Health News at Your Fingertips

Greece Greek authorities have announced a record daily number of 203 new coronavirus cases, with one death.

The total number of cases is now 5,623, with 212 deaths.

Greece introduced an early lockdown in mid-March which buffered the country from the devastating effects of the pandemic seen in many other European countries.

Beginning Monday and ending August 31, everyone must wear a mask in all retail places, as well as all modes of transport, other than private cars, the government has decided. People attending church must also do so, though priests are not required to wear masks in church.

Hello and welcome to today’s live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.

My name is Helen Sullivan and I’ll be bringing you the latest coronavirus news from around the world for the next few hours. Please do get in touch with news from your part of the world if we’ve missed it.

You can find me on Twitter @helenrsullivan or send an email to helen.sullivan@theguardian.com.

Global coronavirus cases are nearing 20 million, with 19,734,428 currently recorded on the Johns Hopkins University tracker.

The US accounts for a quarter of these cases, after passing the 5 million mark on Sunday.

The world passed 10 million cases just six weeks ago.

Meanwhile, Greece, which has in recent weeks opened up to tourists , recorded 203 new infections in the 24 hours to Sunday, the highest daily rise since the start of the outbreak in the country.

Greece introduced an early lockdown in mid-March which buffered the country from the devastating effects of the pandemic seen in many other European countries.

But the recent increase in infections prompted authorities to introduce measures like mandatory face masks in closed spaces.

• The US has passed 5 million confirmed cases of coronavirus, the highest in the world, as Donald Trump’s executive orders seeking to break a political impasse over further economic relief were denounced by a Republican as “unconstitutional slop” and Joe Biden accused the president of issuing little more than “excuses and lies”.
• Britain’s economy will be officially declared in recession this week for the first time since the 2008 financial crisis, as the coronavirus outbreak plunges the country into the deepest slump on record. The country recorded more than 1,000 new infections on Sunday, for the first time since late June.
• Greece recorded 203 new infections in the 24 hours to Sunday, the highest daily rise since the start of the outbreak in the country.
• Ten coronavirus patients have died in India in a fire that broke out early on Sunday at a hotel being used as a Covid-19 facility, officials said. This is the second such incident this month.
• UK Ministers have rejected a call from the children’s commissioner for England to bring in routine coronavirus testing in English schools. Nick Gibb, the schools minister, confirmed that teachers and pupils in England will not have access to routine testing when they reopen in September, and will instead be primarily reliant on hygiene and distancing measures to control any spread of the virus. Scotland, where schools start to reopen from Tuesday, plans to bring in an enhanced Covid-19 testing and surveillance regime, though it will not be ready in time for the start of term.