mrjavid said seven people have now died after contracting omicron and it was already the dominant straind as well as in scotland. sanchia berg reports. # driving home for christmas...# to the sound of christmas songs, people queued this morning forjabs outside a chilly wembley stadium. omicron accounts for an estimated 80% of cases in london now. people are trying to protect themselves and their family christmas plans. i would prefer to have it done before christmas. i have an elderly grandfather who is 90 years old so i want to be able to see him and get this over and done with. as soon as i heard that they have an event here where they are giving the boosters out, so i decided to book one immediately for myself. it feels really good. but the virus is spreading so rapidly, the health secretary didn't rule out new restrictions even for next week. there are no guarantees in this pandemic. i think at this point we have to keep everything in review. he urged people across the country to be cautious in the days ahead. if i'm going to see my mum for example, who is very elderly, like most old

mrjavid said the new variant is already the dominant strain in england, as well as scotland.lsh has the latest. this christmas, the hot ticket for many is not to see a football match but to get a booster jab. many is not to see a football match but to get a boosterjab. wembley stadium had 10,000 vaccines available today and many were keen to get them before heading home to the family. i to get them before heading home to the famil . ., , ., ., the family. i would prefer to have it done before _ the family. i would prefer to have it done before christmas. - the family. i would prefer to have it done before christmas. i - the family. i would prefer to have it done before christmas. i have i the family. i would prefer to have | it done before christmas. i have an elderly grandfather who is 90 years old, so i want to be able to see him. i old, so i want to be able to see him. ., ., him. i am getting a booster vaccination _ him. i am getting a booster vaccination and _ him. i am getting a booster vaccination and my - him. i am getting a booster vaccination and my family l him. i a

mrjavid said the omicron variant is already the dominant strain in england, as well as scotland — soave died having contracted this latest form of coronavirus. here's our medical editor fergus walsh with the latest in the uk. # driving home for christmas...# this christmas, the hot ticket for many is not to see a football match but to get a boosterjab. wembley stadium had 10,000 vaccines available today and many were keen to get them before heading home to the family. i would prefer to have it done before christmas. i've got an elderly grandfather who's 90 years old, so i want to be able to see him. i am getting a booster vaccination and my family members already have got the vaccinations but i think it is best to be as contained as possible. so, it's the booster versus the variant. omicron infections are thought to be doubling every two to three days. the epidemic is growing so fast, the health secretary could not rule out fresh restrictions before christmas. there are no guarantees, in this pandemic. i don't think... at this point, we just have to keep everything under review. he u

mrjavid said the rules would help to address the spreading 0micron variant, which poses a "credible risks. helen catt reports. it's the 0micron variant of coronavirus and the speed at which it is spreading that ministers say has left them with little choice but to move england to plan b. we estimated _ to move england to plan b. - estimated that it spreads, the doubling rate is between 2.5 and three days which means the number of community infections doubling in that time and what that means is if it carried on at that rate you could have a million infections through community transmission by the end of the month. but community transmission by the end of the month. �* ., , ., ~ , the month. but some conservative mps don't think it — the month. but some conservative mps don't think it is — the month. but some conservative mps don't think it isjustified. _ the month. but some conservative mps don't think it is justified. my _ don't think it isjustified. m constituents are don't think it isjustified. mg constituents are exasperated and exhausted with the new covid rules and we are back on t

mrjavid said the rules would help to address the spreading 0micron variant, which poses a "credible risks. helen catt reports. it's the 0micron variant of coronavirus and the speed at which it is spreading that ministers say has left them with little choice but to move england to plan b. we estimated that it spreads, the doubling rate is between 2.5 and three days which means the number of community infections are doubling in that time and what that means is that if it carried on at that rate, you could have1 million infections through community transmission by the end of the month. but some conservative mps don't think it is justified. amongst many of my constituents, there is a sense of exasperation and exhaustion with the new covid rules and a real fear that we are now back on the conveyor belt to more restrictions, so can we have a debate on how we learn to live with covid and its variants in the long—term without unacceptable measures such as widespread use of vaccine passports? many are also angry about how downing street has handled recent events, including the alleged party held

mrjavid said in future, people would need a boosterjab to get into large venues.he nhs website for booking a shot in england has been overwhelmed and the government's online service for ordering rapid tests has been suspended because of high demand. our health correspondent, dominic hughes, reports. the race between the virus and the vaccine has intensified once again. and, at a vaccination clinic in central london this morning, some sobering news from the prime minister. sadly, at least one patient has now been confirmed to have died with omicron. so, i think the idea that this is somehow a milder version of the virus, i think that's something we need to set on one side. in stockport, greater manchester, this walk—in centre has seen steady business, particularly as concerns grow around the omicron variant. all the time, we feel like we are getting more it does feel we've had queues around the building. so, there's a definite energy and demand. and that's people coming for their first jabs, second jabs and their boosters. there's still lots we don't know about thi

mrjavid also stressed the importance of getting a booster jab — let's here some of what he's been sayingce we learned about omicron, our strategy has been to buy time, time to assess it and time to build our defences, and whilst there is still a lot of uncertainty around this new variant, we do know that our very best form of defence as vaccination. sadly, when we look at the latest hospital admissions, a disproportionate number of those people are unvaccinated. and when you look at those requiring the most intensive care, even more unvaccinated. we know that two vaccines aren't quite enough, but having three doses is an excellent protection. the nhs has done a fantasticjob, especially over the last few weeks. they are working with the military, with volunteers, offering more and more vaccinations across the country, over 30 million people boosted, 75% of eligible adults now boosted, that's more than any other country in europe, but we still need more people to come forward, and with that 1.5 million slots available over the next few days across england. it's never been so easy to go and

mrjavid also reacted to the rising number of nhs staff who have been off—work because of infection rates risk we work incredibly closely to my colleagues in the nhs. they are putting — colleagues in the nhs. they are putting together plans to deal with that, but _ putting together plans to deal with that, but the biggest thing they're doing _ that, but the biggest thing they're doing which will help us more than anything _ doing which will help us more than anything is — doing which will help us more than anything is a vaccination programme and get _ anything is a vaccination programme and get used to it now. how concerned — and get used to it now. how concerned are _ and get used to it now. how concerned are you _ and get used to it now. how concerned are you about - and get used to it now. how concerned are you about the current situation? ,, ., ~ ., . , ., situation? nhs workforces are already under _ situation? nhs workforces are already under pressure - situation? nhs workforces are already under pressure before j already under pressure before omicron _ already under pressure before

mrjavid urged people to remain caution during the festive period.t planning any further announcements this week. i want people to, despite the caution we are all taking, the sensible caution, people should enjoy their christmases with families and friends, of course remain cautious, and we will keep the situation under review. we are learning all the time from this new data and we will keep analysing that data and if we need to do anything more, we will, but nothing will happen before christmas. he also reacted to a number of studies into the 0micron variant which appear to show — at least at this early stage — suggest people infected with 0micron were between 30% and 70% less likely to need a hospital bed than compared with other variants. these early reports, they suggest that the risk of hospitalisation is lower than delta and that of course is good, but it's encouraging news and they are not very clear yet on how much that risk is reduced and we do know with 0micron that it does spread a lot more quickly, it is a lot more infectious than delta i

the paper says that borisjohnson was not to be seen, as mrjavid made his statement on restrictions yesterday holcombe hunt in lancashire. the meet, which is traditionally held on boxing day, was delayed this year as it fell on a sunday. and this morning's yorkshire post has an image of a traditional sword dance, staged in the south of the county yesterday by members of the grenoside sword dancers. they are one ofjust five remaining traditional longsword dance groups in the uk. i have two little bits from the inside of the paper. the put on instagram yesterday, over the christmas period. a family picture, all the beckhams in front of the christmas tree. if you look closely down here you can see david beckham is actually on his tiptoes because his boys are too tall stop you that there is nothing wrong with that, i am in my tiptoes most of the time. a good photographic technique. i cannot even get served at the bar without being on tiptoes or a stilts i would need. without being on tiptoes or a stilts iwould need. i without being on tiptoes or a stilts i would need-— i would need. i wasn't bein