Watch: Your latest news headlines from Newcastle on Thursday, December 16

Newcastle’s capacity to meet the Government’s booster jab target by the end of the year is 53,000 vaccinations short of the target.

Newcastle’s health services had the capacity to administer 20,000 jabs before the end of the year but that has now jumped to around 45,000 as health chiefs race to meet the huge demand for jab appointments and walk in clinics.

Meanwhile, a North East health boss has said that the shortage of lateral flow test should end quite quickly.

Newcastle’s Public Health Director, Professor Eugene Milne, said that the problems with accessing lateral flow tests should be resolved soon.

And finally, Newcastle City Council heard from the hospitality industry in the region that their turnover has already been slashed as people cancel their Christmas parties.

The Chief Executive of Tourism and Investment said that the switch to Plan B will be ’hugely damaging’ and ’could cause a spike in post Christmas job losses’.