the daily number of coronavirus cases in the uk has passed 40,000 for the first time. there were 41,385 new cases with 357 more deaths, increasing pressure on hospitals still further. a chinese journalist, zhang zhan, who reported on the early days of the coronavirus outbreak in the city of wuhan, has been sentenced to four years in jail over reports that criticised the authorities‘ response to the pandemic. the british government warns travellers and business people to expect bumpy moments in the months ahead as they get to grips with the uk's new relationship with the eu. president trump has signed a coronavirus relief and spending package. he'd previously threatened to block the bill, saying parts of it were ‘wasteful‘. democrats have urged the president to follow up the bill with more help for struggling workers.

hello and welcome to our look ahead to what the papers will be bringing us tomorrow. with me are the broadcaster daisy mcandrew and claire cohen, women's editor at the telegraph. wonderful to have both of you with us. wonderful to have both of you with us. you're both very welcome. let us ta ke us. you're both very welcome. let us take a look at some of what we're seeing in the papers. "swamped" is how the daily mirror puts it. the paper reports on how uk hospitals are struggling to cope with the highest number of covid—19 admissions since the start of the crisis, which have surpassed the peak of the first wave. the daily telegraph leads on comments from the government's scientific advisers, who say 2 million vaccine jabs have to be delivered each week in order to avoid a devastating third wave.

the sun reports on comments from the nhs chief executive who says he expects 22 million people to be vaccinated by the spring. the daily mail leads on the ongoing discussions among ministers and unions about whether it is safe to reopen schools. next term is already being postponed by a week for most secondary pupils to allow for coronavirus testing. the times says the prime minister is under pressure to delay schools re—opening as the number of daily coronavirus cases in the uk reached over 40,000 for the first time. the financial times leads on news that the european union is nearing a business investment deal with china, which could cause friction with us president—elect biden. the yorkshire post reports on comments from the former health secretaryjeremy hunt.

and chair of the health and social ca re and chair of the health and social care select committee, who is urging the prime minister to reform britain's social care system. so, let us begin. let's get into some of the issues that we are seeing in the papers today. shall we begin with the mirror? that one is swamped. there it is. the photograph is taking up most of the front page with this, looking at the ambulances. they‘ re saying hospitals‘ ambulances. they‘re saying hospitals‘ worst week. daisy, what are you thinking? well, it is a story that we knew was coming in many ways, but not quite the soon. we knew that any extra mixing between families would lead to an increase in hospital admissions, and sadly, into deaths as well. but of course, this tightening of the nhs has happened much quicker than lots

of people would have predicted a few weeks ago. as the mirror said, swamped. you have the ambulances lining up, and so many administrators are saying one of the major problems is they cannot off—load patients off the ambulances fast enough because they don‘t have anywhere to put those patients. therefore, it is causing more because of the ambulances can‘t go back to the street. so, the problem gets bigger and bigger. as you were just saying, the figures from today are just saying, the figures from today a re really, really just saying, the figures from today are really, really bad, the first time we‘ve had more than 4000 cases. the number of beds with patients who got covid—19 now, more than 20,000, which is more than it was at the peak in april, when it was only 18,971. we know this is going to get much worse before it can get better. so, it is a really, really dangerous time for the nhs, and we‘re always

being told one of the main policy purposesis being told one of the main policy purposes is to support the nhs, and the nhs doesn‘t look very supported 01’ the nhs doesn‘t look very supported or protected at the moment the. claire, 41,380 —— or protected at the moment the. claire, 41,380 -- 85. it or protected at the moment the. claire, 41,380 —— 85. it is staggering. when you think the government might be able to go from here with a figure like that? it's a really grim milestone, isn't it? i ee, really grim milestone, isn't it? i agree, i think it's been reach much faster in the second way than anyone anticipated at all. this picture on the front of the mirror is astonishing. it reallyjust sums up the problem that we're facing, which is not really a shortage of beds, any doctor is telling me the wards are actually full. but of course, a lack of staff, and we know this. the numbers are rising, but even before the pandemic, the nhs were short of

at least 80,000 staff. so, it's little wonder that we're seeing these numbers are rising and we're unable to find beds for these people and treat them quickly enough, because there aren't enough staff. we've reached this number alarmingly quickly, and it comes a day ahead of the government's banding review tomorrow, when millions are expected tomorrow, when millions are expected to be put into tier 4. great swathes of the midlands and the north. this really will keep... people will be looking at this page and think maybe thatis looking at this page and think maybe that is where we need to go. claire, you‘re actually bringing up an aspect that i want to get to. this is turning to the daily telegraph. 0ne one of the stories on the front, if my viewers just take a look, we see the vaccinations. nightingale hospitals being dismantled. we‘re in the middle of this wave for, we are seeing these figures. you would think if beds are at a premium, the

nightingale hospitals that were created to deal specifically with coronavirus and covid—19, this would be the moment when they would be utilised. but instead, being dismantled. daisy, do you want to pick up on that story and what‘s in it from people who haven‘t been following closely? absolutely. it doesn‘t sound like it makes any sense. of course, that is exactly the point. it is about the lack of staff, because as we know, there aren‘t enough staff. there weren‘t enough staff before the pandemic in the nhs. now though staff are even busier and many, many of them are either self—isolating or have covid—19 themselves. they been forcibly taken off work, so the reason these hospitals are being dismantled is because there are no nursing staff, no medics to look after those beds. i applaud the

telegraph or the story. do you remember when the xl conference centre was turned into the first nightingale hospital? the prime minister of... to my understanding, very few patients were treated there, and now it has been dismantled. the beds have been taken down. of the seven hospital set up with all that fanfare, only one, i think it‘s the one in exeter, is actually functioning. the others we‘re told could function within 24 to 48 hours notice, but no one knows if that‘s true. they only cut if they could find the staff and the nhs is saying they can simply don‘t have enough. these are very trained icu nurses that are in the greatest shortage, and those nursing staff, it takes years to strain them up to the kind of standard —— to train

them. so, that‘s why they‘re being dismantled, and it really is a political failure but it‘s one that‘s taken years and years to get this data. it‘s not one that can be overturned very quickly. claire, what would you respond to that? i will pick up, £220 million to create. it wasn‘t just fanfare. will pick up, £220 million to create. it wasn'tjust fanfare. it's an astonishing amount of money spent oi'i an astonishing amount of money spent on the seven units. daisy points out only one operational. we all remember those amazing pictures, the amazing footage of when the nightingale hospitals opened. particularly the one and the excel centre. it seemed optimistic... perhaps that's not the right word. the nightingale hospitals would have had a large role to play, but this is really an issue that could have been anticipated because as we both pointed out, the nhs has had a woeful lack of staff for years. we've known this. so, where it was

thought the staff to man these hospitals, there's a quote in our story tomorrow saying nhs staff can be conjured out of thin air. where we thought we were be able to staff these vast units is a question that needs to be asked to. there will be a lot of questions to be asked and answered. let me turn on to something more positive, ifeel more positive when i read about vaccines. i want to compare these two stories. the sun, spring it on. 22 million brits will be vaccinated by april. instead, in the telegraph, saying we must vaccinate at 2 million a week. i‘m sorry for all these figures flying around, but they are important as we talk about it today. how do you feel, clear, when you see 22 million brits will be vaccinated by april, and then your paper

talking about they need to step it up talking about they need to step it up if they‘re going to be able to avoid consequences of the third wave? when i saw the sun's front page, the cynic in me was reminded of all of the other targets we've been told about over the last nine oi' been told about over the last nine orten been told about over the last nine or ten months that haven't quite been met. 0r met on time. this is sir simon stevens saying this, about the 22 million. he was also quoted saying we are back in the eye of the storm, so a bit of mixed messaging from him perhaps. but it's good that he's been optimistic. the telegraph's real story tomorrow is actually the london school of hygiene that come up with its production. it's short of —— sort of a formula to get out of the current peak, basically saying it needs to be2 peak, basically saying it needs to be 2 million vaccinated a week. england entirely in tier 4 into the

schools close throughout january. that is to reduce the icu board and below the first wave peak, so that isa below the first wave peak, so that is a pretty gloomy prospect. about something that's been backed up by members of sage this week, who have said the government's target is1 million vaccinated the week. —— vaccinated a week. we're vaccinating only 200,000 a week, so to say we might be able to get to 1 million only 200,000 a week, so to say we might be able to get to1 million by the end of january, might be able to get to1 million by the end ofjanuary, but we need to million and then there stevens saying 22 million by the spring, it all seemed a little bit... we are awaiting the approval of the oxford vaccine, which the government is pinning all of its hopes on, and that should give the numbers a huge boost to. let's hope that does happen. i do want to move on to another aspect. a lot of our viewers are like, "what‘s happening with

schools?" let‘s turn to the times. prime minister under pressure to delay schools opening. they also have in the guardian, they are also talking about a covid surge triggers a split over the school. basically, it‘s one of the politicians are supposed to do to please the parents and also keep the unions happy? daisy? that's right. the independent sage committee, which is alternative sage committee, which is alternative sage committee, which is alternative sage committee, plays a very big in the ones that have been advising today that the schools should stay close longer than that first week we‘re all already expecting. so schools can get these fast testing facilities up and running. i do think that is unreasonable or very unlikely that schools are going to

manage to get those facilities up and running. who‘s going to take the test? we know the unions are very worried about this, but sage‘s point of view is not necessarily about the practicalities, it‘s about the spread of the virus throughout communities. they‘re saying we will not manage to keep that our number down unless schools and universities stay close —— r numbers. they‘re saying universities should be entirely online until about half term. i know many, many parents like myself, i have two teenagers, will be gnashing their teeth after the thought of this. but sage is also saying they want smaller class sizes, more ventilation, free masks for all children in schools because they say it is in schools that it‘s really spreading. but notjust schools, they have many, many points

they‘re saying the government has not tackled properly. they‘re saying workplaces should have certificates to show that they are complying by all the rules, and that would mean people would feel safer going into certain restaurants or shops when they reopen. they also point to test and trace and say what a complete mess we‘ve made. we know we‘ve made a mess, we know that only 20% of people who get symptoms are isolating, and they‘re again repeating their claim that test and tray should be done by local authorities, not by the private sector. and i think there is a valid point there, not because private is a lwa ys point there, not because private is always bad in public is always good, that‘s not the case. when it comes to local knowledge, i think it is the case and we can see... in new york, 90% of people with symptoms are trapped on their isolation, and here it‘s 20. something is going wrong —— trapped under isolation. people are offered hotels,