robert cuffe — year. thank you very much, robert. robert cuffe is _ year. you very much, robert. robert cuffe is our head _ year. thank you very much, robert. robert cuffe is our head of- robert cuffe is our head of statistics. the scottish parliament will hold a special virtual session later, in response to the rise in omicron cases. a cabinet meeting before the session is expected to discuss whether to reduce the period that people are required to isolate after contact with someone who has the virus. it's not thought that the first minister will announce any further restrictions, but she may give more details on financial help to businesses affected by the measures already in place. the welsh government is providing schools and colleges with £103 million in funding as the new term gets under way. nearly half will be earmarked for capital repair and improvement work on school buildings, with a focus on health and safety measures, including improving ventilation. the bulk of the remainder will help schools deal with the impact of the pandemic. the french pre

robert cuffe, our head of statistics. local services are coping. the tracker will run throughout winter and shows you the latest data on waiting times for emergency treatment where you live. across europe, governments are struggling to contain the rising number of cases of the omicron variant. in france, president macron has said he wants to make life more difficult for people who haven't been vaccinated. italy's government will also meet later to decide whether to approve tougher measures. our correspondent, mark lowen, has more. a new year surge and new political tensions over tackling it. in france, currently with europe's highest cases, a parliament debate about vaccine passes for restaurants and trains was suspended after an interview by president macron that prompted howls of outrage. he told le parisien newspaper he wanted to bar the unvaccinated from social activities, using the slang word, emmerder, aiming to kiss them off. it's deepened france's already fractious discussion. the government's plans to bring in th

thank you, robert cuffe, our head of statistics. _ the uk prime minister, borisjohnson has been meetingbeen discussing the latest on the pandemic with his cabinet this morning, ahead of a statement in the commons this afternoon. yesterday, mrjohnson said he hoped the country could "ride out" the omicron wave, despite the uk recording a record number of positive daily cases. here's our political correspondent, jonathan blake. are you doing enough to help the nhs? the health secretary arrived in downing street this morning as ministers met to review the decision to keep current measures in place in england and go no further — for now. yesterday, the prime minister warned there were difficult weeks ahead, but said england could ride out the wave of omicron cases without new restrictions. i would say we have a good chance of getting through the _ omicron wave without the need for further. restrictions and without the - need, certainly, for a lockdown. over christmas, confidence has increased in government that england can cope with omicron without the need for further measures, but while th

with me now our head of statistics, robert cuffe. so what has changed?at has changed? the tests have not changed, but _ so what has changed? the tests have not changed, but what _ so what has changed? the tests have not changed, but what has _ so what has changed? the tests have not changed, but what has changed l so what has changed? the tests have| not changed, but what has changed is the number of people with a virus. a lateral flow might give you one false positive if you test a thousand people. that might not mean enough if about a0 people are testing positive who have the virus. if you have only got one false positive in a1 people who are testing positive, it is not worth getting a pcr to confirm. the tests haven't changed, but it is just much easier for them to spot coronavirus now because there are so much more of it going around. find now because there are so much more of it going around.— of it going around. and maybe it is a little bit about _ of it going around. and maybe it is a little bit about pressure - of it going around. and maybe it is

let's hear from the bbc�*s head of statistics, robert cuffe.round one in 15 people _ highest in england, around one in 15 people. around one in 20,125 highest in england, around one in 15 people. around one in 20, 125 in the other nations. and rising rapidly in the other— other nations. and rising rapidly in the other countries as well. it's not news. but the scale is fairly startling. i think the viewers can see that. we can see the gradual increases are things of the past, and it's the omicron wave. a year ago, we were talking about the number of people being killed by coronavirus, the number of extra intensive care beds that hospitals were trying to put up. in orderto keep in order to keep up with the wave of people _ in order to keep up with the wave of people getting seriously, seriously sick. we're not seeing that at this point. the number of people in hospital is not going up at the same rate. data has shown that omicron is milder than other covid variants, and because of how quickly it's spreading, its expected to become the dominant st

our head of statistics robert cuffe explained what it would mean.alse positive. that doesn't mean a lot if about 40 people are testing positive who genuinely have the virus, and that is what is happening at the moment. the levels are so high. so if you have one false positive out of 41 people who have tested, there is not much value with getting them tested again with a pcr to weed out that one. back last summit was different because maybe only two people out of those tests would have coronavirus, so the tests haven't changed, but it is easier to spot coronavirus because there are so much more of it going around. find because there are so much more of it going around-— going around. and maybe it is about ressure going around. and maybe it is about pressure on — going around. and maybe it is about pressure on the _ going around. and maybe it is about pressure on the system _ going around. and maybe it is about pressure on the system as _ going around. and maybe it is about pressure on the system as well? - going around. and maybe it is about| pressure

let's hear from the bbc�*s head of statistics, robert cuffe.d, around more than 15 people _ highest in england, around more than 15 people. around one in 20 and the other_ 15 people. around one in 20 and the other asians — 15 people. around one in 20 and the other asians and rising rapidly —— my other— other asians and rising rapidly —— my other nations. it's not news. the scale is fairly startling. i think the viewers can see that my other nations. it's not news. the scale is fairly startling. i think the viewers can see that because my other nations. it's not news. the scale is fairly startling. i think the viewers can see that because the gradual— the viewers can see that because the gradual increases are things of the past, but — gradual increases are things of the past, but it's the omicron wave. a year— past, but it's the omicron wave. a year ago. — past, but it's the omicron wave. a year ago. we — past, but it's the omicron wave. a year ago, we were talking about the number_ year ago, we were talking about the number of— year ago, we wer

. - —— robert cuff.ital, culture, media and sport committee has made the recommendation in a report following testimony by the former yorkshire player azeem rafiq, who described english cricket as "institutionally racist". the england and wales cricket board currently receives over £2 million year from sport england. here's laura scott with more. eradicating racism from cricket will be a long and difficult road. that's the conclusion of mps who said they're convinced discrimination is endemic in the sport. despite acknowledging there are grounds for optimism, they issued a stark warning to the england and wales cricket board. i'd like to see public money withheld from cricket if the measures that the ecb come up with in terms of trying to ensure that racism, the scourge of racism, is removed from the game. if they fail to meet those targets, then there should be a stopping of public money to the game, very simple. the committee praised the former yorkshire player, azeem rafiq, for his courage in lifting