Thats 600,000 more than february last year. An outstanding 100 by an outstanding player. Scoring a hundred at his 100th test joe root� s special day. This is a meeting called by two councillors. This is a meeting called by two councillors. You this is a meeting called by two councillors. You may| this is a meeting called by two councillors. You may now councillors. Illegally. You may now elect a chairman. Councillors. Illegally. You may now elect a chairman. They councillors. Illegally. You may now elect a chairman. They cant councillors. Illegally. You may now. Elect a chairman. They cant because the vicechair elect a chairman. They cant because the vicechair is elect a chairman. They cant because the vicechair is here, elect a chairman. They cant because the vicechair is here, i elect a chairman. They cant because the vicechair is here, i take the vice chair is here, i take charge and when Online Meetings go wrong the Parish Council session thats gone viral. Hello, good afternoon. Covid infections are continuing to fall in most parts of the uk, with one in 65 people testing positive in england in the last week of january. New figures from the office for National Statistics show a drop in scotland and Northern Ireland, with infections remaining level in wales. The latest official data also shows the r number has fallen to between 0. 7 and 1. It comes amidst calls for the government to give more details on the easing of Lockdown Measures. The government says it plans to give everyone in england who is over 50 or clinically vulnerable at least one dose of vaccine by may. 0ur Health Correspondent katherine da costa reports. The uk has made a strong start to its Vaccination Programme. More than 10 Million People have now had theirfirst dose. In the next few weeks, experts say immunisation should have a real impact on reducing deaths and Hospital Admissions. That has prompted a small number of conservative backbenchers to renew calls for an early end to lockdown. We know what the government said was the reason for this third lockdown. Now that that threat is receding, we ought to be, and indeed we are, and the government says we are, looking to open up. We also know now that the vaccines are going to benefit, with the enormous number of people who have been vaccinated, and we also know the vaccines are going to benefit, in terms of transmissions, in terms of cutting hospitalisations. All of those metrics should be moving rapidly in the right direction. Latest figures show infections are falling across most of the uk and have levelled off in wales. But prevalence remains high, with the office of National Statistics estimating one in 65 had the virus in england in the week to last saturday. But the Health Service is still under intense pressure, with 50 more Covid Patients than during the first peak last spring. Health Officials Say cases need to be at very low levels before restrictions are eased to avoid another surge. This virus is not pleasant for patients. Its not pleasant to deal with and we would like to see levels at a really safe level before we take our foot off the gas. We dont want to be in this position again and we want our hospitals in some sort of state that they can cope with what used to be normal, if we are going to head back towards that. Vaccination remains our best way of tackling the virus. Assessments of the roll out so far have found both the pfizer and astrazeneca vaccines are extremely safe. Data up to the 24th Of January found nearly 23,000 suspected side effects were reported. Thats about three in every 1000 people. The vast majority of cases were mild, such as a sore arm or tiredness. Severe allergic reactions to the Pfizer Vaccine are very rare, affecting between one and two cases per 100,000. Because of the risk, doctors have said that people with a history of significant allergic reactions should not have the Pfizer Vaccine. They have data from essentially 10 Million People, and they look as safe as they were reported in the earliest studies. So that is really encouraging. That is a huge amount of data showing that, essentially, the side effects are no different to most vaccines that we get. I hope that will be very reassuring to the general public. Assessments will continue as the roll out is wrapped up. The government hopes to have offered more than 30 Million People, thats all the over 50s and those with health conditions, a jab by the spring. Katharine da costa, bbc news. 0ur Health Editor hugh pym gave me this update on how the Coronavirus Situation is looking in the uk. This week has brought more positive news, hasnt it . We learned a couple of days ago for example from professor chris whitty, the uk governments chief medical adviser, that in the view of him and fellow experts, we are past the peak. Things were moving in the right direction. We know that daily reported case numbers are down around a quarter week on week, nearly the same for new daily Hospital Admissions and now we have had the 0ns survey, we had about that a bit earlier, which is a broader survey of infections, because it takes in people that do not know they have the virus and do not know they have the virus and do not have symptoms, and that does it suggest last week, in england, scotland and Northern Ireland at least, case rates were falling, or that they were level in wales. Things are looking more optimistic and that is why we are hearing political calls for the Lockdown Restrictions to be eased more rapidly, but also warnings from the nhs that there is still a large number of patients in hospital with covid 19, those overall Hospital Numbers remain high. We had a warning also earlier this week that the current Vaccination Programme focusing on at the top for macro parity groups, those aged 70 and over, would have an impact there. Does make a top Priority Groups. People will continue getting sick with covid 19 for a little while yet, so the general message certainly from the nhs is that pressure is likely to continue for some time. They should not be any easing off before we are a bit surer about the situation. Lets speak now to david spiegelhalter, professor of statistics at cambridge university. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Some climmers of good afternoon. Good afternoon. Some glimmers of good good afternoon. Good afternoon. Some glimmers of good news good afternoon. Good afternoon. Some glimmers of Good News Again good afternoon. Good afternoon. Some glimmers of Good News Again today. I glimmers of Good News Again today. We try to clutch at these, we want good news, what is your take on it . It is good news across all the metrics. The number of new cases is coming down really quite rapidly, the number of new people going into hospital with covid and the number of deaths is coming down as well. Nearly halved in the last two and half weeks from their peak back on the 19th of january. Half weeks from their peak back on the 19th ofjanuary. But half weeks from their peak back on the 19th of january. But it can seem a bit paradoxical, because the actual number of people with the infection is only coming down slowly, as we heard from 0ns today, it is still one in 65 of the people in the country. But because people carry that infection for quite some time, it does take a while for the lack of new cases, the reduction in new cases, to feed through into the number of people with the infection. The same thing happens in hospitals, the number of new people going into hospital has been going down really very rapidly, particularly in london, but that takes a while, because people are in hospitalfor some time, to feed through into a reduction in the number of people in hospital, but that now is coming down as well. Mil hospital, but that now is coming down as well. Down as well. All of that said thou. H, down as well. All of that said though. We down as well. All of that said though, we have down as well. All of that said though, we have heard down as well. All of that said though, we have heard from| down as well. All of that said though, we have heard from medics who say great, but please do not be complacent here, is that still the right message, do you think . Yes. Complacent here, is that still the right message, do you think . Yes, it is uuite right message, do you think . Yes, it is quite obvious right message, do you think . Yes, it is quite obvious that right message, do you think . Yes, it is quite obvious that we right message, do you think . Yes, it is quite obvious that we have right message, do you think . Yes, it is quite obvious that we have to is quite obvious that we have to keep on going, but all these effects we are seeing so far are pretty well just due to the Lockdown Measures we have been enduring. Vaccines will start kicking in soon, from now, even the suggestion from 0ns today that the rate of admissions in over 80 fives is dropping faster than in other groups, so this isjust starting to kick in. In over 85s. If we loosen up immediately, we would see a research in the cases and as your Health Editor says, even among younger people, if enough people get it, would still mean great pressure on hospitals. find people get it, would still mean great pressure on hospitals. And you have anticipated great pressure on hospitals. And you have anticipated where great pressure on hospitals. And you have anticipated where i great pressure on hospitals. And you have anticipated where i was great pressure on hospitals. And you have anticipated where i was going l have anticipated where i was going with your thoughts there, because you will note there is pressure on the government all the time around lockdown. We think it is good news figures are coming down, but it puts pressure on the government around lockdown, that would be the danger, wouldnt it . In lockdown, that would be the danger, wouldnt it . , ,. , wouldnt it . In the end of this is a olitical wouldnt it . In the end of this is a political decision. Wouldnt it . In the end of this is a political decision. We wouldnt it . In the end of this is a political decision. We could wouldnt it . In the end of this is a political decision. We could carryl political decision. We could carry on trying to suppress many groups, get it right down, like other countries have done. There are other pressures to loosen up, especially to open schools, and that will quite possibly mean an increase in number of cases, but we are now protecting the most vulnerable in society, so i think this is a political decision aboutjust think this is a political decision about just what balance think this is a political decision aboutjust what balance is think this is a political decision about just what balance is felt acceptable to take in terms of the impact on the Health Service and on the economy. Impact on the Health Service and on the economy impact on the Health Service and on the economy. Yes, would you want to be in at number the economy. Yes, would you want to be in at number ten the economy. Yes, would you want to be in at number ten at the economy. Yes, would you want to be in at number ten at the the economy. Yes, would you want to be in at number ten at the moment . | be in at number ten at the moment . No, i am be in at number ten at the moment . No, iam not be in at number ten at the moment . No, i am not taking sides, i am really pleased i do not have to make these decisions, because they are extremely difficult. Extremely difficult. Yes, absolutely, extremely difficult. Yes, absolutely, always extremely difficult. Yes, absolutely, always good | extremely difficult. Yes, i absolutely, always good to extremely difficult. Yes, absolutely, always good to talk to you, thank you very much. The government has been defending its plans to quarantine people arriving in the uk, in a scheme due to begin in 10 days time. People travelling from countries with high Infection Rates will have to stay in a hotel at their own expense, in an effort to control the spread of new variants of coronavirus. Labour says the scheme should extend to all international travellers. Helena wilkinson reports. Its Hotels Near Airports like heathrow which are expected to sign up. Once a uk resident or Irish National arrives from one of 30 covid hotspots, they will be escorted and required to quarantine for ten nights in a hotel. The government says they are working at pace and hotels will have enough time to prepare. The whole point of this is that we give the hotels notice, because they will need to change the way they operate. We are asking them to do something very different. We are giving them time to make adjustments and we are also giving ourselves time to ensure that this policy is effective, by working with International Partners and giving our Border Enforcement Officials the time they need to prepare to make this work. The Quarantine Rules are being brought in to control the spread of new variants of the virus. But some hotels say they have not been contacted by the government. Others say they wont have enough time to prepare. Meher nawab is Chief Executive of the london hotel group, which already runs a hotel that accommodates people quarantining because of covid. It took them nine months to set up. There has been no open dialogue between the Hospitality Sector and the government. I sent a step plan to them last week, and yesterday afternoon a document has come out and they are expecting people to fill that document in and submit it, and get these hotels open on the 15th Of February. Labour says the scheme should be extended to all international travellers, notjust some countries. It is utterly shambolic that this is being brought into effect on the 15th Of February. That is over 50 days since the South African Strain was first discovered in this country. And little wonder, frankly, that it reached our shores. It is expected more than 1000 residents per day will return from places where new variants are prevalent. Details on how passengers will book their place in a Quarantine Hotel are expected to be set out by the government next week. Helena wilkinson, bbc news. We will talk more about the hotels issue in a moment. Lets get more now from our Political Correspondent damian grammaticas. I dont how much of david you could hear, but he was saying what a difficult political decision this is, because there is good news in terms of infections coming down, but this puts more pressure on the government in terms of lockdown, when can we ease it . I government in terms of lockdown, when can we ease it . When can we ease it . I think the rofessor when can we ease it . I think the professor was when can we ease it . I think the professor was pretty when can we ease it . I think the professor was pretty spot when can we ease it . I think the professor was pretty spot on when can we ease it . I think the professor was pretty spot on on | when can we ease it . I think the i professor was pretty spot on on the different pressures and difficulties and exactly as you say, he was pointing out that indications from the numbers are starting to look like they are trending in the right direction. The Vaccine Programme may be starting to showjust a little glimmer of what it might be able to do and that increases the pressure for a clear or changes in government thinking, but as he said, these come down to difficult decisions that the government and cabinet have to face and ones that are being actively discussed and ones that will not be any surprise to know there are different views and those that relate to the Education Secretary once school is open quicker, the government is looking at the beginning of march, will it be able to do that . The Health Secretary is cautious, the chancellor is worried about businesses, all of these are in the mix. What we do know now is that may come at the beginning of may, the today is the date by which they think all over 50s and vulnerable groups should have had a dose of the vaccine. Local elections will go ahead, so that is a point at which people will be looking and saying what can we open up by then . What about schools . Will there be a phased opening of businesses . What about Outdoor Sports . Lots of different questions there and the middle of february is the date they are saying they will lay out the plan. These will be very difficult judgments. Remember, 110,000 deaths, three lockdowns, a into this and all of those mean that everyone is very conscious about the impact that any decision could have to future death numbers, future possibilities of having to go back into any lockdown, which will be a very difficult decision indeed. Which will be a very difficult decision indeed. ,. ,. ,. , ~ decision indeed. Yes, for now, Thank Ou Ve Decision indeed. Yes, for now, thank you