India deaths near 100,000 The death toll in India, which has the second-highest number of cases worldwide, is nearing the grim milestone of 100,000. There are currently 98,678 deaths confirmed on the Johns Hopkins University tracker. India’s deaths are the third-highest worldwide, after Brazil with 143,952 and the US with 207,651. French government warns Paris may go on maximum virus alert from Monday French authorities may place Paris on maximum virus alert as soon as Monday, potentially requiring all bars to close and other new restrictions as Covid-19 cases surge, Health Minister Olivier Veran said Thursday, AFP reports. The capital and its closest suburbs, comprising nearly seven million inhabitants, have already breached the maximum alert thresholds, Veran told a press conference. “We need a few days to confirm the trends, but if they are confirmed, we’ll have no choice but to put it on maximum alert, from Monday,” he said. “That would imply that people in Paris and suburbs would have to drastically limit their social interactions... no more family gatherings, no more evenings out, and a total closure of bars,” he added. “We’re in a phase where the situation is worsening.” So far, only the southern city of Marseille and the Caribbean territory of Guadeloupe have been placed on maximum alert, leading to bar as well as restaurant closures, and a shutdown of public venues such as museums and cinemas unless strict safeguards are in place. But Veran said five other cities - Lille, Lyon, Grenoble, Toulouse and Saint-Etienne - could also be placed on maximum alert next week. Already in Paris, bars have to shut at 10:00 pm (2000 GMT) and gyms have been closed completely. The government has said it will take every precaution necessary to avoid a new state of emergency that would require a generalised lockdown like the one imposed at the height of the outbreak, from mid-March to mid-May. Summary Hello and welcome to today’s live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic with me, Helen Sullivan. I’ll be bringing you the latest global updates and would be delighted to hear from you, wherever in the world you are. Get in touch on Twitter @helenrsullivan. Paris could be placed on “maximum alert”, the health minister, Olivier Véran, at a press conference on Thursday, warning that “we have to anticipate this possibility”. The French health ministry has reported 13,970 new cases in the past 24 hours, up from 12,845 new cases on Wednesday. Véran warned that restaurants and bars could be closed in Paris from Monday if coronavirus rates do not improve by Sunday. Restaurants and bars could be closed in Paris from Monday if coronavirus rates do not improve by Sunday. The capital could be placed on “maximum alert”, the health minister, Olivier Véran, at a press conference on Thursday, warning that “we have to anticipate this possibility”. The French health ministry has reported 13,970 new cases in the past 24 hours, up from 12,845 new cases on Wednesday. Coronavirus cases have doubled in the majority of English cities and towns that are subject to long-term local lockdowns, Guardian analysis has found, amid growing concern that restrictions are confusing and done “on the cheap”. The Turkish government has been criticised for underreporting cases by the country’s medical association. In a press conference on Wednesday, the health minister, Fahrettin Koca, appeared to acknowledge that Turkey did not record cases of Covid-19 that were not symptomatic. Italy has recorded more than 2,000 daily cases for the first time since April. The country registered 2,548 new Covid-19 infections on Thursday, the first time it has exceeded 2,000 cases in a single day since the end of April. Poland is expecting more than 2,000 new cases a day. On Thursday, the country recorded a record 1,927 new cases, while its health minister said he expected daily cases to continue peaking above 2,000 in the next few days. Sweden has recorded its highest daily caseload since June. A total of 752 new cases were recorded on Thursday, its highest daily rise since 30 June when the health agency registered just over 800 new cases. Italy’s prime minister is seeking to extend the country’s state of emergency until January. On Thursday, Giuseppe Conte said he would ask parliament to extend the current state of emergency beyond mid-October to try to avoid the surge in infections being seen in other European countries.