COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 2 October

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have now passed 34.2 million globally, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. The number of confirmed deaths stands at just over 1.02 million.

Britain has reported a slight dip in new cases, down below 7,000, for the first time in two days. The news comes as restrictions were extended in the north of England.

The European health regulator has begun reviewing data on two potential COVID-19 vaccines in real time. The move is aimed at speeding up the approval process for vaccines.

The IMF has called for changes to the international debt architecture as concern grows over the risk of sovereign debt crisis, fuelled by the coronavirus pandemic.

Italy is set to extend its state of emergency until the end of January.

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has set up a global laboratory network to assess data from potential COVID-19 vaccines, allowing comparisons and a sped-up selection process.

The Czech Republic has reported its highest daily coronavirus case count – 3,493.

The COVID-19 death toll in Argentina has gone above 20,000, after a number of previously uncounted deaths were added.

Sao Paulo, Brazil, has begun a mass testing programme for school employees and students, in an effort to restart in-person education.

2. Madrid back in lockdown

Madrid will become the first European capital city to return to lockdown, after the region's leader agreed to a central government order banning non-essential travel.

The city, and nine other local municipalities, will see their borders closed to outsiders for non-essential visits in an effort to curb a steep climb in COVID-19 cases.

But, regional leader Isabel Diaz Ayuso has said she will appeal the decision in the courts, and it's been met with frustration locally.

“It’s been very chaotic in all senses and this is basically because of the region’s leaders,” architect Jean-Pierre Moncardo is reported as saying in Reuters. “They did absolutely nothing during summer, they took no action and they prioritised business ... We are victims of improvisation.”

The Madrid region has 859 cases per 100,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, making it Europe’s worst hit area.

US President Donald Trump has said that he and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for COVID-19. They'll quarantine immediately, with the President tweeting, "We will get through this".

The news comes after one of the president's top advisers, Hope Hicks, tested positive for COVID-19. She had accompanied him to Ohio on Tuesday for the presidential debate with Democratic candidate Joe Biden.