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If you're just joining us this afternoon, here's a round-up of what's been happening so far today.

• Children aged 12 and over are already eligible for a vaccine with many getting immunised at school, but soon they will be able to get their jabs at national vaccination centres. From half-term, the national booking service is being opened up to all 12 to 15-year-olds, NHS England says
• A new mutation of the Delta variant has been identified in the UK. At the moment, data suggests 6% of cases in the UK are of this new type - known as AY.4.2 or "Delta plus". The mutation might have some survival advantages although there is no evidence yet that it spreads more easily. No 10 says officials are keeping a close eye on it
• There's been lots of talk about booster jabs today. After concerns from some that the rollout is too slow, leading epidemiologist Prof Neil Ferguson it is critical that the programme is sped up. The UK - which was once streaks ahead in its vaccine programme - is no longer in the top rank of European countries in terms of vaccines, he says
• The prime minister's spokesman acknowledges that as well as case rates rising in the UK, there are some signs that hospitalisations and deaths are also rising. It comes as statistics show the number of pupils missing school due to Covid in England and Wales has risen. More here on why UK cases are so high
• And there's some news on face masks. Northern Ireland is making masks compulsory in crowded indoor spaces throughout autumn and winter, while Scotland has decided to keep face masks compulsory in secondary schools

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Australian airline Qantas is being prosecuted in a row over the duties of plane cleaners in early 2020.

Last week, cleaner Theo Seremetidis told an Australian Senate inquiry, external that Qantas' safety precautions were inadequate: "We were directed to clean planes with just water. No sanitiser for the trays, no sanitiser for anything," he said.

Mr Seremetidis alleges concerns raised with management went unaddressed and eventually he directed a group of workers to stop working.

"On the day that this occurred, I was stood down immediately. The day I was stood down was my last day at Qantas."

The workers safety regulator SafeWork NSW is prosecuting the airline, alleging the company engaged in discriminatory conduct for stopping the pay of a worker who raised concerns about exposure of employees to Covid.

However, Qantas says the cleaner was being investigated for "attempting to incite unprotected industrial action".

Earlier we reported that 12 to 15-year-olds in England will be able to get vaccinated at existing centres over half-term, and this has now been confirmed by Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who says the move will give families greater "flexibility".

Speaking in the House of Commons, he tells MPs the government is "ramping up" the vaccination programme.

"To make the most of half-term next week, we will now be opening up the national booking service to all 12 to 15-year-olds to have their Covid vaccinations in existing national vaccination centres, which will offer families more flexibility."

Previously, most of this group had to be vaccinated at school.

Javid adds: "I think it is important that anyone who is invited as eligible for a vaccine, including young people, that they do come forward and take up that offer."

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The number of pupils missing school in England due to Covid-19 has risen over the last fortnight, with 2.6% of all pupils - about 209,000 children - not attending class for coronavirus-related reasons on Thursday last week.

In the snapshot two weeks earlier on September 30, the figure was 2.5%, or about 204,000.

The main reason for absence was a positive test for coronavirus, affecting 111,000 pupils compared to 102,000 a fortnight earlier.

But althought Covid-related absences were up, the total proportion of students in class actually rose slightly, with 90% attending on 14 October, compared to 89.5% in September.

Lucy Whyte
BBC Scotland education correspondent

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The news that pupils in Scottish secondary schools must continue to wear face masks is not what we were expecting to hear.

It had been understood that relaxations would be made to schools guidance following the October holidays. Instead, we are staying still.

The government says cases aren't falling in the way it had hoped, but that has been the situation for some weeks now. It says it wants more teenagers to be vaccinated.

Will we see further relaxation of these school rules as we head towards the Christmas holidays?

Will we stay as we are, or even tighten up on classroom restrictions, as we brace for what could be a difficult winter? It looks like the next month could be crucial.

We've heard this morning that a new mutation of the Covid Delta variant has been spotted in the UK.

Tests are ongoing to find out more about it - but experts say it is unlikely to take off in a big way or escape current vaccines.

Asked about it earlier, the prime minister's spokesman said there was no evidence the variant spreads more easily.

"It's something we're keeping a very close eye on.

"There's no evidence to suggest that this variant... the AY4.2 one... is more easily spread. There's no evidence for that but, as you would expect, we're monitoring it closely and won't hesitate to take action if necessary."

Michelle Roberts
Health editor, BBC News online

Scientists are constantly checking for new genetic changes that Covid is undergoing.

Viruses mutate all the time. Some emerging variants are worrying, but many are inconsequential. The difficult job is spotting, tracking and managing the ones that could matter.

The UK is a front-runner in carrying out these vital lab analyses, having completed more than a million tests so far.

The first step is to pick up new mutants worth watching, such as this new offshoot of Delta called AY.4.2.

Next, if there is a strong suggestion that the genetic changes might make the virus more contagious, it is classified as a variant under investigation and more checks are done.

If it becomes clearer that it could be more transmissible and escape some of the built up immunity from past infections or vaccines, or potentially cause more serious disease, it is moved into the variant of concern category. That’s the one Delta belongs to.

Experts say AY.4.2 is unlikely to take off in a big way or escape current vaccines. In time, it could well burn out and drop off the watch list.

We've already heard a bit from NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard about jabs in schools, but the MPs on the Health and Social Care Commmittee also questioned her about the progress of booster doses for over-50s, saying that the daily vaccination numbers were far below the numbers seen earlier this year.

Pritchard says the NHS has given out 3.7 million boosters and third jabs since 16 September, which is "literally twice the rate" of the vaccine programme at the start of the year.

But she says they are constrained by the requirement that boosters can only be given six months after the first dose.

"Everyone gets an invitation within a week, within days of becoming eligible," she says, adding: "There is plenty of capacity.

Committee chairman Jeremy Hunt suggests that 40% of eligible over-50s have not yet had their booster, including 30% of over-80s, who are among the most vulnerable.

Pritchard says they will send out 1.8 million invitations this week. "There is no delay in sending invitations," she says. "What we are seeing is that while it’s great people are coming forward they are not coming forward as quickly as we certainly saw for the first jabs," she says.

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Health officials are keeping a close watch on a new descendent of the Delta variant of Covid that is causing a growing number of infections.

Delta is the UK's dominant variant, but latest official data , externalsuggests 6% of Covid cases that have been genetically sequenced are of a new type.

AY.4.2, which some are calling "Delta plus", contains mutations that might give the virus survival advantages.

Tests are under way to understand how much of a threat it may pose.

But it is not yet considered a variant of concern, or a variant under investigation - the categories assigned to variants and the level of risk associated with them.

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Face masks are no longer compulsory in schools in England and Wales - and in Northern Ireland they're only required for at least the first six weeks of term.

There had been speculation that Scotland was also planning to scrap face masks for secondary school pupils, but we've now heard that that won't be happening.

The Scottish government says secondary pupils must continue to wear masks in school to allow more time for 12 to 15-year-olds to be vaccinated.

It says it hopes to be able to lift the restrictions at the "earliest possible time" - but gives no indication of a timescale.

We've got more here.

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Children in England aged 12 to 15 will be able to arrange a Covid vaccine through the national booking service, NHS England has said.

Speaking to MPs on the Health and Social Care Committee, NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard says: "To make the most of half-term, we will be opening the national booking service for young people – 12 to 15-year-olds – to have their Covid vaccinations at existing vaccination centres."

She says that for the next "two weeks in particular" there will be a big push “trying to offer additional capacity for kids”.

Vaccines for 12-15-year-olds in the UK started on 20 September. So far, 15% of 12-15-year-olds in England have received one shot, with most being given in schools.

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We heard earlier from one head teachers' union about the issues with the vaccine rollout in schools. Another, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), tells the BBC that the rollout has been slow in many areas and "beset by logistical problems".

Geoff Barton, ASCL's general secretary, says: “Schools have reported problems such as the vaccination teams having insufficient staff to deal with the number of students needing jabs, running out of vaccines, cancelling or postponing sessions or even not turning up when they have arranged to."

The government planned to have the rollout for 12 to 15-year-olds complete by half-term and "this is patently not now going to happen", he says.

Barton says allowing children in more areas to attend vaccination drop-in centres would be "very sensible" given that vaccines are "the key to bringing levels of Covid infection back under control in our schools and colleges".

Christopher Sleight
BBC Scotland News

Covid cases in Scotland began to rise rapidly following the lifting of most restrictions on 9 August and the start of the school year a week later.

They reached a peak at the beginning of September and, at that point, Scotland had some of the highest infection rates in Europe when looking at cases per 100,000 people.

However, they then began to decline just as quickly, with the average number of reported cases per day going from more than 6,000 to around 2,500 in just a few weeks.

This sustained decline ended on 6 October and daily cases have been fluctuating around the same level since then. Cases are not rising steeply like in England - but they are not going down either.

If you're just joining us, here are the latest Covid headlines from around the world:

• New Zealand has recorded 94 new Covid-19 cases - its highest daily total since the pandemic began. Almost all the cases are in the largest city, Auckland.
• Australia's Victoria state says it's unlikely unvaccinated players will be allowed into the country to play in the Australian Open. That puts Novak Djokovic's Grand Slam defence in doubt.
• A top US college football coach has been fired for refusing to be vaccinated against Covid. Nick Rolovich lost his $3.1m (£2.25m)-a-year job for refusing to comply with Washington's state vaccine mandate.
• Russia has again reported a record daily number of coronavirus-related deaths, amid a surge in Covid cases and deaths across eastern Europe. Bulgaria and Ukraine, where vaccine-uptake has been lower, are also seeing their highest number of cases in months.

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Covid-19 has now been mentioned on the death certificates of 164,285 people who have died in the UK, the Office for National Statistics reports.

That differs from the total deaths reported on the government's Covid dashboard, external, which currently stands at 138,629.

That's because the daily figures only report deaths within 28 days of someone testing positive for Covid-19, while the ONS figure reflects the judgement of a doctor who cared for the person who died and filled out their death certificate.

The highest number of deaths on a single day according to the analysis of death certificates was 1,484 on 19 January. In the virus's first wave, the daily death toll peaked at 1,461 on 8 April 2020.

With scientists such as Prof Neil Ferguson saying it's critical to boost vaccination rates for teenagers, schools are telling us about some of the challenges they face and what might help.

James Bowen, director of policy at head teachers' union the NAHT, says it would be a "sensible decision" to allow 12 to 15-year-olds in England to attend walk-in vaccination centres, as the government is reportedly considering.

He says the high levels of infection mean some pupils who want the vaccine can't get it because they are absent on the day or because they tested positive in the previous 28 days, which means they have to wait.

"Those who want to get the vaccination should be able to do so as quickly as possible," he says.

But he adds it should complement the exisiting in-school arrangements, and the government must give its "full support" to the health teams working in schools to administer the jabs.

Dr Mike Tildesley, a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Modelling group (Spi-M), which feeds into Sage, says UK cases "are starting to slowly creep up, but certainly are not at the scale that they were back at the start of this year".

Asked when restrictions may need to be brought in, he says it is important to look at cases, hospital admissions and deaths from Covid, which he expects to "creep up" in the coming months.

He says hospital admissions need to be compared not just with last year but also 2019 "to really assess at what points the government may need to think about potentially reintroducing more restrictions, if we are at risk of being in a situation similar to where we were last year".

On lockdowns, Dr Tildesley adds that everyone wants to avoid "closures of workplaces, closures of businesses, and of course going into full lockdown, so these really have to be last-resort measures".

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A leading US college football coach has been fired for refusing to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

Washington State University (WSU) sacked Nick Rolovich, its highest-paid employee, and four of his assistants, for failing to meet a vaccine mandate.

The mandate means all state workers in Washington have to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or lose their jobs.

Rolovich, 42, who earned $3.1m (£2.25m) a year, had applied for a religious exemption from the mandate - but that application was refused.

You can read the full story here.

Prof Neil Ferguson, a key government scientific adviser, has said it's important for the UK to increase its vaccination rate of teenagers. So who can get the vaccine and how do they get it?

Every child in the UK aged between 12 and 17 is now eligible for at least a first dose. In a few cases, they are being offered both doses.

Those aged 16 and 17 can book their appointment at a large vaccination centre or local pharmacy. If they are due to turn 18 within three months, they can book both doses.

For, 12 to 15-year-olds, where you get your vaccine depends on which part of the UK you live in.

In England, children will usually get their vaccine at school during normal hours. Parents and guardians will get a letter or email informing them that the vaccinations are due to take place and will be asked for their consent.

In Scotland, children aged 12 to 15 get a letter inviting them to attend a community clinic in most cases. In some rural areas, vaccinations may be done in school.

In Wales, the local health board has been sending out letters advising 12 to 15-year-olds where they can get vaccinated, with most being in vaccine centres while some are in schools.

Children aged 12 to 15 in Northern Ireland are usually being offered the vaccine in schools.

Across the UK, young people are being offered two doses if they:

• Live with someone who has a condition that makes them more likely to get infections
• Have a condition that puts that at risk of serious illness from Covid-19, including brain and nerve conditions like cerebral palsy, Down's Syndrome, severe or multiple learning disabilities or a condition that affects their immune system

People aged 12 and over with a weakened immune system who have already had two doses of a vaccine are also being offered a third jab.

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The Irish government is expected to adopt a cautious approach to re-opening plans and the further easing of Covid-19 restrictions.

The date of 22 October had been set as the end of almost all restrictions.

However, a recent surge in new Covid-19 infections and hospital admissions has led to a re-think.

The Irish National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) met on Monday evening and Irish cabinet ministers are considering its advice.

It is understood NPHET has advised that the existing restrictions on hospitality should continue.