this is bbc news these are the latest headlines in the uk and around the world. covid passes, working from home, and the wider use of facemasks. england braces for plan b rule changes. the health secretary says the measures are needed to delay the spread of omicron. if it carries on at that rate, you could have1 million infections through community transmission by end of the month. the new restrictions provoke a backlash from some tory mps also angry at the allegation number ten staff broke covid rules last december. labour says it s not an isolated incident. there is a number of allegations around parties at the flat at numberten, the parties in numberten, and parties in other departments, and this is devastating news for people that did the right thing, last christmas.
quickly and lots of dry weather and a fair bit of sunshine. lots of showers coming in on the wind, once again, notjust in the north west but some across the midlands and towards the south east. it will be colder tomorrow than it is today. hello this is bbc news, with tim wilcox. the headlines at 9.30: covid passes, working from home, and the wider use of facemasks england braces for plan b rule changes. the health secretary says the measures are needed to delay the spread of omicron. if it carries on at that rate, you could have a million infections through community transmission by the end of the month. the new restrictions provoke a backlash from some tory mps also angry at the allegation number 10 staff broke covid rules last december. labour says it s not an isolated incident. there is a number of allegations around parties at the flat at number 10, parties in number 10,
moment in england because of omicron? moment in england because of omicron? ~ ., ., ., ., ., omicron? we don t have that granular data. we omicron? we don t have that granular data- we do omicron? we don t have that granular data. we do know omicron? we don t have that granular data. we do know how omicron? we don t have that granular data. we do know how many - omicron? we don t have that granular data. we do know how many people i omicron? we don t have that granular. data. we do know how many people are in hospital with covid illness. and we know that over 700 are admitted every day. there are nearly 6000 hospital beds occupied by patients with covid. we know that hospitals that are full are having to turn patients away. we also know that because the dublin rate is so rapid, that within a few weeks, it is very possible that omicron will be the dominant virus. we were in this position last year, when, before christmas, we had to kent variant, it was called the alpha variant.
this is bbc news. i mjoanna i m joanna gosling. the headlines at 11am: covid passes, working from home, and the wider use of facemasks. england braces for plan b rule changes. the health secretary says the measures are needed to delay the spread of omicron. if it carries on at that rate, you could have one million infections through community transmission by end of the month. an investigation into a christmas party in downing street last year will be widened to include two more gatherings, reported to have taken place amid covid restrictions. the conservative party has been fined £17,800 for failing to accurately report a donation that paid for the refurbishment
plan b restrictions mean that from tomorrow, facemasks will be required in more public settings including theatres and cinemas. from monday, people will be asked to work from home where possible. from wednesday, the nhs covid pass or a negative lateral flow test will also be required for visitors to nightclubs, indoor unseated venues with more than 500 people, unseated outdoor venues with more than a,000 people and any event with more than 10,000 people. there is growing unease on the tory backbenches over the restrictions. former conservative party chief whip mark harper asked in the commons yesterday: why should people at home listening to the prime minster and the secretary of state do things that people working in no 10 downing street are not prepared to do? a refernce to the row over allegations of a downing street christmas parties during restrictions last year. in the last few minutes, the government has widened the investigation into the downing street christmas party t