Covid: Ministers monitor data and Biden denies testing response failureon December 23, 2021 at 7:48 am

Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Thursday morning. We’ll have another update for you this evening.

With early studies indicating the Omicron variant may be less severe than the earlier Delta variant, and as daily coronavirus infections pass the 100,000 mark, the data is being watched closely by the UK government. The findings are good news, according to scientists, but fears remain that the volume of cases still has the potential to overwhelm the NHS. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged caution over the festive period, but has ruled out any changes to measures before Christmas for England. Meanwhile, Wales and Northern Ireland joined Scotland in setting out restrictions to tackle Omicron.

A shortage of Covid tests has been an issue in the US and this situation has led to questions over the county’s response to the Omicron variant. President Joe Biden denies his administration bungled its response, saying: “I don’t think it’s a failure.” But he admits he wished he “had thought” about ordering 500 million test kits “two months ago”. Mr Biden has previously criticised a shortfall in testing under the Trump administration.

Some 98 countries haven’t yet met the target of vaccinating 40% of their populations, according to the World Health Organization. While in the UK, US and France three-quarters of people have been jabbed. It’s 80% in Japan. This failure to distribute vaccines to poorer countries is a “stain on our global soul”, says former prime minister Gordon Brown, adding it’s “one of the greatest policy failures of our times”.

To help tackle staff absences in schools due to coronavirus, retired teachers are being asked to go back to the classroom. Former teachers have come forward but they’re unlikely to make it to lessons when schools in England reopen in January, supply agencies warn. There’s a backlog of criminal record checks and the government says those who sign up after Christmas won’t be teaching until later in January.

A news stand that sells almost 3,000 magazines and has done since 1994 struggled to survive during the pandemic. But with the help of loyal customers and Instagram Casa Magazines in Manhattan, New York, began to thrive once again. Watch to find out more.

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New rules have been announced across the UK, take a look at what that could mean for you.

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