life cancelled, what is your advice? it s the world health organization urging us to cancel christmas? certainly not cancel christmas but have a careful christmas so you can have a careful christmas so you can have notjust a happy new year but many happy new year s. the head was actually referring to a perception that we have postponed over and over again forjournalists, we have a get together with journalists and we have not been able to have fun now for two years, we cancelled it and he was explaining why. we all have to be really careful right now. what to be really careful right now. what is the latest to be really careful right now. what is the latest data to be really careful right now. what is the latest data telling to be really careful right now. what is the latest data telling us about omicron? we certainly know, there is consistent evidence, that it has a big growth advantage over delta, it is spreading significantly faster than delta and is spreading significantly fas
many happy new years. the head was actually referring to a reception that we have postponed over and over again forjournalists, we have a get together with journalists and we have not been able to have that now for two years, we cancelled it and he was explaining why. we all have to be really careful right now. what is the latest data telling us about omicron? we certainly know, there is consistent evidence, that it has a big growth advantage over delta, it is spreading significantly faster than delta, and given the available data it is expected it will replace delta where community transmission is occurring, you are very much seeing that in the uk right now. we know it spreads quickly but is it milder? the reason i ask is because south africa and other countries are reporting lower hospitalisation rates.
reopen in a fortnight s time, and the legal limits on how many people can meet up lifted. cases of coronavirus have risen, and the health secretary this morning confirmed that the delta variant, which first originated in india, is significantly more transmissible than the previously dominant kent or alpha variant. the best estimate of the growth advantage, as we call it, of the delta variant from sage is around a0%. 40%? so that does make life more challenging for everybody, and you have seen the case rates have risen a little. but the good news is that hospitalisations, the number of people arriving at hospital, is broadly flat, and the majority appear to be those who have not had a vaccine at all, and only a very small minority are people who have had both jabs. ministers had said they have seen nothing in the data yet to suggest june 21st could not happen, but mr hancock said
and that the government was open to a delay if needed. but he told the bbc that the number of people needing hospital treatment was broadly flat , which means vaccines are working. 0ur political correspondent helen catt reports. it s been nearly three weeks that people in england have been able to socialise more freely. it s not yet been decided if the remaining businesses can reopen in a fortnight s time, and the legal limits on how many people can meet up lifted. cases of coronavirus have risen, and the health secretary this morning confirmed that the delta variant, which first originated in india, is significantly more transmissible than the previously dominant kent or alpha variant. the best estimate of the growth advantage, as we call it, of the delta variant from sage is around a0%. 40%? so that does make life more challenging for everybody, and you have seen the case rates have risen a little. but the good news is that hospitalisations, the number