UK

New restrictions are coming into force today in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in a bid to curb rising coronavirus cases. Further rules have not been announced in England, with Boris Johnson saying before Christmas that the data is being monitored but as yet does not justify stricter measures. It is understood school closures are

The NHS’s most senior doctor is calling upon those yet to receive their booster COVID-19 vaccination to urgently come forward for their third jab. NHS national medical director Professor Stephen Powis has said “there is no time to lose” for those still yet to top up their protection as the Omicron variant continues to spread

The Queen is again breaking with tradition due to COVID and will spend Christmas Day at Windsor. Her Majesty made the decision not to travel to Sandringham in Norfolk earlier this week and will instead be joined by family members at Windsor Castle. It’s the second year that she has stayed at Windsor. Last year

The UK has recorded 122,186 new cases of coronavirus and a further 137 deaths, the latest daily figures show. It is the highest number of new infections reported since the beginning of the pandemic. Yesterday there were 119,789 cases and 147 fatalities within 28 days of a positive test recorded. Seven days ago there were

An estimated 1.7 million people had coronavirus across the UK last week, the highest number since comparable records began last year, new figures suggest. The new Office for National Statistics (ONS) data covers people who tested positive for COVID-19 outside hospital or a care setting during the week ending 19 December. In England there were

The Queen is expected to deliver a particularly personal Christmas Day message as she prepares for her first festive period since the death of the Duke of Edinburgh. Buckingham Palace has released a photograph of the monarch taken during the recording of her annual festive address, filmed last week, showing her sitting behind a desk

A record number of people in the UK have had COVID in a single week, new figures have shown. The Office for National Statistics said around 1.4 million people in the UK had COVID in the week ending December 16, which was the highest number since comparable figures began in autumn 2020. Around one in

The UK has reported more than 100,000 daily COVID cases for the first time since of the start of the pandemic. Some 106,122 cases have been recorded in the latest 24-hour period – around 13,000 more than the previous high of 93,045 on 17 December. A further 140 coronavirus-related deaths have also been recorded. The

Wales has announced new measures to limit the spread of Omicron, including introducing the rule of six in hospitality venues. First Minister Mark Drakeford said the Omicron variant is now dominant in Wales. The new rules will apply from Boxing Day. They include: • The rule of six in all gatherings in regulated premises, such

Boris Johnson has confirmed he will not introduce any further COVID restrictions in England before Christmas, but warned that the situation remains “finely balanced” ahead of the New Year. In a video posted on social media and released by Downing Street, the prime minister said “people can go ahead with their Christmas plans” but urges

Rishi Sunak has announced an additional £1bn in financial support for the hospitality and leisure sectors, with every business able to claim a one-off cash grant of £6,000. The Treasury is also providing a £30m top-up to the Cultural Recovery Fund – which supports institutions such as museums and theatres – and reintroducing the Statutory

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has not announced further restrictions today – but said he is following the data “hour by hour” and warned the rules could still be tightened in the days to come. The PM said the data is “under constant review”, with the situation “extremely difficult” and the “arguments either way are very,

Dominic Raab says he cannot make “hard, fast guarantees” that more restrictions won’t be imposed in the run-up to Christmas. However the deputy prime minister said he believes Britons will have a “much better Christmas than last year”. Mr Raab told Kay Burley: “I think we will have a much better Christmas than last year

Number 10 has defended a photo which appears to show Boris Johnson and staff relaxing and drinking in the Downing Street garden at a time of tough social restrictions in May 2020. The picture, published by The Guardian, shows the prime minister, his wife Carrie, and colleagues with wine and cheese. Nineteen people were present

Sajid Javid has not ruled out plans for a two-week circuit breaker after Christmas, as he accused those unwilling to have the vaccine of having a “damaging impact” on society. When pushed on reports that ministers are drawing up plans to introduce more restrictions after Christmas, the health secretary told Sky News’ Trevor Phillips on

Extra restrictions are needed within days to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed by Omicron, according to senior government scientists. Sky News understands experts who produce advice for ministers believe there are now “hundreds of thousands” of infections every day, many more than the number of official cases recorded on the daily dashboard. Even if transmission

Officials are drawing up plans for a two-week circuit breaker lockdown after Christmas which would include a ban on indoor mixing, according to reports. Draft regulations are being prepared which would ban meeting others indoors except for work purposes, and that pubs and restaurants would be limited to outdoor service only, according to The Times.

The UK has reported 93,045 cases of coronavirus in the latest 24-hour period – a record high for daily infections as the Omicron variant surges across the country. It comes after the UK recorded another 3,201 new cases of Omicron. It takes the total number of confirmed cases of the strain to 14,909 as it

Boris Johnson has said he takes “personal responsibility” after his Conservative Party lost the North Shropshire by-election in a shock result that has dealt another significant blow to his premiership. Lib Dem candidate Helen Morgan overturned a huge Tory majority to triumph in the contest, which was sparked by the resignation of Owen Paterson amid

Four children who are believed to be related have died in a house fire in south London. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters were sent to Collingwood Road, Sutton, just before 7pm on Thursday. Crews faced an “intense blaze” throughout the whole of the ground floor of the

The Bank of England’s latest interest rate hike will add to monthly mortgage payments for millions of borrowers and push up the cost of debt – but there is a silver lining for savers. Here’s how Britons will be affected – and what they can do next. How will mortgage borrowers be affected? Those who

Every person infected with the Omicron COVID variant is believed to be passing it on to between three and five others on average, a senior government scientist has said. Dr Susan Hopkins, the UK Health Security Agency’s chief medical adviser, told MPs on the Commons health committee that for Omicron, the R value in the

Large numbers of COVID patients ending up in hospital is a “nailed on prospect” as the Omicron variant spreads at an “absolutely phenomenal pace” across the country, England’s chief medical officer has warned. Professor Chris Whitty, speaking at a Downing Street news conference, warned the UK was facing “a really serious threat” from the new

The rapid spread of the Omicron variant will lead to a “staggering” number of COVID cases over the next few days, Dr Jenny Harries has said. While delivering a series of dire warnings about the strain to MPs on Wednesday, the chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it was probably too

Boris Johnson has suffered the biggest Conservative rebellion since the 2019 general election as almost 100 Tory MPs opposed the introduction of COVID certificates for nightclubs and large events in England. In a House of Commons vote that immediately raised further questions over the prime minister’s leadership, more than a quarter of Tory MPs opposed

A critical part of Antarctica’s “Doomsday glacier”, so called for the threat its melting would pose, is expected to change dramatically in the next 10 years, scientists have warned. Thwaites Glacier is a river of ice the size of Great Britain. The speed at which it flows has doubled in the last 30 years as

The health secretary has said the Omicron variant now represents more than 20% of COVID cases in England. Sajid Javid said the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) estimates that the current number of daily infections is around 200,000. He also said Omicron, which is thought to be much more transmissible than previous variants, represents more

Long queues are forming at COVID vaccination centres and there are reports of the NHS booking site repeatedly crashing as people scramble to get their booster jabs ahead of Christmas. There are lengthy lines outside vaccination centres as people wait to get their booster shots. One queue at St Thomas’ Hospital in central London snakes

Everyone aged 18 and over in England will have the chance to get their booster vaccine before the end of the year to combat the threat of rising Omicron variant cases, Boris Johnson has announced. The prime minister said he was launching the “Omicron Emergency Booster National Mission” to encourage everyone who is eligible to

People aged 30 and over in England are invited to book their COVID boosters from Monday, amid concerns Omicron cases will rise significantly over the next few months. There are around 7.5 million people aged 30 to 39, and 3.5 million of those are eligible for boosters from Monday, NHS England said. All eligible adults

Another 633 Omicron cases have been found in the UK – the biggest daily increase since the COVID-19 variant has been detected in the country. The latest figure brings the total number of confirmed Omicron cases to 1,898 across the country, the UK health security agency said. In England, another 618 confirmed cases of the

The UK will have more than one million Omicron cases by the end of this month if current trends continue unchanged – but booster jabs provide 70-75% protection against symptomatic infection, says the Health Security Agency. The UKHSA said in a statement: “It is projected that if current trends continue unchanged, the UK will exceed

The UK has recorded 448 new Omicron cases in the latest 24-hour period – taking the total across the country to 1,265. It comes after 249 new infections of the COVID-19 variant were reported on Thursday. The latest figures released by the UK Health Security Agency show 443 cases have been recorded in England, one