The Omicron variant of the coronavirus has spread rapidly across the world since its discovery in South Africa and Botswana in late November and has steadily increased the number of daily infections wherever it has been found.

Highly transmissible, the strain caused the UK to reach a pandemic record of 218,724 new cases on January 4 but, so far, the spike in the infection rate has not translated into an unsustainable level of hospitalizations and deaths.

There’s still a lot we don’t know about Omicron, but its symptoms are much more like those of the common cold, largely characterized by a runny nose, sneezing and sore throat, whereas the original strain of the virus that emerged in Wuhan, China in late 2019 was defined by fever, cough, and unpleasant loss of the patient’s sense of taste or smell.

More than half of councils in England are using exceptional measures to ration social care, a survey has found.

The Omicron variant of Covid-19 is forcing so many staff to take sick leave or self-isolate that systems can no longer keep up with the growing demand, council chiefs say.

They called the situation a “worsening national emergency”.

Jane Dalton has the details.

Boris Johnson cannot fix the problems facing the NHS because the Partygate scandal has left him ‘unable to lead’, Sir Keir Starmer is about to say.

The Labor leader is set to accuse the Prime Minister of losing his authority and being ‘too preoccupied with defending his breaking of the rules’ to tackle the huge challenges facing the health service.

Mr Johnson is fighting to save his job as Prime Minister after admitting to attending a ‘bring your own booze’ event in May 2020, with further reports that he left drinks at No 10 and Whitehall during the pandemic, written Adam Forest.

Downing Street staff have reportedly organized Friday night drinks throughout the pandemic, with Boris Johnson regularly seeing them do so.

Prime Minister encouraged his aides to ‘let off steam’ despite being banned from socializing indoors during lockdown, The mirror reported a source as saying.

The newspaper said weekend ‘wine hour Fridays’ had become so common that staff bought a £142 drinks fridge and would drive to a nearby Tesco with a suitcase to refuel of wine and beer, written Liam James.

A Sudanese man in his twenties died trying to cross the English Channel in freezing conditions, according to French authorities.

He fell overboard when a boat ran into trouble shortly after leaving the coast south of Boulogne in the early hours of Friday morning.

He was found unconscious by French rescue teams and brought ashore, where he was pronounced dead.

So far this year, more than 450 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats.

Laurie Churchman reports.

Ministers have given farmers the green light to use a pesticide banned for bees in England for the second year running.

The government went against the advice of its own scientific advisers, who said they saw no justification for applying the neonicotinoid to sugar beet this year, writes Jane Dalton.

A single teaspoon of thiamethoxam is toxic enough to kill 1.25 billion bees, according to biology professor and insect expert Dave Goulson, and wildlife chiefs have warned the decision could devastate bee populations already in trouble.

A Sudanese man in his twenties died trying to cross the English Channel in freezing conditions, according to French authorities.

He fell overboard when a boat ran into trouble shortly after leaving the coast south of Boulogne in the early hours of Friday morning.

He was found unconscious by French rescue teams and brought ashore, where he was pronounced dead.

So far this year, more than 450 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats.

The Home Office is facing legal action over proposals to turn back small boats at sea, a tactic campaigners say could put lives at risk.

Laurie Churchman reports.

Some senior Tory MPs are calling on the PM to quit – but what do you think? Tell us in the poll below.

Downing Street staff have held ‘wine hour Fridays’ every week during the pandemic which Boris Johnson has encouraged, according to reports.

Regular gatherings were encouraged by the Prime Minister who wanted aides to ‘let off steam’, despite strict lockdown rules prohibiting indoor socializing.

The daily mirror reports that the boozy appointments were programmed into the electronic calendars of around 50 Downing Street employees between 4pm and 7pm.

They were organized by the No10 Press Office and councilors from other parts of the building regularly joined the rallies.

The latest revelations are sure to put further pressure on the beleaguered Prime Minister who faces the most serious challenge to his post as Prime Minister after a series of alleged parties in Downing Street.