What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Get children back to school, says British PM

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on parents to send their children back to school next month after the summer holidays.

“The risk of contracting COVID-19 in school is very small and it is far more damaging for a child’s development and their health and well-being to be away from school any longer,” Johnson said.

Schools shut their doors in March, except for the children of key workers, and reopened in June for only a small number of pupils.

Auckland lockdown extended

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern extended a coronavirus lockdown in the country's largest city, Auckland, until the end of the week and introduced mandatory mask wearing on public transport across the nation.

Neighbouring Australia reported its lowest one-day rise in new coronavirus infections in almost two months on Monday, raising hopes that a deadly second wave is subsiding.

Australia's Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland and Western Australia states reported a combined 121 new cases over the past 24 hours, the lowest single-day rise since July 5.

Bali tourism plan on hold

The Indonesian island of Bali has postponed a plan to reopen its biggest tourism hub to international visitors on Sept. 11, due to the rising level of coronavirus cases, its governor said.

Tourism is Bali's main source of income and travel restrictions have hammered the economy.