Matt Hancock will lead today's Downing Street coronavirus press briefing.
Watch live here ⬇️
Watch live here ⬇️
The Health Secretary says 1 in 60 British adults received the coronavirus vaccine last weekend 
More than 9.2 million people have now received the jab in the UK
As of today over half of people in their 70s and 9 in 10 people in their 80s have had the vaccine
Where has the variant first detected in South Africa been discovered in England?
telegraph.co.uk/global-health/…
telegraph.co.uk/global-health/…
The Government has ordered an additional 40 million doses of the Valneva vaccine, which will be manufactured in Livingstone, Scotland
Mr Hancock adds this is part of the government's efforts to build vaccine manufacturing capacity within the UK - and is a key example of the success of a four nations approach.
He pledges to "protect UK supply" while playing a key role in the international distribution"
He pledges to "protect UK supply" while playing a key role in the international distribution"
Matt Hancock says the UK "needs to come down hard" on the new South African variant of the virus, and is testing people in local areas that are thought to be affected
He lists eight postcode areas where cases of the variant have been identified that have not been linked to travel.
These are:
📌 London
⭐ W7
⭐ N17
⭐ CR4
📌 Walsall
⭐ WS2
📌 Kent
⭐ ME15
📌 Hertfordshire
⭐ EN10
📌 Surrey
⭐ GU21
📌 Lancashire
⭐ PR9
These are:
📌 London
⭐ W7
⭐ N17
⭐ CR4
📌 Walsall
⭐ WS2
📌 Kent
⭐ ME15
📌 Hertfordshire
⭐ EN10
📌 Surrey
⭐ GU21
📌 Lancashire
⭐ PR9
Matt Hancock says the Government has a "high degree of confidence" in the contracts with AstraZeneca and Pfizer, and are working with the EU to ensure supply chains remain open
Mr Hancock says he is confident everyone in the first four priority groups will be offered a jab by mid February
NHS England's Professor Stephen Powis says he is "confident" that GPs will reach those in the priority groups by February 15 - irrespective of whether they can travel to centres or not
Carers World says that unpaid workers still don't feel recognised, as the JCVI put them in priority group 6.
Matt Hancock says he knows from his own family how important unpaid carers are and the Government has "looked very carefully" at where they come in the priority list
Matt Hancock says he knows from his own family how important unpaid carers are and the Government has "looked very carefully" at where they come in the priority list
Do you think unpaid carers should be higher up the vaccine priority list? 💉
The Telegraph's Gordon Rayner asks whether the areas where the new strains have been identified should be isolated from the rest of the country.
"Everyone even thinking about stretching the rules in those areas must not," Matt Hancock says
"Everyone even thinking about stretching the rules in those areas must not," Matt Hancock says
Matt Hancock says schools are a priority to reopen but there are still 34,000 people in hospital - 10,000 more than the original peak - and transmission rates are high everywhere
Dr Susan Hopkins says the SA variant is unlikely to be endemic.
She says the cases found do not seem to be linked - it is likely that it was spread by an individual with an asymptomatic case
She says the cases found do not seem to be linked - it is likely that it was spread by an individual with an asymptomatic case
Mr Hancock says the North East, Birmingham, the Midlands and the North West are "getting their fair share" of the vaccine.
He adds, if a certain area has a few days with lower vaccine roll out this is due to supply issues across the country
He adds, if a certain area has a few days with lower vaccine roll out this is due to supply issues across the country
The latest number of cases, deaths and vaccinations: UK and worldwide
telegraph.co.uk/news/coronavir…
telegraph.co.uk/news/coronavir…
Is your area a coronavirus hotspot?
Use our coronavirus postcode tracker to find out ⬇️
telegraph.co.uk/news/coronavir…
Use our coronavirus postcode tracker to find out ⬇️
telegraph.co.uk/news/coronavir…
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