Mexico on Tuesday reported 11,146 new confirmed cases of Covid and 835 more deaths, Reuters reports.

It brings the total number of infections in the country to 3,352,410 and the death toll to 259,326, according to health ministry data.

Downing Street has confirmed it intends to press on with plans to introduce vaccine passports for nightclubs from the end of September.

The proposals have previously been met with criticism from politicians on both sides as well as leaders in the night time hospitality industry.

The scheme would see members of the public required to show proof of their vaccine status to gain entry to domestic venues and events, PA reports.

But on Tuesday the prime minister’s official spokesman said the government’s plans remained in place.

“We set out broadly our intention to require our vaccination for nightclubs and some other settings and we’ll be coming forward in the coming weeks with details for that,” he said.

But Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said his party would oppose the scheme, while Labour previously called it “costly, open to fraud and … impractical”.

Brazil recorded 24,589 new confirmed cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours along with 839 deaths, the country’s health ministry said on Tuesday.

Brazil has registered more than 20 million cases since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 580,413, according to ministry data, Reuters reports.

Ireland will drop almost all pandemic restrictions in October after one of the continent’s most successful vaccine rollouts, prime minister Micheál Martin said.

From 22 October, the requirement for vaccine certificates in bars and restaurants will be dropped, as will all restrictions on the numbers attending indoor and outdoor events.
As part of a phased easing of restrictions, the government is recommending the reopening of theatres and cinemas at 60% capacity next week and a return of non-essential workers to offices from 20 September, Reuters reports.

Rock band Kiss have cancelled four tour dates after co-lead singer Gene Simmons tested positive for Covid-19.

The group were forced to axe a performance in Pennsylvania last week after frontman Paul Stanley also contracted the virus.

At the time, Kiss, known for their distinctive on-stage makeup and outfits, said all members of the band and the crew on tour were fully vaccinated.

The band announced Simmons, 72, has tested positive and is “experiencing mild symptoms”.

Its members and tour crew will now isolate for the next 10 days, PA Media reports.

Kiss said they should be able to resume touring on 9 September with a performance in Irvine, California.

The postponed dates are stops in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin.

All purchased tickets will be honoured for when new dates are announced, Kiss said.

Around 14 million people in the US received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine in August, about 4 million more than in July, officials said on Tuesday as the government pushes inoculation as infections rise.
The US vaccination rate still lags other developed countries. Only around 52% of U.S. residents are fully vaccinated, including about 63% of adults, according to federal data. U.S. President Joe Biden has urged businesses to mandate vaccinations for their staff in a bid to drive up vaccination rates.

Puerto Rico has announced it would close some private businesses and prohibit alcohol sales after midnight effective on Thursday, Reuters reports.
The Caribbean island also said it was requiring mandatory use of masks in open places where 50 people or more are gathered and prohibiting elective surgeries, subject to medical criteria, which require the use of post-operative intensive care units.

The U.S. State Department has raised its travel advisory alert for Canada to a “level 3: reconsider travel” status amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, it said.
The department, along with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warned on Monday against travel to Switzerland, among other countries because of rising cases of coronavirus, Reuters reports. The CDC also raised its Covid-19 travel warning to “level 4: very high” for the U.S. island territories of Puerto Rico and Guam.

Italy’s foreign minister Luigi Di Maio denounced a “climate of hatred” against the Covid-19 vaccination campaign after receiving death threats on social media.
Protests are planned on Wednesday against the government’s health pass, which restricts access to an array of services to those who cannot show they have received at least one does of the vaccine, have recently tested negative or recovered, Reuters reports. “This is a worrying escalation, a climate of hatred which harms the country but will not stop the vaccination campaign,” Di Maio wrote on Facebook of the threats.

Demonstrators have said they will gather in front of many train stations in Italy and block the railways, to protest against the health pass obligation on trains.
Violence and threats against journalists and health operators have been reported several times in Italy in recent days. “The threats journalists, medical doctors and common citizens have received in the last days cannot be tolerated,” Di Maio said.