eight million people face the highest covid restrictions — more than 50 mps write to boris johnson over the north/south divide having put their areas into lockdown — the mps want to know how he plans to get them out of it we are asking people to give up huge civil liberties, businesses to close, people to live on two thirds of their normal wages. i don't think it's unreasonable to say that the other side of that coin should be show us the way out. we want to build back better across the north of england. we'll be getting the latest — as warrington becomes the latest area to go into tier 3. also this lunchtime... think catching coronavirus once means you can't catch it again? the latest research suggests you may need to think again as the presidential election campaign enters its final days — the focus turns to the key swing states set to determine who wins the race

and a special report from syria, where the pandemic threatens to decimate a population who've already suffered more than enough. the people who live here are about to face yet another battle. from lockdown in this one—bedroom flat — to this. the two boys given a break on the beach... ..thanks to a bbc viewer. and coming up in the sport later in the hour on bbc news, we look ahead to this evening's champions league matches as liverpool prepare to take on the danish champions at anfield. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. with around eight million people now under or about to enter tier 3 restrictions in england — and no sign of figures for covid falling — there's increasing pressure on the government to outline how areas can get those restrictions lifted.

more than 50 conservative mps have written a letter to borisjohnson, pressing him for a "clear road—map" out of tier 3. the mps — many of whom won labour's so—called ‘red wall‘ seats at the last election — warn that the pandemic threatens the prime minister's pledge to "level up" northern communities. jonathan blake reports. new parts of england coming under the tightest restrictions. nottingham moves into the very high covid alert level this week, warrington now joins covid alert level this week, warrington nowjoins other areas in tier 3. for how long, warrington nowjoins other areas in tier3. for how long, no warrington nowjoins other areas in tier 3. for how long, no one can't be sure. if it's necessary, everybody abides by it, the sooner we will be out of it. get back to normal. maybe within, what is it, 28 days, we will be back to tier 2.|i think it's needed to happen. the numbers of people with coronavirus are growing. mps are demanding details though on when and how the

measures may be lifted. we are asking people to give up huge civil liberties, businesses to close, people to live on two thirds of the normal wages. i don't think it's unreasonable to say that the other side of that coin should be, show us the way out. more than 50 conservative mps have written to the prime minister calling for a clear road map out of local lockdown. in their letter they warn coronavirus threatens to continue to increase the disparity between north and south. they say their constituents have been some of the worst affected by covid with many losing jobs and businesses and they ask boris johnson to reflect carefully on the conservative ‘s promise to people living in the north during the last election, with the levelling up agenda and to make the region central to the country ‘s economic recovery. it's almost a year since borisjohnson ‘s recovery. it's almost a year since boris johnson ‘s landslide recovery. it's almost a year since borisjohnson ‘s landslide election victory. we did it we did it. tories who took seats from labour then warned there areas risk being left

behind now. ministers insist the promised investment has begun. seven towns getting £180 million as part of the £3.6 billion pounds fund, 45 of the £3.6 billion pounds fund, 45 of them in the northern powerhouse, 14 of them in the northern powerhouse, 1a of the hospitals in our hospital building programme is in the northern powerhouse. the mps wrote this letter insist they're not trying to make trouble for the government, some say they were not expecting it to be made public but reminding the prime minister about promises he made at the last election reflects a nervousness among some tory backbenchers that those who voted last time round don't necessarily do so again. the response to coronavirus may have consumed the government for months but downing street says its ambition for the country is unchanged. some mps are clearly impatient to see the evidence. jonathan blake, bbc news. 0vernight, warrington entered tier 3 restrictions — mairead smyth is there for us and sent this update. warrington became the latest area of england to wake up under tier

3 restrictions today. they came two days earlier than expected, and that's because there is a rising number of cases of coronavirus. at the minute it stands at 399 per 100,000 of the population. and local leaders here say that it is appropriate and proportionate to have these new restrictions in place, because of those rising numbers and the impact on hospitals in this area. of course, it affects how people live their lives. tier 3 means that you can't have anybody in your home apart from those that live there or anybody in your support bubble, and that is just one single person, one single household family. new restrictions here will be reviewed after 28 days and the government has provided a package of almost £6 million to support the council here. that money will be spent on public health and supporting businesses. nottingham and three neighbouring boroughs will be moved into tier 3 from thursday. dan johnson is there.

yes, people have been expecting this because for quite a while, nottingham was at the top of the transmission rate right across the country. those numbers did come down last week, the numbers here and now more than half of what they were last week but local leaders have been talking about moving the city and surrounding boroughs into tier 3 and surrounding boroughs into tier 3 and that will happen from one minute past midnight on thursday, meaning nottingham city on the side of the trent and rushcliffe on the other side along with other brewers, closest to the city centre, the suggestion from some people is that thatis suggestion from some people is that that is down to students, the number of them coming back to the city in september causing numbers to search and it is the inner bar as they tend to live in. there will be tighter restrictions, what we don't have is the precise detail of what will stay open and what will close but local leaders say they expect it to be in line with what other areas have faced as they have gone into the

very high level alert restrictions. we don't know what the financial package will be yet in terms of support for businesses but it is expected to be in line although the local city council leader here says he does not think it is enough. across nottinghamshire, to the north of the county, places like mansfield and worksop will remain in tier 2 with the rest of nottinghamshire, for people here around nottingham, the tight restrictions will be in place from thursday morning. thank you. it's a common belief that if you catch coronavirus once — you can't catch it again. but new research casts doubt on that. scientists say the proportion of people with coronavirus antibodies has been falling — suggesting immunity may only last a few months. researchers at imperial college london found the number of people testing positive for antibodies dropped by around a quarter betweenjune and september. naomi grimley reports. antibodies are a key part of our immune defences and stop the virus from getting inside the body's cells. but a study of 350,000 people who have had antibody tests shows

they do not last forever. at the end ofjune, 6% had antibodies, but by september it was only 4%. immunity is likely to wane over time after you have been infected, even if you have, you know that you have had, coronavirus, you have had covid, then you cannot be sure you will not get it again. and therefore we advise everybody to follow recommendations about hand hygiene, mask wearing and keeping distance from people. that is the first thing. and secondly, yes, of course it means that we are really in need of a vaccine which will, hopefully, produce a more long—lived immunity. the tailing off of antibodies may not be the whole story. there is another arm of the immune system called t—cells, and the science on that is still evolving. they are white blood cells that patrol the body, they inspect every cell in the body and they can see cells that have

viruses growing in them. if cells show the signs, t—cells are equipped with missiles that they can basically fire into those cells and destroy them. meanwhile, new data from the office for national statistics shows that uk covid—19 deaths have risen by 60% in the last week, shown here in red. it is only a fraction of the peak seen in april, but it is still a reminder that the situation is worsening. indeed, the world health organization is worried about a similar trend across europe. right now we are well behind this virus in europe, so getting ahead of it is going to take some serious acceleration in what we do and maybe a much more comprehensive nature of measures that are going to be needed to catch up with and get ahead of this virus. we have still got a lot to learn about how covid—19 affects our bodies. this latest research on immunity is another piece of the jigsaw. it will shape the government's scientific advice, which in turn shapes our lives.

naomi grimley, bbc news. as coronavirus cases rise, hospitals are facing more pressure throughout the uk and nhs staff are having to cope with competing demands. more than 1,000 people have been admitted to hospital on average every day in the week up to last monday. so how prepared are they? 0ur medical editor fergus walsh has been given access to the royal victoria infirmary in newcastle. intensive care, the sharp end of the covid—19 pandemic. the disease hasn't changed, but now doctors know much more about how best to treat it, such as only using ventilators for the very sickest patients. the experiences we had the beginning of the year, they've certainly made it easier for us to have a feel for which patients we need to admit to critical care urgently, which patients we can maybe send to a respiratory ward. really, right at the beginning,

we didn't really know how long people would need to be on a ventilatorfor, and who would get better. and i think we've got a much better understanding of that. it means many patients are getting better sooner, and spending less time in hospital. the most frightening thing that ever happened to me. albert, who's 67, collapsed at home in the middle of the night, but is now out of intensive care. he thinks many don't take coronavirus seriously enough. it can attack anybody. it doesn't pick and choose, but it's certainly not a joke, that's the last thing it is. the royal victoria infirmary has far fewer covid patients than in april. the staff feel better prepared this time, but know they face a long winter. i think it took a lot of courage first time round for our staff to come and face up and front up to this, to a disease we were unfamiliar with. i also think the familiarity we have with it now means that processes are smoother, we feel that stays are shorter.

it's still a challenge, there's no doubt about that. the hospital is expanding its intensive care facilities. this ward is being revamped, ready to deal with any surge. the rvi treated the very first confirmed covid patients in the uk in late january. back then, the disease was a complete unknown. now, half the patients here, like gordon, are taking part in clinical trials, looking for new treatments. i just want to help. if you... you know, if you don't do anything in life to help others, you don't feel so good. so it's just important to say yes, weigh up the consequences and the side effects, which are all clearly printed, and it's a no—brainer. in march, nonurgent surgery

was postponed to make way for covid. this winter the rvi says it's determined to keep other services going, such as hip replacements and cataract operations — things that can make a big difference to people's lives. but so much depends on coronavirus. there is only one set of staff. the more covid there is in the city, the more other patients could lose out. fergus walsh, bbc news, newcastle. there are just seven days to go before election day in the united states. although donald trump is trailing in the national polls — the key state races that will decide the presidency are much tighter. and last night the president had a major victory after his choice for supreme courtjudge amy coney barrett was sworn in — giving conservatives a six to three majority on the bench. david willis reports. question occurs on the nomination of amy coney barrett. the vote was along party lines in a deeply divided senate. the yeas are 52.

the nays are 48. the nomination of amy coney barrett of indiana to be an associate justice of the supreme court of the united states is confirmed. applause. confirming that conservative christian amy coney barrett to a lifetime appointment on the highest court in the land. the process then moved swiftly to a prime—time event at the white house. described by president trump as a "towering intellect," amy coney barrett was sworn in by the longest—serving supreme courtjustice, clarence thomas. i will well and faithfully discharge... herfirstjob could be to decide the outcome of the presidential election, should the matter end up in the supreme court. and, with the president alongside her, the former appeals courtjudge pledged her independence from the political process.

the oath that i have solemnly taken tonight means at its core that i will do myjob without any fear or favour, and that i will do so independently of both the political branches and of my own preferences. i, ruth bader ginsburg... but in taking the place of the liberaljustice ruth bader ginsburg, who died last month, she will change the political complexion of the nine—member court — possibly for decades to come. amy coney barrett refused to be drawn on issues such as abortion, climate change, and gun control during her confirmation hearing, but few doubt her appointment could herald a new era of rulings on some of the key issues of american life. with just a week to go before election day, meanwhile, both candidates have been targeting key swing states such as pennsylvania.

eight days from now we're going to win the commonwealth of pennsylvania, and we're going to win four years in our great white house. and despite trailing joe biden in the polls, donald trump is now saying he expects to expand on his victory there the last time around, whilst his democratic rival continues to assail the president over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. the bottom line is donald trump is the worst possible presidente, the worst possible person, to try to lead us to this pandemic. but the confirmation of a christian conservative to the us supreme court is undoubtedly a huge victory for donald trump. and regardless of its impact on the election, experts agree it could change the shape of american life long after he has left office. david willis, bbc news, los angeles. gary 0'donoghue is in washington. we're into the last week, and the

focus very much on those key swing states 7 focus very much on those key swing states? very much so, jealous, really, six or seven states that will make all the difference come next tuesday. intensity of the midwest, pennsylvania, nature again in wisconsin, they really won it for donald trump last time around —— michigan and wisconsin. in michigan there is a six or seven point difference, slightly less in wisconsin, by about a point, he is trailing, but in pennsylvania he is between four and five points ahead and has been pretty consistently, joe biden. he is ahead in florida with a one to two point gap, arizona and north carolina about the same, which is why the president is blitzing the upper midwest, the vice president is in california for three

separate rallies. 65 million people have already cast their ballots, just shy of 50% of the total votes cast in the last election, and last time the total early vote was 47 million so we are already 18 million votes a bove million so we are already 18 million votes above that with a week to go, which tells me this will pierre—hugues herbert as election. the time is 13:18. our top story this lunchtime... 8 million people face the highest covid restrictions — more than 50 mps write to boris johnson over the north—south divide and want to know how he plans to get them out of it. coming up... 0n target — footballer marcus rashford gets the support of business as he continues his push for free school holiday meals. coming up in the sport in the next 15 minutes on bbc news, the fa launches its football leadership diversity code. clubs have targets to reach to help tackle racial imbalance in the game.

as the brutal civil war continues in syria there are fears that the humanitarian disaster will be made even worse by coronavirus. the health care system has already been decimated by years of fighting — and cramped makeshift accomodation makes it likely outbreaks virus would quickly take hold. bbc cameraman darren conway has been to the rebel—held province of idlib and sent this report. the road to idlib has been a journey of misery for so many. this is one of the last remaining parts of syria that hasn't been retaken by the regime. millions of civilians have funnelled into this little corner of north—west syria in an attempt to escape the fighting. but the people that live here are about to face yet another battle — covid—19. dr kaddour is head of the two largest hospitals in idlib. he's one of only 600 doctors

for a population ofjust over 4 million people. very few covid tests are being done. while we were here, an average of 400 were carried out a day. up to 40% of those tested positive. aeroplanes, rockets, corona, angry, poor, assad's security, it's the same. all of them, all of these terms mean for us death. life is already tough enough here. it's a daily fight for survival. a free food hand—out quickly turns into a mob. but there are no masks to be seen. at times like this, prayer is about the only support the people here can rely on. but at this mosque, there is no social distancing. and if you thought that it was tough

living in idlib city, just take a look at the refugee camps — up to 1.5 million people living in filthy, cramped conditions. this is atma camp. it's one of the largest. people live on top of each other, sharing everything from tents to bathrooms, food and water. this seems like the perfect breeding ground for the virus, yet the official statistics show that only a handful of people have tested positive here. one of the reasons for this is that only people who are showing symptoms and are willing to come forward are being tested. but there's a stigma that comes along with being a covid carrier here. little zane has the virus. he caught it from his father. translation: people have treated me as if i'm disgraced. if they see me in the streets, they walk away from me. a couple of days ago, i went to get some groceries from the store and people moved away

from me as if i am the virus, as if i am the virus, as if i will kill them. so, unlike zane and his father, most people would prefer to suffer through the illness in silence which, in camps like this, means that they are superspreaders. would you say that the virus is out of control in the camps? it's out of control, yes, absolutely. this winter will be very bad, very dark, very hard. we do not have many places for people in the camp, we do not have many medi kits for these, we do not have many fuel to make children and babies and women more warm in the camp. we do not have food enough for them. no one really knows just how bad the outbreak is in the camps. this is a population who have already endured the worst of humanity.

it's hard to imagine, but if the outbreak in the camps is as bad as predicted, life here is about to become even harder. darren conway, bbc news, idlib, syria. covid—19 has "thrived" among black, asian and ethnic minority communities — because of race discrimination. that's according to a report comissioned by the labour party. last week, a government adviser said "structural racism" is not in itself a " reasonable expla nation" for differing infection rates. but the report's author, baroness doreen lawrence, said ethnic minority groups were "over—exposed to the virus" and faced barriers to healthcare. she spoke to public transport workers and other front—line staff — including one nurse who said she was afraid to go to work. when she said, you know, i didn't go to work to die, that was such a telling thing from me and that's what choked me because, you know, it's the fear of nurses and doctors that they have that fear, even though they want to do the best

they can for their patience, that hasn't changed. but the mere fact is the impact of not having the right protective equipment that they feel they need or they've been given and it doesn't fit. one size does not fit all. baroness doreen lawrence. footballer marcus rashford's high—profile campaign for free meals during school holidays is keeping up the pressure as he receives the support of more and more businesses. he's asked them for details ofjust how many free meals they are distributing. frankie mccamley reports. 45 packed lunches in skipton. 150 pasta pots in bradford. and almost 100 butties heading out for delivery in dewsbury. the local businesses have all come together following marcus rashford's call to help feed the country's hungry children over half term. in just one day, thousands of meals were sent out. it's a lifeline for many families, including leah hill, who receives food parcels to help

feed her children. it is helpful for when you have run out of cash. like, i get paid fortnightly but it is still very hard with the bills you pay. when they are at school it's a lot better because they don't eat as much because they get dinners at school. and at this restaurant in stevenage, it is clear how much the meals matter. in some ways, i felt embarrassed about having to do this, but it is about ensuring my son is eating properly. i know i try my best normally, but during half terms, or even any holidays, it is always difficult. following a pilot across 17 local authorities providing free school meals over the holidays, the head of the government's national food strategy, henry dimbleby, says the government needs to continue with this support. this problem is real, it should go without saying it is serious, it is immediate and it is going to get worse as employment gets worse. and that the government is not doing enough. in—kind support — so in the form

of food, education — actually has shown to have a better impact than putting the same small amount of money into universal credit. the government is reported to be considering extra funds for councils to set up holiday clubs, but some say time is of the essence. these children are frightened and they are suffering serious ill health as a result of this. and when you combine that with poor nutrition, what you end up is with poor cognition and poor development. as the row rumbles on and ministers face growing public pressure to help struggling families, businesses and communities continue to prepare, pack and deliver their support. frankie mccamley, bbc news. the metropolitan police are investigating a traffic collision involving labour leader sir keir starmer and a cyclist in north london on sunday. the cyclist — who reportedly has minor injuries following a collision with a car — was taken to hospital as a precaution. sir keir is not thought to have been

injured and reported the incident to the police later that day. mobile phone companies have been ordered to stop selling phones locked to one network. the regulator ofcom says the move should result in better deals and less inconvenience for consumers. the firms have said they'll work with ofcom to comply with its guidelines. earlier this year we covered the story of single dad samuel and his two sons — who spent lockdown in their small one bedroomed flat in bristol with nowhere to play outside. and it was tough. two viewers were so moved by samuel's story, they offered the family a free stay at their holiday park in devon. fiona lamdin reports. it's like rabbits in a hutch — we're all cooped up. there's not that much we can do — cos we're just in a one—bedroom. when we first met single dad samuel... when we go in the lifts, what do we do? we spray.

..it was six months ago, when the country was in full lockdown. if you could pan around and see the walls, they've turned into graffiti artists! some good, some bad. samuel and his two boys — six—year—old lysander and three—year—old denuel — share this one—bedroom flat on the 15th floor. with nearby parks closed and the lifts often broken, this family would spend 23 hours in here. but after months of being inside, today, they're off. holiday! go on, then. 100 miles away to north devon. at last! ken and sheila — bbc breakfast viewers — wanted to give samuel and his boys a break, so they offered them their home in devon. we saw your piece that you did on samuel, about him living on the 15th floor of a block of flats and trying to, you know, get the children not to touch

the inside of the lifts in case they picked up the virus. and it was that that really made me think. took you back to when you were... yeah. ..little. i lived in east london in a block of flats. i thought, if we could get him down here to north devon, you know, they've got the best beaches. we got all countryside, lots of place. so you can run round here, there's room. and for the next week, it'll be all theirs to explore. oh, it's lovely! the boys are enjoying themselves. i don't know, i can't find the words. it's just. . . overwhelming. just to see them doing what they're doing now. twelve steps from one side of the room to the other and probably eight or ten width wise, but here — look. just run wild! beautiful. look at them — loving it. as we head towards a winter full of unknowns, for this family,

this space and this freedom feels all the more precious. fiona lamdin, bbc news. fabulous. time for a look at the weather. here's matt taylor. good afternoon. damp and dreary on many uk beaches at the moment, hard to believe there is a ex—hurricane driving the weather at the moment. this is not unusualfor this driving the weather at the moment. this is not unusual for this time of year, it is stuck in the atlantic, it contains the remnants of hurricane epsilon. it is stained to our work but it is driving conditions, it is pushing cloud across the country and has brought patchy rain and drizzle. brightening up patchy rain and drizzle. brightening up in northern ireland, wales, the south—west. cloud and rain will linger in some places. sunshine in the north—east of scotland, the best

weather is