Coronavirus news – live: UK reports new record daily death toll, as PM warns there is ‘more to come’
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Your support makes all the difference.The government has released figures showing a record number of daily deaths for the second day running, as 1,820 people died within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus – the highest number since the pandemic began.
Prime minister Boris Johnson blamed the “appalling” death toll on a new variant of the disease as he warned “there will be more to come”.
The leap in fatalities - up more than 10 per cent on the previous record - came as the team behind the Oxford vaccine was understood to be planning new versions of its jab in response to the different coronavirus variants that have emerged in the UK and elsewhere.
Scientists at the university were found to be assessing the ability of their jab to tackle new variants as another team of researchers found the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was likely to provide protection against the one first detected in the UK.
The new study suggests the Pfizer jab can overcome a number of genetic changes in the virus after testing the vaccine against a synthetic virus with 10 mutations that are characteristic of the UK variant.
However, separate research has suggested that vaccines may be less effective against the new variant of coronavirus that emerged in South Africa.
Johnson defends border measures after Patel ‘overruled on march closure’
Boris Johnson has defended coronavirus measures at the border after it emerged home secretary Priti Patel lobbied for tougher restrictions during the early stages of the pandemic.
Ms Patel's comments, made to the Conservative Friends of India group, are contrary to her public defence of the government's decision not to enact a full arrivals shutdown.
In remarks first reported by political website Guido Fawkes, Ms Patel said: "On 'should we have closed our borders earlier', the answer is yes. I was an advocate of closing them last March."
Mr Johnson was quizzed at Prime Minister's Questions by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer about why he chose to "overrule" the home secretary.
But the Tory leader evaded the question, instead opting to criticise Labour's policy on border controls.
How quickly could vaccines allow us to reopen the economy?
Ministers are said to be reasonably confident of meeting their official target of vaccinating 14 million of the most vulnerable people in the UK with initial doses by the middle of February.
Boris Johnson has suggested this could allow restrictions in England to be eased from March.
But how feasible is it? Ben Chu takes a closer look in this piece:
How quickly could vaccines allow us to reopen the economy?
Boris Johnson has suggested that vaccinations could allow restrictions in England to be eased from March. But is this feasible? Or would it represent another policy mistake? Ben Chu investigates
Biden administration signals US will join Covax alliance
The Biden administration made clear this week that it intends to join the Covax alliance, an initiative that is led by the World Health Organisation and two other groups and aims to secure fair access to Covid-19 vaccines for poor countries.
Joe Biden's nominee for secretary of state, Antony Blinken, told his US Senate confirmation hearing that the United States would join the alliance of some 190 countries in working to make sure that the vaccine is equitably distributed.
These actions by the new US president will mark a sharp divergence from the Trump administration's pandemic response, which critics say was ineffectual, uncoordinated and at least partly responsible for the death of more than 400,000 Americans.
Vaccinators could lose licence for giving second dose too early
Hospitals say they have been told they could lose their licence to deliver the coronavirus vaccine if they give second doses to anyone before they reach 12 weeks since their first jab.
In a message to vaccinators at the University Hospital Southampton Trust, seen by The Independent, staff were told the hospital’s chief executive had been given a “crystal clear” instruction that no second doses should be given to anyone before the reach 12 weeks since their first dose.
Our health correspondent Shaun Lintern has this report:
Vaccinators could lose their licences for giving second doses prematurely
"There is a complete refusal at the highest levels to grant permission for second doses before 12 weeks’
Frustration grows over delay in Pfizer vaccine shipments
Frustration is mounting from Europe to North America over reduced shipments of Pfizer's Covid vaccine while the US pharmaceutical company increases production capacity at its Belgian plant. Governments say it is costing critical time during the early stages of the rollout to care homes and hospital personnel.
Italy has threatened legal action. The leader of Canada's most populous province said Pfizer's chief executive should be chased "with a firecracker." A top European Union official icily invoked the principle of "pacta sunt servanda," a Latin phrase meaning "agreements must be kept."
The EU and many nations are under pressure for what is seen as the slow start to their vaccination campaigns compared to countries like Israel and the UK. Pfizer compounded the problem last Friday when it announced a temporary reduction in deliveries so it could upscale its Puurs, Belgium plant, which supplies all shots delivered outside the United States.
Portugal’s Covid cases hit record as health service pushed to limit
Daily coronavirus cases in Portugal have risen by 40 per cent today, compared to a day earlier, to a record 14,647, with the national health system (SNS) on the verge of collapse and the government considering tougher lockdown measures to tackle the surge.
Health minister Marta Temido told reporters: "The situation is serious and the government will not fail to do everything to protect the Portuguese. We have the SNS at its extreme limit."
The country of 10 million people, where authorities implemented a 15-day lockdown last week to fight the spread of the virus, also hit a record of 219 new deaths today, up from 218 the day before, health authority DGS said.
Angela Rippon ‘genuinely delighted’ to receive Covid vaccine
Angela Rippon has said she is "genuinely delighted" to have been vaccinated against coronavirus.
The journalist and television presenter, 76, said she had "no hesitation" in taking up the offer of receiving the jab.
She was given her first dose of the vaccine on Wednesday at St Charles' Hospital, west London.
In a statement, the Rip Off Britain presenter added: "It was a fascinating experience, and real privilege to see an NHS Covid-19 vaccine team in action."
Brazil lacks timeline on when coronavirus vaccines will arrive
Brazil's foreign minister, Ernesto Araujo, has said he still cannot provide a timeline of when new coronavirus vaccine doses will arrive from India and China, raising concern in a country that is lagging behind others in vaccinating its people.
Brazil is waiting for a shipment of AstraZeneca vaccines from India and a shipment of Sinovac vaccines from China.
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