Devastation in brazil more than 200,000 have already died, we report from the epicentre of the countrys worrying new coronavirus variant. Removing dangerous cladding more than three and a half years after grenfell, fewer than half the residential tower blocks identified as dangerous by the government have had work completed. And a wedding in intensive care a happy ending for the nurse and herfiance as hospital staff help them to tie the knot. And coming up in sport on bbc news. Three wickets forjames anderson, but england are made to work hard on the opening day of the second test against sri lanka. Good evening. The Prime Minister says there is some evidence that the new variant of coronavirus spreading across the uk could be more deadly than the original strain. Government scientists said for men in their 60s, out of every 1000, around ten infected with the old virus would be expected to die. But with the new variant, that number has now risen to 13 or m. The governments chief scientific adviser, sir Patrick Vallance, said theres a lot of uncertainty around the numbers, but it is of concern. There was good news on the Vaccination Programme, with a Record Number more than 400,000 first doses administered in the past 2a hours. But borisjohnson warned that the infection rate is still forbiddingly high and he said he cant consider lifting restrictions in england until the Vaccination Programmes are working. With more, heres our health editor, hugh pym. Its been another frantic week for hospitals like this up with at clacton in essex. More covid beds have been set up to try and meet the surge in patient numbers while most pull through, some dont. Now theres news that a new variant of the virus, which fist spread in the south east of england, could be more deadly than the first strain. We have been informed today that in addition to spreading more quickly, it also now appears that there is some evidence that the new variant, the variant that was first identified in london and the south east, may be associated with a higher degree of mortality. In the light of the new information, do you expect the daily reported death toll to carry on rising for longer than youd first thought and then fall more slowly . The death rates awful and its going to stay, im afraid, high for a little while before it starts coming down. That was always what was predicted from the shape of this, as chris has said and i think the information about the new variant doesnt change that. He said there was still uncertainty about the death rate with the new variant and more research was needed. Shes all i had, my dads already passed away and me and my mum, were the closest. Eleanor� s mum sandra died with covid in hospital last week. She was 61 and had an existing health condition. Eleanor says her mum took every precaution. Mum was doing she needed to do. You know, she wasnt i going out unnecessarily, she was always sanitising and wearing her mask. I i was one of them people that thought it wouldnt l touch my family, but here i am,. Absolutely devastated and without my mum. So whats the outlook for new cases . A study by the office for National Statistics does random testing and includes people that dont know they have the virus, as well as those with symptoms. The latest survey of Community Infections by the 0ns suggest that in england last weeki in 55 had the virus, with case rates having decreased. In wales it was i in 70, with rates levelling off. In scotland, i in 100, again with case rates having levelled off. In northern ireland, i in 60 had the virus, with rates increasing. The r number range, anything above i suggests the virus is accelerating, was between 0. 8 and i. Lower than the previous estimate. This week the government tightened border control. Crowded scenes like this at heathrow will fuel the debate on whether further measures are needed. A new government ad Campaign Launched this evening aims to ram home the message to the public of the extreme pressures on the nhs and the impact of the virus. The new coronavirus variant, how worried should people be . Officials have been stressing worried should people be . Officials have been stressing that worried should people be . Officials have been stressing that this worried should people be . Officials have been stressing that this is have been stressing that this is preliminary research, more data needs to be collected. It needs to be monitored. But he did say it was a concern, though not at the moment for anyone to get especially worried about it. It was something they felt they had to get out there. So people knew what this new variant was looking like in terms of the risk. Better analysis though in terms of a more positive story comes on the vaccines, with a suggestion by sir Patrick Vallance theyre quite effective, as much as they are about the old strain of the virus. But he said in terms of other variant, the brazilian and the south african, there was an issue about the vaccines not being as effective as they might be. Vaccines not being as effective as they might be vaccines not being as effective as they might be vaccines not being as effective as they might be. There is pressure on they might be. There is pressure on the government they might be. There is pressure on the government over they might be. There is pressure on the government over the they might be. There is pressure on the government over the second. They might be. There is pressure on | the government over the second jab for the Pfizer Vaccine . Yes. For the Pfizer Vaccine . Yes, originally for the Pfizer Vaccine . Yes, originally when for the Pfizer Vaccine . Yes, originally when pfizer for the Pfizer Vaccine . Yes, originally when pfizer was l for the Pfizer Vaccine . Ye originally when pfizer was approved, there was supposed to be a three week gap between the first and second dose. That was agreed and when astrazeneca was approved, the policy changed so, there would be up to 12 weeks between doses. The argument has been made that it was better to vaccinate as many people as possible, double the number and the greater amount of protection was with the first dose. The british medical sewings said it is Concern Association said it is concerned about this and it is out of line with other International Practice and in a letter written to chris whitty, they are calling for a review of the decision and moving that 12 weeks back to six between doses. ~ that 12 weeks back to six between doses. , ~ ,. , 0ur deputy Political Editor vicki young is in westminster. Pictures from heathrow today thousands of people still arriving amid concern about new variants coming from abroad . Yes, interestingly the Prime Minister talking about the measures that are already in place, saying broadly that he thought that that was enough, apart from dropping a hint about doing more to protect the borders. There will be, i understand, a meeting on monday of senior ministers to discuss this and i think the most likely option is going to be the idea of people quarantining in hotels, something that we have seen in other countries. That is the stricter measures. As for unlocking, well the Prime Minister saying what he is going to be looking at before he can consider doing that. One thing is to see the Vaccination Programme is working very well. There has been great progress there, but he says thatis great progress there, but he says that is not going to be enough and it is the infection rate that he described as forbiddingly high. If you unlock too son it rebounds. There will be a review in three weeks and he made it clear schools will be the first to open, but he is going do it cautiously. The latest government figures show there were 40,261 new Coronavirus Infections recorded in the latest 24 hour period. So 38,270 new cases were reported every day on average last week. There were more than 38,500 people in hospital with coronavirus in the seven days to this wednesday. Another 1,401 deaths were reported thats people who died within 28 days of a positive covid 19 test. On average in the past week, 1,241 deaths were announced every day. The total number of deaths so far across the uk is 95,981. The uks programme of mass vaccinations continues to ramp up, with a new daily record for the roll out. More than 400,000 people have had their first dose of one of the three approved covid 19 vaccines in the latest 24 hour period. It takes the overall number of people whove had their firstjab to over 5. 3 million. The government is counting on the Vaccination Programme to get us out of lockdown. But theres one vital question that scientists cant yet answer. Will people whove had the jab still be able to pass the virus on . 0ur science editor David Shukman looks at the Current Evidence surrounding transmission. Rolling out the vaccines at a gathering pace marks the first big turning point in the pandemic. Each one creating more protection against the disease. But there is something crucial that we dont yet understand if youve been vaccinated, can you still get infected . Youd be safe if that happened, but could you spread the virus to others . We dont know for sure at this moment in time whether if an individual is infected after receiving the vaccine they can transmit that to others. So the best thing to do is to presume that its possible. So if someone is pinged because they have been in contact with somebody who has infection, then they should self isolate in the same way that they would have to they had not had the vaccine. We do know from the trials that the injections work remarkably well. They boost the production of antibodies that flow through the blood stream to provide a key form of defence. So if the coronavirus gets in, the antibodies should block from it entering any of our cells. In addition to that, what are called t cells should provide another layer of protection. But theres no guarantee that any of this will stop an infection in the upper airway, with the virus taking hold and you releasing it. Theres nothing confirmed about these risks after vaccination, but it is plausible you could still get an infection without symptoms. Thats when you dont feel ill, but still could be a carrier. In that case you will probably have lower levels of the virus inside you than if you hadnt had the vaccine and a shorter in infectious period when youre infectious to others. Even so, it is still conceivable you could spread the virus in your household, for example, to people youre close to and spend most time. The vaccines coming off the production lines were tested for how they keep people from getting ill, not whether theyll still be infectious, so the advice is to remain careful, even though there is a good chance of a positive effect. The most likely scenario is going to be that the vaccine will reduce how much virus is in a person even if they get infected and make it less likely the person would pass the virus on to anybody else. And this may be relevant to the lockdown and when we get out of it. Scientists who are trying to predict the spread of the virus say its vital to know if vaccination slows that down. If it has a Significant Impact on transmission, then we will be able to relax measures faster than if it doesnt. Im hopeful that we will be able to see some relaxation, at least getting out of lockdown, in i the march time frame, but it will be very much a gradual process from i then through to the end of the year. So how the Vaccine Programme goes is crucial in so many ways. First, for saving lives, but also for helping to shape the future course of the pandemic. David shukman, bbc news. Some of the hardest hit by this pandemic are those living in overcrowded housing, with high levels of poverty. Areas with a large proportion of black and other ethnic minority households have also suffered. Parts of east london have had the highest covid rates in the whole of the uk. 0ur social Affairs Correspondent Michael Buchanan has been to a mosque in newham in east london, which has been forced to stop everything except its Funeral Services and food bank. Weve had so many bodies coming in. The ubiquity of death should not diminish the dignity of the dead. Just now weve just washed somebody. It seems like shes passed away in the ambulance. She didnt even make it to the hospital. These women wash covid positive bodies prior to burial, a sacred islamic ritual. We actually believe that when were shrouding here, that god is shrouding the soul at the same time. The volunteers, a teaching assistant and a full time mother. But theirjob has become increasingly difficult. So, if somebody comes in, and this happens quite often, with a catheter still attached, tubes still attached, resuscitation equipment still attached, we learn how to deal with that. Normally the family would tend to their relatives, but covid has denied them that honour, deepening their grief. We keep social distancing now, two metres. Do not hug, do not shake hands. This funeral, for a 49 year old woman, was one of seven organised by the mosque last weekend. All services are free. As one family departs, another arrived, to view the body of their father and grandfather. Two days ago, 72 year old bashir alam died. Another victim of covid. If corona wasnt here, my dad could have been alive another ten or 15 years, easily. Easily, but corona is killing people. Im on my way to get my covid vaccine. In an effort to tackle disinformation, the mosques imam, who has been furloughed, has received a vaccine to prove its not un islamic. Please come and get your vaccine done to protect yourself, your loved ones and those who are around you. At the mosque, the pandemic has forced them to not just care for the dead, but also tend to the living. We are not only providing this funeral service, we also have a food bank. Just feet from the small mortuary, they store food to feed hundreds each week, a Service Demanded by the pandemic. Mohammed rahman lost his job at an Indian Restaurant three months ago. Its left the father of two penniless. Friday prayers here would usually attract 1100 people, but for the moment, physical solace matters more than spiritual comfort. The mosque is a community hub. Prayers, yes, its important. The need of the community is, they want to be fed, they want a place where they can bury their loved ones. For this mosque, debating whether covid is a health or an economic crisis is futile. It is both and it is real. Michael buchanan, bbc news, newham in east london. Figures out today show britains debt reached an all time high last month, as the economy continues to reel from coronavirus. Government borrowing reached just over £34 billion in december after Public Sector bodies borrowed £2. 5 billion more in december than the month before. It means that the Public Sector has now borrowed almost £271 billion since the beginning of the Financial Year in april. Public sector debt keeps rising. By the end of december it had reached more than £2 trillion an all time record. More than three and a half years after the deadly Grenfell Tower blaze, new figures show work to remove similar style cladding on residential tower blocks has been completed on fewer than half of the buildings that have it. The government identified almost 400 tower blocks in england alone that needed cladding removed. It says Good Progress is now being made, with work started if not completed on almost all of them. Ministers say thats a significant milestone. But residents say its taking far too long. Sarah corker reports. We have the same cladding that was on grenfell. Another day trapped in an unsafe home. Flat owners like amy were told in 2017 that this block in sheffield had dangerous cladding, but repair work restarted last month, and progress has been slow. The government seem to think that its ok for three and a half years, and theyve literallyjust started to take a few panels off. Its not good enough. While the governments Building Safety Fund is paying for this cladding to be removed, the building has other fire safety faults that are not covered by the fund. And they could cost more than £6 million to fix. So, flat owners are now facing repair bills of up to £50,000 each. Where do the shortfalls in the fund leave you . Financially unstable. In a position where we could go bankrupt, notjust me, but all the leaseholders, and im stuck in a building that is effectively unsafe, and its absolutely terrifying. The £1. 6 billion Building Safety Programme was set up to remove grenfell style cladding. Ministers say 95 of blocks have had it taken off, or repairs are under way. But analysis of new data shows that work has been completed on just 58 of social housing and in the private sector, cladding repairs have been finished on only 30 of blocks. And those applying to the fund, usually building managers or owners, are concerned about parts of the contract. The problem is, there a clause in here that says they will have to pay for any repair works not covered by the fund, so an unknown and potentially huge cost, is likely to be passed onto flat owners. Its a growing national scandal. This solicitor specialises in housing law, and warns that the fund doesnt go far enough. This scheme is significantly oversubscribed and underfunded. The result of that is somebody still needs to pick up the bill, and who is that going to be . The contract makes clear that its going to be the leaseholders. And that could potentially be tens of thousands of pounds, which could be ruinous. And these huge costs and delays are paralysing parts of britains property market. More than 50 of the valuation requests we get through, we are unable to deal with. Because of . Because they are unsellable. A lender will not lend money on those properties. The government refused our request for an interview, but told us significant progress has been made removing dangerous cladding, and ministers continue to Press Building owners to make homes safer. But those living in flammable flats say its taking far too long. Sarah corker, bbc news, sheffield. The Scottish Parliament is, for the first time, seeking to use legal powers to compel the countrys prosecuting authority to hand over documents it wants in connection with its inquiry into the scottish governments handling of harassment complaints against the former first minister alex salmond. The documents include messages between an snp official, Civil Servants and advisers, relating to mr salmonds legal challenge to the complaints process. A 14 year old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a 15 year old in birmingham. Keon lincoln was attacked in broad daylight in the handsworth area of the city yesterday afternoon. Witnesses reported seeing a group of youths armed with knives and hearing gunshots. Sian lloyd reports. Keon lincoln, described as a beloved son, who was full of life. Police said he was subjected to inconceivable violence. The 15 year old was attacked yesterday in the middle of the afternoon. This mobile phone footage was recorded soon after. Forensic officers today continue to examine the street in the handsworth area of birmingham, where it happened. Witnesses saw a group of young people carrying knives, and shots were heard. Police officers tried to give first aid before the ambulance arrived, but keon died shortly after being taken to hospital. This is a 15 year old boy who has been murdered on the streets of birmingham. And our belief is that the other people responsible for it were also round about that age. We know we have got a 14 year old lad who been arrested. His attackers fled in a white car, which crashed into a house a short distance away. Why they targeted keon isnt yet known. People living here are shocked. The cycle of violence on our streets is of major concern. We have been seeking ways to make our streets safer for a number of years. Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family of the young man. The 14 year old boy remains in custody. Police believe others were involved. Keon� s family are grieving a teenager who they remember as fun loving, with an infectious laugh that lit up a room. They are asking anyone with information to come forward. Sian lloyd, bbc news. Brazil has the second highest coronavirus death toll in the world and the country is struggling with a new variant of the virus and devastating second wave. Manaus in the amazon rainforest is at the epicentre. Its where the new strain was found. Its hospitals can hardly cope. Brazil has started vaccinating people, but any relief from this virus feels a very long way off. From manaus, heres our south america correspondent katy watson. This is not the first time manaus has been brought to its knees. In the cemetery a reminder of the first wave, where digging mass graves was the only way to keep up with the number of people dying. The biggest city in the amazon, people here feel forgotten, again, and the second wave is worse. Last week the citys overwhelmed hospitals ran out of oxygen. Supplies are still patchy. Now people queue at local Gas Companies in the hope of keeping their loved ones alive. Dont despair, says this company representative. Cylinders are now being delivered across the city. But elkie is terrified. Shes had to leave her mother at home, with no oxygen, to come here. She only has this one cylinder. Local volunteers like marcel have stepped in to help bring oxygen to those who need it. Hes looking after five people, making daily oxygen runs, but its taking its toll. Doctors are concerned the new variant found in the Amazon Region is overwhelming already packed hospitals. Normally there are eight beds in here, one a patient to each room, but in the past few days doctors have had to double that. Each patient now shares. There are 16 beds and they still find spaces. Jaime is the oldest here, at 77. His survival, says his son fabio, is down to luck. The rest of the ward is full of young people. This woman is 23. Next to her, a man in his 30s. Its shocked doctors here. Here in manaus we have the epicentre here now, but in other parts of brazil this new strain is going to go. So thank god the vaccination has already started. Theres concern though that vaccines arent getting to those who need them, but as we prepare to leave some good news. Jaime reacts to his family for the First Time Since he became ill. A rare glimpse of hope in otherwise dark times here. Katy watson, bbc news, in manaus. Lets take a look at some of todays other news. The impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump over his role in the deadly storming of the us Capitol Building is expected to begin early next week. Democrats say the article setting out the charge against mr trump will be sent to the senate on monday. Four men have been sentenced to between 13 and 27 years in prison for the manslaughter of 39 vietnamese migrants, whose bodies were found in the back of a lorry in essex in october 2019. The old bailey heard the victims suffered excruciatingly painful deaths when they suffocated in the container bringing them to the uk from belgium. The future of nissans car plant in sunderland has been secured, with the company saying the brexit trade deal will allow it to continue manufacturing in the north east and give it a competitive advantage. Nissan will begin making the batteries for its electric cars at the plant so that it can take advantage of zero trade tariffs, helping to secure 75,000 jobs here and across the eu. They were the last non league team in the fa cup. Chorley put up a spirited fight against the premier leagues Wolverhampton Wanderers tonight. But it wasnt quite enough, as they were knocked out in the fourth round. Andy swiss was watching. So would victory park once again live up to its name . To get this far, chorley had overcome some big clubs and seem grim weather even inflating a giant tent over the pitch to ensure tonights game went ahead. And in their sights one of the biggest shocks in fa cup history, the part timers are five divisions below wolves, their managerjamie vermiglio is a Primary School head teacher, but when pe coach elliot newby went close after barely 30 seconds, anything seemed possible. Wolves though arent in the premier league for nothing. Just watch this. That swerved all over the place. It was vitinhas first goal for the club and as the replays confirmed hell do well to score a better one. But chorley hung in there and after the break they gave the visitors an all mighty scare. Suddenly wolves were wobbling, only their keeper john ruddy keeping the underdogs at bay in often acrobatic style. And agonisingly that equaliser just wouldnt come. Wolves winning1 0 with their only shot of the night so close for chorley, but their thrilling fa cup run is finally over. Andy swiss, bbc news. A couple who were both seriously ill in hospital with coronavirus have been married in intensive care before the groom was put a ventilator. The couple were supposed to be getting married injune. Staff at Milton Keynes University Hospital found them a vicar and helped them to organise a ceremony complete with a cake and flowers. And, thankfully, a happy ending. Sarah campbell reports. A wedding photo which tells a story of our time. Simon was about to be admitted to intensive care, his condition rapidly deteriorating. His fiancee lizzie had been told he might not recover. My heart broke. To be sat there so ill and to be told the person you love, you might not see them again, isjust. Indescribable. With time running out nursing staff here immediately set about planning a wedding. They called in a local vicar, who came and did the ceremony in intensive care, and they were absolutely amazing, absolutely amazing. Bearing in mind all that was going on, what was going through your mind . We got to make that promise to each other. We got to have something that we didnt think we were going to be able to have. Against expectations simon rallied and just a day after being taken into intensive care he was returned to the covid ward and his new wife. Ten days after the wedding, simon is thought to be over the worst and lizzie is due to be discharged. A happy ending for them and for the nurses turned wedding planners. There have certainly been moments where you question, do you stay in nursing. But then you experience Something Like the wedding, and you think, absolutely, if theres anything we can do it gives you faith to carry on and itjust keeps
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