katharine da costa, bbc news. the government's latest coronavirus figures for the uk show there were 54,073 new infections recorded, in the latest 24—hour period. on average, 50,803 new cases were reported per day in the last week, and nearly 7,500 people were in hospital with covid, as of yesterday. there were 132 deaths, that's of people who died within 28 days of a positive test, which means the average number of people who died in the past seven days was 119. on vaccinations, just over 22.5 million people, have received their boosterjab. our political corrrspondent chris mason is here. chris, it has been a difficult week to say the least for boris johnson and things could get stickier? yes. and things could get stickier? yes, in the last couple _ and things could get stickier? yes, in the last couple of— and things could get stickier? 1&1: in the last couple of minutes the sunday mirror has published a story, the mirror has made much of this in the mirror has made much of this in the last couple of weeks,

katharine da costa, bbc news. the uk prime minister's office has admitted that borisjohnson briefly took part in a quiz at downing street a year ago with two people sat next to him at a time when coronavirus restrictions in london meant social mixing between households was banned. the sunday mirror has obtained a photo of the quiz described by number 10 as a virtual event. here's our political correspondent chris mason. because of the covid restrictions in the uk, but most particularly in london, social gatherings between people who didn't live together were banned. for the last couple of weeks, the last ten days or so, there has been story after story after story relating to gatherings that took place in downing street and the broader british government which have raised questions about whether they were within the spirit or even the letter of the rules. the latest incarnation of this, as you say, in the sunday mirror, has just been published in the last hour or so and in particular a picture. the bbc was reporti

katharine da costa, bbc news. the us and uk have expressed deep concern that russia has amassed tens of thousands of troops at the ukraine border. british foreign secretary liz truss discussed the threat during talks with g7 foreign ministers in liverpool today. from liverpool here's our diplomatic corresondent james landale. russian forces on manoeuvre near the border with the ukraine — at least according to the russian government, which says this is alljust regular training. but western governments are not so sure. they estimate more than 100,000 russian troops are now massed on the border — enough, they claim, for an invasion. that is something these ministers say they are determined to prevent. the foreign secretary and her g7 counterparts want to act together and put on a show of unity that russian aggression would be wrong and would come at a high price. it would be extremely serious if russia were to take that action. it would be a strategic mistake and there would be severe consequences for russia. and

katharine da costa, bbc news. the uk and us have expressed "deep concern" that russia has amassed tens of thousands of troops at the ukraine border. british foreign secretary liz truss discussed the threat during talks with g7 foreign ministers in liverpool today. from liverpool here's our diplomatic corresondent james landale. russian forces on manoeuvre near the border with ukraine. at least according to the russian government which says this is all just regular training. western governments are not so sure. they estimate more than 100,000 russian troops are now massed on the border, enough, they claim, for an invasion. that is something these ministers say they are to eternity prevent. the foreign secretary and her g7 counterparts wanted to act together and put on a show of unity that russian aggression would be wrong and come at a high price. it would be extremely serious if russia were to take that action. it would be a strategic mistake and there would be severe consequences for russia. what we are giving th

katharine da costa, bbc news. still on 0micron and of course the concern remains even if it is milder, the sheer number of cases could overwhelm hospitals. the variant is spreading rapidly across europe and around the world, as tanya dendrinos reports. a silver lining just in time for christmas but while preliminary studies suggest the 0micron variant appears to be milder, its rate of transmission is another story altogether. 0micron is already the dominant strain in a number of countries, including the uk, portugal and denmark and according to the world health organization, that will soon be the case right across europe. there is no doubt that europe once again is the epicentre of the global pandemic. the top ten countries with the highest mortality are in europe and central asia. in spain, the variant is believed to account for almost half of all infections. in response to the rapid rise, prime minister pedro sanchez has announced plans to reintroduce mandatory face coverings outdoors. still, there is a hint of

katharine da costa, bbc news. in the last hour, the german government has announced new restrictions on travellers from the uk, due to concern over the 0micron variant. the german embassy in london has tweeted that germany has classified the uk as an area of concern. from monday, there will be changes to travel rules — including a ban on those who are not german residents or nationals, and increased testing and quarantine measures. from saturday, france has banned all non—essential travel from the uk because of concern over 0micron surging. those who are allowed to travel will have to go into quarantine until they get a negative test result. it's thrown france's tourism industry into disarray during the christmas season. 0ur correspondent mark lowen reports from the alpine resort of chamonix. up the slopes of mont blanc, hope was peeking through of a bumper christmas, a relief from covid. but then, france warned of a landslide, not on its own mountains, but of 0micron in britain. all non—essential arrivals f

katharine da costa, bbc news. the latest official figures on the pandemic in the uk show there were 43,992 new infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period. on average, 46,006 cases were reported per day in the last week. there were 54 deaths, that's of people who died within 28 days of a positive test, which means the average number of deaths over the past seven days was 119. and more than 20 million people have received their boosterjab. a major review has been announced of the way various agencies handled the case of arthur labinjo—hughes — the six—year—old who was tortured and killed by his father and step—mother — two months after social workers had found "no safeguarding concerns" in the home. the review will consider how best to protect children who find themselves under threat. earlier today, hundreds of people took part in a vigil outside arthur's home in solihull, as our correspondent sarah campbell reports. the house in which arthur spent the final, tortured months of his life. close b

katharine da costa, bbc news. household contacts of people who have tested positive for covid in scotland are being asked to isolate for 10 days regardless of their vaccination status or even if they have had a negative pcr result. our home affairs correspondent david cowan reports. nicola sturgeon: we may be starting to experience - a potential tsunami of infections. tommy kane and his family are starting ten days of self—isolation, a tough challenge and one many more will share as 0micron spreads around scotland. what did you make of what the first minister said today? it was pretty grim. i thought it was pretty dire. and it was pretty brutal news that i think is going to have an impact on us all. but public health is of paramount importance, and if people need to take the necessary precautions to protect each other then that's what we need to do. last week he went to a football match and a concert in edinburgh, and somewhere along the line picked up the new variant. i have been double—jabbed. i've not had m

katharine da costa, bbc news. portugal has become the latest european country to start vaccinating its young children. those aged between 9 and ii are being jabbed over this weekend. five—to—nine year olds are scheduled to be vaccinated from next weekend. greece, spain, italy and hungary are alreadyjabbing under—12s, and denmark also began this week. the french health authority is also expected to give the green light next week to begin its child vaccination campaign. from saturday, france has banned all non—essential travel from the uk because of concern over 0micron surging. those who are allowed to travel will have to go into quarantine until they get a negative test result. it's thrown france's tourism industry into disarray during the christmas season. 0ur correspondent mark lowen reports from the alpine resort of chamonix. up the slopes of mont blanc, hope was peeking through of a bumper christmas, a relief from covid, but then france warned of a landslide, not on its own mountains, but of covid in b

katharine da costa, bbc news. new guidance has been issued for care home visits in england — as a result of the surge in omicron infections. from wednesday, residents will be limited to three visitors — as well as a friend or relative nominated as their essential care giver. megan paterson reports. in care homes around the country, festive celebrations are well under way. but as well as the usual trimmings, for some families, fears about covid guidelines on separation from loved ones are making an unwelcome return. i run a family of seven and it is a limit of three, so i run a family of seven and a limit three, so i'm very worried about how this is going to impact on them. the department of health say people living in care homes in england will only be allowed to receive visits from three people plus one essential care worker. staff will have to take three lateral flow tests and one pcr test every week. and there will be a £300,000,000 fund to recruit and retain care workers. further clarity is expected on th

here's our health correspondent, katharine da costa. there's no time to lose. jabs are now available 2a hours a day at this vaccine centre in north london, as nhs staff and volunteers across the country strive to reach 1millionjabs a day. in london, where the 0micron variant is already driving a surge of infections, hospital admissions are on the rise and staff sickness is a growing concern. i'm incredibly worried about staff absences in the nhs, in the fire brigade, in the police service, in our councils, across london. that's why it's so, so important for everybody who is eligible to receive a booster. currently around 800 covid patients are being admitted each day in england but leaked minutes from government scientific advisers suggest that without further measures, we could see a surge of 1000 to 2000 admissions a day by the end of the year, and a possible peak of around 3000 a day. similar to levels in early january. to avoid significant pressure, sage advisers say... that is the major concern. and we will be able to be more certain about that scenario an

katharine da costa, bbc news. the us and uk have expressed "deep concern" that russia has amassed tens of thousands of troops at the ukraine border. british foreign secretary liz truss discussed the threat during talks with g7 foreign ministers in liverpool today. from liverpool here's our diplomatic corresondent james landale. russian forces on manoeuvre near the border with ukraine. at least according to the russian government which says this is all just regular training. western governments are not so sure. they estimate more than 100,000 russian troops are now massed on the border, enough, they claim, for an invasion. that is something these ministers say they are to eternity prevent. the foreign secretary and her g7 counterparts wanted to act together and put on a show of unity that russian aggression would be wrong and come at a high price. it would be extremely serious if russia were to take that action. it would be a strategic mistake and there would be severe consequences for russia. what we are giving th

katharine da costa, bbc news. as we've been saying, rising concern about the rapid spread of the omicron variant in london has prompted mayor sadiq khan to declare a major incident in the capital. let's talk to our political correspondent damian grammaticas to try and explain exactly what that means. a major incident. break that down for us. means. a ma'or incident. break that down for us.— down for us. this is what the american — down for us. this is what the american do _ down for us. this is what the american do when _ down for us. this is what the american do when he - down for us. this is what the american do when he sees i down for us. this is what the american do when he sees a | down for us. this is what the - american do when he sees a situation thatis american do when he sees a situation that is sorted beyond normal —— the mayor, that is starting to pose a threat to public health, because competitions, and that it is exactly what he is seeing here. it does not mean there is a particular incident

katharine da costa, bbc news. the uk prime minister's office has admitted that borisjohnson briefly took part in a quiz at downing street a year ago, with two people sat next to him, at a time when coronavirus restrictions in london meant social mixing between households was banned. the sunday mirror has obtained a photo of the quiz, described by number ten as a virtual event. here's our political correspondent, chris mason. because of the covid restrictions in the uk, but most particularly in london, social gatherings between people who didn't live together were banned. for the last couple of weeks, the last ten days or so, there has been story after story after story relating to gatherings that took place in downing street and the broader british government which have raised questions about whether they were within the spirit or even the letter of the rules. the latest incarnation of this, as you say, in the sunday mirror, has just been published in the last hour or so and in particular a picture. the bbc was re

katharine da costa, bbc news. germany has become the latest european country to ban most travellers from britain to try to slow the spread of the omicron variant. german nationals and residents will still be allowed to enter from the uk. but they must have a negative test and quarantine for two weeks, regardless of their vaccination status. the measures take effect on monday. france has banned all non—essential travel from the uk because of concern over omicron surging. those who are allowed to travel will have to go into quarantine until they get a negative test result. it's thrown france's tourism industry into disarray during the christmas season. our correspondent mark lowen reports from the alpine resort of chamonix. france learned of a land side of omicron in britain. i missed a few people in different families. probably won't be able to come out now, so i guess we're lucky.- so i guess we're lucky. does it feel empty? — so i guess we're lucky. does it feel empty? a _ so i guess we're lucky. does it feel

katharine da costa, bbc news. here in the uk — the faces in the fight against coronavirus have been honoured in the new years honours list. professor chris whitty — professorjonathan van tam — who became household names during the pandemic names during the pandemic have been knighted and drjenny harries, chief executive of the uk health security agency, and drjune raine, head of the vaccines regulator mhra, are both made dames. theyjoin almost 80 olympic and paralympic athletes who competed in last summer's tokyo games have also been honoured. lizo mzimba reports. their faces have become familiar to the public throughout the pandemic. now the chief medical officers for england, chris whitty... if lots of people were vaccinated that reduces the risk of transmission in the community. ..for scotland gregor smith and for a wales frank atherton have all been knighted. a knighthood too for england deputy chief medical officerjonathan van—tam. also being recognised for their roles responding to covid, jennie harr

katharine da costa, bbc news. from today, france has banned all nonessential travel from the uk because of concern over the surging omicron variant. those who are allowed to travel will have to go into quarantine until they get a negative test result. (map it's thrown france's tourism industry into disarray during the christmas season. our correspondent mark lowen reports from the alpine resort of chamonix. hope was peeking through of a bumper christmas, a relief from covid, but then france warned of a landslide, not on its own mountains, but of covid in britain, all nonessential arrivals from the uk grinding to a halt today. travel now in disarray. a few people in different families who will probably not be able to come up now. obviously a bit gutting for certain people but we are just lucky, definitely. does it feel empty? a bit. normally it is really busy. loads of people from england and other countries coming in, but it doesn't feel that busy. one in four tourists in chamonix pre—pandemic were british, the

katharine da costa, bbc news. new guidance has been issued for care home visits in england as a result of the surge in omicron infections. from wednesday, residents will be limited to three visitors as well as a friend or relative nominated as their essential care giver. megan paterson reports. in care homes around the country, festive celebrations are well under way. but as well as the usual trimmings, for some families, fears about covid guidelines on separation from loved ones are making an unwelcome return. iruna i run a family of seven and a limit three, so i'm very worried about how this is going to impact on them. the department of health say people living in care homes in england will only be allowed to receive visits from three people plus one essential care worker. staff will have to take three lateral flow tests and one pcr test every week. and there will be a £300,000,000 fund to recruit and retain care workers. further clarity is expected on the guidance next week but for now it's up to care home sta

here's our health correspondent, katharine da costa. some vaccine centres like this one in north london are now open 2a hours a day as staff go all out to getjabs into arms. but the acceleration of boosters can't compete with a variant that's doubling every two days. in london, omicron is already driving a huge wave of infections prompting this announcement from the mayor, sadiq khan. we are incredibly concerned by the huge surge in the omicron variant. over the last 2a hours, we have had the largest number of new cases since this pandemic began — more than 26,000. hospital admissions are going up, but also staff absences are going up by massive levels. so, i've taken the decision, in consultation with our partners, to declare a major incident today. it means that coordination between key public services will now be stepped up and enable london to seek further support from central government to address the pressures facing the city. it comes as scientific advisers on the sage committee suggest without further stringent measures very s

katharine da costa, bbc news. professor alan mcnally is director of institute of microbiology and infection at birmingham university. i asked him earlier if pcr tests were more accurate and effective than lateral flows. i think this has been slightly dostorted. slightly distorted. lateral flow tests are excellent at detecting people with levels of virus that would equate to the infectious state, but pcr is very good at picking up very low levels of infection, so very early or very late stage infections. but actually lateral flow tests are good enough. if you have symptoms, a lateral flow test will be able to tell you whether you have covid or not. there is no argument about that, there is enough published data now to show that. my point about the pcr test, at the moment in some areas of the country the epidemic is now doubling every 1.5 days, and it takes two to three days to get a pcr result, so you have to question why we're doing all be pcr tests if it takes double the _ amount of time to get a result back than

katharine da costa, bbc news. premier league clubs will meet on monday to discuss the escalating crisis around the coronavirus pandemic. with nine games now postponed over the last week, including five already from this weekend's 10—match fixture list, clubs want the chance to discuss the way forward. the premier league is continuing with matches as long as it is safe to do so. australia are in total control of the second ashes test after taking two late england wickets under the floodlights in adelaide. australia captain steve smith earlier made 93 as australia built up a big first innings score — before australia's bowlers dismissed both england openers before the close of play. patrick gearey was watching. it might not look it and they weren't dressed for it, but adelaide was hot. roasting in desert air. and england were bowling at a survival expert. marnus labuschagne dropped twice yesterday, rumbled past 100. a tribute to hard work and good luck. when he was caught two runs later it was a no ball, so was

here's our health correspondent, katharine da costa. there's no time to lose. jabs are now available 2a hours a day at this vaccine centre in north london, as nhs staff and volunteers across the country strive to reach 1millionjabs a day. in london, where the 0micron variant is already driving a surge of infections, hospital admissions are on the rise and staff sickness is a growing concern. i'm incredibly worried about staff absences in the nhs, in the fire brigade, in the police service, in our councils, across london. that's why it's so, so important for everybody who is eligible to receive a booster. currently around 800 covid patients are being admitted each day in england, but leaked minutes from government scientific advisers suggest that without further measures, we could see a surge of 1000 to 2000 admissions a day by the end of the year, and a possible peak of around 3000 a day. similar to levels in early january. to avoid significant pressure, sage advisers say... that is the major concern. and we will be able to be more certain about that scenario a

here's our health correspondent, katharine da costa. like at vaccine centres around the uk including this one in grimsby the race is on to get even more jabs into arms and boost our defences against what may become the biggest wave of covid infections we have seen so far. it’s wave of covid infections we have seen so far-— seen so far. it's more worrying i think, because _ seen so far. it's more worrying i think, because we _ seen so far. it's more worrying i think, because we don't - seen so far. it's more worrying i think, because we don't know. seen so far. it's more worrying i - think, because we don't know exactly what is going to happen, so it is betterjust to be what is going to happen, so it is better just to be safe. what is going to happen, so it is betterjust to be safe. i what is going to happen, so it is betterjust to be safe.— what is going to happen, so it is betterjust to be safe. better 'ust to be safe. i 'ust want to betterjust to be safe. i 'ust want to rotect betterjust to be safe. i 'ust want to preteet peepre

katharine da costa, bbc news. the legendary american actress and comedian, betty white, has died, just weeks before her hundredth birthday. her career spanned nine decades — from the earliest days of television in the nineteen—thirties, and her own shows in the fifties, to the latest toy story film just two years ago. betty white will probably be best remembered for her portrayal of rose nylund — in the sitcom the golden girls. it's believed she died at her home on friday morning. tributes have been pouring in. presdidentjoe biden tweeted... the hollywood actor ryan reynolds who starred in a film with betty white said... and will & grace star debra messing tweeted... deputy tv editor of variety, michael schneider, has been reflecting on her career. we don't use the term national treasure lightly but it definitely applies in the case of betty white. we've never known television without betty white, she was there at the dawn of tv. some of our favourite shows of the heroes two years golden girls, mary tyler mo

katharine da costa, bbc news. the prime minister's office has acknowledged that borisjohnson briefly took part in a quiz in downing street a year ago, saying the event was to thank staff for their hard work during the pandemic. it was at a time when london was in lockdown and no social gatherings were allowed. the sunday mirror has published a story including a picture in which borisjohnson can be seen sitting near two colleagues. because of the covid restrictions in the uk but most particularly in london, social interactions between people who do not live together were banned. forthe do not live together were banned. for the last couple of weeks, the last ten days or so, there has been story after story after story relating to gatherings that took place in downing street and the broader british government which have raised questions about whether they were within the spirit or even the letter of the rules. the latest incarnation of this, as you say, the sunday mirror, has just been published as you say, the sunda

da costa is with me. katharine, when are we likely to know more about this variant? scientists in south africa and the uk are working as fast as possible to gather evidence to help inform decisions on how we respond to omicron. early data from south africa suggests infections are spreading more quickly than in previous waves and there is a high risk of reinfection among those who have already had covid. most cases are mild but it is early days. here in the uk confirmed cases are low but they are rising and health officials say they are not all linked to travel, suggesting there is some community transmission. it is some community transmission. it is difficult to know if it will take off and outcompete delta here in the uk. 0ver off and outcompete delta here in the uk. over 80% of the over 12s are double—jabbed, a third are boosted, and it is a national mission to accelerate that roll—out. the government says it believes current measures are enough to slow the spread. we might find out in the next few

here's our health correspondent, katharine da costa. there's no time to lose — jabs are now available 2a hours a day at this vaccine centre in north london, as nhs staff and volunteers across the country strive to reach1 million jabs a day. currently around 800 covid patients are being admitted each day in england, but leaked minutes from government scientific advisers suggest that without further measures, we could see a surge of 1000 to 2000 admissions a day by the end of the year, and a possible peak of around 3000 a day. similar to levels in early january. to avoid significant pressure, sage advisers say... that is the major concern. and we will be able to be more certain about that scenario and exactly what we are heading into in the next few days, i think, with the increasing amount of data coming in. but it is a real concern we will be heading into something which has the risk of overrunning the health service. testing for the virus is also crucial. the vaccines minister was at a royal mail depot in derbyshire this morning. del

katharine da costa, bbc news. authorities in china are attempting to stick to a zero coronavirus strategy ahead of its lunar new year celebrations and the beijing winter olympics. the country's vice premier has visited the northern city of xi'an, where 13 million people have been confined to their homes in one of the country's strictest lockdowns since the pandemic began. these images are from inside xi'an. sun chunlan told officials there to speed up testing and do more to isolate the close contacts of those found to be positive. more than 1200 cases have been found in the city in the past few weeks. dr xi chen from yale university is an expert on health policy and explained why china is continuing to pursue a strategic of �*zero covid'. china has been maintaining the zero tolerance policy for a long time, almost two years, so basically it's ramping up mass testing, frequent contact tracing, quarantining and strict border control. and although the case numbers are low, china has been worried about the west open

katharine da costa, bbc news. let's recap our top stories. countries around the world are seeing in the new year, with scaled back celebrations, as the omicron variant continues to drive up covid infections. entire neighbourhoods in the us state of colorado have been engulfed by flames as wildfires force tens of thousands to leave their homes. the nhs warns of significant pressure in the coming weeks, as covid infections in the uk reach a new high. a 15 year—old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death a teenager in croydon in south london last thursday. there was another fatal stabbing that evening when a 16 year—old boy was killed in hillingdon in west london. it brings to 30 the number of teenage homicides in london this year — surpassing the peak of 29 in 2008. in south africa, thousands of people have been waiting in line to pay their final respects to the late archbishop desmond tutu, whose body is lying in state for a second day ahead of the state funeral tomorrow. the archbishop, who played a leading role

katharine da costa, bbc news. in the uk, the number of teenagers murdered in london has reached a new yearly high — with 30 killed this year. a 15—year—old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder — after a teenager was found with stab injuries in croydon in south london. it was the second stabbing within an hour after a 16—year—old boy was stabbed in hillingdon in west london. the legendary american actress and comedian, betty white, has died, just weeks before her hundredth birthday. her career spanned nine decades — from the earliest days of television in the 1930s, and her own shows in the �*50s, to the latest toy story film just two years ago. betty white will probably be best remembered for her portrayal of rose nylund, in the sitcom the golden girls. she won an emmy for the role, and was nominated for one each year the series ran. it's believed she died at her home on friday morning. in past few minutes, presidentjoe biden has tweeted. he said... i'm joined now by deputy tv editor of var

a short time ago i spoke to our health correspondent katharine da costa who outlined where the cases had been found. the uk health security agency updates the number of confirmed cases of omicron in the uk so there have been an extra 86 confirmed cases, of those 68 were in england and 18 in scotland so that brings the overall total to 246 in the uk so while cases are ticking up they are still small numbers, some linked to travel and there is also early signs of it spreading in communities but it's too soon to say whether this variant will take off in other countries. it's important to remember the uk is already seeing more than 40,000 new cases of delta every day so while the early data coming out of south africa shows it spreading more quickly than previous waves and that there is a high risk of reinfection from those who have already had covid, it's too soon to say what that will mean for the uk. and the vaccination booster programme in the uk, where does that stand? this is why the government is trying to boost the booster campaign and get every adult boosted by the end of january

katharine da costa, bbc news. the government's latest coronavirus figures for the uk show there were more than 90,000 new infections recorded, in the latest 24—hour period, which doesn't include figures for wales. the average over the past week is now more than 73,000 new cases every day. the number of people in hospital with covid as of 16th december is more than 7,600. 125 deaths were recorded, that's of people who've died within 28 days of a positive test. wales also hasn't recorded any death figures today. ii2 covid—related deaths were recorded on average every day in the past week. on vaccinations — nearly 650,000 people a day had boosters on average in the past seven days, bringing the total to more than 27.1 million. retailers have been hoping for a last—minute increase in sales on the last weekend before christmas. however, some figures released this evening suggest the number of customers in london and large city centres has fallen by between 8% and 15% today following fears about the omicron vari

da costa has more. george winder and his wife nikki are both gps in leeds. he tested positive for covid on a lateral flow device, which means, as a health worker, his wife cannot return to work until she's received a negative pcr test. it appears that, often, the website isn't showing availability. that doesn't always seem to hold true throughout the day. and i understand that other people have later in the day then found availability, which was the same with my wife. so, really, it'sjust this pattern of a delay in being able to book one locally on the government booking site. at some points today, there was no availability on the government website for home pcr kits or walk—in sites in england and northern ireland and only limited supply in scotland. there's been a surge in demand for lateral flow tests, too. that's led to pharmacists warning that supply�*s not keeping up. they've not had any here since christmas eve. it's not just our pharmacy that's out of stock, it's many, many more pharmacies.

here's katharine da costa. george winder and his wife nikki are both gps in leeds. spiralling cases are leading to an increase. the number of people with covid in hospital has risen above 10,000 for the first time in ten months, but there are some signs of optimism. it's quite difficult at the moment to interpret the data. we have very high rates of infection in the community, and therefore we may see some of these people naturally in the hospital as well. but equally, we're not seeing the same rate of admission to intensive care units, and so that could be a positive sign. the prime minister, on a visit to this vaccination centre in milton keynes, was pushing the message for people to get boosted. cases are going up, we've got a lot of cases of omicron. but on the other hand, we can see the data about the relative mildness of omicron, and what we can also see is the very, very clear effect of getting those jabs, getting those boosters in particular. that's what's making a huge difference. mrjohnson says 90% of covid patients in icu haven't had a booster, but there'

katharine da costa, bbc news. well, let's look at the latest government data now. there were a record 189,846 new infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period. the average over the past week is now more than 150,000 new cases every day. nearly 12,000 patients were in hospital with coronavirus on the 29th december. 203 deaths were recorded. that's of people who died within 28 days of a positive test. 110 covid—related deaths were recorded on average every day in the past week. 0n vaccinations, 233,464 people a day had boosters on average in the past seven days, bringing the total to almost 34 million. no new restrictions have been introduced in england for new year's eve, but in scotland, wales and northern ireland, there are stricter rules now in place for hospitality venues and indoor gatherings. there are reports of people in scotland and wales getting ready to travel to england to celebrate the new year, while borisjohnson has urged anyone attending parties to take a covid test beforehand. 0ur correspondent 0livia richwald reports from carlisle in cumbri

our health correspondent katharine da costa is here. the uk health security agency updates the number of confirmed cases of omicron in the uk so there have been an extra 86 confirmed cases, of those 68 were in england and to attain in scotland so that brings the overall total to 246 so while cases are taking up the are still small numbers, some linked to travel and there is also early signs of it spreading in communities but it's too soon to say whether this variant will take off in other countries. it's important to remember the uk is already seeing more than 40,000 new cases of delta every day so while the early data coming out of south africa it spreading more quickly than previous waves and that there is a high risk of reinfection from those who have already had covid, it's too soon to site what that will mean for the uk. and the vaccination booster programme in the uk, where does that stand? , , , ., , stand? this is why the government is t in: to stand? this is why the government is trying to boost _ stand? this is why the governm

our health correspondent katharine da costa explains what uk scientists know about this new variant so far. early data from south africa suggests infections are spreading more quickly than previous ways, and there's a higher risk of reinfection among those who of aarti have covid. most cases are mild, but it's early days. confirmed cases are low, but they are rising, and health officials say they're not all linked to travel. it's difficult to know if it will take off delta here in the uk. over 80% of the over 12 �*s are double jab. a third are boosted. the government says its current measures are enough to slow the spread. we might find out in the next few days how our antibodies control or neutralise the variant, but it may take several weeks to gather enough real—world data to see how the vaccines work in reality. but even if there is a drop in protection against infection, scientists say they'll still provide a very good level of protection against falling seriously ill or dying. let's have a look at some of the other developments in the coronavirus pandemic. denmark has become

katharine da costa, bbc news. the head of the pharmaceutical giant pfizer says annual booster vaccinations against covid vaccine will probably be needed. pfizer is already working on a new version of its covid jab to deal with the omicron variant should it be required. in a rare interview, albert bourla spoke to our medical editor fergus walsh about the crucial role of vaccines in the pandemic. by by the end of the year, 3 billion doses of pfizer biontech's covid vaccine will have been produced. 4 billion next year. the boss of pfizer is in no doubt about the crucial role vaccines have played in this pandemic. i crucial role vaccines have played in this pandemic— this pandemic. i think the bottom line is millions _ this pandemic. i think the bottom line is millions of _ this pandemic. i think the bottom line is millions of lives _ this pandemic. i think the bottom line is millions of lives were - line is millions of lives were saved. what was demonstrated was the human ingenuity and the power. since the emergenc

here's our health correspondent, katharine da costa. at vaccine centres around the uk, including this one in grimsby, the race is on to get even more jabs into arms and boost our defences against what may become the biggest wave of covid infections we've seen so far. it's more worrying, i think, because we don't know exactly what's going to happen, so it's betterjust to be safe. ijust want to protect people as well that i'm going to be in contact with. the new variant omicron is spreading fast, doubling every 2.5 days. new modelling has looked at what that might mean for hospital admissions and deaths in england under plan b with greater use of masks and working from home. it's early work, but researchers say further measures may be needed. what we do know is that very stringent restrictions come with their own downsides that can be devastating for individuals, for their families and for businesses especially leading into christmas, so i think policymakers have some very, very difficult decisions to make. so, what does this mean for cas

da costa joins me now. tell us more about what they are saying. tell us more about what they are sa inc. , ,., ., tell us more about what they are sa in. , ., ., ., ., saying. yes, so, we got information that the uk — saying. yes, so, we got information that the uk regulator, _ saying. yes, so, we got information that the uk regulator, the - saying. yes, so, we got information that the uk regulator, the mhra, | saying. yes, so, we got information l that the uk regulator, the mhra, has said that pfizer vaccines are safe and effective for children aged 5-11, and effective for children aged 5—11, and the and effective for children aged 5-11, and thejcvi, and effective for children aged 5—11, and thejcvi, the vaccine experts that advise the government, have said it should be offered to those in at—risk groups, with underlying health conditions, things like severe neuro disabilities. this is a group of about 330,000 children. they will be offered to morocco doses of the pfizer vaccine. this will be a thi

with me now is our health correspondent, katharine da costa. where are we then with no 1 about omicron? , , ., ., ~ ., omicron? scientists are working hard to t omicron? scientists are working hard tot to omicron? scientists are working hard to try to answer— omicron? scientists are working hard to try to answer three _ omicron? scientists are working hard to try to answer three questions, - omicron? scientists are working hard to try to answer three questions, is l to try to answer three questions, is omicron more transmissible, can it dodge immunisation? some early data from south africa where this was first identified shows it is spreading very quickly, the wave is deeper than with previous variants and omicron has overtaken delta. but infections were very low in south african when this new variant first emerged so it's difficult to know if it will take off in other countries like the uk. we already have more than 40,000 cases of delta every day but so far there are more than 100 confirmed cases in britain of this variant. there are some e

here's our health correspondent katharine da costa. there's no time to lose — jabs are now available 2a hours a day at this vaccine centre in north london, as nhs staff and volunteers across the country strive to reach one millionjabs a day. in london, where the 0micron variant is driving a surge in infections, the mayor has announced a major incident. we are incredibly concerned by the huge surge in the 0micron variant. over the last 2a hours, we have had the largest number of new cases since this pandemic began. hospital admissions and staff absences are going up by a massive margin, so i have taken the decision to declare a major incident today. london will be able to seek further support from government to address the pressures facing the city. experts say this is just the tip of the iceberg, the true number is likely to be significantly higher. there have been 85 people admitted to hospitals in england in total, and seven confirmed deaths. currently, around 800 patients with covid are being admitted each day in england, but minu

here's our health correspondent, katharine da costa. early data from south africa, and now studies in england and scotland, are pointing in the same direction. omicron infections may be milder and leading to fewer hospital admissions. research by imperial college london found around a 40% reduction in the risk of being admitted to hospitalfor a night or more, compared to delta. a scottish study suggested there was a 65% lower risk of being hospitalized with omicron, but it was based on only a few cases. while in south africa, omicron patients were thought to be around 75% less likely to need hospital treatment. rather than omicron being fundamentally milder, scientists think it's partly due to immunity in the population from previous infection and vaccination. it's still early days, but scientists say it's good news, to a degree. it's very important to recognize that, even if there were, say, a 50% reduction in the rate of hospitalisation, because it's doubling every two days, that 50% will soon just be overwhelmed by the increasing cas

here's our health correspondent katharine da costa. at vaccine centres around the uk, including this one in grimsby, the race is on to get even more jabs into arms and boost our defences against what may become the biggest wave of covid infections we've seen so far. it's more worrying, i think, because we don't know exactly what's going to happen, so it's betterjust to be safe. ijust want to protect people as well that i'm going to be in contact with. the new variant, omicron, is spreading fast, doubling every 2.5 days. new modelling has looked at what that might mean for hospital admissions and deaths in england under plan b, with greater use of masks and working from home. it's early work, but researchers say further measures may be needed. what we do know is that very stringent restrictions come with their own downsides that can be devastating for individuals, for their families and for businesses especially leading into christmas, so i think policymakers have some very, very difficult decisions to make. so, what does this mean for

here's our health correspondent, katharine da costa. early data from south africa, and now studies in england and scotland, are pointing in the same direction. 0micron infections may be milder and leading to fewer hospital admissions. research by imperial college london found around a 40% reduction in the risk of being admitted to hospitalfor a night or more, compared to delta. a scottish study suggested there was a 65% lower risk of being hospitalized with 0micron, but it was based on only a few cases. while in south africa, 0micron patients were thought to be around 75% less likely to need hospital treatment. rather than 0micron being fundamentally milder, scientists think it's partly due to immunity in the population from previous infection and vaccination. it's still early days, but scientists say it's good news, to a degree. it's very important to recognize that, even if there were, say, a 50% reduction in the rate of hospitalisation, because it's doubling every two days, that 50% will soon just be overwhelmed by the increasing cas

katharine da costa, bbc news. new guidance has been issued for care home visits in england — as a result of the surge in omicron infections. from wednesday, residents will be limited to three visitors — as well as a friend or relative nominated as their essential care giver. megan paterson reports. in care homes around the country, festive celebrations are well under way. but as well as the usual trimmings, for some families, fears about covid guidelines on separation from loved ones are making an unwelcome return. i run a family of seven and it is a limit of three, so i run a family of seven and a limit three, so i'm very worried about how this is going to impact on them. the department of health say people living in care homes in england will only be allowed to receive visits from three people plus one essential care worker. staff will have to take three lateral flow tests and one pcr test every week. and there will be a 500,000,000 fund to recruit and retain care workers. further clarity is expected on the

katharine da costa, bbc news. the government says there is no need to cancel christmas parties, but has urged caution — with the health secretary advising pa rtygoers to take a lateral flow test before attending. however, one survey suggests more than half of office workplaces have decided not to hold a big office bash this year. let's get more from our business presenter, victoria fritz. some are not convinced that it is a good idea, then?— some are not convinced that it is a good idea, then? know, plenty are not convinced _ good idea, then? know, plenty are not convinced it _ good idea, then? know, plenty are not convinced it is _ good idea, then? know, plenty are not convinced it is a _ good idea, then? know, plenty are not convinced it is a good - good idea, then? know, plenty are not convinced it is a good idea. - not convinced it is a good idea. lots of big companies have decided not to host them, notjust lots of big companies have decided not to host them, not just for covid reasons, but also of course