French cases near 10,000 in a day; single biggest rise in Greece; Portugal limits gatherings to 10 people; Mexico signs agreement for Sputnik V vaccine

• Central Europe faces worse second wave after avoiding worst of first
• UK looks to Belgium for Covid inspiration despite infections rise
• Trump admits playing down virus as total deaths exceed 900,000
• AstraZeneca chief claims vaccine still possible this year

11.39pm BST

Here’s a quick summary of the biggest developments before we head over to a new blog. Thanks for following along.

10.57pm BST

Brazil recorded 40,557 additional confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, and 983 deaths from the disease, the health ministry said on Thursday.

The country has registered more than 4.2 million cases of the virus since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 129,522, according to ministry data.

AstraZeneca Plc and Oxford pause vaccine trial again; Czech Republic battles surging spread; China stages celebration of beating virus

• Oxford vaccine trial put on hold due to adverse reaction in participant
• Oxford vaccine trial pause - should we be worried?
• Gatherings of more than six to be banned in England
  
• Trump crowds eschew masks as president mocks social distancing
• UK coronavirus updates - live
  

10.23am BST

In the US, Iowa’s governor, Kim Reynolds, is refusing to enforce a White House coronavirus taskforce recommendation to close bars and require people to wear masks after Covid-19 infections in some of the state’s cities surged.

Related: Iowa refuses to close bars and require masks as Covid-19 cases surge in cities

10.11am BST

Russia’s sovereign wealth fund will sell 32m doses of the potential Covid-19 vaccine ‘Sputnik-V’ to a top pharmaceutical company in Mexico, Russia’s second vaccine export deal, a source close to the deal said on Wednesday.

Russia registered its first vaccine candidate, developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute, in August. Late-stage trials of Sputnik-V, due to involve 40,000 participants, were launched on 26 August.

Latest figures bring France’s total cases to 335,524 and Spain’s to 534,513; concerns over spread of virus in Greek migrant camps

• ‘Not a game’: Europe pleads with young people to halt Covid spread
  
• Brazil’s ex-president Lula condemns Bolsonaro over Covid
• US: death rate among African Americans and Latinos rising sharply
• Tour de France race director tests positive
• Tokyo Olympics must be held at ‘any cost’, says Japanese minister

7.30pm BST

The UK government response to the coronavirus pandemic is on track to cost £210bn for the first six months of the crisis, Whitehall’s spending watchdog has said.

Reflecting the scale of the emergency since March, the National Audit Office (NAO) said ministers had instigated more than 190 measures in response to the crisis so far, including emergency job support, additional NHS funding, and business grants.

Related: Coronavirus bill has cost UK government £210bn, spending watchdog says

7.22pm BST

Canada is seeing a worrying increase in the number of people infected with the coronavirus as schools across the country are starting to reopen, a top medical official has said.

Chief public health officer Theresa Tam said an average of 545 new cases had been reported daily over the last week, up from around 300 in July. She told a briefing:

This is concerning and I want to underscore that when cases occur, including in schools, it is a reflection on what’s happening in the community.

This week is a really critical week.

Leading epidemiologist warns over case rate in France; Scottish first minister said her government could ‘put brakes’ on lockdown easing

• UK health secretary says young people largely behind case rise
• India confirms world record one-day cases
• India overtakes Brazil as second most Covid-infected country
• France declares more Covid-19 ‘red zones’
• See all our coronavirus coverage
  

3.52pm BST

Fatigue, headache and fever are the most common symptoms of coronavirus in children, with few developing a cough or losing their sense of taste or smell, researchers have found, adding to calls for age-specific symptom checklists.

The NHS lists three symptoms as signs of Covid-19 in adults and children: a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, and a loss or change in the sense of smell or taste.

Related: Fatigue and headache most common Covid symptoms in children – study

3.39pm BST

French people who reject mask-wearing are more likely to be older, educated women who support the gilets jaunes (yellow vests) protest movement and the controversial virus specialist Didier Raoult, and would refuse to have a coronavirus vaccination if one were available, according to a new study.

They also describe themselves as free-thinkers who believe the government is meddling too much in their lives, have a distrust of public institutions and often support conspiracy theories, it found.

Related: French 'anti-maskers' most likely to be educated women in 50s, says study