Tonight at 6 more than 60,000 people have now died in the uk with coronavirus. Yet another family left grieving 79 year old Mickey Morris died within a week of falling ill. Its going to take us as individuals, as Family Members, as a country and a whole world, a long time to recover from Something Like this. Rolling into the uk from belgium the first doses of the newly approved Pfizer Vaccine are expected today. Well have the latest on who will get it and how quickly. Also tonight. Four people have been killed after a blast at a Water Treatment site near bristol this Morning Police have declared a major incident. This is a tragic incident and our thoughts and sympathies go out to them. Those officers will continue to provide them with all the support
they need at this difficult time. A levels and gcses will go ahead in england next summer, but therell be more generous marking and advance notice of exam topics to make up for all the disruption. And the panto will go on last minute rehearsals for Beverly Knight as the curtain goes up for some christmas shows, despite all the restrictions. And coming up on bbc news a lifeline for lower league clubs. The efl and premier league agree a £250 million package to help those struggling as a result of the pandemic. Good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. More than 60,000 people have now
died in the uk with coronavirus. The grim milestone was reached on the day that the first doses of the newly approved Pfizer Vaccines are expected to arrive in the uk from belgium. The first phase of the roll out should begin next week. Englands deputy chief medical 0fficer, professorjonathan van tam, says 99 of covid 19 deaths could be prevented, if theres a very high uptake ofjabs in the most vulnerable groups. Heres our Health Editor, hugh pym. He was a cell mate to my grandmother, he was my best friend. He put a smile on everyones faces he met. Soulmate. He put a smile on everyones faces he met. Soulmate. Olivia remembers happy times with her grandad, gary. He died in hospital with covid. He had Underlying Health issues that he was just 61. It was his funeral on tuesday. Before he passed away, we were able to say
goodbye on facetime. Although it was lovely, i wish we were able to hold his hand and tell it was ok. Mickey died last month after being diagnosed with covid. His family say he will be much missed in his community. His daughter in law said he was a local bristol legend. The speed of it and shock of it has left us speed of it and shock of it has left us all absolutely devastated. We are reeling from it. We cant believe its happened. He was larger than life and i always say i thought he would outlive all of us. All this a reminder of the cruel reality of covid and y vaccine doses like these are so covid and y vaccine doses like these are so important. Some have been in transit to the uk on the eurotunnel from the pfizer plant in belgium. Phase one of the uk roll out will start next week and Health Leaders are encouraged. If we can get through the phase one and its a highly effective vaccine and there is very, very high uptake, then we
could, in theory, take out 99 of hospitalisations and deaths. Some major hospitals like this one have been designated as vaccine centres. It is understood the policy in england will require them to prioritise patients who are 80 or over, for example those coming in for appointments. Nhs staff and care home workers will be invited in for theirjabs. The home workers will be invited in for their jabs. The first home workers will be invited in for theirjabs. The first minister said scotlands vaccinations would start on tuesday. That will be a significant landmark in our collective struggle against the virus and although we still have difficult months ahead, the awareness that vaccination is starting well im sure make many of us starting well im sure make many of us feel more hopeful as we enter the christmas period. For the families of mickey and gary, there are mixed feelings after the news the vaccine is about to become a reality. He was only 61. Maybe he could have had longer. I cant look at the vaccine knowing we couldnt save him. Its
too late for him. You know, i only implore everybody who is offered the vaccine to take it because you do not want to find yourself for a precious loved Family Memberlike yourself for a precious loved Family Member like mickey yourself for a precious loved Family Memberlike mickey in yourself for a precious loved Family Member like mickey in a similar situation. The vaccine is on its way. Military and nhs staff have been setting up specialist hubs like this one ashton gate stadium in bristol but the Wider Population may have to wait a little while to get their chance to have it. Hugh pym, bbc news. So, the first doses of the vaccine are arriving here today but government Scientists Say restrictions on our lives will still be needed for several months if not longer. 0ur science editor David Shukman reports on the new vacccines and the way ahead. A gloomy afternoon although at least there is now a pathway out of the pandemic, with the prospect of the first vaccine to keep people safe is. So, what questions remain unanswered . Well, the first is, how long will immunity last after you have been vaccinated . Well, that is still not clear. Studies show that the injections, three weeks apart, massively reduce the severity of the disease but scientists dont know if that protection keeps going. We have no clear idea at the moment about how long natural immunity, so immunity following the infection with the virus, or indeed immunity that has been generated through vaccination, how long it will last. We would certainly hope it will last several months, if not years. So, its possible we will an annual vaccination, as with the winter flu. All this has to be worked out. Next, will the vaccine stop the spread of the virus . If you have had the vaccine, you could still carry the virus without knowing and maybe pass it to people around you if they have yet to have theirjabs. That is because the vaccine will be injected into the arm to create antibodies to fight the effects of the disease. But the virus itself may still be present in the nose and throat. So, its possible that someone vaccinated may be able to infect others. No one can yet be sure. It could be that the vaccination could allow the virus to carry on replicating in the nose but not actually causing symptoms and that could mean that actually, you can still be a vector, despite having been vaccinated and despite being personally protected. Then theres the question of how many people need to have the vaccine. The more infectious the virus, the more it matters to get a high proportion of the population vaccinated, at least 90 for measles, more like 66 for covid. The more people who can receive the vaccine and get it, the less the virus has a chance to spread in the community and therefore, we minimise the risk to those Vulnerable People in whom the vaccine does not really work as well as it might. So, getting the vaccine once its available is something you can really do to help protect other people as well as protecting yourself. So, everything hinges on making sure as many people as possible say yes to the vaccine and until they have had it, to keep following the guidance about staying safe. David shukman, bbc news. The latest government figures show new infections continuing to fall. There were 111,879 new Coronavirus Infections recorded in the latest 24 hour period. The average number of new cases reported per day in the last week is now 14,408. 1,395 people had been admitted to hospital on average each day over the week to last friday. 414 deaths were reported, thats people who died within 28 days of a positive covid 19 test. That means on average in the past week, 441 deaths were announced every day. It takes the total number of deaths so far across the uk to 60,113. 0ur Health Editor hugh pym is here. A huge relief to see this vaccine is starting to arrive in the uk but restrictions are not going to be lifted anytime soon, are they, despite that . At westminster, the optimistic view from ministers is some form of normality will return after easter. In other words, the spring of next year. In the meantime, it will need some sort of restrictions to bring the transmission rate right down, to cut case number cut the number of deaths we are seeing. It will all depend on the roll out of the vaccine, how successful as it is, as we had from jonathan van tam, what the take up is up is and what extent it protects the most vulnerable out there, particularly elderly people and those with underlying conditions. We will have to see how it works out. In the meantime, we have this depressing figure of 60,000 deaths
in the uk, deaths within 28 days of a positive test. There is a wider measure including everyone who died with covid on their death certificate and that is more than 70,000. The uk, sadly, the death rate per 100,000 of the population is right up there among the highest of the leading economies, below only spain and italy. So there are hopes for the future with the vaccine but this is the sobering reality right 110w. This is the sobering reality right now. Our Health Editor hugh pym, thank you. Four people have died and one other has been injured after an explosion at a waste Water Treatment works in avonmouth near bristol. Fire crews and police were called to the site of the blast this morning. Jon kay is there for us. Yes, in the last few minutes, the Prime Minister and the mayor of bristol have both paid tribute to those who died here and to the emergency services. Exactly what happened is not clear yet but it seems the blast was in one of the silos of this site which holds biomaterials as part of the waste
water recycling process. What we do know is that tonight four families are grieving. 11 20am and a major incident, just a quarter of a mile from the m5 motorway. A large explosion in one of the giant tanks at this Sewage Treatment works, run by wessex water. There was a gentle whoosh at first, followed by an extremely loud explosion. This lorry driver was delivering goods at the time and got trapped on the neighbouring site. It sounded like a large collapse of something. It was not like a sound i had heard before. I didnt know what it was. Pure confusion. Nobody knew what the situation was. Teams from six fire stations across bristol raced to the scene but this evening, it emerged that this was no longer a rescue operation. Sadly, despite the best efforts of all those involved, we can confirm there have been four fatalities. This includes three employees of wessex water and one contractor. A fifth person has been taken to hospital but their injuries are not thought to be life threatening. Police are promising a thorough investigation involving several agencies. But they say the incident is not believed to be terror related and there is no risk to the wider public. Jawad was working in a warehouse a mile away. I said straightaway it is an explosion because i was in my office and i felt it. You felt it . Yes, like, shaking, you know. That must have been terrifying . Yeah, yeah. It was a really bad moment for everyone, the workers here. In a statement tonight, wessex water described the incident as tragic, saying staff are absolutely devastated. Jon kay, bbc news, avonmouth. Gcses and a levels will go ahead in england next summer. But therell be a range of special measures because of the disruption to pupils education, including more generous grades. Schools with get further details
on how exams will be slimmed down in january. But there are concerns that Different Levels of disruption around the country will be hard to take into account. Meanwhile, in wales, all exams have been cancelled. In scotland, pupils will only sit highers. In Northern Ireland, though, all exams will go ahead. Heres our education editor, bra nwen jeffreys. Building theirfuture job prospects, back after a two week school closure. In the medway towns of kent, more than half of all secondary pupils were home last week. Even so, harry, danieland joseph all want to sit their gcse exams. It would allow us to know our potential, know what we have accomplished because it is a moment in our lives. The majority of the year has been wasted on lockdown and we havent had that much time to fully educate ourselves, in terms of gcses. I feel like employers, they might think that these
are like fake grades if were given higher, so they might pick someone else for a job. Gcse and a level exams in 2021 will be made easier, with more generous grading, advance notice of topics and some study aids allowed measures, the government says, will make exams fair. Everyone in all of our schools and colleges is working as hard as they can to make sure that no pupil loses out because of covid and that the future they are dreaming of is still very much within their reach. Im determined that the coronavirus is not going to jeopardise the life chances of this years pupils. Hell need to convince parents. These mums have kids taking exams next year. Its the fairness of it. If youre going to change different things, are you going to change that for next year . Why didnt you change it for last years students . No matter what happens, theres going to be someone whos not happy. Theyre like the covid results, the covid students, theyre not. Its not the same as whats been gone before and i think they will be judged either way if, you know, if its a bit low or a bit high, people will look at it with suspicion, perhaps. This school, like many others, is taking all the government help on offer, like the laptop scheme. Its waiting to hear if it will get support from the National Tutoring fund. But there are fears of more disruption in the new year and even with all these measures, time between now and the exams is increasingly tight. In terms of is that enough . Its worrying. There are a few months left until exams start and i would love to see a further measure, perhaps a reduction in the number of exams. That could go some way to help and, you know, allay some fears right now. Also, the topics. We need to know the topics as specifically as possible, as soon as possible. And what if their School Closes again . A promise the government will look at lost learning but no solution yet on how to take it into account. Branwenjeffreys, bbc news, chatham. The time is 6. 16pm. Our top story this evening. 61 year old ghalijohn 61 year old ghali john williams, 61 year old ghalijohn williams, one of the latest victims of the pandemic is the death toll passes 60,000. Three football strips. Two harrods hampers. And the panto will go on last minute rehearsals as the curtain goes up for some christmas shows despite all the restrictions. Coming up on sportsday on bbc news, champion jockey 0isin murphy speaks about his three month ban after a positive drugs test and maintains he never took cocaine. He says he has learned a huge lesson. On new years eve, england, scotland and wales will leave the eus Single Market for goods. Northern ireland effectively wont. And whatever happens with a brexit trade deal, the eus customs rules will also continue to apply at ports in Northern Ireland. Neither the eu nor the uk wanted to restore a hard border on the island of ireland, given the troubles of the past. At the moment, there are hardly any checks on goods travelling between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. But from january 1st, there will be new rules governing trade across the irish sea, and additional checks will be required on many goods arriving in to Northern Ireland from Great Britain. As emma vardy reports, lots of businesses say theyre unprepared for the huge changes ahead. How food gets from Great Britain and Northern Ireland is changing. To Northern Ireland is changing. It is the compromise with the eu that was agreed, for Northern Ireland to continue following a lot of eu rules while for the rest of the uk,
thats about to end. Food products, particularly of animal origin like meat, fish and cheese, are going to need eu documentation when they come into Northern Ireland to make sure they are ok to enter the eu. Items like pizza could need multiple certificates just for the toppings. And other goods, too, will need additional declarations to make sure eu tariffs have been paid. Whether there is a trade deal or not, new checks that never existed before will be carried out at Northern Irelands ports. But many retailers are warning that added paperwork means some products could become more expensive in Northern Ireland than in the rest of the uk. You are talking about cost rises on everyday items, quite simply, 70 of the value of everything that crosses the irish sea is for retailers shelves. But even those things that are produced in Northern Ireland, either packaging or ingredients, will come from Great Britain, too. Eu and uk officials are still trying
to agree ways to iron out issues over the irish sea border. But for food distributors, there are still a lot of Unanswered Questions about exactly how it is going to work. We have almost three weeks to go and we dont have any formal government guidance at this point so it is very difficult for us as a company and even our suppliers to plan. Low marginal goods could disappear from our shelves. A