Covid news: Gove says EU recognises mistakes over NI row as vaccines ‘already slowing spread’ of virus

Austrian police have found nearly 100 foreigners from across Europe at a ski resort in breach of pandemic-related rules on entering the country and the national lockdown.

The mayor of St Anton, one of Austria's top resorts, said this week that dozens of young tourists from across Europe had recently come to his town and circumvented lockdown rules under which ski lifts are open but hotels are closed to tourists.

"Among others Britons, Danes, Swedes, Romanians, Germans, Australians, Irish people and Poles were checked and fined," the police force of the western province of Tyrol said on Friday night.

Tourist accommodation is only available to business travellers, and St Anton's Mayor Helmut Mall has said new arrivals there have registered a local address saying they are looking for work even though there are no jobs available.

Reuters

“Wisely, Boris Johnson has stayed out of the dispute between the EU and AstraZeneca, confining himself yesterday to enquiring politely of Ursula von der Leyen what on earth was going on with the Irish border, just before the commission issued a statement backing down,” John Rentoul writes.

“The EU vaccines disaster has tilted the balance of British politics in his favour.”

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A year ago today, the UK saw its first known death involving coronavirus.

Peter Attwood, an 84-year-old from Chatham in Kent, died on 30 January 2020. He fell ill with Covid-19 symptoms in late December and had never travelled abroad. 

One year after his death, the UK has seen more than 103,000 deaths which mention coronavirus on the death certificate.

Clea Skopeliti reported on comments from Mr Attwood’s daughter here:

Former Department for Exiting the European Union permanent secretary Philip Rycroft warned the EU's move to invoke Article 16 of the Northern Ireland protocol risks lowering the bar for triggering it.

He told Sky News: "It was wholly disproportionate to what they were seeking to achieve - it was unnecessary. But it bears all the hallmarks for a bureaucracy that is under huge pressure, acting before it was thinking straight.

"This is an indication there will be lots of stress points in our relationship with the EU in the weeks and months ahead. That's the reality we face now we're not a member state."

PA

“I’m a doctor and I’m writing to tell you that the news about coronavirus vaccines being binned in Britain is absolutely true," an anonymous Covid-19 vaccinator writes. 

“In the clinics I’ve worked at, I’ve seen between one to three doses being thrown away at the end of the day," they add.

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Virologist Dr Chris Smith said the vaccine rollout should "start to put a barrier in the way of the virus" by "mid-to-late February".

He told BBC Breakfast this prediction is based on the fact it takes "two to three weeks" after having a vaccine for immunity to start to kick in, plus "a further time to consolidate that".

Dr Smith said: "Yes we're making enormous strides, yes we're getting the vaccine into lots of people, but we won't expect to see it really begin to bite, I would say, for a few more weeks yet because as those numbers climb, and as people's immunity builds, that's when we're really going to start to put a barrier in the way of the virus."

PA

Northern Ireland's deputy first minister has called on both the EU and UK government to "honour and implement their agreements".

Michelle O'Neill said: "I have spoken to the Irish government and expressed my serious concerns that the EU did not consult with the political administrations on this island before moving to trigger Article 16.

“This unilateral action was clearly unwise, ill-judged and totally unnecessary. I welcome the fact the decision has now been reversed.”

PA

In England, a total of 7,701,203 Covid-19 vaccinations took place between 8 December and 29 January, according to provisional NHS England data, including first and second doses.

 This marks a rise of 437,886 on the previous day's figures.

PA

The latest vaccine row has reignited criticism of the Brexit agreement for Northern Ireland among unionists.

“The genie really is now out of the bottle,” DUP’s Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said. “The Northern Ireland Protocol is not fit for purpose.” 

Meanwhile, Arlene Foster, the DUP leader, has reiterated calls for Boris Johnson to enact Article 16 of the protocol over delays being face by hauliers.

Arlene Foster, Northern Ireland’s first minister, said: "The protocol is unworkable, let's be very clear about that, and we need to see it replaced because otherwise there is going to be real difficulties here in Northern Ireland." 

But Michelle O'Neill, deputy first miniser and Sinn Fein vice president, said the protocol must stay, even though it was “imperfect”. 

The protocol has already proved unpopular with unionists in Northern Ireland who complain of a border down the Irish Sea.

Under its terms, Northern Ireland remains in the single market for goods and continues to apply EU customs rules at its ports and airports.

Health bosses have issued an apology after inviting a number of clinically extremely vulnerable children for a Covid-19 vaccine.  

Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) sent an invitation for inoculation to children under the age of 16, but coronavirus vaccines have not yet been approved for use in those under the age of 18.  

Bethany Dawson reports: