hugh pym, thank you so much. _ doing our best to reflect that. hugh pym, thank you so much.nesday evening? those working on the bbc�*s news at ten where facing a challenge as the bulletin went on air, 27 million people were watching england's the pollard sinai itb as their euro semi final went into extra time. so would anyone be watching the news, and how to cover an ongoing story of great significance to some? though certainly not everyone. quite substantially was the answer with a long segment at the top of the show followed by two more appearances from allie foster at the stadium, when when harry kane scored thank you then's second goal and again at the end of the match neared its climax. , ., ., climax. ten minutes from the euro final. he identified _ climax. ten minutes from the euro final. he identified what _ climax. ten minutes from the euro final. he identified what he - final. he identified what he considered _ final. he identified what he considered a _ final. he identified what he considered a problem - final. he identified what he | considered a problem here, fi

hugh pym. _ worrying people. thank you very much, hugh pym, our— worrying people.y for radically cutting carbon emissions from transport in the united kingdom. it's the latest move to banish almost entirely emissions from every sector of the british economy by 2050. roger harrabin reports. transport is central to all of our lives. we can't do without it. it is also the biggest source of the uk's planet—heating carbon emissions. so what to do? the government's biggest decision so far to phase in electric cars has already been taken. now ministers want to speed up the process by imposing targets on manufacturers to sell more clean vehicles. lorries are next in line. dirty diesel will be banished for new trucks by 2040. manufacturers are working to improve electric lorries. batteries or hydrogen look likely solutions. then there is aviation, the most controversial. climate experts say ministers must curb the projected growth in people flying on holiday as well as seeking new technologies for aviation. electric planes and hydrogen planes are already operating, but at a

hugh pym, many thanks. it's 1:17 been hearing. hugh pym, many thanks. it's1:17 - been hearing.ar to help support better diets — so says a review aimed at improving the nation's health. but the prime minister responds coolly to the idea. and coming up... why some furloughed and self—employed workers with loans are now struggling to get mortgages. coming up on the bbc news channel... 0rganisers say the rugby league world cup will go ahead in england this autumn, but current holders australia are yet to sign up to the tournament. the south african government is increasing the number of troops on the streets to 25,000, in response to widespread looting and violence sparked by the jailing of the former president, jacob zuma. at least 72 people have died and more than 1,700 people have been arrested since the violence erupted. 0ur correspondent vumani mkhize is in the coastal city of durban. this violence has been escalating in the last few days. how would you assess the situation now?- the last few days. how would you assess the situation now? yeah, in the ast assess the situation n

hugh pym, bbc news.igures show that in the past 2a hours, 22 deaths were reported and 27,989 new infections were recorded across the uk — the highest daily number since the end of january. it means an average of 20,909 new cases per day in the uk in the past week. more than 141,000 people received a first dose of the vaccine in the latest 24—hour period. nearly 45 million people have now had their firstjab, 85.2% of uk adults. more than 175,000 people have had their second dose in the latest 24—hour period. so more than 33 million people are now fully vaccinated. that's 62.7% of uk adults. 0ur health editor hugh pym is here with me. the prime minister is sounding pretty upbeat about the 19th of july, despite another rise in new cases. , , , , , , cases. yes, ministers seem pretty set on going _ cases. yes, ministers seem pretty set on going ahead _ cases. yes, ministers seem pretty set on going ahead now— cases. yes, ministers seem pretty set on going ahead now on - cases. yes, ministers seem pretty set

thank you very much, hugh pym, our health editor. _ pym, our health editor.e day's of main story. at least 430 migrants crossed the english channel to the uk yesterday according to the home office, a new record for a single day. some 50 people were seen landing on the beach at dungeness in kent. the group included women and young children. the government said it was taking substantial steps to tackle the unacceptable problem of illegal migration, as our correspondent jon donnison reports from the english channel. they have come a long way. some of them may have travelled thousands of miles, but for these migrants, the journey�*s and comes near dungeness, south—west of dover. it's a giant step in their search for a better life, and scenes like this are now playing out on a daily basis. earlier, we took a boat out into the channel. spotted another small one which appears to be a migrant boat. it is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, but bobbing on the waves, a tiny dinghy. no motor, just paddles. where are you from, guys? sudan. from sudan? are you ok?

here�*s our health editor, hugh pym.me non—urgent operations are being cancelled to free up beds, with staff moved to support colleagues in critical care. this wave is different. the people we�*re seeing are younger, and that�*s really very distressing for our staff. i think sometimes, people think because they�*re young, that covid can�*t affect them, it can�*t damage them. that�*s absolutely not the case. it can affect everybody. health leaders argue that with the risk of a further spread of infections, self—isolation is essential when required, and they�*ve defended the nhs covid app. the pinging, the pingdemic, is because we have a pandemic. we know that you're five times more likely to become a case yourself if you've been a close contact, and this is the way that we stop transmission occurring through the country. so, this is not an inconvenience, it is actually an essential intervention for all of us. the office for national statistics infection survey suggests there were just over 830,000 people in the uk who had

let's join hugh pym. what is the result for them? ,, ., ~ , join hugh pym.em? nhs workers have been waitin: for for them? nhs workers have been waiting for several— for them? nhs workers have been waiting for several months - for them? nhs workers have been waiting for several months now. . waiting for several months now. there was outrage among union members that they were only offered 1%. now the government has gone away and looked at the recommendations of and looked at the recommendations of a pay review bodies and it has said in the last few minutes, that it will pay 3% increase to almost all nhs staff in england. although not junior doctors, they are on a different deal. they say this is in line with what the pay review bodies are recommending and it reflects the efforts put in by the nhs during the pandemic. and that actually, other bits of the public sector are seeing a pay freeze. but we will have to await the reaction of health unions, the royal college of nursing call 412.5% pay increase this year. consultants wanted 5%, they feel they have fallen

our health editor hugh pym reports.n under strict protocols relating to a concussion and head injuries. there is a growing debate over the long—term consequences of playing the game at a professional l. nick evans, former wales international, was campaign from a recognition of head injuries, she says she has no recollection of one of the games she played on. recollection of one of the games she -la ed on. ., ., recollection of one of the games she -la edon. .,.,, played on. it led to a season where i played with _ played on. it led to a season where i played with headaches, _ played on. it led to a season where i played with headaches, feeling i i played with headaches, feeling nauseous, quite significant... quite significant impact on me. and i continued regardless. i didn't really think about the long—term repercussions, really. the drake ru . b repercussions, really. the drake rugby study _ rugby study led by imperial college london assessed 41 elite level nail rugby union and league players and three female, 23% had

hugh pym with that report. samantha simmonds will be here at the top of the hour.l show. this week on the travel show out running covid at the olympic games.- out running covid at the olympic games. out running covid at the gi mic games. , ., , olympic games. the big names rockin: olympic games. the big names rocking central _ olympic games. the big names rocking central park _ olympic games. the big names rocking central park this - rocking central park this summer. siberia's mystery blast craters. you have an exploding craters. you have an exploding crater on land. that is not something i imagined. and the fears for the future of football. hello and welcome to tokyo. the host city for this summer's olympic and paralympic games and thronging with tourists and sport fans from all over the world. maybe not. the state of emergency declared earlier this month following a new wave of covid cases means that international and now local spectators are not allowed in to any event in and around tokyo. nonetheless, trainers and medical staff have all headed here from all aro

hugh pym, bbc news.fordshire today after their nail—biting win against denmark last night. gareth southgate's men secured their first place in a major final since the 1966 world cup in front of a crowd of 60,000 at wembley. their victory sparked celebrations across the country that went on long into the night. they'll now face italy in the euro 2020 final on sunday evening. here's our sports editor, dan roan. # touching me... # touching you... wembley had rarely, if ever, witnessed anything quite like it. # sweet caroline # bah—bah—bah... amid scenes of euphoria, this what it meant to the players who had ended england's long quest to reach a majorfinal. and to the fans, after so many years of disappointment. across the country, the same sense of elation and emotion. england! who'd have thought this, you know, like, six months ago, in the depths of the coronavirus pandemic? this is just what the country needed. absolutely brilliant. england in the final for the first time in... who cares how many years?!

here's our health editor, hugh pym. getting pinged.ed positive and telling them to self—isolate for up to ten days. that will come to an end in england in mid—august for those who are double jabbed. whether alerted by the app or test and trace officials, they'll simply be asked to get tested. secretary of state. the health secretary told mps it was part of the move towards more normal everyday life. step by step, jab byjab, we're replacing the temporary protection of the restrictions with the long—term protection of the vaccine. so we can restore the freedoms which we cherish, and the experiences that mean so much to us all. the latest numbers show nearly 29,000 daily reported cases and more than 400 patients admitted to hospital on monday. the government predicts 50,000 cases a day by i9july, and then, 100,000 a day possibly in august. one key member of a government advisory committee says predicting future hospital numbers is difficult, but he's not concerned at this stage. i am, let's say, moderately optimistic that we will keep hos

our health editor hugh pym has more.g how things will be different from next monday, there was a change of tone from the government today. masks and face coverings will be expected in certain places, like crowded public transport, even as legal restrictions are lifted onjuly 19th, with the key message being caution. this pandemic is not over. this disease, coronavirus, continues to carry risks for you and your family. we cannot simply revert instantly from monday the 19th ofjuly to life as it was before covid. scientists and modellers predict the current wave of infections will reach a peak in august. there could be between 1,000 and 2,000 daily hospital admissions and between 100 and 200 deaths each day. but all that depends on a certain amount of continued caution by the public. for example, mask wearing in some crowded indoor spaces. can you spell out some of the risks involved with opening up onjuly the 19th in england, for example, to the nhs? if behaviour returns to immediately to pre—pandemic levels, that would be

hugh pym, bbc news.iday has been marked by protests, following the recent discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves at former schools for indigenous children. thousands of people joined a "cancel canada day" rally. catherine karelli has this report. traditionally a day of celebration, but this year, canada has found itself reckoning with its colonial past. this was the scene in winnipeg, demonstrators pulling down a statue of queen victoria. across canada, thousands of people took to the streets protesting a dark chapter in their country's history — the residential school system. they murdered thousands of children, hundreds of thousands of children, we don't know yet, but we are here to tell you today that that was wrong. you all know that it was wrong. we are here today to stand with everybody to oppose the ongoing genocide of the canadian government and state against indigenous peoples. between the 1870s and 1990s, more than 150,000 indigenous children were taken from theirfamilies. they were made to a

our health editor hugh pym has the latest.h cases going up, more people are having to change plans because they�*ve been told to self—isolate. more are being pinged by the nhs app if they�*ve come into contact with someone who tested positive, and that�*s affecting the wider economy. the car—maker nissan, for example, saying that production at its sunderland plant has been affected, with reports that more than 10% of the workforce are self isolating. hello, take a seat. and it�*s affecting the nhs. this gp practice in sheffield might have to close with four staff members unable to work because of isolation requirements. those rules will change in mid—august for anyone double—jabbed, but doctors say that should happen now. it seems ridiculous to us that we have staff who are double—vaccinated — you know, i had my first vaccine before christmas, we�*ve been vaccinated for months — and yet, they�*re not able to come to work. in the first week ofjuly, more than 520,000 alerts were sent to users of the app in england, telling them

hugh pym, bbc news.is a humanitarian catastrophe and one of the worst crises in the world. more than 3000 civilians were killed last year — for the seventh year in a row. around 18 million people, more than half the country s population, are in urgent need of life—saving support. us—led forces ousted the taliban from power in afghanistan in 2001 — but now the foreign troops — including british soldiers — are being withdrawn. it's led to a sharp surge in fighting between the taliban and the afghan army — as the taliban continues to take back more ground. 0ur correspondent yogita limaye and her team have sent this report from the city of kunduz where people are fleeing taliban violence. decades of suffering that has now become even more brutal. in kunduz city, besieged by the taliban, tens of thousands of afghans who have fled a surge in violence. running from bullets and bombs. caught between insurgents and government forces. scared, hungry and homeless. in 45 degrees heat. people rushed to us. to tell us

our health editor hugh pym has the latest.trictions easing in england next monday, but with cases going up, more people are having to change plans because they've been told to self—isolate. more are being pinged by the nhs app if they've come into contact with someone who tested positive, and that's affecting the wider economy. the car—maker nissan, for example, saying that production at its sunderland plant has been affected, with reports that more than 10% of the workforce are self isolating. hello, take a seat. and it's affecting the nhs. this gp practice in sheffield might have to close with four staff members unable to work because of isolation requirements. those rules will change in mid—august for anyone double—jabbed, but doctors say that should happen now. it seems ridiculous to us that we have staff who are double—vaccinated — you know, i had my first vaccine before christmas, we've been vaccinated for months — and yet, they're not able to come to work. in the first week ofjuly, more than 520,000 alerts were sent to

thank you, hugh pym.o the euro 2020 semi—final last night, making it the most—watched live tv event of the year. their 4—0 defeat of ukraine at wembley means gareth southgate's men now face denmark on wednesday — with the prize a place in the final on sunday. 0ur sports editor dan roan reports. that didn't take long. just what england wanted. ukraine blown away, england on their way. having seen his side run riot in rome, gareth southgate finds himself in rarefied coaching company. only the second manager after legendary 1966 world cup winning sir alf ramsey to lead england into the semifinals of both that tournament and the european championship. it is an absolute honour to be in that sort of company, so i know how high i hold them in esteem, and yeah, it's lovely to be able to get the results that are putting our country on the football map again, really. if there had been any nerves against ukraine, harry kane settled them blend within five minutes. this is the first of two more goals for the captain.

hugh pym, bbc news.cho has made his first public comments following the online racist abuse he received after missing a penalty in the euro 2020 final, saying "hate will never win". he said the abuse he and his team—mates got was nothing new, but "as a society we need to do better". the prime minister has promised to ban people guilty of sending online racist abuse to footballers from attending matches. 0ur deputy political editor, vicki young, reports. a heartbreaking defeat that quickly became a debate about racism. tonight, one of the three england players subjected to online abuse spoke out. jadon sancho has said, "as a society, we need to do better and hold these people accountable. hate will never win." under pressure the government has hastily adopted labour�*s idea, extending football banning orders so they don't just apply to those shouting from the terraces. if you are guilty, mr speaker, of racist abuse online of footballers, then you will not be going to the match. but campaigners want minist

here's our health editor, hugh pym. in england wondering how things will be different from next monday, there was a change of tone from the government today. masks and face coverings will be expected in certain places, like crowded public transport, even as legal restrictions are lifted onjuly 19th, with the key message being caution. this pandemic is not over. this disease, coronavirus, continues to carry risks for you and your family. we cannot simply revert instantly from monday the 19th ofjuly to life as it was before covid. scientists and modellers predict the current wave of infections will reach a peak in august. there could be between 1,000 and 2,000 daily hospital admissions and between 100 and 200 deaths each day. but all that depends on a certain amount of continued caution by the public. for example, mask wearing in some crowded indoor spaces. can you spell out some of the risks involved with opening up onjuly 19th in england, for example to the nhs? if behaviour returns to pre—pandemic levels immediately, t

here's our health editor, hugh pym.al hospitals. in liverpool, patient numbers have increased sharply. some non—urgent operations are being cancelled to free up beds, with staff moved to support colleagues in critical care. this wave is different. the people we're seeing are younger, and that's really very distressing for our staff. i think sometimes, people think because they're young, that covid can't affect them, it can't damage them. that's absolutely not the case. it can affect everybody. health leaders argue that with the risk of a further spread of infections, self—isolation is essential when required, and they've defended the nhs covid app. the pinging, the pingdemic, is because we have a pandemic. we know that you're five times more likely to become a case yourself if you've been a close contact, and this is the way that we can stop transmission occurring through the country. so, this is not an inconvenience — it is actually an essential intervention for all of us. the office for national statistics' infection

hugh pym.more jabs go into arms, officials are confident that vaccines are reducing the risk of serious illness. the office for national statistics says hospital admissions are much lower than they would have been without vaccines. but, even so, the head of the 0ns told me that making the right call on ending restrictions in england won't be straightforward. this decision is the most difficult that the government has to make. we are watching with laser focus every day the data, so that the government will have all the information it needs in order, absolutely, to mean that it's data, not dates. the 0ns infection survey suggests that last week in the uk, there was a 67% increase in those testing positive. in england, one in 260 had the virus. in scotland, it was one in 150 and in wales, one in 450. in all of which, there were increases. in northern ireland, one in 670 had the virus and the trend was said to be uncertain. scotland's first minister said there was a need to boost vaccine coverage.

hugh pym, bbc news., before standing down in the autumn. angela merkel also met queen elizabeth at windsor castle. more from our world affairs correspondent caroline hawley. angela, how are you? despite their disagreements over brexit, today was about celebrating and strengthening the german—british relationship in a new era. high on the agenda for borisjohnson, germany's insistence that british travellers quarantine for 14 days, even if they are fully vaccinated. but after a working lunch of english asparagus tart and 0xfordshire beef, angela merkel hinted at good news to come for british holiday—makers. translation: we are seeing a rise of the delta variant - in germany, a significant rise, and, of course, we are regularly reviewing these travel restrictions and i expect that, in the foreseeable future, double vaccinated people will be able to travel without having to quarantine upon arrival. after england's historic victory against germany on tuesday, angela merkel wished the uk well for the rest of t

hugh pym, bbc news. on the pandemic show that in the past 24 hours, 22 deaths were reported — and 27,989 new infections were recorded. there's been an average of 20,909 new cases per day in the uk last week. more than 141,000 people received a first dose of the vaccine in the latest 24—hour period. this means nearly 45 million people have now had their firstjab, 85.2% of uk adults. more than 175,000 people have had their second dose of the vaccine in the latest 24—hour period. and more than 33 million people have now had both doses, that's 62.7% of uk adults. let's speak to our political editor laura kuenssberg. so, the prime minister sounding hopeful. how much confidence is there thatjuly the 19th is the day? think of all the ways that the laws around our behaviour during the pandemic have shaped our lives. whether it's having to wear one of these things on the bus, the number of people who can get in a lift in a building, being able or not to visit a sick relative in hospital, these legal limits have c

that report by hugh pym on the situation now at king's college hospital.tackled by the government or they will "get worse" — that's according to england's chief medical officer. professor chris whitty says health problems caused by deprivation, an older population and distance from health services need to be addressed. david sillito reports from scarborough. scarborough. on a week like this, it seems the picture of sunny good cheer. and this was originally a spa town. it was all about fresh air and good health. but these days the reality for many people here is very different. we metjack, test driving a new mobility scooter. this is your health care, isn't it? this is it. this is going to get me going. down the road, philip, recovering from a recent stroke. and then they said they hadn't got the beds. he had to be treated 40 miles away. they don't cater here for people with strokes and heart attacks. so they move them out to other hospitals. when you add together scarborough's mix of an elderly population, low incomes and often distant health services, the

hugh pym, bbc news.and northern ireland will set out their own timetables for lifting restrictions later this month. scotland currently has the highest covid rates in europe, according to the world health organisation, and is expected to loosen some restrictions on the 19th ofjuly. ministers in edinburgh hope the last major legal limits, including social distancing, can be removed on 9th august, but? no decision has yet been taken on whether masks will still be required on public transport and in shops. in wales, the government will review the restrictions and outline any further lifting next week. the country's health minister said today that wales was going to have to learn to live with coronavirus, and they were weighing up the risks of catching covid against lockdown effects on mental health and the economy. and some restrictions are being eased in northern ireland today with the return of live music and an increase in the number of households able to gather in a private garden. it's understood furth

here's our health editor hugh pym.arms, officials are confident that vaccines are reducing the risk of serious illness. the office for national statistics says hospital admissions are much lower than they would have been without vaccines. but, even so, the head of the ons told me that making the right call on ending restrictions in england won't be straightforward. this decision is the most difficult that the government has to make. we are watching with laser focus every day the data, so that the government will have all the information it needs in order, absolutely, to mean that it's data, not dates. the ons infection survey suggests that last week in the uk, there was a 67% increase in those testing positive. in england, one in 260 have the virus. in scotland, it was one in 150 and in wales, one in 450. in all of which, there were increases. in northern ireland, one in 670 had the virus and the trend was said to be uncertain. scotland's first minister said there was a need to boost vaccine coverage. vaccination is th

hugh pym, bbc news.across the other three nations. wales still has no date for ending covid restrictions. the welsh government's next review on regulations is due on wednesday but it says face masks will remain mandatory in some settings including public transport, and in health and social care settings. ministers are still deciding whether masks will continue to be law in shops. the scottish government will confirm tomorrow whether the country can move to level zero on monday. further covid restrictions could be lifted on august 9th. but some measures, such as the wearing of face masks, will remain in place. in northern ireland, some covid rules are due to be relaxed from july 26th meaning theatres and concert halls can reopen, face coverings will not have to be worn in places of worship and restrictions on social gatherings at people's homes will be eased too. the changes will need to be agreed by ministers at stormont on the 22nd of this month. cu racy and from the latest official figures on the virus

hugh pym, bbc news.id first hit, in spite of limited resources. more than a year—and—a—half into the pandemic and several lockdowns later, goodwill among the people is wearing thin. vaccination programmes have stalled and governments are struggling to find a way out of the crisis. in indonesia, the government has appealed for international help to secure supplies of oxygen, a day after recording its highest numbers of daily covid infections and deaths. 0ur south east asia correspondent jonathan head reports. as other businesses flounder, it's a sign of the dismal times we live in that this one is thriving. this coffin—maker says he's making three times as many these days after the new outbreak of the delta covid variant. indonesians may have thought last year was bad enough. this year, though, is much worse — covid deaths running at more than 500 a day. oxygen is in critically short supply. people have to fill up their own cylinders to ensure that hospitalised family members get it. this man says his bes

hugh pym, bbc news.sh in 2016 were killed as the result of an accident, an inquest has concluded. the jury at croydon town hall ruled out a verdict of unlawful killing. the tram was travelling more than three times faster than a speed restriction and families intend to pursue legal options to demand a new inquest. 0ur transport correspondent caroline davies reports. it's been a four—and—a—half—year wait, but today's inquest does not provide the answers those who lost loved ones here have hoped for. it's a shambles, absolute shambles right from the beginning. before it even started it was a shambles. it's disgusting, the way the whole thing has been run. i'm absolutely - disgusted, absolutely. seven people died on the 9th of november 2016 when the rush—hour service took a sharp corner, came off the tracks, and tipped over. this reconstruction was shown at the inquest. investigators found there were no speed limit signs in the tunnel. the train was going at 45 mph. the limit was 12. the inquest reported th

hugh pym, bbc news.ttling wildfires after the extreme heatwave that's hit the western part of the country. residents in lytton were forced to evacuate, as fires engulfed the area. on tuesday, the town recorded the country's highest ever temperature of 49.6 degrees celsius. some 250 people fled the fires — some filming as they left. oh, my god, look at that! our house is actually doing pretty well so far. holy bleep! spences bridge... cos at least we sort of know a few people there. those ones have just gone. the whole village is going. i'm joined now by gordon murray, who filmed that footage while making his way to safety. he's now in vancouver. hejoins us. he joins us. thank hejoins us. thank you he joins us. thank you very much for being with us. it is almost even knowing what is happening, must be slightly unbelievable when you look at those pictures, to think of what the town was like just a few days ago. the town was like “ust a few days a . o. . ~' the town was like “ust a few days auo. . ~ , ., th

hugh pym, bbc news.d jab. that comes after his administration fell just short of a goal of 70% of american adults receiving at least one dose by thejuly fourth holiday. mr biden said his team would literally go "knocking on doors" to get people vaccinated, if need be. ourfight against this virus is not over. right now, as i speak to you, millions of americans are still unvaccinated and unprotected. because of that, their communities are at risk. their friends are at rest, the people they care about are at risk. —— are at risk. this is an even bigger concern because of the delta variant. in today's briefing, we discussed how the delta variant has already been responsible for half of all cases in many parts of this country. mr biden went on to say that getting vaccinated is the "patriotic thing to do". in other news... new york's governor andrew cuomo has declared a state of emergency following a surge in gun violence there. the move will enable the state to access funds and resources in cities where shoot

hugh pym, bbc news.rash in 2016 were killed as the result of an accident, an inquest has concluded. the jury at croydon town hall ruled out a verdict of unlawful killing. the tram was travelling more than three times faster than a speed restriction and families intend to pursue legal options to demand a new inquest. 0ur transport correspondent caroline davies reports. it's been a [ls—year wait, but today's inquest does not provide the answers those who lost loved ones here have hoped for. it's a shambles. absolute shambles right from the beginning. before it even started, it was a shambles. it is a disgusting... the way the whole thing is been run. i'm absolutely - disgusted, absolutely. seven people died on 9th november 2016 when the rush—hour service took a sharp corner, came off the tracks and tipped over. this reconstruction was shown at the inquest. investigators found there were no speed limit signs in the tunnel. the train was going at 45mph. the limit was 12mph. the inquest reported that the driv

we are nowjoined by hugh pym, the bbc health editor.u have a sense that audiences are divided and how far has that affected how you report the story now? l affected how you report the story now?— story now? i think they are divided and _ story now? i think they are divided and you _ story now? i think they are divided and you can - story now? i think they are - divided and you can understand it because this pandemic has really taken it because this pandemic has really ta ken its toll it because this pandemic has really taken its toll on people's every day lives, their physical and mental health, people have lost loved ones. it has been an extremely difficult time and you are bound to have strongly held views and i think the letters and e—mails you read outjust shows the different types of opinions we are having to deal with which is entirely right. people's views need to be expressed and we need to take them on board and we try to take a balanced approach and that is not always straightforward. certainly, you have people whose businesse

hugh pym, bbc news.could soon be exempt from quarantine if they are 'pinged' by the covid—19 app, under plans being considered by downing street. ministers have already said that, from 16th august, people who are double—jabbed can avoid self—isolation, even if the app traces them as a covid contact. that date may now be brought forward for health service staff. chris hopson is chief executive of nhs providers, which represents hospital trusts in england. do you need to stay to be brought forward? , ., , . forward? there is a difficult balance to _ forward? there is a difficult balance to strike _ forward? there is a difficult balance to strike here. - forward? there is a difficult balance to strike here. on i forward? there is a difficult i balance to strike here. on the forward? there is a difficult - balance to strike here. on the one hand we know that the delta variant to 60% more transmissible, so it is vital we do everything we can to protect staff and patients in health care settings. equally, the

hugh pym, bbc news, teesside.". he said the abuse he and his teammates got was nothing new but "as a society, we need to do better". it comes as the prime minister said changes will be made to football banning orders. anyone found guilty of racially abusing players online will no longer be allowed at matches. 0ur deputy political editor vicki young has this report. it was a heartbreaking defeat, but a post—match analysis has focused on our broader issues than england�*s abilities on the pitch. 0nline racist abuse aimed at the three players who missed penalties has left the conservative party divided over antiracism campaigning, and pressure has forced the government to make a hasty announcement about changing the law. i to make a hasty announcement about changing the law— changing the law. i utterly condemn the racist outpourings _ changing the law. i utterly condemn the racist outpourings that - changing the law. i utterly condemn the racist outpourings that we - changing the law. i utterly condemn the racist out

hugh pym, bbc news.s were searched in connection with cctv footage that was leaked and led to matt hancock resigning as health secretary. he stood down from the cabinet following the release of the footage by the sun showing him kissing his aide in his office, in breach of covid rules. the company providing the cctv at the department of health said the images were taken without consent. the prime minister has set out some more details of the government's plan to level up the uk, insisting it would be a win—win for everyone. in a speech in coventry boris johnson promised more powers outside london and the south east of england and said deprived areas would benefit from more investment in education, infrastructure and regeneration. but labour described his speech as "gibberish." with more, here's our political correspondent alex forsyth. the prime minister has long must a drive to tackle inequality across the country. it is a pledge he cannot afford to break, and at this battery centre in coventry today, h

hugh pym, bbc news.tions. scotland currently has the highest covid rates in europe, according to the world health organisation ? and is expected to loosen some restrictions on the 19th ofjuly. ministers in edinburgh hope the last major legal limits ? including social distancing — can be removed on the ninth of august — but? no decision has yet been taken on whether masks will still be required on public transport and in shops. in wales the government will review the restrictions and outline any further lifting next week. the country's health minister said today that wales was going to have to learn to live with coronavirus, and they were weighing up the risks of catching covid against lockdown effects on mental health and the economy. and some restrictions are being eased in northern ireland today with the return of live music and an increase in the number of households able to gather in a private garden. it's understood further relaxations will be discussed by the executive this week. our medical editor

hugh pym, bbc news.m quarantine if they are �*pinged' by the covid—19 app under plans being considered by downing street. ministers have already said that, from 16th august, people who are double—jabbed can avoid self—isolation, even if the app traces them as a covid contact. that date may now be brought forward for health service staff. earlier, i spoke tojonathan blake, our political correspondent, and i asked him what the plan is. it seems that as more and more people are testing positive for covid—19 before the remaining restrictions are lifted in england in just over a week, of course the number of people being pinged to isolate is, in turn, going up. nhs trusts so they are struggling to cope with too many staff taking time off to isolate. i think the situation is becoming unsustainable, so we are told that under consideration, serious consideration in government, is the idea of allowing nhs staff to continue to work if they are pinged by the app or contacted by nhs test and trace if they have had b

hugh pym, bbc news. whole �*bubbles' home after a positive case set to be scrapped at the end of term. after that, children will only have to isolate if they test positive. new figures show that pupil absence in england due to covid has hit a new high since all students returned to school in march this year. they show that more than 640,000 pupils in england were not in school due to covid last week, under 10% of those — 62,000 of those have confirmed or suspected covid. 0ur education correspondent elaine dunkley reports. this is west horton high school in bolton, an area which has had some of the highest rates of covid in the country. over the past few months, the school has been part of a clinical trial. instead of bubbles being sent home to isolate, children are sent here for daily tests. during the october to christmas period, we sent home masses of students, some students six or seven times in isolation within that period of time. we are keen to avoid that situation again, so when the clinical trial

hugh pym, bbc? thank you. _ plus percent. thank you. hugh pym, bbc?e on _ bbc? thank you, prime minister. given the pressure on hospitals, i given the pressure on hospitals, will you — given the pressure on hospitals, will you end _ given the pressure on hospitals, will you end the _ given the pressure on hospitals, will you end the requirement- given the pressure on hospitals, will you end the requirement of| given the pressure on hospitals, i will you end the requirement of nhs staff who _ will you end the requirement of nhs staff who have — will you end the requirement of nhs staff who have come _ will you end the requirement of nhs staff who have come into _ will you end the requirement of nhs staff who have come into contact i staff who have come into contact with a _ staff who have come into contact with a positive _ staff who have come into contact with a positive case _ staff who have come into contact with a positive case to _ staff who have come into contact with a positive case to itself- with a positive case to itself isolate _ with a posi

hugh pym, bbc news.37,405 new cases per day in the last week. 3,786 people are in hospital with covid — the highest number since the end of march. 63 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours — again the highest daily figure since the end of march. more than 46 million people have had theirfirstjab, that's just over 87.5% of uk adults. and almost 35 and half million — just over 67% of all adults — are fully vaccinated. tesco, asda, lidl and waitrose have become the latest retailers to say they will encourage customers and shop workers to continue wearing masks in their supermarkets after legal restrictions are lifted in england onjuly the 19th. last night sainsbury�*s said it will encourage all customers to wear a face covering if they can. the information commissioner's office says it has seized computer equipment after two homes were searched in connection with cctv footage that was leaked and led to matt hancock resigning as health secretary. mr hancock stood down from the cabinet following the releas

our health editor hugh pym has the latest.hs staff are at full stretch again, many on the front line since the start of the pandemic say they are exhausted and now there is the daunting thought of another surge in covid patients. that is the backdrop to today's eagerly awaited announcement. what do we want? when do we want it? now. demonstrations by health unions at westminster this week served as a reminder of the anger felt at the government's original offer in england, and the desire for a significant pay rise. a&e is very intense. amy, a member of the royal college of nursing, told me how she and her colleagues felt. morale is extremely low. there's a lot of people leaving the nhs. leaving the health sector more widely, and i think that is a direct consequence of years of being undervalued, on top of the extra pressure that we faced working through the pandemic. her union, the rcn, said today's pay decision would make it even harder to recruit and retain staff. in march, the government offered a pay rise of 1% to most nhs

here's our health editor hugh pym. strain on local hospitals. in liverpool, patient numbers have increased sharply. some non—urgent operations are being cancelled to free up beds, with staff moved to support colleagues in critical care. this wave is different. the people we're seeing are younger, and that's really very distressing for our staff. i think sometimes, people think because they're young, that covid can't affect them, it can't damage them. that's absolutely not the case. it can affect everybody. health leaders argue that with the risk of a further spread of infections, self—isolation is essential when required, and they've defended the nhs covid app. the pinging, the pingdemic, is because we have a pandemic. we know that you're five times more likely to become a case yourself if you've been a close contact, and this is the way that we stop transmission occurring through the country. so, this is not an inconvenience, it is actually an essential intervention for all of us. the office for national statistics in

hugh pym, bbc news, teesside. for a second month. the office for national statistics has the rise has been driven by higher food and fuel costs, eating and drinking out also costs, eating and drinking out also cost more while clothing and footwear usually cheaper at this time of year, and also went up in price. the coat leader of the green party has a nose she went us in for reelection in the forthcoming contest because of what she called inconsistency over the party's position on trans rates. in a letter to members she said she could no longer make the claim that the greens spoke unequivocally with one voice on the issue. it comes a few days after her announced he would also be standing down. —— the greens. the headlines on bbc news... the government has announced it's moving the balearic islands in spain from its green list to amber. the move, to come into force on monday, is a response to a big rise in covid cases on mallorca, ibiza and menorca. england's jadon sancho says hate will never win — as he makes his

hugh pym, bbc news.an epidemiologist at the london school of hygiene and tropical medicine. he's also part of spi—m, which provides disease modelling advice to the government. i suppose the first thing to ask you is whether that modelling suggests this pattern is going to continue, in other words the level of infection is going to remain where it is at the moment or whether you expected to rise further? definitely the number — expected to rise further? definitely the number of _ expected to rise further? definitely the number of cases _ expected to rise further? definitely the number of cases is _ expected to rise further? definitely the number of cases is going - expected to rise further? definitely the number of cases is going to - expected to rise further? definitely| the number of cases is going to rise most of the level of infection is going to continue to rise over the summer. the big question is to what extent will the serious cases, the hospital admissions and the deaths, how fast will those rise

our health editor, hugh pym reports. that everyday life and work is a struggle because of her arthritis. she was referred for treatment by her gp in september and now it seems she would have waited for at least a year before getting a hip replacement. i am in pain all the time and sitting down for any length of time is difficult which is very challenging for me because i am working at home in an administrative role. nhs england said the pandemic had caused huge disruption to routine care but the numbers like roz waiting more than a year had fallen back. overall hospital waiting lists are still rising. here they have drawn up plans to boost the number of operations they carry out. we are starting to make inroads into our backlog and we have seen our clinical teams step up and put on additional lists and work weekends and longer days. hospitals are doing all they tend to reduce waiting lists but they are very busy in most other departments as well and in some cases there are more patients coming through the door of a&e the

our health editor hugh pym joins us live now.ear when people want to go on holiday, so although, as has been said, the nhs can and will cope, it will be under a lot of strain in the weeks ahead, and that might result in more covid patients in other people not getting their nonurgent treatment for example. exactly what we were just hearing. can we talk about the number of vaccinations being done? because i think at the peak, there was something like 800,000 people vaccinated in one day, that is right down at the moment to 180,000. sojust day, that is right down at the moment to 180,000. so just give us your assessment of what is going on. first doses of full and really quite sharply from 200,000 a day not that long ago down to 100,000, now down to 50,000 or below. i think the concern as it is not a supply issue, there is plenty of supply of vaccines out there, we are told, it is people not coming forward at anything like the same rate. so as we have the other day, the prime minister quoted the start, 35% of 18 to 30—year—olds have

our health editor, hugh pym reports.e of her arthritis. she was referred for treatment by her gp in september and now it seems she would have waited for at least a year before getting a hip replacement. i am in pain all the time and sitting down for any length of time is difficult which is very challenging for me because i am working at home in an administrative role. nhs england said the pandemic had caused huge disruption to routine care but the numbers like roz waiting more than a year had fallen back. overall hospital waiting lists are still rising. here they have drawn up plans to boost the number of operations they carry out. we are starting to make inroads into our backlog and we have seen our clinical teams step up and put on additional lists and work weekends and longer days. hospitals are doing all they tend to reduce waiting lists but they are very busy in most other departments as well and in some cases there are more patients coming through the door of a and e then there were before the pandemic. it all adds