hello, you re watching bbc news. i m rich preston. our top stories: the omicron variant fuels a record high of daily covid cases in the uk, with a warning of staggering numbers to come. the doubling rate of omicron some regions is now down the doubling rate of omicron in some regions is now down to less than two days and i m afraid we are also seeing the inevitable increase in hospitalisations. seeing the destruction for himself president biden goes to kentucky and witnesses the devastation caused by deadly tornadoes. when you look around here, it is just almost beyond belief. these tornadoes devoured everything in their path. a stunning rescue in hong kong more than 100 people trapped on the roof of a burning building.
putting europe on edge. as you can see there on your screen, the european commission president says the variant is expected to be dominant by mid january. daily uk cases surged to a pandemic had i on wednesday. something officials warn will happen thanks to omicron. that s prompting france to take precautions to slow the variant. a government spokesman said most british tourists will be blocked from entering france. let s get more on the story. sa salma abdelaziz is here. boris johnson, the crisis, the scandal, in the last 24 hours we ve seen the rising covid numbers we just out lined. that must come as a huge concern. we re supposed to be working from home, and the numbers are still rising. this is what health officials have been ringing the alarm about for days, right. you had that sound bite there from the top doctor in the country. phenomenal rise. it s about the doubling rate. it s doubling every couple of days and sometimes even faster than that in some areas across
this is bbc news. our top stories: the omicron variant deals higher cases in the uk and awarding of staggering cases to come. a warning. the doubling rate of omicron in some regions is now down to less than two days and i m afraid we are also seeing the inevitable increase in hospitalisations. seeing the destruction for himself: president biden goes to kentucky and witnesses the devastation caused by deadly tornadoes. when you look around here, it is just almost beyond belief. these tornadoes devoured everything in their path. the influential black author and feminist known as bell hooks has died at the age of 69.
like social events, that might be less important to you. and prof whitty underlined the importance of getting a booster and warned even if the boosters do hold a lot of people will fall ill simultaneously. cases of omicron have been doubling every two to three days but professor whitty explained how the numbers will start decreasing. the doubling rate will slow down for two reasons. the first is that people are taking sensible precautions, it is very clear they are taking sensible precautions. that itself will help to slow the doubling rate down. the points we were making about prioritising the interactions that matter most to you, the government advice on working from home, they are all designed to help slow this down, particularly at the beginning, to buy us time to get through the boosting. and then at a certain point, the number of people who have already been infected and got immunity eitherfrom the boosting or from omicron itself will mean that the group of people it can in
doubling rate to slow down as the infection progresses? the doubling rate will slow infection progresses? the doubling rate will slow down infection progresses? the doubling rate will slow down for infection progresses? the doubling rate will slow down for two - infection progresses? the doubling | rate will slow down for two reasons, the first rate will slow down for two reasons, the first is rate will slow down for two reasons, the first is that people are taking sensible the first is that people are taking sensible precautions. it is clear they sensible precautions. it is clear they are sensible precautions. it is clear they are taking sensible precautions and that they are taking sensible precautions and that will slow down the doubling rate. and that will slow down the doubling rate the and that will slow down the doubling rate. the points we made about prioritising, interactions, matter to most prioritising, interactions, matter to most to prioritising, inter