Image source, Reuters

We're just getting in some comments from UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has been speaking to reporters at a Covid vaccination centre in Northamptonshire.

Asked about the row over Australia revoking tennis star Novak Djokovic's visa, he says he shares "very strongly" the view of the Australian government that it's a "very good idea to get vaccinated" but insists its decision to revoke the World No 1's visa and place him in a detention hotel was ultimately a "matter for Australia".

Johnson also takes aims at anti-vax campaigners who he says are "putting out mumbo jumbo" and "spouting complete nonsense" about the need for people to get vaccinated against Covid-19 - calling it "absolutely wrong [and] totally counterproductive".

The PM highlights that the "majority" of people in hospital intensive care units are not vaccinated; while the "overwhelming majority" had not received a booster jab.

He says while other European countries are going for "coercion" it is "important" there is a "voluntary approach" to vaccinations in this country, which he insists will remain the case.

Lamenting that the saddest words in the English language were "too late" - he says it is "too late" to get vaccinated once you're in intensive care.

Asked about news that about 20 hospital trusts have declared major incidents over staff shortages and rising pressures linked to Covid, the PM accepts the "huge pressure" the NHS continues to be under, with "wave after wave of Covid" over the last 18 months.

But he insists it is "not true" that the NHS does not have enough staff to cope with the pressures it is facing, saying staff numbers had been increased, and that calling back retired staff and volunteers would ease the strain.

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Covid levels are really high in the UK, and in Scotland it looks like rates are in line with the worst-case scenario, the country's health secretary says.

Humza Yousaf says infections are at the highest level predicted in a paper published last month.

"I don't think there's any way of sugar-coating the fact these next two weeks will probably be amongst the most difficult our NHS has faced in its 73 year existence," Yousaf says.

Scotland registered more than 16,000 new cases on Wednesday.

About one in 20 people in Scotland had Covid last week, according to official statistics – up from one in 40 the previous week.

However, Yousaf also says evidence Omicron is less severe suggests there may be a "more optimistic picture in terms of hospitalisations".

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Burnley boss Sean Dyche will miss their clubs' FA Cup third-round ties after testing positive for Covid-19.

City's 50-year-old Spanish boss and his assistant Juanma Lillo were both found to have the virus on Tuesday.

The pair are among 21 people at City isolating before the cup tie at Swindon Town on Friday.

Dyche will miss Saturday's home tie against Huddersfield as he isolates.

Read more from BBC Sport here.

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Hundreds of passengers have been issued fines for not wearing face coverings on London's transport network since it was made mandatory in November.

Compulsory face coverings were reinstated amid rising concerns about the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

Penalty notices up to £200 were issued to 536 people between 30 November and 21 December, the Mayor of London said.

Figures showed a further 287 passengers have penalties being processed by Transport for London.

The data also revealed 21,602 people were stopped on London's transport network for not wearing a mask - but most then complied with the rule.

Read more here.

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Among celebrations for Orthodox Christmas Eve in Serbia this morning, shoppers at a market in the capital Belgrade only want to talk about Novak Djokovic's refused entry to Australia.

Djokovic - probably Serbia's most popular public figure - is a “martyr for keeping his calm despite these political shenanigans,” says a man selling Christmas decorations.

As with everything in the Balkans, it’s all political. The tennis champion is seen by his compatriots as an underdog against the rich and powerful.

And it seems the whole country is behind him, condemning the Australian decision.

“I don’t care whether he is vaccinated or not - if they let him play, they should let him in the country,” says a young woman carrying groceries.

Image source, EPA

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic wrote on Instagram, external that he had spoken with Djokovic over the phone.

“I told our Novak that the whole of Serbia is with him," he wrote.

Vucic has even called Australia's ambassador in Belgrade to complain about the decision, local media reports.

For Djokovic’s fans, Australia's decision is a “clear sign” that as “no-one can beat him, they had to use other moves to stop the unstoppable Nole,” said Zoran, a young entrepreneur, referring to the tennis player's nickname.

“But they could not stop him being the number one before, they will not be able to stop him now. He is simply the best,” he said.

Reporting by BBC Serbian's Aleksandra Niksic

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The rich are not above the laws of nations, Australia's deputy prime minister has said, as he weighed in on the row over Novak Djokovic's visa to the country being revoked.

Djokovic, who was given an exemption to play in the Australian Open, has been taken to a government detention hotel. A court will decide on his deportation on Monday.

Australia's deputy prime minister, Barnaby Joyce, told the BBC's World Service: "If he hasn’t filled out the forms appropriately then he’s taking the sovereign capacity of another nation for a joke

"You can’t just wander around the world thinking that because you’re really rich you’re really above the laws of other nations.

"One hundred per cent someone’s made a mistake and if he hasn’t told the truth then the person who’s made the mistake is Mr Djokovic."

Djokovic's reason for an exemption has not been disclosed.

Border officials have said he did not meet entry rules.

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Celebrations for Orthodox Christmas start in Serbia today, amid a surge in coronavirus cases. Medical experts fear a dramatic spread of the Omicron variant and vaccine take-up rates are still very low.

Novak Djokovic is one of many Serbs who have been reluctant to have the Covid vaccines. Even though Serbia secured a steady supply of vaccines from the start, take-up has been low and only 47% of the population has had a jab.

Djokovic was widely criticised for organising an ill-fated tennis tournament in the early months of the pandemic, when he and several other players caught the virus.

His vaccine-sceptic views are eccentric, but there are many other Serbs who have refused the jabs because of conspiracy theories and a lack of trust in their health system and modern medicine. Several Balkan states have similar low vaccination rates.

Serbian health authorities say 7,488 new cases have been reported in the past 24 hours and one of Serbia's Covid hospital co-ordinators, Prof Radmilo Jankovic, has warned the number will rise quickly towards 20,000 or even 30,000 in the next two weeks.

This photo obtained by Reuters news agency appears to show Novak Djokovic standing at a border control booth at Melbourne airport last night.

The tennis player is now being held at a detention hotel elsewhere in the city while he launches a legal battle over the refusal of his visa application.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Away from a row over vaccinations in Australia now to another in Italy, where the government has announced compulsory Covid jabs for those aged over 50.

Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi says the rule is needed to ease pressure on hospitals and slow infections - which rose to a record high of almost 190,000 on Wednesday.

Italy is one of the first European countries to introduce such a mandate on a certain age group - and the move has already sparked a fierce backlash.

Under the new rules:

• Over-50s must be jabbed or face fines

• The measure is in place immediately and will run until 15 June
• And from 15 February, those over 50 who work must show a health pass - proving they're vaccinated or recently recovered - or be suspended from work

Image source, Reuters

The announcement by Italy's government that over-50s will have to be vaccinated or face sanctions - which has been prompting angry reaction.

The measure was only agreed after a two-and-a-half-hour cabinet meeting which saw frictions emerge within the coalition government.

Ministers from the right-wing League have issued a statement distancing themselves from the over-50 vaccine rule, calling it “without scientific foundation, considering that the absolute majority of those hospitalised with Covid are well over 60”.

Image source, Reuters

Africa's top public health official says he is encouraged by the way that South Africa has handled its latest Covid wave, adding that severe lockdowns were no longer a tool to contain the virus, Reuters News reports.

Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), says: "We are very encouraged with what we saw in South Africa in this period.

"The period where we are using severe lockdowns as a tool is over, we should actually be looking at how we use public health and social measures more carefully and in a balanced way as the vaccination increases."

Last week, South Africa lifted overnight curfew rules as officials said the country may have passed the peak of its fourth wave of Covid infections.

The highly transmissible Omicron variant -which was first detected by South Africa in November- had seen lower hospitalisation rates than previous waves but a marginal increase in the number of deaths, a government statement said.

The changes announced include lifting restrictions on movement between midnight and 04:00. Businesses will also be allowed to sell alcohol under normal licensing rules, instead of closing at 23:00.

Overnight curfew rules of varying severity have been in place since a national state of disaster was declared in late March 2020.

On Wednesday, South Africa reported 11,106 new infections and 110 new deaths, according to our world in data, external.

Djokovic at the centre of a political tussle in Australiapublished at 11:10 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January 2022

11:10 GMT 6 January 2022

Shaimaa Khalil
BBC News, Sydney

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Novak Djokovic has landed in the middle of a controversy that’s gone beyond tennis and is now at the heart of a political tussle - between the state and the federal authorities.

And while Djokovic and his legal team wait for the court hearing on his deportation to resume on Monday, anger and confusion are the overarching sentiments here.

There is anger among those who say he shouldn’t have been allowed in, as well as from those who are furious at the thought of him being deported.

The world number one has dominated the Australian Open, winning nine times.

But his efforts to defend his title, and surpass Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as the player with the most Grand Slam singles titles, may be over before the tournament begins.

Smitha Mundasad
Health reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, external suggest around 1.3 million people in the UK have long Covid – about 2% of the population.

Previous ONS estimates put the figure at 1.2 million.

The survey of more than 350,000 people asked if they had had symptoms persisting for more than four weeks after an initial suspected Covid infection.

The most common symptom was fatigue – with 51% of people who said they had ongoing symptoms reporting that this continued to bother them.

More than a third said they experienced long-term loss of smell and shortness of breath.

Another common symptom was difficulty concentrating - reported by 28% of people who said they had ongoing problems.

In line with previous analyses, about 20% said their symptoms meant their ability to do day-to-day activities had been limited a lot.

Symptoms continued to be most common in people aged 35 to 69, women and people with underlying conditions.

Those working in health and social care and education and teaching were most likely to report ongoing symptoms.

And the statistics show teaching and education saw the biggest month-on-month increase out of all employment sectors.

The survey was conducted over four weeks in November and December 2021.

Long Covid is still an emerging phenomenon that is not fully understood and the statistics are preliminary.

Image source, PA Media

We told you earlier that Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has been defending the government's decision to change the Covid testing system for people travelling to England.

Under the current rules, all fully vaccinated travellers over the age of 12 must show proof of a negative lateral flow or PCR test taken in the two days before travelling to England from countries outside the UK and the Common Travel Area.

They must also pay for a PCR test within two days of arrival and self-isolate while waiting for the result.

Under the new rules:

• From 04:00 GMT on Friday people who are fully vaccinated and those aged under 18 will have to take a PCR test but they will no longer have to self-isolate while awaiting the result
• From 04:00 GMT on Sunday they will only have to take a lateral flow test instead of a PCR test on day two. But this test must be bought from a private test provider

Unvaccinated passengers will need to continue to take a pre-departure test, PCR tests on day two and day eight, and self-isolate for 10 days.

Read more about the rule changes here.

Shaimaa Khalil
BBC News, Sydney

For hours, tennis star Novak Djokovic’s supporters made their way to outside the Melbourne quarantine hotel where he’s believed to be staying.

Many from the Serbian community have been here.

You could feel the tension and the anger as songs about freedom were playing and some were dancing.

“This is a disgrace,” Kristina told me draped in the Serbian flag.

“I’m ashamed to be an Australian today.” If he’s not playing - I’m not going [to the Australian Open]."

Jelena wore a white cap with Djokovic’s signature that she got two years ago when he was here for the tournament.

She carries a sign that says "thank you".

Jelena says: “He represents a connection to my home country.

"The Australian government needs to fix this mess. It’s an international scandal and the world is watching.”

Image source, EPA

Image source, Reuters

There are "permanent staffing shortfalls" in every major specialism within the NHS that go beyond the problems caused by the Omicron variant, former health secretary Jeremy Hunt has said.

Hunt, who is now chairman of the Commons Health and Social Care Committee, tells LBC radio that staffing shortages across the health service are not due to a lack of money but "finding the staff to spend the money on".

The Conservative MP for South West Surrey says about £6bn a year is spent on locum and agency medical staff because too few doctors are being trained.

He adds: "The issue is it costs about £250,000 to train a doctor... so it's that cost which means we limit the number of doctors we train.

"But I think we don't train enough, and I think, in the end, it costs us more because at the moment we spend about £6bn a year on locum doctors and agency nurses who are much more expensive, so that's why I think we need to really grip this problem."

Image source, Getty Images

In other coronavirus news, health leaders are warning the NHS is facing a "staffing crisis", with more than 20 trusts on the highest level of alert.

The NHS Confederation said a number of hospitals were reporting up to 10% of staff were either in self-isolation due to Covid or were off sick for other reasons.

Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents health trusts, said hospitals were being hit with three issues at once - the rising numbers of hospitalisations, staffing, and non-Covid issues which existed before the pandemic.

He said the NHS was "stretched like never before".

Government figures showed a total of 17,276 people were in hospital in the UK with Covid-19 as of 4 January, up 58% week-on-week.

The figure is the highest number since 19 February last year, although far below the peak of almost 40,000 in January 2021.

It comes as MPs warned that a long-term plan was needed to fix the staffing crisis in the NHS and cut record waiting lists for treatment.

Image source, PA Media

The current system on Covid testing for travellers to England has "outlived its usefulness", Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says, as Omicron is now "widespread and worldwide".

Ahead of a rule-change for travellers arriving in England, Shapps told BBC Breakfast the current system had "done its part" and was always intended to be temporary.

The easing of travel rules mean from 04:00 GMT on Friday, fully vaccinated travellers coming to England will no longer have to take a test before they travel.

And from Sunday, rather than taking a PCR test on day two of arrival, they can take a cheaper lateral flow.

The rules for self-isolating on arrival will also change.

Find out the latest rules here.

Image source, Getty Images

Sticking with the Djokovic row, let's turn now to comments by Warren Entsch, an MP for Australia's governing Liberal party.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, he says the "problem" is that because neither the state government nor Tennis Australia can reveal the reason for Djokovic's exemption due to it being private medical information; it creates "a perception that there may be preferential treatment".

Explaining the background to the process, he says the circumstances are put up "without identifying the applicant" and that visa applications by Djokovic and a "small number" of the 26 others who applied were approved due to them having a "legitimate medical reason".

Entsch continues that it is "not unreasonable" for Australian authorities to check the veracity of the medical claim to ensure the visa was issued for a legitimate reason.

"They haven’t decided it wasn’t, it’s just that neither the state, nor Tennis Australia, is prepared to provide the information to prove that it is a legitimate medical condition."

He says the World No 1's public statements have not "ingratiated himself to the majority of people" - a likely reference to Djokovic's comment last year that he was opposed to vaccination. However, he has not revealed his vaccination status.

But the situation is now in Djokovic's hands, Entsch argues.

"He could fix it now by just explaining to the authorities why he needed that type of visa.

"If he wants to make a stand, that’s entirely up to him.

Why should we make exceptions for him and prosecute others?"

Our rolling coverage of the pandemic this morning has so far been focused on the news that tennis star Novak Djokovic has had his visa to enter Australia dramatically revoked.

It follows a row around an exemption Djokovic says he was given to play in the Australian Open.

If you're new to the story and wondering how things got to this point, the BBC's Ros Atkins has this video, below, to get you up to speed.