Dr Susan Hopkins, the UK Health Security Agency’s chief medical adviser, has told BBC presenter Andrew Marr that a "big wave" of Covid infections is imminent. The medical expert warned that further restrictions might be needed to curb the rise in new cases. She added there was uncertainty around how much the Covid vaccine will prevent severe disease in people infected with the new omicron variant.

       Andrew Marr asked the chief medical advisor in the Uk was going to see a "big wave' of new coronavirus infections.

       Dr Hopkins replied: "So it's inevitable that we're going to see a big wave of infections.

       "What we are not yet clear on which is what we are basically making sure people go out and get their vaccination for is how much that will affect hospitals.

       "You'll have seen the results from the modelling, which show that you know, at their best-case scenario was that we which was pretty severe and caused a lot of hospitalizations and deaths to up to twice the height.

       "And I think that shows the uncertainty we have and that uncertainty is related to how much the vaccine will prevent severe disease.

       How much prior immunity will prevent severe disease, not the size of the wave in which I think we're pretty clear.

       It's coming right at us."

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