believe this is a moment of pride for our nation and a source of hope for our nation and a source of hope for all that we can achieve in the years to come. thank you very much. i think chris. years to come. thank you very much. i think chris. . . i think chris. thank you, prime minister, i think chris. thank you, prime minister, first i think chris. thank you, prime minister, first slide, i think chris. thank you, prime minister, first slide, please. - i think chris. thank you, prime l minister, first slide, please. these have been updated. the first slide is the number of people testing positive for covid in the uk and as you can see, although the omicron wave is now going down, it reached an extraordinarily high peak and the number of people still with omicron is still very high and people, including elderly and vulnerable people, are still being infected. next slide, please. the number of people in hospital with covid in the uk is again still significant and this is still in
this rapid so it s really going to have to be this rapid detection and response at scale this rapid detection and response at scale in this rapid detection and response at scale in order to get testing into the right scale in order to get testing into the right place, depending on what the right place, depending on what the circumstances are. and as chris has indicated, at the moment with omicron has indicated, at the moment with omicron it has indicated, at the moment with omicron, it spread very widely. it hasn t omicron, it spread very widely. it hasn t caused huge numbers, it has caused hasn t caused huge numbers, it has caused some and it has in other countries caused some and it has in other countries caused quite a lot, but in this country countries caused quite a lot, but in this country as an caused huge numbers this country as an caused huge numbers of very ill people or deaths numbers of very ill people or deaths if numbers of very ill people or deaths.
smaller, and you will have seen the fatality numbers we are seeing which is different from the experience on their previous waves, so it is clear that omicron is very different, and milder in the way it behaves. that is one of the reasons, in addition to the vaccines, that we have, the high level of vaccine induced and other immunity, that is one of the reasons we can do what we are doing. chris. two things acknowledged, it is certainly the case that there are hospitals in the uk which are still under significant pressure as a result of omicron and we should be really clear about that, but and this is the big difference, the trajectory is definitely down at the moment, steadily down, and has been for some time. we have some way to go but that is the direction of travel, very different to where we found ourselves in previous periods and some of those people who entered
really, really want to use the opportunity to encourage anybody who is pregnant and has not been vaccinated, please, to do so. that is very important. vaccinated, please, to do so. that is very important. it vaccinated, please, to do so. that is very important. it was - vaccinated, please, to do so. that is very important. it was not right that there was some sentiment against vaccination during pregnancy. against vaccination during pregnancy- against vaccination during ntl’enan . ., ., against vaccination during narenan . ., ., u pregnancy. laura kuenssberg, bbc news. pregnancy. laura kuenssberg, bbc news- you pregnancy. laura kuenssberg, bbc news- you are pregnancy. laura kuenssberg, bbc news. you are scrapping pregnancy. laura kuenssberg, bbc news. you are scrapping free - pregnancy. laura kuenssberg, bbc news. you are scrapping free test| news. you are scrapping free test for all news. you are scrapping free test for all but news. you are scrapping free test for all
fund free tests for all, i know that you have both emphasised the - fund free tests for all, i know that i you have both emphasised the need for good you have both emphasised the need for good surveillance you have both emphasised the need for good surveillance but you have both emphasised the need for good surveillance but testing - you have both emphasised the need for good surveillance but testing is. for good surveillance but testing is being for good surveillance but testing is being scated for good surveillance but testing is being scaled back. for good surveillance but testing is being scaled back. do for good surveillance but testing is being scaled back. do you - for good surveillance but testing is being scaled back. do you worry i being scaled back. do you worry that. being scaled back. do you worry that. in being scaled back. do you worry that. intime being scaled back. do you worry that, in time, that being scaled back. do you worry that, in time, that