As-it-happened: PM warns of challenging weeks, as cases top 200k

1. Prime Minister Boris Johnson says this is a moment for utmost caution and anyone who thinks the battle with Covid is over is wrong
2. At a Downing St briefing he says the weeks ahead will be challenging and again urges people to get their booster vaccinations
3. But he adds that there is a "good chance" of getting through the Omicron wave without further restrictions
4. It would not be "tenable" to give booster jabs every three to six months in the long-term, adds chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance
5. The UK has recorded more than 200,000 coronavirus cases in a day for the first time
6. But the figure of 218,724 is affected by a backlog in reporting from Wales and Northern Ireland over the New Year period
7. From next week daily tests will be available for essential workers in some sectors such as food processing and the Border Force, the PM says
8. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says more children should have been vaccinated over the Christmas period to ensure schools can stay open

Tuesday's round-up

As we bring our live coverage to a close for another day, here's a recap of some of today's main stories from the UK and around the world:

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson tells a Downing Street press conference this is a moment for utmost caution and warns the weeks ahead will be challenging. As he again urges people to get their booster vaccinations, he says there's a "good chance" of getting through the Omicron wave without any more restrictions
• Some 100,000 critical workers are set to take daily Covid tests from next week to try to reduce the spread of the virus to colleagues
• Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says more children should have been vaccinated over the Christmas holidays to ensure schools could stay open
• The UK records more than 200,000 coronavirus cases in a day for the first time, but that's affected by a backlog in reporting from Wales and Northern Ireland over the New Year period
• Meanwhile, the US records more than one million new Covid cases as officials warn the Omicron peak is yet to come
• France's most famous TV twins, Grichka and Igor Bogdanoff, die of Covid six days apart
• And world men's tennis number one Novak Djokovic will defend his Australian Open title later this month after receiving a medical exemption from having a Covid vaccine

Today's updates were written by Francesca Gillett, Marie Jackson, Alexandra Fouche, Doug Faulkner, Nathan Williams, James Harness and George Wright. The page was edited by James Clarke, Chris Clayton and Kevin Ponniah.

Do join us again tomorrow.

What happens if there's an outbreak in school?

Hazel Shearing

Education correspondent

Getty Images

Under England's guidelines, a school must get in touch with public health officials if five pupils, teachers or staff in close contact test positive for Covid in a 10-day period.

Then school management must work with local health officials to mitigate the spread of disease.

Measures include:

• encouraging home testing or increasing its frequency
• on-site rapid testing in secondary schools, colleges and universities for two weeks
• extra cleaning and more ventilation

For more information, head to our back to school explainer.

What do students think about wearing face coverings in lessons?

Hazel Shearing

Education correspondent

Earlier today we were at a school in Stoke-on-Trent where pupils told us how they felt about wearing masks in classrooms.

BBC

Kaitlin, a year 11 pupil, says she finds wearing a mask "makes learning more difficult because you can’t really tell facial expressions".

"But at the same time everyone’s main priority is the safety of each other and protecting everyone. So you have to outweigh the negatives and realise it’s for the greater good," she adds.

BBC

Kian, who is also coming up to his GCSEs, says he finds it "stressful" being in a classroom with glasses and a mask on.

"My glasses steam up a lot and I can’t see the board. It’s just a bit stressful because the mask is always on my face and I can’t really breathe," he says.

"But the positive side is that it’s helping people to stay safe."

BBC

Sam thinks it's important that face-to-face teaching continues.

"You can’t get the same effect online as in the classroom, with the teachers there for support and technical issues as well," he says.

Royal couple get Covid as Swedish infections hit record

EPA

King Carl XVI Gustaf (R) and Queen Silvia will isolate for a week

And in Sweden which is also reporting record numbers of cases, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia have tested positive for coronavirus and have mild symptoms, the palace says.

The royal couple, who are aged 75 and 78 respectively, are isolating at the palace in Drottningholm near the capital Stockholm, according to information officer Daniel Urso. In a statement, the palace says they have both had three doses of Covid vaccine and are feeling well under the circumstances. Other members of the royal family contracted coronavirus earlier on in the pandemic.

The king and queen met their children and grandchildren over Christmas and tested positive on Monday evening as a routine measure because of Sweden's high Covid infection rates.

A record 11,507 cases were reported on 30 December alone and a total of 42,969 infections over the holiday weekend, according to figures from Sweden's public health agency on Tuesday.

France tops 270,000 daily Covid cases

The UK is not alone in facing a surge of cases from the Omicron variant.

On Tuesday, 271,686 Covid cases were reported by French health authorities, the country's highest tally on record. Another 293 deaths were also recorded.

Which age groups are being admitted to hospital?

BBC

During the press conference, Prof Sir Chris Whitty warned of rising hospital admission rates in older age groups who are the most vulnerable to becoming ill with Omicron.

The latest data on who’s going into hospital with Covid in England shows a steep rise in the over 85s, and a more gentle increase in people aged 65-84.

These groups are most at risk from Covid and if lots of people are infected – as they are now – then these older age groups are more likely to contract the virus.

They can then end up needing hospital treatment, despite protection from two vaccines and a booster.

Raw admission numbers show there are more people aged 18-64 in hospital with Covid than any other age group, mainly because they make up the bulk of the population.

Children are not being admitted to hospital in large numbers because of this variant of Covid, although more children are always unwell for different reasons in winter.

Watch: Johnson announces daily tests for workers

One of the key announcements in that press conference from the prime minister was that from next week daily tests will be made available for essential workers in certain industries.

Watch what Boris Johnson had to say:

PM announces daily tests for essential workers

Analysis: The PM's chosen to 'ride out' Omicron but it could be bumpy

Helen Catt

Political correspondent

This feels like the closest the prime minister has come to saying there won't be another lockdown, or even more restrictions, without completely ruling it out.

He was clear that he doesn't think such hefty measures are likely to be justified by the Omicron variant, as it stands.

It's also pretty clear though that "riding out" the Omicron wave has the potential to be a rough experience for everyday services and, particularly, for the NHS.

With the other UK nations having chosen to go down the route of restrictions instead, the coming weeks will show whose balancing act has paid off.

What we learned from Downing St news conference

PA Media

The UK PM's media briefing has finished, so here's a reminder of the key things we just heard:

• 100,000 key workers in areas like food processing and transport are to be sent lateral flow tests to use every day from 10 January
• Boris Johnson says now is the time for "utmost caution" – and anyone who thinks the battle with Covid is over is "profoundly wrong"
• But there is a chance we can "ride out this Omicron wave" without shutting the country down again, Johnson adds
• For now the PM says he wants the current, Plan B, level of restrictions to remain in England - other parts of the UK have different rules
• There's been a big increase in Covid cases over the last few weeks, UK chief medical adviser Sir Chris Whitty says, and the expectation is that number will continue to go up

Has Omicron peaked in London?

The press conference is now over. The Evening Standard had the final questions for Sir Chris and Sir Patrick.

Sir Patrick said there was no evidence that Omicron had peaked in London. While rates were flattening in younger age groups - that's not true in older age groups, he said, as we heard earlier.

"It would be very wrong to suggest there's a peak which means it's all over in London," said Sir Patrick.

Asked what his message would be for people in London returning to pubs and clubs, Sir Chris said that until we've had the peak in the most vulnerable, any measures that slow it down are beneficial and reduce the height of the wave.

He added that people had been incredibly responsive - but there remained a need to still be very careful to work from home and to prioritise events.

People will get time before vaccine certification changes - Johnson

The Sun asks when people will need to have had a booster jab to use vaccine certification.

Currently people have to show evidence of two jabs (or a negative lateral flow test) - but ministers have said this will eventually change to require people to have had a third.

Boris Johnson does not say when the change will take place, but pledges people will be given "plenty of time" before the change is made.

But he suggests it will be "very much to people's advantage" to get a booster if they want to travel, as other countries are likely to change their rules to require three jabs.

What's your definition of the NHS becoming overwhelmed?

The next question comes from the Guardian.

Boris Johnson says he won't provide a definition. He thinks different trusts will feel overwhelmed at different moments - and refers to some of those NHS trusts that have already declared incidents.

It's people in the hospital, the pressure on A&Es, the ambulances arriving - that's the pressure, he says.

He goes on to repeat that there will be a difficult period for the NHS because of Omicron - and we have to get through it as best we can.

Repeating another earlier message, he says that in the meantime people have to follow the guidance and get jabbed.

Absolutely crazy vaccine slots not being filled - PM

BBC

Pressed on the availability of high-grade masks and tests for healthcare staff, Johnson says the government is doing "everything we can" to ensure staff have what they need.

Asked about vaccination, he says it is "absolutely crazy" and "sad" that there are slots available for booster jabs when most people in intensive care are unjabbed.

Asked whether he is frustrated about the number of unvaccinated patients in hospital, Chris Whitty says that he is "rather saddened" by it.

But he says he is frustrated about vaccine misinformation, which he cites as a reason people are not getting jabbed, along with questions about the effectiveness and side effects of vaccines.

Health professionals should be answering these questions, he adds.

Are you confident all patients can be cared for in coming weeks?

A question now from ITV for Boris Johnson.

He says the NHS is under a lot of pressure, but he's confident it can get through it - and the government will be supporting it in any way it can.

He adds we need to remember lockdowns and further restrictions are not cost-free for lives, livelihoods and can have long-term consequences.

Omicron is causing lots of hospital admissions, he says, but again stresses that it is resulting in fewer people needing intensive care and less mortality than we've seen from other variants.

"That's why we think this balanced approach is the right one," he says.

Good chance of avoiding more restrictions, says PM

The panel are asked by the BBC's Hugh Pym how likely further restrictions are in England and what the threshold for extra curbs would be.

Boris Johnson says it depends on whether the Omicron wave mirrors what happened in South Africa - and the government "can't rule anything out".

But he says there is a currently a "good chance of getting through the Omicron wave" without the need for new rules.

Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, says pressure on intensive care units is likely to be lower than previous waves but there will still be substantial pressures on A&E departments.

Patrick Vallance, the UK government's chief scientific adviser, says hospitalisations, staff absences and the robustness of testing infrastructure will be key indicators in the coming weeks.

A question about tests after getting Covid

A question now from the public for Sir Chris Whitty about what tests should be taken after someone tests positive for Covid.

Whitty says the lateral flow tests are a good guide as to whether people are infectious - and they are confident that people who test negative on day six and seven of a period of self-isolation are much less likely to be infectious.

He goes on to explain that the PCR tests can remain positive for a long time after someone has had the infection, including beyond the point that they are infectious.

Current restrictions right approach, says Johnson

BBC

There's a question from a member of the public, who asks what number of cases or hospitalisations would justify further restrictions in England.

Boris Johnson does not give an answer, saying simply that the current "balance of measures" is the "right approach to take".

But he says the government will continue to monitor the data, and again urges people to come forward for their booster jabs.

Whitty: Hospitalisations still going up

Sir Chris talks now about how London is in advance of the rest of the UK, saying the number of hospitalisations is still going up.

He says it looks as if numbers in younger adults are levelling off but the rates in older people look as if they are still going up. He says the thing that's likely to reduce that is people getting their booster jabs.

Whitty: Case numbers expected to go up

BBC

Sir Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, talks through the government's slides, saying there's been a substantial increase in cases over the last few weeks.

He says about one in 25 people in England had Covid in the last week of data from the ONS - about two million people in total. The expectation is that number will go up, he says.

PM urges people to come forward for boosters

Boris Johnson says the NHS will be put on a "war footing" but he will be recommending to the cabinet that the current - plan B - level of restrictions for England remains in place.

Adding that 90% of Covid patients in intensive care beds are unvaccinated, he urges people to come forward and get their booster jabs.