going to be delayed and that doesn t feel like a minor issue for those people, so we will see some additional challenges for people facing further delays and that adds to the ongoing issue of backlog of cases in the system. in a to the ongoing issue of backlog of cases in the system. to the ongoing issue of backlog of cases in the system. in a move which could improve cases in the system. in a move which could improve the cases in the system. in a move which could improve the availability - cases in the system. in a move which could improve the availability of - could improve the availability of tests, people who get a positive lateral flow result will soon not need a follow up pcr test, but will still have to isolate. need a follow-up pcr test, but will still have to isolate. still have to isolate. what we have not still have to isolate. what we have got actually still have to isolate. what we have got actually is still have to isolate. what we have got actually is many, s
predeparture is widely expected that the predepa rtu re test is widely expected that the predeparture test element will be dropped as part of a review of the rules happening today. there are many in the travel industry who would like the government to go much further and get rid of both testing requirements, because they would argue that now omicron is so widely spread both within the uk and around the world, these measuresjust aren t effective any more but whatever the government does decide to do when it makes that decision this afternoon, a lot of other countries still have travel restrictions in place, including, in some cases, some pretty strict entry requirements. some cases, some pretty strict entry requirements- scotland s first minister nicola sturgeon will update the scottish parliament this afternoon as covid case numbers continue to rise sharply. latest figures show a seven day average of more than 16,000 cases in scotland. the highest daily figure since the pandemic began
questions. sir keir starmer is isolating, having tested positive for coronavirus for a second time. jonathan blake, bbc news. i m joined now by our health editor hugh pym. this change in the rules that health chiefs are talking about about not needing pcr tests if you are asymptomatic, what is the thinking behind that? the asymptomatic, what is the thinking behind that? behind that? the current rules are that if ou behind that? the current rules are that if you are behind that? the current rules are that if you are asymptomatic - behind that? the current rules are that if you are asymptomatic that l that if you are asymptomatic that you test positive on your lateral flow test, you havejust you test positive on your lateral flow test, you have just done a check and you find out you had tested positive, that you do a follow up pcr. that is now going to be suspended from january the 11th in england by the uk health security agency, in charge of test and trace. the devolved administrati
to impose further covid restrictions in england, despite surging cases due to the omicron variant. health officials have confirmed this lunchtime that the rules will be changed so that people in england who test positive for covid with a lateral flow device but don t have symptoms will no longer be asked to take a follow up pcr test. borisjohnson has said he hoped the country could ride out the omicron wave, despite the uk recording a record number of positive daily cases yesterday. here s our political correspondentjonathan blake. are correspondent jonathan blake. you are correspondentjonathan blake. you doing enought nhs? are you doing enough to help the nhs? ., ,, c a, , a, nhs? the health secretary arrived in downin: nhs? the health secretary arrived in downing street nhs? the health secretary arrived in downing street this nhs? the health secretary arrived in downing street this morning - nhs? the health secretary arrived in downing street this morning as - downing stree