The UK has recorded 1,522 new cases of Covid-19 according to the latest daily government statistics published today, the highest number since 12 June.
The figure is up from 1,048 cases yesterday.
A further 12 people were recorded as having died within 28 days of their first positive test for Covid-19, taking the UK's cumulative death toll to 41,477.
Meanwhile, travellers arriving in the UK from Switzerland, the Czech Republic or Jamaica after Saturday morning will need to quarantine for 14 days to slow the spread of Covid-19.
"Data shows we need to remove the Czech Republic, Jamaica and Switzerland from our list of Coronavirus Travel Corridors to keep infection rates DOWN," transport minister Grant Shapps said in a statement.
People arriving from Cuba will no longer have to quarantine, he added.
In France, Prime Minister Jean Castex said the government must move fast to head off a deadly new coronavirus wave as its reproduction level has jumped, with infections surging in the Paris region and among young people.
France's reproduction "R" number is now 1.4, Mr Castex told a news briefing, indicating that the overall epidemic is growing.
"The spread of the epidemic can be exponential if we do not react quickly," Mr Castex said.
Grandparents are being told not to pick up their grandchildren from school as the government is worried about hospitals being overwhelmed.
The French government is hoping to avoid a new nationwide lockdown, but the country has been facing a resurgence of new Covid-19 infections since July, with an acceleration from mid-August.
Mr Castex also said that face masks will become compulsory throughout Paris and 19 more departments have been added to a map with "red" zones of active virus circulation, meaning 21 of France's 94 departments are classified as such.
Official figures released today showed more than 5,400 confirmed new cases in just 24 hours, with admissions to hospital and intensive care units on the rise.
More than 800 coronavirus patients are being admitted to hospital every week on average, up from 500 six weeks ago, the prime minister said.
"The epidemic is gaining territory, and now is the time to intervene," he added, appealing to all French people to take infection-prevention measures such as regular hand-washing and mask wearing, and social distancing.
Germany may extend major event ban until 31 December
Germany may extend a ban on major events until at least the end of the year as part of a package of measures to help contain the spread of the coronavirus, a draft document showed, ahead of a meeting of Chancellor Angela Merkel with state leaders.
The ban on events such as concerts, sporting events and festivals is currently set to run out at the end of October.
Germany has managed to keep the number of Covid-19 cases and deaths relatively low compared with some other large European countries, but the number of new daily cases has been rising since early July and has accelerated in recent weeks.
Some state politicians have criticised that rules currently vary from state to state, while others argue that it should be left up to state governments to set rules based on local infection rates.
The proposal that Chancellor Merkel and the state leaders are due to discuss later today also includes a limit on private gatherings to 50 people in restaurants and similar venues and to 25 people in homes.
It also calls for a minimum fine of €50 euros for failing to wear a mask where it is mandatory.
Spanish children over six to wear masks at school
Children over the age of six in Spain will be required to wear face coverings in school at all times, the government has said, as it seeks to restart lessons despite a surge in coronavirus infections.
"The use of masks will be mandatory in general from the age of six, even if social distance is maintained," Education Minister Isabel Celaa told a news conference ahead of the reopening of schools next month.
Spain's 17 regional governments, which are responsible for health care and education, have in recent days outlined different measures, leading critics to say there was a lack of coordination.
The northern region of Cantabria's requirement for children as young as three to wear masks sparked particular controversy.
As well as face coverings, pupils will also have to maintain a social distance of 1.5 metres from each other, Ms Celaa said, except for young children who will be allowed to mix only with their classmates but not with outsiders.
Other measures include requiring children to wash their hands at least five times a day, regularly ventilating classrooms and taking pupils' temperature.
South Korean parliament closed over virus fears
South Korea's parliament has been shut down and a group of MPs were in self-quarantine as the country recorded more than 400 new coronavirus infections.
The country endured one of the worst early outbreaks of Covid-19 outside mainland China before bringing it broadly under control with extensive tracing and testing, but is now battling several clusters mostly linked to churches.
Today's 441 new cases were mostly in the greater Seoul area and are the latest in a series of near-six-month highs after several weeks with numbers generally in the 30s and 40s.
The National Assembly was closed after a photojournalist who covered a ruling party meeting yesterday was later confirmed to have contracted Covid-19.
Today's infection numbers were the 14th consecutive day of triple-digit increases and brought the country's total to 18,706.
Coronavirus hits isolated Indian island tribe
Ten members of India's dwindling Great Andamanese tribe have tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said, raising concerns about the safety of the group and other indigenous people in the remote archipelago.
Out of the 10, six have recovered and have been put in home quarantine, while the rest are undergoing treatment in a local hospital, officials said.
Just over 50 Great Andamanese people survive today and live on the tiny Strait Island where the Indian government looks after their food and shelter.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a chain of islands in the Indian Ocean with a population of some 400,000, has reported 2,268 coronavirus cases so far with 37 deaths.
Indian authorities sent a team of health officials to Strait Island on Sunday after six members of the tribe tested positive in the archipelago's capital Port Blair recently.
Some of the tribe's members travel to Port Blair where they have government jobs.
Anthropologists and activists for isolated tribal communities say more than 5,000 Great Andamanese lived in the islands when British settlers arrived in the 19th century.
