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Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Tuesday evening. We'll have another update for you tomorrow morning.
1. Early signs Omicron spreads more easily, No 10 says
Early signs suggest the Omicron variant is more transmissible than the current Delta strain, Downing Street has said. But the prime minister's official spokesman added it was too early to draw conclusions - and any impact would also depend on whether it caused severe illness. There are now 437 confirmed cases of Omicron in the UK, up 101 on Monday. It comes as Welsh health minister Eluned Morgan warned a "significant wave" of Omicron is expected to affect residents, and Scotland said restrictions are to be reviewed on a daily basis due to a rapid increase in cases of the variant.
2. Nearly 70 Spanish medics test positive after Christmas party
Almost 70 medics who attended a large Christmas party in southern Spain have since tested positive for Covid , local authorities said. Most of the 68 infected are doctors and nurses working in the intensive care unit at Málaga's regional hospital. All of the party guests - around 170 people - returned negative antigen tests before the event but more than half are now isolating.
3. Most school pupils fallen behind - watchdog
The schools inspectorate Ofsted says nearly all children in England have suffered as a result of the pandemic , with long-term consequences for them unknown. In its annual report, it says most children have fallen behind in their education - but adds that good, well-structured, face-to-face lessons will help the majority to catch up. The watchdog also said child protection services had lost "the line of sight" to children in risky situations.
4. Hundreds of Tube jobs to go
Hundreds of job roles on the Tube system are set to be axed across the network as Transport for London bids to save cash. Bosses have blamed the "devastating impact" of the pandemic on TfL's finances. They said it made them think about "more efficient" ways to run services. London Underground's Nick Dent said: "We remain completely committed to retaining our customer service offer, with stations staffed at all times while trains are operating."
5. US boss fires 900 employees over Zoom
"If you're on this call you are part of the unlucky group that is being laid off. Your employment here is terminated. Effective immediately." They're the words from the boss of a US firm who has been criticised for firing around 900 of his staff on a single Zoom call . Vishal Garg, chief executive of mortgage firm Better.com, reportedly told staff they had "overhired and hired the wrong people" in the pandemic.
And there's more...
Planning a trip abroad? Covid testing travel rules for people entering the UK have changed - find out how here .
You can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.
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