at this centre in stevenage, local nhs staff are among the first to receive the jab. everybody‘s been struggling. you know, you never know whether you're going into work and what you're finding. so by having this, we just know that we can start to work together and build...and really make a difference in terms of everyone that's out there and, hopefully, get out of this pandemic that we're in. i'm happy and excited that i got it, cos i know i'll be protecting not only myself but the people i work with. as well as the centre in stevenage, this one in manchester and five other hubs will start offering vaccinations this week. it marks a big acceleration in the vaccination programme, and it's needed if the government's going to hit its mid—february target of offering the jab to 15 million people, including some of the most vulnerable and health and care workers. in scotland, the oxford—astrazeneca vaccine will be more widely available through 1,000 gp practices and centres. wales and northern ireland have each administered more than 70,000 vaccines. long—term ambi

the vaccination centres are in bristol, birmingham, london, manchester, newcastle, stevenage and epsom racecourse in surrey. let's hear now from england's chief medical officer, chris whitty, who has been speaking to the bbc this morning. the peak we had back in april last year, we had about 18,000 people in the nhs. we currently, as of yesterday, have over 30,000 people in the nhs. and a week ago, all the four chief medical officers for england, scotland, wales and northern ireland said, this is going to bea northern ireland said, this is going to be a significant crisis for the nhs, unless we take evasive action. and this new variant is really pushing things in a way that the old variant, which was already very bad, was not able to. so, we have a very significant problem. here in london, for example, one in 30 people currently have this rotavirus, according to the office for national statistics. across the country as a whole, it is one in 50, and it is rising in every part of england. so what we need to do, because the next few weeks are going to be the worst weeks of this pandemic,

there will also be new sites at epsom racecourse in surrey and robertson house in stevenage. a 28—year—old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder, after two men died at a property in ilford. the men were found seriously injured yesterday morning — both died at the scene. the woman, who was tasered during the arrest, also suffered injuries and was taken to hospital. front line nhs staff working to save lives in london's hospitals are said to be up against an increasing amount of mistrust, conspiracy theories and abuse online with protests even outside hospitals. concerns have been raised about the impact on staff mental health. you know, i had a junior doctor who was working in a&e, so i really, really don't want to go in this because there was a whole lot of people outside my hospital who were telling me that covid was a hoax and shouting at me as i left my shift and i was half broken. we just want to keep you safe. we just want you to stay at home. and ijust don't want you to end up in my intensive care unit. i really don't. with a major incident declared in lo

he was speaking at a visit of a mass vaccination centre in stevenage, and said the government needed to get 2a—hour centres up and running as quickly as possible. well, we need the supplies and we need the 2a—hour opening. both go together. i don't buy the argument, by the way, that people would not come for a vaccine at four or five or six in the morning. i know plenty of people who have said to me in the last few days, "if i could get a vaccine," and these are older people, as well, "i don't care what time i go for it." so, yes, the supply needs to be there. vaccine centres need to be open 2/a7. the government is piloting that now. they need to move on fast, make it available to the public and across the whole country. doctors from the british asian community are helping with efforts to tackle covid in pakistan. the charity midland doctors has been working with hospitals in pakistan—administered kashmir to provide training and equipment used by the national health service here. anisa kadri reports. covid patients at a government—run hospital in azad kashmir in pakistan. it'

were chosen to give a geographical spread, are in bristol, manchester, london, birmingham, newcastle, stevenage and at epsom racecourse in surrey. our health correspondent jim reed reports. another milestone in the battle to vaccinate the most vulnerable. 88—year—old moira edwards became the first person to receive herjab here at them new mass vaccination centre in surrey. i feelvery at them new mass vaccination centre in surrey. i feel very relieved. at them new mass vaccination centre in surrey. i feelvery relieved. i feel this is the way back. i really think thata... feel this is the way back. i really think that a... i can't understand anybody not wanting to have it. this site at epsom racecourse is now open 12 hours a day. if there is enough supply of the vaccine, it should be able to reach thousands of people every week. those over 80 years old, plus health and social care staff, will be contacted and asked to book an appointment. we have had a huge response to the booking options. immediately the bookings went live, those booking slots were filled so i think people are really keen to

entirely by enabling more frequent trains to run on the existing railway network serving places like stevenage or market harborough, some of these intermediate stations which perhaps do not have frequent services. you can be in a station very close to the centre of manchester, leeds, birmingham and you can have 1a trains whizz through without stopping at full speed and may be only one train at peak time, for an hour in the morning, when ideally you are getting a train to work, said that for me is what the north—south divide is about in terms of transport in the uk. rail transport _ of transport in the uk. rail transport is _ of transport in the uk. rail transport is not _ of transport in the uk. rail transport is not totally - of transport in the uk. rail transport is not totally affordable, to be honest with you, and there are many people during the pandemic of used cars and that may well continue, so why go ahead with hs2 when it yes, you want to get people off the roads, but they will not be able to afford it?— able to afford it? again, this is a very good _ able to afford it? again, th

to sarah i brown, who is running that mass vaccination effort in stevenage. a year ago this week, china ordered its first lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, a moment which signalled just how deadly and debilitating the new coronavirus could be, notjust in china but around the world. our corresponding stephen mcdonell has returned to hubei province, the place where this global emergency first started. loudspeaker announcement it was the start of what would become a global health emergency. 60 million people were being locked down as we entered hubei province in january 2020. a year later, we've returned to see how people are faring. well, last time, actually at this exact point, we were stopped by a police roadblock. not now, though. in we go. we'll be inside hubei any minute. in this rural community, people tell us they're having celebrations, like weddings, again. hubei province hasn't had a local coronavirus infection for seven months, and masks are no longer mandatory. as you can see, workers are back out in the streets, preparing their traditi

someone making a snow angel in stevenage— someone making a snow angel in stevenaue. ., g ., , , stevenage. claire jones tweeted this video of her other _ stevenage. claire jones tweeted this video of her other half _ stevenage. claire jones tweeted this video of her other half making - stevenage. claire jones tweeted this video of her other half making a - video of her other half making a snow angel. that was in hertfordshire. that was a pretty good smattering of good—quality snow. good—quality snow in hertfordshire, but you need to get out and enjoy it quickly because it is going if it hasn't already gone. maybe in norfolk the snow might linger this morning but it is incredibly mild out to the west. temperatures in cornwall around 10 degrees and in somerset we had cloudy skies but it is mild and dry as the rain has already eased away. this is what has been happening. on the leading edge we have had the snow pitching into east anglia. behind it, rain, and even that is going to clean away pretty promptly today so once it does so actually this afternoon what a difference, sunny spells i

bath or stevenage. so it is a real nationai— bath or stevenage. so it is a real national tragedy. and behind the statistics, — national tragedy. and behind the statistics, behind the numbers, we have to _ statistics, behind the numbers, we have to remember there is always a grieving _ have to remember there is always a grieving family, a mum, dad, brother, _ grieving family, a mum, dad, brother, sister, friend, neighbour or partner, — brother, sister, friend, neighbour or partner, so our hearts go out to everyone _ or partner, so our hearts go out to everyone affected as we reach this awful— everyone affected as we reach this awful milestone.— awful milestone. reaction 'ust in there from i awful milestone. reaction 'ust in there from the i awful milestone. reaction 'ust in there from the labour_ awful milestone. reaction just in there from the labour leader - awful milestone. reaction just in there from the labour leader su | awful milestone. reaction just in - there from the labour leader su keir starmer. we have been hearing more than 100,000 people have died with covidâ

twice the number we lost in the blitz and is the size of small towns across the united kingdom, baf or stevenage. so, it's a real national tragedy. —— bath. 0ne so, it's a real national tragedy. —— bath. one of those... i so, it's a real nationaltragedy. -- bath. one of those. . ._ so, it's a real nationaltragedy. -- bath. one of those. .. i lost my dad in aril bath. one of those. .. i lost my dad in april 25 — bath. one of those. .. i lost my dad in april 25 and _ bath. one of those. .. i lost my dad in april 25 and 2020, _ bath. one of those. .. i lost my dad in april 25 and 2020, he _ bath. one of those. .. i lost my dad in april 25 and 2020, he caught - bath. one of those. .. i lost my dad in april 25 and 2020, he caught the virus. _ in april 25 and 2020, he caught the virus. we _ in april 25 and 2020, he caught the virus. we are— in april 25 and 2020, he caught the virus, we are not quite sure where from _ virus, we are not quite sure where from but _ virus, we are not quite sure where from but he — virus, we are not quite sure where from but he was a front—line worker worki

are able to go into schools. 0ur education correspondent sean dilley is outside a primary school in stevenage. what sense are you getting from head teachers? because we do seem to be getting a lot of reports of schools that are having to teach a lot more children than they had anticipated? yes, that's right. although we don't actually have formal attendance figures published yet, we are getting an awful lot of information anecdotally from teachers around the country and unions, all reporting, or many of them reporting, attendances and some areas, we will stress, in excess of 50%. they say thatis stress, in excess of 50%. they say that is rather a lot for them to deal with because they are notjust regarding the remote education that kevin williamson, the education secretary, has asked them to provide. —— mike gavin williamson. they also having to be that remote learning instead of in—class learning. this is a typical school here in hertfordshire, a primary school, and we know that primary schools are at the heart of many communities where childcare may be an issue for critical key worker

he was speaking on a visit to a mass vaccination centre in stevenage. it's a complete mess again. the government has talked tough, priti patel has talked tough about the borders. other countries have been doing testing for months. we haven't put in place. people are really worried about strains in other parts of the world, in brazil, etc. yet we have a prime minister and the government that is late, slow and even though at the 11th hour they are putting the testing back another few days. more now on the news that some high street pharmacies in england will start vaccinating people from priority groups on thursday, with 200 providing jabs in the next two weeks. earlier i spoke to sebjames, managing director of boots uk, who explained what it would be like for people going to boots for a vaccine. we are extremely anxious to make sure that people find an excellent clinical experience when they come into our stores. we are no strangers to vaccination. we do millions every year across travel and flu and all kinds of other things, but the most important thing about these first centres i

he was speaking at a visit to a mass vaccination centre in stevenage — and said the government needed to get 26 hour centres up and running as quickly as possible. we need the supplies and we need the 24—hour opening. both go together. i do not buy the argument that people will not come for a vaccine at four o'clock or five o'clock in the morning. people have said to me, they do not care what time they go for it. yes, the supply needs to be there, vaccine centres need to be open 24—7. the government has piloted this now, the need to move on fast to make this open to the public. the headlines on bbc news. nearly four and a half million people were waiting to start hospital treatment in england at the end of november — the highest number since records began. vaccinations in high street pharmacies — a pilot project gets under way in england to deliver the covid jab. a study finds most people who've had covid do have immunity from it for at least 5 months — though they can still carry the virus and give it to others. growing �*vaccine confidence' has led to a boom in the over

he had to go to stevenage, a0 miles away. we can't drive that far. he told them the centre is in hemel hempstead, ten miles away. he was told he couldn't go there. there is the specific point about expecting an 88—year—old to be able to drive a0 miles. what about those people who get an appointment like that, can't make it for practical reasons, where do they go then, what happens to them on the list? 50 go then, what happens to them on the list? , ., , go then, what happens to them on the list? , .,, ., ., go then, what happens to them on the list? , ., ., . ., list? so please hold on. what we have not list? so please hold on. what we have got in _ list? so please hold on. what we have got in the _ list? so please hold on. what we have got in the letter— list? so please hold on. what we have got in the letter is, - list? so please hold on. what we have got in the letter is, there i list? so please hold on. what we l have got in the letter is, there are the vaccination centres but you can also get _ the vaccination centres but you can also get