Coronavirus news: France facing another nationwide lockdown as cases surge and UK government could fast-track vaccine under new plans

Masked protesters in India rally against plan to hold in-person exams

Hundreds of masked protesters have demonstrated in major Indian cities against a government plan to hold exams for millions of students during the coronavirus pandemic, as daily new infections continue to rise.

The health ministry reported 77,266 infections on Friday, taking the nation's tally to 3.3 million, with a toll of 61,529 deaths. 

India has now recorded the highest single-day increase in cases worldwide every day since 7 August.

“Stop the exam during the pandemic,” read one placard carried by protesters in the eastern city of Kolkata.

More than 2.4 million students are set to take tests next week for admission to medical and engineering schools, which the federal government has declined to defer, despite growing pressure from students and opposition parties.

“It's important that the government listens to students,” Rahul Gandhi, a leader of the opposition Congress party, said in a video on social media, as he urged no compromises on the safety of students.

The exams, which are usually held in April and May, have already been postponed twice this year.

More than 28,000 infections in England

An estimated 28,200 people in private households in England had Covid-19 between 14 and 20 August, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

This was the equivalent of around 0.05 per cent of the population, or one in 1,900 individuals.

This estimate is a tiny change from the previous week of 7-13 August, which had an equivalent of around one in 2,200 individuals.

The figures do not include people staying in hospitals, care homes or other institutional settings.

The ONS said while recent figures had suggested some evidence of a small rise in the percentage of people testing positive in July, following a low point in June, this continued to level off during that week.

Netherlands fast-tracks mink fur farm closures

The Dutch government has fast-tracked the closure of all of the country's mink fur farms, after the animals were found to be infected with coronavirus earlier this year.

The farms must now permanently close by March next year, instead of 2024, as planned.

Since April, an estimated 2 million mink have been "preventatively" culled following the outbreak of coronavirus on 41 fur farms. 

Mink on the 120 remaining fur farms will not be preventatively culled unless new outbreaks occur but breeders are not permitted to restock the animals.

In April and May, mink on a total of four farms were diagnosed with the virus after showing signs of having trouble breathing.

Dr Joanna Swabe, of Humane Society International/Europe, said: “With 41 fur farms and an estimated 2 million mink now having been infected, the risk of keeping these virus reservoirs operating, is far too great. It is a sick industry both literally and figuratively."

Highest daily rise in UK infections since June

In case you missed it yesterday:

The UK recorded the highest daily rise in new coronavirus cases since June, with 1,522 people testing positive within a 24-hour period as of 9am on Thursday. Chiara Giordano reports:

Organ-on-a-chip research projects launched

Charity Animal Free Research UK has awarded four grants to scientists in the UK and the USA for Covid-19 research using organ-on-a-chip technology. 

Projects will be carried out at Imperial College London, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

More research, at the University of Coventry, will look at why obesity is a risk factor in developing developing severe symptoms of coronavirus.

"Animals have been used to investigate obesity, but making comparisons is difficult due to the differences between animals and human metabolism," the charity said.

It said the research would replace the use of monkeys, hamsters, ferrets, rats and mice. 

Portugal could lose quarantine exemption status

Analysis by The Independent of infection data and trends have revealed likely candidate countries for losing – or gaining – exemption from quarantine requirements.

Portugal, which was added to the low-risk list only last Saturday morning, is seeing cases climb sharply – with 399 new infections identified in the past 24 hours, higher than any day since 12 July. Simon Calder reports:

Our reporter, Kate Ng, has more details below on the report findings that nine out of 10 people want to continue working from home:

Restrictions on different households mixing in Burnley and Hyndburn to be lifted

Restrictions on mixing between different households in homes or gardens in Burnley and Hyndburn will be lifted from next Wednesday in line with the rest of England, according to public health officials in Lancashire.

Dr Sakthi Karunanithi, Lancashire's director of public health, said people in the area would be pleased by the news but warned it was not a time for complacency.

“In both Burnley and Hyndburn infection rates are significantly above the national average with an increasing rate in Hyndburn,” Dr Karunanithi said.

“Coronavirus does not respect administrative boundaries and there is a high volume of social, educational and commuting travel between these areas and Lancashire's hotspots.

“The virus is very much still present in both Burnley and Hyndburn so residents must play their part to help protect themselves, their families and their communities.”

Workers should not be intimidated back into offices, Sturgeon says

Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she will not “countenance” people being intimidated into going back to work in offices.

Ms Sturgeon told the daily Scottish coronavirus briefing that reopening offices too soon would risk the virus spreading and compromise the ability to keep schools open.

“I will not countenance in Scotland any kind of narrative around this that is seeking to almost intimidate people back to work before, as a country, we have taken a decision that that is safe,” she said.

Her comments came as the UK government was planning a newspaper and television blitz to get people back into the office, with an unnamed source in the Telegraph suggesting those who opt to keep working from home could make themselves more “vulnerable” to redundancy.

Ms Sturgeon said people should not be told they risk being sacked if they do not go back to the office.

She said “we want to get back to normal as quickly as possible” and her government would work in a “phased way” to support the return of offices that have not yet reopened.

But she added: “That has to be done in the context of suppressing the virus.”

LA planning to file criminal charges against ‘party houses’ in Hollywood Hills

Los Angeles plans to file criminal charges over recent parties in the Hollywood Hills which were held despite a city-wide ban on large gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.

City attorney Mike Feuer said he planned to announce a crackdown on Friday against so-called party houses, including one reportedly rented by TikTok celebrities Bryce Hall and Blake Gray.

Last week, Eric Garcetti, LA’s mayor, authorised the city to shut off water and power to the home after large and raucous parties were repeatedly held in violation of public health orders.

Mr Garcetti said with bars closed in town, large house parties could become “super spreaders”.

Los Angeles County has recorded nearly 237,000 coronavirus cases and more than 5,700 confirmed deaths, making it the hardest-hit county in the state.