UK at a COVID-19 ‘tipping point’ as a second lockdown looms: Live | News

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  • The United Kingdom’s government has warned that the country is at a “tipping point” on coronavirus, as London’s mayor urged quick action to address the spread of the virus.

  • A stay-at-home order has come into effect in Yangon, Myanmar’s commercial capital and biggest city, closing offices and schools.

  • More than 30.9 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus and almost 959,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 21.1 million people have recovered.

Here are the latest updates:

Monday, September 21

02:05 GMT – New Zealand PM announces easing of COVID-19 restrictions

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that the coronavirus restrictions in the city of Auckland will be eased starting on Thursday, while lockdown limits will be lifted altogether in other parts of the country.

Ardern said that starting from midnight on Monday, the rest of the country will now be free of movement restrictions although health safety protocols will still be in place.

01:40 GMT – Stay-at-home order takes effect in Myanmar’s Yangon

Coronavirus - Myanmar

Under the new lockdown, which was ordered on Sunday, classes are suspended and employees are required to work from home [Shwe Paw Mya Tin/Reuters]

A stay-at-home order for Myanmar’s commercial capital, Yangon, has taken effect as the country tries to contain the spred of the coronavirus.

Under the new lockdown, which was ordered on Sunday, classes are suspended and employees are required to work from home.

Myanmar has at leat 5,541 COVID-19 cases and 92 deaths.

01:16 GMT – South Korea reports 70 new COVID-19 cases as schools reopen

South Korea has reported 70 new coronavirus cases, the second consecutive day that it reported infections below 100, but the government also admitted that “high number” of untraceable cases remain.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), of the new cases at least 55 were local infections. The total number of cases has now reached 23,045.

Two new fatalities were also reported raising the death toll to 385.

The latest numbers come as in-person classes resumed in the capital Seoul and surrounding areas on Monday, according to Yonhap news agency.

00:48 GMT – Mexico reports 3,542 new coronavirus cases, 235 new deaths

Mexico’s health ministry has reported 3,542 new coronavirus cases and 235 new deaths.

The number of infections officially reported in the country now stands at 697,663, while the death toll has hit at least 73,493 although the government reported recently that excess deaths hit over 120,000.

00:05 GMT – Brazil reports 16,389 new coronavirus cases, 363 deaths

Brazil’s health ministry has reported 16,389 additional confirmed cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections to more than 4.52 million, though the latest numbers do not include three states.

At least 363 new deaths were also reported. Nearly 137,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Brazil, second only to the United States. 

00:01 GMT – Health minister warns UK at ‘tipping point’

United Kingdom Health Minister Matt Hancock has warned that the country is at a “tipping point” regarding the coronavirus. 

In an interview with the BBC, Hancock said that the choice was “either that everybody follows the rules … or we will have to take more measures” such as a possible second national lockdown.

The government has reported almost 3,900 new cases on Sunday, prompting a call by London Mayor Sadiq Khan for quick action with the situation in the capital “clearly worsening”

The UK has more than 396,000 cases and more than 41,800 deaths.

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Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. I’m Ted Regencia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

Read all the key developments from yesterday (September 20) here.


SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies

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