Summary

  • Politicians in Germany are calling for a ban on private parties as daily new cases surge above 2,000 - highest since April

  • Children are more likely to be harmed by not returning to school than if they catch Covid-19, the UK's chief medical adviser says

  • UK records 1,041 new Covid-19 cases and six deaths on Sunday, compared to 1,288 cases and 18 deaths on Saturday

  • US presidential contender Joe Biden says if elected he would be willing to shut down US if scientists recommended it

  • At least 13 people die in Peru after trying to escape a police raid on a nightclub violating coronavirus restrictions

  • The global coronavirus death toll stands at 805,000 people worldwide

  1. Thanks for joining uspublished at 17:55 BST 23 August 2020

    As we wrap up our live coverage, here's a reminder of Sunday's main developments:

    • The World Health Organization has recommended that children aged 12 and over wear a mask under the same conditions as adults
    • In Germany, a number of politicians are calling for a temporary ban on private parties after the highest rise in infections since late April
    • The UK's chief medical adviser has said children are more likely to be harmed by not returning to school than by catching coronavirus
    • India, which has the highest number of new infections in the world, has become the third country in the world to pass three million cases, after the US and Brazil
    • At least 13 people have died in Peru after trying to escape a police raid on a party at a nightclub that violated lockdown rules
    • US Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has said he would be willing to shut down the country to control the spread of the virus if elected president and if scientists recommended it
    • There have been more than 23m cases and 805,000 deaths worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University

    Today's page was brought to you by Ashitha Nagesh, Shamaan Freeman-Powell and Victoria Bisset, and was edited by Kevin Ponniah and Alex Kleiderman.

  2. Situation in France 'risky', health minister sayspublished at 17:50 BST 23 August 2020

    People wear face masks as they walk in ParisImage source, Reuters

    France is in a "risky situation" as coronavirus cases rise again, the country's health minister has said.

    In an interview with the Journal du Dimanche newspaper, Olivier Véran said the higher numbers were not only due to increased testing.

    The outbreak in France "never stopped", he said, adding: "It was only controlled during the lockdown and the progressive easing of lockdown measures."

    "It's not a French exception, it's the European dynamic," he told the newspaper.

    He went on to explain that the virus is spreading four times more among those under the age of 40 as the over 65s, but warned that this situation could change if younger people spread the virus to elderly and more vulnerable people.

    On Saturday, 3,602 new daily cases were reported in France following two days with more than 4,000 new infections. The country has reported more than 30,000 deaths since the pandemic began.

  3. Elderly US veterans to mark end of World War Twopublished at 17:45 BST 23 August 2020

    US General of the Army Douglas MacArthur signs Japan's surrender on 2 September 1945Image source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Japan's official surrender came two weeks after Emperor Hirohito announced an end to the fighting on 15 August 1945

    Throughout the pandemic, health experts have warned of the serious health risk that Covid-19 poses to the elderly in particular.

    But that won't stop dozens of US veterans from gathering in Hawaii next month to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War Two, according to the Associated Press., external

    The former soldiers, who are now in their 90s or older, will gather aboard the USS Missouri, where Japan's official surrender was signed on 2 September 1945 in Tokyo Bay and which is now docked in Pearl Harbour.

    They will board specially chartered flights and be isolated in hotels when not attending the events, which will mostly be held outdoors and not be open to the public. The commemoration was meant to involve thousands of people and veterans have been looking forward to it for years.

    “I want to go back because that day, as much as I remember it - what happened, why we were there, the fact that it was the end of the realities of war and killing and all - it was the first day that I had to start answering, ‘What am I going to do with the rest of my life?’” 95-year-old Jerry Pedersen, who witnessed the surrender in 1945, told the AP.

  4. 'I became an alcoholic during lockdown'published at 17:40 BST 23 August 2020

    Chris McLone

    Before lockdown, Chris McLone was looking forward to a good year.

    In his late 40s, he felt fit and healthy, and was enjoying life with a successful career as a sales manager.

    Always a very social person, Chris enjoyed nights out with friends and going to the football. Alcohol played a part in his life but he never viewed it as a problem.

    But within weeks of lockdown, Chris, who lives on Teesside in north-east England, had gone from being someone who enjoyed a drink to someone who needed a drink.

    Charities say they have seen a marked increase in people in need of help and that Chris's story is far from unique.

    Read more on this story here.

  5. Can you catch coronavirus from food packaging?published at 17:30 BST 23 August 2020

    Woman in a supermarket holds a bag of frozen goodsImage source, Getty Images

    It's something you might have thought about while buying food at the grocery store or supermarket. Is there any chance that the packet of meat or vegetables you're holding has coronavirus on it?

    In theory, it may be possible, with lab-based studies showing the virus can survive for hours, or even days, on cardboard and types of plastic. Lower temperatures also help the virus.

    But scientists say the experiments used a much larger sample of the virus than would occur in the real world, increasing the chances that some would survive.

    Emanuel Goldman, professor of microbiology at Rutgers University, wrote in The Lancet medical journal: "In my opinion, the chance of transmission through inanimate surfaces is very small, and only in instances where an infected person coughs or sneezes on the surface, and someone else touches that surface soon after the cough or sneeze (within one to two hours)."

    Interested in finding out more? Read this.

  6. What are the risks of opening schools?published at 17:21 BST 23 August 2020

    ClassroomImage source, Reuters

    The release of a Public Health England study suggesting the risk of outbreaks in schools is low supports the findings of other research.

    However, experts have also pointed out that schools do not just bring children together - teachers, parents at school gates and other knock-on effects like more people on public transport or working parents returning to offices could also influence the spread of the virus.

    And with winter and fears of a resurgence of the virus approaching, there are worries that schools could play a role in spreading coronavirus.

    Our health correspondent Rachel Schraer has examined the risks.

  7. Guests test positive after wedding in Germanypublished at 17:08 BST 23 August 2020

    Thirty-three people have tested positive for coronavirus after attending wedding celebrations in the German state of Hesse, local authorities say.

    Dozens of people attended the wedding in the Gross-Gerau district earlier this month.

    But as the celebrations were held over two separate days - with 100 guests on 7 August, and 160 others on 14 August - they did not have to be registered, local media report.

    Most of the 160 guests have already been tested, although not all have received their results, the district said on Sunday.

    The news comes as a number of German politicians have called for private gatherings to be banned in a bid to stop the spread of the virus.

    Just a day earlier, however, scientists held three pop concerts in a single day as part of a study to investigate the risks posed by mass indoor events during the pandemic.

    On Thursday, Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to hold a meeting with the heads of the country's federal states to discuss a unified approach to the pandemic, Reuters news agency reports.

  8. Six further UK deaths recordedpublished at 16:57 BST 23 August 2020

    The latest UK figures have just been released. A further six people have died after testing positive for coronavirus in the previous 28 days.

    Department of Health and Social Care figures, external also show 1,041 more people have tested positive for coronavirus in the UK, down from 1,288 new infections reported on Saturday.

    Eighteen new deaths were reported on Saturday.

    The total number of cases in the UK now stands at 326,086, with 41,429 deaths.

    You can check the number of confirmed cases in your area here.

    Datapic showing UK coronavirus statistics
    Chart showing the case trendline plunging after the peak but recently slowly rising
  9. EU trade commissioner apologises for attending Irish golf dinnerpublished at 16:39 BST 23 August 2020

    Phil HoganImage source, PA Media

    EU trade commissioner and former Irish minister Phil Hogan has apologised "fully and unreservedly" for attending a golf dinner in Ireland with more than 80 people.

    Mr Hogan said he acknowledged his presence at the event in Galway, which was held a day after the government announced a tightening of lockdown restrictions, had "touched a nerve" with Irish people.

    Ireland's Agriculture Minister Dara Calleary, who also attended the parliamentary golf society event, resigned on Friday.

    The Irish government has agreed to recall the Dáil (Irish parliament) early amid the controversy. It was due to return on 15 September.

    Police are also investigating whether the dinner breached Covid-19 regulations.

  10. What can we learn from schools that have reopened?published at 16:24 BST 23 August 2020

    Media caption,

    Coronavirus: 'Inevitable and necessary differences' with Scotland school return

    Millions of pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are due to return to school within weeks, after months of disrupted education as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

    But schools in Scotland have already returned. So what was it like to be back in the classroom?

    Mike Corbett was happy to return to face-to-face teaching at his secondary school in East Dunbartonshire earlier this month and looked forward to the "buzz of the classroom" that's "completely impossible online.

    The English teacher said pupils are "very happy to be back" too - but there's plenty of pandemic protocols for them to get used to such as regularly using hand sanitiser, not doing group work, and wiping down their desks before leaving the room.

    Mike also has things to adapt to, like the line marking out two metres to keep a safe distance from pupils.

    Read more about the experiences of teachers and parents here.

  11. German cases rise amid 'recklessness'published at 15:54 BST 23 August 2020

    March of coronavirus deniersImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Earlier this month, coronavirus deniers held an "End of the Pandemic" march in Berlin

    Several politicians in Germany are calling for a temporary ban on private parties after the country saw its highest rise in new infections since late April.

    On Saturday the Robert Koch Institute reported 2,034 new confirmed cases, taking the total up to 232,082.

    "Unfortunately since the start of summer a certain recklessness has spread," Ralph Brinkhaus, leader of the CDU/CSU conservative parliamentary bloc, said.

    Saskia Esken, co-leader of the Social Democrats, also told local media: "We must not risk that daycare centres and schools will close again and that children are forced to remain at home for weeks because we have accepted higher infection rates due to lax rules at family parties."

    Ursula Nonnemacher, health minister of the state of Brandenburg, described private parties as "a great danger".

  12. Italian minister rejects idea of second lockdownpublished at 15:30 BST 23 August 2020

    Italy's health minister has said there will be no second lockdown in the country, despite the number of new daily cases rising above 1,000 for the first time since restrictions were eased in May.

    "We will not have a new lockdown," Roberto Speranza said in an interview with La Stampa newspaper published on Sunday.

    The minister added that the healthcare system had become "much stronger" since the beginning of the pandemic.

    With more than 35,000 fatalities, Italy has recorded one of Europe's highest death tolls. It was the first European country to be hit badly as the virus spread from Asia.

    But while the country has experienced a resurgence in cases recently, it has so far avoided an increase on the scale of that seen in Spain and France.

    Number of daily cases in six European countries
  13. Scotland: 83 new Covid-19 cases in last 24 hourspublished at 15:14 BST 23 August 2020

    The number of coronavirus cases in Scotland has risen by 83 in the last 24 hours.

    A total of 19,811 people have now tested positive for Covid-19.

    No deaths linked to the virus were registered since Saturday so the total remains at 2,492.

    The biggest increase in cases by health board was 37 in NHS Tayside, according to official figures, external.

    The latest rise there comes after it was revealed the number of cases linked to a food processing plant in Coupar Angus had now reached 90.

    A total of 79 employees at the 2 Sisters factory have tested positive, plus 11 of their contacts.

  14. Joe Biden: I would shut down US if I had topublished at 15:03 BST 23 August 2020

    Joe BidenImage source, Reuters

    US Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has said that if he were elected in November he would be willing to shut down the country again to control the spread of the virus, if scientists recommended it.

    Biden made the comments in an interview with US broadcaster ABC alongside his running mate Kamala Harris, which is airing tonight at 20:00 ET (01:00 BST).

    "I would shut it down, I would listen to the scientists," he said, adding that he would "be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives, because we cannot get the country moving until we control the virus".

    President Donald Trump - his rival for the 3 November election - responded by tweeting that Biden "has no clue!"

    Although the US never had a full nationwide lockdown of the kind seen in other countries, many states enforced tough coronavirus restrictions.

    Chart shows that virus transmission in the US is decreasing but still remains high
  15. Government 'negligent' over Plan B for schools, says unionpublished at 14:46 BST 23 August 2020

    Schools, parents and pupils are being "sorely let down by the government" over the planned reopening of schools in England, according to the National Education Union.

    The NEU's Kevin Courtney accused ministers of being "negligent", saying there was a "lack of a Plan B".

    He said a report published by Public Health England,, external which suggests children who went to school during June were more likely to catch coronavirus at home, had its "limitations" - citing the "little" data on secondary schools and the smaller class sizes in the summer.

    He said: "Schools and colleges need to know what should happen if an outbreak of the virus occurs in individual schools or more widely with either national, regional or local spikes."

    He called on the government to employ more teachers and seek extra teaching spaces to allow education to continue in a Covid-secure manner if infections rise.

  16. How the Covid vaccine became the new Space Racepublished at 14:21 BST 23 August 2020

    Gordon Corera
    Security correspondent, BBC News

    An employee showing a vial with "Gam-COVID-Vac" vaccine in MoscowImage source, Reuters

    When Moscow announced on 11 August it had registered the first vaccine against Covid-19 and was naming it Sputnik V, the message was hard to miss. Back in 1957, the Soviet Union had launched the Sputnik satellite and won the race for space. Now, Russia was saying it was pushing the boundaries of medical science.

    But critics claimed it was pushing too hard, and the scepticism with which the announcement was met is a reminder of intense international competition.

    In this race, there have been accusations of short-cuts, espionage, unethical risk-taking and jealousy, amid talk of "vaccine nationalism".

    There are currently about half a dozen leading vaccine candidates in late-stage trials according to the World Health Organization (WHO), including three in China; one in the UK; one in the US, and a German-US partnership.

    "I have never seen the political stakes for a medical product being so intense," says Lawrence Gostin, professor of global health law at Georgetown University in the US. "The reason the Covid-19 vaccine has taken on such political symbolism is that the superpowers have seen the vaccine as projecting their scientific prowess, actually validating their political system as superior."

    Read more on this here.

  17. Children and masks - what is the new WHO guidance?published at 14:00 BST 23 August 2020

    Child wearing face maskImage source, Reuters

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued guidance on children and masks.

    It admits little is known about how children transmit the virus but cites evidence that teenagers can infect others in the same way as adults.

    Here is the advice:

    • Children aged 12 and over should wear a mask under the same conditions as adults, in particular when they cannot guarantee a distance of at least one metre from others and there is widespread transmission in the area
    • For children aged between six and 11, the WHO advises taking into account how widespread the transmission of the virus is and whether the child is interacting with high-risk individuals such as the elderly. It also stresses the need for adult supervision to help children use, put on and take off masks safely
    • Children aged five and under should not, under normal circumstances, wear masks

    Each of the UK's four nations have their own rules on face coverings. In England, children under the age of 11 do not have have to wear one.

    The WHO guidance does not mention schools.

    The official advice across the UK does not recommend that face coverings are worn in schools, with the Department for Education saying this is because sufficient controls, external are in place to reduce the risk of transmission.

    But a number of UK schools have brought in their own face covering requirements and there are hints that there could be changes in Scotland and Northern Ireland in the future.

  18. Pakistan reports lowest cases since Marchpublished at 13:40 BST 23 August 2020

    Families at a beach in Karachi, 18 August 2020Image source, EPA
    Image caption,

    Families visiting beaches in Karachi earlier this week after restrictions were lifted

    Pakistan has recorded its lowest number of daily deaths since March, the Associated Press news agency reports.

    On Sunday, the country's National Command and Control Center said there had been four deaths and 591 new infections in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to more than 292,000, with 6,235 fatalities.

    It's a big change from June, when health facilities in Pakistan's major cities appeared to be at risk of becoming overwhelmed.

    Now, however, life appears to be returning to normal.

    Read more from our correspondent Secunder Kermani.

  19. Schools must reopen safely, says teachers unionpublished at 13:28 BST 23 August 2020

    The general secretary of UK teachers' union NASUWT has made clear that it wants schools to be reopened safely and with "safe working practices" to protect students and staff.

    Dr Patrick Roach said: "Governments across the UK must take steps to ensure that there are effective systems in place to monitor schools’ practices and to provide ongoing reassurance on safety after schools reopen."

    Millions of pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are due to return to school within weeks. Schools have already reopened in Scotland.

    The union was responding to a rare joint statement from the top health advisers from all four UK nations saying children faced bigger risks from missing out on education than they did from Covid-19.

    Dr Roach said: "The chief medical officers’ statement has reinforced the critical importance of effective risk control measures."

    But he added that it was "regrettable" that the statement did not address the "well-known racial disparities linked to Covid-19".

  20. Does the US have the worst death rate?published at 13:15 BST 23 August 2020

    There are two narratives in the US about coronavirus and deaths.

    President Trump has claimed the country has one of the lowest death rates from the virus in the world.

    Meanwhile, Joe Biden, his contender in November's presidential election, says: "More than 170,000 Americans have died - by far the worst performance of any nation on earth."

    Our Reality Check team has looked at three different ways to compare deaths between countries.

    Two of these measures show that while the US is not the worst affected, it's among those most badly hit.

    Read more here.

    Proportion of deaths above average in G7 countries during pandemic chart shows the US doing better than Italy and the UK but worse than France and Germany
    Percentage of coronavirus cases which led to deaths chart shows the US doing better than many countries but behind Norway, Japan, South Korea and Australia
    10 countries with most coronavirus deaths per capita chart