A new test for Covid-19 that claims to reduce the procedure from 30 minutes to fewer than five has been developed by researchers in Birmingham.

Image source, University of Birmingham

The University of Birmingham said , externalthe test could be performed using standard laboratory equipment, making it easy to deploy.

A paper - yet to be peer reviewed - that describes the new process has been published on MedRxiv, external in which the researchers "demonstrate the rapidity and sensitivity of their method", says the university.

Professor Tim Dafforn, from the site's School of Biosciences, said: “We have designed a new method for testing that combines the ease of use and speed of lateral flow testing with the inherent sensitivity of an RNA test.

"It features reagents that can be used in existing point-of-care devices and meets the need for testing in high throughput, near-patient settings where people may be waiting in line for their results.”

The decision to close schools was made after the UK's chief medical officers recommended a move to Covid threat level five, the government has said.

As a result, GCSE and A-Level exams have been cancelled in England, and while vulnerable children, or those of key workers, may still be in classrooms in some circumstances, the majority of pupils in all year groups are not set to return to school until after the February half-term break at least.

Nigel Atwood headteacher at Bellfield Junior School in Northfield, Birmingham, says it will take a lot of effort to make sure children don't miss out on their education.

Image source, PA Media

"What it needs is to be well-thought-out, well-designed and to have the support systems in place," Mr Atwood said.

"And the government has got to listen to the education sector as to how we do that.

"Of course we're worried about [pupils'] education but we're also worried about their mental wellbeing and the issues that we saw after the six-month lockdown coming back in September."

Coronavirus rates in Birmingham rose by 50% in the week to 4 January, with rates in the Sandwell area increasing by 63% according to data shared by West Midlands mayor Andy Street.

Tweeting numbers for the region's council areas, rates were also shown to have risen in Walsall by 57% and in Dudley by 51%.

Mr Street said: "There is no escaping the fact that yesterday's decision [to put England back into lockdown] was necessary, however it doesn't make waking up to a lockdown any easier.

"Just like March, it is going to be incredibly tough but critically this time there is an end in sight with the vaccine."

BBC Radio WM

The Covid-19 case rate in children aged five and above has risen since Christmas, Birmingham's director of public health has said.

Dr Justin Varney said in London and the south east the new variant of the virus was spreading through children in schools and being brought home.

He stated: "Now we haven’t seen that with the old variant and we’ve consistently not seen large numbers of cases linked to schools in Birmingham or anywhere across the region actually. Now that pattern has started to change.

"Over the period from kind of the 25th, 26th December onwards, we’ve started to see the five-to-nine [year olds'] case rate rise and the 10-to-14 case rate rise, and that’s the first time really in the last three or four months where that case rate has risen significantly, so that for us is a warning bell."

Asked about nurseries, Dr Varney said: "We’ve seen the rise in the five-to-nines - nought-to-fours is much, much lower and it’s a much, much lower case rate in that age group.

"The difference between nought-to-fours and 10s-to-14s is nought-to-fours [are] about half the case rate and part of that is because [they] behave differently… Small children don’t have big lungs. They don’t spread [droplets] very far."

He said if adults were still going to work rather than working from home, they should be testing regularly with lateral flow, adding: "Please get a test every three to four days."

The government has confirmed Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is talking to exam regulator Ofqual about how best to assess pupils now that exams are again disrupted by lockdown.

Image source, PA Media

GCSE and A-level exams have been cancelled in England for this year with schools across England closing their doors to most pupils until at least the end of February half-term.

Mr Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, said he would work with exam regulator Ofqual to put in place "alternative arrangements".

A government source has told the BBC that while GCSE and A-level exams will be cancelled, vocational exams will go ahead.

England is "likely" to move from full lockdown to a tier system at the end of February, Birmingham's director of public health has said.

But he added that could last until July or August.

Dr Justin Varney told BBC Radio WM that Birmingham's post-lockdown tier status depended "on how well we behave during the lockdown and how well employers look after their staff - because that's going to be the main risk of transmission."

He added: "We're probably then going to be in a tier system, I expect until around July or August.

"That's the timeframe to get the majority of the most vulnerable people vaccinated."

Joanne Gallacher
Political reporter, BBC Radio Shropshire

An MP says closing schools will be "hugely damaging" for young people.

Under plans announced by the prime minister last night, schools will be shut to most pupils until at least February half term.

Lucy Allan, who represents Telford as a Conservative, called for support for families during a "struggle" she said was set to get "tougher".

In last night's announcement, the prime minister conceded that this summer's exams could now not go ahead in the normal way. Ms Allan said the impact of that would be “devastating” for those who'd been planning to resit tests this summer.

“Closing schools until half term will be hugely damaging to our young people, loss of structure, social interaction, and severe disruption to their education that inevitably will have a long term impact on their life chances," she said.

"Not every child has a structured family, organised home life, with parental support, access to learning materials and space to learn.

"It is imperative that every resource is thrown at our vaccination program to enable schools to resume in February and restrictions to ease.

"Families have already struggle so much and the next few weeks will be tougher. We must do everything to support families support their children at this extraordinary time.”

A Staffordshire councillor says he's been "awake with worry" at night at the prospect of new lockdown measures.

That's because Thomas Loughbrough, who sits on Burntwood Town Council, wanted the support bubble programme to continue.

England is set to enter full lockdown akin to restrictions rolled out in March, when the pandemic first began to take its toll in the UK. Support bubbles were initially not part of measures in those early days.

But it's been announced support and childcare bubbles will continue under the system, external due to be enacted in the early hours of Wednesday, and that has relieved Mr Loughbrough, who is autistic. People will also be able to meet one person from another household for outdoor exercise.

"Me and my friends didn't cope well with the first lockdown and the creation of support bubbles saved their lives," he said.

"I've had people calling me all night and I've had to read through the bubbles rules because my friends are absolutely desperate."

"We have lots of local support groups that will help support people, he added, "but I'm so glad about bubbles."

Clare Lissaman
BBC News

A cafe owner says she would "sacrifice her business" by losing trade to lockdown if it meant lives were saved.

Kelly Iles runs Enchanted tea room in Leamington Spa and was hoping the prime minister would subject England to stiff Covid-19 restrictions nationwide, which he announced at 20:00 on Monday.

Her father is in intensive care with the coronavirus.

She said: "My take on this is save lives before saving businesses. My business is just bricks and stuff, I can always rebuild bricks."

Image source, Enchanted Events

She said only essential shopping for food and pharmacy products should be allowed under a new lockdown.

"Sweet shops and garden centres are not essential, nor are shops selling furniture and a pint of milk to get through the requirements.

"No loop holes this time so we simply need to go out once a week to get essentials."

Under the new rules which come into effect in the early hours of Wednesday, Enchanted and similar premises including bars, pubs, restaurants and cafes can no longer open, although they are permitted to offer food delivery.

Mrs Iles set up the fairytale-themed tea room in October after her previous restaurant was hit by the pandemic. But she is philosophical about the realities of the situation.

"If we don’t do something drastic now it’s going to have horrific consequences. I am happy to sacrifice my business if I have to to save lives," she said.

"Our poor NHS are so tired – we must do this today to save our tomorrow."

England is set to re-enter lockdown as cases of Covid-19 soar. The nationwide measures are the latest plan to curb the spread of the coronavirus amid hospital pressures, a virulent new strain, and the government's bid to roll out vaccines on an unprecedented scale.

In the West Midlands, Wolverhampton has the highest rate of infection currently, and it's this situation in the Black Country city, and others like it, that the government is seeking to address, and prevent from getting worse.

In the seven days to 31 December, the rate of new cases in Wolverhampton was 717.7 per 100,000 people - up from a rate of 437.4 in the previous seven days.

The leader of Wolverhampton City Council, Ian Brookfield, said one in four tests in the city were now coming back positive as the fight against Covid-19 was "once again reaching crisis point".

Image source, Reuters

Describing the lockdown measures announced by the prime minister as desperately needed, the Labour councillor said: "Infection rates are rising rapidly in Wolverhampton because of the discovery of a more contagious variant of the virus.

"These continue to be difficult times, but I know our city will get through them."

Vanessa Pearce
BBC News

Good morning and welcome to our live service for Tuesday.

We'll be bringing you local reaction to the prime minister's announcement that England will go into lockdown once more - full measures similar to those seen in March last year, including the closure of schools to most pupils.

How do you feel about the development? We want to hear from you, so share your thoughts with us via email, Twitter, external and Facebook., external

You can catch up on the announcement here and find out the latest rules with this government guide, external.

The rules are set to become law in the early hours of Wednesday but people should follow them now, the PM has said.

A 27-year-old man, arrested on suspicion of murder, remains on conditional bail, police have said.

Live updates have now ended for the West Midlands.

We'll be back with you from 07:00 GMT on Tuesday with reaction to Prime Minister Boris Johnson's expected announcement about a set of new national coronavirus restrictions.

The warning comes as police investigate reports a man filmed empty wards without wearing a mask.

The leader of Birmingham City Council has written to Secretary of State for Education Gavin Williamson, voicing concerns about primary schools remaining open while the city is in tier four.

Image source, PA Media

Primary and special schools in Birmingham are being advised to carry out a risk assessment to determine whether it is safe to reopen for the spring term, and if deemed unsafe, then "Birmingham City Council will stand behind teaching staff in taking that decision", said leader Ian Ward.

He is also calling for a full lockdown.

"We know from London that once this new variant [of the virus] is in schools it will spread and then pupils will then take the virus back to the family home so we're in a really, really serious situation here and the government needs to recognise that and they need to accept in all tier four areas... unfortunately primary and special schools will have to close."

England all-rounder Moeen Ali has tested positive for Covid-19 upon the squad's arrival in Sri Lanka.

Image source, PA Media

The 33-year-old Worcestershire cricketer, who tested negative before departure, will now isolate for 10 days in accordance with the Sri Lanka government's quarantine protocol.

Warwickshire's Chris Woakes has been deemed as a possible close contact, and will observe a period of self-isolation and further testing.

England's two-Test tour of Sri Lanka starts in Galle on 14 January.

Boris Johnson will make a televised address at 20:00 GMT as No 10 says further steps must now be taken to address a surge in coronavirus cases.

Image source, PA Media

In the seven days to 30 December the rate of infection in the West Midlands was 389.9 per 100,000 population, up from 278.3 the previous week.

Wolverhampton has the highest rate in the region at 626.1, followed by Sandwell - 557.8 and Walsall - 488.

These areas, along with most of the West Midlands, are under tier four restrictions under which non-essential shops are closed and people can only leave their homes for a certain number of reasons.

Worcestershire and Shropshire are currently in tier three - very high alert - although rates in these areas are now running level with those places in tier four.

Audrey Dias
Journalist, BBC Midlands Today

An artist says she is helping refugee women from around the world cope with the stresses of lockdown through creative expression.

Birmingham artist Salma Zulfiqar says she hopes to inspire compassion and tolerance for refugees with her piece Migration Blanket.

A film of the project has now been made.

You can see more on this story on BBC Midlands Today on BBC One at 18:30.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Mark Cardwell

A landmark railway building in Birmingham city centre is to be refurbished as part of HS2 station work.

Image source, Google

The city council has agreed for the grade I-listed Old Curzon Street Station to be leased to HS2 and refurbished as part of the work on the new Curzon Street Station.

The station will initially link Birmingham with London before later phases connect the city with the north.

The building was designed by Philip Hardwick and opened in 1838 and was initially intended to be a boardroom for the London and Birmingham Railway.

Birmingham City Council leader Ian Ward says the government needs to act amid soaring virus rates.