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Thanks for joining us. Today's contributors to the live page were Jen Meierhans, Jack Hunter, Becky Morton, Joshua Cheetham, Claire Heald and James Clarke.

As ever, you can follow any major developments on the news site - just go to the front page. And for more in-depth coverage, you can go to our dedicated coronavirus section here.

We'll be back with more updates tomorrow. Before we go, here’s a reminder of today’s main coronavirus stories from the UK and around the world:

• Pharmacists are warning of patchy supplies of rapid Covid tests following changes to self-isolation rules
• Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged people to get their booster and enjoy new year in a "sensible and cautious" way
• Scotland has reported another record number of daily cases - but there are no plans for immediate changes to restrictions
• There are more people in hospital in England with coronavirus than at any time since March - 10,462
• The simultaneous circulation of the Delta and Omicron variants is creating a “tsunami of cases”, the World Health Organization has warned
• In France, 208,000 new cases have been reported over 24 hours - another national and European record
• Cuba's state-run media has reported that booster vaccines will be given to the country's entire population in January, in an effort to keep Omicron at bay
• Greece has announced that new restrictions on the hospitality sector will come into force on Thursday, earlier than planned. It comes a day after a daily record 21,657 cases were reported - double the number on Monday.

Image source, Getty Images

Seattle police are investigating after a bar patron attacked a bartender when they were asked for proof of vaccination.

In a statement, police said the suspect slashed the worker's face with a sharpened broomstick, and is still at large.

The bartender, Felicite Ogilvy, told local outlet KOMO the man said he'd received one vaccine dose, but didn't have his proof of vaccine card.

After an argument, some of Ogilvy's coworkers tried to calm the situation, according to KOMO, but the man allegedly attacked her with the broomstick.

In light of the incident, Ogilvy says she doesn't agree with having to enforce Covid restrictions.

"Why am I getting hurt?" she asks. "Why am I the one who has to control this?"

Image source, PA Media

Pharmacists have been warning of patchy supplies of rapid Covid tests after an increase in demand.

Jane, from Yeovil, said she had tried five pharmacies and none had any lateral flow tests available, while she was also unable to order any online from the government website.

She told the BBC she needed the tests to visit family in Gloucestershire and had been forced to borrow testing kits from them and sit outside their house in the car waiting for a result.

Jane also volunteers at her local hospital and needs to take a test to do so.

We've got a little bit more detail on the figures we've brought you in the past hour showing there are more people in hospital in England with coronavirus than there have been at any time since March.

A total of 10,462 people were in hospital with the virus as of 08:00 GMT this morning.

During the second wave, the figure peaked at 34,336 on 18 January.

In London, 3,310 people were in hospital with Covid-19 this morning, up 63% on the previous week and the highest number since 16 February.

The second-wave peak for London was 7,917 on 18 January.

While we're talking about coronavirus statistics, it's worth mentioning there's been a delay to today's UK-wide Covid data, which we usually bring you at about 16:00. But we'll have updates on today's reported cases and deaths if they are published before we go. And if not, you'll be able to see those details elsewhere on our site when they are available.

Image source, Getty Images

More companies have cancelled in-person appearances at next month's CES technology industry trade show, amid concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant.

The latest to withdraw are chip maker AMD and PC manufacturer MSI.

Amazon, Facebook, Google, Intel and Microsoft have already said they will not attend in person.

Organisers had hoped January's event - one of the industry's most important showcases of new consumer gadgets - could return to close to normal.

Attendees must be fully vaccinated, wear masks and have been asked to test themselves for Covid within the 24-hour period prior to entering one of the exhibition venues. Social-distancing measures will also be in place.

Read more.

Image source, Zhengguan Video

As China battles with Covid outbreaks, four people accused of people trafficking have been paraded through the streets of Jingxi, in Guangxi province.

Images and video of the incident, which took place on 28 December, show four men in hazmat suits and face shields being escorted through the city by police.

They were carrying placards displaying their names and photos. Some people could be seen watching the event unfold.

China's borders are largely closed due to the pandemic, as it attempts to tackle a new Covid wave.

State-run Guangxi Daily said the disciplinary action against the men helped to deterr border-related crimes and encouraged compliance with epidemic prevention and control., external

The shaming drew mixed reactions online, including in state-owned media.

Read more here.

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More than a third of London's fire engines were out of action on Christmas Day as hundreds of staff were being forced to isolate, according to the London Fire Brigade.

Fifty fire engines out of a total of 142 were affected during the day shift on 25 December, with 42 affected the previous day.

Some 740 operational firefighters in the capital had tested positive or were self-isolating on 27 December, meaning 15% were unable to work, according to the latest figures.

The figure is up from 10% on 16 December.

The Fire Brigades Union London regional secretary Jon Lambe says: “Omicron is directly affecting the level of fire and rescue cover Londoners receive: over a third of fire engines being unavailable is a huge shortage that could have serious impacts."

London was the first area of the UK to be hit by Omicron and the high number of cases has also led to staff shortages in other sectors, such as the NHS.

Nick Triggle
Health Correspondent

Image source, PA Media

The number of people with Covid in hospital has risen above 10,000 in England for the first time in nearly 10 months.

There are currently 10,462 patients with the virus in hospital.

That is the highest level since the start of March – and means the numbers have risen by 2,000 in just two days.

Admissions for Covid are rising, the weekly average is more than 50% higher than it was a week ago.

But other factors are likely to have contributed to the increase, including a drop in the numbers being discharged.

Last Christmas the numbers leaving hospital more than halved, as it is more difficult to discharge patients over the festive period.

It means there are likely to be hundreds of patients in hospital who have recovered from Covid but just have not left yet.

The proportion of hospitalisations for what is known as an incidental admission is also growing and contributing to the increase. These are people being treated for something else, but who just happen to have Covid.

Last week these cases accounted for around three in 10 patients in hospital, but the expectation is this will have increased by now.

But the numbers who are acutely unwell with Covid are still going up and it could be the end of January before they peak.

Hospital cases are though rising more slowly than cases, once again showing the Omicron variant is leading to milder illness.

Image source, Getty Images

Not reducing Covid controls, including self-isolation periods, is "advisable", a World Health Organization (WHO) chief says.

Dr Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, warns governments needed to be "careful" about reducing restrictions, despite early suggestions Omicron may be less severe.

He tells a WHO press conference: "Even with the previous variants most people will incubate and show symptoms or be positive within that first six days or so, and the chances then of being positive or transmitting the disease after that are lower, but it is then for governments to make that judgement call of when to allow people out of a quarantine situation with extra tests.

"The most important thing at this moment is we need to be careful about changing tactics and strategies immediately on the basis of what we're seeing in early Omicron data.

"I think it will be advisable at this point if we don't see huge shifts, huge moves in reducing control measures for Covid-19 purely on the basis of initial and preliminary studies," he added.

England has reduced the isolation period for positive cases to seven days, if individuals get a negative lateral flow result on days six and seven. The US has halved isolation time to five days to alleviate disruption caused by staff shortages.

Image source, ANDY EVANS/ PARKRUN

Banning mass outdoor group exercise in Wales is unjustified and disproportionate, the UK's health secretary says.

The popular 5km (3.1 mile) run event Parkrun decided to cancel events in Wales after the Welsh government restricted outdoor events to 50 people.

Sajid Javid says Parkrun has "helped so many people improve their health" across the UK.

A Welsh government spokesperson says it understands the importance of exercise for health and wellbeing but Wales is facing "a very serious situation" with Omicron.

Read more.

Image source, Getty Images

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said it is investigating or observing 89 cruise ships with Covid outbreaks onboard.

In an update on Tuesday, the public health body said it had begun investigating an additional 38 ships, and 48 others were "under observation".

Those under investigation include ships from Carnival, Disney, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line.

Three more ships are being monitored by the CDC due to reports of Covid infections, but case numbers are below the agency's threshold to begin an investigation.

In a statement the Cruise Lines International Association, an industry body, says its members "[continue] to have very productive dialogue and are working together with the CDC in the interest of public health and safety".

Image source, Emma Burrows

Emma Burrows, from Oundle near Peterborough, has been struggling to get hold of lateral flow tests for her family of five.

She's been checking pharmacists for the past few days but none were unavailable. Emma finally managed to order some online but they haven't arrived yet.

“I am in a household of five, and so each time we test we use most of a box," she says.

“My biggest concern now is availability when the children go back to school and when I go back to work.

“My partner and I are electricians and are going into homes where often our customers are elderly or vulnerable.

“We want to be testing regularly and keeping ourselves, our families and our customers safe."

More than 90% of all community Covid cases in England are the Omicron variant, according to the UK Health Security Agency.

Some 32,923 new confirmed Omicron cases have been reported - although the true figure is believed to be much higher as not all tests can identify the variant and not everyone will come forward for testing.

Image source, EPA

Australia is trying to make urgent changes to its Covid testing rules to ease pressure on test sites as cases there rise.

Hours-long queues have formed outside some testing centres as national daily infections have reached almost 20,000, a new record. Some people who have Covid symptoms have reportedly been refused PCR.tests

But Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the country needs "a gear change" to manage the testing demand and redefine who counts as a close contact of a positive case.

That would mean most people would not have to get a PCR test or isolate themselves if they are identified as a close contact.

Image source, Getty Images

The defending world darts champion says the competition could be postponed after a third player pulled out after testing positive for coronavirus.

Gerwyn Price tweeted that the William Hill World Darts Championship should be postponed after Dave Chisnall withdrew from the tournament earlier with Covid.

He later eased back slightly on that stance, saying: "There's a lot of hard work gone into getting events like the World Championship on, so postponing probably isn't the best option - but an option I wouldn't disagree with."

The latest withdrawal is another blow for the integrity of the showpiece tournament, after three-time world champion Michael Van Gerwen pulled out on Tuesday.

Van Gerwen has told Dutch media AD Sportwereld he feels "sour" at his withdrawal and called on the PDC to do more.

"They actually have to check everyone at the door every day - they didn't do that," he says. "The control has not been strong enough. It is just a big corona bomb now."

Image source, Getty Images

As concerns mount for another global wave of Covid, France has reported 208,000 new cases over the past 24 hours - another national and European record.

Health Minister Olivier Véran said that, at the current rate, two people were testing positive for Covid every second in France.

"We have never experienced such a situation," he has told politicians, warning France could see as many as 250,000 daily cases by the start of January.

The French Hospital Federation has also said the "most difficult weeks are yet to come".

Prime Minister Jean Castex announced new restrictions earlier this week, and the country's booster rollout has ramped up, with more than 23 million people having received a booster to date.

Image source, PA Media

The UK Health Security Agency says PCR test appointments are rapidly expanding after slots were temporarily unavailable in some nations this morning.

A UKHSA spokesperson says PCR tests can be booked online but high demand can lead to temporary reduced availability in some areas.

“We have made 100,000 more PCR booking slots available per day since mid-December and we are continuing to rapidly expand capacity, with over half a million tests carried out on 23 December alone," they say.

Those with symptoms should stay at home while they wait for a home test kit or a test site appointment.

“If you need to leave your home to get to a test site, wear a face covering, stay at least two metres apart from other people who you do not live with, and return home immediately afterwards," the spokesperson says.

After test slots were unavailable in either England or Northern Ireland this morning, appointments did become available again around midday - but many of those have been snapped up, with sites offering tests already very limited again.

Image source, Getty Images

Three people have died after an explosion at a Ukrainian hospital, caused by a candle lit in memory of a patient who died of Covid.

According to AFP news agency, local officials said an employee had lit the candle in the hospital's intensive care unit, causing five oxygen concentrators to explode.

"Ignorance of the elementary laws of physics and disregard for safety rules have led to irreparable losses," the emergency services said, describing the incident as a "terrible mistake."

Two of those killed were patients at the hospital in Kosiv, in western Ukraine. Four others were treated for severe burns.

The local prosecutor's office said it was investigating the incident.

Deadly fires are common in the country due to ageing infrastructure and often poor compliance with safety rules.

In February this year, four people died in the city of Zaporizhzhya after a fire broke out in an intensive care unit of a hospital treating coronavirus patients.

Image source, Reuters

More than 800,000 booster and third doses of Covid-19 vaccine were recorded across the UK during the past five days, figures show.

A total of 33,091,891 extra doses had been delivered as of 28 December - the first time a UK-wide figure has been available since 23 December, when the number stood at 32,290,487.

It means 801,404 booster and third doses have been recorded from Christmas Eve to 28 December.

About 62% of all adults in the UK have received a booster or third dose.

The figures were published by the UK's four health agencies.

Image source, Getty Images

Hello and thank you for following our coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, brought to you by our team of reporters in the UK and bureaux around the world.

If you're just joining us, here are some of the latest global developments:

• Nearly 283 million cases of coronavirus have been reported worldwide since the start of the pandemic, along with 5.4 million deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University
• The US, UK and France currently have the world's highest number of cases over the past 28 days
• More than nine billion vaccine doses have also been administered, the US-based university reports
• France has set a new national and European record for daily Covid cases, reporting 208,000 new cases over 24 hours. Health Minister Olivier Veran has warned hospitals are feeling the strain from the Delta variant, and seasonal flu will complicate things further for health services
• The Chinese city of Xi'an is currently in its seventh day of lockdown, with many of its 13 million residents unable to leave their homes. No cases of Omicron have been announced in the city, but nearly 1,000 Covid cases have been reported between 9 and 28 December
• Officials in New York City have said they still stop quarantining entire classrooms exposed to coronavirus, and will ramp up testing instead so that asymptomatic students testing negative can stay in school.