of edinburgh. thank you very much forjoining us. people understandably are trying to make sense of the latest announcements, the first question is from vanessa jones. she asked, can my son return to his shared accommodation for university? i am conscious that different parts of the uk may have different answers to that question. it is a good question from vanessa and one that i am acutely aware of working in the university sector. i would say that not all universities have been very quick at communicating with their students. what we know generally across the uk is that students who are studying courses where some face—to—face teaching is essential, like medicine, veterinary medicine, allied health professions, social work, they are permitted to return to campus and there will be some courses that will be provided. for the vast majority of other students, they should stay where they are at the moment because the teaching will be online. that is certainly the case for most of my students. what i

let's speak to a neurologist at the university of edinburgh, whojoins us now. all viruses mutate, as we know, some more quickly than others. what is more quickly than others. what is more dangerous in terms of the south african variant compared to the ones we have had here, the current one? the south african variant and the brazilian variant as well have additional mutations in their spike protein, and the spike protein is the part of the virus that allows the part of the virus that allows the virus to enter the cells. there is changes in the spike particle appear to alter the propensity of the virus to enter cells, so it seems the virus can enter the cells more easily, or perhaps more rapidly, which enables this virus to spread more easily, but also means that it may be able to evade pre—existing antibody responses that may have been imparted by exposure to the original variant. fir may have been imparted by exposure to the original variant.— to the original variant. or the vaccine. that _ to the original variant. or the vaccine. that is _ to the original

professor devi sridharfrom the university of edinburgh, thank you. a collapse in demand for new clothes because of lockdown has seen the uk record its worst retail sales figures on record. fashion stores recorded a 25% fall in sales last year, and overall the number of transactions was down by nearly 2% compared with the year before. our business presenter ben thompson has more. oxford street in the heart of london's west end is normally europe's busiest shopping street, but things are quiet here whilst nonessential retail remains closed. and it's a familiar picture up and down the country. in fact, 2020 has been the worst year on record for retail, and that's because in the final two weeks of december, the numbers of shoppers on our high streets was down by 50%. as more of us got used to click and collect and online shopping, the proportion of all sales that were done online hit 30%. the british retail consortium warned that 2020 was the worst year on record for retail, with nearly 180,000 jobs lost. but they've also warned that things could get wor

of edinburgh. a very good morning to you. and happy new year, i should say. a lot of people will maybe have been bracing that sentiment, that this year will be better than last year, not least because of the vaccine, which we know is coming into play now ina which we know is coming into play now in a way it wasn't before. the government is saying one dose first in order that more people can get it. can you talk us through the rationale behind that change? well, what we have seen over the past few weeks, and with the christmas mixing in some part of the country, is that the numbers are spiralling upwards and spiralling upwards faster, which is probably also aided by a fast spreading variant we have heard all about. so now it's really a question of whether a normal lockdown and lockdown measures are making a big enough impact, or if we need more help and that help is sold in the form of the vaccine. that is why we are now moving towards a slightly delayed pattern cover three to 12 week intervalfor de

we can speak now to professor devi sridhar who is chair of global public health at edinburgh university's medical school. no limbs break is seeing the prime minister is expected to announce a set of new national restrictions for england similar to the national lockdown we had back in march. that he is highly likely to urge the public to follow them from midnight and it's public to follow them from midnight and its expected that people will be told to work from home unless they are a key worker or it is not possible to work from home. for example they work on a construction site. schools were closed again for most peoples and it's not yet clear when these measures are going to be reviewed. mps are likely to be given a vote to approve them retrospectively on wednesday. we know that commons is being recalled on wednesday and it all comes of course i made the rapid rise in coronavirus cases and admissions to hospital. it's also understood that the chief medical officer professor chris which he has told the prime minister that they knew more infectious variant of coronavirus is now spreading t

let's speak now to linda bauld — professor of public health at the university of edinburgh. that question, how significant is this day? good morning. it is very much a significant day. we have been waiting particularly for this vaccine because of the much more manageable storage requirements. getting it into care homes in our remote and island communities. in terms of supply, what the government has committed to delivering. it is very exciting but of course we have to see how the logistics pan out and what happens with the delivery of the vaccine and administration over the vaccine and administration over the next few weeks. we are seeing pictures of the second gentleman being vaccinated, and 88—year—old. brian pinker was the first, 82. let's go back to you. there are two vaccines available. if you weeks ago we had the pfizer vaccine now we have the oxford vaccine. people in the coming weeks and months ahead, as hopefully the vaccination programme goes across the uk, will there be a choice as to which vaccine you get, do you know? know, when the mhra, thejcvi and the com

the university of edinburgh. thank you both very much indeed. good morning. so many questions, things to get through. callum semple, we know this lockdown has come into place. very much like march but with some differences. do you think this is what was necessary? necessary and sadly, inevitable. the combination of the new variant, along with lifting restrictions for the festive period, is what is causing this problem. and of the nature of the high infectivity means that so many more people are getting sick at the same time as putting huge pressure on our services and starting to put pressure on other services as well, including the ability to starve other parts, other sectors of society. professor linda bould, i think when we have spoken to you on many occasions on breakfast in recent weeks, when we have mentioned things like vaccinations, you have a lwa ys things like vaccinations, you have always tempered that good news with always tempered that good news with a bot. isuppose always tempered that good news wit

of edinburgh. you're both very welcome. let's first of all reflect on the awful figures that we had through christmas yesterday on coronavirus on deaths, on cases, on hospitalisations, itjust looks terrible at the minute doesn't it? yeah, very sad obviously and my heart goes out to people who are losing loved once. this is a consequence of the fact that we have had high levels of case and cases turn into people who become unwell and a proportion will lose their lives. this is a reminder to us why we're doing what we are doing to try to keep the numbers as low as we can can and relieve the pressure from the nhs, because some of the people who are also losing their lives are not losing their lives to coronavirus, but to the fact that the nhs is so overwhelmed it can't provide the care that people need for other kinds of problems. so it is important that we fight this on multiple fronts and do our best to keep the numbers as low as possible to prioritise those primary and secondary deaths. we talked a

. _ joining me now is devi sridhar, professor of global public health at the university of edinburgh. afternoon to you. i do not know if you have had time to absorb these latest figures from the office for national statistics. the headline is that they have not changed very much in england. 0ne that they have not changed very much in england. one in 55 people have tested positive for the virus. in wales, that is one in 70. in scotland, one in 110. in northern ireland, one in 50. what does that make you think, are we going in the right direction, but too slowly? i think itjust shows right direction, but too slowly? i think it just shows what a difficult think itjust shows what a difficult situation we are in. we are in pretty severe restrictions, not as strict as march, but still a lot of things shut down. and the numbers are not coming down the way we saw them come down in the springtime. this really point to needing a longer term strategy and how we are going to deal with this virus because we cannot continue to live under restrictions four months and months and continue to take thou

we'rejoined now by linda bauld, who's professor of public health at the university of edinburgh. we get a sense that we need to reflect on what has happened today. it is so challenging to know that there are many countries who have been hard—hit by this pandemic, but the uk has suffered such a terrible skill are preventable deaths. there are really only four countries that have had more people dry than us, and they are really big countries like the us and brazil. so we will always be looking back and asking what exactly went wrong, but today we do have to deflect as you have been doing on your programme on those who have lost their lives. fine those who have lost their lives. one ofthe those who have lost their lives. one of the grimmest _ those who have lost their lives. one of the grimmest statistics from all of the grimmest statistics from all of those we went through yesterday, a quarter of all those total deaths have occurred in the last one. there is a real stark warning that we are still in the thick of this. —— in the last month. still in the thick of this. -- in t

of edinburgh who can answer some of your questions. good morning to you both. as usual, we have lots of questions. since the time we last spoke, we have passed that milestone and there are some dreadful words attached to this. these are people, families, stories, peoples lives and i wonder like everybody else, you could pick up one after the other, what we all thought, what were your thoughts is that number happened? we heard we reached that point.— reached that point. obviously very, ve sad. reached that point. obviously very, very sad- it — reached that point. obviously very, very sad- it is _ reached that point. obviously very, very sad- it is a _ reached that point. obviously very, very sad. it is a terrible _ reached that point. obviously very, very sad. it is a terrible milestone l very sad. it is a terrible milestone but at the same time i was buoyed by the positive messages. we had not one but two new vaccines which have got to the stage of phase three. they are showing positive results and that will enormously buoy up our

of edinburgh. good morning to both of you. linda, can i start with you? this is a thought rather than a question. it is something a lot of people are having anecdotal conversations about. it feels like the virus is getting closer. inevitably, ithink over time that is something that is a fact. you will know someone, had a connection. but there is that sense generally, as we look at the statistics and think about it terms of everyday life. . , ,., y think about it terms of everyday life. . , ., , think about it terms of everyday life. ~ , ., , ~ life. absolutely, and this week we haven't seen _ life. absolutely, and this week we haven't seen the _ life. absolutely, and this week we haven't seen the ons _ life. absolutely, and this week we haven't seen the ons infection . haven't seen the ons infection survey data which is normally released on a friday. you will remember that the figures were really high, one in 20 people in some parts of the country, one in 50 elsewhere. it is much closer to us just

, who's professor of public health at the university of edinburgh. good morning to you both. i will start to thought with you first. but will pick up on people because my question is any moment. in relation to what was seen yesterday and people may have been opening the papers this morning and seeing these headlines about the increased risk of death from the new variant. now do you want to take us through some of the science behind that because on the face of it, it is an alarming headline and you look at the science. can you take us through that? ~ ., ., ~ ., ., , that? well, we do not know for sure what is going _ that? well, we do not know for sure what is going on _ that? well, we do not know for sure what is going on yet. _ that? well, we do not know for sure what is going on yet. indeed, - that? well, we do not know for sure what is going on yet. indeed, if- that? well, we do not know for sure what is going on yet. indeed, if you | what is going on yet. indeed, if you listened to the press briefing yesterday evening, you will realise that the n

i'm joined now by dr elly gaunt, a virologist at edinburgh university's roslin institute. do you think people are complying with the current lockdown as much as they were in the first lockdown last year? i am not sure whether compliance is more of an issue but we know the measures that are being put in place are less strict than they were in the first lockdown. more people have key worker designation where they did not in the first lockdown, so people are more freely moving around than they were. do you think the current measures are working as well as you would like? they are i would say insufficient against this new variant of coronavirus because we are seeing the spread of the virus, we have not got the are a number below one and these measures are not going to implement that. —— r number. everyone infected is going to infect at least one other person, thatis to infect at least one other person, that is going to lead to an increase in cases. our people complying with the rules and restrictions less than they were, perhaps? there is an element of fatigue with this an

i'm joined by professor ailsa henderson of edinburgh university, who runs the scottish election study and monitors public opinion in scotland. welcome. just talk us through some of the headlines of the latest polls regarding public opinion because borisjohnson doesn't come out so well in quite a few of them? boris johnson doesn't come out so well in quite a few of them? hello, no, well in quite a few of them? hello, no. although _ well in quite a few of them? hello, no, although that _ well in quite a few of them? hello, no, although that is _ well in quite a few of them? hello, no, although that is not _ well in quite a few of them? hello, no, although that is not really - well in quite a few of them? hello, | no, although that is not really new. we knew this before he was elected leader of the conservative party that he was not popular in scotland, and that is not the case ofjust a scottish electorate led by and large didn't vote for the current conservative governmentjust not liking a conservative prime minister. he was also unpopular among scottish conservative voters and we know

let‘s speak to professor & chair of global public health, edinburgh university medical school devi sridhar. thank you for your time this afternoon. as we mark the start of this massive vaccination programme, where do you think we are in terms of the spread of this virus at the moment? i think right now we are in white a dangerous point because we can see the numbers are starting to flatten in places but are still at quite a high level, so we will see deaths in the thousands and you will probably reach at 100,000 death milestone before the end of the month, and at the same time, the vaccines are rolling out which is incredibly positive so mixed news, staying ahead of the virus with the vaccine is not helping us through the winter months but there is light ahead because there is a way through this crisis in the medium term. picking up on what you were just discussing, do you think the government has got the vaccinia —— vaccination strategy right and making sure as many people as possible get that first jab perhaps at the expense of the speed of the second. it is an impossible decision an

let's speak to professor and chair of global public health, at edinburgh university medical school, devi sridhar. thank you forjoining us. we have got the new restrictions in under travel corridors have been closed and you have to test negative before you come to the uk and still self—isolate. what is your view on the introduction and the timing of the introduction and the timing of the measures?— the introduction and the timing of the measures? well, it is better we not there, the measures? well, it is better we got there, better _ the measures? well, it is better we got there, better late _ the measures? well, it is better we got there, better late than - the measures? well, it is better we got there, better late than never. got there, better late than never and i'm actually quite optimistic because i feel like we are getting towards where we need to be going into the summer months, which is, we now have restrictions in place which means the numbers are coming down, hopefully hospitals, some of the pressure will start to be released when we get to february. we have vaccines being r