Coronavirus latest news: AstraZeneca chief rejects EU accusations of ‘overpromising’ vaccine supply to bloc

• Exclusive: Social distancing not needed at big events, PM to be told

• Quarantine and self-isolation could be replaced with daily tests

• Just 1 in 1,000 in England now has Covid as rates continue to plummet

• Why has India been hit by Covid so badly now – and where could be next?​

• How Europe’s vaccine roll out is finally catching up with the UK

AstraZeneca’s chief executive has denied accusations from the EU that the drugmaker ‘overpromised’ on vaccine supplies to the bloc.

The European Commission has launched legal proceedings against the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker, alleging that it did not respect its contract or have a “reliable” plan to ensure timely deliveries of vaccine doses.

Pascal Soriot said AstraZeneca it did its best to deliver as many doses as possible to the EU, and while disappointed not to have delivered more, he was proud of the company’s work and was “totally committed” to increasing supply.

“We never overpromised, we communicated what we thought we would achieve at the time,” Soriot told a media briefing, adding that AstraZeneca will have delivered 50 million doses to the EU by the end of April.

But Irish Health Minister, Stephen Donnelly said Astrazeneca “failed to deliver” on its commitments to the bloc.

AstraZeneca, which had delivered only a quarter of what it had committed to the EU by the end of March, plans to ship a total of 100 million doses to the bloc by the end of June, far below the 300 million foreseen in the contract.

​​Follow the latest updates below.

05:57 PM

Eight-year-old boy to sleep in garden for 100 nights for Captain Tom charity

An eight-year-old boy plans to spend 100 nights sleeping in a bivvy bag in his back garden to raise funds for the Captain Tom Foundation.

Archie Tunstill, who lives in a village near Newmarket in Suffolk, said he was inspired by 11-year-old Max Woosey, who raised more than £500,000 for charity by sleeping in a tent in his garden in Devon for a year.

Max had lost a family friend to cancer, and before he died the friend had given him a tent and told him to have an adventure.

On the final night of Max’s challenge, March 27, children around the country were encouraged to sleep in a tent in their garden to raise money for charity as part of a Big Camp Out.

Archie joined in with this and has been sleeping in a bivvy bag in his garden every night since then.

His mother Poppy Tunstill, 39, said Archie has always enjoyed camping and the outdoors.

“He started that night and carried on just for fun, then a week into the sleep-out he was thinking, ‘maybe I could make it into an adventure or a challenge’ then we heard about the Captain Tom 100,” she said.

05:48 PM

US intelligence agencies sharply cut surveillance during pandemic

The number of targets of secretive surveillance in national security investigations fell sharply last year because of the pandemic and continued scrutiny of the FBI’s wiretapping authorities, according to a government report.

The drop in eavesdropping targets under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which empowers the FBI to monitor the communications inside the United States of people suspected of being agents of a foreign power, followed a decline the year before after several years of substantially larger numbers.

US officials say the statistics are known to fluctuate from year to year because of various factors, but that in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic “likely influenced target behaviour, which in turn may have impacted some of the numbers reported for that year.”

Ben Huebner, the civil liberties chief at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, said: “The pandemic was the single event with the biggest impact to human behaviour worldwide since the Second World War.

“That means it also had an impact on our appropriate foreign intelligence targets.”

05:41 PM

Watch: Thousands of clubbers pack into nightclub trial event in Liverpool

05:35 PM

Coronavirus scuppers Ireland rugby tour of Fiji

Ireland’s tour of Fiji has been called because of a covid outbreak in the Pacific island, the Irish Rugby Football Union announced Friday.

Andy Farrell’s men, who finished third in this year’s Six Nations, were due to travel to Fiji during the July international window.

The IRFU said in a statement that while planning for the trip was at a “very advanced stage”, a recent Covid outbreak and subsequent lockdown in Fiji has “increased the level of risk and it is no longer viable to proceed with the planned tour”.

The IRFU added it would be speaking to other national unions about the possibility of organising alternative Test matches in July.

05:28 PM

Shops reopen and pints pour again as Northern Ireland eases out of lockdown

Northern Ireland has witnessed long shopping queues and buzzing beer gardens as the region took a major step out of lockdown.

Many hospitality and retail outlets reopened their doors after four months of closure on Friday.

Publicans, cafe owners and restaurateurs could serve customers outdoors, while all non-essential retailers were able to pull their shutters up once again.

There were long queues outside popular retail outlets such as Primark in Belfast from early on Friday morning as hundreds of shoppers returned to the city centre.

By lunchtime, beer gardens were bustling as people savoured their first pub pints of 2021.

05:19 PM

US closes in on 100 million Americans fully vaccinated as Disneyland resorts reopen

Disneyland reopened on Friday and New York’s mayor predicted the big city will be up and running again at full strength by July 1, as the number of Americans fully vaccinated against Covid-19 closed in on 100 million.

Visitors cheered and screamed with delight as the Southern California theme park swung open its gates for the first time in 13 months in a powerful symbol of the US recovery.

The self-proclaimed Happiest Place on Earth is allowing only in-state guests for now and operating at just 25 per cent capacity.

The reopening and similar steps elsewhere around the country reflect increasing optimism as Covid -19 deaths tumble and the ranks of the vaccinated grow.

While the overall number of lives lost to Covid-19 in the US has eclipsed 575,000, deaths have plummeted to an average of about 670 per day from a peak of around 3,400 in mid-January.

As of Friday morning, more than 99 million Americans, or over 38 per cent of all adults, had been fully vaccinated,

05:05 PM

Quarantine and self-isolation could be replaced with daily tests

Replacing quarantine and self-isolation with daily tests is under consideration, papers released by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) suggest.

A pilot study found most people would be more likely to share details of their contacts, if they tested positive, if they knew that the consequence for others would be daily tests, rather than isolation.

The study by Public Health England involved 1,760 close contacts of those with the virus, who were given the option to take lateral flow tests for seven days as an alternative to quarantining.

If the tests were negative, the individual could continue with their daily activities.

Experts said the process might “reduce the negative psychological and financial impacts of quarantine” and limit workplace absences.

Laura Donnelly has the full story here

04:56 PM

America running out of chickens after Covid comfort-eating splurge

A surge in demand for comfort food amid the coronavirus pandemic has caused a nationwide chicken shortage in the United States.

The popularity of fried chicken, from sandwiches and tenders to nuggets and wings, has ballooned so much that chains including KFC are struggling to keep up.

North Carolina-based chicken-and-biscuits chain Bojangles reported outages of tenders across its 750 locations.

“We’re experiencing a system-wide shortage. But they will be back soon,” Bojangles’ corporate Twitter account wrote earlier this week in response to a customer frustrated by being unable to find the company’s chicken tenders.

Chicken, which is the most popular meat in the US, is finding a new level of demand after Popeyes introduced a sandwich in 2019 that went viral and sold out in weeks.

Read the full story here

04:49 PM

Inside the ‘war room’ connecting India’s Covid sick with hospitals and medicine

Sandwiched between a rooftop bar and an arcade of clothes shops, the small call centre does not look like the frontline in the fight against India’s devastating Covid-19 epidemic.

But once the doors swing open, there is a flurry of activity inside the aptly-named war room in India’s financial capital of Mumbai, as 25 volunteers handle up to 500 daily calls from desperate residents searching for hospital admission and essential medicines.

India’s Covid-19 second wave shows no sign of slowing. On Friday, the country recorded a record-breaking 386,452 new infections – the ninth consecutive day numbers exceeded 300,000 – while 3,498 people died.

The country’s current daily death rates are thought to be a gross underestimation, some put the figures at 20 times those officially stated, due to underreporting and a lack of Covid-19 testing, particularly in rural areas.

In the western state of Gujarat, crematorium furnaces melted due to overuse, while in Delhi, crematoriums usually used for dogs are being repurposed to cope with the increased demand despite existing facilities working overtime.

Joe Wallen has the full story here

04:37 PM

Single vaccine dose offers more protection to those who had Covid-19

A single dose of vaccine gives “majorly enhanced” protection against coronavirus variants in people who have previously been infected with the virus, a study has found.

Scientists discovered that, in those who have not previously been infected and have only received one dose of the vaccine, their immune response to variants of concern may be insufficient.

In a new paper published by Imperial College London, researchers looked at immune responses in healthcare workers at Barts and Royal Free hospitals in London following their first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

They found that people who had previously contracted Covid-19 and had mild or asymptomatic symptoms had “significantly enhanced” protection against the Kent and South Africa variants after the first dose of the vaccine.

Researchers believe it is possible that the findings will apply to other variants in circulation, such as those first identified in Brazil and India.

04:26 PM

Bare-knuckle fight nights take off online in Russia during pandemic

A brutal boxing tournament in Russia that pits bare-knuckle fighters against each other in short, bloody bouts has surged in popularity online during the pandemic.

The “Top Dog” tournament began broadcasting fights in parking lots in early 2020, but now rents out a Moscow sports arena for bare-knuckle bouts that are viewed online by millions.

The most popular fight yet has been viewed over 13 million times on YouTube.

The organisers attribute the sport’s popularity to pent-up aggression because of Covid-19 restrictions and frustrations over the economy.

“It’s tough for people, they’re angry,” said Danil Aleyev, an amateur fighter who founded the fight nights. “

“People are generally in a stressful environment with nowhere to let it out. When they see something like this, it eases the tension.”

04:04 PM

US aid arrives in India as Covid cases surge

The first US emergency aid to India has arrived as several states said they would be unable to begin vaccinating all over-18s from this weekend as planned.

The supplies arrived as India recorded another 385,000 new cases in the past 24 hours – a new global record – and almost 3,500 deaths,

Experts suspect these figures fall short of the true toll.

A US military transporter carrying over 400 oxygen cylinders, other hospital equipment and nearly one million rapid Covid-19 tests landed at New Delhi’s international airport this morning.

More than 40 countries have committed to sending vital medical aid, particularly oxygen supplies, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla told reporters Thursday.

03:51 PM

AstraZeneca reports sales of $275 million and on track to deliver 200 million doses a month from April

AstraZeneca said its Covid-19 vaccine sales were $275 million in the first-quarter and it is on track to deliver 200 million doses a month from April, as better-than-expected results and a second half growth forecast boosted its shares.

Chief Executive Pascal Soriot again defended the vaccine rollout, saying that Anglo-Swedish drugmaker had not overpromised on its ability to supply shots, as he defended big cuts in deliveries that prompted a EU lawsuit.

AstraZeneca, which has said it will not make a profit from the shot during the pandemic, was reporting financial details of distribution of the vaccine for the first time – including a hit of three cents on earnings per share, or a drain of about $40 million on net income.

The effect on the bottom line “will vary quarter by quarter and we remain committed to supplying this vaccine at no profit during the pandemic period,” a spokesman said.

03:50 PM

Comment: Disney Cruise Lines asking all their passengers to be vaccinated is as mean as Cruella De Vil

All passengers over the age of 18 are to be fully jabbed before boarding their ship this summer – leaving out a lot of families, writes Jane Archer.

From adopting a wait-and-see approach to whether passengers would have to be vaccinated against Covid-19 when it unveiled its Magic at Sea staycations earlier this month, Disney Cruise Line has steered a rapid change of course.

Or as some might say, shot itself well and truly in the gunwales.

It now requires all passengers over the age of 18 to be fully vaccinated, with the second jab at least seven days before the cruise.

Those under 18 must provide a negative PCR test result taken between five days and 24 hours before embarkation.

03:30 PM

34.2 million people given first Covid vaccine dose, latest figures reveal

A total of more than 34.2 million in the UK have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, Government statistics revealed.

Data showed a further 2,381 had contracted the virus and 15 new deaths recorded within 28 days of a positive test.

03:21 PM

Partygoers arrive at 3,000 strong night-time rave

Revellers have been pictured arriving at Bramley-Moore Dock in Liverpool this afternoon where a nightclub rave will take place today.

Three thousand people are expected at the event today which will be a key test of whether live events halted during the pandemic can reopen at full capacity as planned from the end of June.

03:07 PM

Covid-19 prevention ‘should be emphasised’ as businesses reopen, experts say

Coronavirus transmission prevention measures should be emphasised as community businesses open after lockdown, Government scientists say.

In an undated Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) document released on Friday, experts looked at transmission of Covid-19 with a focus on the hospitality, retail and leisure sector.

They analysed the best available evidence with respect to the risks of transmission in these settings.

The scientists found that overall the data suggests that the hospitality sector, compared to leisure and retail sectors seems to be associated with greater risk of transmission.

However, they add that population attributable fractions – the fraction of all cases in a population that is attributable to the setting – associated with transmission in hospitality, retail and leisure are relatively low.

“Thus, transmission happens in more than one setting and activity,” the document sets out.

02:55 PM

Brazil calls on countries to share spare vaccines

Countries should share spare vaccine doses with Brazil to help the global fight against Covid-19 and meet the battered country’s goal of inoculating all citizens by year-end, Brazilian Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga has said.

In a World Health Organization (WHO) briefing, Queiroga said Brazil had administered 41 million vaccine doses but needed more supplies to meet a daily target of 2.4 million.

“We need to ensure equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines and in line with this we would like to call on those countries with extra doses to share them with Brazil as soon as possible so we can also broaden our vaccination campaign and contain the pandemic at this critical time, he said.

Brazil on Thursday became the second country to pass 400,000 deaths after the United States.

Experts warned the daily toll could remain high for several months due to a slow vaccination rate and loosening social restrictions.

Experts have blamed the death toll on the failure of government – from President Jair Bolsonaro down to many state governors and mayors – to launch a robust response to the pandemic.

02:46 PM

Risk from virus variants remains after first Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, study finds

A single dose of Pfizer’s vaccine may not generate a sufficient immune response to protect against dominant new variants, except in people who have already been infected with Covid -19, a study has found.

The Imperial College-led study, which looked at immune responses in British healthcare workers after their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, found that people who had previously had mild or asymptomatic infection had enhanced protection against more infectious mutated variants that emerged in Britain and South Africa.

But the immune response after a first dose of the shot was weaker in people who had not previously been infected, potentially leaving them at risk from such variants, researchers said.

02:37 PM

NHS to suspend recruitment from India amid pandemic

Downing Street is set to suspend NHS recruitment from India in light of the devastating covid wave currently hitting the country.

A pause in recruitment was due to come into effect imminently, according to the Health Service Journal.

It is thought some nurses’ planned journeys from India to the UK may have already been stopped.

India has experienced a huge and devastating covid wave in recent weeks and today reported a new daily record of more than 380,000 confirmed cases.

There has been concern about reports of clinicians moving to the UK to work in the NHS while Indian health services are in such dire need.

Those who have already been recruited to join NHS trusts, but not yet travelled, will now be delayed, sources said.

02:26 PM

South Africa regulator says J&J shot can be given to pregnant women

South Africa’s drug regulator has said that Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine can be given to pregnant women with co-morbidities or at high risk of contracting coroanvirus

The South African health ministry said SAHPRA had previously said pregnant and breast-feeding women should be excluded from a local research study evaluating the J&J vaccine’s efficacy.

That research study, which aims to immunize 500,000 health workers, resumed on Wednesday after it was temporarily suspended over extremely rare cases of blood clots in people given J&J’s vaccine in the United States.

But in recommendations posted on its website on Thursday, the regulator said pregnant women who have co-morbidities or are at high risk of exposure to COVID-19 like health workers “may be vaccinated in consultation with their health care provider”.

“Women who are breastfeeding should be counselled on the absence of information in this regard and a benefit-risk assessment should be made by the enrolling clinician,” it said.

02:21 PM

WHO expects assessment of Moderna and two Chinese vaccines by end of next week

The World Health Organization expects to release its assessments for emergency use listing of the two main Chinese vaccines for Covid-19 as well as the Moderna dose by the end of next week.

WHO Assistant Director-General Mariangela Simao said on Friday.

Simao said the WHO’s independent panel was assessing the Moderna vaccine and a vaccine from China’s Sinopharm on Friday and was due to look at China’s other main vaccine, made by Sinovac Biotech, next week.

“So, by the beginning of next week or the end of next week we will have the final assessment of these three vaccines out,” she told a briefing.

WHO emergency use listing is a signal to national regulators that a vaccine is safe and effective, and would allow those vaccines to be bought and distributed by COVAX, the international programme to share vaccines for poor countries.

02:12 PM

Man faces ‘substantial fines’ for lockdown boat parties

A houseboat owner has been warned he faces “substantial” fines for breaching Covid-19 regulations after police broke up illegal parties on his vessel, including one believed to have been attended by more than 70 people.

Jordy Nicholas Van Duijvenbode, 31, pleaded guilty to holding a gathering of more than 30 people and a second charge of participating in a gathering of two or more people in an indoor space.

Police were alerted by members of the public to reports on February 5 and February 13 that large music gatherings were taking place on his canal boat while London was under lockdown restrictions, east London’s Stratford Magistrates’ Court heard.

Van Duijvenbode was paid between £300 and £700 for the use of his boat called the Nebuchadrezzar, which other houseboat users described as looking like it was homemade.

District judge Susan Holdam heard the matter could have been ended with an £800 penalty notice if Van Duijvenbode had allowed it to be dealt with in February but he now faces a much harsher financial hit as the matter has gone through the courts.

01:59 PM

85-year-old dementia sufferer who opposes vaccines should not get jab, judge rules

An 85-year-old woman who suffers from dementia and is in a care home should not be given a coronavirus vaccine, a judge has ruled.

Mr Justice Hayden was told that the woman, a former secretary at a factory in London, had a long-standing opposition to vaccines and would need to be restrained before being given an injection.

The judge concluded that vaccination was not in her best interests.

He heard evidence at an online hearing in the Court of Protection, where judges consider issues relating to people who lack the mental capacity to make decisions, on Friday, and was told that much of the woman’s cognitive function had gone.

A lawyer appointed to represent the woman, who never married and had no children, had asked him to make a decision about vaccination.

Mr Justice Hayden, who heard evidence from health staff and a care home manager, said the woman could not be identified in media reports.

01:52 PM

India: Experts warn against trying to make oxygen at home

Doctors and scientists in India are warning of the dire hazards of trying to make medical oxygen at home as the country faces a shortage in its battle against the andemic.

Videos and tips on DIY methods to manufacture the gas have circulated widely on social media.

Google Trends data showed searches for the phrase “how to make oxygen at home” peaked on April 25 as the crisis worsened, while YouTube videos detailing such processes have amassed hundreds of thousands of views.

A Ravikumar, secretary of the Indian Medical Association for the southern state of Tamil Nadu, said:

“There is a scientifically proven method to produce medical oxygen through concentrators. Any other means to try making the gas at home involves many risks like chances of toxic gases being inhaled and explosions.

Tarun Bhatnagar, a scientist at the ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology in Chennai, called the attempts to make homemade oxygen “untested and unreliable methods”.

01:39 PM

AstraZeneca jab-linked clots and deaths slow as scientists race to understand condition

The UK reported fewer new cases and deaths from the rare clotting condition linked to the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine this week, as scientists continue to get to grips with the rare side-effect.

Experts said that while the decline in the rate of new cases is probably down to a dip in the numbers of vaccinations being given, falling fatality rates are linked to improvements in the understanding and treatment of the condition.

This week, the British regulator reported 41 new cases and 9 more deaths as a result of the rare side effect, a particular kind of clot alongside low platelets or thrombocytopenia.

In total, there have been 209 cases and 41 deaths in the UK, giving an incidence rate of just over nine per million doses.

The fatality rate for the condition is now 19 per cent, down from 50 per cent when the condition was first identified.

Read more about the growing understanding of the rare, but serious, side effect here from our Global Health Correspondent, Jennifer Rigby

01:32 PM

Turkey grants emergency authorisation to Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine

Turkey’s official Medicines and Medical Devices Agency said on Friday that Turkey has granted emergency use authorisation to Russia’s Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said earlier this week Turkey has signed a deal for 50 million doses of Sputnik V.

01:26 PM

Over 3,000 rough sleepers seen in London during third lockdown

More than 3,000 people were seen rough sleeping on the capital’s streets during the third coronavirus lockdown, figures show.

Some 3,002 rough sleepers were identified by outreach teams in London between January and March, according to data from the Combined Homelessness And Information Network (Chain).

More than half (52 per cent) of these were sleeping rough for the first time, and 11 per cent were known to be permanently living on London’s streets, the figures show.

The total number of rough sleepers recorded during this quarter was down almost a fifth (19pc) from the same quarter in 2020 and down nine per cent from September to December.

In January, as the country entered its third lockdown, the Government urged local authorities to “redouble their efforts” to safely accommodate people sleeping rough as part of the Everyone In initiative.

01:18 PM

Helen Mirren stars in Italian comedy video championing vaccine

Helen Mirren has starred with one of Italy’s best known comics in a light-hearted but eccentric video extolling the benefits of being vaccinated against Covid-19, Nick Squires reports.

The video appears to have been shot in Puglia, where the British actress owns a converted ‘masseria’, a traditional farmhouse.

She stars alongside Checco Zalone, the stage name of Italian comic and actor Luca Pasquale Medici, who has produced and starred in some of Italy’s most commercially successful films.

In the video he stops to ask her directions on a dusty road in Puglia and promptly falls in love with her after asking if her off-the-shoulder look is because she has just been vaccinated. T

They then flirt and sing along to a song called “La Vacinada”, with Zalone speaking Italian with a heavy Spanish accent.

Posting the video on his Facebook account, Zalone, who is from Puglia, wrote: “Herd immunity has not arrived yet but at least there is the vaccine.”

01:12 PM

Pupil sues school over face-mask requirement

A schoolgirl is taking legal action against her school for “requiring” pupils to wear face masks, which she claims “risks causing children serious harm” to their physical and mental health.

The pupil is suing the Tapton Academy School Trust, which runs a number of primary and secondary schools in the Sheffield area, to stop it from “requiring or encouraging” children to wear masks at school to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

The 12-year-old, known only as AB, who has been exempted from wearing a mask at school, says mask-wearing could lead to “long-term” harm.

But the trust argues that it only encourages the wearing of masks, in line with Government guidance, in order to protect children, staff and visitors.

Francis Hoar, representing AB, told the court: “The school’s policy risks causing children serious harm to their physical health and their mental health.

“If the trust had done its job properly … it would have gathered evidence and reached a view as to the effectiveness of this particular measure, but it has done no such thing.”

01:03 PM

After masked bunnies, Belgian artisan shifts to chocolate syringes

A Belgian chocolate company that put white masks on its Easter bunnies a year ago is now producing large chocolate syringes as it tries to keep step with the evolving trend of the pandemic.

And as Belgium steps up its vaccination campaign against Covid-19, specialist confectioner Cocoatree is also touting the natural health benefits of chocolate as a kind of “vaccine” in its own way against certain conditions.

“It’s a symbol of hope and that’s why I decided to create the (chocolate) vaccine,” said company founder Genevieve Trepant.

Cocoatree, based in Lonzee, a village about 45 kilometres (30 miles) south of Brussels, has dubbed its chocolate syringes “L’Atch’a Azteka”, a combination of the sound of a sneeze and ancient chocolate consumers, the Aztecs.

“A chocolate vaccine has a huge number of positive effects,” Trepant added. “It’s an anti-depressant. It has magnesium. Chocolate has many advantages, as people know, and above all it boosts the morale of the troops.”

12:56 PM

R number as low as 0.8 in parts of England

he coronavirus reproduction number, or R value, in England is between 0.8 and 1.1, according to the latest Government figures.

Last week, the figure was between 0.8 and 1.

R represents the average number of people each Covid-19 positive person goes on to infect.

When the figure is above 1, an outbreak can grow exponentially, but when it is below 1, it means the epidemic is shrinking.

An R number between between 0.8 and 1.1 means that, on average, every 10 people infected will infect between 8 and 11 other people.

12:49 PM

Biden won’t rule out requiring US soldiers to get Covid-19 vaccine

President Joe Biden said he has not ruled out requiring U.S. service members to get a Covid-19 vaccine, according to an NBC interview broadcast on Friday.

“I’m not saying I won’t,” Biden said when asked if he would require the men and women in the US armed services to get vaccinated.

“I think you’re going to see more and more of them getting it. And I think it’s going to be a tough call as to whether or not they should be required to get it in the military, because you’re in such close proximity with other military personnel,” Biden said.

The Biden administration’s Covid-19 vaccination effort has been hailed as a success, with more than 237 million doses administered.

The number exceeds Biden’s target of 200 million doses – double his initial goal – by his first 100 days in office, which he marked on Thursday.

12:41 PM

Good evidence from real-world data that vaccines are working, say experts

here is good evidence from early real-world data in the UK that Covid-19 vaccines are working after the first dose, experts have said.

However, in a document released on Friday by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), which advises the Government, they have cautioned that coronavirus jabs may fail to prevent hospital admissions amongst a very small number of people, particularly those who are frail and elderly.

The findings are based on data from more than 52,000 patients who were admitted to hospital between December 8 – when the UK began its mass vaccination rollout – and April 10.

Calum Semple, professor in child health and outbreak medicine at the University of Liverpool, who co-led the study, said that their analysis was designed to give Sage “a very early signal on whether vaccines were working in the real world”.

He said: “The absolute numbers of people being admitted to hospital after 21 days of the first dose is tiny.

“It is very small, but it does occur – it is mostly occurring in the group most at risk of severe disease, which is the elderly people (and) people (who) are very frail and very old.

“This is good real world evidence of it working, but there are some few failures.

12:33 PM

Just one in 100 people hospitalised with Covid got their jab at least three weeks before

Just one in 100 people hospitalised with Covid-19 since the start of Britain’s vaccine rollout had received a jab at least three weeks beforehand, new data shows.

Scientists said the real-world data, showing the impact of vaccines on the most vulnerable people, had given them “a moment of joy”, and should reassure the public about the difference vaccines are making.

On Wednesday, Prof Jonathan Van-Tam, the country’s deputy chief medical officer, urged the public to “hold the line a teeny bit longer” and avoid meetings indoors between people, even if they are fully vaccinated and have had time to build immunity.

He said further data was needed to establish exactly how well vaccines worked in the frail and elderly.

Scientists said the new findings, released by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) on Friday, were “a really good news story” showing the rollout having a major impact.

Laura Donnelly has the full story here

12:27 PM

No local Covid deaths for more than half of UK

More than half of people in the UK have not seen a single Covid-19 death in their local area in the last fortnight, the latest data shows.

Local authorities with a combined population of 34.8 million (more than half of the total UK population) have now gone at least gone two weeks without a fatality due to the virus, according to the latest complete figures published by Public Health England (PHE).

That compares to the peak of the second wave in mid-January, when just two local areas out of 380 (the isolated islands of Orkney and the Outer Hebrides) went a fortnight without a single death.

The figures come as the UK continues to leave behind the grimmest days of the coronavirus pandemic, and as the Government continues to relax lockdown restrictions off the back of positive data.

12:19 PM

Italy finally meets 500,000 daily vaccinations target

Italy has for the first time inoculated more than 500,000 people in a day, meeting a key vaccination target, the government said Friday.

Authorities initially hoped to reach the milestone by mid-April, but pushed back the objective as supply shortages stymied immunisation efforts across Europe.

“Yesterday more than 500,000 doses of the vaccine were administered in Italy,” Health Minister Roberto Speranza wrote on Facebook, hailing the institutional “team work” that led to the result.

According to government statistics, some 19.5 million doses have so far been administered, and 5.75 million people have been fully vaccinated in a country of around 60 million residents.

The government’s coronavirus commissioner, army general Francesco Paolo Figliuolo, said 60 percent of the adult population should be fully vaccinated by mid July.

12:11 PM

Comment: Boris Johnson isn’t ‘following the science’ until raucous live events are back

The medical advice is clear – large events are safe. It’s time to set Britain free again, but is the Government prepared to listen, asks Neil McCormick.

It is time for Boris Johnson to throw caution to the wind and let his people rock.

British venues have been silent for long enough. Following successful pilot schemes at sporting events that have found no discernible risk of spikes in Covid cases, an interim report has concluded that venues can be safely reopened with full capacity.

The science board on the Events Research Programme run by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport has proposed that social distancing at large venues should be scrapped from June 21.

With staggered entry times and good ventilation in place, all we need is the Government to sign it off, and Britain can boogie once more.

Read the full piece here

12:06 PM

One in 1,000 have Covid in England, latest data shows

Only around 1 in 1,000 people in England have Covid-19, latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show – a twenty-fold drop since January, Laura Donnelly reports.

The latest figures for the week ending April 24 show one in 1,010 people in private households in England had the virus – down from one in 610 the previous week.

In Northern Ireland, the estimate is around one in 940 people, down from one in 660 in the previous week and the lowest since estimates began for Northern Ireland in October.

The estimate for Scotland is around one in 640, down from one in 560 and the lowest since estimates began for Scotland in October. All figures are for people in private households.

11:59 AM

Spain to extend gap between AstraZeneca vaccine doses to up to 16 weeks

Spain will extend the gap between the first and second doses of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine in under 60-year-olds to 16 weeks from 12, the health ministry said on Friday.

The extension gives authorities more breathing space to determine how best to handle shifting safety guidelines for the drug, the ministry said.

Spain initially gave AstraZeneca shots to essential workers aged 18-65 before restricting their use to over 60s amid concerns about blood clots in younger people.

That switch caused widespread uncertainty and meant some younger people who had already received a first dose have been excluded from getting a second.

By extending the interval between doses, authorities will be able to evaluate the results of trials on mixing different vaccines before deciding whether those groups will receive a second AstraZeneca shot or another drug, the ministry said.

Spain’s state-backed Carlos III Health Institute is investigating the effects of giving Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine to patients who already received an AstraZeneca shot

11:55 AM

Using NHS app to prove Covid-19 status is ‘right thing’, says former NHS director

Using the existing NHS app for holidaymakers in England to prove their coronavirus status is the right way to go, according to a former digital director for the health service.

The app – not to be confused with the NHS Covid-19 app – is used to book medical appointments, order repeat prescriptions and already displays any vaccines a person has had.

Rachel Murphy, former digital delivery director at NHS Digital, worked on the original project to develop the NHS app and believes using it to unlock travel is possible.

“I think it’s the right thing to do,” she said.

“The thought of the NHS trying to rustle up another solution of the app variety, unnecessarily, felt ludicrous to me.

11:48 AM

Cultural venues in Belgium defy lockdown ban as dozens reopen illegally

Dozens of cinemas, theatres and other venues in Belgium are defying government orders and reopening their doors today to protest the country’s ongoing shutdown of cultural activities.

After more than six months without revenue, venue owners say the ongoing ban on indoor cultural events is proof of “an unacceptable inequality of treatment” their industry has experienced during the pandemic.

“There is no evidence that culture should take second place to supermarkets, zoos or any other activity that generates social contact,” owners participating in Still Standing For Culture, an activism collective, said.

“The health situation does not explain why the fate of cultural venues has been systematically ignored for months, nor why new conditions are pulled out of the government’s hat when their reopening is finally discussed.”

Belgian authorities are organising test events but have not yet given venues and their workers a solid green light to reopen.

11:39 AM

Judi Dench to eat 100 Maltesers as part of Captain Tom charity challenge

Judi Dench will eat 100 Maltesers in honour of Captain Sir Tom Moore, taking part in a charity challenge on what would have been his 101st birthday.

In a video shared on Sir Tom’s official Twitter account, she is shown sitting in a garden in front of a bowl of her favourite chocolates.

She says: “Last year, Captain Tom inspired us all by doing 100 lengths of his lawn and raising a huge amount of money.

“Now I am completely inspired by him, and I’ve decided to do it. Only I’m going to eat Maltesers. Lovely. My fave.”

Thousands of people are taking part in their own charity challenges, themed around the number 100 and using #CaptainTom100 when shared online.

11:33 AM

Eurozone plunges into double dip recession as Covid ravages continent

The eurozone tumbled into a double dip recession at the start of the year as Germany stumbled with an unexpectedly large Covid contraction.

Measures to combat the pandemic pushed the continent’s largest economy into reverse, with German GDP falling 1.7 per cent in the first three months of the year.

Its economy is still almost five per cent smaller now than it was before the coronavirus struck.

Carsten Brzeski, an economist at ING, called the drop “a severe setback”, adding: “While the country was a positive growth driver for the entire eurozone economy at the end of last year, it has now turned into a drag factor.”

Pent-up demand from the latest lockdown combined with the boom in the US should help to boost Germany later this year, according to Stefan Schneider, chief economist at Deutsche Bank.

Tim Wallace has the full story here

11:27 AM

Most of England sees decline in cases

The percentage of people testing positive for Covid-19 is estimated to have decreased in all regions of England except in Yorkshire and the Humber and in eastern England, where the trend is uncertain, the ONS said.

Yorkshire and the Humber had the highest proportion of people of any region in England likely to test positive for coronavirus in the week to April 24: around one in 530.

South-west England had the lowest estimate: around one in 2,980.

11:25 AM

Pfizer seeks EU permission to vaccinate under-18s

Pfizer Inc and partner BioNTech have applied to the European health regulator to extend the marketing authorisation for their coronavirus vaccine for use in adolescents aged 12 to 15 years.

BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin said yesterday the jab could be available for those age groups from June.

11:15 AM

Nearly one in 1,000 had Covid-19 in England in last week, ONS finds

Around one in 1,010 people in private households in England had Covid-19 in the week to April 24 – down from one in 610 the previous week, according to the latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

It is the lowest figure since the week to September 5 2020, when the estimate stood at one in 1,400.

11:02 AM

France: All over 18s to receive vaccine from June 15

All people in France aged 18 and over will be able to get Covid-19 vaccines from June 15 onwards, French President Emmanuel Macron has announced.

The country is currently grappling with a third national lockdown.

France is hoping that an accelerated, vaccination campaign will enable it to re-open more businesses, shops and other leisure activities.

10:55 AM

AstraZeneca chief rejects EU accusations of ‘overpromising’ vaccine supply to bloc

The head of AstraZeneca has denied accusations from the EU that the drugmaker ‘overpromised’ on vaccine supplies to the bloc.

The European Commission has launched legal proceedings against the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker, alleging that it did not respect its contract or have a “reliable” plan to ensure timely deliveries of vaccine doses.

Pascal Soriot, Astrazeneca’s chief executive, said it did its best to deliver as many doses as possible to the EU, and while disappointed not to have delivered more, he was proud of the company’s work and was “totally committed” to increasing supply.

“We never overpromised, we communicated what we thought we would achieve at the time,” Soriot told a media briefing, adding that AstraZeneca will have delivered 50 million doses to the EU by the end of April.

But Irish Health Minister, Stephen Donnelly, adamantly disagreed that Astrazeneca had not over promised.

“They made very clear commitments, they have failed to deliver on those commitments and that’s one of the reasons Ireland has joined the EU Commission legal case,” he said.

10:45 AM

Matt Hancock ‘gives word’ to reform social care services post-pandemic

Matt Hancock gave social care providers his word that the Government will support them through the pandemic and deliver reform to put them on a “firm footing for the years to come”.

He told the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (Adass) Spring Conference: “In our manifesto we made a clear commitment to set out the reforms that are needed for the long-term future of social care, and to fix a system that has been unreformed for far too long.

10:39 AM

Wales confirms easing of restrictions from Monday

Gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools will be able to reopen from next Monday, the Welsh Government has confirmed.

Organised children’s indoor activities and indoor adult fitness classes can also resume as part of further easing of the Covid-19 restrictions.

Two households will also be able form an exclusive bubble and be able to meet indoors.

The Welsh Government said the changes meant Wales will have moved to Alert Level 3 by May 3.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “The public health situation continues to improve and our vaccination programme remains a success.

“Thanks to the efforts of people across Wales, we are in a position to further ease the restrictions, in the way we have previously signalled, to allow more elements of normal life to return.”

10:33 AM

Indian states run out of Covid-19 vaccines day before national vaccine drive

Several Indian states have run out of Covid-19 vaccines a day before a planned widening of a nationwide inoculation drive, authorities have said.

It comes new infections in the crisis-hit country surged to another daily record.

India reported 386,452 news cases in the past 24 hours, while deaths from Covid-19 jumped by 3,498 over the last 24 hours, according to health ministry data.

However, medical experts believe the actual figures may be five to 10 times greater than the official tally.

India has added about 7.7 million cases since the end of February, when its second wave gathered pace.

10:22 AM

Cambodians complain of lockdown hunger as outbreak takes toll on poor

Residents in Cambodia’s capital gathered to demand food from the government in outrage at what they called inadequate aid distribution during the country’s lockdown.

Authorities put Phnom Penh and a nearby town under a hard lockdown on April 19 to quell a surge in coronavirus infections that has seen Cambodia’s case surge from about 500 to 12,641 since late February.

“People in my village haven’t received a food donation yet, it has been 10 days,” factory worker Oum Sreykhouch, 25, said.

Though private food deliveries are operating, markets and street food services are closed, making it difficult for poorer families to get supplies, with many without income because of the stay-home order.

The government has asked residents to apply for food aid. Some families in Meanchey district said they had just received a package of 25 kg (55 lb) of rice, a case of instant noodles and canned fish.

10:14 AM

Irish may enjoy pints at the bar and holidays abroad in July, PM says

Irish drinkers may be able to enjoy a pint inside a pub by the end of July and holiday abroad in late summer as the government seeks to largely lift all Covid-19 restrictions, Prime Minister Micheál Martin said on Friday.

The government pressed ahead on Thursday with plans to reopen all retail stores and personal services for the first time in more than four months in May, with bars and restaurants allowed to serve guests outdoors from early June.

Irish pubs shut their doors when the first wave of Covid-19 hit Ireland in March 2020.

Some were allowed to open their doors last summer and briefly again in December, the only periods the economy has not been subjected to a strict lockdown.

10:07 AM

One in seven ‘did not always or often’ socially distance, ONS finds

Around one in seven adults said they did not always or often socially distance while meeting up with others over the last seven days, figures show.

Some 85 per cent of adults reported always or often socially distancing while meeting up with people outside their household, support or childcare bubble, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

Some 14 per cent responded “sometimes”, “not very often” and “never”, rising to 24 per cent of adults aged 16-29.

The most common reasons were because they were seeing friends (59pc) and family members (47pc), the ONS said.

09:49 AM

Rishi Sunak now eligible for a Covid-19 vaccine

People aged 40 and over in England are now being invited to book their coronavirus jabs and the 40-year-old Chancellor welcomed the news that he was now eligible for the vaccine.

During a visit to Hartlepool, Rishi Sunak said: “That’s good news that it’s down to 40-year-olds. I will be standing by my phone, I am excited.

“My dad who is a retired GP has come back and is actually doing vaccinations as a volunteer.

“It’s going to be lovely to do.”

09:44 AM

Covid restrictions have ‘closed door’ on NHS appointments

Patients are finding it increasingly hard to see their GPs, with warnings that pandemic restrictions have too often “closed the door” on NHS treatment, a report warns.

The Patients’ Association survey comes as an investigation reveals that almost 100 GP surgeries closed down or merged with other practices last year.

In total, almost 2.5 million patients were forced to switch to a new surgery because of 788 such closures since 2013, the freedom of information disclosures reveal .

Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients’ Association, said the findings from its survey were “worrying” and show “clear dissatisfaction” from the public.

Read more from Health Editor Laura Donnelly here.

09:23 AM

Hospitality and retail outlets reopen as NI takes major step out of lockdown

Northern Ireland has taken a major stride out of lockdown as many hospitality and retail outlets reopened their doors after four months of closure.

Publicans, cafe owner and restaurateurs are now able to trade outdoors, while all non-essential retailers can pull their shutters up once again.

There were long queues outside popular retail outlets such as Primark in Belfast from early on Friday morning as hundreds of shoppers returned to the city centre.

As more economic wheels started turning, Health Minister Robin Swann announced that the region’s vaccine programme is now open to the 30-34 age group.

Some limited appointments for people in that cohort will be available at the mass vaccination centre at Belfast’s SSE Arena.

Economy Minister Diane Dodds welcomed the relaxations on an early morning visit to Belfast’s Victoria Square shopping centre.

09:10 AM

CEO says AstraZeneca didn’t overpromise on Covid-19 vaccine supplies

AstraZeneca’s chief executive said on Friday the drugmaker had not overpromised on its ability to supply Covid-19 vaccines around the world, as he defended big cuts in deliveries that prompted a lawsuit by the European Union.

Pascal Soriot told a media briefing that the company did its best to deliver as much as it could to the EU.

“We never overpromised, we communicated what we thought we would achieve at the time,” he said.

08:50 AM

Covid-19 vaccine rollout continues amid calls for public inquiry

People aged 40 and over in England are now being invited to book their coronavirus jabs as the Prime Minister faced further calls to launch an inquiry into the handling of the pandemic.

NHS England said that text messages will be sent out from Friday to 40 and 41-year-olds allowing them to arrange their vaccination appointments.

With people aged 42 to 44 having already been texted this week it means 2.5 million more people have been invited for their jab, it added.

The expansion of the vaccine rollout comes as the latest data showed an estimated 91.5% of people aged 45 and over in England had received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine by April 25, and just over four-in-five aged 70 and over had been given both doses.

08:13 AM

Young people more likely to be affected by rare vaccine clots, MHRA says

Younger adults are particularly affected by the rare blood clotting disorder linked to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, the UK’s medicines regulator has said.

New data, published by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for the first time on Thursday, also gives breakdown the of the jab’s side affects by age.

Around a quarter of the rare blood clots were in people aged under 40, and two-thirds in those under 60, the data shows.

The MHRA said there were 209 cases in the UK of the rare combination of blood clots with low platelet counts following being vaccinated the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab, with 41 deaths, up to April 21.

This contrasts to the proportion of people who have been vaccinated, with the latest NHS England data showing that 5.5 million people under 45 had received a first dose by April 25 compared to 22.6 million of those 45 and over.

08:07 AM

Sturgeon says she wouldn’t propose independence referendum amid Covid-19 pandemic

Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon said she wouldn’t propose a referendum on Scottish independence immediately, as she wants to make sure the country is clear of the coronavirus pandemic first.

“I don’t believe we should propose a referendum right at this moment,” Sturgeon told BBC Radio.

“I’m a lifelong believer in independence, I want Scotland to be independent, but firstly we’ve got to steer the country through the crisis.”

Sturgeon’s party, the Scottish National Party, have pledged to hold a new referendum by the end of 2023 if they win a majority in an election on May 6.

08:04 AM

UK to host summit to speed up vaccine development for future pandemics

The UK will host a global summit alongside a major scientific coalition aimed at supporting plans to accelerate vaccine development in response to any future pandemics.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and Health Secretary Matt Hancock have announced that the UK will host a summit in 2022 in partnership with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (Cepi).

It will raise investment from the international community in support of the UK and Cepi’s goal of slashing vaccine development time to 100 days – about a third of the time that it took the world to develop a coronavirus jab.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson backed this goal ahead of a meeting of the G7 leaders in February and it is supported by the Government’s new Pandemic Preparedness Partnership (PPP).

Mr Hancock said: “The UK’s leadership in developing a vaccine that can be used around the world has been vital in the fight against Covid-19.

“We look forward to working with Cepi to speed up vaccine development, creating a global solution to ensure we’re better prepared for future pandemics.”

08:02 AM

Nightclub to open for thousands tonight as part of Government’s pilot programme

In Liverpool tonight, an indoor club night for around 3,000 people will take place at Circus Nightclub.

Researchers will be gathering evidence for the Events Research Programme (ERP) into how small and large-scale events could be permitted to safely reopen.

07:49 AM

Germany sets new European record with 1m coronavirus vaccinations in a day

Germany has set a new European record for coronavirus vaccinations by giving more than 1 million jabs in a day, according to figures released on Thursday, writes Justin Huggler in Berlin.

German doctors gave out 1,088,952 jabs on Wednesday, eclipsing the previous European record of 874,000 set by the UK on March 20. It was also the first time Germany has vaccinated more than 1 per cent of its population in a day.

Only the US, China and India, with their much larger populations, have given more coronavirus jabs in 24 hours.

Germany has now given the first jab to 25.9 per cent of its population, or 21.5m people. At the start of April the figure was still under 12 per cent.

Read Justin’s full report.

07:42 AM

Northern Ireland expands limited Covid vaccines to peopled aged 30-34

Officials in Northern Ireland have said that they’re making vaccinations available for people in their 30s on Friday.

From 10am, anyone aged 30 to 34 in the province will be able to book an appointment.

The appointments are mainly available at the mass vaccination centre in Belfast’s SSE Arena, but some may also become available in community pharmacies.

However, officials stress there is only limited availability.

07:29 AM

Nine sought by police after officers injured in lockdown protest clashes

Police have released images of nine people they would like to speak to after anti-lockdown protests in central London turned violent.

Scotland Yard said 14 officers were injured as they attempted to disperse a crowd of more than 100 people in Hyde Park last Saturday.

The group were playing music and gathered closely together, and police asked them to leave the area, highlighting coronavirus regulations.

Missiles were then thrown at the officers, the Metropolitan Police said, with the violence described by one as the “worst I have seen in recent years”.

Five of the 14 injured officers required medical treatment.

Detective Chief Inspector Nat Norris said: “These officers were simply trying to do their job and it can never be acceptable for them to be attacked in this way.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

07:11 AM

Unvaccinated adults keen to get jab before summer holidays, survey reveals

Around a fifth of unvaccinated adults in the UK say they will feel resentful if they do not get a coronavirus jab before their summer holidays, a survey has found.

The Government’s target is to have offered a vaccine to all UK adults by the end of July.

About 18pc of those yet to be vaccinated said they would resent those who had been jabbed if they did not get one before their holidays, according to a survey of 4,896 adults aged 18-75.

The research was carried out by the University of Bristol, King’s College London and the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emergency Preparedness and Response.

The survey identified “widespread concern” about the ability to control forgeries, with 49pc of people thinking vaccination passports will be sold on the black market.

06:40 AM

Exclusive: Social distancing not needed at big events, Boris Johnson to be told

Social distancing for large events can be scrapped from June 21, Boris Johnson will be told next week after initial results from a pilot scheme found no spike in Covid cases among attendees, writes Ben Riley-Smith.

An interim report into the reopening trials will advise the Prime Minister that crowds can return safely and without distancing provided that measures such as staggering entries and good ventilation are in place.

Government scientists have been monitoring the impact of letting fans back into an FA Cup semi-final, Carabao Cup final and World Snooker Championship.

Conclusions from the early data are contained in the report and a covering note to be given to ministers next week, details of which The Telegraph has learned.

Read the full report from Ben here.

06:28 AM

Today’s front page

Here is your Daily Telegraph on Friday, Apr 30.

06:25 AM

Nearly one in seven shops lie empty across UK

Empty shop fronts soared higher across UK shopping destinations in the first three months of the year, according to new figures.

The latest BRC-LDC shop vacancy monitor has revealed that the vacancy rate across the country increased to 14.1% in the quarter to the end of March, from 13.7% in the last three months of 2020.

It said this represents three years of constantly increasing vacancy rates.

All types of shopping locations reported an increase in vacancies for the period, with a particularly sharp rise at shopping centres.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC (British Retail Consortium), said: “After a third national lockdown, it is no surprise that the vacancy rate has continued to soar.

“The forced closure of thousands of shops during the first quarter of 2021 has exacerbated already difficult conditions for the retail industry.

“We estimate there are around 5,000 fewer stores since the start of the pandemic, meaning one in seven shops now lie empty.”

04:49 AM

The rise of ‘churchwalking’

After more than a year of living under the cloud of Covid – when one walk a day was the only officially permitted exercise – this bank holiday weekend, you might understandably decide you are sick of walking.

But how about a walk that isn’t just a walk, but a pilgrimage?

In pre-Covid times, there was nothing nicer than to go for a long walk on a bank holiday with the promise of a pint at the end of it. But when lockdown restrictions closed the pubs, necessity gave rise to an alternative reason to stretch our legs, so why not a nice walk with a place of worship at the end of it?

Thus, to give purpose and meaning to that daily perambulation, people began inviting friends to pack sandwiches and a hip flask for a stroll to a nearby church or chapel – a pastime that has since been dubbed “churchwalking”.

If the interiors were out of bounds, at least the building could be admired and the grounds explored.

READ MORE: The rise of ‘churchwalking’: how Covid prompted a mini pilgrimage boom

04:45 AM

Hugging expected to get go-ahead by June 21

Hugging is expected to be given the green light by June 21, The Telegraph understands, with hopes that all over-50s will have been offered both jabs by the time Covid restrictions are lifted.

Prof Jonathan Van-Tam, the deputy chief medical officer, has urged the public to “hold the line a teeny bit longer” and avoid meetings indoors even if they are between people who are fully vaccinated.

The current timetable for the easing of lockdown allows indoor visits and overnight stays from May 17.

The Government has promised to update its advice on social contact – including hugging those outside household “bubbles” – by this date following a review of social distancing.

Read the full story here.

04:29 AM

Adults keen to be vaccinated before summer holidays

Around a fifth of unvaccinated adults in the UK say they will feel resentful if they do not get a coronavirus jab before their summer holidays, a survey has found.

The Government’s target is to have offered a vaccine to all UK adults by the end of July.

About 18pc of those yet to be vaccinated said they would resent those who had been jabbed if they did not get one before their holidays, according to a survey of 4,896 adults aged 18-75.

The research was carried out by the University of Bristol, King’s College London and the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emergency Preparedness and Response.

The survey identified “widespread concern” about the ability to control forgeries, with 49pc of people thinking vaccination passports will be sold on the black market.

03:02 AM

Today’s top stories

• Social distancing for large events can be scrapped from June 21, Boris Johnson will be told next week after initial results from a pilot scheme found no spike in Covid cases among attendees.

• Hugging is expected to be given the green light by June 21, The Telegraph understands, with hopes that all over-50s will have been offered both jabs by the time Covid restrictions are lifted.

• British holidaymakers will be able to visit France from June 9 if they are vaccinated or have a negative Covid test, a leaked plan has revealed.

• Patients are finding it increasingly difficult to see their GPs, with warnings that pandemic restrictions have too often “closed the door” on NHS treatment, a report warns.

• Sir Simon Stevens is to step down as the head of the NHS and become a peer, the Government has announced.