Bulgaria has reported 785 daily infections this morning and eight further deaths. The capital Sofia has the highest number.

Meanwhile, Berlin officials have taken a new tack in trying to persuade people to wear masks in public. A new ad campaign shows an elderly woman in a floral face-covering, giving the middle finger to anyone without a mask.

Image source, Reuters

The Syrian government has set up a temporary hospital for Covid-19 patients at a Damascus sports complex in preparation for a possible second wave.

The facility at Al-Faiha Stadium will operate 120 beds for people requiring oxygen, but has capacity for 100 more.

The health ministry has reported 4,774 cases of Covid-19 and 228 deaths in government-held areas since March.

However, experts believe the actual figures are significantly higher.

Read more here.

The World Bank has said it has approved $12bn (£9bn) in funding for developing countries to purchase and distribute coronavirus vaccines, tests and treatment.

The money "aims to support vaccination of up to a billion people", a statement from the bank said.

The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding for developing countries.

The latest funding announcement is part of a larger $160bn package to help developing countries handle the pandemic.

"This financing package helps signal to the research and pharmaceutical industry that citizens in developing countries also need access to safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines," the statement said.

Image source, Getty Images

Since the start of the pandemic, the government's Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (Sage) has been in the limelight, but the advice it has given has been kept private - until Monday night.

Papers, dated 21 September, were published setting out what scientists thought should happen.

Here are some of the points they raised and what happened next:

• Full lockdown - Sage did not recommend a full lockdown like the UK had in March. It said that while it would have a big impact on cases and deaths, it would also hurt people in other ways and have an impact on the economy. The government introduced its three-tier system from today
• Circuit-breaker - Sage advised a two or three week circuit breaker lockdown, saying it would have "similar levels of effectiveness" to that of the national spring lockdown. The plan was rejected by the government, but Labour has now backed the move
• Mixing households - Sage said the government should consider putting a stop to all mixing between households unless in a support bubble. This is because spreading the virus between households allows the epidemic to be sustained. Mixing with other households indoors has been banned for people living in areas on "high" or "very high" alert. Outdoor mixing is allowed in groups of no more than six
• Pubs and restaurants - Sage said the government should consider the immediate closure of all bars, restaurants, cafes, indoor gyms, and "personal services" - for example hairdressers. The government largely rejected the advice. Most of England can continue visiting pubs and restaurants, although since cases began to spike, a 22:00 curfew has been ordered. In "very high" alert areas, pubs and bars must close unless they are operating like a restaurant and only serving alcohol as part of a sit-down meal.

Image source, Reuters

US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has criticised Donald Trump's handling of the pandemic, claiming the president sees senior citizens as "expendable".

Speaking to elderly voters in the battleground state of Florida, he accused Mr Trump of dismissing the threat that coronavirus poses to senior citizens.

The "only senior Donald Trump seems to care about" is himself, he added.

Mr Biden condemned the president for holding "super-spreader parties with Republicans hugging each other without concern of the consequences," while senior citizens couldn't see their grandchildren.

Read more on this story here.

England's new three-tier system of coronavirus restrictions comes into force today with areas now categorised as at medium, high or very high risk. But what restrictions are there in each tier?

Areas with the lowest rates of infection will be placed in Tier One. They will face the basic national rules currently in force. The rule of six applies, which means you may not meet in a group of more than six people, indoors or outdoors. This currently covers most of England.

The rules for Tier One also apply in Tier Two. In addition, you are not allowed to meet socially with people you do not live with indoors. That includes in private homes, pubs or restaurants. You can still meet friends and family outdoors, but only in a group of up to six people. This covers areas such as Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Newcastle while Essex has asked to be put in this tier.

Tier Three is where areas with the most rapidly rising transmission of coronavirus will be placed. There are basic restrictions and there may be further measures agreed for particular areas - the government said it would work with local councils on the additional measures. You are not allowed to meet socially with anybody who is not part of your household or your support bubble indoors or in certain outdoor locations.

You cannot meet in private gardens or pub gardens, but you are allowed to meet in parks, beaches, countryside or forests, as long as you are not in a group of more than six. Pubs and bars will be closed unless they are serving substantial meals while serving alcohol. Currently the Liverpool City Region is the only area in this category.

For more guidance you can read our explainer here.

Good morning if you're joining us in the UK and welcome to our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.

We will bring you the latest updates from the UK and around the world throughout the day.

Here are some of the latest headlines:

• The new three-tier system for coronavirus restrictions comes into force in England today. The Liverpool region is the only area to be under the toughest rules, with the closure of pubs and bars that do not serve meals. Government health officials are due to meet later to discuss the possibility of Greater Manchester, Lancashire and some other areas joining the top tier
• Liverpool’s MPs have warned the city risks being "dragged back to the 1980s" without proper financial support. The city's five Labour MPs have written to the government and are questioning why a national short lockdown was not put in place following scientific advice three weeks ago
• It comes after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called for a two week "circuit-breaker lockdown" to bring the rising rate of infection under control. Sir Keir said measures were not working and a different approach was needed to avoid a "sleepwalk into... a bleak winter".
• Such a move appears to be the plan in Northern Ireland with the Stormont executive understood to be ready to extend the half-term school holiday to two weeks. Hospitality businesses will only be able to open for takeaway, a ban on alcohol sales after 20:00, no indoor sport or contact sport involving mixing of households and a prohibition on close-contact services other than those for an essential health need
• Tighter restrictions are being introduced in parts of Europe in response to a rapidly rising number of infections
• The Netherlands is imposing a month-long partial lockdown to curb one of the region's worst coronavirus surges. Mask wearing is now compulsory indoors
• The Czech government has announced the closure of schools, bars and clubs for three weeks
• More than four million people have been tested in the Chinese city of Qingdao. China says it aims to test all nine million residents within five days after five new cases were detected over the weekend
• US Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has accused President Trump of dismissing the threat that coronavirus poses to senior citizens. The "only senior Donald Trump seems to care about" is himself, Mr Biden said.