Monday 21 September
BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFING
Monday 21 September 2020 News Briefing – Today’s headlines are dominated by the global Coronavirus Pandemic. As of 6:30 am (GMT), these are the global active numbers.
Global COVID-19 UPDATE
Coronavirus Cases: 31,240,317
Deaths: 965,068
Recovered: 22,835,563
- UK at a ‘critical point’ over covid-19, top scientists to tell public.
- Demonstrations in Madrid ahead of Monday’s tough new lockdown measures.
- New Zealand lifts social distancing rules, except in Auckland.
- Lebanon’s coronavirus cases ‘spiralling beyond expectation.’
- China ‘third wave’ fears skyrocket after horror coronavirus leak at Hong Kong lab.
- Florida reports 9 deaths, more than 2500 new cases.
UK at a ‘critical point’ over covid-19, top scientists to tell public
The Guardian says Britain’s most senior government scientists will make a direct appeal to the public on Monday, warning that the coronavirus trend is “heading in the wrong direction” and “a critical point has been reached”.
As the government considers imposing nationwide curbs to contain a sharp jump in cases, the chief medical officer for England, Chris Whitty, will make a rare live televised address alongside the UK chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance.
Read the full story on The Guardian
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Demonstrations in Madrid ahead of Monday’s tough new lockdown measures
Sky News says protesters have taken to the streets of Madrid to demonstrate against strict new lockdown measures which have come into force.
Thousands of men, women and children rallied in the southern districts of the Spanish capital.
From today, they are not be allowed to leave the areas they live in, except to go to work and for emergency medical treatment.
Read the full story on Sky News
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New Zealand lifts social distancing rules, except in Auckland
CNN says New Zealand has dropped Covid-19 social distancing restrictions for all areas other than its most populous city, Auckland. It comes after the country reported no new cases on Sunday.
PM Jacinda Ardern announced on Monday that Auckland would remain on Level 2 restrictions until at least October 7, but that the rest of New Zealand was free to move to Level 1.
Read the full story on CNN
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Lebanon’s coronavirus cases ‘spiralling beyond expectation’
The National says the number of coronavirus cases is increasing at a higher rate than expected after last month’s explosion in crisis-hit Lebanon, according to the doctor helping to lead the country’s response to the pandemic.
Lebanon confirmed a record number of cases on Friday and Saturday as infections swelled to more than 750 each day.
Read the full story on The National
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China ‘third wave’ fears skyrocket after horror coronavirus leak at Hong Kong lab
Daily Express says the University of Hong Kong’s School of Public Health previously reported a researcher became infected after handling samples of coronavirus on Saturday, with some believing she spread the virus around the facility.
The University denied this and said the other colleagues were given the all clear after testing.
It comes as Hong Kong is set to see its “third wave” of the virus with rising cases.
Read the full story on the Daily Express
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Florida reports 9 deaths, more than 2,500 new cases
Tampa Bay says Florida’s Department of Health reported 2,521 new Covid-19 infections on Sunday. Health officials have also confirmed nine more deaths linked to the coronavirus, bringing the total death toll in Florida to 13,459.
Since March 1, when coronavirus was first announced in Florida, state health workers have identified 683,754 cases.
Read the full story on Tampa Bay
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A quick look at the other top stories
New body cam policy after Daniel Prude death
NBC News says New York’s attorney general said Sunday that her office will begin “proactively” releasing police body camera video when unarmed civilians die at the hands of officers, a move prompted by the suffocation this year of Daniel Prude in Rochester.
Tens of thousands protest in Belarus defying police crackdown
France24 says tens of thousands of opposition supporters marched in the Belarusian capital of Minsk Sunday, defying a heavy security presence that included water cannon and armoured vehicles.
Cameroon Army deploy ahead of Tuesday protest
AfricaNews says all military personnel have been put on alert in Cameroon for four days starting Monday, over fears the Tuesday protests could cause severe public disorder.
US deploys reinforcements to Syria after Russia clashes
BBC News says the US has ramped up its military presence in Syria after a number of skirmishes with Russian forces intensified tensions in the country.
At least 10 dead after building collapses in India, many feared trapped
CNA says at least 10 people were killed after a three-storey residential building collapsed in India on Monday, officials said.
“Ten people have died, we have rescued 11 people alive,” an official at the Thane city authority, which oversees Bhiwandi, told AFP.
