there s a few hours left but is any festive cheer for retailers this year? after covid, brexit and chain disruptions, have shoppers got what they need? disruptions, have shoppers got what the need? ., talk of a player strike in the premier league. manager pep guardiola says the threat might make football authorities listen to players over their welfare. ready for launch the space telescope that could change our understanding of the universe. good morning. if you re heading out early, watch out for fog. there good morning. if you re heading out early, watch out forfog. there is some dense patches around. today s forecast is cloudy with patchy light rain. with snow flurries mostly on higher ground and heavier rain coming in from the south west through the day. i will have all the details later on in the programme. good morning. it s christmas eve, friday 24th december. our main story. covid vaccination clinics will remain open tomorrow and throughout the holiday weekend, as t
the little town of bethlehem marks christmas eve in a year where tourism has been blighted by covid. and in herfirst christmas broadcast since the death of prince philip, hello and welcome. 1.74 million people in the uk had coronavirus on december 19, according to survey by the office for national statistics that s up by more than 400,000 people on the figure three days earlier. this equates to 1 in 35 people, or 2.7% of the population of the united kingdom. and in london this rises to around 1 in 20 people likely to test positive for covid 19, the highest proportion for any region in england. it comes amid news of a glimmer of christmas hope from the uk health security agency s drjenny harries, who says new cononavirus data suggests that the 0micron variant may be less likely to lead to serious illness than the delta variant. but dr harries cautions that more information is needed, particularly about the impact on elderly and more vulnerable patients. elswhere, thailand
and a christmas midnight mass is celebrated at the church of the nativity in bethlehem built on the spot where it s believed jesus was born. and coming up, he s checked his list, and now santa claus is coming to town! we ll have an update on his live progress a little later. the uk has again recorded its highest number of daily coronavirus cases since the pandemic began more than 120,000. it s the third day in a row that cases have topped 100,000 with 122,186 cases recorded today. a separate survey from the office for national statistics found that on december 19th, an estimated one in 35 people in the uk, had covid 19 the equivalent of 1.74 million. in london, the ratio is much higher one in 20 people were likely to have tested positive for covid. but despite soaring cases, early findings suggest that the 0micron variant is milder than delta, and leads to less hospitalisation the head of the uk health security agency, drjenny harries, called it a glimmer of chri
Has not been the case so there is big disappointment and of course at this time of year, people maintaining some hope. this time of year, people maintainin: some hoe. ., ., maintaining some hope. tom bateman, in bethlehem, maintaining some hope. tom bateman, in bethlehem, we maintaining some hope. tom bateman, in bethlehem, we will maintaining some hope. tom bateman, in bethlehem, we will be maintaining some hope. tom bateman, in bethlehem, we will be back- maintaining some hope. tom bateman, in bethlehem, we will be back with - in bethlehem, we will be back with you throughout the day. thank you. the queen is expected to give a very personal christmas message tomorrow her first since the death of her husband, prince philip. she will speak beside a framed photograph of the couple taken during their diamond wedding anniversary in 2007 and will wear the same sapphire brooch that she wore on her honeymoon. the queen will spend christmas day at windsor castle with members of her