The UK Government has reversed its plan to ease lockdowns and Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned of a potential second wave of infections as he announced changes to restrictions.
Meanwhile India tallies a record number of new infections in the past day, but the country is pressing on with reopening sections of the economy and removing a curfew.
This story will be updated throughout Saturday and was last updated at 2: 45am.
Saturday’s key moments:
- Cases surge as graft hampers South Africa’s fight
- Record number of new daily infections in India
- Four straight days of record deaths in Florida
- Hulkenberg back in F1 after Perez positive
- More than 1,000 new infections across Spain in worst day in months
Britain PM Johnson postpones easing lockdown
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has postponed an easing in lockdown restrictions amid fears of a second wave of the pandemic and issued a warning to Britons at the same time.
Mr Johnson gave the warning a day after a late-night announcement of a new lockdown in northern England and said the reopening of casinos, skating rinks and bowling alleys has been delayed, and wedding receptions will have to be cancelled.
“Our assessment is that we should now squeeze the brake pedal in order to keep the virus under control.”
The changes, combined with the stricter lockdown imposed on more than 4 million people throughout Greater Manchester, east Lancashire and parts of West Yorkshire, are the largest reversal of restrictions to date in the UK.
England’s Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said the Government had probably reached the limit of reopening society and the economy without causing an increase in the number of infections.
“We all know that what we have to try and do is to get to the absol