Omicron appears more transmissible - No 10

1. Early indications suggest the Omicron variant of coronavirus is "more transmissible" than Delta, Downing Street says
2. But much remains unknown and the government is not looking at introducing its Plan B level of restrictions, a spokesman tells reporters
3. Scientists are yet to draw firm conclusions but are continuing to analyse samples of the virus and real-world data
4. People travelling to the UK must now take a Covid test before their journey as well as a PCR test upon their return
5. There are 437 confirmed cases of the highly-mutated Omicron variant in the UK
6. Experts believe it could overtake Delta to become the dominant variant

That's all for now

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That's about it from our live page coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.

Here's a reminder of the major headlines from today:

• There are early signs that the Omicron variant is more transmissible but much remains unknown, Downing Street says
• There are now 437 confirmed Omicron cases in the UK, health officials say
• In response Boris Johnson says the UK's booster rollout is the fastest in Europe, but Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called for it to be ramped up
• Wales' health minister has warned the nation is expecting a "significant" wave of Covid caused by the new variant
• Meanwhile in Scotland Nicola Sturgeon has warned of a rapid rise in Omicron cases
• New testing rules for people travelling to the UK have thrown plans into disarray, according to some travellers
• Elsewhere, the World Health Organization has warned against imposing mandatory vaccine requirements, saying such a move should only be used as an "absolute last resort"

Today's coverage has been written by Doug Faulkner, James Harness, Yaroslav Lukov and Rebecca Morton and edited by Emma Harrison and Holly Wallis.

Thanks for joining us.

The threat of hospitals being overwhelmed is back on the table

Nick Triggle

Health Correspondent

Officially there have been just over 400 Omicron infections. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

It is based on positive tests sent to labs to check for variants, which only happens in a minority of cases.

Because of a quirk in the way Omicron shows on PCR tests it is possible to identify suspected cases too.

Using this data, researchers at the University of East Anglia believe there could have been five to six times as many Omicron cases as the official total shows.

This data is what is behind suggestions the number of cases is doubling every three days or so and the conclusion that it is more transmissible than Delta.

What is not clear is why. To what extent is it down to Omicron’s ability to get past immunity, greater infectiousness or because it has a shorter incubation period?

The answer to that could have a big bearing on how quickly and how far infection levels will climb.

Another unknown is what that will mean for serious illness. You would expect reinfections or infections post-vaccination to be milder.

If that is the case, the proportion of cases ending up in hospital will drop.

But even if it halves, if infection rates more than double, pressure on the NHS will still increase.

The threat of hospitals being overwhelmed is now back on the table.

UK reports highest weekly Covid cases since January

The number of new Covid cases reported across the UK this week is the highest weekly figure since January.

A total of 336,893 new cases have been reported in the past seven days, including 45,691 on Tuesday.

This is the highest number for a seven-day period since the week to 16 January, when 339,956 were reported.

Weekly cases during the second wave of the virus peaked at 417,620, for the seven days to 9 January.

BBC

Gatwick Airport passengers on Covid restrictions: 'It's really tiring'

Gatwick passengers on new covid restrictions

We asked passengers travelling through Gatwick Airport for their views on changes to Covid restrictions. Most are concerned about the cost and stress it adds to travelling, although some think there are benefits to the extra virus screening.

'I have a £10k fine hanging over my head'

Lauren Rochat-Greene, from Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, is among those quarantining in a hotel at Gatwick, after flying back to the UK from Cape Town, via Geneva.

She says she has already paid nearly £4,000 in Covid tests, flights and hotel quarantine costs to get back from South Africa, but also has a £10,000 fine hanging over her head.

Having flown out to visit family when South Africa was on the green list, she says she had to stay an extra week in Cape Town before flying to Geneva in order to get home.

"As I got into Geneva they pulled me aside and said they're not accepting anyone from red list countries. They said the rules had changed in the last 24-48 hours. They wanted to send me back on a flight to South Africa but I'm a British citizen," she says.

As her PCR test was expiring she says she was told to get on a flight or go back to South Africa, and was taken to get another test before being escorted to the plane, without being able to book a space in a quarantine hotel.

She says when she arrived in Luton she was told she should not have come and was given a notice of intent to serve a fixed penalty notice.

After a five-hour wait at Luton she says a quarantine hotel room was found for her at Gatwick.

"I had to pay immediately more than £2,000. All in all it's cost me almost £4,000 extra. And I have the possibility of a fixed penalty notice of £10,000 hanging over my head."

Holidaymakers consider court action over South Africa quarantine

BBC

Holidaymakers returning from South Africa are considering court action after long-awaited trips ended in quarantine.

Couples have told the BBC they have spent thousands of pounds in hotel fees despite following all the Covid rules before travelling.

More than 40,000 people have signed a petition against the overnight move to add countries, including South Africa, to the red list in response to the discovery of the Omicron variant.

A judicial review on making people pay for mandatory hotel quarantining is being sought at the High Court on Thursday.

Kate and Alex Freed from Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, had already been forced to postpone their wedding four times by lockdowns before finally tying the knot and jetting off to Cape Town at the start of November. They describe the increase of hotel prices as "disgusting" and are angry the UK brought in its travel ban overnight without the previous grace periods.

A spokesman for the Department for Health and Social Care says: "The quarantine measures we have in place are minimising the risk of variants coming into the UK and safeguarding the hard-won progress of our vaccination programme."

Downing Street unchanged on working from home

Earlier we heard from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who extended Scotland's work-from-home guidance until mid-January - but Downing Street says that is "not our position".

The prime minister's official spokesman says "we are obviously looking at incoming data on the Omicron variant" but "our position remains as set out, with the limited number of restrictions we have introduced so far".

Travel rules for France, US and other touristy places - what's new?

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See you in Paris soon?

Many countries are re-introducing restrictions in response to the new Omicron variant.

There are regulations about who can enter most countries, restrictions on what you can do when you get there, and rules to follow when you return home.

These are often changing quickly, so it's important to keep checking the Foreign Office guidance and tourist information for your destination before you go.

We've analysed - country-by-country - key things a traveller from the UK needs to know about going to each of seven popular destinations, including Ireland, Spain, France, Italy and the US.

Read our full article here

Egyptians buying fake vaccine 'proofs'

Reu

Egyptian authorities say workers, including some in the medical profession, are using or supplying fake Covid vaccination certificates to get round new regulations.

A senior health official said there was a market for forged documentation and that some health workers were involved.

People are known to be buying bogus certificates from medical workers for as little as $12.

It comes after authorities banned members of the public from entering government offices without proof of at least one vaccine from 1 December. Since mid-November authorities have required proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test for government employees to enter their offices. Employees who have not been immunised are required to pay for the PCR test twice a week at a cost of at least $40 each time.

Egypt has set a target of vaccinating 40% of the population of 102 million by the end of this year but millions are still reluctant or unwilling to get the jab.

Deadly shooting in Moscow 'over face mask row'

Two people were killed and four injured, including a 10-year-old child, when a gunman opened fire inside a public services office in Moscow on Tuesday, Russian officials say.

The suspect - who was later detained - reportedly started shooting after being told to put a face mask on.

A source told Russia's Interfax news agency that the man opened fire when a guard tried to escort him out of the building in the south-east of the capital.

A criminal investigation into the shooting has been launched.

If convicted, the 45-year-old suspect could be jailed for life.

Chinese province confirms Covid cases in three cities

Kerry Allen

BBC Monitoring, Chinese Media Analyst

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Official Chinese media have reported new cases of Covid-19 in multiple cities in the eastern province of Zhejiang. There are confirmed cases of the virus in the cities of Hangzhou, Shaoxing and Ningbo.

It is reporting two cases of the virus in Hangzhou, and a new case recorded in Shaoxing. On Monday it was reported that the city of Ningbo had confirmed three cases of the virus. Officials said a further five people have tested positive in the city, sparking fears of a wider outbreak.

It is routine for large-scale testing drives to be ordered whenever fresh cases are identified.

Ningbo’s Zhenhai District has issued a level 1 emergency response and gone into lockdown. All schools have been closed, and flights have been cancelled from Ningbo into the capital city, Beijing.

China has maintained a low number of cases due to its zero-Covid strategy - communities are locked down the moment fresh cases of the virus are identified.

'Quarantine rules mean I won't see my kids for Christmas'

On Monday, Nigeria became the eleventh African country to be added to the UK's travel red list.

It means only UK and Irish citizens, and UK residents, can arrive from there - and they must quarantine in a government-approved hotel for 10 days.

Oche Ameh, a British citizen, is an engineer in Lagos, Nigeria, and had booked to travel back to the UK to spend Christmas with his family in Nottingham.

However, the new restrictions mean he would have to quarantine over Christmas and New Year and also spend £2,285 on a hotel.

"It costs too much. I'm incredibly upset," he says.

"My kids are expecting to see their dad for Christmas. It's heart-breaking. As soon as the [travel] ban is lifted, I'll come home."

'Cost of tests puts me off travelling'

Julie

Julie, pictured with her partner Simon, had hoped to visit her family for Christmas

We've been hearing from more people affected by the change to the UK's travel rules. Julie, 39, who lives in Sheffield, had been hoping to visit her family in France this Christmas for the first time in more than two years.

However, she says the cost of tests, as well as worries about giving Covid to her vulnerable parents or grandparents, mean "unfortunately, it looks like it's not going to happen".

When she looked at test prices online she found the actual prices on company websites were much higher than those advertised on the government site.

"The situation changed very quickly, and new rules arrived with such a short notice. The ferry also contacted us twice to change the times of the journey, making us feel like they keep cancelling more trips," she tells the BBC. "It all feels very unstable and last thing we want is be stuck in France and not be able to come back home."

"I feel sad to have to postpone my holidays and worried this is going to break my family's heart," she adds.

BreakingAnother 45,691 UK Covid cases reported

A further 45,691 coronavirus cases have been reported across the UK, according to the latest figures.

That's up from 39,716 cases on Tuesday last week.

There were also a further 180 deaths reported within 28 days of a positive test.

On Monday 329,165 booster jabs or third doses were given, taking the total to more than 20.9 million.

Family forced to book two quarantine hotel rooms 100 miles apart

Jennie Bianco

A family have described how they were forced to book separate quarantine hotel rooms 100 miles apart because there were no bigger rooms available.

Jennie Bianco, 42, from Sheffield, was in South Africa for work before she was joined by her husband and six-year-old son for a five-day holiday.

But the day after they arrived the country was put on the travel red list, meaning they would have to quarantine for 10 days in a hotel on their return to the UK.

Jennie had already spent £200 to change their flights and £600 to book extra accommodation after she was told there wouldn't be family rooms available for another four days. However, despite several calls to the customer service line they were unable to secure a family room due to a lack of availability.

It meant she had to pay £2,285 for the single room plus £2,610 for the room for her husband and son, rather than getting a discounted family room - and Jennie had to get help from her dad to afford the cost.

There was also no option to request rooms in the same hotel. Her husband and son were placed in Milton Keynes, while she was in Gatwick.

Jennie is also worried about the impact of being separated from her son, who is adopted. "Especially after being together for so long during Covid and the separation anxiety that comes with that. But for him, it’s a particularly difficult situation," she tells the BBC.

A government spokesperson said: "The majority of passengers who have used the managed quarantine service have been satisfied with the service and we aim to keep families together.”

'I haven't seen my sister in two years'

As Omicron spreads across the globe, many people face an anxious wait to see if they will be able to travel for Christmas.

Lucy, from London, lives in Kenya and is hoping to travel back to the UK to see her family on Monday.

Kenya is not on the red list but she's worried that could change. She's also concerned about getting her test result in the required time.

She tells the BBC some testing centres in Kenya are facing a "substantial increase" in the number of tests they are dealing with, so "they're worried about being able to meet those needs".

"I haven't seen my sister in two years. I saw my parents last year but couldn't get back last Christmas because of restrictions, especially in London, with the costs and everything it wasn't worth it," she says.

"A lot of my friends are also coming back who have lived abroad, a lot of them got married and had babies and I feel like I've really missed out over the past two years."

Watch: Omicron travel ban unfair - Botswana president

Instead of being congratulated for being one of the first countries in the world to identify the Omicron variant, Botswana has been penalised for it, the country’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi has said.Masisi told BBC World News’s Lucy Hockings that the travel ban had left the southern African nation's economy throttled.

President of Botswana: Omicron travel ban unfair

Starmer calls for 'boost' to booster rollout

PA Media

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says the booster jab campaign needs to go faster.

"A number of weeks ago we said we should move to at least 500,000 a day. As I understand it the figures this week are lower than last week," he says.

The opposition leader says we "are in a race now between this booster regime and the new variant" and the government should have acted weeks ago, adding that the programme needs to be ramped up immediately.

On Sunday 290,165 booster jabs were given, taking the total number of people who have received a booster or third dose to 20,580,644. That's 35.8% of the population over 12 in the UK.

Here's how to get a booster jab.

BBC

Hospitals already under immense pressure - doctor

There is already "immense pressure" on hospitals even before the impact of the new Omicron variant is fully felt, the former president of the Society for Acute Medicine says.

Dr Nick Scriven tells BBC Radio 4's World at One programme his hospital in Yorkshire is "as busy as I can remember it".

"It’s not just Covid, the Covid wards area is actually beginning to empty a little bit at the moment," he says.

However, he adds that Covid patients tend to be in hospital a lot longer than people with other illnesses.

If hospital admissions start to increase as the Omicron variant spreads, he says wards will be more crowded and nurses "will be run off their feet".

Care may not be so "dignified" and there may be delays to less urgent treatment, he adds.

Sturgeon 'cannot guarantee' more restrictions won't be needed

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People are being asked to do a lateral flow test before mixing with other households

Sturgeon says it is vital to "strengthen compliance" with existing measures to slow the spread of Omicron.

People are already advised to work from home where practical, but she says employers are now being asked to ensure this is happening.

If staff were working from home at the start of the pandemic, they should be asked to do so again, she adds.

This advice will be in place until the middle of January, when it will be reviewed.

People are also asked to do a lateral flow test before mixing with other households.

However, the first minister says she "cannot guarantee" further measures will not be needed.

It is important to remain open to any proportionate measures, such as the extension of Covid certification, she adds.