this is bbc news i'm simon mccoy. the headlines: stay at home! people around the uk enter lockdown again in measures aimed at reducing the spread of coronavirus. the chancellor announces one—off top up grants for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses worth up to £9,000 to help companies through the latest lockdown we've acted decisively in the face of new information and we have had now to grapple with a new variant of the virus and that's caused an uptake in cases, hospitalisation and deaths, as the prime minister set out and it was right that we acted. remote learning has returned for millions of school pupils. but questions remain about the assesment of those facing exams. more pressure on the nhs. a daunting task ahead — the vaccine rollout ramps up as the government pledges to vaccinate 13 million people by mid february. mood of the nation —

as everyone is told to stay at home, we'll look at the impact the latest lockdowns are having on our mental health. with the whole of the uk facing another period of strict lockdown we appear to be back where we started. we'll have to stay at home, schools are closed and even if you do venture out there's not much you can do to cheer yourself up. few shops, no restaurants, and no pubs. and that'll be the case for weeks. wales is already in lockdown and northern ireland is expected to go the same way. england's rules come into force tomorrow — scotland's started at midnight. when will it end? well much, of course, will depend on the success of the government's vaccination programme. there was some good news for businesses, chancellor rishi sunak saying they will receive support grants

worth up to £9,000 to help them survive the latest covid lockdown. 0ur political correspondent damian grammaticas reports. the heart of london today. still. the pace of life slowing again. new restrictions coming into force right across the country. quiet too in downing street at the centre of this national emergency, from where the prime minister laid out the new measures last night. with most of the country already under extreme measures, it's clear that we need to do more together to bring this new variant under control while our vaccines are rolled out. under england's new stay at home rules, you will only be allowed out for work that can't be done at home, for education, childcare or medical reasons, shopping for essentials like food and medicine, and to exercise — but only once a day. and, in addition, schools and colleges are now closed for the foreseeable future, there is no mixing with others

except in your support bubble. takeaway food is allowed but not takeaway drinks. what's prompted these new restrictions is the surging infection rates. the new variant of the virus is more infectious but the old rules were not enough to keep it in check. and the government faces questions about what has been a rapid change of policy. this was just 2a hours ago, children back at school. on sunday, the prime minister had said they should return, and then, one day later on the very first day of term, reversed his decision. all education will now be done remotely. the prime minister has acted decisively in the face of new information and we have had now to grapple with a new variant of the virus, and that's caused an uptick in cases and hospitalisations and deaths, as the prime minister set out, and it was right that we acted — regrettably, with regard to schools, but decisively to protect people's lives and their health at this difficult time. from wales to scotland

and northern ireland, new lockdown measures are now in place in almost every corner of the land. there were fears without action the nhs could have been overwhelmed. unlike last year, though, a vaccine is here but it needs time to work. i know it's really tough for everybody but we need to do this to make sure that we can save lives and protect the nhs while we get people vaccinated. the government says its aim is for perhaps 13 million people to be offered vaccinations in the next seven weeks. the opposition says it supports the new lockdown, but promises have been made before and this target has to be kept. there is no room for error by the government here. we cannot have yet another overpromising and underdelivering. but we have all got to play our part, and i have offered my support, i think we would all offer our support, there are many volunteers that want to come forward. this is a national effort, it is mission—critical. even with the vaccination programme, the current measures will have to be in place for weeks,

certainly into february, maybe beyond. only when infection rates sink and immunity rises can they be lifted. damian grammaticas, bbc news, westminster. iain watson is at westminster for us. we are going to be hearing from borisjohnson later? we are going to be hearing from boris johnson later? yes, we are, i think there is going to be lots of questions for be prime minister at 5 o'clock when he gives that press conference. it is a signal of how serious the situation is that we had him on the andrew marr programme and yet. although he said he was acting swiftly in the face of new information that the level has gone up information that the level has gone up to its highest run, but questions even from his own mps about how he and the rest of government have been responding to the crisis and whether they have been quick and decisive enough. so we know that he was

suggesting that people should be going to school in most parts of england on sunday, but my monday most of the schools were being closed. we also know of course that there are still outstanding questions over what exams might take place in england and indeed what form those exams might take. there is questions about the supply of vaccines, we have got an ambitious target to get the most vulnerable vaccinated by next month. but there are questions about whether the supply will keep up the ambition and the demand and the chancellor announced a new package of support for businesses, up to £9,000 for businesses that have to remain closed, but he is putting off a decision on the further extension of furlough, or increasing sick pay, until the budget in march. again the government's critics say it is not acting swiftly enough and questions will be raise about why it was that in mid—december the government was

warning of the dangers of the new variant of covid and now only taking decisions on lockdown within the past 2a hours. could parents and businesses be given more notice of grim times ahead and which some mps in different parties think was all but inevitable. looking at the tv schedules, bbci7 o'clock, sir keir starmer‘s statement. what is that about? that is because boris johnson gave an address to the nation last night and it is standard practice for the leader of the opposition to give his own address. he will do that. his position has been as you know supportive of the government's measures, but question ing whether they were acting quickly enough. the focus of his message will be the vaccination programme and whether“; million doses can be delivered on time. he is suggesting that the government should be entering into

contract with the british people f they put up more severe restrictions, the government must be able to deliver the vaccination programme. but the government say they have vaccinated more people in they have vaccinated more people in the uk than in the rest of europe combined and they are, they may well be ambitious, but they believe some of the most vulnerable will be vaccinated. but there will be that message, you're right from keir starmer tonight and just when we are seeing the leader politicians on both sides underlies the seriousness of the situation and the fact that across the house of commons, which isn't meeting today, it will be recalled tomorrow, but across the house of commons, there is concern about the new variant and how quickly it is spreading and whether the nhs in some parts of england in particular could be overwhelmed within the next three weeks. thank you very much. although the lockdown announced by borisjohnson last night applies to england, there are strict measures in place across the uk.

in a moment we'll hear from our correspondents hywel griffith in cardiff and chris page at stormont, but first alexandra mackenzie reports from glasgow. this is scotland's first day back into lockdown. scotland went back into lockdown. scotland went back into lockdown. scotland went back into lockdown at midnight. much tougher restrictions. that is due to carry on until the end of the month, but could continue further if the number of cases continue to rise. now, it means that all of mainland scotla nd now, it means that all of mainland scotland and some island communities cannot leave their homes, they're under a strict stay at home order. it is illegal to leave your home u nless it is illegal to leave your home unless for essential purposes. everyone has to work from home and should not be travelling to work, u nless should not be travelling to work, unless they cannot possibly work from home. there are also further restrictions for meeting people outside. you can only meet one person from one household outside, although children aged 12 and under are exempt from this. schools are

also closed. that is across the whole of scotland. and they're going to be closed until at least the ist february. wales has been in national lockdown since december 20th. for the last fortnight it has been a legal requirement for people to stay at home. unless their going out to exercise or to shop, or if they have to leave their home for work. of course, that means nonessential shops being closed, bars and restaurants are closed. the question is when will they open again? there is when will they open again? there isa is when will they open again? there is a review this week, but the government said there is little head room and many see the lockdown staying in place until the end of january. 0ne change that's happened is the extension of school closures, i'io is the extension of school closures, no face to face learning in face until at least january 18th. many

wonder whether that will be enough. teaching unions say two weeks isn't enough to make sure that the risk assessments can happen. however the education minister told the bbc today keeping children at home has grave consequences and she is keen if possible to re—open schools, they will examine the evidence when the time questions. but the real pressure is in hospitals. a record numberof pressure is in hospitals. a record number of covid patients, while the case numbers are coming down, they have fed through into the nhs. which is under extreme pressure at the moment. northern ireland is set to be locked down more tightly. ministers in the devolved government will be meeting in the next hour to finalise what is going to happen. already here since boxing day, nonessential shops have been shut and leisure facilities and hospitality businesses. the biggest decision politicians have to make todayis decision politicians have to make today is to do with education. in this, the first week of term, pupils

in all age groups are already being taught online and ministers have indicated they will extend that period of remote learning. it has not announced how long for, but it is understood this afternoon the executive will rubber stamp a proposal to keep schools closed until after february half term. there has been significant newsjust in the last few minutes affecting thousands of families in northern ireland, edge case is different here most pupils in the the final year of primary school sit tests. so the first of those tests were due to ta ke first of those tests were due to take place this saturday, but those exams have been called off. among the other matters that the ministers will discuss when they sit around that virtual executive table at 2 o'clock will be travel restrictions for example a limit on how far you can leave your home to exercise and how to make that stay at home

message ellie enforceable. kate nicholls is the chief executive of uk hospitality, the trade body representing the interests of the hospitality sector. £9,000 per business, a government bill of £4 billion, is that enough to get businesses through this next lockdown? it is a it isa it is a valuable contribution for businesses and those in the supply chain and those who don't qualify for grants. but it is a sticking plaster to get through. it is an emergency lifeline for the next two months. but it won't be enough longer term and we will need to see longer term and we will need to see longer term and we will need to see longer term support from the chancellor in the budget in march to get businesses through this period and to give them the certainty to invest and sustain jobs across the

sector as a whole. we need the chancellor to confirm what happens when the support falls at the end of march in terms of business rate and the reduced vat rate for hospitality and tourism, two vital things that businesses need extended throughout the year to provide the support and certainty they need to maintain their businesses. to be fair to the chancellor, you described it as a sticking plaster, but it does mean that businesses can keep going? sticking plaster, but it does mean that businesses can keep going7m isa that businesses can keep going7m is a lifeline, it will help businesses through this difficult period. unfortunately, for hospitality, many of these businesses will have been closed for three months, so those in wedding event and nightclubs have been closed almost a year, with no income coming through. so the fact that we have got no revenue and no cash reserves. 0ne have got no revenue and no cash reserves. one in five businesses don't have enough cash reserves to get through to the end of february.

this is a lifeline, but doesn't do more than get us through february. 0ne more than get us through february. one aspect, we don't have a clear idea when the economy will take off again. i think that is the big challenge we have got. it is the uncertainty over a re—opening date and that means you can't get any investment into businesses that are starved of cash and you have no certainty about how to manage the process going forward scotland we need the chancellor to end as much uncertainty as we can in terms of vat and business rates, that will allow us to plan further ahead, we need that longer term economic plan and we need a clear exit strategy from the government linked to the roll out of the vaccine for when we can re—open business and hospitality can re—open business and hospitality can play its part in rebuilding the economy and helping to drive forward the recovery. but at the moment, too much uncertainty for these businesses to know whether they can survive beyond easter. that sadly is

true for all of us, there has to be the a realism as to what is going on and presumably your members get it, we are all in the same boat on this? yes we get it, we understand why there needs to be restrictions, we need the support to make sure that businesses can survive so we don't have long—term economic scarring and we can support the people who are employed in hospitality, 3.2 million in hospitality, a further 1.5 million if supply chains. we need to know what happens and how we will be able to exit this and eliminate as much uncertainty as possible, so businesses can survive through this period of protracted closure. thank you. and we'll have live coverage of the prime minister's press conference in downing street — where boris johnson will appear alongside professor chris whitty and sir patrick vallance. that's on bbc one and here on the news channel from 4.30 this afteroon.

train services in england are to be cut during the national lockdown. the extent of the cuts has not yet been confirmed, but some in the industry are anticipating reductions of up to 50%. since the first lockdown in march, the government has spent billions of pounds covering the fall in ticket revenue due to low passenger numbers. the government is expected to announce further restrictions on international travel later. michael gove said measures were being discussed to make sure that ports and airports were as safe as possible. it's believed that travellers might be required to have a negative test result before coming to the uk. 0ur transport correspondent caroline daviesjoins me now. first of all, trains, we have been through this before. are we looking ata similarcut through this before. are we looking at a similar cut down. that is what the industry is thinking about and where the figures have come through. they think they might be asked to do something that mirror what is they

did in march. that figure of 50 to 60% will depend on where the service is. many in the industry will be trying to work out is where the routes most important to continue, where are key workers using them to make sure that doesn't get disrupted during the next few months. looking at the control of borders, plans maybe to insist on people having tests that prove negative before being allowed in the uk. at the moment we don't have a huge amount of information about this, we think the government are considering whether they should implement having a test when you're abroad, before you return to the uk. at the moment thatis you return to the uk. at the moment that is not a requirement before you land in the uk. but we haven't had confirmation on what sort of test might be used if they would be testing at the airports and what time frame we are looking at and when that might be introduced. a lot of questions waiting to hear from the government. thank you.

well as we've been hearing all schools in england are switching to remote learning with this summer's gcses and a—levels cancelled. and there are concerns that those from poorer backgrounds — without access to laptops and broadband — will fall further behind. the education secretary gavin williamson will make a statement in the house of commons tomorrow. sean dilley reports. it's a decision the government strongly resisted, but while schools and colleges in england are now closed to most students, ministers say they expect education to continue remotely. we wanted to keep schools open as much as possible, but the message from the chief medical 0fficers yesterday was clear, and therefore with a heavy heart but with clear evidence we had to act. there are particular challenges for children in the most disadvantaged circumstances who find it more difficult sometimes to secure the remote learning that inevitably all children will have to have at the moment. making sure that remote learning technology is available is something the government says it is working hard to achieve, but some parents

are angry. last time we made it work by splitting the days in two. one of us worked from six in the morning until one or two in the afternoon, and the other one then took over, and vice versa. there is nothing easy about working and home—schooling. in fact, it is nearly impossible. i think to call it an inconvenience is insulting to the millions of parents who are going to have to rearrange their lives to try and make this work. what's different this time round is that early years education in nurseries and childcare centres are expected to remain open. the government says younger children are less likely to spread the virus. but nurseries are calling for more help to keep their staff safe. what the government must do immediately is to reassure parents and nursery staff in terms of their safety under these conditions but, most importantly, give them additional support by prioritising them for vaccinations. that's the only way the key workers and those parents are going to be supported moving forward.

meanwhile, non—vocational exams such as gcses and a—levels have been scrapped. the government's in talks with the exam regulator 0fqual, but as yet no details exist as to what might replace them. vocational exams such as btecs are going ahead as planned, despite calls for them to be cancelled too. higher education is also impacted. most university students are being asked not to return if possible and to prepare to start the term online until at least the middle of february. those studying hands—on courses, such as medicine and veterinary science, can return following two covid tests or a ten—day period of isolation. the decision to close schools and colleges marks a major departure from the government's previous position, but they say the latest evidence is clear. schools must be closed to protect us all. sean dilley, bbc news. a quick line of breaking new from honda, which said it is halting

output in britain, due to global supply delays. it suspended out put in september after the problems from the covid pandemic. goods being stock piled before brexit. 0utput resumed yesterday. at swindon. after the festive break. the situation being monitored. for today and tomorrow, honda has had to halt output at its plants. with another lockdown being the very last thing businesses need right now — as we've heard — the chancellor has stepped in to try and stave off a fresh wave of closures and redundancies. andy verity reports. for businesses forced once again by anti—virus measures to shut, being in a cash flow crisis with too little money coming in to pay suppliers, landlords and creditors is a painful new normal.

the bank of england's calculated this financial year firms have £180 billion less money flowing in than they need to pay bills. and that was before the new lockdown which will hit even harder. we've announced £4.6 billion of additional help. for the businesses in the most affected sectors who were asked to close they will receive up to £9,000 in a one—off cash grant. it is important to remember that comes on top of the existing monthly grants of £3000 that those businesses receive and the extension of furlough, all the way through to april. we remain committed to protecting jobs and supporting businesses. firms like this manchester gin distillery and bar are likely to get the grants and welcome any support they can get but after the christmas they have had, they are by no means sure it will be enough to get them through months more in lockdown. we were planning in december to try and reopen in early february.

those plans are out the window, all the money be spent on staff, you cannot just reopen a business, you cannot open the door is the next day, it takes three or four weeks of proper planning and retraining staff. groups representing smaller companies like this have already protested that the support measures do not go far enough to match the scale of the economic damage being done by renewed lockdown. they want a much bigger plan to support firms throughout 2021. if what we have is the period of drip feed support to businesses rather than some consistency until the point of reopening and until we see that bounce back, i think that will hurt more businesses than it will help. £4.6 billion in normal times is a substantial sum but the government has already spent more than £280 billion tackling coronavirus. businesses hit by the new lockdown will apply all the pressure they can to press government for more. andy verity, bbc news. with more patients in uk hospitals with coronavirus

than there were during the first wave last spring, there's huge pressure on the nhs. as the government hopes to vaccinate 13 million people by mid—february, medical staff are facing a daunting task. and they want to be protected too — more than 800 consultants, doctors and nurses have called for hospital staff to be given better personal protective equipment. 0ur health correspondent jim reed reports. scientists say this is now a race between the danger of the virus and the hope of the vaccine. in parts of the country, hospitals are under extreme pressure. at st george's in south london and they had seen a sharp rise in numbers needing oxygen support. it has been one of the worst shifts of my entire life. intense. i am looking after many moznik patients than normal. a group of hospital staff has called for better personal protection, including more of a high quality masks usually only worn in intensive care. the uk is at the highest covid threat level and senior doctors say

without a reduction encases the nhs is at risk of being overwhelmed in three weeks. we have never had to expand critical care units the way we have into non—critical care unit areas, never had to redeploy nursing and medical staff from other areas to help in intensive care. the impact of a new virus variant is still being felt most heavily in the south—east of england. at king's college hospital in london, some urgent cancer operations have been cancelled. but there is pressure in other parts of the country, hospital bosses in north cumbria they can no longer guarantee comprehensive care for their patients. vaccines are seen as the way out of this crisis. as a first priority the government wants to get the jab to 30 million people, everyone over 70, the most clinically vulnerable and front—line

health and care workers. we have vaccinated 1 million people at the weekend, we are increasing the numbers and we hope to reachjust over 13 million in february. but to reach all those groups the nhs would need to administer 2 million vaccines every week. it is probably realistic from a logistics point of view and being able to turn the nhs towards this and i guess my bigger concern, and i really don't know, is how quickly the vaccine can be manufactured. the bbc has learned there is now enough role vaccine in the country to meet demand, but the ability to get it into people's arms could be affected by a global shortage of glass vials, waits to carry out safety checks and possible limits on the number of people carrying out vaccinations. in the meantime, the message from scientists and politicians is

simple. follow the rules as the nhs prepares for what is likely to be the hardest weeks of this crisis. jim reed, bbc news. now the scene in portsmouth. the harbour there. there is very little activity. there is the tower. as we show you the coastline there, along to south sea and of course the city centre. and when we were zooming in a moment ago, we saw many empty car parks. you can see empty playing fields and all the bars are closed as well! here all week! sorry about that, we lost the picture. now it's time for a look at the weather with matt. a dry and cold tuesday. some rain,

sleet and snow in eastern scotland and northern england. rain showers in east anglia and the south—east and the channel islands. some will be heavy at times. the clear skies in between as we head towards the evening, temperatures at 6 dropping below freezing in western scotland. some mist and fog could form here. icy conditions in eastern scotland into the eastern half of england. rain showers still keeping temperatures above freezing in the south—east. elsewhere a cold start to tomorrow morning. minus six in central scotland. tomorrow a lot of dry and bright weather and the showers in the south—east will push back to the coast and they will continue in the channel island and one or two will drift south. but for many sunshine and another cold day.

hello this is bbc news. the headlines: stay at home! people around the uk enter lockdown again in measures aimed at reducing the spread of coronavirus. the chancellor announces one—off top up grants for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses worth up to £9,000 to help companies through the latest lockdown. the prime minister has acted decisively in the face of new information and we have had to grapple with a new variant of the virus and that has caused an uptake in cases and hospitalisations and deaths and it was right that we acted. remote learning has returned for millions of school pupils. but questions remain about the assesment of those facing exams. more pressure on the nhs. a daunting task ahead. the vaccine rollout ramps up as the government pledges to vaccinate thirteen million people by mid february. mood of the nation. as everyone is told to stay at home, we'll look at the impact the latest lockdowns are having on our mental health.

sport now and for a full round up from the bbc sport centre, here's jane dugal. good afternoon. england's cricketers and the rest of the touring party in sri lanka have all been tested again for coronavirus. all being well, they hope to train for the first time tomorrow afternoon. until then, they have to stay in their rooms. we reported yesterday that moeen ali had tested positive and he'll be leaving the england base today and heading to the quarantine hotel near galle, where the two test matches will be played. sri lanka are not in the best of form right now, ahead of that series against england. they lost their two—match test series against south africa 2—0 earlier today. south africa comfortably winning the second test, on day three, by 10 wickets. new zealand captain kane williamson showed why he's the world's top—ranked test batsman, with a masterful double century against pakistan in christchurch. he batted for nine and a half hours, in a mammoth 369—run partnership with henry nicholls, as they took control

of the second test. the black caps are closing in on a 2—0 series sweep. they declared on 659—6, giving them a lead of 354 at stumps on the third day. the health and leisure industry has called on the government for urgent financial support to safeguard "the physical and mental wellbeing of people across the uk". all indoor and outdoor facilities have been forced to close again, under the latest coronavirus restictions. the lawn tennis association will be asking the government to allow outdoor tennis to resume as soon as possible. they say it's a naturally socially distanced sport that is safe to play, and it's important for people's physical and mental health. tottenham host brentford in the league cup semi final this evening, while tomorrow in the other match its the manchester derby at old trafford. manchester united manager 0le gunnar solskjaer says he knows that watching sport is keeping fans

going during these difficult times. we are privileged to be able to play football and with the protocols that we are working under, hopefully, we can continue. i think mentally, for many, it would be a release to watch games now, especially when we are in full lockdown again. so hopefully we can continue, but we know that we have to work hard to stay within the rules and guidelines and we are doing our best to keep the show on the road. in the last few minutes, mclaren have confirmed that their british driver lando norris has tested positive for coronavirus whilst in dubai. it comes as the first race of the formula one season, the australian grand prix, is in doubt because of covid restrictions in the country. it's due to take place in melbourne from the 19th to the 21st of march. the organisers are in talks with the australian government and f1 bosses, with the governement insisting it will prioritise public health. australia continues to maintain strict quarantine rules on international arrivals.

last year's race was called off just hours before first practice was due to start, when a mclaren team member tested positive for coronavirus. the leeds rhinos captain stevie ward has been forced to retire at the age of 27, due to the after—effects of concussions. he suffered two last year, and says he struggles with symptoms every day, including migraines, dizziness, short—term memory loss and slurred speech. ward has called on the sport to become more proactive in how it protects players, to avoid another generation from becoming "guinea pigs" in research. world number one novak djokovic will lead the field at next month's atp cup, ahead of the australian 0pen. djokovic and the serbia team are the defending champions, with the event halved in size and reduced to 12 teams, because of the coronavirus. it'll take place in the first five days of february and it's been moved to melbourne, so players can stay in a covid—safe bubble before

the australian open starts on the 8th. there's more on the bbc sport website, including discussions on the potential impact of covid—19 on this summer's british and irish lions series in south africa. if fans aren't allowed to travel, it could be switched to the uk. that's all the sport for now. so, hopes of a happy new year didn't last long. within days of the start of 2021, millions of people are being told to stay at home. it's to ease the pressure on the nhs, but what effect are the latest restrictions having on our mental health? with limited access to friends and family and even work colleagues, how are we coping under lockdown? duncan kennedy reports. green space or urban setting, the cloak of human hibernation has come to shroud us all again. this is the centre of southampton, normally heaving with people, not today.

here we are, back in lockdown, what did you think? should have happened last year. i understand why they don't do expert we had to think long—term, get lockdown turn, get this out of the way, it is real. on a personal level, are you just resigned? nothing we can do, you got to abide by the rules and hopefully it will fade away in time. this city centre park was almost deserted, just a few walkers, joggers and bloggers like this university student. what you think of going back into lockdown? i know it is the sensible thing but also tired of giving it. we also came across doctor nathalie harrison, who has seen what covid is like in her hospital and is now just two weeks away from giving birth to her second child. what do you think of going into lockdown again? i totally understand why it is needed.

we are grateful that hopefully parks are staying open and we can get outside for exercise once a day, especially with little one, but i think it is just what we needed to do. but while cenation's mojo might be out of step, one man is trying left morale. joe wicks says he will be back again as britain's favourite pe teacher while schools are closed. i made the decision because i want to be there with families with young children who need to stay active, i will do it monday, wednesday and friday at 9am just like in the first lockdown, the videos will be saved, if you miss that you can do them another time. joe is not the only one trying to keep people fit, but those like frankii newberry from york say the news has not come easily. this news has broken me a little bit, and i think i and a strong,

resilient person, i pride myself on that. we have been here before, empty streets, disrupted lights, but lockdown, the sequel, is one follow—up most people say they will not enjoy, but they will endure. duncan kennedy, bbc news. as we've been hearing, schools in england will close as a result of rising coronavirus cases, and secondary school exams will not go ahead as planned in the summer. but with schools turning once again to remote learning, it highlights once more the social gap in access to technology. we can speak now to matt hood, principle of oak national academy and chair of the bay leadership academy. good of you to join us this afternoon. the worry is that the disparity between the better off and the poorerfamilies disparity between the better off and the poorer families is exacerbated by re m ote the poorer families is exacerbated by remote learning. just explain how. thanks for having me. the big challenge we face keeping kids

learning whilst schools are closed and if they need access to remote learning which often is done digitally, there are two gaps that then open up. one of them is having a device, laptop or tablet. the second which gets less attention is the data that you need to access that device and 0fcom think a million pupils are accessing learning virus slots that require a four or 5g signal and one in five households are struggling to pay for the data that comes associated with that device. so those data charges you see sometimes when you go abroad are hitting the poorest families ha rd est are hitting the poorest families hardest here in england. you talk about zero rating. is that the a nswer to about zero rating. is that the answer to stop charging for access to educational material? they have been some really good will from the

telecommunications companies. vodafone have a sim card offer but all of those solutions are too complicated. they involve filling in application forms. a simple solution isa application forms. a simple solution is a zero rating which means there is a zero rating which means there is no charge for using education websites and we are calling for all of the companies to work with the government to put this solution into place and do it quickly. we had about 285,000 pupils with this yesterday, just ten times more than we had at the start of term in september. today already we are seeing a three times... so the numbers are huge and it's costing poorfamilies a numbers are huge and it's costing poor families a lot of money and we need zero rating as swiftly as possible. what sort of cost are we talking about? if you have a student who is online for two or three hours, what could that potentially cost their parents? the easiest

comparison is you think back to roaming charges and you see with video that this racks up very quickly. for the two—week isolation period the numbers are well into the hundreds of pounds if you are reliant on pay—as—you—go data. if you are using a bundle you are going to use that bundle very quickly. big data charges. how are you as teachers policing this? those stu d e nts teachers policing this? those students that do manage to access the services, everything is well and good, but presumably you can tell when they are not? yes and i suppose campaigning is what we are doing as much as policing. we were set up by teachers during that first pandemic and we know this is an issue and it has been an issue for a long time

and we want to ramp up the pressure today so we get a solution to this problem as quickly as possible. we can see which pupils are taking part in lessons and which ones aren't and it's the children from the poorest families who are missing out the most. we've made good progress on devices and we still need to do more but now we need to make progress on data. nine months after the first lockdown, why is there still a shortage of laptops? there are about 8.5 million pupils up and down the country so it's a lot of children. the department has allocated around 550,000 and they are allocating another hundred thousand this week. i know lots of schools have bought their own. there are still gaps and they should have been addressed. we need to make sure they are addressed quickly. there has been lots of progress and i don't recognise that progress. there has been less

progress. there has been less progress on data and that is way if you look at the numbers coming to our site yesterday, we have got to address that issue quickly or mum and dad are going to say you can't do any more lessons because we can't afford the data. that's not ok. do any more lessons because we can't afford the data. that's not 0k.|j never realised this was such an issue so it's good to highlight it. thank you forjoining us. concerts and festivals need government assistance to get "back on their feet," says the music industry trade body uk music. the organisation wants clarity on when gigs will be able to go ahead again. an inquiry was launched this morning for mps to examine what support is needed for uk music festivals to return in 2021. with me now is uk music ceo jamie njoku—goodwin. he gave evidence at the hearing this morning. he also served as special advisor to the health secretary matt hancock until october. that was until last october? yes. let's just talk about the

difficulties facing uk music. most people watching now, it's one of the few things that's going to keep us going over a period like this. few things that's going to keep us going over a period like thism few things that's going to keep us going over a period like this. it is and it might seem strange talking about saving our cinema and music festivals happening when you look at the news today with the lockdown and infection rates soaring and hospitals under pressure, but our sector work in a long lead time. we are thinking now about what the summer is going to look like and a lot of the new music from government is positive in the long term. they think testing will be in good shape and a lot of things you get a sense from is we should be at some sort of normality by then. but there is a real clarity about whether or not that will be the case. as an industry we are calling for an indicative date and we are asking government to be clear about when we can get up and running without social distancing and doing gigs and concerts and some sort of assurance

scheme to make sure we get the financial security because at the moment we don't have that confidence. there is a risk some of the events which will keep us all going won't happen for lack of security or confidence. you mentioned insurance and it is crucial because without insurance you can't commit. it's absolutely vital. the prime insurance market at the moment is not providing insurance options which are viable. the premiums are huge. however, we can't plan events which could cost us millions of pounds if they are cancelled without that insurance. so you've got a bit of a market failure there. the government has done a brilliant insurance scheme for the film and tv sector last year which has meant the film and tv sector has continued production. but we also

wa nt continued production. but we also want the same thing for the music industry to make sure that we can get back up on our feet when it's safe to do so and we can start to drive the post—pandemic economic and cultural recovery. that is all very upbeat and given your personal history you are fairly positive about it but when we are looking at things like glastonbury, decisions are having to be made now but are we looking at those events being cancelled now or very shortly? 0rganisers have major events are looking at it right now. major decisions will be taken within a matter of weeks. we don't want to come back until it's safe to do so but you can't wish these things into existence overnight. they take months to plan. that's why we need that long—term clarity from government because what we don't wa nt to government because what we don't want to see as we get to a situation

where as a result of vaccines and testing the pandemic is in a better place and we are relaxing restrictions and going about life in a more normal way but our major music festivals aren't happening, not because it's not safe to do so but because we didn't have the notice in order to be planning. we are fully behind the public health measures and the efforts to fight this pandemic but we are trying to stress to the government we have a long lead time and we need notice and confidence and clarity. you special adviser to matt hancock until october. presumably you can pick up the phone to him personally? it's a whole government effort. it's not just one it's a whole government effort. it's notjust one department. lots of things we are doing are important things we are doing are important things like testing and we are using testing to help us get up and running but it's notjust the

testing. i worked running but it's notjust the testing. iworked in running but it's notjust the testing. i worked in government for two and half years and i wish it was as easy as asking something —— somebody to do something. as easy as asking something —— somebody to do somethingm as easy as asking something —— somebody to do something. it would make life so much easier. presumably you left matt hancock in october, that was an interesting time. you left matt hancock in october, that was an interesting timem was. lots of people talk about this pandemic going on since march but for lots of us it started about this time last year when we started hearing reports and giving briefings on something happening in china. lots of other people in the media and westminster thought the department of health were obsessing about some flu in china that wasn't about some flu in china that wasn't a big deal. were they meetings where you are sitting with the health secretary and trying to persuade people that this needed to be taken seriously? these things often happen a lot. you hear about all sorts of

things happening in various countries. public health england have got a very good process in place for when you identify things in other countries and putting things into action, but it's very easy for us to look back at this time last year and think it was obviously going to be a huge issue. at this point last year we were still trying to find out information from china in terms of what was going on. it was very unclear and how to get information about what was happening on the ground in those early weeks. you can tell the confidential is that if you want to! i'm just wondering if there was a moment where you felt under siege? matt hancock could not have been thrilled in october when you said i am off. he's always been hugely supportive of me and he was very good about it. it was ten months of

5:30am starts and is going to bed at 3:30am and everyone needs a break. a lot of people are working very hard and he was very understanding of my desire going to this job and he was very understanding of my desire going to thisjob in and he was very understanding of my desire going to this job in the musical industry because music is a huge passion of mine. it was a privilege to work in westminster but the music industry is my real passion. he was delighted to know i was going to a job i loved. but the impact of the pandemic on the music industry has been huge so i'm doing just as much to do with the virus now as i was in the health department. i wonder what's on his playlist in his chauffeur driven car? what would you advise him to listen to the come—down? car? what would you advise him to listen to the come-down? he was a lwa ys listen to the come-down? he was always a massive sceptic fan when he was at the dcms and he would have a big long playlist. i would recommend

some lewis capaldi. there's a whole lot of things, hopefully he will just be listening to he will be coming to music festivals and live music events next year that we hope we can be having. but obviously we need things like insurance schemes and dates to achieve that. so hopefully government will be supporting is. but he would be surprised if he turned up in glastonbury and all that mud? he's definitely been a fan of glastonbury. as a one—time culture secretary, matters up passionate support of our world leading festival scenes and i know he's been a regular attendee at glastonbury in the past and hopefully we can host them at glastonbury in the future. the political background has helped

you hugely in this job and you've managed to avoid a direct question is needy. but good to talk to you. we wish you well. joe biden's ability to deliver on his election promises may hinge on events later today. the state of georgia is holding elections to choose its two senators, which will decide who controls the upper chamber. nomia iqbal reports. the men standing withjoe biden mayjust be his most important friends right now. democrats pastor raphael warnock and investigative journalist jon 0ssoff are running for georgia's two senate seats. if they win, the president—elect‘s party will control the senate. 0ne state. 0ne state can chart the course not just for the next four years, but for the next generation. for people in georgia, this means campaigning has never stopped.

the place that we demand better is at the ballot box. the energy here in georgia is something i have never seen before. yes, we can do it. yes, we can! ifjon 0ssoff wins, he will be the youngest senator, a title that once belonged tojoe biden. he has been campaigning day and night. we are going to win on tuesday. and when we win on tuesday, we are going to enact an agenda that serves working people in this country. the pressure is on georgia's republicans too. kelly loeffler here meeting voters. we're in a battle for the country, so... fellow candidate david perdue has had to quarantine for a few days. make sure that you get your friends and family out. this is about turnout. we're going to win if we turnout. the early voter turnout in georgia has been huge, and that's because this state knows that their candidates will decide just how powerful joe biden's presidency will be. her pro—business, pro—conservative values have really

trickled down to our city. as mayor, what i am telling people is go out there and vote. vote, vote, vote. and teenagers are getting organised too. with live streamed events like this. polls suggest they could give democrats an edge. since the presidential election, more than 23,000 have turned 18 and can now vote in this senate race. i did the math in my head and it turns out i couldn't vote for the presidential election, i was short byjust a month, i got so mad at my mum, you couldn't have made me born a little bit later. even though i may not have been able to vote in the presidential election, still, in some ways i am able to vote on a presidential scale. georgia is the final battle for president trump. he still wrongly believes the election was rigged. there's no way we lost georgia. there's no way. cheering. that was a rigged election. some republicans worry he could put off voters, giving the advantage tojoe biden.

nomia iqbal, bbc news, georgia. now it's time for a look at the weather. the winds will move in a westerly direction bringing slightly milder airof the direction bringing slightly milder air of the atlantic. before that arrives we are stuck with the cold easterly wind bringing the very chilly eight and a wintry mix across eastern parts of the country. rain and snow showers across parts of eastern scotland and northern england. mainly rain again towards east anglia and the south—east and the channel islands. even here the odd flake of snow could be mixed in. temperatures today a degree or so on what we saw yesterday but it still going to be cold out there and turning very chilly quite quickly as we head into tonight. it could be quite icy with snow showers continuing across parts of northern england in south—east scotland. many

with clear skies around and it's going to be particularly chilly tonight. a widespread frost. —5 —6 in central scotland. this is the chart as we head into wednesday. the isobars opening out indicating the winds will fall a bit lighter so let's have —— less of a wind chill a crossing in wales. still showers but as the wind changes direction is the showers in the south—east could be limited to parts of the coast. continuing across the channel island. many will be dry. later in the day rain preceded by sleet and snow were push into parts of scotla nd snow were push into parts of scotland and eventually northern ireland. lifting temperatures into the start of thursday morning. wednesday night is a cold day. and it's these areas where they will be dense patches of fog to start thursday morning. some of that will ta ke thursday morning. some of that will take awhile to lift and some of it will linger all day long. a few

showers the east. some icy conditions to begin with scotland and northern ireland. most snow flurries in the north of scotland later. something wintry on the lake district fells as we finish the day. that where the front will drift its way southwards to just about anywhere in england and we will could see snow to take this into friday. again frosty and ic. as temperatures left as we go to the weekend, most will say to dry and sunny.

this is bbc news, i'm simon mccoy. the headlines: stay at home! people around the uk enter lockdown again in measures aimed at reducing the spread of coronavirus. the chancellor announces one—off top up grants for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses worth up to £9,000 to help companies through the latest lockdown. the prime minister has acted decisively in the face of new information and we have had now to grapple with a new variants of the virus and that's caused an uptake in cases, hospitalisation and deaths, as the prime minister set out and it was right that we acted. remote learning has returned for millions of school pupils. but questions remain about the assesment of those facing exams. more pressure on the nhs. a daunting task ahead: the vaccine rollout ramps up as the government pledges to vaccinate 13 million people by mid february. mood of the nation —

as everyone is told to stay at home, we'll look at the impact the latest lockdowns are having on our mental health. with the whole of the uk facing another period of strict lockdown, we appear to be back where we started. we'll have to stay at home, schools are closed and even if you do venture out there's not much you can do to cheer yourself up. few shops, no restaurants, and no pubs. and that'll be the case for weeks. wales is already in lockdown and northern ireland is expected to go the same way. england's rules come into force tomorrow — scotland's started at midnight. when will it end? well much, of course, will depend on the success of the government's vaccination programme. there was some good news for businesses, chancellor rishi sunak saying they will receive support grants

worth up to £9,000 to help them survive the latest covid lockdown. 0ur political correspondent damian grammaticas reports. the heart of london today. stilled. the pace of life slowing again. new restrictions coming into force right across the country. quiet too in downing street at the centre of this national emergency, from where the prime minister laid out the new measures last night. with most of the country already under extreme measures, it's clear that we need to do more together to bring this new variant under control while our vaccines are rolled out. under england's new stay at home rules, you will only be allowed out for work that can't be done at home, for education, childcare or medical reasons, shopping for essentials like food and medicine, and to exercise — but only once a day. and, in addition, schools and colleges are now closed for the foreseeable future, there is no mixing with others except in your support bubble.

takeaway food is allowed but not takeaway drinks. what's prompted these new restrictions is the surging infection rates. the new variant of the virus is more infectious but the old rules were not enough to keep it in check. and the government faces questions about what has been a rapid change of policy. this was just 24 hours ago, children back at school. on sunday, the prime minister had said they should return, and then, one day later on the very first day of term, reversed his decision. all education will now be done remotely. the prime minister has acted decisively in the face of new information and we have had now to grapple with a new variant of the virus, and that's caused an uptick in cases and hospitalisations and deaths, as the prime minister set out, and it was right that we acted — regrettably, with regard to schools, but decisively to protect people's lives and their health at this difficult time. from wales to scotland

and northern ireland, new lockdown measures are now in place in almost every corner of the land. there were fears without action the nhs could have been overwhelmed. unlike last year, though, a vaccine is here but it needs time to work. i know it's really tough for everybody but we need to do this to make sure that we can save lives and protect the nhs while we get people vaccinated. the government says its aim is for perhaps 13 million people to be offered vaccinations in the next seven weeks. the opposition says it supports the new lockdown, but promises have been made before and this target has to be kept. there is no room for error by the government here. we cannot have yet another overpromising and underdelivering. but we have all got to play our part, and i have offered my support, i think we would all offer our support, there are many volunteers that want to come forward. this is a national effort, it is mission—critical. even with the vaccination programme, the current measures will have to be in place for weeks, certainly into february,

maybe beyond. only when infection rates sink and immunity rises can they be lifted. damian grammaticas, bbc news, westminster. although the lockdown announced by borisjohnson last night applies to england, there are strict measures in place across the uk. in a moment we'll hear from our correspondents hywel griffith in cardiff and chris page at stormont, but first alexandra mackenzie reports from glasgow this is scotland's first day back into lockdown. scotland went back into lockdown at midnight. much tougher restrictions. that is due to carry on until the end of the month, but could continue further if the number of cases continue to rise. now, it means that all of mainland scotland and some island communities cannot leave their homes, they're under a strict stay at home order. it is illegal to leave your home unless for essential purposes. everyone has to work from home and should not

be travelling to work, unless they cannot possibly work from home. there are also further restrictions for meeting people outside. you can only meet one person from one household outside, although children aged 12 and under are exempt from this. schools are also closed. that is across the whole of scotland. and they're going to be closed until at least 1st february. wales has been in national lockdown since december 20th. for the last fortnight it has been a legal requirement for people to stay at home, unless they're going out to exercise, or to shop, or if they have to leave their home for work. of course, that means nonessential shops being closed, bars and restaurants are closed. the question is when will they open again? there is a review this week, but the government said there is little head room

and many see the lockdown staying in place until the end of january. 0ne change that's happened is the extension of school closures — no face to face learning until at least january 18th. many wonder whether that will be enough. teaching unions say two weeks isn't enough to make sure that the risk assessments can happen. however the education minister told the bbc today keeping children at home has grave consequences and she is keen if possible to re—open schools, they will examine the evidence when the time comes. but the real pressure is in hospitals — a record number of covid patients. while the case numbers are coming down, they have fed through into the nhs, which is under extreme pressure at the moment. northern ireland is set to be locked down more tightly. ministers in the devolved government will be meeting in the next hour to

finalise what is going to happen. already here since boxing day, nonessential shops have been shut and leisure facilities and hospitality businesses. the biggest decision politicians have to make today is to do with education. in this, the first week of term, pupils in all age groups are already being taught online and ministers have indicated they will extend that period of remote learning. it has not announced how long for, but it is understood this afternoon the executive will rubber stamp a proposal to keep schools closed until after february half term. there has been significant newsjust in the last few minutes affecting thousands of families in northern ireland, education is different here most pupils in the the final year of primary school sit tests. so the first of those tests were due to take place this saturday, but those exams have been called off.

among the other matters that the ministers will discuss when they sit around that virtual executive table at 2 o'clock will be travel restrictions, for example a limit on how far you can leave your home to exercise and how to make that stay at home message legally enforceable. with another lockdown being the very last thing businesses need right now — as we've heard — the chancellor has stepped in to try and stave off a fresh wave of closures and redundancies. andy verity reports. for businesses forced once again by anti—virus measures to shut, being in a cash flow crisis with too little money coming in to pay suppliers, landlords and creditors is a painful new normal. the bank of england's calculated this financial year firms have £180 billion less money flowing in than they need to pay bills. and that was before the new lockdown which will hit even harder. we've announced £4.6 billion

of additional help. for the businesses in the most affected sectors who were asked to close they will receive up to £9,000 in a one—off cash grant. it is important to remember that comes on top of the existing monthly grants of £3,000 that those businesses receive and the extension of furlough, all the way through to april. we remain committed to protecting jobs and supporting businesses. firms like this manchester gin distillery and bar are likely to get the grants and welcome any support they can get but after the christmas they have had, they are by no means sure it will be enough to get them through months more in lockdown. we were planning in december to try and reopen in early february. those plans are out the window, all the money be spent on staff, you cannot just reopen a business, you cannot open the doors the next day, it takes three or four weeks of proper planning and retraining staff. groups representing smaller companies like

this have already protested that the support measures do not go far enough to match the scale of the economic damage being done by renewed lockdown. they want a much bigger plan to support firms throughout 2021. if what we have is the period of drip feed support to businesses rather than some consistency until the point of reopening and until we see that bounce back, i think that will hurt more businesses than it will help. £4.6 billion in normal times is a substantial sum but the government has already spent more than £280 billion tackling coronavirus. businesses hit by the new lockdown will apply all the pressure they can to press government for more. andy verity, bbc news. let's discuss this further with paul novak, deputy general secretary of the trades union congress. good afternoon to you. is this going to be enough to get pep through? -- people through? listen any additional support is welcomed. but i don't think it will be enough to

stave off the threat of mass unemployment. the government need to move from the sporadic short—term measures. we need government to give businesses and the people who are employed by the businesses confidence in the long—term. in france, the government has indicated their equivalent of the furlough scheme will run through tojuly 2022. in germany the scheme will run to the end of the year. i think that is the sort of confidence we need to inject into the uk economy, to say as long as the virus is with us and having an impact on businesses, the government will provide financial support. you know the furlough scheme does run for a couple more months and then there will be a budget and there is the hope in the government that the vaccine programme means we are looking at the end of this. it is notjust the hope of the government, but across the country. but the key message is while the virus is here and having a negative impact on the economy, the

government will stand by businesses and workers. you know, there are far too many parts of economy and employers and groups of workers who are not eligible for support at all. for example the newly self—employed. the government has set out nothing to put money into the pockets of working people, support for working pa rents, working people, support for working parents, for those required to self—isolate. some people can't afford to self—isolate. because of the levels of sick pay. i would like the levels of sick pay. i would like the government to sit down with trade unions to set out how we get through the next three or four months and beyond and make sure we give confidence to employers and the people they employ that the government are standing behind them in the medium to long—term. government are standing behind them in the medium to long-term. has there been no contact between the government and the tuc? we have had a lot of contact with the government and that has been welcom everything

from the original furlough scheme. we have called for that national recovery council, because as we have seen with the events of the last couple of days around schools, government doesn't have all the a nswe rs government doesn't have all the answers and needs that talk to unions and employers and give the the public confidence. anything that gives people confidence at work that the their employer is goi to be supported would be good. at the moment we are in the depths of this crisis, before things get better, they're going to get worse. aren't they're going to get worse. aren't the government, i mean nobody would envy any government in this position, aren't they doing the best they can to make sure we get by this and then look at a recovery?” they can to make sure we get by this and then look at a recovery? i think building that wider consensus is important. there are some things, some obvious point it is government

has missed and it has missed it because it is not engaging with the unions and others. i mentioned sick pgy- unions and others. i mentioned sick pay. we know from the examples we saw on merseyside where, the government introduced mass testing, it was people on the low incomes that didn't access testing, because they were worried they maybe required to self—isolate and they couldn't afford that. they should make sure everyone is entitled to a decent level of sick pay, we call for it to be the equivalent of the national living wage. that would give everybody confidence, whatever job you're in you are afford to several isolate. —— self isolate. protecting health goes hand in hand with protecting livelihoods and jobs. it is difficult for any government and they need to draw on the expertise of unions and employers. thank you.

and we'll have live coverage of the prime minister's press conference in downing street — where boris johnson will appear alongside professor chris whitty and sir patrick vallance. that's on bbc one and here on the news channel from 4.30 this afteroon. the headlines on bbc news: stay at home! people around the uk enter lockdown again as the government tries to reduce the spread of coronavirus. the chancellor announces one—off top up grants for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses worth up to £9,000 to help companies through the latest lockdown with more patients in uk hospitals with coronavirus than there were during the first wave last spring — there's huge pressure on the nhs. as the government hopes to vaccinate 13 million people by mid—february, medical staff are facing a daunting task. and they want to be protected too — more than 800 consultants, doctors and nurses have called for hospital staff to be given better personal protective equipment. 0ur health correspondent jim reed reports.

scientists say this is now a race between the danger of the virus and the hope of the vaccine. in parts of the country, hospitals are under extreme pressure. here at st george's in south london and they had seen a sharp rise in numbers needing oxygen support. it has been one of the worst shifts of my entire life. intense. i am looking after many more sick patients than normal. a group of hospital staff has called for better personal protection, including more of a high quality masks usually only worn in intensive care. the uk is at the highest covid threat level and senior doctors say without a reduction in cases the nhs is at risk of being overwhelmed in three weeks. it has never been like this. we have never had to expand critical care units the way we have into non—critical care unit areas, never had to redeploy nursing

and medical staff from other areas to help in intensive care. the impact of a new virus variant is still being felt most heavily in the south—east of england. at king's college hospital in london, some urgent cancer operations have been cancelled. but there is pressure in other parts of the country, hospital bosses in north cumbria they can no longer guarantee comprehensive care for their patients. vaccines are seen as the way out of this crisis. as a first priority the government wants to get the jab to 30 million people, everyone over 70, the most clinically vulnerable and front—line health and care workers. we have vaccinated 1 million people at the weekend, we are increasing the numbers and we hope to reachjust over 13 million in february. but to reach all those groups the nhs would need to administer 2 million vaccines every week.

it is probably realistic from a logistics point of view and being able to turn the nhs towards this and i guess my bigger concern, and i really don't know, is how quickly the vaccine can be manufactured. the bbc has learned there is now enough role vaccine in enough raw vaccine in the country to meet demand, but the ability to get it into people's arms could be affected by a global shortage of glass vials, waits to carry out safety checks and possible limits on the number of people carrying out vaccinations. in the meantime, the message from scientists and politicians is simple. follow the rules as the nhs prepares for what is likely to be the hardest weeks of this crisis. jim reed, bbc news. so the prime minister said he wants to offer all the over 70s, the most clinically vulnerable and frontline health and care workers a jab by mid february to allow the restrictions

to be eased. our health correspondent, nick triggle is here. what are the figures? where are we in terms of vaccination? there is 13 million in these four highest risk priority groups. so far we have vaccinated one million of them. there is enough vaccine in the country to do all those people. once or twice? once. there is around 15 million doses of 0xford—astrazeneca jab and just under five million of pfizer jab jab and just under five million of pfizerjab in the country. but not all of it is ready to put into people's arms. there is a complex process. once the substance is manufactured, it has to go to a plant for what is called fill and finish. it is packaged up. and it goes to the regulator for safety batch, to make sure it is safe and... good to use. now it means

this week there was only one million doses ready for the nhs to use. they're looking to vaccinate that many this week. we are told that more will become available for the nhs. it will have gone through the process and we will ramp up. but it isa process and we will ramp up. but it is a complex chain and all you need is a complex chain and all you need is for something to go wrong in that and the target to vaccinate these groups by mid—february is harder. what is the issue? it is the lack of getting the vaccine from production or there are not the people to inject it? it is not so much the people, it is the manufacturing process. there is a huge global demand for vaccines. but we were told we had bought millions. we were and some comes down to pure ingredients. in the fill and finish process there is a lack of specialist glass that needs to be

manufactured. companies all over the world a re manufactured. companies all over the world are trying to get hold of this. a lot is to do with that manufacturing and that process. but it makes you wonder why we are not further down the line and haven't got more available for the nhs. but when it comes to ramping up the numbers, the government said it wa nts to numbers, the government said it wants to get to two million a week, we will need more staff to deliver that and give the jabs to people. at the moment it is largely gps and practice nursing doing this. but they will need help they say in the coming weeks and months. there are plans to train up other staff even fire crew and airline staff. but they have to do training. we are told there is bureaucracy about that. the prime minister said he will look at that. we don't want to slow the process and ministers say we are determined to get up to those numbers quickly. we were about to talk about pressures on the nhs i'm

reading a critical incident has been declared at lincoln hospital. they have 198 in patients and the deputy chief executive said we declared a critical incident due to the large number of patients requiring admission. when we talk about an overwhelmed nhs, what does that look like, what does it mean? if you look at some of the hospitals that are declaring the critical incidents and this is not the first one to do this, we have had a number around the south—east and other parts of the south—east and other parts of the country. what we are beginning to see is in some hospitals over half of their beds occupied by covid patients and a critical incident means they are issuing an alert to the leaders of the nhs, so in england, nhs england, they need support and help from other hospitals, perhaps to send patients to them. they may need support from the ambulance service. because we

are seeing a sharp increase in the numbers of covid patients in hospitals, places like this are having to declare these incidents. when do we get figures for christmas and the new year? the latest figures we have in terms of hospital admissions are to 4thjune and show since skris mas there has been a —— christmas thereby has been a 50% rise in patients in hospital with covid. what we are seeing is rising numbers of infections for the last six days we have seen over 50,000 new cases a day announced. these infections are people who may have caught it around christmas and these are next week's hospital admissions. we should expect to see the numbers in hospital to go up and more hospitals in that situation before the lockdown has an impact. are we able to see how big an impact the new variant is in this? it is very ha rd to new variant is in this? it is very hard to unpick that. we have seen

infection levels rise four fold since early december and the new variants is becoming more xhont, particularly —— common, particularly in the south—east and elsewhere. research suggests it could be up to 70% more transmissible. but we don't know, but it is growing faster. 70% more transmissible. but we don't know, but it is growing fastenm is worth updating on that breaking news, a critical incident was declared at lincoln hospital last night because of the 198 in patients with covid, who were being treated at the hospital at the time. an apology from the deputy chief executive to patients after that declaration. 0ur position is compounded he said, by challenges with staffing and the lack of

availability of colleagues. we will have more on that later. well as we've been hearing all schools in england are switching to remote learning with this summer's gcses and a—levels cancelled. and there are concerns that those from poorer backgrounds — without access to laptops and broadband — will fall further behind. the education secretary gavin williamson will make a statement in the house of commons tomorrow. sean dilley reports. it's a decision the government strongly resisted, but while schools and colleges in england are now closed to most students, ministers say they expect education to continue remotely. we wanted to keep schools open as much as possible, but the message from the chief medical 0fficers yesterday was clear, and therefore with a heavy heart but with clear evidence we had to act. there are particular challenges for children in the most disadvantaged circumstances who find it more difficult sometimes to secure the remote learning that inevitably all children will have to have at the moment. making sure that remote learning technology is available is something the government says it is working

hard to achieve, but some parents are angry. last time we made it work by splitting the days in two. one of us worked from six in the morning until one or two in the afternoon, and the other one then took over, and vice versa. there is nothing easy about working and home—schooling. in fact, it is nearly impossible. i think to call it an inconvenience is insulting to the millions of parents who are going to have to rearrange their lives to try and make this work. what's different this time round is that early years education in nurseries and childcare centres are expected to remain open. the government says younger children are less likely to spread the virus. but nurseries are calling for more help to keep their staff safe. what the government must do immediately is to reassure parents and nursery staff in terms of their safety under these conditions but, most importantly, give them additional support by prioritising them for vaccinations. that's the only way the key workers and those parents are going to be supported moving forward. meanwhile, non—vocational exams such

as gcses and a—levels have been scrapped. the government's in talks with the exam regulator 0fqual, but as yet no details exist as to what might replace them. vocational exams such as btecs are going ahead as planned, despite calls for them to be cancelled too. higher education is also impacted. most university students are being asked not to return if possible and to prepare to start the term online until at least the middle of february. those studying hands—on courses, such as medicine and veterinary science, can return following two covid tests or a ten—day period of isolation. the decision to close schools and colleges marks a major departure from the government's previous position, but they say the latest evidence is clear. schools must be closed to protect us all. sean dilley, bbc news. now it's time for a look at the weather with matt taylor. it has been a dry, bright but cold day for many p for some wintry

still. some rain, sleet and snow in eastern scotland and northern england. rain in the south—east and the channel islands. some will be heavy. the clear skies in between, these are the temperatures at 6 o'clock. it could be dropping below freezing in scotland. some mist and fog forming here. icy in eastern scotla nd fog forming here. icy in eastern scotland and the eastern half of england. especially where you have the wintry showers. rain showers keeping temperatures above freezing in the south—east and the channel islands. elsewhere a cold start tomorrow, minus six in central scotland. a lot of dry and bright weather. a shift in wind direction mean it is showers in the south—east will push back to the coast. 0ne mean it is showers in the south—east will push back to the coast. one or two will drift across the eastern half of england. for many sunshine and another cold day.

hello, is bbc news. the headlines: stay at home! people around the uk enter lockdown again in measures aimed at reducing the spread of coronavirus. the chancellor announces one—off top up grants for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses worth up to £9,000 to help companies through the latest lockdown. the prime minister has acted decisively in the face of new information and we have had now to grapple with a new variant of the virus and that's caused an uptake in cases, hospitalisation and deaths, as the prime minister set out and it was right that we acted. remote learning has returned for millions of school pupils.

but questions remain about the assesment of those facing exams. more pressure on the nhs. a daunting task ahead as the vaccine rollout ramps up as the government pledges to vaccinate thirteen million people by mid february. mood of the nation. as everyone is told to stay at home, we'll look at the impact the latest lockdowns are having on our mental health. sport and let's get a full round up from the bbc sport centre. good afternoon. in the last few minutes the premier league has confirmed that 40 players and staff tested postive for coronavirus between the 28th of december and the 3rd of january. that's the highest number since testing began. tests are now twice a week across the 20 clubs. meanwhle, scotland's first minister nicola sturgeon has said that celtic have questions to answer about their trip to dubai and that possible breaches of social distancing rules while in the middle east should be "looked into". the glasgow side travelled to dubai after their 1—0 loss

to rangers at the weekend. celtic insist the training camp was approved by the scottish government, while the scottish fa say they have no plans to investigate the trip. celtic are currently 19 points behind their old firm rivals. elite sports can go overseas for training camps if it is important in the context of their training for competitions. for me the question for celtic is what was the purpose of them being there? i've seen a comment from the club which said it's more for rest and relaxation and i've seen some photographs and i can only comment on what i've seen, i don't know the full circumstances that would raise the question in my mind about all the rules about what elite players have to do within their bubbles around social distancing are being complied with. soi distancing are being complied with. so i think there are things that should be looked into. elite sport has been in a privileged position,

doing things the general public can't do. and as long as that is the case because we all want our sports teams to be able to train properly, but as long as that is the case it's really important they don't abuse it, that they use it for the purpose it's it, that they use it for the purpose its intended. the health and leisure industry has called on the government for urgent financial support to safeguard "the physical and mental wellbeing of people across the uk". all indoor and outdoor facilities have been forced to close again, under the latest coronavirus restictions. the lawn tennis association will be asking the government to allow outdoor tennis to resume as soon as possible. they say it's a naturally socially distanced sport that is safe to play, and it's important for people's physical and mental health. england's cricketers and the rest of the touring party in sri lanka have all been tested again for coronavirus. all being well, they hope to train for the first time tomorrow afternoon. until then, they have to stay in their rooms. we reported yesterday that moeen ali had tested positive and he'll be leaving the england base today and heading to the quarantine hotel near galle, where the two test

matches will be played. sri lanka are not in the best of form right now, ahead of that series against england. they lost their two—match test series against south africa 2—0 earlier today. south africa comfortably winning the second test, on day three, by 10 wickets. mclaren have confirmed that their british driver lando norris has tested positive for coronavirus whilst in dubai. it comes as the first race of the formula one season, the australian grand prix, is in doubt because of covid restrictions in the country. it's due to take place in melbourne from the 19th to the 21st of march. the organisers are in talks with the australian government and f1 bosses, with the governement insisting it will prioritise public health. australia continues to maintain strict quarantine rules on international arrivals. the leeds rhinos captain stevie ward has been forced to retire at the age of 27, due to the after—effects of concussions. he suffered two last year, and says he struggles

with symptoms every day, including migraines, dizziness, short—term memory loss and slurred speech. ward has called on the sport to become more proactive in how it protects players, to avoid another generation from becoming "guinea pigs" in research. there's more on the bbc sport website, including discussions on the potential impact of covid—19 on this summer's british and irish lions series in south africa. if fans aren't allowed to travel, it could be switched to the uk. that's all the sport for now. schools and colleges in england are to be closed to most pupils until at least half term. a—levels and gcses will be cancelled, although vocational exams will go ahead. the national education union accused the government of causing "chaos". but what does this mean for students who have been preparing for their exams in the summer? well, we can talk now to molly davenport, an a level student from north london.

what was your reaction when you were told the exams were cancelled? what was your reaction when you were told the exams were cancelled ?|j told the exams were cancelled?” will be honest, it's a mixed bag because there are pros and cons. i would love to take the exam just because if i fail i've got myself to blame but at the same time i don't feel comfortable going into the exam not knowing half the course because online learning is not as good as in person. the teachers are trying their hardest and doing a greatjob but it's really hard to learn without being able to have that level of interaction you have in a classroom. especially because i'm doing history and there are so many dates to remember. so if you don't know what you are talking about you can't do the exam. but at the same time it doesn't feel right not having my future and my university grades in the hands of someone else because it's out of my control and it's a daunting prospect because you could be ranked higher than you

think you deserve lower and it's ha rd to think you deserve lower and it's hard to get a balance. what subjects are you doing? geography, history and politics. no need to look like that! they are all difficult, believe me. you describe the process you have been going through and the online learning and with the best will in the world, it can never be the same can it? no and that's not me saying that teachers don't know what they are doing because they are amazing teachers. it's just not the same. you've got the mess —— to make the best of it but in an ideal world they wouldn't be a bad situation in they wouldn't be a bad situation in the first place. what would you like to see in terms of how they assess you? honestly, i don't know. i'm not a teacher or a politician. i know people are saying the government

don't know what they are doing and i ee, don't know what they are doing and i agree, i don't agree with some of the calls they are making. but i can't do any better and i can try and come up with something but it won't be as good. the best i can come up with is you get the grades you are given and if you are really unhappy you can be given the opportunity to take the exam. but i don't know how that would be achievable because we can't take the exams fairly. taking the exam is difficult because you don't know half the stuff that letting someone else decide your grades for you is unfair because you could come out and surprise someone with your amazing history on the vietnam war but nobody accepted. you can always reta ke but nobody accepted. you can always retake it a couple of months later when things have died down hopefully

but that's the best i can come up with. it's really good a you to talk to us about it and we will keep our fingers crossed that it does resolve itself and in the meantime, the best of luck to you. you have been sending in lots of questions about the lockdown rules and now we are going to answer them. to answer your questions we can speak to dr nathalie macdermott, clinical lecturer specialising in infectious childhood diseases at king's college london and andrew preston, a microbiologist at bath university who focuses on infection diseases. we have a lot of questions in the first one is from manchester, why are nonessential businesses like offices open? my commute to work today was as busy and dangerous as

it was yesterday. i don't really have a full answer to that one. 0bviously manufacturing needs to stay open because we need to keep the economy going to some degree and some products might be essential products. but why nonessential businesses are staying open why people can't be working from home is a question that needs to be answered. but the lord is coming effective from tonight so it may be a different situation tomorrow. andrew, if you happen to be driving through bath and you see all these people and you specialise in disease and infection, there it drive you mad when you see some people doing what they seem to be doing? it's this impossible balancing act of restricting transmission and maintain livelihoods on the other.

we have learned a painful lesson that trying to do both means you do neither effectively. so it's quite clear that if lockdown is not really a lockdown these restrictions will be going on for longer. this one is from samantha, can i still attend the dental appointment, a cosmetic procedure? i would hope not which might sound harsh. these are the sorts of things we are asking people to refrain from doing so hopefully the dental practice will say unfortunately we have to put these things on hold. i've had my urgently needed operation cancelled three times over the past three months. the latest date they have given to me is the 13th of january. will this

lockdown prevent me from receiving this operation? it won't prevent you in terms of you attending the appointment because you are allowed to attend appointments for medical needs. but i can't answer for the hospital in terms of whether they will feel the need to cancel that surgery and reschedule it. but if they haven't yet done that then i would expect that appointment is going to go ahead as planned until you hear otherwise from the hospital. hospitals are under so much pressure at the moment. presumably you would prefer anything other than urgent procedure is not to go ahead? this is the whole point of the lockdown, to enable our health services to continue and the reason we are in lockdown is because they are facing a point of collapse due to coronavirus. a lot of people argue that lockdown is and restrictions place the burden is

whether important health care but the whole point is to stop hospitals being swamped so we continue to offer the healthcare services that people need. diana barlow, stockport: my mum died on boxing day, can i go to herfuneral? i live in manchester, her funeral is in east sussex. if i can, how many can attend ? kathleen kent, that is a terrible time to suffer but yes you can a few —— attend the funerals. the current guidance is up to 30 people can attend that funeral as long as there is social distancing in place between households or different support bubbles. again, that excludes people either being required to isolate or showing symptoms but yes you can

attend your mum mcenroe. when we spoke some time ago, there was hope because we knew they were vaccines being worked on but we now have these two new variants. how worried are you by that? i think the current variant in the uk is worrying in the sense that it is spreading rapidly and that is clear simply by the government's decisions that they have had to make over the last month. things have been changing quickly. but i think we are still confident that the vaccines will cover that variant. so while we are concerned about the variant there is still hope that once we roll out the vaccine and if we can roll it out quick enough that will certainly help us to get on top of the situation, which without the vaccine would be insurmountable without

having a prolonged lockdown. you we re having a prolonged lockdown. you were nodding your head, professor preston. absolutely. the variance are a concern but again the way the vaccines work the target everything so well these variants have some significance i think it's very unlikely we are going to go from 95 to 0% efficacy with the changes we see in these variants. back to some questions and kathleen ken says can i still gather my granddaughter in nottinghamshire as i am in her childcare bubble? the answer to that is yes. you are still allowed, childcare bubbles are still in existence. childcare bubbles were

supposed to be fairly local to one another so that's quite a significant distance to travel. technically speaking you might want to discuss with your daughter if it's absolutely essential you to provide childcare and your daughter can't work from home then that's fine but there is not supposed to be any mingling of family within a childcare bubble. it's for the purposes of caring for the child. we've had this from anita hardison in hampshire, i had a support bubble with my mum as we live in our own, cani with my mum as we live in our own, can i see her indoors or is it limited now to exercise outdoors only? their support bubbles are unaffected by the new guidance so you are allowed to stay overnight so presumably indoors. particularly if thatis presumably indoors. particularly if that is local, it's unaffected. our children under the age of five exempt from the outdoor number of persons meeting limit? yes, i

believe they are exempt from that limit although i think what should be encouraged is it's not really supposed to be a get together of two adults and a large group of children. the outdoor get—together is really for the purpose of exercising. it's one person exercising. it's one person exercising with another. if there is one child in a buggy whilst that is happening i don't think that's an issue but it's not a justification for two families to gather with just one adult apiece. you specialise in infectious childhood diseases. do you sense that children get it that they are more willing to live through these changes than their pa rents through these changes than their parents and grandparents are?” think that varies to some degree based on the edge of the child and

also the family circumstances in which the child lives on. so a very young child with a secure family setting is probably really none the wiser or not to adversely affected, but a child that doesn't have a secure family setting is probably suffering a great deal by the closure of schools and the difficulties with spending time with other people. i think there were teenagers and young people are struggling a lot with this with spending time with friends and attending school and just interactions in general. professor preston, while we talk about the virus, there is a huge impact on our mental well—being. virus, there is a huge impact on our mental well-being. absolutely. virus, there is a huge impact on our mentalwell-being. absolutely. this is going to go on for many years. socioeconomic have a major impact on health and life expectancy so the fallout from this pandemic i'm afraid it's going to be felt for at least a decades to come. a question from sophie in bognor regis, why can

early years settings remain open to all children, how is this protecting the nhs of children spread the virus? that is a very good question and i'm afraid i don't have a good answer. that is when the government needs to be clear about its reasoning for because i don't understand either why early years need to stay open if schools are not staying open, unless it'sjust for essential workers. as a general rule i don't fully understand the reasoning behind it. but it's true that the early years children themselves aren't going to be necessarily developing the disease, its purely the transmission which is the problem. yes. so the may be infected and less likely to have symptoms or less likely to have severe illness but it doesn't mean

they couldn't transmit it at home. the data does suggest that very young children are much less likely to be infected and transmit it but we are now clearly seeing that school—age children has resulted in it spreading. very young children in nurseries which aren't particularly busy and where perhaps they can be some degree of distancing is a slightly different situation to the mixing we see in schools but it is still people mixing which i think ideally we would want to avoid if possible. are you surprised her early years settings remain open? absolutely. the idea of lockdown is to stop interactions between people to stop interactions between people to cut transmission. every exception we have to that erodes the effectiveness of the lockdown and prolongs it. some of the exceptions, there is no clear rationale to understand them. chris in nottinghamshire says my car is due

for its mot before the 30th of this month. what do i do? get it mot. with the first lockdown there was a delay so if you're mot was due up until the end of july last delay so if you're mot was due up until the end ofjuly last year you had until the end of december to do it but that is not the case now. repairand mot it but that is not the case now. repair and mot centres remain open. they are one of the essential businesses. so no excuses chris. last question from jim davis in gloucester, can we still be viewing some properties as we are looking to buy a new home in devon or cornwall closer to ourfamily? buy a new home in devon or cornwall closer to our family? according to the government guidance, yes you can still be involved in processes that involve the sale and purchase of a property. my personal advice would

be if you can delay this by a month and once lockdown is released possibly in february time then start to pursue it. if you are already in the middle of those viewings it is legal according to the guidance to continue pursuing that. i would advocate for wearing facemasks at all time though. there are very strict guidelines as to how estate agents and clients have to behave. we are out of time. a great pleasure to talk to you both and thank you for your time. and coming up at half past eight we'll have another your questions answered session, where we'll be answering your questions

about the latest restrictions. so, hopes of a happy new year didn't last long — within days of the start of 2021 millions of people are being told to stay at home. it's to ease the pressure on the nhs — but what effect are the latest restrictions having on our mental health? with limited access to friends and family — and even work colleagues — how are we coping under lockdown? green space or urban setting, the cloak of human hibernation has come to shroud us all once again. this is the centre of southampton, normally heaving with people, but not today. here we are, back in lockdown, what do you think? should have happened last year. i understand why they don't do it but we have to think long—term, get lockdown done, get this out of the way, because it is real. on a personal level, are you just resigned to following it? nothing we can do, you've got to abide by the rules and hopefully

it will fade away in time. this city centre park was also nearly deserted — just a few walkers, joggers and bloggers like this university student. what do you think of going back into lockdown? imean... i mean, know it is the sensible thing but also tired of doing it. we also came across dr natalie harrison, who has seen what covid is like in her hospital, but who is nowjust two weeks away from giving birth to her second child. what do you think of going into lockdown again? totally understand why it is needed. we are grateful that hopefully parks are staying open and we can get outside for some exercise once a day, especially with little one, but i think it is just what we need to do. but whilst the nation's mojo might be out of step, one man is trying to lift morale. joe wicks says he will be back again as britain's favourite pe teacher while schools are closed.

i made the decision because i want to be there for kids, for families with young children that need to stay active, i will do it three days a week, monday, wednesday and friday at 9am just like in the first lockdown, and the videos will be saved. if you miss them you can always do them another time. joe is not the only one trying to keep people fit, but those like frankii newbery from york say the news of the new restrictions has not come easy. this news has broken me a little bit. i like to think i'm a strong, resilient person, i pride myself on that. we have all been here before — empty streets, disrupted lives — but lockdown: the sequel is one follow—up most people say they will not enjoy, but they will endure. duncan kennedy, bbc news, in southampton. now it's time for a look

at the weather with matt taylor. if you've had enough of the wintry chill i can offer you a big warm up but i can offer something less cold by the end of the weekend. we are going to switch the wind run into a more westerly direction bringing milderairof more westerly direction bringing milder air of the atlantic. before that arrives we are stuck with the cold easterly is. today coming in bringing very chilly air and a wintry mix across eastern parts. rain and sleet and snow showers across parts of eastern scotland and northern england particularly over the hills. mainly rain towards east anglia and the south—east and the channel islands. temperatures today may be a degree or so up on what we saw yesterday. still cold out there and turning very chilly quite quickly as we head into tonight. it could be quite icy with snow showers continuing across parts of northern england and south—east scotland. rain showers continue towards east

anglia and the south—east. it is going to be a particularly chilly night. widespread frost. this is the chart as we head into wednesday. there are some changes and the isobars indicating the winds will fall lighter or less of a wind chill later in the day across england and wales. still chilly. but as the wind changes direction the showers in the south—east could be limited to parts of the coast. some dense fog patches in central scotland but many will be dry. later in the day rain preceded by sleet and snow will push into parts of scotland and eventually northern ireland. lifting temperatures for the start of thursday morning. at wednesday night asa thursday morning. at wednesday night as a cold night. and it's these areas where they will be some dense patches of fog to start thursday morning. some of that will take a while to lift. a few showers towards

the eastern coast of east anglia. the rain and sleet and snow mixed with icy conditions to begin with in scotla nd with icy conditions to begin with in scotland and northern ireland. something wintry in the lake district fells as we finished the day. that weather front will drift its way southwards so just about anywhere across england and wales could see a slight flurry of snow to ta ke could see a slight flurry of snow to take us into friday. again frosty and icy. but as temperatures left as we go through through to the weekend most will be dry and sunny.

this is bbc news, i'm ben brown. the headlines at 4: back to lockdown — the prime minister will hold a news conference in one hour's time to explain more about how and why he decided on england's latest restrictions. to help companies through the latest lockdown, the chancellor announces one—off top up grants worth up to £9,000 for the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors. the prime minister has acted decisively in the face of new information and we have had now to grapple with a new variants of the virus and that's caused an uptick in cases, hospitalisation and deaths, as the prime minister set out and it was right that we acted. it's back to remote, online learning for millions of school pupils. but questions remain about the assessment of those facing exams. the vaccine rollout ramps up as the government promises

to vaccinate 13 million people by the middle of february. and as the message is once again to stay at home, we'll look at the impact the latest lockdowns are having on our mental health. with the whole of the uk facing another period of strict lockdown, the prime minister will be speaking at a news conference in one hour's time. the message once again is to stay at home — schools are closed, so too are most shops, as well as restaurants and pubs. and that'll be the case for weeks. wales is already in lockdown and northern ireland is expected to go the same way. england's rules come into force tomorrow — scotland's started at midnight. there was some good news for businesses today — the chancellor rishi sunak

is promising them grants worth up to £9,000 to help them survive the latest covid lockdown. 0ur political correspondent damian grammaticas reports. the heart of london today. stilled. the pace of life slowing again. new restrictions coming into force right across the country. quiet too in downing street at the centre of this national emergency, from where the prime minister laid out the new measures last night. with most of the country already under extreme measures, it's clear that we need to do more together to bring this new variant under control while our vaccines are rolled out. under england's new stay at home rules, you will only be allowed out for work that can't be done at home, for education, childcare or medical reasons, shopping for essentials like food and medicine, and to exercise — but only once a day. and, in addition, schools and colleges are now closed

for the foreseeable future, there is no mixing with others except in your support bubble. takeaway food is allowed but not takeaway drinks. what's prompted these new restrictions is the surging infection rates. the new variant of the virus is more infectious but the old rules were not enough to keep it in check. and the government faces questions about what has been a rapid change of policy. this was just 24 hours ago, children back at school. on sunday, the prime minister had said they should return, and then, one day later on the very first day of term, reversed his decision. all education will now be done remotely. the prime minister has acted decisively in the face of new information and we have had now to grapple with a new variant of the virus, and that's caused an uptick in cases and hospitalisations and deaths, as the prime minister set out, and it was right that we acted — regrettably, with regard to schools, but decisively to protect people's lives and their health at this difficult time.

from wales to scotland and northern ireland, new lockdown measures are now in place in almost every corner of the land. there were fears without action the nhs could have been overwhelmed. unlike last year, though, a vaccine is here but it needs time to work. i know it's really tough for everybody but we need to do this to make sure that we can save lives and protect the nhs while we get people vaccinated. the government says its aim is for perhaps 13 million people to be offered vaccinations in the next seven weeks. the opposition says it supports the new lockdown, but promises have been made before and this target has to be kept. there is no room for error by the government here. we cannot have yet another overpromising and underdelivering. but we have all got to play our part, and i have offered my support, i think we would all offer our support, there are many volunteers that want to come forward. this is a national effort, it is mission—critical.

even with the vaccination programme, the current measures will have to be in place for weeks, certainly into february, maybe beyond. only when infection rates sink and immunity rises can they be lifted. damian grammaticas, bbc news, westminster. let's speak to our political correspondent iain watson. we are going to hearfrom we are going to hear from the we are going to hearfrom the prime minister in about an hour. a lot of question force him about lockdown no 3. absolutely. i think those questions coming fast and furious, because the government seems to be moving at some pace. 0n because the government seems to be moving at some pace. on sunday the prime minister said that most children in england should be going back to school. by monday those schools were being closed. at least to anyone except vulnerable children and those pupils with key workers as parentsches also i think —— parents. also some questions unanswered. most exams are unlook hi look —— unlikely to go ahead in england. millions of

pa rents to go ahead in england. millions of parents and pupils have this uncertainty. gavin williamson will make a statement tomorrow. but people will want more detail from the prime minister tonight. also questions around the economic support being offered too. the chancellor offered a one—off grant of up to £9 thousand for businesses that are forced to close. but both businesses and trade unions have been asking if he will extend the furlough scheme and increase statutory sick pay to encourage people to self—isolate. it would appear that those decisions are being deferred until the budget in march. so questions about how much extra economic support will be there. michael gove suggested that actually some restrictions will only start to be lifted probably in march itself. also i think some criticisms

from conservative mps as well as from conservative mps as well as from labour as well about whether the government ought to have acted either by giving people more warning of what to expect or simply brought in the restrictions sooner, because it was mid—december when the government raised the concerns about the new variant of covid and the possibility that it would be more contagious than the previous one. some say, why suddenly announce these on monday? the government's a nswer these on monday? the government's answer at the moment and i'm sure that will be the answer again from the prime minister in an hour's time is to say, look, it was only yesterday that the chief medical officers of four uk nations moved us up officers of four uk nations moved us up to the highest form of along—term —— of alert, which suggested the nhs was in danger of being overwhelmed. within that context they acted swiftly. thank you. let's get more on the business

support announced by the chancellor this morning. to remind you, businesses in retail, hospitality and leisure are entitled to a one—off grant to help them keep afloat until spring — worth up to £9,000 per property. £594m will be made available to affected firms outside these sectors. this money will be made available by local authorities.the help is in addition to business rates relief and the furlough scheme which has been extended until the end of april. i'm joined now by pauljohnson, director of the institute for fiscal studies. the bill is getting bigger. yes the additional costs we are going to face are going to be small, because the costs so far have been so enormous. the 5 billion is

relatively small beer. the furlough scheme will cost more, because more people will be furloughed and we are looking at certainly borrowing this year bursting through the 400 billion barrier, having been forecast at just under 400 billion barrier, having been forecast atjust under 400 billion in the autumn. that compares with one eighth of that back last march, the scale of spending and borrowing has been extraordinary, but necessary to tide the economy over. everybody agrees that, but the figures are mind—boggling and people often ask, how can we afford this? well, that is a good question. we will be paying the costs for a long time to come. it is just the costs will be less for the economy than the cost would have been if we hadn't provided this support. so we are going to come out of this crisis

with a much bigger debt. but probably more importantly with a big bigger deficit, because borrowing will be higher every year for several reasons, part think economy will be smaller, because we haven't protected completely and the pressures on spending will be greater as well. the long—term consequences are that we will be poorer than we otherwise would be and we will be paying for it in that sense for a long time to come. in terms of long—term consequences for unemployment and for future recession, what is your projection on that? well, the projections for unemployment must have become worse, because of the additional period of lockdown. some firms that would otherwise have survived, now won't. those grants that you have mentioned won't be enough for all businesses. and even where you're furloughing workers, you're still having to pay their national insurance

contribution and pension contributions, so furloughing isn't a free lunch for employers any more. i think we will see unemployment continue to rise this year until the summer possibly even beyond that. the real test point, the real crux will be when furlough ends. something like two million people will have been on furlough for an entire year and a lot of those not actually even in the closed down sectors like hospitality. and there must be a suspicious that a large fraction of those won't have a job to go to once the government stops paying their wages. the chancellor says how generous the support schemes are, how do we compare with other nations in terms of what the state is doing to help businesses and industries through this pandemic? in terms of raw numbers, the amount that we are spending and

borrowing, we are doing a lot by comparison with other countries. now, that partly ly reflects that we have had a longer lockdown. if you're looking at international comparisons, it is hard to make the case that we are doing less than other comparable countries. there is a question about how effective some of that spending has been, some of the spending we are talking huge amounts on test and trace and so on, but also spending on the self—employment support scheme that is not terribly well, to put it moodily —— mildly not terribly well targeted. the scrutiny needs to be on how well the money is being spent and how well it is being targeted. then we get into next year and questions about how much we need to continue, by which i mean next financial year, how much we need to

continue supporting jobs and businesses and people and the public services as well. thank you. although the lockdown announced by borisjohnson last night applies to england, there are strict measures in place across the uk. in a moment we'll hear from our correspondent hywel griffith in cardiff but first alexandra mackenzie reports from glasgow. this is scotland's first day back into lockdown. scotland went back into lockdown at midnight. much tougher restrictions. that is due to carry on until the end of the month, but could continue further if the number of cases continue to rise. now, it means that all of mainland scotland and some island communities cannot leave their homes, they're under a strict stay at home order. it is illegal to leave your home unless for essential purposes. everyone has to work from home and should not

be travelling to work, unless they cannot possibly work from home. there are also further restrictions for meeting people outside. you can only meet one person from one household outside, although children aged 12 and under are exempt from this. schools are also closed. that is across the whole of scotland. and they're going to be closed until at least 1st february. wales has been in national lockdown since december 20th. for the last fortnight it has been a legal requirement for people to stay at home, unless they're going out to exercise, or to shop, or if they have to leave their home for work. of course, that means nonessential shops being closed, bars and restaurants are closed. the question is when will they open again? there is a review this week, but the government said there is little head room

and many see the lockdown staying in place until the end of january. 0ne change that's happened is the extension of school closures — no face to face learning until at least january 18th. many wonder whether that will be enough. teaching unions say two weeks isn't enough to make sure that the risk assessments can happen. however the education minister told the bbc today keeping children at home has grave consequences and she is keen if possible to re—open schools, they will examine the evidence when the time comes. but the real pressure is in hospitals — a record number of covid patients. while the case numbers are coming down, they have fed through into the nhs, which is under extreme pressure at the moment.

the northern irish assembly has been meeting this afternoon. shops and hospitality have been shut since boxing day and the period of remote learning it to be extended until after february half term. train services in england are to be cut during the national lockdown. the extent of the cuts has not yet been confirmed, but some in the industry are anticipating reductions of up to 50%. since the first lockdown in march, the government has spent billions of pounds covering the fall in ticket revenue due to low passenger numbers. the government is expected to announce further restrictions on international travel later. michael gove said measures were being discussed to make sure that ports and airports were as safe as possible. it's believed that travellers might be required to have a negative test result before coming to the uk. and we'll have live coverage of the prime minister's press conference in downing street, where boris johnson will appear alongside professor chris whitty

and sir patrick vallance. that's on bbc one and here on the news channel from 4.30 this afteroon. the headlines on bbc news: stay at home! people around the uk enter lockdown again as the government tries to reduce the spread of coronavirus. the chancellor announces one—off top up grants for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses worth up to £9,000 to help companies through the latest lockdown. the prime minister has acted decisively in the face of new information and we have had now to grapple with a new variants of the virus and that's caused an uptick in cases, hospitalisation and deaths, as the prime minister set out and it was right that we acted. sport and for a full round up, from the bbc sport centre, here's jane dugal. good afternoon.

the premier league has confirmed that 40 players and staff tested postive for coronavirus between the 28th of december and the 3rd of january. that's the highest number since testing began. tests are now twice a week across the 20 clubs. meanwhile, scotland's first minister nicola sturgeon has said that celtic have questions to answer about their trip to dubai and that possible breaches of social distancing rules while in the middle east should be "looked into". the glasgow side travelled to dubai after their 1—0 loss to rangers at the weekend. celtic insist the training camp was approved by the scottish government, while the scottish fa say they have no plans to investigate the trip. celtic are currently 19 points behind their old firm rivals. elite sports can go overseas for training camps if it is important in the context of their training for competitions. for me, the question for celtic is what was the purpose of them being there? i've seen a comment from the club which said it's more for rest

and relaxation and i've seen some photographs and i can only comment on what i've seen, i don't know the full circumstances. that would raise the question in my mind about all the rules about what elite players have to do within their bubbles around social distancing being complied with. so i think there are things that should be looked into. elite sport has been in a privileged position, doing things the general public can't do. and as long as that is the case, because we all want our sports teams to be able to train properly, but as long as that is the case it's really important they don't abuse it, that they use it for the purpose it's intended. the health and leisure industry has called on the government for urgent financial support to safeguard "the physical and mental wellbeing of people across the uk". all indoor and outdoor facilities have been forced to close again, under the latest coronavirus restictions. the lawn tennis association will be asking the government to allow outdoor tennis to resume

as soon as possible. they say it's a naturally socially distanced sport that is safe to play, and it's important for people's physical and mental health. england's cricketers and the rest of the touring party in sri lanka have all been tested again for coronavirus. all being well, they hope to train for the first time tomorrow afternoon. until then, they have to stay in their rooms. we reported yesterday that moeen ali had tested positive and he'll be leaving the england base today and heading to the quarantine hotel near galle, where the two test matches will be played. the leeds rhinos captain stevie ward has been forced to retire at the age of 27, due to the after—effects of concussions. he suffered two last year, and says he struggles with symptoms every day, including migraines, dizziness, short—term memory loss and slurred speech. ward has called on the sport to become more proactive in how it protects players. there's got to be... a deep

consideration and care when you are mixing the brutality of what rugby league can be with what i found out to be the fragility of the brain. and more education is needed around it, more knowledge needed around it, the intricate symptoms of it, the differences that it can cause in day—to—day life is needed to be known. there's more on the bbc sport website, including discussions on the potential impact of covid—19 on this summer's british and irish lions series in south africa. if fans aren't allowed to travel, it could be switched to the uk. that's all the sport for now. well as we've been hearing all schools in england are switching to remote learning with this summer's gcses and a—levels cancelled. and there are concerns that those from poorer backgrounds —

without access to laptops and broadband — will fall further behind. the education secretary gavin williamson will make a statement in the house of commons tomorrow. sean dilley reports. it's a decision the government strongly resisted, but while schools and colleges in england are now closed to most students, ministers say they expect education to continue remotely. we wanted to keep schools open as much as possible, but the message from the chief medical 0fficers yesterday was clear, and therefore with a heavy heart but with clear evidence we had to act. there are particular challenges for children in the most disadvantaged circumstances who find it more difficult sometimes to secure the remote learning that inevitably all children will have to have at the moment. making sure that remote learning technology is available is something the government says it is working hard to achieve, but some parents are angry. last time we made it work by splitting the days in two. one of us worked from six in the morning until one or two in the afternoon, and the other one then took over, and vice versa.

there is nothing easy about working and home—schooling. in fact, it is nearly impossible. i think to call it an inconvenience is insulting to the millions of parents who are going to have to rearrange their lives to try and make this work. what's different this time round is that early years education in nurseries and childcare centres are expected to remain open. the government says younger children are less likely to spread the virus. but nurseries are calling for more help to keep their staff safe. what the government must do immediately is to reassure parents and nursery staff in terms of their safety under these conditions but, most importantly, give them additional support by prioritising them for vaccinations. that's the only way the key workers and those parents are going to be supported moving forward. meanwhile, non—vocational exams such as gcses and a—levels have been scrapped. the government's in talks with the exam regulator 0fqual, but as yet no details exist as to what might replace them.

vocational exams such as btecs are going ahead as planned, despite calls for them to be cancelled too. higher education is also impacted. most university students are being asked not to return if possible and to prepare to start the term online until at least the middle of february. those studying hands—on courses, such as medicine and veterinary science, can return following two covid tests or a ten—day period of isolation. the decision to close schools and colleges marks a major departure from the government's previous position, but they say the latest evidence is clear. schools must be closed to protect us all. sean dilley, bbc news. so, hopes of a happy new year didn't last long — within days of the start of 2021 millions of people are being told to stay at home. it's to ease the pressure on the nhs — but what effect are the latest restrictions having on our mental health? with limited access to friends and family — and even work colleagues — how are we coping under lockdown?

duncan kennedy reports. green space or urban setting, the cloak of human hibernation has come to shroud us all once again. this is the centre of southampton, normally heaving with people, but not today. here we are, back in lockdown, what do you think? should have happened last year. i understand why they don't do it but we have to think long—term, get lockdown done, get this out of the way, because it is real. on a personal level, are you just resigned to following it? nothing we can do, you've got to abide by the rules and hopefully it will fade away in time. this city centre park was also nearly deserted — just a few walkers, joggers and bloggers like this university student. what do you think of going back into lockdown? imean... i mean, know it is the sensible

thing but also tired of doing it. we also came across dr natalie harrison, who has seen what covid is like in her hospital, but who is nowjust two weeks away from giving birth to her second child. what do you think of going into lockdown again? totally understand why it is needed. we are grateful that hopefully parks are staying open and we can get outside for some exercise once a day, especially with little one, but i think it is just what we need to do. but whilst the nation's mojo might be out of step, one man is trying to lift morale. joe wicks says he will be back again as britain's favourite pe teacher while schools are closed. i made the decision because i want to be there for kids, for families with young children that need to stay active, i will do it three days a week, monday, wednesday and friday at 9am just like in the first lockdown, and the videos will be saved. if you miss them you can always

do them another time. joe is not the only one trying to keep people fit, but those like frankii newbery from york say the news of the new restrictions has not come easy. this news has broken me a little bit. i like to think i'm a strong, resilient person, i pride myself on that. we have all been here before — empty streets, disrupted lives — but lockdown: the sequel is one follow—up most people say they will not enjoy, but they will endure. duncan kennedy, bbc news, in southampton. we have had the latest statistics for the uk. we have had the latest statistics forthe uk. grim reading. another record in terms of number of cases. more than 60,000 cases, the first daily total that's exceeded 60,000.

in terms of deaths, 830 deaths within 28 days of a covid positive test. it was just over 400 yesterday. 0ften lower on a monday, because of the lag in reporting over the weekend. but that has gone up to 80 deaths and 60,916 now cases in the —— new cases in the last 24 hours. now it's time for a look at the weather with matt taylor. a dry, bright and cold tuesday, but still wintry in eastern scotland and northern england. rain in eastern and the south—east and towards the channel islands. the clear skies in between as we head to the evening, the temperatures at 6 o'clock, it

could be below freezing across parts of western scotland. and we could see some mist and fog there tonight. icy in eastern scotland and the eastern half of england. especially with the wintry showers continuing. rain showers keeping temperatures above freezing in the south—east. elsewhere a cold start, minus six in central scotland. tomorrow a shift in wind direction and the showers in the south—east will push back to the coast. they will continue in the channel island and one or two will drift across eastern england. but plenty of sunshine and another cold day.

led by the prime minister. the headlines. return to lockdown: in the next half an hour borisjohnson will explain more about how and why he decided on england's latest restrictions — he's holding a news conference alongside his top medical and scientific advisors. as the uk it records a record number of daily coronavirus cases. to help companies through the latest lockdown, the chancellor announces one—off top up grants worth up to £9,000 for the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors. the prime minister has acted decisively in the face of new information and we have had now to grapple with a new variant of the virus, and that's caused an uptick in cases,