our business correspondent katie prescott has more details. trains, delayed deliveries, closed restaurants and shut—up shops. staff shortages because of the spread of 0micron are a real worry in the new year as people go back to work after the christmas break. i think it makes sense to try to plan for such events. we know we have a very contagious variant in the uk and we know that lots of people are catching the virus and naturally there will be absences throughout all businesses, really. from a retail perspective, the biggest concern will be on the supply chain to make sure that that is still running at the efficiency we are used to. empty workplaces where key staff are needed is the nightmare for government. ministers are looking atjust how bad things could get and drawing up contingency plans to try and protect against any disruption from rising infection. to try and keep school gates open as well as hospitals and other vital services, in the public sector leaders have been asked to look at the worst—case scenarios of having ten, 20 or eve

katie prescott, bbc news.rammaticas explained to me how the government is likely to respond to the warnings that there could be a quarter of public sector staff off because of covid. what we are seeing is basically the government saying they are looking at the situation day by day, at the data as it comes out. and what they are saying at the minute, the minister saying today, the health minister saying there is nothing in the data that indicated a need for new restrictions. and that is important, that word "restrictions". but they continue to look at that. but at the same time, they are obviously concerned because, as we see, they are bringing measures in in schools. and inside the heart of government, in the cabinet office, they have instructed all departments to look at these scenarios, so, as you say, 25% workforce absence, but also 10% and 20%. so that 25 is the worst case. and that is in order to be prepared for what could come as we see the impact of the mixing over christmas, mixing over new year, every

katie prescott, bbc news.w is colenzo jarrett—thorpe, the national officer for health at unite the union. good morning. how serious do you think these problems could be? the nhs has think these problems could be? tue: nhs has been think these problems could be? tte: nhs has been chronically underfunded over the last 10—12 years or so. this is just a symptom of that, because they haven't had the funding and investment, nhs staff are absolutely knackered and exhausted and are not able to cope with what's going on. they have been pushed to their limit over the last two years with the pandemic and there are already 100,000 vacancies shortage in the nhs. there will be a 21% shortage so we don't know how the nhs and other public sector services will be able to cope. can nhs and other public sector services will be able to cope.— will be able to cope. can you give some examples _ will be able to cope. can you give some examples of— will be able to cope. can you give some examples of what - will be able to cope. can y

katie prescott, bbc news.vernment's latest coronavirus figures aren't complete, but there were 137, 583 new infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period in england and wales alone. 73 deaths were recorded, that's of people who died within 28 days of a positive test in england and wales. and our political correspondent damiam grammaticas is here. the government is still saying nothing in the data to warrant further restrictions in england at the moment but there's an important review this week? that is right, these measures in england, were brought in in the middle of december. there was a battle in parliament, barely 100 conservative mps, some talking about the last chance saloon, and we had mask wearing, work from home and covid passes. in other parts of the uk have gone further, with distancing measures, limits on numbers of people who can meet in nightclubs. here, ministers have been sent today, no sign in the data of the need for more restrictions for which they would have to go to parliament but they

katie prescott, bbc news. a fire at the country's parliament building. the fire, which authorities say is contained but still burning, is thought to have started in office space on the third floor at the parliament building in cape town before spreading to the national assembly building. let's take a look at the latest pictures.... this is the scene live now in cape town. the picture clearly tells the story, still smoke filling the air behind the houses of parliament there. fire services say the fire is under control, but clearly still a lot of black smoke filling the sky there. dozens of firefighters dealing with the fire. it is not clear what caused the fire to start, but the city authorities have said the roof area had caught fire and the national assembly building was also on fire. so this is the scene live. the minister for public works says they have started an investigation into the cause of the fire. we have the situation under control for now. we have contained the fire within the national council of

here's our business correspondent, katie prescott.t tough to recruit for a while. bosses say they've got enough work for at least another a0 people. now omicron has decimated their rotas. it's going to be difficult. we may be in a position as a care sector where not everybody is going to get the care they need. in fact, the unfortunate truth, we are not going to be able to provide care for everybody that needs it, and that's obviously a major worry. this lack of carers has a knock—on impact on hospitals too, as people are unable to be sent back home once they are well enough. it is what happening there that's a real worry. to try and keep vital services like hospitals open, public sector leaders are being asked to make contingency plans for having ten, 20 or even up to 25% of their staff off at any one time. solutions to that could include drawing on pools of former workers, former teachers in schools for example, or prioritising certain services. shortages are also hitting the hospitality industry. this popular italian restaurant had

katie prescott, bbc news.nagpaul, a gp and council chair at the british medical association, a union for doctors. i started by asking what the impact of more staff absences in the nhs would be. we're already seeing a significant impact on our ability to provide services with shortages of staff. we actually predicted on the 18th of december, our own modelling we put out, we thought that one in ten nhs staff would be off sick by this time because we could see the trajectory of infection rates rising. remember that people who work in nhs are part of the general population and in london, one in ten people are infected and that will reflect in those that work in public services such as the health service. the other problem we have is that front—line staff aren't able to stay at home. they are much more in contact with people and if you're a doctor or a nurse or a health care worker, you are going to be in contact closeby patients who are carrying the infection. the other problem is we are not being provided in most

katie prescott, bbc news.called on the prime minister to tackle the spiralling cost of living. five ex—ministers are among those who have written to the sunday telegraph arguing for a cut in environmental levies and the removal of energy taxes. their call follows big rises in wholesale gas prices. the government says it is meeting suppliers and the regulator regularly to work out how to help consumers. denmark says it hopes to end the use of fossil fuels on domestic flights by 2030. the danish prime minister says flying must be made green but acknowledged the target would be hard to meet. denmark had already announced plans to reduce carbon emissions by 70% of 1990 levels by 2030. a fire has broken out at the south african houses of parliament. dozens of firefighters have been tackling the blaze in cape town. the flames spread quickly when the historic buildings sprinkler system failed to activate. 0ur south african correspondent nomsa maseko has more an historic building on fire. plumes of smoke engulfing the

katie prescott, bbc news. the british medical association, a union for doctors in the uk. doctor, what is the effect at the moment of staff absences and what if that were to increase? yes. moment of staff absences and what if that were to increase?— that were to increase? yes, we are already seeing _ that were to increase? yes, we are already seeing a — that were to increase? yes, we are already seeing a significant - that were to increase? yes, we are already seeing a significant impact| already seeing a significant impact on our ability to provide services with shortages of staff. we predicted on the 18th of december our own modelling we put out, we thought that one in ten nhs staff would be offset by this time because we could see the trajectory of infection rates rising stop remember the term, people who work in nhs are part of the general population and in london, one in ten people are infected and that will reflect on those that work in public services such as the health service. the other problem we hav

katie prescott, bbc news. uncovered i9 we've just had the latest government data uncovered 19 in the uk is reporting 137,583 new covid—19 cases in england and wales within the latest 24—hour period. i should clarify that that is just for england and wales. it doesn't include data from northern ireland and the uk. and that is the latest that we have, 137,583 new covid cases in england and wales on sunday. a processing issue means we do not have the full numbers that would cover scotland and northern ireland. patricia marquis is regional director for england at the royal college of nursing. let's return to that issue of workplace absences. how much of an effect as it having to follow your members? it’s effect as it having to follow your members?— members? it's really very significant. _ members? it's really very significant. they - members? it's really very significant. they have - members? it's really very. significant. they have been members? it's really very - significant. they have been working in difficult

here's our business correspondent, katie prescott.s cumbria care firm has been short staffed and finding it tough to recruit for a while. buses say they have enough work for at least another a0 people will stop now 0micron has decimated their rotors. it’s decimated their rotors. it's auoin decimated their rotors. it's going to — decimated their rotors. it's going to be _ decimated their rotors. it�*s going to be difficult. we may be in a position as a care sector where not everybody�*s going to get the care they need. that's the unfortunate truth. we're not going to be to provide care for everybody that needsit provide care for everybody that needs it and that's obviously a major worry. needs it and that's obviously a major worry-— major worry. this lack of carers has _ major worry. this lack of carers has a _ major worry. this lack of carers has a lot - major worry. this lack of| carers has a lot knock-on carers has a lot knock—on impact on hospitals, too, as people are unable to be sent back home once they are well enough. it is wha

our business reporter katie prescott has been talking to him. a sort of day—to—day adventure. we would test our staff every morning when they came in. if they were positive, we would send them home. if they were negative, they were able to come into work but we got to a situation with a staff of 2a, by the 22nd of december, we got to a situation five were left standing so out of 2a staff, five remained negative and we were just unable to open the restaurant so we had to cancel all the bookings for the 22nd, 23rd, 24th of december. the government is saying they want businesses to have contingency plans in place. for a business like yours that relies so heavily on its staff, what can you do when you get to that position? i mean, is it easy to find other people? it's definitely not easy, no. we have struggled since opening in september to find a regular full—time workforce. and when those waiters, chefs, bartenders, hosts, were falling like flies, we didn't have a sort of back—up team of staff who were able to come in to fill those spaces. we were

our business correspondent katie prescott has more details.rains, delayed deliveries, closed restaurants and shut up shop. staff shortages because of the threat of omicron are a real worry in the new year as people return to work after the christmas break. i people return to work after the christmas break.— people return to work after the christmas break. i think it makes sense to try _ christmas break. i think it makes sense to try to — christmas break. i think it makes sense to try to plan _ christmas break. i think it makes sense to try to plan for _ christmas break. i think it makes sense to try to plan for such - sense to try to plan for such events. we know we have a very contagious variant in the uk and we know that many people are catching the virus and naturally there will be absences throughout or businesses, really, the biggest challenge will be on the supply change to make sure that that is still running at the efficiency we are used to. still running at the efficiency we are used te— still running at the efficiency we are used to.