Coronavirus news - live: Test result turnaround times hit lowest point, as millions in northeast face lockdown

‘Better work could have been done’ to prepare for pandemic

David Cameron has conceded “better work could have been done" in ensuring the UK was prepared for the coronavirus pandemic, Andy Gregory reports.

The former Tory prime minister, who resigned in 2016 after finding himself on the wrong side of the result in his own Brexit referendum, suggested that too much emphasis had been placed on dealing with a possible flu pandemic.

Middlesbrough manager tests positive

Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock has tested positive for coronavirus.

A club statement issued this morning confirmed the 71-year-old returned a positive test following the club’s 2-0 Carabao Cup defeat on Tuesday, and will now remain in self-isolation until he has recovered.

My colleague Jon Sharman has put together this round-up of important coronavirus news you may have missed overnight:

Patients will have to book slots in A&E

The government has confirmed plans to shake-up accident and emergency care in England this winter with plans that could see patients having to dial NHS 111 before going to A&E, writes health correspondent Shaun Lintern.

Initially, the new A&E booking system is being piloted in Cornwall, Portsmouth and Hampshire and Blackpool and Warrington but if successful could be rolled out across the country to all hospitals as soon as December.

P&O cancels cruises until 2021

The UK's biggest cruise line P&O Cruises has extended the cancellation of its sailings until early 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

President Paul Ludlow said: "With evolving restrictions on travel from the UK, unfortunately it is necessary to cancel these itineraries.

"These further cancellations vary according to ship as well as complexity and length of itineraries, advice and guidance regarding ports of call and current air availability for fly/cruises.

"We are continuing to monitor the overall situation closely and will certainly reintroduce cruises should the opportunity arise and it is feasible to do so."

Test booking website issues continue

People attempting to book a local coronavirus test on the government’s website say technical problems are preventing them from checking availability, as the system struggles to cope with the number of requests.

A growing number of visitors said they had received a message stating that “this service is currently very busy”.  

Although the online portal should allow users to opt between drive-through and walk-through tests, some users are reporting errors which prevent them from checking whether a test is even available in their area.

People without masks forced to dig graves for coronavirus victims 

Eight Indonesians who refused to wear masks have been made to dig graves for coronavirus victims in a rural province in the country.

Three men and five minors were sentenced to grave-digging duties in in Cerme district of Gresik Regency, East Java on 9 September, officials told Tribun News.

Mask wearing is mandatory in public spaces throughout Indonesia, but the government has given local officials the power to decide on punishments for breaches. 

More on this from Clea Skopeliti below:

Northeast Labour MPs call for more clarity

Labour MPs representing northeast England seats have called for further information from Matt Hancock on the measures being taken.

They requested "urgent clarification on a number of key issues" around interventions being planned in Sunderland, South Tyneside, Gateshead, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, North Tyneside, Northumberland and County Durham.

The letter, signed by 15 Labour MPs, asked whether household-level information and contact tracing data will be available to local authorities and what extra testing capacity would be put in to the region.

"We agree that restrictions must be put in place in order to protect public health, and prevent the further spread of Covid-19, and we support measures taken in order to save lives," the MPs said.

"We do, however, believe that this must be done in close collaboration with local authorities, who must have access to all appropriate information, data and support in order to make the best decisions for their areas."

The letter was sent by Sunderland Central MP Julie Elliott and signed by colleagues including shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Bridget Phillipson and shadow science minister Chi Onwurah.

Sadiq Khan calls for action on testing ‘chaos and confusion’

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has written to health secretary Matt Hancock calling for action on the coronavirus testing "chaos and confusion".

The Labour mayor told London Assembly Members: "This is a critical moment in the fight against Covid-19. Many Londoners are being told there are no testing sites available in London.

"The delays are preventing frontline workers from being able to do their jobs, and children are being kept away from their classrooms unnecessarily.

"This failure is putting lives and livelihoods in jeopardy. We've known for months now that come the autumn demand for testing would increase. This crunch point should have been foreseen, and then avoided.

"And unless the Government massively ramps up testing capacity in London we'll be back to where we started: trying to halt the spread of the virus in the dark.

"Nothing is more important than a fully functioning test, trace and isolate system if we are to prevent a devastating second wave, and time is fast running out. "

Latest test and trace figures

A total of 18,371 new people tested positive for Covid-19 in England in the week to 9 September, according to the latest Test and Trace figures.

This is an increase of 75% in positive cases on the previous week, and is the highest weekly number since Test and Trace was launched at the end of May.