Coronavirus - 16th December 2021

Summary for Thursday, 16th December

• France puts new restrictions on UK travellers
  
• From Saturday, people arriving from the UK will have to have a negative Covid test within less than 24 hours
  
• Business groups ask the government for help as customers cancel bookings due to Covid
  
• The CBI and UK Hospitality want support for struggling firms as Omicron's spread hits consumer confidence
  
• A record number of 78,610 daily cases is reported in the UK on Wednesday
  
• Boris Johnson says he is not shutting pubs and restaurants but advises people to "think carefully before you go"
  
• He will be questioned by MPs later on Thursday morning
  
• Schools say they are prepared to switch to online learning next term if they have to
  

Welcome to our live page coverage this Thursday morning

Yesterday saw the highest number of daily cases recorded in the UK - so what will this mean? We'll bring you all the latest today. Here are the main news stories so far:

• The PM and Prof Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, have urged the public to be cautious if they socialise before Christmas
  
• The UK recorded 78,610 new Covid cases on Wednesday - the highest daily number reported since the start of the pandemic
  
• Prof Whitty warned more Covid records would be broken due to the Omicron variant
  
• Business groups say there has to be more support for industries, especially hospitality businesses, hit by cancellations and a fall in confidence
  
• Schools across the UK say they are prepared to switch to online learning if they have to next term, as more children stay at home because of Covid
  
• Covid cases in the UK reached record levels, with 78,610 new cases reported on Wednesday, as the Omicron variant continues its rapid spread.
  
• England’s chief medical officer warned people not to mix with others unless they have to in the run-up to Christmas after Britain recorded its most daily cases since the start of the pandemic.
  
• French President Emmanuel Macron said it was possible the Covid-19 vaccine would eventually be made compulsory in France, but said it was not the priority for now.
  
• A US appeals court revived the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for healthcare workers in 26 states.
  
• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken cut short his trip to Southeast Asia due to a Covid-19 case among his travelling party.
  
• Moderna will start a trial of its Covid-19 vaccine across eight African countries to determine its efficacy in people who are HIV positive, Bloomberg News reported.
  
• Early data suggests Omicron is more transmissible than Delta, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
  
• Canadians advised against all non-essential international travel.
  
• The Omicron variant has been found to multiply about 70 times quicker than the original and Delta versions of coronavirus in tissue samples taken from the bronchus, the main tubes from the windpipe to the lungs, a study found.
  
• Covid cases in the UK reached record levels, with 78,610 new cases reported on Wednesday, as the Omicron variant continues its rapid spread.
  
• Ukraine will extend Covid restrictions for another three months, to 31 March from the end of December, because of low levels of vaccination, the prime minister Denys Shmyhal said.
  
• Italy tightens restrictions for arrivals from the rest of the EU, requiring Covid tests of everyone and a five-day quarantine for those who are not vaccinated.
  
• The Crown Princess of Denmark tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday.
  
• South Korea will clamp down on social gatherings, reducing the maximum private gathering size to four people, and cut the hours of some businesses to fight a record-breaking surge of Covid infections that has led to a spike in hospitalisations and deaths.
  Curfews of 9pm on restaurant and cafe business hours will also be restored, prime minister Kim Boo-kyum said on Thursday. The new measures are set to be in effect from 18 December until 2 January, Yonhap News reports.
  
• South Africa has reported its highest daily tally of new coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic with 26,976 infections and 54 deaths recorded on Wednesday.
  The previous record of 26,485 on 3 July came at the height of the country’s third wave caused by the Delta variant. On that day, 108 Covid deaths were reported.
  

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Latest world headlines

Here's what's been happening around the world:

• France has just announced it is to “drastically” restrict travel from the UK due to the Omicron surge
  
• Health officials in South Korea have responded to record daily coronavirus cases by re-imposing strict social distancing and an overnight curfew
  
• A right-wing Dutch MP has been ordered to delete social media posts comparing Covid restrictions to the Holocaust
  
• And we've taken a look at what South Africa can teach us about Omicron
  

 

France toughens restrictions on UK travellers

We bring you more on the restrictions on UK travellers France has just been announcing.
Government spokesman Gabriel Attal says this morning the prime minister’s office will make “in the next few hours” announcements regarding travellers from the UK.
Attal says travellers from the UK will have to show a PCR/antigen test less than 24 hours old (as opposed to 48 hours until now).
Only French citizens returning from the UK, or British people living in France, will be allowed to come to France.
Travellers will have to give a compelling reason to be allowed to enter the country. People arriving from the UK will have to isolate at a location they choose, their isolation will end after 48 hours if they show a negative test.

More on France restrictions

Hugh Schofield - BBC News, Paris
We have more on the restrictions France is announcing on travellers. The new measures will be officially put out later, but their substance is now clear: from Saturday, people coming from the UK will be required to have a negative Covid test of less than 24 hours.
Once in France, they will have to self-isolate for a week, but that period of quarantine can be ended after 48 hours if they have a second negative test once in France.
Compelling reasons will be needed for entry, which includes visiting family - but not tourism or non-urgent work reasons.
The new measures apply to everyone regardless of whether they have been vaccinated.

France restrictions won't apply to hauliers

We've also now heard from Transport Secretary Grant Shapps that the new restrictions on travelling to France from the UK will not apply to hauliers:

France restrictions - full details

We now have now a full statement from the French prime minister's office
, about the new restrictions being placed on travellers from the UK.
It says as Omicron spreads "extremely quickly" in the UK, the French government has decided to reimplement compelling reasons for travel between the countries and reinforce mandatory tests at departures and arrivals.
It says: "According to the British government’s own words, the United Kingdom is about to face a 'landslide' linked to the Omicron variant in the upcoming days.
"Therefore, starting from this Saturday morning (00:00), the following rules will be established for travel between the United Kingdom and France:

• A compelling reason will be mandatory for travellers leaving or going to the United Kingdom, for both unvaccinated and vaccinated people. (See list of compelling reasons below*). These compelling reasons do not include professional and tourist trips. However, these compelling reasons will not apply to French citizens, their partners and children, who will still be able to come to France
  
• Before their departure, vaccinated people will have to show a negative test (PCR or antigen) taken less than 24h ago, which falls into line with the measures that were already in place for unvaccinated people
  
• Every traveller coming from the United Kingdom will have to register, prior to their trip, on a digital platform to indicate their destination address in France. This platform will generate prefectural decrees ordering the mandatory isolation of every unvaccinated and vaccinated traveller in the location of their choice. This mandatory quarantine can be lifted after 48h, under the conditions of showing the proof of a new negative test (PCR or antigen)
  

Controls will be organised to make sure these measures are respected. The French government also advises travellers who were planning to go to the United Kingdom to postpone their trip

Woman reunited with dad after 'risking' SA flight

Antonia says she's relieved to be spending Christmas with her father

As restrictions tighten to France... they are easing from some African countries.
A woman from London says she's "absolutely ecstatic" to be spending Christmas with her dad in South Africa after taking a "risk" it would be taken off the red list and getting on a flight.
Antonia Nicol, 50, booked the £1,600 trip when South Africa was first taken off the red list in October.
But she feared she'd be unable to go when it was added to the list again, as she'd have to pay for an expensive quarantine on her return.
However, after hearing rumours on Monday that the red list could be scrapped, Antonia decided on Tuesday to take a flight with her son.
"We were taking a risk to see my dad because he is on his own here. It's not because we needed a holiday," she said.
The UK government announced on Tuesday that South Africa and 10 other countries were indeed going to be removed from the red list, which happened at 4am on Wednesday morning.

'Only half of Covid cases get tested' warns expert

Only about half - or even fewer - of people who get Covid are ever tested, a scientific expert is warning.
Prof Andrew Hayward, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), which advises the UK government was speaking to BBC Breakfast in a personal capacity this morning.
As other experts agree, he says the doubling rate of Omicron is going to lead to an "extraordinary number of cases" and "a huge wave of infection".
The concern is that this wave "is going to cause lots of people to be off work having to isolate, which is going to cause disruption, and it's going to spill over into people going into hospital".
"The rate at which it spills over is uncertain because we don't know exactly how severe it is yet, but we've no particular reason to think that it's less severe than previous strains," he says.
Prof Hayward says people need to get boosted and also to reduce the number of people they are in contact with.
He also says the communication in Scotland has been "much clearer" than in England - they've been saying there is a "big problem".

What are the new travel rules?

As we've been hearing this morning, tourism will be soon be banned for UK travellers going to France as it tightens its rules over Britain's soaring Omicron cases.
From 23:00 GMT Friday, UK travellers will have to have a "compelling reason" for entry to France and show a fresh negative Covid test.
Read our explainer piece on all travel rules, for wherever you were hoping to be off to, here.

People in England have been told to cut down on socialising in the lead-up to Christmas
Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, urged people not to “mix with people you don’t have to”, amid mounting concern over the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
He advised the public to “prioritise social interactions that really matter to them”, suggesting work parties may be ill-advised.
Whitty’s comments were in stark contrast to messaging from Boris Johnson, who has previously said he does not want people to cancel Christmas parties.

South Korea to reimpose dining curfews

South Korea will reinstate social distancing rules and a 9pm curfew for restaurants and cafes to combat spiralling numbers of new infections and hospitalisations.
Curbs will return from 18 December to 2 January, limiting social gatherings to no more than four people - as long as they are vaccinated.
Restaurants, cafes and nightly entertainment facilities will also need to close by 9pm and movie theatres and internet cafes by 10pm, prime minister Kim Boo-kyum announced on Thursday.
Unvaccinated people will only be able to dine out alone, or use takeout or delivery services.
The measures came a day after South Korea reported another new daily record in Covid cases.
More than 94% of South Korean adults are fully vaccinated, but the number of new cases has surged nearly five-fold and the number of serious cases tripled since the rules were eased last month, adding to strains on the country’s medical system.

Dutch royals sorry for Princess Amalia birthday party that broke Covid rules
The Dutch royal family has apologised after it last week invited a reported 21 people to celebrate the 18th birthday of Princess Amalia, the future queen, in breach of coronavirus health guidance.
At present, people in the Netherlands can receive a maximum of four guests over the age of 13 in their homes.
Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte wrote in a letter to parliament on Wednesday: “The family strived to treat the coronavirus rules responsibly with this outdoor gathering and by taking precautions” including tests and social distancing.
“The king informed me that on reflection it was not a good idea to organise [the gathering].”
Read the full story here.

Thousands protest New Zealand's vaccine mandates

Thousands marched in New Zealand’s capital Wellington on Thursday to protest against Covid vaccine mandates and lockdowns, as the country announced 90% of its eligible population has been fully vaccinated.
The government has so far mandated vaccinations for teachers, workers in the health and disability sectors, police and other public service sectors.
Protesters, mostly unmasked, marched through the central business district of Wellington and gathered in front of the parliament building, know as the Beehive.
Some at the peaceful demonstration held placards with messages like “Freedom over fear”, “lockdowns destroy lives” and “Kiwis are not lab rats”, Reuters reports.
Others had signs with the “Make America Great Again” slogan of former US President Donald Trump.
Under mounting pressure, prime minister Jacinda Ardern eased most restrictions ahead of the Christmas break, abandoning her long-standing strategy of eliminating the coronavirus for a new “traffic light” system of living with the virus through higher vaccinations.
However, the island nation’s international borders remain shut to the outside world and will only be gradually opened from next year.

New Zealand detects first Omicron case

New Zealand has detected its first case of the Omicron Covid-19 variant in a Christchurch managed isolation facility.
On Thursday afternoon, the director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said:

This is a person who is in managed isolation in Christchurch. The person arrived in New Zealand on a flight from Germany via Dubai that landed in Auckland...the people on that flight were transferred to Christchurch on a chartered domestic flight trip with all our usual protocols.
We fully expected we will find a case of Omicron and in fact, we are treating every border related case as if it were Omicron until proven otherwise. We have good protocols in place that are designed to stop the virus getting across the border.”

Everyone who travelled on the same international and charter flights as the case are being treated as close contacts, as are those staying on the same floor of the MIQ facility.
Bloomfield said health authorities are considering advice over reducing the interval period between second and third doses of the Pfizer vaccine, to help combat Omicron’s spread and effect.

Australia captain Pat Cummins out of second Ashes Test after contact with Covid case
Mike Hytner - The Guardian
Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, has been ruled out for the second Ashes Test after being identified as a close contact of a positive Covid-19 case.
Just hours before Thursday afternoon’s toss in Adelaide, it emerged that Cummins was dining at a restaurant in the city on Wednesday night when a person at the next table was identified as a positive case.

Australian cricket team captain Pat Cummins seen at a training session at Adelaide Oval before being deemed a close contact of a positive Covid-19 case. Photograph: William West/AFP/Getty Images

Cummins left the venue immediately and promptly informed cricket authorities, but the exposure was deemed sufficient for the fast bowler to be forced into isolation for seven days, under South Australia Health protocols.

Indonesia has just identified its first case of the Omicron coronavirus variant, health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Thursday.
The case was detected on Wednesday evening and is believed to be an employee at the Wisma Atlet hospital in Jakarta who had no history of overseas travel.
There is so far believed to be no community transmission, but another five Omicron cases are suspected, including two Indonesians who had recently returned from the United States and from Britain, and three Chinese nationals currently in quarantine in Manado, North Sulawesi.
The government is waiting for genomic sequencing for confirmation.

Malaysia is now requiring all travellers arriving from the United Kingdom to undertake Covid tests everyday during quarantine.
“Due to the Covid-19 Omicron variant spread in the community, travellers arriving from the United Kingdom must now self-test everyday during quarantine. All self-test results (positive, negative or invalid) must be reported,” the ministry of health said in a statement on Thursday.
The country also confirmed a second case of the Omicron variant while another 18 suspected cases are currently awaiting genome sequencing for confirmation.

South Korea has just released its daily Covid report.
Another 7,622 confirmed coronavirus cases have been recorded over the last 24 hours with 62 Covid-related deaths.
The numbers are a slight decrease on the 7,850 cases and 70 deaths reported from the day before.

Germany is reporting another 56,677 new daily coronavirus cases and 522 deaths,
according to the Robert Koch Institute.

Malaysia bans mass New Year events

Malaysia has announced new Covid-19 restrictions, including banning mass gatherings and requiring booster doses for high-risk groups, as it reported its second case of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
To curb potential Omicron risks, mass New Year gatherings will be banned and those attending private New Year and Christmas celebrations must undergo Covid-19 self-tests, Khairy said.
Malaysians over 60, and all adult recipients of the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine, are required to get a booster dose by February to keep their status as “fully vaccinated”, Khairy said. Singapore is considering a similar policy.
Malaysia has also temporarily banned the entry of foreign travellers from eight countries and designated nine countries as “high-risk”, including Britain, the United States, Australia and India.
All arrivals from these countries must undergo mandatory quarantine and be fitted with digital tracking devices, regardless of their vaccination status.
Those from Britain will also be required to conduct daily self-tests during quarantine, Khairy said.

Covid cases rise sharply at some UK universities as students head home

Sally Weale - The Guardian
The number of Covid cases has risen sharply at some universities as about a million students begin to head home for the Christmas break, prompting fears that the mass migration could fuel the spread of the virus.
Students have been urged to take Covid tests before they leave their university to travel to see their families – the vast majority on public transport – and again before they return in the new year, as well as getting their booster vaccinations.
But with case numbers increasing rapidly on some campuses, including Omicron infections, there are reports that students have decided to leave early to limit the risk of having to isolate over Christmas away from home.
Loughborough University and Imperial College London have moved learning online for most students for the last few days of term after a significant uptick in cases. Elsewhere, universities have urged staff and students to either cancel or scale back planned Christmas celebrations to limit mixing.
Read the full story from our reporter Sally Weale here.

Here is a quick snapshot of the leading Covid news stories so far today:

• Covid cases have risen sharply at some UK universities as students head home, prompting fears that the mass migration could fuel the spread of the virus.
  
• Malaysia has announced new Covid-19 restrictions, including banning mass gatherings and requiring booster doses for high-risk groups, as it reported its second case of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
  
• Germany is reporting another 56,677 new daily coronavirus cases and 522 deaths, according to the Robert Koch Institute.
  
• South Korea has just released its daily Covid report. Another 7,622 confirmed coronavirus cases have been recorded over the last 24 hours with 62 Covid-related deaths.
  
• Japan has officially approved Moderna Inc’s Covid-19 vaccine for its booster shot programme that began this month.
  
• Malaysia is now requiring all travellers arriving from the United Kingdom to undertake Covid tests everyday during quarantine.
  
• Indonesia has just identified its first case of the Omicron coronavirus variant, health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Thursday.
  
• Australia’s cricket captain, Pat Cummins, has been ruled out for the second Ashes Test after being identified as a close contact of a positive Covid-19 case.
  
• New Zealand has detected its first case of the Omicron Covid-19 variant in a Christchurch managed isolation facility.
  
• Thousands marched in New Zealand’s capital Wellington on Thursday to protest against Covid vaccine mandates and lockdowns, as the country announced 90% of its eligible population has been fully vaccinated.
  
• The Dutch family family has apologised after it last week invited a reported 21 people to celebrate the 18th birthday of Princess Amalia, the future queen, in breach of coronavirus health guidance.
  
• Apple Inc is delaying its return to office plans indefinitely, Bloomberg News reports.
  
• People in England have been told to cut down on socialising in the lead-up to Christmas.
  
• New Zealand’s health regulator Medsafe has granted provisional approval for the Pfizer Inc Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years old.
  
• South Korea will reinstate social distancing rules and a 9pm curfew for restaurants and cafes to combat spiralling numbers of new infections and hospitalisations.
  
• South Africa reported its highest daily tally of new coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic with 26,976 infections and 54 deaths recorded on Wednesday.
  
  
  

Turkey has declared it will join countries accelerating the schedule for vaccine booster shots to fight the spread of the Omicron variant.
Ruth Michaelson - The Guardian
Turkey’s health minister Fahrettin Koca said that as a “precaution,” citizens and residents who received their second dose three months ago can now register for boosters.
Over 82 percent of Turkish residentshave received two doses of a vaccine according to the Turkish government, primarily Pfizer-Biontech. Turks who were previously vaccinated with Sinovac-Coronavac were offered additional shots of Pfizer-Biontech earlier this year.
Turkish officials reported the first cases of the Omicron variant last Saturday, one in Istanbul and five in the southern city of Izmir. The governor of Izmir, Yavuz Selim Köşger, told journalists that none of those infected had “connections abroad,” indicating community spread.

Only half of people in UK with Covid ever get tested, says scientific adviser, who predicts 'huge wave of infection'

A UK government scientific adviser has said that only around half of people who have Covid ever get tested and predicted that Omicron would lead to “a huge wave of infection”.
Prof Andrew Hayward, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), told BBC Breakfast: “Only about half or maybe even fewer of people who do have Covid ever get tested.”
He said the doubling rate of new variant Omicron would lead to an “extraordinary number of cases” and “a huge wave of infection”.
He added:

If you think about getting a year’s worth of rain over a month, then you’re going to get flooding and potentially severe flooding, no matter how much you’ve shored up your defences.
And that’s the concern here - that that huge wave is going to cause lots of people to be off work having to isolate, which is going to cause disruption, and it’s going to spill over into people going into hospital.
Now the rate at which it spills over is uncertain because we don’t know exactly how severe it is yet, but we’ve no particular reason to think that it’s less severe than previous strains.
We know that Covid is always going to be less severe if you’ve been immunised but it may be that rather than the strain itself that’s making a lot of cases look less severe.

He said that by Christmas or new year there should be more data about the severity of the new variant, but said that by then it would be too late to take action.
Asked about current restrictions, he said:

I think the scale of the potential problem that we’re looking at here does mean that we need to bite the bullet and we need to tell people that there’s two really important things here.
One is to get boosted, the other if we want to slow it down now... Then what we need to do is reduce the number of contacts that we have, we need to avoid crowded spaces with lots of people in and unfortunately, yes, that does mean parties etc. And so that’s a difficult message.

British tourists to be banned from France from Saturday

British tourists are to be banned from France from Saturday amid concern over Omicron cases in the UK.
France is banning travel to and from the UK without “compelling reasons” – which does not include travel or business – from Saturday morning, reports Sky News.
French nationals and their spouses will be exempt from the new rules.
It comes after the UK yesterday reported its highest number of Covid cases since the start of the pandemic.

France to tighten Covid restrictions on travel from Omicron-hit UK
Agence France-Presse has a few more details about the move to bar UK tourists from entering France:
France is to tighten restrictions on travel from Britain to slow the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 that is causing record numbers of cases on the other side of the Channel, the French government has said.
“We will put in place a system of controls drastically tighter than the one we have already,” the government spokesperson Gabriel Attal told BFM television, saying the office of the prime minister, Jean Castex, would issue a statement on the new measures in the coming hours.
He said travellers coming to France would need a negative test less than 24 hours old, a blanket quarantine would be enforced on return to France, and trips for tourism limited.
“We will reduce the validity of the test to come to France from 48 hours to 24 hours,” said Attal.
“We will limit the reasons for coming to France from the UK, it will be limited to French nationals and residents and their families. Tourism or business trips for people who do not have French or European nationality or are residents will be limited.
“People [coming back] will have to register on an app and will have to self-isolate in a place of their choosing for seven days – controlled by the security forces – but this can be shortened to 48 hours if a negative test is carried out in France.”

The new restrictions on travel between the UK and France will allow British citizens to go to the country only for “compelling reasons” and travellers will be required to present a negative PCR test from within 24 hours before they leave.
Grant Shapps, the UK transport secretary, said hauliers would be exempt.

France calls on people to 'postpone' travel to the UK

France has called on people who had planned to visit the UK to “postpone their travel”.
In a statement, released today, the French government said:

In the face of the extremely rapid spread of the Omicron variant in the United Kingdom, the government has chosen to reinstate compelling reasons for travel to and from the United Kingdom, and to strengthen the requirement for testing on departure and arrival.
In the UK government’s own words, the UK will face a ‘tidal wave’ linked to the Omicron variant in the coming days. Thus, from midnight into Saturday, the following rules will apply for travel between the United Kingdom and France:

• A requirement to have a compelling reason to travel to or from the United Kingdom, for unvaccinated and vaccinated people. These reasons are indicated [[url=https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Actualites/L-actu-du-Ministere/Attestation-de-depl acement-et-de-voyage]here[/url]].
  

They will not allow travel for tourism or business reasons. However, these compelling reasons will not apply to French nationals and their spouses and children who are still able to come to France.

It added:

Vaccinated people must present a negative test (PCR or TAG) of less than 24 hours, which is in line with the rules already in place for unvaccinated people.
An obligation for all travellers from the United Kingdom to register, prior to their trip, on a digital platform and provide the address of their stay in France. This platform will generate prefectural orders for all travellers, whether unvaccinated as vaccinated, to isolate in a place of their choosing. This isolation requirement may be lifted after 48 hours, subject to proof of a negative test (PCR or TAG).
Controls will be organised to ensure the proper implementation of these measures.
The government also calls on travellers who had planned to visit the United Kingdom to postpone their travel.

Poland reports first Omicron case

Poland has recorded its first Omicron case, reports Reuters.
The deputy health minister, Waldemar Kraska, reportedly made the announcement today.

Germany administered 1.5 million vaccine doses yesterday, bringing the total number of people who are vaccinated to 58.2 million, or 70% of the population, reports the country’s health ministry.
However, of those who have been vaccinated, only 22.9 million – 27.6% – have also had a booster.

Sweden to end vaccine pass exemption for Nordic neighbours

Sweden is to end vaccine pass exemption for its Nordic neighbours, authorities said today.
From 21 December, people from Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland will no longer have an exemption and will have to show their vaccine passes to enter the country, reports the Associated Press.
Sweden’s social affairs minister, Lena Hallengren, also encouraged all travellers to be tested for the coronavirus upon entry due to a “deteriorating” public health situation.
“The spread of infection is increasing sharply. The new virus variant Omicron makes it difficult to predict the spread of infection in the future,” she said.
So far, the Swedish government has not resorted to lockdowns or business closures during the pandemic, with authorities instead emphasising individual responsibility.
Hallengren said that it was acceptable for people who are fully vaccinated and healthy to celebrate Christmas with friends and relatives, but told them to “be prepared to cancel if you get symptoms.”
She urged Swedes to “choose a smaller party” for celebrating New Year.

Indonesian president urges people not to travel following country's first Omicron case

The Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, has urged people – including government officials – not to travel abroad after the country detected its first Omicron case.
The patient, who has no symptoms, is a cleaning worker at a hospital in Jakarta, reports the Associated Press. The person is being quarantined at the Athlete’s Village emergency hospital, where they work.
Widodo said: “I ask people and state officials to refrain from traveling abroad until the situation subsides.”
As of yesterday, Indonesia had recorded over 4.2m Covid cases and more than 143,000 deaths.

Here's a summary of the latest developments...

• The Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, has urged people - including government officials - not to travel abroad after the country detected its first Omicron case. The patient, who has no symptoms, is a cleaning worker at a hospital in Jakarta, reports the Associated Press. The person is being quarantined at the Athlete’s Village emergency hospital, where they work.
  
• Sweden is to end vaccine pass exemption for its Nordic neighbours, authorities said today. From 21 December, people from Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland will no longer have an exemption and will have to show their vaccine passes to enter the country.
  
• Poland has recorded its first Omicron case. The deputy health minister, Waldemar Kraska, reportedly made the announcement today.
  
• France has called on people who had planned to visit the UK to “postpone their travel”. British tourists are to be banned from France from Saturday amid concern over Omicron cases in the UK. France is banning travel to and from the UK without “compelling reasons” – which does not include travel or business – from Saturday morning.
  
• A UK government scientific adviser has said that only around half of people who have Covid ever get tested and predicted that Omicron would lead to “a huge wave of infection”. Prof Andrew Hayward, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), told BBC Breakfast: “Only about half or maybe even fewer of people who do have Covid ever get tested.”
  
• Labour has called on the government to work out a deal to help the struggling hospitality industry amid soaring cancellations as UK covid infections hit a new record high. Shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting, told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that chancellor Rishi Sunak and business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng should meet with businesses and trade unions to offer them more assistance.
  
• Care minister, Gillian Keegan, has said Britain’s new year booster target is “very ambitious” but that they plan to “throw everything at it”. She told Sky News that the situation is “hard right now”, but added that with the booster programme: “Hopefully we’ll be through the other side of this quite quickly.”
  

In the UK Queen Elizabeth II has cancelled plans for a pre-Christmas family lunch.
It’s a sign of how fast the epidemic is escalating in the UK, after sources inside Buckingham Palace assured The Sun on late Tueday night “there is no way the Queen wants to let anything get in the way of a family event like this.”
The UK on Wednesday recorded its highest rate of confirmed positive infections since the pandemic began, with 78,610 new positive results.

Poland has reported its first case of the highly mutated Omicron strain, according to the state-run Polish Press Agency.
The country reported 22,097 new Covid in the past 24 hours, according to the health ministry, down 20% from 27,459 a week ago.
Cases have begun to gradually decline after the country’s daily case rate jumped above 25,000 a day in late-November and early-December, but deaths remain high.
A further 592 people died from Covid-related causes on Wednesday, up 6% from 561 on the same day last week.

Portugal to extend its border controls beyond 9 January
Border controls in Portugal will be extended beyond their planned end on 9 January to limit spread of the Omicron variant, prime minister António Costa told reporters on Thursday.
Portugal requires a negative test for all passengers on arriving flights. (Previously this was not required for double-vaccinated people.) Flights for citizens from some southern African countries have been banned.
The country recorded 5,800 new Covid cases on Wednesday, jumping 54% from 3,773 on the same day three weeks ago.
A further 11 people died from Covid-related causes on Wednesday, taking the country’s total death toll to 18,698.

France drastically restricts travel from UK

As we've been hearing, France is set to tighten Covid restrictions for travellers arriving from the UK, as its government tries to slow the spread of the Omicron variant.
From Saturday all non-residents will have to give a compelling reason for travelling to France - tourism and non-urgent work do not qualify.
Confirmed Omicron cases are currently much higher in the UK than in France.
The UK reported a record 78,610 new Covid cases on Wednesday, with 10,000 confirmed as Omicron.
France, in comparison, reported 65,713 new Covid cases over a similar period but has only confirmed 240 cases of Omicron.
Read the full story here.

Russia reported 28,486 positive Covid infections on Thursday
The number is down from 29,701 on the same day last week and continuing the country’s gradual decline after its November spike.
Daily deaths remain above 1,000, as they have since late-October. A further 1,133 people died from Covid-related causes in the past 24 hours, down slightly from 1,147 deaths a week ago.
Russia’s total excess death count since the start of the pandemic is over 810,000, the Moscow Times estimates.

Ireland: NPHET to discuss restrictions on socialising, events and hospitality today
Connell McHugh - Irish Post
The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) is to meet today to discuss the tightening of restrictions in certain areas, with just over one week to go until Christmas.
The main areas to be considered are people being asked to cut their contacts in the lead-up to Christmas, and the tightening of restrictions on sporting events, large family gatherings and house parties, the Irish Times reports.
People may also be asked to increase their use of Covid-19 antigen testing, particularly before meeting elderly relatives.
For travel, the government is favouring an EU-wide approach, and harsh new restrictions are not expected.
Cabinet is expected to meet tomorrow to discuss the new recommendations from NPHET.
Also yesterday, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly announced a significant acceleration of the booster vaccination programme.
The opening hours of vaccination centres are to be extended from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week, and the number of pharmacies participating in the programme is to increase to 700.
Boosters will also be available to those aged over 40 from the week commencing 27 December, and the vaccination of high-risk children will commence 20 December.
Minister Donnelly said:
"Ireland has continued to be a frontrunner in the delivery and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines internationally.
"With over 1.2 million booster doses administered to date, we are currently operating an advanced hybrid model of delivery in Ireland to ensure those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19 are further protected. In advance of the festive season, I have asked that the HSE update the programme to maximise delivery.
"It is the intention that we will deliver an average of 300,000 booster doses a week in the coming weeks.
I am also pleased to announce that vulnerable children aged 5-11 will begin to be offered an appointment from next week and the booster programme will commence offering appointments to those aged 40 – 49 on the week commencing 27 December.
"To support this the HSE are implementing a number of capacity-increasing measures including extended opening hours in Vaccination Clinics and the participation of even more GPs and Pharmacies."
In the UK, a record 78,610 coronavirus cases were recorded yesterday, the highest number since the Covid-19 pandemic began, prompting the government’s chief medical adviser to warn against social mixing.

Ukraine recorded 9,590 new Covid infections in the past 24 hours
Tthe health ministry reports, this is a 46% drop from 17,873 cases three weeks ago.
The country experinced spiking cases in late-October and early-November.
The prime minister Denys Shmyhal said on Wednesday the country’s “adaptive quarantine,” the lowest yellow level of its red-orange-yellow restrictions system which places some rules on public gatherings, will be extended to 31 March 2022, Ukrinform reports.
About 40% of adults are vaccinated, Shmyhal said, with a target of reaching 70% before restrictions are relaxed.
A further 355 people died from Covid related causes in the past 24 hours, down 46% from 655 three weeks ago.

 

Omicron to become dominant in Scotland by Friday - Sturgeon

The Omicron variant is set to become the dominant strain of Covid-19 in Scotland by Friday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.
She tells MSPs that 45% of the 5,951 Covid cases reported on Thursday were suspected to be the variant.
The first minister adds Omicron overtaking the current dominant Delta variant as the dominant strain by Friday, will likely "drive an even more rapid increase in cases".
Ms Sturgeon urged people to reduce contact with other households "as much as you possibly can".
Read more here.

Treatments postponed as staff get Covid after London hospital party
Patients had their treatments postponed when a number of staff at London’s biggest hospital were diagnosed with Covid after attending a Christmas party, the Standard can reveal.
At least six health professionals at the Royal London Hospital, in Whitechapel, tested positive after attending the interventional radiology department’s party last Friday at the Tower Hotel, beside Tower Bridge. Other team members had to go into isolation.
A number of patients had non-emergency procedures cancelled as a result, though emergencies continued to be seen. The majority of appointments were rescheduled for later this week.
Barts Health NHS Trust, which runs the Royal London, has now advised all staff not to hold Christmas parties.
Bosses admit it cannot be proved that the infections were contracted at the event. Attendees are believed to have said they were socially distanced and wore masks when not dining.
The three-course meal, which cost staff £64 a head, was attended by about 100 radiologists, nurses, radiographers, anaesthetists and operating department practitioners. When attendees started to go down with Covid, staff were ordered to get tested immediately. They were told: “Please can all those who attended the Christmas party on Friday leave work, even if they have negative lateral flow or rapid antigen tests and should attend NHS Test and Trace for a PCR test (getting a negative result prior to returning to work).”
Interventional radiology involves a variety of scanning methods used to assist with minimally invasive procedures. These include insertion of stents, pacemakers and biopsies.
Barts Health said: “A small number of routine operations at the Royal London hospital this week were rescheduled after around a half a dozen staff tested positive for Covid-19. Emergency care continued as normal and all those who attended the event were asked to take a test. We have now advised our staff against holding work social gatherings.”
The trust, which also runs St Bartholomew’s, Newham and Whipps Cross, is treating almost 150 patients with Covid, of which about a fifth are in critical care or on enhanced oxygen.

A sign of what's to come for the rest of England... and the NHS? Omicron-hotspot London's Covid wave is now seeing infection rates soar in ALL age groups except children

• Department of Health statistics showed cases were doubling among adults in their 20s in the capital
  
• An uptick in older people who are most vulnerable to the virus is also being recorded in the city
  
• But experts said the rapid rise in cases was likely to slow in the coming days because it is so rapid
  

Luke Andrews - Health Reporter for MailOnline

Covid cases are now rising in every age group except young children in Omicron-hotspot London, according to official figures that lay bare the threat the NHS faces in the coming weeks.

The super-mutant variant, which is already dominant in the capital, has effectively sent the city of 10million into its own lockdown, with tens of thousands of workers staying at home today to avoid isolating over Christmas.

Department of Health data shows London is now seeing just as many cases as last January, when it was battered by the Alpha variant and put under harsher measures than the rest of the country.

London's spiralling crisis was initially driven by teenagers and adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s, who were seeing an uptick in cases two weeks before the ultra-infectious strain was first detected. Infections started to rise in the over-60s days after Omicron was confirmed to be in Britain, according to MailOnline analysis.

Experts have admitted the capital's crisis will inevitably slow down because the virus will simply run out of room, and people adhere to dire warnings from Boris Johnson and Professor Chris Whitty's plea to 'prioritise' the most important social events in the coming days.

And they said the astronomical spike in cases being seen in younger adults won't necessarily occur in over-60s, who are most vulnerable to the virus. Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious diseases expert at the University of East Anglia, said: 'This is partly because other age groups don't socialise as much.'

He also said Britain's booster vaccine drive — which prioritised older adults — should help to thwart the virus's spread, even though three jabs won't protect thousands from catching the virus and getting ill.

Scientist hopes it means the rapid increase in cases won't necessarily translate into monumental pressure on the NHS. Data also shows two vaccines can still drastically slash the risk of severe illness, with Chris Whitty today hinting three jabs against Omicron may be even better than two against Delta.

Hospitalisations in the capital are going up faster than in other regions, concerning official data shows. But on average 153 people are being admitted with the virus every day, barely an eighth of the peak last January when it hit 800.

Up-to-date Government statistics breaking down infection rates by age group only go up until December 10, so the true trajectory of London's outbreak will be even bleaker now.

And the same trend of cases rising in older adults has yet to be seen across the other regions of England, which have yet to be struck as badly by Omicron. Experts say the capital is more vulnerable to the variant because it is an international hub and had lower vaccination rates than other regions when the variant began to spread.

Department of Health statistics showed the infection rate for people in their late 20s in the capital has doubled in a week from 420.7 to 972.4 cases per 100,000 people. And among the early 20s it has jumped from 372.3 to 865.8.

There is also an uptick among older people who are more vulnerable to the virus, with rates among over-60s rising almost 40 per cent in a week from 115.7 to 158.8.

The only age group where cases are pointing down is five to 14-year-olds, where they are dropping by about five per cent week-on-week.

Who can now travel to France from the UK?

Under the new rules imposed by France for travellers arriving from the UK, there is a list of "compelling reasons" needed to justify a trip.
A statement from the French prime minister's office lists them as:

• Being someone working in the land, maritime and aerial transport sectors
  
• French citizens with wife/husband/partner and their children
  
• EU citizens with wife/husband/partner and children who have a main residence in France, or are in transit to a main residence in a country of the EU
  
• Citizens from outside the EU who have a resident permit in France or a long-stay visa, with a main residence in France
  
• British workers from the public sector such as border guards or customs officers
  
• People working for the Channel Tunnel
  
• Travellers in transit for less than 24 hours in French airports' international zones
  

'This holiday meant the world to us'

Dayne and his mum

Dayne Martin, who works for the BBC, had been looking forward to getting away from London for his Christmas holiday on Sunday - but following France's new travel restrictions, he will now not be going anywhere.
"As a shielder who is clinically extremely vulnerable, Mum and I haven’t been anywhere for the last 21 months, following every government restriction and rule to the letter," he says.
"So this holiday meant the world to us as people who have not seen outside our four walls very often for nearly two years. The last time we went away was Christmas 2019, to the area we were going to this weekend.
"I don’t necessarily blame the French government, the sheer number of UK positive cases on Wednesday has understandably caused alarm.
:Left Quotes: While this affects everyone in the same situation, it feels like it is particularly punishing those who have shielded, more than any other group. We have been nowhere, for our health and the greater good, and it is just so upsetting" from Dayne Martin
While this affects everyone in the same situation, it feels like it is particularly punishing those who have shielded, more than any other group. We have been nowhere, for our health and the greater good, and it is just so upsetting"
Dayne Martin

Schools prepared if Covid forces online move next term

Hazel Shearing - Education correspondent
Its a level of preparedness to chill any working parent, and downbeat news for pupils, but schools across the UK say they are prepared to switch to online learning if they have to next term, as more children stay at home because of Covid.
Some are being asked to take laptops home with them before Christmas in preparation.
More than 30 local authorities told the BBC some classes had moved online at local schools.
The government says it is committed to ensuring that schools in England stay open in January.
UK schools have been advised to reopen next term under current guidance.
They have been planning for a number of scenarios - including remote learning and teaching in "bubbles" with staggered start and finish times.
Read more

Israel to impose travel ban on the UK

Gidi Kleiman - BBC News, Jerusalem
We've head a lot from France today about new restrictions on UK travellers, but the country is not alone in taking action.
Israel will designate the UK and Denmark as countries on its Covid-19 “red list” at midnight due to concern over the spread of the Omicron variant.
Israeli citizens and permanent residents are forbidden from travelling to “red” countries from Israel, unless they get permission from the government.
Travellers returning from a “red” country are be taken to a publicly-funded quarantine facility on arrival and must stay there until they receive a negative PCR test result. They may then complete their seven days of isolation at home.
France, Spain, Ireland, Finland, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates are expected to be added to the red list on Sunday. Most African nations are already on it.
Israel closed its borders to almost all foreign nationals last month in response to Omicron, just weeks after they were reopened to vaccinated travellers.
Earlier this week, Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz told reporters that Israel could not be “hermetically sealed”, but that it was possible to delay the spread of Omicron in the country.

Israel pledges 1m vaccines to Africa

Israel has also been busy on the vaccine front. It's going to donate one million coronavirus vaccines to African countries, its foreign minister has said.
Yair Lapid said the AstraZeneca doses would be distributed in the coming weeks under the international Covax scheme, designed to boost vaccine supplies to poorer nations around the world.
"I'm happy that Israel can contribute and be a partner in eradicating this pandemic from the world," Lapid tweeted.
The foreign ministry said the vaccines would go to nearly a quarter of African countries, though it did not specify which.
Only about 7% of people in Africa have been vaccinated, the World Health Organization said last month - the lowest rate of any continent.

Runny nose top Covid symptom - researchers

Michelle Roberts - Health editor, BBC News online
We are waiting on the latest UK figures, but as Omicron coronavirus cases surge in the UK, more and more people are pondering their symptoms.
If you have a runny nose or a headache it is possible that you have Covid, say researchers.
The Zoe Covid study app asks hundreds of thousands of people to log their symptoms.
Investigators have been looking at ones linked to Delta and more recently Omicron and say the top five symptoms are:

• runny nose
  
• headache
  
• fatigue (either mild or severe)
  
• sneezing
  
• sore throat
  

So how likely is it to be a Covid rather than a cold?
Lead scientist Professor Tim Spector says: "In London, where Covid is increasing rapidly, it's far more likely to be Covid than it is to be a cold.
"If we look at our regional charts we see London accelerating more than we've seen it since the very first wave and this now means that Omicron is the predominant variant already."
If you think you may have Covid, it is important to get tested. Even people who don't feel very ill can put others at risk.
The NHS says people should still look out for classic Covid symptoms:

• a new, continuous cough
  
• a fever/high temperature
  
• loss of or change to smell or taste
  

Further 1,691 Omicron cases confirmed in UK

Another 1,691 Omicron cases in the UK have been identified, the UK Health and Security Agency says.
This brings the total number of identified Omicron cases to 11,708 – though experts warn the number is likely to be much higher as the variant spreads rapidly.

 

Record daily UK coronavirus cases for second day in a row

A further 88,376 coronavirus cases have been reported in the UK, according to the government's daily figures.
There have also been another 146 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.
The UK reported 78,610 cases yesterday.

Bulgaria reported 1,725 new covid cases in the last 24 hours,
according to local media, a 15% decrease from 2,018 two weeks ago. Bulgaria saw a spike in cases in late-October that has since declined.
A further 83 people died from Covid-related causes on Thursday, falling 27% from 114 to weeks ago and taking the country’s total death toll to 29,847.

BERLIN — Germany’s new health minister, Karl Lauterbach, has warned the country is lacking the millions of doses of coronavirus vaccine considered necessary to keep the population’s defences up over the winter, especially with the predicted rise of the new variant.
Lauterbach said that Germany was on schedule to receive just 1.2m doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine to distribute to vaccine centres and doctors’ practices across the country next week, 800,000 the following week and a further 1.2m the week after.
“But this is far less than the amounts which doctors are asking for every week.” He said Germany was scraping the barrel of its reserves. “The campaign has to roll ... but there is literally no more than this there,” he said.
His warning came as the country’s vaccine campaign, seen to have flagged in recent months, picked up a pace, with a record number of 1.5m doses having been administered on Wednesday, bringing up to 70% the number who are now double-vaccinated, and to almost 28% those who have received a booster jab.
Currently the Delta variant is making up around 90% of German infections. However, the more infectious Omicron variant has been detected and is expected to spread widely next month.
Lauterbach, an epidemiologist, who as the health spokesman for the Social Democrats was an active and much relied upon commentator on the pandemic before taking over as health minister from the Christian Democrats’ (CDU) Jens Spahn this month, said he was seeking “as an emergency to buy back” millions of unused vaccine stocks from eastern European countries.
His ministry has confirmed reports that it plans to spend ¢2.2bn on 80m BioNTech doses, via official European Union procurement channels, and to buy a further 12 million doses directly, to ensure, it said, “that we can start the new year in a sensible manner”.
Several eastern European countries have vaccine stocks which are in danger of becoming out of date if they are not used, due to vaccine hesitancy.
Finance minister, Christian Lindner, has confirmed that funds to cover the costs have been released, “so that the vaccine campaign can continue next year with higher intensity,” he said.
The first cases of the new, far more infectious Omicron variant have been detected in Germany, but the new wave it is not expected to sweep the country until next month.
The opposition CDU said it rejected Lauterbach’s claims that it had under-ordered vaccines and had not kept a proper inventory of stocks. The party has accused Lauterbach of using false data and creating or exaggerating an apparent problem in order to benefit from the relief that is likely to be triggered if efficient stocks are obtained. Lauterbach has strongly rejected the claim.
He is due to face fierce scrutiny over the issue during his first press conference with Lothar Wieler, head of the government disease control agency the Robert Koch Institute, on Thursday afternoon.
The press conferences with Wieler and Spahn, often held on a weekly basis, have been the main official source of communication on the pandemic since it began.
The RKI registered 56,677 new infections on Thursday morning, around 14,000 less than the previous week, and 522 deaths over the previous 24 hours. The seven-day incidence rate per 100,000 of the population remains high, but has fallen to 340, having stood at 422 a week ago, an improvement put down to an increase in restrictions.
Many venues, non-essential shops and cultural events broadly speaking require Germans to show a digital vaccine certificate or proof that they have recovered from Covid-19, as well as providing an official proof of a negative lateral flow test. The measures have been tightened regionally according to how widespread the disease is in particular areas.
Around 14% of German adults remain unvaccinated, leading to calls for a vaccine mandate in the new year. However, health officials have warned that any mandate had to be accompanied by sufficient vaccine stocks otherwise it would lack efficacy as well as undermining the government’s methods to tackle the pandemic.

Denmark breaks Covid case record for fourth day running as restrictions loom

Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen said on Thursday “new measurs will be needed” to break “very high” infections after the country breaks its daily Covid case record for the fourth time in a row.
Denmark’s State Serum Institute said 9,999 cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, a record high, a 128% increase on 4,390 cases three weeks ago.
“The infection is – unfortunately, as expected – very, very high. Authorities will provide a status later today. And I have no doubt that new measures will be needed to break the chains of infection,” Frederiksen said on Facebook.
“The Epidemic Commission is preparing, and as soon as we can say more, of course we will. The most important thing is still getting 3 [vaccines]. The sooner the better,” she added.
It comes after the UK reported record daily case numbers on Wednesday.
The Sundhedsstyrelsen health authority will hold a press conference at 5.30 pm local time, expected to focus on Omicron, the Copenhagen Post reports.

Premier League Man United and Brighton match postponed
In England, Saturday’s Premier League football match between Manchester United and Brighton has been postponed due to Covid outbreaks.
A small number of United players and staff returned positive rapid tests on Sunday, reported by the Athletic. Brighton has been dealing with “three or four” positive tests among its squad.
The Premier League is likely to face further postponements as the Omicron variant takes hold in the UK.
Sport is being disrupted across the world as Covid cases rise in many jurisdictions. In the US, an NBA Bulls game was postponed on Monday over an outbreak, Axios reported, and the NFL said it had a record 37 players testing positive on Monday.

Malawi tightens Covid restrictions and announces frontline worker vaccine mandate

Malawi said it is tighetning restrictions and will make Covid vaccines mandatory for frontline staff like healthcare workers after a jump in Covid cases.
The government limited gatherings to a maximum 100 people indoors and 250 people outdoors, Reuters reported.
The country recorded 318 confirmed Covid infections on Wednesday, up from 5 cases three weeks ago. Malawi also reported its first Omicron cases last week.
About 3% of the population is double-vaccinated. The frontline worker directive will commence on 20 December and also includes journalists.
“Uptake of vaccines has not been high enough towards reaching our goal of vaccinating at least 60% of eligible Malawians by the end of next year. The vaccine remains our best preventive tool,” health minister Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda said on Thursday.
She added: “Accumulating data is continuing to indicate that the majority of those being admitted to our emergency treatment units or losing their lives to COVID-19 have not been vaccinated.”

Palestine detects its first three cases of Omicron variant

Palestine has detected its first three cases of the highly-transmissable Omicron variant in the occupied West Bank, the health ministry said.
All cases were individuals who’d recently returned from abroad, health ministry spokesman Kamal Al-Shakhrah said in a statement.

Covid cases up 31% week on week

The number of coronavirus cases in the UK has increased by 105,595 or 31.4% in the last seven days, compared to the previous week, according to the government figures.
The number of daily deaths reported has decreased by 6% in the last seven days, compared to the previous week.
But it's worth remembering that it takes time for hospital admissions and deaths to show up in the figures after cases start to rise. And it's only been a few weeks since the first Omicron cases were identified in the UK.

Analysis: Good news and bad news

Robert Cuffe - BBC head of statistics
First the good: the booster campaign is ramping up rapidly. Nearly 750,000 boosters were given yesterday, new figures confirm. That's the third-highest figure ever reported and the best ever Wednesday.
But the race against the virus is on. The bad news is cases are continuing to rise rapidly: nearly 90,000 cases have been reported in a single day, up from close to 80,000 yesterday.
Most of this is being driven by London, where Omicron is furthest advanced, case rates are highest and rising fastest. Hospital admissions are rising in the capital too.
But, with cases of Omicron being detected across the UK, other parts of the country are likely to be facing the same challenges in the near future.

Eurostar criticises 'sudden switch-off' of travel

As cases rise sharply in the UK, France is shutting its border to British tourists, tightening the reasons for people to travel between the two states.
Eurostar has criticised this "sudden switching on and off of travel".
The train company says the rule change - which comes into force on Saturday evening - is at "significant cost to people, businesses and the economy".

• What are France's new travel rules?
  

Eurostar told the BBC it's difficult to see the purpose of travel restrictions when a variant is already established.
For those who need to change their plans, Eurostar is offering a free exchange system or e-voucher.
Read our full story on the changes here.

Queen undecided over Christmas trip too

The Queen usually attends church on Christmas Day - this year will be the first since the death of the Duke of Edinburgh, her husband of 73 years


More news now on the Queen, who earlier cancelled her traditional pre-Christmas lunch for extended family as a precautionary measure over soaring Omicron cases.
Like many of us, her Christmas plans are up in the air, with her annual trip to Sandringham for Christmas also as yet undecided.
All plans are said to be under review, and the palace will announce a decision when there is one.
Read more here.

China hits 100,000 total Covid-19 cases

Kerry Allen - BBC Monitoring, Chinese Media Analyst
Although China was the first country to record cases of Covid-19 two years ago, it has only just today reach the milestone of 100,000 total cases.
According to today's official statistics, there have now been exactly 100,000 confirmed cases of the virus in the country. China has a population of 1.4bn.
This is pretty extraordinary when we factor in that these cases span two years, and the current rate of transmission in the UK means that this number of cases are being recorded within just two days (or less).
The majority of these cases in China were recorded during the early stages of the pandemic. More than 50,000 Chinese cases were recorded in early 2020 in the central city of Wuhan, where the virus was first identified. Residents spent over two months confined to their homes so that transmission could be suppressed.
China has managed to avoid subsequent large-scale outbreaks by introducing swift, sharp lockdowns.
China’s top medical specialists have projected that China’s zero-Covid strategy may last until the end of spring 2022.

Canada's Omicron infections could overwhlem Ontario ICUs within weeks

The highly-mutated Omicron variant could swamp intensive care capacity in Ontario, Canada within weeks without action, a panel of experts said on Thursday.
“This will likely be the hardest wave of the pandemic. There is still some uncertainty but there is an undeniable urgency,” said Adalsteinn Brown, co-chair of Ontario’s Covid advisory group. “Waiting to take action means waiting until it is too late to take action.”
Canada reported 5,810 new Covid cases on Wednesday, an 85% jump from 3,146 infections two weeks beforehand.
The panel said vaccination alone would not tackle Omicron. Instead, it called for public health measures – such as restrictions on indoor gatherings – to cut peoples’ contacts by 50% and accelerate booster doses.
Ontario province, which contains Toronto, has about 600 ICU beds according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, with a further 500 surge capacity, but 300 patients will cause knock-on impacts across the health system.

Italy detects highest daily Covid cases since March

Italy reported 26,109 new Covid cases on Thursday, its highest daily number since 26,790 new infections on 12 March.
Today’s tally is a 90% surge on Italy’s 13,756 new cases three weeks ago.
A further 123 people died from Covid-related causes in the past 24 hours, rising 73% from 71 deaths on Thursday three weeks ago.
Health minister Roberto Speranza tightened restrictions to try and stymie the new wave on Tuesday, announcing mandatory Covid testing for all arrivals from the European Union and a five-day quarantine for the unvaccinated. The measures come into effect from 16 December until 31 January.

What happened today?

Here is a reminder of Thursday's main headlines:

• A record number of daily coronavirus cases has been reported in the UK for the second day in a row. There have been a further 88,376 cases, nearly a 10,000 increase on yesterday's figure
  
• A total of 11,708 Omicron cases have been identified so far in the UK - though experts warn the number is likely to be much higher as the variant spreads rapidly
  
• Boris Johnson has insisted England is not being put into lockdown by stealth, despite accusations from some of his own MPs
  
• The Queen cancelled her traditional pre-Christmas lunch for extended family as a precautionary measure following the UK's surge in Omicron cases
  
• The Bank of England raised interest rates for the first time in more than three years, despite fears that Omicron could slow the economy
  
• France is tightening Covid restrictions for travellers arriving from the UK, as the government in Paris tries to slow the spread of the Omicron variant
  
• Pregnant women are at heightened risk from Covid and should get vaccinated to protect themselves and their child, say UK experts
  
• The first at-home treatment for Covid has been given to patients in the UK as part of a major national study
  
• Schools across the UK say they are prepared to switch to online learning if they have to next term, as more children stay at home because of Covid