Service personnel began deploying this week and are expected to be on task for three weeks. Forty teams of five personnel, each comprised of one medic and four general duties personnel will be distributed flexibly to ensure support is targeted towards the areas where the need is greatest.

Military medics will assist NHS staff with patient care. General duty personnel will support with tasks such as maintaining stocks, checking in patients on arrival and conducting basic checks.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

The men and women of our Armed Forces are once again stepping up to support their dedicated colleagues in the NHS, as they work hand-in-hand to protect the nation from Covid-19.

They have shown their worth time and again throughout this pandemic, whether driving ambulances, administering vaccines or supporting patients in hospital and they should be proud of their contribution to this truly national effort.

Defence are also providing 32 military co-responders to provide additional capacity to the South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS). Those deployed will work alongside SCAS paramedics and are expected to be on task until the end of March.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said:

Our brilliant armed forces have supported the country throughout the pandemic, bolstering the teams at testing sites, vaccination centres and hospitals.

Once again they are stepping up to assist NHS workers who are working round the clock across the capital, helping the health service through this difficult winter period where the need is greatest.

The most important thing you can do is get boosted now to protect your loved ones and communities from COVID-19.

Regional Chief Nurse for the NHS in London Jane Clegg said:

We are thankful for the support of the Armed Forces alongside thousands of NHS staff, as they respond to the increased demands brought by Covid – ensuring continued high quality care and treatment for the many Londoners being looked after by the NHS this winter.

This support is being provided through the Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) process and is in addition to more than 1,000 Armed Forces personnel who are already deployed across the UK to support the response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Military personnel are assisting ambulance trusts in the devolved nations, with 313 available to support the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust (WAST), and 96 continuing to support the Scottish Ambulance Service.

More than 1,000 servicemen and women have also already been made available to support the vaccine booster programme, including 730 in England, 221 in Scotland and 98 in Wales.

Since March 2020, the military has supported over 440 tasks as part of Operation Rescript – the Ministry of Defence’s support to the UK’s response to the pandemic.

Personnel supporting on Operation Rescript tasks have deployed from across the three services – Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force – and are a mixture of regulars and reservists.

Businesses in England most impacted by the Omicron variant will be able to tap into a multimillion-pound support package in the coming weeks, as the government today (7 January) delivered funding to councils across the country.

Firms in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors, many of which have seen a decline in footfall and increased cancellations due to the Omicron variant, will be able to apply for one-off grants of up to £6,000 per premises depending on rateable value:

• businesses with a rateable value of £51,000 or above: £6,000
• businesses with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000: £4,000
• businesses with a rateable value of £15,000 or below: £2,667

In addition, more than £100 million worth of discretionary funding is also being made available for local authorities to support other businesses.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said:

All through the pandemic we have stood by the side of business to ensure they are supported at every stage.

The spread of the Omicron variant is presenting new challenges, particularly for the hospitality and leisure sectors, so it’s only right that we are stepping up with an urgent £1 billion support package.

I urge businesses to come forward, engage with their local council and tap into these cash grants, which will help to cover costs and protect jobs as we double down on our efforts to get boosted and defeat this virus.

The grant funding forms part of a £1 billion support package which includes an additional £30 million for the Culture Recovery Fund and reintroducing the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme – reimbursing eligible businesses for the cost of Statutory Sick Pay for COVID-related absences.

Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer said:

We know the Omicron variant has hit our hospitality and leisure businesses – which is why, as we have throughout the pandemic, we stepped in to help.

From today, local councils will be able to distribute this £1 billion package of support to the hundreds of thousands of pubs, restaurants and theatres in need – protecting the millions of people they employ.

Businesses are encouraged to apply to their council for grant funding which will be administered over the coming weeks. Find your local authority on GOV.UK.

Businesses eligible for grants are those that offer in-person services, where the main service and activity takes place in a fixed rate-paying premises, in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors. For example, this includes businesses whose main function is providing a venue for the consumption and sale of food and drink, those that provide facilities linked to recreation and entertainment, as well as businesses whose main premise is used for holiday accommodation.

The government has chosen to provide generous grants that are the same size as the monthly cash grants provided to hospitality businesses when they were fully closed earlier this year – despite businesses now being still able to trade.

Other businesses impacted by Omicron, such as those that supply the hospitality and leisure sectors as well as personal care services, are also able to apply for grants with the government allocating more than £100 million to the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) fund for local authorities in England.

Local authorities will have discretion to allocate this funding to businesses most in need.

The Business Secretary has written to those local authorities who have more than 5% left over from previous ARG funding rounds, instructing them to disburse their remaining funding.

The £1 billion support package consists of:

• £635 million for targeted grants for hospitality and leisure businesses in England
• £102 million top-up for the Additional Restrictions Grant
• £30 million for Culture Recovery Fund
• £154 million of Barnett funding covering all three above
• Funding for the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate scheme will be additional to these amounts

Further information will be available in the published factsheets.

The one-off grants of up to £6,000 for eligible businesses in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors, depend on rateable value:

• businesses with a rateable value of £51,000 or above: £6,000
• businesses with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000: £4,000
• businesses with a rateable value of £15,000 or below: £2,667
• The additional funding is the third top-up to the ARG scheme. The most recent data on local authority payments to businesses is to 28 November 2021 and so does not capture any recent spending. As of this date 88% of the funding available prior to this third top-up had been spent
• note that local authority funding allocations for the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant have been calculated using the latest available data (31 March 2021) on business numbers provided by the VOA
• figures by local authority are available on request

Diplomat for a Day activities

If you win the competition you will be invited to spend a day at the 3 Embassies located in Brussels, shadowing senior leaders and learning about the work of a diplomat. You will also be able to take part in a discussion with business and civil society on the importance of gender equality. The Embassies will cover travel and accommodation costs in Brussels.

Why you should enter this competition

Women and girls represent half of the world’s population and therefore also half of its potential. Today there are too few women in international diplomacy, including women from under-represented backgrounds, whether ethnic, religious, economic, cultural, or personal identity, among others. Women are not represented at parity in political and business sectors.

To end this underrepresentation, we must ensure equality of opportunity and equitable outcomes for everyone.

This is why we, Canada, the UK and the US, are working towards gender equality around the world. The Diplomat for a Day competition is a joint initiative by the 3 Embassies that aims to encourage young women and girls to become leaders and advocates for change, including through mentorship opportunities.

Who can enter

You can enter this competition if, when you apply, you:

• are a Belgian citizen, including a dual national
• identify as a girl or woman
• are between the ages of 16 to 19 years old or turn 16 in 2022

You do not need to pay to enter this competition.

How to enter

To enter, you must answer one of the following questions:

• what motivates you to become a diplomat?
• why do you think it’s important to advocate for women’s rights and/or equal rights?
• what positive change would you like to see in your community regarding women’s rights and equal rights, and how can you contribute to making that change happen?
• what more can governments and multilateral organisations do to promote women’s rights and/or equal rights?

Write or record your answer and either:

You must also fill in the Diplomat For A Day 2022 application form (ODT, 7.35 KB) and send it to diplomatforadaybelgium@gmail.com.

Your video or essay can be in Dutch, English, French or German. However, as communication during Diplomat for a Day will largely be in English, you will need to have a good level of English to be able to fully participate.

Deadlines

Make sure you enter the competition in time:

• competition opens: 8 January 2022
• deadline for applications: 13 February 2022
• competition winners contacted: 14 to 18 February 2022
• competition winners announced: 21 February 2022

More people aged 65 and over have received their flu vaccine this year than ever before.

Uptake in pregnant women, those with underlying health conditions, and preschoolers remains behind uptake in older adults.

Of people aged 65 and over, 81.4% have already come forward for their flu vaccination this season, according to the latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). This is the highest uptake in this age group on record, above the end of season uptake of 80.9% last year.

Thanks to those eligible for the vaccine coming forward, it means that England has already exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) target of 75% in this age group for this winter season.

However, uptake in pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions remains low in comparison to older adults (37.1% for pregnant women and 49.2% for those under 65 with underlying health conditions), and preschool vaccination rates are less than last year’s record uptake during the same period (49.0% of 3-year olds and 46.6% in all 2-year olds). Uptake recorded in healthcare workers is also lower than at this point in previous years.

Dr Conall Watson, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said:

Flu can cause serious illness and be fatal. Flu vaccines save lives. That’s why it is so good to see that a record number of people aged 65 years old and over are now vaccinated against flu.

But there are still many people in younger eligible groups – pregnant women and people with underlying medical conditions – who have not yet been vaccinated against flu this winter and are at risk of serious complications from flu infection.

If you are eligible, please book your flu vaccine as soon as possible to help protect yourself and family this winter.

Dr Nikki Kanani, GP and medical director of primary care for NHS England, said:

This is testament to the hard work of health professionals across the country in rolling out the biggest free flu drive in healthcare history, in addition to delivering an incredible coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination programme.

With more people than ever eligible for a free flu vaccine, it is fantastic to see such strong uptake of the flu vaccine so far, with millions of people having already received their dose of protection and I urge anyone who is eligible – including pregnant women, those with underlying health conditions, everyone aged 50 and above and frontline health and care workers – to come forward and book their vaccine as soon as possible.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said:

It is incredible that more people aged 65 and over have received their flu vaccine this year than ever before. Getting your winter vaccines – whether that is your flu jab if eligible or your booster jab – is one of the most important things people can do this winter.

Record numbers of people took up the offer of a free flu vaccine last year and the programme is expanding even further this year, with a record 35 million people in England eligible.

Don’t delay – all those eligible should book their winter vaccines as soon as possible.

Flu is a highly infectious disease and can lead to serious complications for those living with a long-term health condition, including respiratory and heart conditions, diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease or a chronic neurological disease like multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy.

People with underlying health conditions overall are around 11 times more likely to die if they catch flu compared to healthy adults.

Pregnant women are also at increased risk of serious complications and should have the flu vaccine to help protect themselves and their babies. UKHSA and NHSEI urge these people to come forward for the flu vaccine as soon as possible before a potential rise in flu cases this year.

You can get your flu jab from your own GP practice or free from any pharmacy offering NHS flu vaccinations.

Pregnant women can ask their maternity provider for the free flu vaccine and some of those visiting hospitals – either as inpatients or outpatients – may also be offered the flu vaccine there.

School aged children will be invited for a flu vaccination via their local vaccination service.

Preschoolers (aged 2 or 3 on 31 August 2021) are offered nasal flu vaccination through their GP practice.

You are eligible for a free flu vaccination if you are:

• aged 50 years old and over (including those aged 50 by 31 March 2022)
• have certain health conditions
• live with someone who is immunocompromised
• are pregnant
• receive a carer’s allowance or are the main carer of an older or disabled person who may be at risk if you get sick

Children aged 2 and 3 years old on the 31 August 2021 and school-aged child from Reception up to Year 11 are also eligible for the flu vaccine.

Frontline health and social care workers should be offered a flu vaccine through their employer either in their workplace or another local service. They can also have an NHS flu vaccine at a GP surgery or a pharmacy if:

• they are a health or social care worker employed by a registered residential care or nursing home, registered homecare organisation or a hospice
• they work in NHS primary care (such as in a GP surgery, pharmacy, dental surgery or opticians) and have direct contact with patients – this includes contractors, non-clinical staff and locums
• they provide health or social care through direct payments or personal health budgets, or both