Covid news - live: Sturgeon imposes total travel quarantine and Oxford vaccine still protects after 12 weeks

The Orthodox Jewish community had had one of the highest rates of coronavirus infection recorded anywhere in the world, a study has found.

According to research by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and its partners, the study found the overall infection rate among Orthodox Jews was 64 per cent.

Find out more about the study:

Controls are being stepped up in parts of the UK hit by new strains of Covid-19, as scientists warned Britain risks becoming a “melting pot” for mutations believed to strengthen the virus’ resistance to vaccines.

The cases in Liverpool and the Bristol area were made public as door-to-door testing began in eight other postcode areas to stem the spread of the South African coronavirus variant, report Andrew Woodcock and Samuel Lovett.

France’s top health advisory body has recommended that the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine only be used on people under 65 - following in the footsteps of health authorities in Germany last week.

It cited a lack of sufficient data about its effectiveness in older people. The decision could throw  wrench into the French vaccination programme as the country has prioritised vaccinating care home residents and people over 75.

France’s High Authority for Health said on Tuesday it “recommends that the vaccine… be given preferentially to people under 65”, adding that it will review the guidance when the drugmaker has more data on the vaccine’s efficacy in older people.

The French government is due to announce on Wednesday how the new guidance will affect its vaccination plan.

President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday night met with international vaccine producers and major pharmaceutical companies that have an industrial site in France to discuss ways to “quickly” and “significantly” boost short-term production, reported the PA news agency.

Guidance given by the European Medicines Agency authorises the AstraZeneca vaccine for use in all adults throughout the EU.

A teenager who fell into a coma weeks before the UK went into a national lockdown has begun to emerge from his unconscious state, but with no knowledge that the world is in the midst of a pandemic.

But 19-year-old Joseph Flavill, from Staffordshire, has caught and recovered from coronavirus twice.

My colleague Eleanor Sly reports on the unusual story:

Football star David Beckham has paid tribute to the late Captain Tom Moore, who died earlier today.

He met Captain Tom when he presented with a framed football shirt after the record-breaking fundraiser became the first member of the Lionhearts squad of inspirational heroes.

Mr Beckham wrote in a post on Instagram: “Today we have lost a true hero, Captain Sir Tom Moore. What he achieved for our NHS will never be forgotten.

“Tom, you were truly the very best of British. When our country and our world was struggling you gave us hope, put a smile on our faces and made us believe that tomorrow would be a good day.

“Rest in Peace Sir Tom.”

With more than 10 million first doses administered to date, the UK has moved rapidly and efficiently in delivering one of the largest vaccine programmes seen on the planet.

The success is a testament to the UK’s Vaccine Taskforce in compiling a diverse portfolio of vaccines, as well as the collaborative and streamlined efforts of the NHS.

Samuel Lovett reports on the rare win for the UK government:

A former NHS England director has said that elderly care home residents should be given their second dose of coronavirus vaccine sooner than scheduled, following reports of rising outbreaks.

Martin Vernon, former national clinical director for older people at NHS England, told The Independent he had seen an alarming number of infections among residents who had received one dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

Our Health Correspondent Shaun Lintern reports:

People with learning disabilities must be urgently prioritised for the Covid vaccine, charities have warned.

The latest data for learning disability deaths shows 80 per cent of deaths in the week to 22 January were linked to Covid-19. This compares to just 45 per cent in the general population.

Get the full story below:

Boris Johnson said the data from the study which found the Oxford vaccine offers protection of 76 per cent up to 12 weeks after a single dose and may reduce transmission by 67 per cent was "really encouraging".

"I'm incredibly grateful to all our scientists, NHS staff and volunteers working on our vaccination programme," he added.

Controls are being stepped up in parts of the UK hit by new strains of Covid-19, as scientists warned Britain risks becoming a “melting pot” for mutations believed to strengthen the virus’s resistance to vaccines.

More below: