Covid-19: PM hopes to avoid third lockdown in England, and school staff 'broken'
Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Friday evening. We'll have another update for you tomorrow morning.
1. PM 'hoping to avoid' national lockdown in England PM Boris Johnson says he is "hoping to avoid" another national lockdown in England but admits Covid cases have increased "very much" in recent weeks. He was speaking after a tough new six-week lockdown was announced in Northern Ireland from 26 December. Wales will also begin a lockdown on 28 December, while the Scottish government says "all options are on the table". 2. School staff 'broken' by England's late Covid test plan School staff feel "broken" by last-minute demands for them to run testing schemes in secondary schools in England, a head teacher says. Teachers and administrators face working over Christmas to get ready for January - but the PM says mass testing can help get pupils back safely. 3. UK R number back above one The UK's R - or reproduction - number is now estimated to be between 1.1 and 1.2, meaning the epidemic is growing once again. Covid-19 cases have risen to an estimated 660,000 infections across the UK between 6-12 December. Meanwhile, a further 28,507 new coronavirus cases were recorded in the UK on Friday, with a further 489 deaths within 28 days of a positive test. 4. Christmas post delays blamed on 'high demand' Still have Christmas cards and parcels to send? Well, you might want to think about getting a move on. The Royal Mail says its network is running as usual - despite what it describes as "exceptionally high volumes". There have been complaints about delivery delays from businesses and consumers across the UK. 5. Is rule-breaking causing the surge? Get a longer daily news briefing from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning, by signing up here. And don't forget... ...if you're concerned about the prospect of picking up - or passing on - the virus over Christmas, we have some advice from scientists. You can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page. What questions do you have about coronavirus? In some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy. Use this form to ask your question: Your contact info I am over 16 years old I accept the Terms of Service The BBC retains the right to select from these contributions based on editorial requirements and subject to online terms and conditions and BBC editorial guidelines. For more information about how the BBC handles your personal data, see here. If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.