u. k. jonah no further cove restrictions in england before the new year, despite the rising number of cases it that's right. good news, of course, for business and hospitality, and those who want to go out and celebrate new year's eve in big groups. the prime minister's decision based on an examination of the data with his chief medical and scientific offices, that data pretty watering. really a 113000 new infections on christmas day alone. but i think the overall sort of cautious approach indicated he will feel, by the fact that hospitalizations whilst rising, rising with anything like the same trajectory and deaths of remained fairly stable and they'll be looking as well. of course, at data that has come from south africa, a lot of it corroborated here that suggests that if you get on because you're less likely to be hospitalized, if you are hospitalized, you spend less time there and that i see use he there. and in this country 10 now to be full of people who are unvaccinated, so the advice re

u. k with jonah hall in london. i think we got used to certainly let's say a year ago john, we got used to the idea of more cases means more restrictions. the u. k. government definitely reversing that trends now. well, i mean, look at the differences between now and a year ago, principally of course, the vaccinate vaccine program and a different strain of the virus. so bit on that, we don't know everything that we need to know about yet. but one that is already showing some evidence from south africa and corroborated here in the u. k. so far as producing a less severe form of the disease is producing fuel hospitalizations. when you do go to hospital, you are in hospital for less time and it is that sort of data that the government here is looking at the prime minister when he made that announcement, say that there will be no new restrictions this side of new year. great musicals for businesses and hospitality for sections of the public as well. who can now get together? mascot, mass gatherings can go ahead, bars and

u. k. now with jonah, how in london join i know for the covered restrictions will be implemented in england before the new year despite the rising number of cases that yep, good news for english people who are outliers. now in the u. k. the other states of the u. k. have implemented precautions ahead of the new year, holiday businesses and hospitality. it will be delighted of course, big gatherings can go ahead. bars and restaurants can remain open as normal. people can celebrate the new year, and this is a decision taken by the prime minister after a meeting, a crunch, meeting as it was described in the press with his chief medical and scientific offices to go over the latest date. and of course, that i did, data looks pretty, i watering very high infection numbers. 113000 new infections on christmas day alone. but i think they will feel vindicated or the prime minister anyway. and he's cabinet vindicated in it's sort of cautious approached by the fact that hospitalization and death don't seem to be rising with the same sort of trajectory . and they'll be looking at data that suggests that

now, as promised, jonah hall in london for a look at the u. k. in europe, where there are record can record numbers of cases everywhere. but as ever it's about the context, the bigger picture, which has to include vaccinations and importantly, hospitalizations, hospitalisation of taking up. but not with anything like the trajectory of the infection numbers is on. the con, continues, it's sort of relentless search here and across europe as well. records tumbling everywhere, frankly. record infections reported here in the u. k. on tuesday, 129000 infections reported in just one day. and similarly, france, italy, portugal greece, cypress, all breaking records. you've got the netherlands in switzerland reporting on the convent. it is now the dominant variant in that countries. germany says it will be in the coming days, finland, and even sweden, adding to the list of countries imposing new restrictions, travel restrictions in their cases. of course, vaccinations continue. booster programs being emphasized by most government, all governments doing dif

and so, jonah, another rec, hold dave infections in the u. k. how authorities reacting of the surge of the mac or on continuing unabated. not just have it across europe, as you said, a record 129000 daily infections in the u. k. on tuesday, at another record made in greece, switzerland, and the netherlands say that within days on the ground will be the dominant strain that germany as well, finland and sweden, even sweden, that is joining the long list of countries, imposing new restrictions, travel restrictions, in that case, is not all countries responding in equal measure, there's a lockdown ongoing in the netherlands, of course, others coming up with sort of piecemeal versions of restrictions beat, pre christmas, pre new year and so on. every one, of course, looking at emerging data from south africa, from the u. k, that is the f b century in europe as well. and also denmark currently posting the highest per capita infection rate and the world health organization pointing to that data and saying look, yes, it does appear for the time being th

let's move to europe now and jonah, kind of a different situation in the u. k. that because despite the search government still not bringing in any new restrictions for new. yeah. lisa, this point, right yeah, that is right. they did bring in some new restrictions before christmas, but have declined to do anything further until the new year will continue before the new year. same. we'll continue look at the data and if new restrictions are needed after new year, they'll consider that there are 2 reasons why far is johnson has moved the middle one and he's under enormous pressure from the right of his party, including quite a number of his own cabinet ministers to do nothing more that might damage the economy, whilst there is still an element of doubt over what alma crone is actually capable of. and on the other hand, he and they will be looking at the actual data that is emerging and feeling that the picture is becoming clear by the day. because while there are these record infection numbers 113000 new infections on christmas day alone, that is, a record hospita

jonah whole al jazeera london. well, political problems in the u. k. but let's go to find the middle miller, who's in johannesburg for us. let's talk about covered there. the numbers there appear to be rising. they certainly, i mean if we look at the last 24 hours, have been 19000 over 19000 cases. and i think what is concerning is the positivity rate. and that, that's gone up to 26.8 percent, which really is about the number of people going out to get tested. a port of them are then receiving results, saying that they're positive. and i think this is what experts are keeping a close eye on. the what has made south africa sort of stand out in the last couple of days is that the number of infections throughout november and at the end of the 3rd wave had really dropped significantly, perhaps 3 or 400 cases in an entire week. and now we've seen that to increase exponentially by 300 percent. and so they is continuing concern around just how the army crow via variant will impact south africans and an increase in disease. but the government appears to be tak

u. k. last month. now it's being given to patients at home as part of a major national study. jonah, how's reports from london? there's been many proclaimed game changes in the medical fight back against corona virus. this is the latest. the u. s. made drug mole new peter the it was initially intended to treat the flu. it works by inserting errors into the genetic code of the virus, limiting its ability to multiply in the body. in practical terms, it's the 1st coded medicine that can be taken in pill form at home to help the most vulnerable avoid severe disease. and last month, the u. k became the 1st country to approve its use and we're working on a new national. non kane thank holding you'd be interested in taking current researches at the university of oxford, a testing it in more than 10000 volunteers who recently contracted covered 19 like 51 year old lin telling i had to take, i think for him one guy twice a day, so with a 12 hour gap over here to 5 days, and nothing special about medication, literally just normal casuals that you take with water. so very straightforward. i ha

london broadcast center. joan hollis standing by and jonah, really record figures for infections being recorded. not just where you are in the u. k. but in france and it's reflected really across the continent, isn't it? absolutely. we thought here in the u. k. that a 129000 cases reported on tuesday. a record here. that was pretty extraordinary until france reported it's $290000.00 infections on wednesday. absolutely. i watering these numbers that are likely, i think in the next few days to continue to rise as we take stock continue to take stock of the christmas and new year holiday period. but in the meantime, records being broken all over europe national records. that is not just france, but italy, greece, portugal cypress molto. the list goes on. you've got the dutch of the swiss, who is saying today that all micro has now become the dominant, buried in those countries. germany says it will do in the coming days. the fins and the swedes have added to the long list of countries in posing new restrictions as the surge of alma chrome goes on. but you know, in the midst of all of that, some of the, she had numbers of people all

from across europe, he was jonah, how the christmas and new year holiday period was always likely to speed the advance of the micron variant. and so it is proofing in the u. k. a record 129000 new infections were reported on tuesday, but the government's decision not to disrupt new year's celebrations. and instead to emphasize vaccine booster shots reflect positive signs that hospital admissions and death numbers aren't rising with the same intensity. we're looking at the data, we wouldn't hesitate to act if we saw that the data told us that we needed to introduce further measures. but so far that's not what the data is telling us. the cautious optimism that on the chrome may be less of a threat than the previous delta variant isn't being embraced everywhere. countries like the netherlands, austria and denmark are under varying degrees of lockdown and in spain. a wave of new infections has provoked such public concern that free coven 19 tests are running out. france, though, is holding its nerve, also promoting vaccine booster shots as the 1st line of defense. it reduce the required delay before getting a booster from 4 months to 3. on the morphic, i think

u. k. governments like touch booster driven gamble based on data that still evolving will either be proven right to everyone's relief or wrong, perhaps giving other countries just enough time to change course. jonah, how al jazeera, many countries in latin america only now recording the 1st on the chrome cases, where the coincident is well prepared with some of the world's leading vaccination rights. and as under ram, he has, he has moved from both. so just to give you an idea, if you think about it, mike has just 8 percent of the world population by, by mid 2021 had already accounted for a 3rd of all corona virus related that globally. that just gives you an idea of how difficult things have been here. how difficult has been for government to reorganize the day. often apache health services that many of the countries in south america have at least for the majority of their population at the beginning of the vaccination campaigns most come through with maybe the exception of sheila, most countries and south america had a very hard time finding vaccines to start those campaigns in earnest, but that has changed throughout 2021. in particular, in the last 6 to 8 months, we've seen the number of jobs

u. k. governments like touch booster driven gamble based on data that still evolving will either be proven right to everyone's relief or wrong, perhaps giving other countries just enough time to change course. jonah, how al jazeera, one of russia's most prominent human rights groups, is in order to shut down by the supreme court. memorial international has been documenting abuses committed by the former soviet union for more than 30 years. prosecutors say is distorting history. a chance the group denies bernard smith, now over the past 12 months, this has become a familiar scene for human rights groups and activists in russia. this time, the axis colon on an organisation made famous for identifying the millions of victims of starlings purchase. as the judge finished reading the order to liquidate memorial shouts of shane came from a public gallery ah. * that is telling to ours, russia is moving from the, or the re, variance in system for some kind of cost more than totally theory system in russia. which would be kind over linkage with the soldiers or you don't even partly do the stolen. so it's very dangerous. more recently, memorial has spoken out against the discretion of critics under presiden

u. k. governments like touch booster driven gamble based on data that still evolving will either be proven right to everyone's relief or wrong, perhaps giving other countries just enough time to change course. jonah, how al jazeera, well, more than 500 children in england were admitted to hospital with corona virus last week. double the number admitted in the final week of november, half the patients under the age of 5, pediatricians in the u. s. are also reporting record hospital admissions, especially of children who are too young to have been vaccinated. the centers for disease control says both delta and all may kron are behind the surge in cases there. it doesn't seem to be a more severe illness, particularly for kids. however, we're seeing many, many, many more children infected at this point and being admitted to hospitals. we're seeing record numbers of admissions. i've all children of all ages newborns, all through 21 years of age in hospitals and a nice use with homer crime. now in latin america, many countries have started recording the 1st cases of omicron, but the continent does seem well prepared with some of the world's leading vaccination rates and sandra, grumpy, etc, reports now

u. k governments like touch booster driven gamble based on data that still evolving will either be proven right to everyone's relief or wrong, perhaps giving other countries just enough time to change course. jonah, how al jazeera. well, professor lauren's guston is an expert in global health law based at georgetown university in washington. he says, given the scale of the micron outbreak, governments have to strike a difficult balance between stopping the spread and protecting economies. what almost crime is doing is it's not just infecting people who have not been infected before and not been vaccinated. it's, it's re infecting people have already been infected with delta. and there are breakthrough infections. quite a lot of them. we think with respect to vaccinated populations and so years so, so and cautiously optimistic, although it's not been confirmed that i'm a problem might be a less severe disease. but the sheer number of cases will mean under that, you're going to have an upper uptick and maybe a surge in hospitalizations and debts. and so right now, we're actually back to the idea that we want to make sure that we know of when, well, more health system. and so we're trying to preven