Coronavirus news: Boris Johnson leads national clap for NHS anniversary, as UK prepares for ‘largest ever’ flu immunisation this winter

Philippines reports biggest single-day rise in cases

The Philippines has reported its biggest single-day jump in new coronavirus cases, adding 2,434 confirmed infections and taking the total count to 44,254.

The country's health ministry said the rise could be attributed to increased contact among people as the country began easing lockdown measures to help reduce the pandemic's damage to the economy.

The Philippines also recorded seven new deaths, bringing total fatalities to 1,297.

Theatre industry feels 'forgotten', says Michael Ball

Stage star Michael Ball says people working in the theatre industry feel "forgotten" in the coronavirus pandemic.

The singer and TV presenter said he felt it was his "duty" to send a message to all those "who play a role in making our nights at the theatre and live music events such a joy...".

"They're struggling in every possible way, financially - they're on their knees; emotionally - they're at the wits' end," he said, while hosting his BBC Radio 2 show today.

"Whilst other industries are starting to reopen... they (theatre) feel like they've been forgotten.

"They've no idea if they will ever work again or how they are going to put food on the table.

"Well, they're not forgotten."

Stormont 'should give shoppers vouchers to save struggling businesses'

Northern Ireland's government should introduce a voucher scheme for people to spend in struggling local businesses, Belfast Chamber has said.

Footfall will be down for some time and firms will start incurring costs as they reopen without the level of custom they would ordinarily expect, the traders' body added.

Retailers have been severely impacted by restrictions imposed to stop the spread of Covid-19.

Chamber chief executive Simon Hamilton said: "Whilst it is brilliant to see places like Belfast city centre reopening with shops, bars, restaurants, cafes and hotels all trading again, it is clear that footfall is going to be down for some time to come.

"As businesses reopen they will start incurring costs again but without the levels of custom they would ordinarily expect and that will place many under pressure."

He said other cities and states have tried to address this issue in a very direct way by giving citizens vouchers to spend in hard-hit sectors such as retail and hospitality.

'The surge is here'

As Houston’s hospitals face the worst outbreak of the virus in Texas, now one of the nation’s hot zones, Dr Aric Bakshy and others are experiencing some of the same challenges that their New York counterparts did just a few months ago and are trying to adapt some lessons from that crisis, writes Sheri Fink.

Like New York City in March, the Houston hospitals are experiencing a steep rise in caseloads that is filling their beds, stretching their staffing, creating a backlog in testing and limiting the availability of other medical services.

'The surge is here': Houston hospitals deal with coronavirus spike

Iran records highest daily death toll from Covid-19

Iran has recorded its highest number of deaths from Covid-19 within a 24-hour period.

The 163 deaths reported today exceed the previous record from last Monday, when the health ministry reported 162 deaths in a day.

The Islamic Republic has recorded a total of 11,571 deaths and 240,438 infections from the coronavirus, health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said in a statement on state TV. There have been 201,330 recoveries, she said.

The number of new daily infections and deaths has increased sharply in the last week following the gradual lifting of restrictions that began in mid-April.

Iranians who do not wear masks will be denied state services and workplaces that fail to comply with health protocols will be shut for a week, president Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday as he launched new measures to try to curb the coronavirus.

Spain has sent a second region back into lockdown in just 24 hours after a spike in coronavirus cases.

‘A lost season’ for tourism

Restaurants and hotels are slowly starting to reopen – but fear a second wave could devastate business, Borzou Daragahi finds

Further 27,000 excess deaths 'likely' by April

Another 27,000 excess deaths are likely by next April if ministers do not change tack on the coronavirus crisis, a former chief scientific officer has warned.

Sir David King said the loss of life would be “almost entirely” preventable.

The calculation has been made by the body he chairs, the independent Sage group, set up to mirror the committee which gives scientific advice to ministers on the global pandemic.

Doctors warn deaths under-reported as coronavirus surges on Colombia's coast

Coronavirus cases and deaths are surging along Colombia's Caribbean coast as the region becomes the epicentre of the pandemic in the Andean country, with doctors warning many deaths are going undetected.

Colombia - Latin America's third-most populous nation - has officially reported more than 113,000 cases of coronavirus and just under 4,000 deaths among its 50 million inhabitants.

The climbing figures pale in comparison with some neighbouring countries, with regional giant Brazil exceeding 64,200 deaths on Saturday.

Colombia's Caribbean region accounts for close to 40% of the country's reported cases and just over half its deaths, according to an analysis of government data by the World Health Organization (WHO).

There is no clear explanation for the higher death rate in the coast region, but officials and doctors say flouting of social distancing rules and a higher incidence of certain other diseases may play a role.

Atlantico province, with its port capital Barranquilla, has registered over 1,300 deaths - more than Bogota, even though Atlantico has only about one-third of the capital's population.

Doctors there say that despite an increased number of intensive care beds and stricter social distancing measures, deaths are likely being underreported in Barranquilla, which has a population of 1.2 million people.

A further 18 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals to 28,889, NHS England has said.

Patients were aged between 54 and 94 years old and all had known underlying health conditions.