hello and welcome to bbc news. the prime minister has told mps that he plans to stick to plan b coronavirus measures in england for at least another three weeks. he said people should carry on working from home, wearing face coverings on public transport and in indoor public spaces and taking a test before going to high risk venues or meeting the elderly or vulnerable. it comes despite figures from the office for national statistics showing an estimated 3.7 million people in the uk had covid in the week ending december 31 the highest number since data collection began in autumn 2020. today s latest covid figures show the uk has reported a further 194,747 new cases. the prime miniser also confirmed that from 4am on friday, passengers travelling to england will no longer be required to take
abroad when taking the predeparture test. they were nervous that they would turn positive and have to quarantine for two weeks at their own cost. secondly, it was the pfaff and the hassle of organising tests, and the hassle of organising tests, and of course, the cost. the odorous and far to sky heights cost of testing. sky high. they found they were £500 added to the cost of their holiday. and finally, it was self isolation. why would you go away and find yourself having to self isolate waiting for your results to come back? in some cases, it was four or five days. all of those were barriers which put off people from booking. those were barriers which put off people from booking. could i get you to comment people from booking. could i get you to comment on people from booking. could i get you to comment on a people from booking. could i get you to comment on a statement - people from booking. could i get you to comment on a statement released by the travel association? abta
then isolate for no reason for not having covid. that s the thinking behind that. in terms of the travel testing, these things were reintroduced in an attempt to slow down the arrival of the omicron variant into the uk from abroad. once it is very prevalent in the uk and equally prevalent abroad, you don t need that any more. there is some economic rationale as well, because the travel companies, the ski companies and the airports and airlines were saying it was adding so much money to people s holidays the people were not working. and people were so worried that their predeparture people were so worried that their predepa rtu re test two people were so worried that their predeparture test two days before they came home, if that was positive, you got stranded abroad for a week or ten days whatever it was, adding even more costs and uncertainty to your trip. so those are the big bits of thinking and these two quite big changes. there have been lots of changes to the testing regime over
manage the immediate pressures on our nhs and buy time for the boosters to take effect. they cannot get the test they need now to they cannot get the test they need now to do they cannot get the test they need now to do to test a week. pre departure tests will be scrapped for travellers arriving into england from friday morning. the self isolation period for covid cases in scotland is to be cut from 10 days to seven, if people record two negative tests and have no symptoms. some currently restrictions will remain in place until later this month. sport and for a full round up, from the bbc sport centre, here s jane dougall.
was something that the labour deputy leader picked up on. she was standing in first year court max theurer keir starmer who tested positive server keir starmer. she said the government has been asleep at the wheel sir. she said the government was struggling to stay afloat. its struggling to stay afloat. its welcome that the government is requiring welcome that the government is requiring daily welcome that the government is requiring daily testing welcome that the government is requiring daily testing to - welcome that the government is requiring daily testing to create i requiring daily testing to create nationai requiring daily testing to create national infrastructure, - requiring daily testing to create national infrastructure, but - requiring daily testing to create national infrastructure, but this will begin national infrastructure, but this will begin until national infrastructure, but this will begin until next national infrastructure, but this will begin un