Coronavirus live news: cases spreading out of control in Hong Kong; UK infection rate flat, says ONS head

Record100 new daily cases confirmed in Hong Kong; UK ’s head of Office for National Statisticscalls for scaling up of testing;South Africa ’s cases become fifth-highest worldwideFace masks mandatory in Melbourne; worldwide deaths pass 600,000Boris Johnson insists he can avoid second England-wide lockdownWhat happens when flu meets Covid-19?See all our coronavirus coverage11.31amBSTIranian health officials have been seeking to play down their president ’s estimate that 25 million people have been infected with coronavirus, saying it was based on serological blood tests that measure exposure to the illness and that cannot be relied on to show the current state of disease.The 25 million figure put forward by Rouhani on Saturday is nearly a third of the population and massively higher than the official number of Covid-19 cases. Official case numbers rose to 273,788 on Sunday, with 14,188 deaths, health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said.11.13amBSTThe severe impact of Covid-19 on people from minority ethnic groupshas been linked inBritain to air pollution and overcrowded and poor-standard homes by a study of 400 hospital patients.It found patients from ethnic minorities were twice as likely as white patients to live in areas of environmental and housing deprivation, and that people from these areas were twice as likely to arrive at hospital with more severe coronavirus symptoms and to be admitted to intensive care units (ITU).Related:Covid-19 impact on ethnic minoriti...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Coronavirus outbreak World news Australia news US news UK news Science Infectious diseases Victoria Melbourne Greg Hunt Daniel Andrews Sydney New South Wales Source Type: news