Coronavirus News Live: Latest Updates As Matt Hancock Denies The Government Has Lost Control Of The Crisis

Launch of a possible AstraZeneca vaccine is ‘more likely’ next year

A Covid-19 vaccine that AstraZeneca is developing will “most likely” be ready for rollout in the UK early next year, according to Matt Hancock.

Speaking about the LBC candidate vaccine, the health secretary said: “We already have 30 million doses contracted with AstraZeneca, in fact they are already starting to manufacture those doses, before approval, so in case approval comes , and it’s still not sure, but it’s looking up, so we’re ready to deploy

“The best scenario is for it to happen this year. I think the first part of next year is most likely; the first few months of next year is most likely.”

“But we also bought vaccines before they were approved from a completely different series of international vaccines.”

Manchester City players Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte have tested positive for coronavirus, the Premier League club announced.

The club issued a statement to reveal that the Egyptian forward and the French defender are isolating themselves from the rest of the team, having obtained positive results in the Covid-19 test.

Confirmed cases in three schools in North East England

Cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in three schools in the northeast of England, days after Middlesbrough was officially named an “area of ​​concern.”

Redcar and the Cleveland City Council said Sunday a positive case had been reported at RC St. Benedict Elementary School.

However, the local authority said that the school, in Redcar, will remain open and that parents received advice.

Further up the coast in Hartlepool, St Aidan’s CE Primary School said it also had a confirmed case of Covid-19.

And Outwood Academy Ormesby, in Middlesbrough, said in a brief statement that a confirmed case had been found “within the school community,” adding that the individual did not contract the virus at school.

In Redcar and Cleveland, 38 new coronavirus cases were recorded in the seven days to Sept. 1, the equivalent of 27.7 per 100,000 people, down from 10.2 in the seven days to Aug. 25.

The rate in Hartlepool also jumped, from 7.5 to 22.4, with 21 new cases, while the Middlesbrough rate has risen from 28.4 to 31.2, with 44 new cases.

Middlesbrough was added to the government’s Covid-19 watch list as an “area of ​​concern” on Friday.

Matt Hancock has denied that the government is losing control of the coronavirus, admitting that the increase in cases this weekend was “concerning.”

Appeal to young people to follow social distancing measures

Matt Hancock called on younger people to adhere to social distancing measures, saying that those under the age of 25, particularly those aged 17 to 21, account for a large number of positive coronavirus cases.

Speaking on LBC radio, he said that younger people could still have serious illnesses and could transmit the disease to more vulnerable people.

He said: “It’s important that everyone wash their hands, follow social distancing. It’s ‘hands, face, space’, like washing hands, covering face when appropriate, and staying two meters away when appropriate, or one – meter plus.

“We will take action if people go to large social events that are completely inappropriate, sadly, in a time of coronavirus.”

The Secretary of Health added: “In Spain the number of hospitalizations has multiplied by 14 since mid-July, in France the number of people hospitalized has tripled in the last month.”

‘Worrisome’ rise in UK cases

Matt Hancock has described the daily increase in coronavirus cases on Sunday as “concerning.”

The Health Secretary told LBC: “The increase in the number of cases that we have seen in recent days is worrying.

“It is worrying because we have seen an increase in cases in France, in Spain, in some other countries in Europe, nobody wants to see a second wave here.

“It just reinforces the point that people should follow the social distancing rules, they are very important.”

When asked if people weren’t following the rules, he added: “We certainly see cases where they don’t, and then we take action.”

He said many cases in Bolton were linked to a single pub, which was asked to close.

Government figures showed there were another 2,988 laboratory-confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK as of 9am Sunday, bringing the total to 347,152.

Philippines reports smallest daily increase in cases in nearly eight weeks

The Philippines has reported 1,383 new coronavirus infections, its lowest number of new daily cases in nearly eight weeks.

The country’s Health Ministry said there were 15 new deaths, bringing the total number of deaths from Covid-19 to 3,890.

The Philippines has the highest number of coronavirus infections in Southeast Asia, with 238,727 confirmed cases.

Russia reports 5,185 new coronavirus cases

Russia has reported 5,185 new coronavirus cases, bringing its national count to 1,030,690, the fourth largest in the world.

Authorities confirmed this morning 51 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 17,871.

Myanmar’s Suu Kyi Withdraws From First Election Trip Due To Coronavirus

Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi withdrew from the first event of her election campaign, citing a worsening coronavirus outbreak in the country. Reuters reports.

The Southeast Asian nation reported 100 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday, the largest daily increase since it detected its first infection in March, followed by 45 more today.

Ms. Suu Kyi was scheduled to tour the electoral district where she is seeking re-election in the commercial capital of Yangon on Tuesday, the first official campaign day before the elections scheduled for November 8.

But he revealed in a Facebook live feed that the Health Minister had advised him to cancel the trip.

Last week, a staff member at the Suu Kyi lakeside house in Yangon tested positive for Covid-19. Speaking of which today, he said he felt bad to find out about the infection.

Myanmar had gone weeks without local transmission of coronavirus until mid-August, when authorities reported an outbreak in the western state of Rakhine.

Since then, the number of cases has more than doubled to 1,464 infections and eight deaths.

Russia to complete early-stage trials of potential second vaccine

Russia will complete early-stage trials of a second potential Covid-19 vaccine produced by the Vector Institute on Sept. 30, Russia’s consumer health safety watchdog was quoted by the RIA news agency today.