Coronavirus - 5th January 2022

Summary for Wednesday, 5th January 2022

• Boris Johnson will face MPs at 15:00 GMT in the first Prime Minister's Questions of 2022
  
• At a news conference on Tuesday, he said he hoped the country could "ride out" the Omicron wave
  
• However, he acknowledged parts of the NHS would feel "temporarily overwhelmed"
  
• Ministers are finalising plans to drop the need for confirmatory PCR tests in England after lateral flows
  
• On Tuesday, the UK recorded more than 200,000 coronavirus cases in a day for the first time
  
• In Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon is considering whether to reduce the isolation period for positive cases
  
• And in France, President Macron says he will make life difficult for the unvaccinated
  

Good morning

Welcome to our live coverage of the Covid pandemic. We've a busy day ahead so do stay with us for all the latest updates.

• There's a cabinet meeting of UK ministers shortly, with the prime minister setting out his case against bringing in tighter Covid restrictions in England.
  
• At 15:00 GMT, Boris Johnson will return to the Commons for the first time since the Christmas break to face opposition leader, Labour's Sir Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions.
  
• We're also expecting to hear from Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon when she addresses the Scottish Parliament later.
  
• The Scottish government is considering whether to change its self-isolation rules, which are stricter for cases and contacts than other parts of the UK.
  

Here is a comprehensive rundown of all the latest Covid developments from across the world:

• A fourth dose of Covid vaccine boosts antibodies five-fold a week after the shot is administered, the Israeli prime minister, Naftali Bennett, said on Tuesday, citing preliminary findings of an Israeli study.
  
  
• More evidence is emerging that the Omicron coronavirus variant is causing milder symptoms than previous variants and resulting in a “decoupling” in some places between soaring case numbers and low death rates, a World Health Organization official said on Tuesday.
  
  
• Confirmed daily Covid cases in the UK have hit another record high, with 218,724 reported in the past 24 hours.
  
  
• Italy reported a record 170,844 new Covid cases on Tuesday, compared with 68,052 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of coronavirus-related deaths rose to 259 from 140.
  
  
• Greece reported a record 50,126 Covid-related infections on Tuesday, breaking a previous high of 40,560 registered on 31 December.
  
  
• France reported a record-breaking 271,686 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, as Omicron infections continue to burden hospital staff and threaten disruption to services across the country.
  
  
• Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia have tested positive for Covid, the palace said in a statement on Tuesday.
  
  
• Sweden set a new daily record for Covid cases, registering 11,507 cases on 30 December, health agency data showed on Tuesday as a fourth wave of the virus spread across the country.
  
  
• Tennis star Novak Djokovic looks set to play in the Australian Open after revealing he is heading to the country under a medical exemption.
  
  
• Germany has relaxed restrictions on travel from the UK, South Africa and seven other southern African countries that were imposed following the emergence of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
  
  
• Reinfections should be included in Covid figures for the UK as soon as possible, scientists have said, amid warnings that up to 15% of Omicron cases could be people who have had coronavirus before.
  
  
• Authorities in Greece have introduced new price limits for Covid testing following a surge in demand due to a steep rise in infections blamed on the Omicron variant.
  
  
• Students at Spanish schools and universities will return to class in-person when the new term begins on 10 January, the country’s health minister said on Tuesday.
  
  
• Puerto Rico has imposed new measures to fight a surge in Covid cases that has overwhelmed medical staff in the US territory and led to temporary shortages of testing kits.
  
  
• India’s capital Delhi will impose a weekend curfew to try to curb the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus as cases have risen rapidly in the past few days, its deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia told a news conference on Tuesday.
  
  
• A South Korean court ordered that private educational facilities, including cram schools, should be temporarily excluded from government Covid vaccine pass mandates, the health ministry said on Tuesday.
  
  
• Police in Germany have reported sporadic violence at demonstrations against the country’s pandemic restrictions, with one protester in the eastern town of Lichtenstein biting an officer and another attempting to steal a service weapon.
  
  
• Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday urged vigilance against the spread of Covid after the island detected its first cases of the Omicron variant spreading in the community.
  
  
• The number of new Covid-19 infections in Japan rose above 1,000 on Tuesday for the first time in three months, the Jiji news agency reported.
  
  
• The city of Yuzhou in China’s Henan province entered lockdown Monday night after three asymptomatic Covid cases were detected on Sunday, local media reports.
  
  

In the UK, ministers are finalising plans to drop PCR tests

Adam Fleming - Chief political correspondent
Ministers are finalising plans to remove the advice that people who test positive on a lateral flow device in England should seek a confirmatory PCR test.
They are also working to remove the requirement for travellers to have a negative test two days before arriving in the UK - the so-called pre-departure test.
The decisions are imminent but haven't been completely signed off yet.

What is the current advice for PCR tests?

Currently, the government in England tells you to get a PCR test "as soon as possible" if you've had a positive result on a lateral flow test, or your test sample could not be read.
If you have symptoms, you're supposed to stay at home until the PCR result.
A reminder of the main differences:

• PCR tests are the most reliable. It takes some time to get the results because they are usually processed in a laboratory
  
• Lateral flows can be taken and processed at home. They detect proteins in the coronavirus and work in a similar way to a pregnancy test
  

Recap: What did the PM announce yesterday?

For those who missed it, here's a quick recap of the main points from Tuesday's Downing Street news conference:

• Boris Johnson said he hoped England could "ride out" the current Omicron wave without further restrictions but he acknowledged parts of the NHS would feel "temporarily overwhelmed"
  
• There was a "good chance" no fresh measures would need to be brought in, the PM said, adding he would recommend continuing the government's "Plan B" strategy in England to ministers in today's cabinet meeting
  
• The Plan B measures - which include working from home where possible, mask wearing in most public settings and Covid passports in some venues - are due to end on 28 January
  
• Johnson also announced plans for 100,000 critical workers in key industries - including food processing, transport and the border force - to take daily tests from next week
  

You can read more about the news conference here.

What are the current travel rules?

As we reported earlier, ministers are considering removing the need for travellers to have a negative test two days before arriving in the UK.
Here are the current rules for fully-vaccinated people in England, which are similar in the rest of the UK.

• A Covid test - lateral flow or PCR - must be taken in the two days before travel
  
• A PCR should be booked and paid for to be taken after arrival
  
• People must self-isolate where they are staying until they get the test results
  
• A passenger locator form should be completed in the 48 hours after arrival
  

Next few days key on Omicron - scientist

Dr Mike Tildesley, from the University of Warwick and a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Modelling group (Spi-M), told BBC Breakfast the next few days were key - although there was some cause for optimism.
"It does look like we may be in a situation where - we're getting cases very, very high - but there's early evidence that things might be turning around in London," he said.
"The problem, of course, is that if you're thinking about introducing controls, once you're beyond the peak of the infection, then that has much less effect."
He would not agree to saying it was too late for restrictions - adding it was unclear the epidemic had peaked.
"The next few days will be really, really key for us to try to identify that - children are going back to school, we've had sort of differences in mixing patterns over the Christmas period and we are yet to see what happens in the data as a result of that," he said.

750 staff absent at one trust in one day - NHS Confederation

The NHS Confederation’s Matthew Taylor says around 10% of health staff in England are off sick at the moment - but it’s much higher in some places, with one trust having 750 staff off on one day.
The single biggest reason for staff absence is Covid, he says.
The NHS Confederation has made a number of suggestions, including:

• There must not be any staff unable to come back to work because they can’t get their hands on tests - OR coming back to work with the virus because they’ve not been able to test themselves
  
• They also want to explore deploying medical students onto wards – it’s not perfect but has been done in previous waves, Taylor says
  
• And they’re also suggesting looking at reducing the self-isolation period to five days – but only if the science indicates it’s safe
  

Travel firms call for UK arrival tests to be scrapped

As we reported earlier, the government is considering changing the strict testing rules for people coming to the UK.
Tim Hawkins, chief of staff at Manchester Airports Group, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme there was a "basis for taking out all tests" related to international travel, due to the high number of Covid cases in the UK.
"We are beyond the point where international travel restrictions can play a role in managing that peak and if there is no benefit to it, then we shouldn't be doing it and we should take those measures out," he said.
MAG chief executive Charlie Cornish and Airlines UK chief executive Tim Alderslade said the government should press ahead with the "immediate removal" of testing requirements - which come at "huge cost" to the industry.

Australian anger at Djokovic's vaccine exemption

There's been anger in Australia at the decision to allow the world's top men's tennis player, Novak Djokovic, to play in the Australian Open, despite strict Covid rules.
Players have to be fully vaccinated or receive a medical exemption - and the Serbian was given an exemption.
Tennis fans, commentators and politicians have all been expressing their concern at the decision.
A&E doctor Stephen Parnis says the decision "sends an appalling message to millions seeking to reduce" the risk of Covid-19.
Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison said there should be "no special rules" for Djokovic.
The tennis star has not revealed his vaccination status but said last April: "Personally I am opposed to vaccination and I wouldn't want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel."
Read more on the row here.

Jamie Murray on Djokovic's exemption...

:Left Quotes:  I think if it was me that wasn't vaccinated I wouldn't be getting an exemption. But well done to him for getting clear to come to Australia and compete."
Jamie Murray
British doubles player

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Starmer tests positive for Covid

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has tested positive for coronavirus, and Angela Rayner will deputise for him at Prime Minister's Questions, a party spokesman said.
PMQs is due to begin at 15:00 GMT.


We've just heard Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has tested positive for Covid, meaning he will now have to self-isolate for at least a week.
This is at least the sixth time he has had to self isolate. In July last year, one of his children tested positive, and at the time that meant the rest of the household had to isolate too.
He has previously isolated when coming into contacts with other Covid cases.
This is the second time Sir Keir has tested positive for Covid - he caught it last October and had to miss the Budget as a result.

Rio de Janeiro cancels Carnival parade

Rio de Janeiro has cancelled its street parades and parties during its world-famous Carnival for a second year due to an increase in Covid cases and the threat from the arrival of the Omicron coronavirus variant, the city’s mayor said on Tuesday.
However, the spectacular parade by Rio’s samba schools, which the public watches from the stands of the city’s Marques de Sapucai Sambadrome, will go ahead, unlike last year, with health precautions to prevent spreading the virus.
Rio mayor Eduardo Paes made the announcement after a meeting with health authorities that the city would call off the event that draws hundreds of thousands of Carnival revellers each year.
“The street carnival, by its very nature, due to the democratic aspect it has, makes it impossible to exercise any kind of inspection,” Paes said in a live internet broadcast.

A performer takes part in a street party in the run up to Rio’s carnival, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Authorities announced next month’s carnival street celebrations will be cancelled due to an increase in Covid-19 cases brought on by the rapidly spreading Omicron variant. Photograph: Carl de Souza/AFP/Getty Images

Other Brazilian capitals are also cancelling their Carnival parades.
Last week, the northeastern city of Salvador announced it would not celebrate the event.
Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais state, also decided it will not sponsor or invest in street parades this year, local media reported.
Sao Paulo is planning to transfer its street parade to the city’s Interlagos Formula One race track, the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper reported.

Macron limits social life for unvaccinated in France

Jon Henley - The Guardian
French president Emmanuel Macron has prompted a furore after saying that his government’s vaccination strategy is to “piss off” people who have not had coronavirus jabs by continuing to make daily life more and more difficult for them.
Macron told Le Parisien in an interview on Tuesday:

I am not about pissing off the French people.
But as for the non-vaccinated, I really want to piss them off. And we will continue to do this, to the end. This is the strategy.
In a democracy, the worst enemies are lies and stupidity.
We are putting pressure on the unvaccinated by limiting, as much as possible, their access to activities in social life.”

Parisians eat on the terrace of a restaurant in Paris, France as Macron declares his Covid strategy is to ‘piss off’ the unvaccinated by limiting their social activities and making daily life more difficult. Photograph: Kiran Ridley/Getty Images

The remarks come as the French parliament debates new legislation that, if passed, will mean only the fully vaccinated – and no longer those with a negative Covid test – will qualify for the country’s health pass from next month.
The pass, introduced this summer, is required in France for access to indoor public places such as cafes, restaurants, cinemas, museums, concert venues and sports centres, as well as to board long-distance trains and planes.
Read the full story here.

Germany is reporting another 58,912 new daily coronavirus cases and 346 deaths, according to recently released figures from the Robert Koch Institute.
The numbers are a significant increase on Tuesday’s 30,561 reported cases. Although there was a slight drop in daily recorded deaths from the 356 reported on Tuesday.
Germany recently relaxed restrictions on travel from the UK, South Africa and seven other southern African countries that were imposed following the emergence of the Omicron variant.

China says Xi’an outbreak 'brought under control'

China says the Covid outbreak in the locked-down northern city of Xi’an is now under control but other cities may face restrictions.
Covid cases in Xi’an fell to their lowest in weeks on Wednesday, as officials said an outbreak there had been largely “brought under control” after two weeks of a stay-at-home order, Agence France-Presse reports.
But other urban hubs where clusters have been detected face restrictions including a new partial lockdown in the city of Zhengzhou which recorded two cases and nine asymptomatic infections in recent days.
Provincial health officials said they were finally getting the spread of the virus under control and have curbed the rapid rise in cases after a strict lockdown and rounds of mass testing for the city’s 13 million inhabitants.
“Although the case number has been high for many days, the rapid rise in Covid spread at community level has been brought under control compared with the early stages of the outbreak,” said Ma Guanghui, deputy director of Shaanxi health commission at a press conference.
On Monday night a million people in Yuzhou city - also in Henan - were put under lockdown after three asymptomatic cases.
Local authorities deemed to have failed in preventing virus outbreaks are often fired or punished, and two senior Communist Party officials in Xi’an have been removed from their posts over their “insufficient rigour in preventing and controlling the outbreak”.

Okinawa, Japan, may declare emergency Covid measures as virus spreads from US base
Justin McCurry - The Guardian
Japan’s government is poised to declare a quasi-state of emergency on the southern island of Okinawa, media reports say, after a Covid-19 outbreak traced to US military bases spread to the civilian population.
The prime minister, Fumio Kishida, could announce the measures this week, the Mainichi newspaper said, after Okinawa officials reported 225 new cases on Tuesday, including 47 of the Omicron strain. Tokyo, by comparison, registered 151 new infections.
The Okinawa figures do not include 164 new infections discovered at US bases on the island, bringing the total of American military infections in the latest outbreak to more than 1,000.
The governor of Okinawa, Denny Tamaki, has publicly criticised US forces for failing to contain an outbreak at a base last month that quickly spread to other military facilities on the island. The first Omicron case among civilians has been traced to a local man who is employed at a US base.
Read the full story here.

South Korea is reporting another 4,444 confirmed coronavirus cases and 57 deaths for the past 24 hours.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 953 people are currently in critical condition while hospitals saw 526 new admissions.

India is reporting 58,097 new Covid cases, twice the number seen only four days ago, according to health ministry data.
Wednesday’s figure takes the cumulative total to more than 35 million.
Deaths also rose by 534, including the southern state of Kerala’s updated death toll of 423, lifting the national total to 482,551.

India reports first death linked to Omicron variant

India has reported its first Covid death linked to the fast-spreading Omicron variant in the western state of Rajasthan, a federal health ministry official said.
Omicron cases in the country have now risen to 2,135, the official told a small group of reporters in New Delhi.

Israel records highest-ever number of new Covid infections

Israel has recorded its highest-ever number of new coronavirus infections — driven by the ultra-contagious Omicron variant — despite restrictions on travel and required quarantines, the government reported on Wednesday.
The record of 11,978 cases diagnosed on Tuesday marks the most new infections reported in a single day since the start of the pandemic. The previous record was set on 2 September with 11,345 new infections logged during the delta variant’s wave.
Omicron, first detected in South Africa, is apparently more contagious but causes less cases of severe illness and death — especially among vaccinated people.

Hungary reports a further 5,270 Covid cases on Wednesday
Hungary reported 5,270 new Covid cases on Wednesday, a sharp rise from the 3,005 recorded a week ago, amid the spread of the Omicron variant.
Omicron accounted for more than 11% of new cases, the government said.

UK government considers scrapping PCR test requirement after positive LFT

In the UK, millions of people who test positive with lateral flow devices could be told they do not need to take follow-up PCR tests, according to reports.
Sky News is reporting that the change will be announced later on Wednesday.
Anyone who tests positive after using lateral flow tests will still need to isolate for at least seven days, with health minister Gillian Keegan saying people will need to register their positive lateral flow results.
Government sources have described lateral flow tests as “highly effective” and said that testing capacity should be prioritised.
It comes as prime minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that key workers across several industries will be required to take Covid tests every day.

Hong Kong announces two-week ban on some inbound flights

Hong Kong has announced a two-week ban on incoming flights from eight countries and tightened local Covid restrictions as authorities feared a fifth wave of coronavirus in the city.
The restrictions were announced as health authorities scoured the city for the contacts of a Covid patient, some of whom had been onboard a Royal Caribbean ship that was ordered to cut short its “cruise to nowhere” and return to port.
Incoming flights from Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Britain and the US, including interchanges, would be banned from 8-21 January, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam told reporters on Wednesday.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks during a press conference. Photograph: Vernon Yuen/REX/Shutterstock

Lam said the government would ban indoor dining after 6pm from Friday, and close swimming pools, sports centres, bars and clubs, museums, and other venues for at least two weeks. Future cruise journeys would be cancelled.
“We’re yet to see a fifth wave yet, but we’re on the verge,” Lam said.

UK travel industry urges ministers to drop international Covid tests
Joanna Partridge - The Guardian
The UK travel industry is calling on ministers to remove all remaining Covid testing requirements for international travellers, arguing they are damaging the travel sector and will not affect the spread of the Omicron variant.
Manchester Airports Group (MAG) and the trade body Airlines UK said in a joint statement that research they commissioned into travel restrictions supported the position that the removal of travel testing requirements would not affect overall cases rates and hospitalisations in the UK.
The two organisations said the research showed that domestic rather than international restrictions would be the only way to reduce Omicron’s spread within the country.
Ministers introduced additional testing requirements in late November and early December because of fears about the spread of the newly identified variant.
All passengers arriving in the UK have to take a pre-departure Covid test, taken no more than 48 hours before setting off for the UK. In addition, travellers are required to take a PCR test within the first two days after their arrival.
Read more.

The Philippines cancel annual "Black Nazerene" procession for second year running
Philippine authorities have cancelled an annual procession, which normally draws millions of Catholic devotees accompanying a black wooden statue of Jesus Christ through the streets of Manila, for a second year due to coronavirus concerns.
The government’s coronavirus taskforce cancelled the “Black Nazerene” procession, which is one of the country’s largest religious festivals, before celebrations related to the 9 January procession, were due to start on Friday because of rising Covid infections.
Unlike last year, there will be no in-person masses in the church housing the centuries-old statue, and police will discourage people from gathering outside the building, authorities said.
“We understand (the cancellation) for our safety and health reasons,” Father Douglas Badong, Parochial Vicar of Quiapo church, told a news conference. He said physical masses will take place in other provinces and online masses for devotees in the capital.

Cuba’s vaccine success story sails past mark set by rich world’s Covid efforts
Ed Augustin - The Guardian
Gen Máximo Gómez, a key figure in Cuba’s 19th-century wars of independence against Spain, once said: “Cubans either don’t meet the mark – or go way past it.”
A century and a half later, the aphorism rings true. This downtrodden island struggles to keep the lights on, but has vaccinated more of its citizens against Covid-19 than any of the world’s major nations.
More than 90% of the population has been vaccinated with at least one dose of Cuba’s homegrown vaccines, while 83% have been fully inoculated. Of countries with populations of over a million, only the United Arab Emirates has a stronger vaccination record.
“Cuba is a victim of magical realism,” said John Kirk, professor emeritus of Latin American studies at Dalhousie University, Canada. “The idea that Cuba, with only 11 million people, and limited income, could be a biotech power, might be incomprehensible for someone working at Pfizer, but for Cuba it is possible.”
Read more here.

Curfew in Delhi as India cases surge

India is bracing for a third wave of coronavirus as its largest cities - the capital Delhi and financial hub Mumbai - see a surge in cases.
India reported 58,097 cases on Wednesday, a six-fold rise in a week that experts say is fuelled by the Omicron variant.
Nearly a third of those infections came from Delhi and Mumbai.
Both cities have brought back curfews and other restrictions to halt the spread of the virus.
Read more here.

Greater Manchester hospitals cancel surgery

Hospitals in Greater Manchester have become the latest to announce they are pausing some non-urgent surgery and appointments because of the impact of Covid.
Health bosses there said about 15% of their workforce were either ill with Covid or isolating - and the challenges may get worse in the next fortnight.
The decision affecting 17 hospitals was "a temporary measure", they said. Cancer care, cardiac and vascular surgery and transplantation will not be affected.
Elsewhere in England, at least 10 other hospital trusts have announced critical incidents since Christmas, including University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals and Great Western Hospitals in Wiltshire.
Read more on this story here.

Poland reports 10% weekly rise in cases

Adam Easton - Warsaw Correspondent
Poland reported 17,196 new Covid-19 infections on Wednesday, a weekly increase of 10%, figures released by the Ministry of Health showed.
The number of virus-related deaths - 632 in the last 24 hours - remains very high.
Cases have begun to rise again this month - despite the fact that the Omicron variant accounts for just 2.5% of all confirmed new cases, a health ministry spokesman said.
The government is meeting on Wednesday to decide whether to introduce new restrictions, which reportedly may include reducing further customer numbers in shopping centres and supermarkets, and even potentially closing malls.
Poland’s 55% vaccination rate is well below the EU average.

And now Poland's president tests positve...

More now from Poland - where the president, Andrzej Duda, has tested positive for Covid.
Duda, 48 - who has had three vaccine doses - is "fine" and has no severe symptoms, his chief of staff says.
It's the second time the president has had Covid - he previously tested positive in October 2020.

42,000 people in 'centralised quarantine' in locked down Chinese city

In the Chinese city of Xi'an, more than 42,000 people being kept in centralised Covid quarantine facilities - on top of a city-wide lockdown - an official has said.
Vice mayor Xu Mingfei told a news briefing that residents of the city - home to some 13 million people - must continue to avoid going out.
People in Xi'an have been confined to their homes since 23 December, following a Covid outbreak.
Authorities have been providing free food to households – but some residents have complained their supplies are running low.
Some even posted photos and video on the Chinese social media site Weibo, showing people exchanging items for food – such as cigarettes for cabbage or sanitary pads for a small pile of vegetables.
China has a really strict "zero Covid" policy – seeking to stamp out the virus completely with mass testing and tough lockdowns.

Hampshire fire station left without firefighters

We've been hearing from a number of sectors about the impact of Covid-19 and staff shortages.
And it appears the fire and rescue service are not immune to the problems.
On 28 December, Gosport fire station in Hampshire was left without any firefighters at all and was forced to scramble some from another local station to cover.
The incident comes amid wider shortages in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight area, according to the Fire Brigades Union (FBU).
From 28 December to 2 January, a number of fire stations were short-staffed - and over the same period, some stations were so short-staffed that they were left with fire engines unavailable.
As of 28 December, about 40 staff from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service were self-isolating with Covid-19, according to the FBU.
Mark Chapman, regional secretary, said the service was at a "threadbare level of cover" and further shortages - such as those seen in Gosport - were likely.

School partly closed before term starts due to staff shortage

Hannah Richardson - BBC News education reporter
Steve Chalke, founder of the Oasis academy trust - which has 52 schools in five regions - said the Omicron variant was having a huge impact.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, he said: “We estimated that around 10% of staff have got Covid around the country.
“That’s our estimate from staff …from staff calling in.”
Many schools across England and Northern Ireland started term on Tuesday, with England's secondaries testing pupils on-site.
Chalke said the trust had already decided to partially close a primary school in Birmingham "because of a lack of teaching staff".
“We made that decision yesterday ahead of school opening. We know we just can’t do it," he said.
He said a suggestion by Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi that schools could merge classes when short-staffed, could be a “recipe for disaster”.
“Every school building is different, so if you’ve got a spare large hall that’s not being used for lunches that can be used for lessons, it’s easier to merge two classes.
“If you take a classroom that was built for 30, and you try to stuff 60 or more in it – that’s a recipe for disaster.”

French Parliament suspended new Covid law debate on Wednesday
The French parliament suspended debate on a new Covid law early on Wednesday as opposition lawmakers demanded explanations from President Emmanuel Macron about comments in which he said he wanted to “piss off” unvaccinated people.
Macron made the remark in an interview with Le Parisien newspaper published late on Tuesday. He also said unvaccinated people were “irresponsible” and that he planned to make their lives so complicated that they would end up having a vaccine.
The interview was published shortly before lawmakers were to resume a debate over the new legislation, which will make it mandatory for people to show proof of Covid vaccination to enter a restaurant or cinema, or take the train.
The session was rapidly taken over by discussion of his comments.

Emmanuel Macron briefing reporters at King Abdulaziz international airport in Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah. Photograph: Thomas Samson/AFP/Getty Images

“A president cannot say such things,” lawmaker Christian Jacob, who chairs the opposition, conservative Les Republicans party, told parliament. “I’m in favour of the vaccine pass but I cannot back a text whose objective is to ‘piss off’ the French.”
“Is that your objective, yes or no? We cannot keep debating without having a clear answer on that.”

Emergency measures may be reinstated in Tokyo
In Japan, Tokyo authorities may ask Japan’s government to reinstate emergency measures as a rise in Covid cases spurs concern that the capital is experiencing a sixth wave of infections, the Sankei newspaper reported.
Tokyo metropolitan government officials are preparing to make the request for a declaration of what are known in Japan as quasi-emergency measures, the paper reported on Wednesday, citing unidentified sources.
Such measures, which include restrictions on restaurant and bar opening hours, were lifted across Japan in September.

Ireland to drop its requirement proof of a negative Covid test for vaccinated arrivals
Ireland will drop its requirement for vaccinated arrivals to have proof of a negative Covid test and return to seeking a proof of vaccination or recent infection upon entry, local media reported on Wednesday.
Ireland introduced the measure a month ago to slow the spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant. Omicron now accounts for all Irish infections, which have rocketed to record levels in the last two weeks.

Here is a round-up of the day’s top Covid stories so far:

• In the UK, millions of people who test positive with lateral flow devices could be told they do not need to take follow-up PCR tests, according to reports.
  
• Hong Kong has announced a two-week ban on incoming flights from eight countries and tightened local Covid restrictions as authorities feared a fifth wave of coronavirus in the city.
  
• The French parliament suspended debate on a new Covid law early on Wednesday as opposition lawmakers demanded explanations from President Emmanuel Macron about comments in which he said he wanted to “piss off” unvaccinated people.
  
• In Japan, Tokyo authorities may ask Japan’s government to reinstate emergency measures as a rise in Covid cases spurs concern that the capital is experiencing a sixth wave of infections, the Sankei newspaper reported.
  
• The UK travel industry is calling on ministers to remove all remaining Covid testing requirements for international travellers, arguing they are damaging the travel sector and will not affect the spread of the Omicron variant.
  
• Hungary reported 5,270 new Covid cases on Wednesday, a sharp rise from the 3,005 recorded a week ago, amid the spread of the Omicron variant.
  
• Israel has recorded its highest-ever number of new coronavirus infections — driven by the ultra-contagious Omicron variant — despite restrictions on travel and required quarantines, the government reported on Wednesday.
  
• India has reported its first Covid death linked to the fast-spreading Omicron variant in the western state of Rajasthan, a federal health ministry official said.
  
• Ukraine is reporting another 4,571 new coronavirus cases and 273 deaths, according to a recently released statement from the ministry of health.
  
• Germany needs to offer booster shots to an additional 15 million people to slow the spread of Omicron and avoid a rush on intensive care units, its health minister said.
  
• Three central Chinese cities have imposed varying degrees of curbs after sporadic cases. Xi’an has been in lockdown for two weeks and the city of Yuzhou ordered its 1.1 million residents not to leave town.
  
• Infections are surging across several Gulf Arab states, with the daily number of cases more than doubling in Saudi Arabia over two days to more than 2,500 and crossing the 1,000-level in Qatar and Kuwait.
  

Why is the change to PCR testing being made?

People in England with a positive lateral flow test but no Covid symptoms will no longer have to take a PCR to confirm the result from 11 January, the UK Health Security Agency says.
It says the change has been made to reflect that lateral flow tests are more than 80% effective at finding people with high viral loads, who are most infectious and most likely to transmit the virus to others..
Analysis by NHS Test and Trace shows lateral flow device (LFD) tests to have an estimated specificity of at least 99.97% when used in the community.
This means for every 10,000 lateral flow tests carried out, there are likely to be fewer than three false positive results. LFD tests identify the most infectious people.
These people tend to spread the virus to many people and so identifying them remains important.

How many people are getting Covid for a second time?

Philippa Roxby - Health reporter, BBC News
Reinfections, or people who’ve tested positive for coronavirus twice, are not currently included in the official daily case figures produced for the whole of the UK.
Only Wales currently includes them.
With Omicron much more transmissible than previous variants, and vaccines not protecting against infection they way they did against Delta, this means a whole lot of people are not being counted as confirmed cases every day.
Health officials say they will soon be included in the daily total – but how many of them are there?
The latest UK Health Security Agency report shows more than 11,100 people were infected with Omicron after being infected with either Delta or Alpha at least 90 days before.
That’s 9.5% of total cases up to mid-December being reinfections - but Prof Neil Ferguson, a scientific adviser to the government, thinks it could be more like 15%.
Pinning down how many people have had it twice at present means tests have to undergo genetic analysis (to confirm two separate infections and not the same one lingering).
Adding them to the total will require some careful rejigging of the data – and with new cases rising sharply to more than 200,000 a day, this could add an extra 30,000 to the daily tally.

Arsenal v Liverpool postponed after severe Covid outbreak at Anfield

Liverpool's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at Arsenal on Thursday has been postponed because of a "severe outbreak of Covid" among their squad.
Liverpool temporarily closed their first-team training centre on Wednesday after assistant manager Pep Lijnders became the latest member of the club to have to isolate.
The first leg of the fixture will now be played at Anfield on 13 January and the second at Emirates Stadium on 20 January, both at 19:45.
Read more here.

What are the Covid isolation rules in Scotland?

As we reported earlier, the Scottish government is considering whether to change its self-isolation rules.
We're set to hear from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon when she addresses the Scottish Parliament soon.
Scotland's self-isolation rules are stricter for cases and contacts than other parts of the UK, with people there still required to self-isolate for 10 days.
Here's a quick reminder of the key rules in Scotland.
You should continue to self-isolate for 10 days if:

• you test positive for Covid
  
• anyone in your household tests positive - regardless of your age or vaccination status
  
• you are an adult who is not double-vaccinated and you are identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive
  

You must take a PCR test and self-isolate while you await the results if:

• you have developed Covid symptoms
  
• you are a fully-vaccinated adult identified as a close contact of someone you don't live with
  
• if your PCR test result is negative, you no longer need to isolate
  

PM has cabinet support to keep England Plan B measures

We're just hearing from Downing Street that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has the support of his cabinet ministers to keep Plan B restrictions in place in England ahead of a review of the rules before they expire on 26 January.
Mr Johnson spoke to his ministers earlier, setting out his case against bringing in tighter Covid restrictions in England.
In its account of the meeting, No 10 says the PM told his cabinet that the "next few weeks would be very challenging, particularly for the NHS where the number of people going into hospital because of Omicron will increase".
The PM insisted the UK's "balanced approach" - combined with new evidence suggesting the Omicron variant is less severe than Delta - meant it was "right" to maintain the current Plan B measures in England.
There will be a further review of the regulations before they expire on 26 January, No 10's statement adds.

Czech Republic shortens quarantine period for Covid positive people
The Czech government has shortened the quarantine period for Covid positive people from seven days to five as it prepares for Omicron, which experts estimate will be the dominant variant in the country around mid-January.
The government also approved blanket testing in companies, effective Jan. 17, in addition to mandatory tests at schools which reopened this week.
The country of 10.7 million saw its daily count of new infections drop sharply in recent weeks from a peak recorded in late November, and hospitalisations stand at roughly a third of the record numbers seen last March.
However, Omicron has already been detected in dozens of people and examples from countries like the United States or Britain show that the spread is lightning-fast.

Hundreds of UK care homes closing their doors as Omicron spreads
Robert Booth - The Guardian
Hundreds of UK care homes are closing their doors to new admissions because of the rapid spread of Omicron, increasing pressure on embattled hospitals that are unable to discharge patients into the community.
Of the homes operated by MHA, one of the largest not-for-profit care providers in the UK, 70% have now shut their doors to new residents because of Covid outbreaks and staff shortages. At Four Seasons Healthcare, one of the largest private operators, 40% of homes it operates have recorded two or more cases, which means, under government guidance, they should not accept new arrivals.
On Wednesday, Matthew Taylor, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said temporary settings may need to be set up to get people out of hospitals, many of which have declared critical incidents amid a staff absence rate of 10% on average across England.
“This issue of staff absence is not just in the hospitals; it is in primary care and community care and of course in social care,” Taylor said. “If you have people in hospital who don’t need to be there, that adds another pressure to an already challenging situation.”
Read more here.

UK government considers scrapping PCR test requirement after positive LFT
In the UK, millions of people who test positive with lateral flow devices could be told they do not need to take follow-up PCR tests, according to reports.
Sky News is reporting that the change will be announced later on Wednesday.
Anyone who tests positive after using lateral flow tests will still need to isolate for at least seven days, with health minister Gillian Keegan saying people will need to register their positive lateral flow results.
Government sources have described lateral flow tests as “highly effective” and said that testing capacity should be prioritised.
It comes as prime minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that key workers across several industries will be required to take Covid tests every day.

Cuba’s vaccine success story sails past mark set by rich world’s Covid efforts
Ed Augustin - The Guardian
Gen Máximo Gómez, a key figure in Cuba’s 19th-century wars of independence against Spain, once said: “Cubans either don’t meet the mark – or go way past it.”
A century and a half later, the aphorism rings true. This downtrodden island struggles to keep the lights on, but has vaccinated more of its citizens against Covid-19 than any of the world’s major nations.
More than 90% of the population has been vaccinated with at least one dose of Cuba’s homegrown vaccines, while 83% have been fully inoculated. Of countries with populations of over a million, only the United Arab Emirates has a stronger vaccination record.
“Cuba is a victim of magical realism,” said John Kirk, professor emeritus of Latin American studies at Dalhousie University, Canada. “The idea that Cuba, with only 11 million people, and limited income, could be a biotech power, might be incomprehensible for someone working at Pfizer, but for Cuba it is possible.”
Read more here.

Nearly 13m people in Zhengzhou, China, have been ordered to take Covid tests after a handful of cases were detected in the city.
Everyone in Zhengzhou, which has been placed under a partial lockdown, must be tested to “thoroughly uncover infections hidden among the public”, the city’s government said in a statement Wednesday, according to AFP.
China, still pursuing a zero-Covid strategy, is aiming to stamp out any virus clusters ahead of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Eleven cases were detected in Zhengzhou in recent days.

Netherlands registers record number of coronavirus cases

The Netherlands on Wednesday registered more than 24,000 new Covid infections in 24 hours, a record high, official data showed.
The figure came as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus became dominant in the country during a strict lockdown.

Ireland’s government has agreed to fund the purchase of Covid antiviral drugs from GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer and Merck.
Ireland plans to purchase the drugs through the European Union’s procurement process and by dealing directly with the companies, the health ministry said in a statement.
Local media reported that ministers had agreed to set aside 90 million euros for the treatments which countries around the world are scrambling to secure. The health ministry did not say how many courses it would seek to purchase.


“This will be an additional tool to the range we currently have at our disposal to deal with Covid-19. The primary one of course remains the vaccines,” Prime Minister Micheal Martin told a news conference.

Public health authorities in Sweden have advised restaurants, cultural venues and leisure centres to begin asking customers to show digital proof of vaccination against the coronavirus.
The measure is part of voluntary guidance for businesses from Sweden’s public health agency, rather than a legal requirement. Currently, the passes only are used for public gatherings and indoor events of more than 100 people.
According to the new guidance, locations can introduce certificates as entry requirements “in more activities where the risk of spreading of the infection is great,” said Lena Hallengren, the social affairs minister.
“The spread of COVID-19 is increasing in Sweden. We need to be prepared to quickly introduce more accurate infection-control measures,” Hallengren was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
Sweden reported a record-breaking 17,320 new daily cases on Wednesday.

A hospital director in Guadeloupe said he was punched and one of his deputies splashed with urine after anti vaccine mandate protesters laid siege to their offices.
Police in the French overseas territory had to rescue Gerard Cotellon and his deputies after protesters angry at a mandate for health staff surrounded their hospital administration building.
“I was evacuated after receiving a punch in the ribs and a huge blow to the head. I think I was unconscious for 10 seconds,” Cotellon told AFP. His deputy, Cedric Zolezzi, said his shirt was torn and he was splashed with urine while rushing towards a police vehicle. The experience was “shocking”, he said.
Nobody was arrested during Tuesday’s incident, which looked like a “rugby scrum” according to a police source.
A health worker union representative, Gaby Clavier, told AFP that the protesters were demanding “the money we are owed”, after the salaries of health workers who refuse to be vaccinated were frozen.
On Wednesday, the French government declared a “state of health emergency” in Guadeloupe and several other overseas territories, because of a rise in coronavirus cases combined with a low vaccination rate there.

Nightclub and church capacities are to be restricted in Cyprus as part of a raft of new controls on social gatherings aimed at tackling the world’s worst rate of Covid-19 infections.
As Cypriots prepared to celebrate Epiphany - a key date in the Greek Orthodox church - ministers met at a cabinet meeting to impose the new restrictions. According to Agence France-Presse figures, Cyprus recorded the world’s highest Covid infection rate per 100,000 inhabitants last week.
Home visits will be limited to 10 people - half the number previously permitted - while church attendance will be restricted to a maximum of 200 people. From next week, hospitality venues, nightclubs, weddings and other entertainment facilities will also be restricted to 200 customers.
The new school term will begin next Monday as planned, but under tighter testing rules, and companies will have to ensure that 50% of their staff work remotely, up from 40%.
The new measures come after the Republic of Cyprus registered another record high of 5,457 daily infections and five deaths on Tuesday, from a population of around one million.
“Doctors and scientists alone cannot defeat the pandemic... it can only be defeated by ordinary citizens following the instructions of the scientific and medical community,” the health minister, Michalis Hadjipantelas, said.

Twenty two people in Austria are under investigation for allegedly forging vaccine certificates, weeks before vaccines become mandatory in the country.
The arrests came as police swooped on two dozen homes on Wednesday, seizing “numerous vaccine certificates, mobile phones and computers”, in an investigation aided by Interpol.
A unit specialising in tracking forged Covid-19 documents was tipped off by the suspects discussing their business on social media, said a police statement.
“Organised trade and use of forged vaccine certificates is no trivial matter, but a criminal offence,” said the interior minister, Gerhard Karner.
In November, Austria became the first - and so far the only - country in Europe to announce that Covid-19 vaccines would become mandatory for all eligible residents.
About 30% of the population remain unvaccinated - among the highest level in western Europe. They are currently subject to a selective lockdown imposed by authorities, with police checking about 30,000 vaccine passes per day.
Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets each week to protest the mandate.

Italy reports a record 189,109 new cases

Matthew Weaver - The Guardian
Italy has reported record daily number of new cases for a second day in a row. Its latest total is 189,109 cases compared to Tuesday’s total of 170,844.
The daily tally of coronavirus-related deaths fell to 231 from 259.
Italy has registered 138,276 deaths linked to the virus since its outbreak emerged in February 2020, and has reported 6.76 million cases to date.
Patients in hospital with Covid - not including those in intensive care - stood at 13,364 on Wednesday, up from 12,912 a day earlier.
There were 132 new admissions to intensive care units, against 153 on Tuesday. The total number of intensive care patients increased to 1,428 from a previous 1,392.

Turkey reports record 66,467 cases

Turkey has become the latest country to report a record rise in daily cases, with 66,467 new infections in the last 24 hours.
It also recorded 143 deaths over the coronavirus in the same period. Cases in Turkey have more than doubled in just over a week as the Omicron variant became dominant in the country.
“Despite the rise in infections due to the Omicron variant, there is no worrying rise in hospitalisation,” Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter.

France reports record 335,000 new cases

The French health minister, Olivier Veran, told parliament that new cases stood at around 335,000, marking a new daily record in France.
France also reported a further 246 Covid deaths in hospitals in the last 24 hours. And a further 3,695 people in intensive care units with the virus.
Record rises in Covid cases have also been reported today in Turkey, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Israel.

Djokovic might be denied entry to Australia

Tennis player Novak Djokovic's entry to Australia has been delayed after a dispute over a visa application.
As we've been reporting, the world number one landed in Melbourne this afternoon amid a backlash at the decision to grant him a medical exemption from the requirement of having had a Covid vaccine.
That decision allows him to play at the Australian Open later this month.
But Djokovic is apparently unable to get through passport control because a member of his team applied for a sub-class of visa which does not allow medical exemptions for being unvaccinated.
The Victorian state government has refused to support his application.
According to Australian media reports, Djokovic was being questioned by border force officials at the airport until at least 01:15 at night.
We don't yet know if he's been let through.
Read more here.

Portugal reports record rise ahead of election

Portugal’s government has said isolation rules may need to ease before the general election on 30 January as it become the latest European country to report a record total of new cases, Reuters reports.
There were 39,570 new infections on Wednesday,
But with one of world’s highest vaccination rates, Portugal hospital admissions and mortality remain well below levels seen in the previous peak of the disease in early 2021.
After a meeting with health experts, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa told reporters the government wanted to ensure that everyone, including those having to isolate because of the virus, can exercise their right to vote.
He said the administration, which retains full powers despite the upcoming early election, had requested a legal evaluation by the prosecutors’ office on “whether it is possible to exercise the right to vote in safe conditions despite isolation...That is, suspending isolation for that purpose.”
Some experts have estimated that around 400,000 people could be in isolation by the time of the election in a country where voter turnout has been in decline for years.
The health authority has already reduced the mandatory isolation period for those infected experiencing no or only mild symptoms to seven days from 10.
It registered 14 fatalities from Covid slightly down from Tuesday’s 15, and far lower than the over 300 daily deaths in Portugal’s deadliest wave of the pandemic last January.

Thousands of US flights cancelled amid staffing shortages

US airlines cancelled more than 1,400 flights on Wednesday, with thousands more delayed amid pandemic-related staffing shortages, statistics show.
According to airline data provider FlightAware, a total of 1,429 flights inside, into or out of the US were cancelled as of 15:00 GMT on Wednesday, while 1,183 flights experienced delays.
On Tuesday, a total of 1,562 flights were cancelled, with over 6,600 delayed flights recorded.
Since Christmas Eve on 24 December, over 20,000 flights have been cancelled, leaving passengers scrambling for alternatives during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
Faced with pandemic-related staffing shortages, a number of US airlines have agreed to pay crew extra to pick up additional trips during the holiday period.
On 31 December, United Airlines announced it would offer pilots triple pay throughout January amid the rapid spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

Ryanair announces a 7% fall in passenger traffic last month
The budget airline, Ryanair has announced a 7% fall in passenger traffic last month as the Omicron variant triggered restrictions that hit the key Christmas travel season, AFP reports.
Ryanair said the number of passengers it flew dropped to 9.5 million in December, down from 10.2 million in November.
It was the lowest level since July.
Ryanair warned last month that Omicron would have a strong impact on its financial performance as it more than doubled the forecast for its annual loss and cut back flights.
But in a boost for the Irish no-frills carrier and its peers, Boris Johnson announced changes to Covid rules for travel to England, scrapping the need for pre-departure tests and quarantine on arrival until the traveller has tested negative.
Tim Alderslade, chief executive of industry body Airlines UK, welcomed the move.
“Today marks an important step towards learning to live alongside the virus, helping passengers and the travel sector look ahead to what will be an all-important spring and summer season.

Shapps promises 'stable' travel rules for 2022

As we've been reporting, major changes to the travel rules for England have been announced.
From Friday, travellers will no longer need a pre-arrival test.
And from Sunday, arrivals will not need to isolate until they get a negative PCR test. Instead, they must take a lateral flow test within two days, without the automatic need to isolate.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says there will be a "a full review of travel measures by the end of January to ensure a stable system is in place for 2022".


Covid ‘vaccination doubt line’ receiving up to 1,000 calls a day in Netherlands
Jon Henley - The Guardian
A “vaccination doubt line” set up by doctors in the Netherlands is receiving up to 1,000 calls a day from people who are still unsure whether or not they should get jabbed against the coronavirus.
The helpline, originally launched as a local service in November by Robin Peeters, an endocrinologist at the Erasmus medical centre in Rotterdam, and Shakib Sana, a GP, was given a national number last month and has been inundated with inquiries.
Staffed mainly by volunteer medical students from rooms made available in the university hospitals of Utrecht, Amsterdam, Nijmegen, Maastricht and Rotterdam, the service has met “an extraordinary response”, Peeters said.
Read the full story here.

Unvaccinated residents on Italy’s small islands risk being cast into “forced exile” by new coronavirus rules
AFP reports.
Measures requiring proof of recent vaccination or recovery to use public transport come into effect on Monday as Italy battles record new infections.
But in a letter to the government, Francesco Del Deo, head of the National Association of Municipalities of Small Islands (ANCIM), pointed out that boats and planes are the only means of getting off and on the islands.
The new rules risk “condemning to forced exile residents who for different reasons are not vaccinated”, he warned.
ANCIM represents 35 municipalities covering 87 small islands with a combined population of around 240,000, Capri and Ischia among them.
It wants an exception to the new rules to allow unvaccinated residents to show a negative Covid test to take public transport if they have to travel for reasons of health, education or work.
The health issue is particularly important as medical facilities are often rudimentary or non-existent, with some islands served only by a doctor who visits for a few hours once or twice a week.
“It’s a complicated situation,” Del Deo, mayor of a municipality on Ischia, off the coast of Naples, said.
While he backed vaccination, “in a democracy, the rights of the minority must be protected”.
One solution could be the creation of special areas in ferries for the unvaccinated who could show a negative test, to avoid potential complaints from other passengers, he suggested.
From Monday, a so-called Super Green Pass requiring proof of recent vaccination or recovery from coronavirus will be required for most indoor public venues and on public transport.
Previously, such venues and services were accessible with the normal Green Pass, which could also be obtained with a recent negative Covid test.

What are the latest headlines in the UK?

It's been a busy afternoon of Covid announcements in the UK. In case you missed them, here's a quick round-up of the key points:

• Pre-departure travel Covid tests to enter England from overseas will be scrapped from 04:00 on Friday - and from Sunday, arrivals won't need to take a PCR test and isolate before a negative result. Instead, just one lateral flow test will be needed after arrival - with no isolation while waiting for a result
  
• In another easing of testing rules, the UK Health Security Agency announces that people without symptoms will no longer need to confirm a positive lateral flow test with a PCR test. The change will come into force in England next week and across the rest of the UK within days
  
• Boris Johnson also says that England will stick with Plan B measures - which include mandatory face masks in most indoor settings, advice to work from home and Covid passports for large venues - and that there will be no tighter restrictions for now
  
• In Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon reduces the self-isolation period from 10 days to seven if a person has no fever and records negative lateral flow results on days six and seven
  
• In a second change to self-isolation rules, Sturgeon says household contacts of positive cases will be allowed to take daily lateral flow tests for a week rather than having to self-isolate - so long as they are fully vaccinated, which means two doses and a booster jab
  
• The UK records 194,747 new daily infections and another 334 deaths within 28 days of a positive test (though some of the deaths include a backlog of hospital deaths reported overnight by NHS England covering the period 1 - 4 January)
  
• And the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer tests positive for Covid for a second time.
  

Here is a round-up summary of Wednesday's events around the world :

• Record rises in daily Covid cases were reported in at least seven countries on Wednesday as the Omicron variant continues to spread. They were: France - 332,252; Portugal - 39,570; Turkey - 66,467; Italy - 189,109; Sweden - 17,320; the Netherlands - 24,000 and Israel - 11,978.
  
  
• The government in Italy is set to make Covid vaccination mandatory for the over 50s, according to a draft decree. The obligation will be effective until 15 June 15.
  
  
• Novak Djokovic’s attempts to compete at the Australian Open have been thrown into fresh doubt amid a spiralling outcry over his controversial “medical exemption” agreed by the tournament’s organisers. It was reported that the visa with which he attempted to enter Australia does not allow for exemptions for unvaccinated applicants.
  
  
• The French parliament suspended debate on a new Covid law as opposition lawmakers demanded explanations from President Emmanuel Macron about comments in which he said he wanted to “piss off” unvaccinated people.
  
  
• Germany is considering shortening self-isolation periods over fears that critical services could grind to a halt, according to health ministry plan. Workers in critical sectors, such as hospitals or electricity suppliers, would be able to end their isolation after five days, provided they get a negative PCR test, under the draft proposals.
  
  
• The Czech government has shortened the quarantine period for Covid positive people from seven days to five. The government also approved blanket testing in companies, effective from 17 January.
  
  
• The president of Poland has tested positive for coronavirus for a second time, after several people around him were infected. Andrzej Duda previously caught Covid in October 2020.
  
  
• Pre-departure tests for people travelling to England are to be been scrapped. Boris Johnson announced that the requirement would be lifted from 4am on Friday, along with the need for travellers to self-isolate on arrival until they receive a negative PCR test result.
  
  
• The president of Israel, Isaac Herzog, has become the first world leader to get a fourth Covid jab. On Monday Israel became the first country in the world to embark on a fourth Covid-19 vaccination campaign starting with those over 60.