Coronavirus: latest global developments

PARIS: Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:

'Clear worsening': French PM

France is seeing an acceleration of the Covid-19 outbreak after a surge in infections but aims to avoid any new nationwide lockdown, Prime Minister Jean Castex says.

He does not announce in a televised statement any major new restrictions, saying France's aim is to succeed in living with the virus through social distancing, mask-wearing and ramped-up testing.

Spain virus cases soar

The number of cases in Spain has leapt by more than 12,000, health ministry figures show, the biggest jump in a 24-hour period since the pandemic began.

Spain this week became the first European Union country to surpass half a million Covid-19 infections, and it currently has a total of 566,326 confirmed cases.

More than 910,300 dead

The pandemic has killed at least 910,300 people worldwide since surfacing in China late last year, according to an AFP count at 1100 GMT on Friday based on official sources.

More than 28.2 million cases have been confirmed.

The United States has the most deaths with 191,802, followed by Brazil with 129,522, India with 76,271, Mexico with 69,649 and Britain 41,608.

Neymar back in training

Brazilian Paris Saint-Germain football star Neymar announces on social media that he is returning to training for the coronavirus-infection depleted side, suggesting that he is cured of the illness.

However, it is uncertain whether Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba, omitted from the France squad for next month's Nations League matches, after testing positive, will play in the club's first league game in a week, trainer Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says.

UK's Birmingham tightens restrictions

Authorities in Britain's second city of Birmingham announce restrictions as the nation's reproduction rate, or R number, exceeds 1.0 for the first time since March.

From September 15, more than 1.1 million people are banned from mixing with any other household, after the rate of infection rose from 30 to 75 cases per 100,000 people over a week in August.

Armenia keeps land border closed

Armenia says its land borders will remain closed and public gatherings of more than 60 people will also be banned into the new year.

But country of three million people, which has registered 45,503 cases and 909 deaths, does not extend a state of emergency declared in March which ended on Friday.