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New rules have come into effect in Scotland extending the mandatory wearing of face coverings.

They will now be required in workplace settings such as canteens.

Other areas such as corridors and other communal facilities will be included in a further extension of the rules coming into force on Monday.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that the measures were part of the response needed at a "critical moment" in the pandemic.

• Read more here

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And if you're wondering how safe it is to fly these days, the results of this study might put your mind at rest.

The risk of exposure to the coronavirus on flights is very low if passengers wear masks, according to a US Department of Defense study released on Thursday.

The study, which was carried out on Boeing long-haul jets, found that more than 99% of particles were filtered out of the cabin within six minutes through the aircraft's ventilation systems.

The testing, however, only looked at a scenario where there was just one infected person on the plane, and did not simulate the effects of passenger movement around the cabin.

"While the tests did have some limitations, the results are encouraging," Joseph Pope, one of those involved in the testing, told AFP news agency.

We have more on flight safety here.

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As we reported earlier, the first passengers from New Zealand have arrived in Australia under new "travel bubble" arrangements between the two countries.

None of the passengers will have to quarantine on arrival in Sydney, though they will have to do so on returning to New Zealand.

Australia and New Zealand are among the first countries in the Asia-Pacific region to loosen restrictions on international travel since Covid-19 travel bans came into effect earlier this year.

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Since March, Australia's borders have been closed to everyone except returning Australian citizens and residents and those with special permission.

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Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

The government keeps financial support for businesses affected by coronavirus restrictions "under review", the UK's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said.

But he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "There's obviously a limit."

He was also asked about claims in the Times that a Russian disinformation campaign spread fake news, external over the Oxford University coronavirus vaccine.

Raab said it was a "shabby piece" of disinformation, but said it was "very serious" because it had attempted to disrupt "attempts to find a safe vaccine".

"Any attempt to spread lies about Covid-19 and the vaccine [...] is utterly deplorable," he said.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Raab says there is a "risk" that the government's three-tiered approach will not work.

"The answer to this risk is to lean in" and "make it work as effectively and swiftly as possible," he says.

Raab says the scientific advice is that "if we do it properly" the system can be effective.

He says it is one way to avoid a more "severe" set of national lockdown measures.

Raab adds that he understands the concerns raised by local MPs and leaders about the damage to the economy in parts of England under stricter measures, but that "the damage to the economy would be much worse if we had a national lockdown."

BBC Breakfast

Raab continues by saying that UK ministers chose to implement a three-tiered Covid restrictions system in England "to avoid a national level lockdown".

"If we fully implement [it] we can avoid the need for a national lockdown", he said.

Raab also said a short period of national lockdown measures - a "circuit-breaker" - "will be more drastic and more damaging for the economy".

The foreign secretary insisted that the government would "hold in reserve" the ability to enforce stricter coronavirus measures in parts of England, saying "time is important" in the fight against rising cases.

"We've strived with every sinew to work with local authorities," he said.

"We'd like to get there with Andy Burnham and Manchester.

"But we've got to have a collaborative approach on both sides."

He said he believed the "right response" was for Burnham to "recognise that the financial package is generous".

"It would be far worse if we don't take the action now," he said.

BBC Breakfast

The government must "take action" against coronavirus "in the interest of the people of Manchester and the wider area", UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said.

Talks are ongoing between central government and local leaders in England over the introduction of stricter Covid restrictions.

Discussions between government and leaders in Lancashire are expected to resume at 08:00 BST, while more talks are also expected between leaders in Greater Manchester and Downing Street this morning.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Raab said "we are hoping we can see them through in a collaborative effort".

He added: "We've got reserve powers if we need them."

Raab said it was "much better" if an agreement was made through a "collaborative approach", but added: "Ultimately we need to take action."

Raab also appealed to the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham to "do the right thing by the people of Manchester".

A ban on travelling to Wales from coronavirus hotspots elsewhere in the UK comes into effect this evening.

First Minister Mark Drakeford asked Prime Minister Boris Johnson twice to stop people in areas of England with high coronavirus rates from travelling.

But after receiving no reply, the first minister used devolved powers to shut Wales' borders to people from hotspots.

The ban will cover all of Northern Ireland, England's tier two and three areas and the Scottish central belt.

Read more on this story here.

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As we mentioned earlier, US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has accused Donald Trump of panicking and "doing nothing" when it came to managing the pandemic, not even consistently wearing a face mask.

"We're in a situation where we have 210,000 plus people dead and what's he doing? Nothing. He's still not wearing masks," Biden said at a campaign event in Philadelphia.

His remarks were made at a TV voter question-and-answer session, which replaced a cancelled second presidential debate.

At a simultaneous town hall meeting in Miami, Trump rejected criticism of his record, saying his administration had done an "amazing" job.

Read more on this story here.

Coronavirus rules vary depending on whether you live in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Millions of people are also affected by extra local restrictions, with England now divided into three tiers: medium, high and very high.

Find out what the rules are in your area by entering your postcode here.

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London and Essex are among the areas moving into Tier 2 coronavirus restrictions from Saturday. It means millions more people won't be able to mix with other households indoors.

The announcement follows the introduction of England's new three-tier system. Other parts of the UK have also introduced new restrictions.

Every area of England now falls into three categories - medium (Tier 1), high (Tier 2) or very high (Tier 3) - depending on the local rate of infection.

Read the rules for each tier here.

It's early morning here in London as we resume our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. We will be updating you on the latest news from the UK and around the world.

Here are some of the latest key developments:

• The first flight from New Zealand to Australia under a new so-called "travel bubble" has landed
• France has reported a large jump in new Covid-19 cases ahead of a night-time curfew being imposed on Paris and eight other cities on Saturday
• The Spanish region of Catalonia has introduced tougher new coronavirus restrictions - including closing some bars and restaurants - to try to halt a resurgence of the disease in the area
• The row over England's three-tier regional Covid restrictions is "very damaging to public health", a scientist advising the government has warned
• Talks are due to continue later between government and local leaders over moving Greater Manchester and Lancashire to the toughest tier of rules
• Millions more people in England will move to the second highest tier of restrictions - high alert - from Saturday, including London, Essex (apart from Southend and Thurrock), York, North East Derbyshire, Chesterfield, Erewash in Derbyshire, Elmbridge in Surrey, and Barrow in Furness, Cumbria
• New restrictions come into force in Northern Ireland this evening - meaning pubs and restaurants will only be able to serve takeaways, and hairdressers and beauticians will shut
• And a ban on travelling to Wales from coronavirus hotspots elsewhere in the UK comes into effect on Friday evening
• In the US, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said in a town hall campaign meeting in Philadelphia that Donald Trump had refused to boost efforts to combat the virus even after testing positive: "What's he doing? Nothing. He's still not wearing masks."
• President Trump, at a separate event in Miami, rejected criticism of his handling of the pandemic, saying he had done an "amazing" job
• In China, a coronavirus vaccine has been found to be safe and to trigger immune responses in combined early and mid-stage trials