Coronavirus - 23rd December 2021

Summary for Thursday, 23rd December

• There will be no new Covid rules in England announced before Christmas
  
• "People should enjoy their Christmases with their families and their friends - of course, remain cautious," says Health Secretary Sajid Javid
  
• It does not mean there won't be any new rules for after 25 December - but if there are, they won't be announced today or tomorrow
  
• Boris Johnson had already said people could go ahead with their Christmas plans
  
• It comes as several preliminary studies suggest the Omicron coronavirus variant is milder
  
• Scotland has tightened restrictions further - nightclubs will close for three weeks from 27 December
  
• NHS England staff off work because of Covid increases by 54% in a week
  
• The UK reported 106,122 new Covid cases on Wednesday - exceeding 100,000 for the first time
  

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.

Here are the main stories this morning:

• Boris Johnson is urging people to take “extra special care” to protect themselves from the virus this Christmas, including by wearing masks when needed and taking a test before visiting loved ones
  
• Early studies suggest the Omicron variant may cause less severe disease, with fewer people requiring hospital treatment than with other variants
  
• Scientists say the findings are “qualified good news” but warn that a big wave of case could still overwhelm the NHS
  
• Daily Covid cases exceeded 100,000 across the UK for the first time on Wednesday
  
• New rules are being introduced in Wales where no more than six people will be allowed to meet in pubs, cinemas and restaurants from 26 December
  
• And in Northern Ireland nightclubs will have to close from 06:00 GMT the same day before more stringent measures come into force on Monday
  
• US President Joe Biden has denied his administration bungled its response to the emergence of the Omicron variant, saying “nobody” could have predicted it
  
• In Europe, Spain has announced plans for mandatory face coverings outside in response to a dramatic rise in Covid cases
  

Here’s a run-down of all the Covid news you may have missed:

Europe

• Covid booster drives are likely to prolong the pandemic, head of the World Health Organization has said.
  
• The WHO’s European chief has warned countries to brace for a “significant surge” in cases as Omicron spreads across the continent.
  
• The WHO also cautioned there is not enough data on Omicron severity yet.
  
• European countries including Germany, Sweden, Finland and Portugal announced they will reimpose Covid curbs just before or after Christmas.
  
• Italy’s prime minister Mario Draghi said the government is preparing new Covid restrictions, including the return to mandatory mask-wearing outdoors and the use of more protective FFP2 masks indoors.
  
• Wales will impose a rule of six in pubs, cinemas and restaurants from 26 December.
  
• France could soon have around 100,000 new Covid cases a day, health minister Olivier Veran said on Wednesday, up from around 70,000 currently as the country battles a fifth wave of the epidemic.
  
• France on Wednesday also opened vaccinations to children aged between five and 11.
  
• The UK recorded 106,122 new Covid cases on Wednesday, the highest daily figure since the beginning of the pandemic and the first time cases have passed 100,000.
  
• Britain has signed contracts to buy a further 4.25m courses of antivirals for its health service to help combat the Omicron variant.
  
• England cuts Covid self-isolation to seven days with a negative test.
  
• Denmark will tighten restrictions in schools from 5 January with pupils and staff taking two weekly tests, staff and parents urged to wear facemasks.
  
• Belgium is set to close cinemas and theatres close from this weekend in tightening of Covid measures.
  
• Face masks will once again be compulsory at all times outdoors in Spain.
  
• Germany’s new health minister Karl Lauterbach suggested a fourth Covid-19 vaccine dose would be required in order to protect against the Omicron variant.
  

United States

• US regulators approve the first Covid antiviral pill.
  
• The US recorded the lowest rate of population growth in its history in the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the US Census Bureau.
  

Asia

• Japan has confirmed its first known local transmissions of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus in Osaka.
  
• In northern China, the city of Xi’an has entered lockdown, ordering all 13 million residents to stay home from midnight on Thursday. Households may only “send one household member outside once every two days to purchase necessities” while everyone else must remain indoors except in the case of an emergency.
  
• Singapore will freeze the sale of tickets for arriving flights and buses under its quarantine-free travel programme for four weeks from Thursday.
  

Africa

• A study from South Africa suggests Omicron carries a lower risk of hospitalisation and severe disease. Scientists from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) found the risk of hospital admission was roughly 80% lower for those infected with Omicron compared with Delta though high population immunity may also be a factor.
  
• Unvaccinated people in Kenya will be banned from public places, the health ministry said.
  

Middle East

• Israel will offer a fourth dose of the Covid vaccine to people over the age of 60 or with compromised immune systems, and to health workers.
  
• In Nigeria, around a million AstraZeneca Covid doses donated by developed countries were destroyed Wednesday after they expired.
  
• AstraZeneca has said it is working with Oxford University to produce a vaccine for the Omicron variant.
  

Take a test before visiting family, PM urges

The prime minister is urging people to take “extra special care” to protect themselves and their families against Covid this Christmas.
He tells the Sun the public should wear a mask when needed, open windows for ventilation and take a test before meeting loved ones, particularly if they are elderly or vulnerable.
Boris Johnson warns the Omicron variant “continues to surge across the country faster than anything we have seen before”.
New post-Christmas restrictions have been set out in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland but Johnson has ruled out any changes in England before Christmas.

Health service busier than any previous December - NHS leader

The NHS in England is busier than ever been before at this time of year, the head of an organisation representing hospitals and ambulance services says.
Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, says analysis suggesting Omicron is milder provides "some good news" but there still is not "conclusive data" on the impact the variant could have on hospital admissions, as there is not enough information on older people.
“When we talk about the pressure on the NHS, everybody's just focusing on Covid hospital admissions and what we’re not doing is looking at the broader picture," he tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme."
"If you look at the broader picture then we’re busier at this time of year than we’ve ever been before."

 

No new announcements before Christmas - No 10

We already knew that no new Covid restrictions would be imposed in England until after Christmas Day.
Now, the BBC understands that no new restrictions for after Christmas will be announced before 25 December.
That does not mean there won't be any restrictions after 25 December - but if there are, they won't be announced today or tomorrow.
The government has said it is monitoring the data on Omicron's severity.

 

Scottish nightclubs to close for three weeks

The Scottish government has announced that nightclubs in Scotland will close for three weeks from 27 December.
They were already facing tough rules, as part of Scotland's new restrictions.

• From 05:00 on 26 December, attendance at large events in Scotland will be limited to 100 people for indoor standing events, to 200 people for indoor seated events, and to 500 people for all outdoor events seated or standing
  
• From 05:00 on 27 December, there will be one metre physical distancing between adults in all indoor hospitality and leisure settings
  

After Christmas, the only UK nightclubs open will be in England

Nightclubs in Scotland will close for three weeks from 27 December to try to stem the wave of Omicron - and similar measures have already been announced in other parts of the UK.
In Northern Ireland, clubs will have to close from 06:00 GMT on 26 December.
And in Wales, nightclubs originally told to close from 27 December, will now shut a day earlier.
Nightclubs in England have not been told to close - and, as we've reported, the BBC understands no new restrictions will be announced before 25 December.

 

NHS staff absences in England up 54%

A total of 18,829 NHS staff at acute trusts in England were absent for Covid-related reasons on 19 December, up 54% on the previous week, according to new figures.
In London, the figure was 3,874 - more than double the number a week earlier.
The total includes staff who were ill with Covid-19 or who were having to self-isolate.
The capital was hit by the Omicron surge earlier than the rest of the country so has a higher number of cases.

How much pressure are England's hospitals under?

We've just posted on the sharp increase in the number of NHS staff in England having to miss work because of Covid.
But how much pressure are Covid patients themselves putting on the health service?
Earlier we heard from Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospital and ambulance services in England.
He said the NHS was facing its busiest Christmas period ever, with overall bed occupancy rates at 94.5% compared to 89% last year.
There are 7,080 patients in hospitals in England with Covid, according to the latest data - that's around 6% of all occupied beds. That compares to more than 34,000 during the January peak earlier this year.
Some 1,061 patients were admitted to hospitals in England with Covid on Monday, with the weekly total up 2.3% on the previous seven days.
However, it’s not just Covid patients putting pressure on services.
On 14 December – the latest data available - there were 925 adult critical care beds occupied by Covid patients, compared to 2,657 occupied by non-Covid patients.
For adult general and acute beds the figure was 4,868 for Covid patients and 81,290 for non-Covid patients.

Half of colds will be Covid

Michelle Roberts - Health editor, BBC News online
If you have a sore throat, runny nose and a headache there is a good chance it could be Covid caused by Omicron, say UK researchers who have been tracking the pandemic using feedback from the general public.
The Zoe Covid study team says there has been an "explosion" of cases. They estimate around 144,000 people a day are catching and then feeling somewhat unwell with the virus.
For most, it is a mild disease. Some get no symptoms at all. But it can still cause very serious illness in some people, including those who have not been vaccinated.
If you have cold-like symptoms, get a Covid test, says lead scientist Prof Tim Spector.
"The number of new symptomatic cases has exploded over the last week.
"For most people, an Omicron positive case will feel much more like the common cold, starting with a sore throat, runny nose and a headache. You only need to ask a friend who has recently tested positive to find this out.
"We need to change public messaging urgently to save lives."
Cold or coronavirus - what are the symptoms?

Spain announces mandatory outdoor mask wearing

People in Spain will have to wear face coverings outside under new plans announced by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
On Tuesday Spain saw a record 49,823 cases.
In Spain, the Omicron variant is believed to account for almost half of infections.
Mr Sánchez told regional leaders the mask measure would be put to ministers and signed into law before Christmas.
Dr Catherine Smallwood, a senior emergency officer for the WHO in Europe, told the BBC’s Today programme that outdoors carries much less risk than indoors. But if you’re in a crowded area then the WHO would recommend the wearing of masks.
Read more here

 

England A&E wait times for ambulance patients drop slightly

Wait times for patients arriving by ambulance at A&E hospital departments in England were down slightly last week compared to the previous seven days.
One in five patients waited at least half an hour to be handed over to A&E staff in the week to 19 December, according to NHS England figures.
A total of 16,410 delays of 30 minutes or more were recorded across all acute trusts, representing 20% of all arrivals - down from 23% the previous week.
Some 7% of arrivals last week (6,124) took more than 60 minutes to be handed over to A&E teams, down from 10% in the previous week.
A handover delay does not always mean a patient has waited in the ambulance. It could be that they were moved into an A&E department, but staff were not available to complete the handover.

• You can check the latest NHS data in your area here
  

Analysis: Proportion of 'With Covid' rather than 'Of Covid' patients rising in London

The number of people in hospital in London with Covid - but because of something else - has more than doubled so far in December and now stands at just over 400.
The number of people in hospital because of Covid has also risen: by 40% to nearly 1,200.
About 75% of people in hospital with Covid in London are there because of Covid – that’s down from 82% at the start of the month. (For England as a whole, it’s currently just over 70%.)
London leads the way in the Omicron wave, and this picture is consistent with emerging data on an often milder infection that still has the power to put people in hospital.
With huge numbers of people in the capital infected with hopefully mild cases of Covid, we should expect to see more people who turn up for, say, a broken leg but test positive for Covid.
This puts some pressure on hospitals: people with Covid have to be treated differently to prevent outbreaks in hospitals where there are many vulnerable people.
We’re also seeing that many more infections eventually translates into more people getting very sick.
That’s the big question for Omicron: what’s the balance between the increase in the number of people catching and any decrease in the chances of getting really sick if catch it?
Only when we know that will we know for sure where this wave is heading.

More Premier League postponements

After six Premier League games were postponed at the weekend because of Covid outbreaks at clubs, the first postponements for 26 December have been announced.
Liverpool v Leeds and Wolves v Watford are off. Seven games are still scheduled to be played.

More from the Premier League

The Premier League have released a full statement on the 26 December postponements.
"Following postponement requests from Leeds United and Watford as a result of Covid-19, the Premier League board met this morning and regrettably agreed to call off the two affected clubs’ Boxing Day fixtures," it says.
"The board concluded that Leeds will not be able to fulfil their fixture this weekend due to the number of players with Covid-19, injuries and illness. The club’s training ground has also been closed after consultation with the UK Health Security Agency and the Premier League," the statement adds.
"Watford continue to have an insufficient number of players to field a team after their match against Crystal Palace last Saturday was postponed following a Covid-19 outbreak.
"Due to players coming out of isolation, it is fully expected Watford will be available for their fixture on Tuesday 28 December, against West Ham United."

Watford's last game was a 2-1 defeat to Brentford on 10 December

Chinese city of 13m remains under strict lockdown

The Chinese city of Xi’an remains under lockdown with its 13 million residents told to stay at home.
More than 200 cases have been detected this month, as the city conducts mass testing to try and curb the spread of the virus before the Winter Olympics next February.
Officials say the confirmed cases are the Delta variant.
Under the rules, only one person per household can leave home every two days in order to purchase essential goods.
People are only allowed to leave their home in extenuating circumstances and must have approval from officials to do so.

• Read more here
  

Bulgaria to issue retirees with cash in return for jab

Bulgaria is set to give every retired person a cash reward if they are vaccinated with a first or second dose.
They will be given a one-off payment of 75 levs (£32) if they get the jab.
Those who have already received three shots of the vaccine will also be eligible for the cash reward, Reuters news agency reports.
Only 27% of eligible adults in Bulgaria are fully jabbed.
Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said on Thursday: "Our government’s priority is not to have as many people dying from Covid, but to ease the pressure on hospitals and mainly to protect our elderly who are most at risk."

Emergency Covid testing sites are being set up in hard-hit areas across the US.

The first site opened in New York City on Wednesday, with more set to open next week.
Sites such as the one just opened in NYC hopes to provide 25,000 free PCR tests a week.
The new testing sites follow criticism of a widespread Covid testing shortage before the holidays. A surging demand for tests, driven by the new variant and the winter holidays, has led to long lines and shortages around the country.
Pressed about US testing shortages amid the Omicron surge, US president Joe Biden conceded in an interview with ABC that “nothing’s been good enough”.
“We’re nearly two years into the pandemic and a year into your presidency. Empty shelves and no test kits in some places, three days before Christmas … is that good enough?” asked ABC’s David Muir.
“No, nothing’s been good enough,” said Biden. “I wish I had thought about ordering” the 500m at-home tests two months ago, the president later added.

South Korea reports record high Covid deaths and critically ill

South Korea has just released its daily Covid report, setting a new record for Covid deaths on Thursday.
The east Asian nation reported another 6,919 new coronavirus cases for Wednesday and 109 deaths, according to data released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
A record number of 1,083 people have been admitted to hospital with serious symptoms and in critical condition.
The previous record high of critically ill patients was 1,063 recorded earlier this week.
The number of deaths has also just surpassed 5,000 with 5,015 cumulative deaths reported.
South Korea is struggling to contain a surge in Covid-19 cases that is placing intense pressure on medical services, prompting the prime minister, Kim Boo-kyum, to commit to securing an additional 10,000 hospital beds for patients with moderate to serious symptoms by the middle of next month, the Yonhap news agency reported.
South Korea now requires citizens over 18 to present a quarantine pass, proof of Covid vaccination or negative PCR test to access indoor sports events, cinemas and concert halls. Other new restrictions include social distancing measures that will last until at least 2 January, limiting gatherings to no more than four people and forcing restaurants, cafes and bars to close by 9pm.

Thailand is reporting another 2,940 new coronavirus cases and 30 deaths.

This is an increase on the 2,532 new coronavirus cases and 31 deaths on Wednesday, according to the ministry of health.
Thailand has also reinstated mandatory Covid quarantine for foreign visitors and scrapped a quarantine waiver. The move was confirmed by the government, which said the action was being taken due to concerns over the spread of the Omicron variant.
Malaysia is also reporting another 3,419 locally-transmitted Covid cases and 29 deaths, according to the ministry of health.

Meanwhile in neighbouring Japan, the government is not considering an immediate change to current Covid-19 restrictions,
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Thursday, a day after community transmission of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus was discovered.
The government confirmed on Wednesday that a family of three based in the western city of Osaka had the Omicron variant and the origin of how they had caught the virus could not be traced.
Japan decided to extend strict border controls “for the time being”, the prime minister, Fumio Kishida, said yesterday despite criticism from students waiting to take up university places and families who say they have been unfairly separated by the restrictions. Kishida had originally said those measures would stay in place until early January.
Japan is recording comparatively few daily cases, but Kishida warned of the need to remain vigilant, speed up the booster rollout and promote the use of orally administered Covid-19 drugs, the Kyodo news agency said.

Australian states reimpose mask mandates

The premier of Australia’s most populous state of NSW, Dominic Perrottet, addressed the media on Thursday to confirm masks will be mandated for inside areas and density limits would also be imposed.

As of midnight tonight, we will be requiring that masks are worn in indoor settings.
We are encouraging people, particularly over the holiday period, if you can work from home, please work from home.
We’ll be moving from hospitality venues indoors to two square metres from December 27 to January 27 ... And also the indoor face mask requirement will also be in place until January 27 as well.”

Australia reintroduced COVID-19 curbs such as mandated mask wearing indoors, capacity limits and QR code check-ins to cover most of the population on Thursday as daily infections hit a fresh record, fuelled by the highly infectious Omicron variant.
The changes for 17 million people two days before Christmas mark a reversal of the country’s plans for a permanent reopening after nearly two years of stop-start lockdowns as the new variant rages through the community in spite of double-vaccination rates of more than 90%, Reuters reports.
Hospitalisations and deaths remained low, but the explosion of infections had created a risk of healthcare workers being furloughed by testing positive, the authorities said.
The country recorded more than 8,200 new cases, by far its biggest daily rise since the pandemic began, from a previous record of 5,600 a day earlier, mostly in the states of New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria.

India is reporting a daily increase of 7,495 new Covid infections.
The south Asia country also recorded another 434 deaths with a cumulative death toll nearing half a million at 478,759, according to the health ministry.

Russia’s coronavirus death toll passed the 600,000 mark on Thursday,
Reuters calculations based on official data showed, after a surge of infections linked to the Delta variant.
Russia had the third highest toll in the world with 600,434 fatalities, behind the United States which has recorded around 813,000 deaths and Brazil with 618,000.
The Omicron variant, which is spreading fast in other countries, has so far made little impact on the Russian data. Officials said this week they had detected only 41 cases.
The calculations were based on figures from the Rosstat statistics service up to the end of October, and data from the Russian coronavirus taskforce for November and December.
Rosstat figures usually exceed those given in daily updates by the coronavirus taskforce. It has yet to publish figures beyond October.

Germany’s health minister said on Thursday that he expects a surge in coronavirus cases around new year and people will probably need a fourth vaccine shot to maintain the best immune response against Covid-19.
Karl Lauterbach told public radio network WDR 2 that Germany hasn’t yet seen a big, rapid wave of new infections from the Omicron variant like some European countries.
“That will change around new year and in the first week of January,” Lauterbach said.
The government is urging Germans to limit their contacts over the holiday period and to get vaccinated, including with booster shots if they have already had their initial vaccines.

What are the new [temporary] Covid rules for the UK?

Tougher Covid restrictions are being introduced in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from 26 December.
There are currently no new measures for England - but Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he "can't rule out" further restrictions being announced after Christmas.
Here's a quick run-down of some of the changes for each country:
Scotland
From 26 December, there are limits on the size of live public events for three weeks. This means the cancellation of many Hogmanay events, including Edinburgh's main celebrations.
Football matches will be effectively spectator-free, and non-professional indoor contact sports will stop.
People are also being asked to limit social contact to two other households either side of Christmas - and to use lateral flow tests before meeting
Further restrictions will be introduced on 27 December - including nightclubs being closed for three weeks.
Wales
From 06:00 GMT on 26 December, social distancing of 2m will be required in all premises open to the public and workplaces - where reasonable. Gatherings will be limited to six people in premises such as pubs and restaurants, cinemas and theatres.
Further restrictions will be introduced on 27 December - including the closure of nightclubs.
Northern Ireland
From 06:00 on 26 December, nightclubs will be closed, dancing in all hospitality venues will not be allowed and all indoor standing events will not be allowed.
From 06:00 on 27 December hospitality venues including pubs, cafes and restaurants, will be table service only. A maximum of six people (or 10 from a single household) will be allowed at a table, excluding children aged 12 and under.
Read more about the new Covid rules for the UK here.

ONS records highest ever level of UK infections

Tim Vizard - Consultant statistician, BBC News
Some 1,370,700 people in the UK would have tested positive for coronavirus in the week ending 16 December, according to the latest Office for National Statistics survey estimates.
This is the highest level of infections recorded by the ONS since its survey started.
The figure equates to roughly 2.1% of the population, or one in 45 people.
The ONS says the trends for estimated infections increased in England and Scotland, and were uncertain in Wales and Northern Ireland.
The rates of people estimated to be testing positive for coronavirus across the UK were:

• England: one in 45
  
• Northern Ireland: one in 50
  
• Wales: one in 55
  
• Scotland: one in 70
  

These figures do not reflect the increases seen recently in the UK daily case figures.
On Wednesday, there was another record number of UK daily cases reported on the government's daily coronavirus figures, which are separate from the ONS.
Some 106,122 cases were announced on Wednesday - the first time the number has reached six figures.

What's the picture around the world?

Here are some of the latest graphics explaining the coronavirus situation around the world. You can find more here.


The US, India and Brazil have seen the highest number of confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic, followed by the UK, Russia and Turkey.
Very few places have been left untouched.
The 100 millionth Covid case was recorded at the end of January - about a year after the first officially diagnosed case of the virus.
The true extent of the first outbreak in 2020 is unclear because testing was not then widely available.

What's happened so far today?

If you're just joining us here's a quick reminder of the main stories so far today:

• UK Covid infections are at their highest level since records began, according to the Office for National Statistics
  
• The number of NHS staff off work in England because of Covid is rising, with figures up 54% on the previous week
  
• Nightclubs in Scotland are to close for at least three weeks from 27 December
  
• There will be no announcement on new measures for England before Christmas, although there could be fresh curbs after then
  
• If you have a sore throat, runny nose and a headache there is a good chance it will be Covid, UK researchers are warning
  
• The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will be with the Queen on Christmas Day in Windsor, after she cancelled her traditional plans to spend the festive season in Sandringham
  
• Two more Premier League games have been cancelled because of Covid outbreaks at clubs
  
• Bulgaria is to give every retired person a cash reward if they get the vaccine
  
• In Spain, face coverings will be mandatory outside after a dramatic rise in Covid infections
  

Here is a quick snapshot of the how Covid is unfolding across the world:

• Omicron carries lower hospitalisation risk and does not cause more severe illness than previous variants, studies from the UK and South Africa suggest.
  
• China locks down 13 million people in Xi’an after detecting 127 Covid cases. All residents are barred from leaving their houses except to buy living necessities every other day or for emergencies.
  
• Australian states reimpose mask mandates with NSW and Victoria set to join Queensland, the ACT, Tasmania and parts of the Northern Territory in requiring masks for inside areas.
  
• Organisers of the Beijing Winter Olympics said they expect a “certain number” of Covid-19 cases in China due to foreigners arriving for the Games.
  
• South Korea set a new record for Covid deaths on Thursday.
  
• Emergency Covid testing sites are being set up in hard-hit areas across the US.
  
• Americans vaccinated and boosted who choose to attend large gatherings over the holidays may not be safe, even for those who received a booster dose, top US infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci said.
  
• In Quebec, Canada, gatherings inside homes will be limited to six people or two family bubbles beginning the day after Christmas.
  

No early release from self-isolation in Wales

People in Wales who are isolating after testing positive for Covid will not be able to leave quarantine early as is now the case in England.
The UK government has said people in England can end their isolation after seven days instead of 10 if they get negative lateral flow results on days six and seven.
But Health Minister Eluned Morgan said the 10-day rule would remain in Wales as the government wanted a more "risk averse" approach and to put a "brake" on Omicron as much as possible.
First Minister Nicola Surgeon has said she has no immediate plans to change Scotland's rules on self-isolation but she hopes a loosening of restrictions will be possible within the coming weeks.
Northern Ireland has said it will not change isolation rules "at this time" but will keep this under review.

Current Covid situation does not justify more restrictions - scientist

The current coronavirus situation in the UK does not justify the imposition of more restrictions, an infectious disease expert has said.
Prof Francois Balloux, from University College London, tells BBC Radio 4's World at One programme: "It's important to be very reactive. At the moment things don't look horrible, but it wouldn't be the first time there had been underestimates or overestimates of the severity of the situation.
"But I would think right now I don't think it's a situation that would justify stronger restrictions."
Prof Balloux added that people were behaving "quite carefully" - such as by limiting social contacts - without restrictions being imposed.

London 'likely to have seen peak of Omicron wave'

And here's more from Prof Balloux - he says London has probably reached the peak of Omicron infections, and other parts of the UK may soon reach it too.
Prof Balloux, from University College London, tells the BBC Radio 4's World at One: "I think in London it has peaked, and in other parts of the country it is kind of peaking or peaking soon.
"There's a bit of a lag between infections and the cases - it takes a little while for people to test positive. I would say probably infections have peaked and cases probably not yet."
On Wednesday, the UK again recorded its highest ever daily number of coronavirus cases - 106,122 - the first time the number has reached six figures.
Asked if these high number of cases were likely to translate into large numbers of hospital admissions and deaths, Balloux says the UK is in a "more comfortable" situation than in previous waves.
This is because of increased amounts of immunity in the population through vaccination and previous infections.
"Yes, I think hospitalisations will go up but not necessarily to a level like we saw in the past," he says.

Germany announces first Omicron death

Germany's Robert Koch Institute for infectious disease has confirmed the country's first death from the Omicron variant.
The person was between the age of 60 and 79, the institute said.
Some 810 new Omicron cases were recorded in the country, bringing the total number of infections with the more contagious variant to 3,198.
On Tuesday new Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed a range of fresh coronavirus restrictions with Germany's 16 regional leaders.
The rules will come into force from 28 December in a bid to limit the spread of the new variant and to encourage reluctant citizens to come forward for a vaccine.
Under the new measures, a maximum of 10 people who have been vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19 will be allowed to attend a private gathering.
Access to hospitality settings will remain limited to those who have been vaccinated, while sports events will be held without spectators.

The Omicron coronavirus variant is spreading rapidly in Italy, with early data showing it accounted for 28% of cases on 20 December, health authorities say.
Reuters reports that the National Health Institute (ISS) has released preliminary data of a flash-survey showing it accounted for 28% of cases on 20 December, compared with just 0.19% of cases on 6 December.
Comparison of the two reports shows the variant’s doubling time is about two days, in line with the pattern already found in other European countries, ISS said.
“Although the results are still preliminary, the estimate confirms the great speed of diffusion of the variant, which is set to become dominant in a short period of time,” said the ISS president, Silvio Brusaferro.
The data was provided in the morning to the government, which is expected to decide at a cabinet meeting later on Thursday on new measures to tackle the pandemic.

Coronavirus infections have started rising again across the six Gulf Arab states after months of low or falling figures, according to official health data.
Reuters reports:
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has seen a particularly sharp increase in Covid-19 infections since announcing the arrival of Omicron early this month, with 1,002 cases of coronavirus recorded on Thursday, up from 68 on 2 December.
The resurgence comes during the region’s peak tourism season, especially in the UAE which is welcoming millions of visitors to the Expo 2020 Dubai world fair and other seasonal events.
All six countries have identified Omicron in their territories – though their daily tallies do not break down the infections by variant.
The Gulf’s most populous country, Saudi Arabia, registered 252 new infections on Thursday, up from daily tallies of around 50 recorded since late September. Health authorities there advised citizens and residents this week to avoid all unnecessary foreign travel. The kingdom reported its first Omicron case on 1 December.
Oman, Qatar and Bahrain are also seeing cases pick up, although less dramatically. Kuwait reported 143 new cases on Wednesday, its highest daily count since late August.

Greece has banned public Christmas and New Year’s Eve festivities and mandated mask-wearing in open spaces to curb the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant, its health minister said.
Reuters reports:
The measures will come into effect on Friday morning and will also require citizens to wear two masks or masks offering high protection on public transport and in supermarkets. Foreign visitors are “strongly encouraged” to take two PCR tests a few days after arrival.
The health minister, Thanos Plevris, said additional measures were expected in the new year, mainly in entertainment and sports events, to avoid another lockdown.

Around 1.2 million people in England are thought to have been infected with Covid-19 last week, representing 1 in 45 of the population and a new pandemic record, official estimates show.
London was worst hit with an estimated 1 in 30 people infected with the coronavirus last week, according to the figures from the Office for National Statistics.
The percentage of cases of the Omicron variant increased in all regions apart from the northeast. In Scotland, 1 in 80 people were estimated to be infected with COVID-19, a decrease from 1 in 70 the previous week. The estimates for Wales and Northern Ireland were unchanged at 1 in 50 and 1 in 55.

Malta will ban all events where attendees are standing not seated, except weddings and funerals, from 27 December.
The Times of Malta reports that the Maltese health minister, Chris Fearne, also announced that from 17 January, bars, restaurants, clubs, gyms, pools and spas, casinos, gaming halls, cinemas, theatres and sport venues will be open only for those who have a valid vaccination certificate. All establishments will have a 1am curfew.
Sports events may continue but no spectators will be admitted. Visiting hours at hospitals will be reduced.
All those over 18 are able to apply for the vaccine jab from Monday.

Catalonia imposes curfew starting tomorrow morning
The northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia will ban residents from leaving their homes between 1am and 6am from morning of 24 December, although other regions continue to take a less stringent approach.
Reuters reports that the region won court approval for a night curfew on Thursday as Madrid pledged to distribute millions more test kits to tackle the Omicron variant.
Southern Murcia has also told non-essential businesses to shut at 1 am, curtailing revelry in a country where bars and restaurants routinely stay open until the small hours.
“The idea is to try to limit, during the Christmas season, social interactions where the mask is not used,” regional leader Fernando Lopez Miras said, explaining the measure, which northern Aragon was also considering.

Denmark will require foreigners entering the country to provide a negative Covid-19 test from 27 December, regardless of vaccination status.
Reuters reports:
The requirement follows similar announcements from Nordic neighbours Sweden and Finland earlier this week.
Under the new rules, all non-citizens and non-residents seeking to enter the country will need to present a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours, or a negative rapid antigen test taken within 48 hours, the Danish Ministry of Health said in a statement.
The rules are set to be in force until at least 17 January and failure to comply will result in a fine of 3,500 Danish kroner (£396).

Zambia to introduce booster vaccines from 27 December

Zambia will introduce booster vaccines from 27 December as it battles the coronavirus, which has infected over 200,000 people and killed more than 3,000.
Reuters reports:
The southern African nation also plans to start vaccinating children aged 12-17, who until now have not been eligible for the Covid-19 jab, health minister Sylvia Masebo said at a media briefing.
Masebo said primary vaccination, currently below 15% of the eligible population, would remain a priority as Zambia seeks to raise its coverage to 70% by June next year.

Poland reported 17,156 new Covid infections in the past 24 hours,
according to local media Polskie Radio, a 37.5% decrease on the 27,459 new cases recorded on Thursday two weeks ago.
Poland’s most recent wave saw cases spike in late-November and early-December before receding in recent weeks. But Omicron – with a detected 14 cases so far in Poland – has led to fears of a resurgence.
A further 616 people died related to Covid on Thursday, a 10% increase on the 561 deaths two weeks ago. A total of 93,445 in Poland have died with the virus.

Lufthansa cancels thousands of winter flights

The German airline Lufthansa says it plans to cut 33,000 flights from its winter schedule over disruption caused by new coronavirus restrictions, as health officials announced the Germany's first Omicron death on Thursday (see 14:18 GMT post).
CEO Carsten Spohr added that the airline would have cut even more flights in January if it didn't have to comply with European Union regulations on flight slot usage.
"We have to operate 18,000 additional, unnecessary flights in the winter just to secure our take-off and landing rights," he said.
Spohr noted that the airline has been heavily impacted by the absence of passengers from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium, which are being hit particularly badly by the pandemic.
"From mid-January to February, we see a sharp downturn in bookings," he said, adding that the 33,000 cancelled flights are equivalent to about 10% of the company's flight plan.

Vatican City has announced tighter restrictions for all Vatican workers, requiring them to show a green pass of Covid vaccination or virus recovery due to a “worsening of the current health emergency.”
Previously, the unvaccinated could enter workplaces if they had proof of a negative test, but this will no longer be acceptable.
It comes after Italy will move to tighten restrictions to curb a sharp rise in Covid infections including making mask-wearing mandatory outdoors again. (See our earlier post.)
Early data suggested the highly-mutated Omicron variant accounted for 28% of Italian cases on 20 December, health authorities said.

UK breaks daily Covid infections tally again with almost 120,000 new cases

The UK detected 119,789 new Covid infections in the past 24 hours, a 139% rise on the 50,023 new cases recorded on Thursday two weeks ago.
A further 147 people died from Covid-related causes, compared to 146 deaths recorded on Thursday last week.
It comes as NHS national medical director Stephen Powis said the NHS is “on a war footing and staff are taking the fight to Omicron.”
UK health secretary Sajid Javid said ministers would not be imposing any fresh restrictions in England before Christmas, despite Wednesday seeing new cases rise over 100,000 for the first time in the pandemic.

France set to announce highest case numbers

France is set to announce 88,000 coronavirus cases, the country’s highest daily tally during the pandemic so far.
Health minister Olivier Veran said that Covid rules in the country would be likely to change shortly.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked states to ramp up oxygen supplies and strengthen health infrastructure to curb a possible surge of Omicron cases ahead of the festive season.
Reuters reports that India recorded 236 Omicron coronavirus cases across 16 states over the last 24 hours, more than double from last week.
The government said in a statement:

“PM directed the officials to ensure that the health systems in the states, beginning from the district level, are strengthened to meet any challenge posed by the new variant. It is important for states to ensure that the oxygen supply equipments are installed and fully functional, he (Modi) instructed the officials.”

The federal government has also urged states to impose curbs lasting for almost two weeks should there be a risk of an outbreak.

A further 147 deaths reported

There have been another 147 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, the latest figures also show.

 

Record daily UK coronavirus cases again

A further 119,789 coronavirus cases have been reported in the UK, according to the government's daily figures.

Covid cases up more than 53% week on week

The number of coronavirus cases in the UK has increased by 235,787 - or 53.3% - in the last seven days, compared to the previous week, according to the government figures.
The number of daily deaths reported has decreased by 2.4% in the last seven days, compared to the previous week.
But it's worth remembering that it usually takes time for hospital admissions and deaths to increase after cases start to rise. And it's only been a few weeks since the first Omicron cases were identified in the UK.

Omicron cases still surging in the UK

• Before 15 December, the UK had never reported more than 70,000 cases in a day. That has now happened for nine days in a row
  
• New daily case records have been set on five of the past nine days, including the past two days
  
• Today's number of infections is more than 52% higher than the record set on 15 December
  

Covid admissions in London up 54% in a week

There were 307 Covid-19 admissions in London hospitals on 21 December, NHS England said, up 54% week-on-week.
It's the highest for a single day since 4 February. Admissions in London during the second wave peaked at 977 on 6 January.
Across England, 1,098 admissions were recorded on 21 December, up 35% week-on-week and the highest number for a single day since 18 February.
The second-wave peak was 4,134 admissions on 12 January.
Not everyone in hospital with Covid is there primarily because of the virus - in London, around 25% of patients are there because of something else (see analysis at 12:04 GMT).