Image source, Reuters

US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has condemned President Donald Trump's handling of the pandemic.

A recording released earlier this month revealed Trump admitting to downplaying the threat posed by Covid-19 at the beginning of the outbreak in the US, although the president has since claimed he "up-played" it.

“He knew it and did nothing. It’s close to criminal,” Biden said of his Republican rival at a town hall event held in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on Thursday.

"This president should step down," he added.

Almost 200,000 people have died of coronavirus in the US since the pandemic began.

Image source, PA Media

Health Secretary Matt Hancock did not rule out an England-wide lockdown when quizzed on the issue by Sky News minutes ago.

He said everything possible had to be done to keep people safe.

Asked how close the nation was to such a measure, he said he could not give an answer.

The virus is now understood to be doubling every seven to eight days, with more than 3,300 new cases in the UK reported on Thursday.

We're expecting to hear from Hancock shortly on BBC Breakfast and will bring you more from him when we have it.

Image source, Imperial College London

A rapid test can accurately diagnose a coronavirus infection within 90 minutes - without needing a specialist laboratory, say scientists from Imperial College London.

Their study showed the device gave comparable results to current tests.

The swab is placed inside a disposable blue cartridge which contains the chemicals needed for the test. This is then slotted into a shoebox-sized machine to perform the analysis.

But experts have warned that it’s not a solution to the problems and delays of the Test and Trace programme.

This is because each box can handle one test at a time. So during a day, one box could perform only around 16 tests.

Prof Graham Cooke, lead author of the Imperial study, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the test is fit for use, for example, in A&E or on a hospital ward.

The device is already being used in eight NHS hospitals to quickly identify patients who are carrying the virus.

The technology could in theory be used at home, but it’s not been designed for that purpose, he added.

Image source, EPA

Many European countries are preparing to implement new measures to stop the spread of coronavirus, as the World Health Organization warns of a “very serious situation”.

Along with the UK, the governments of France, Spain and the Netherlands are all expected to announce new restrictions.

In the Spanish capital Madrid, where many of the country’s new cases have been reported, health officials have warned that the regional healthcare system is coming under serious pressure from Covid-19 patients.

France, meanwhile, is expected to bring in new measures for major cities, including Lyon and Nice.

On Thursday, the WHO’s Europe regional director Hans Kluge said 300,000 new infections were reported across Europe last week, with the numbers exceeding those seen during the first peak in March.

"Although these numbers reflect more comprehensive testing, it also shows alarming rates of transmission across the region," he said.

Image source, Reuters

The UK government is considering new England-wide coronavirus measures that could see hospitality businesses being forced to close, or have their opening hours limited.

According to the BBC’s political editor Laura Kuenssberg, a short period of national rules - a “circuit break” for a few weeks - could be announced soon.

During this time, schools and most workplaces would be kept open. No final decision has yet been made.

Meanwhile, new local lockdown rules are set to be brought in for Lancashire, with the exception of Blackpool, the BBC understands. And nearly two million people in north-east England are now living under tightened restrictions, which came into force today.

The government’s chief scientific adviser and medical officer warn there could be a significant number of deaths by the end of October without further interventions.

Hello and thank you for joining us for another day of Covid-19 live coverage.

As confirmed coronavirus cases across the world pass 30 million, here are the main headlines:

• The UK government is considering new measures for the whole of England - including closing hospitality venues – as cases rapidly rise. Schools and most workplaces would be kept open under the plan, but no final decision has been made
• France and other European countries like Spain are also imposing new restrictions as the continent tries to halt a spike in infections amid fears hospitals could once again see huge numbers of seriously ill patients
• US Democratic candidate Joe Biden has described President Donald Trump’s response to the pandemic as “close to criminal”. Trump recently admitted to downplaying the scale of the coronavirus threat
• Israel’s second nationwide lockdown comes into force later today. It’s the first rich country to implement another shutdown