Sajid Javid hails 'phenomenal achievement' after 80 million vaccines administered

06:03 PM

What happened today?

Good evening, that's all for now. Here's an evening update of Covid developments:

• Coronavirus infection rates in England have climbed to their highest level in five months, according to Office for National Statistics estimates, as around one in 160 people had Covid-19 in private households in the week to July 3, a 50 per cent increase on the week before

• Cases of the dominant delta variant in the UK rose by a third in the past week, Public Health England data showed, with a total of 216,249 confirmed and probable cases of the strain - but just 4 per cent of delta hospitalisations in the under-50s were fully vaccinated

• The risk of severe illness or death from Covid-19 is "extremely low" in children and young people, as new research revealed that just 25 under-18s in England have died from the virus in a one year period

• Britain has made a "phenomenal achievement", Health Secretary Sajid Javid has said as he hailed the country's vaccine rollout passing 80 million jabs

• Two vaccine doses are as effective at preventing Covid in those with high-risk health conditions as they are in everyone else, Public Health England research suggested, but one dose offered almost no protection for the immunosuppressed

• Workers are increasingly requesting sick notes as the return to offices looms, figures from a private doctor service have suggested

• The Netherlands reimposed restrictions on nightclubs, restaurants and music festivals just weeks after they were lifted, after cases surged

• The World Health Organization said it is not clear yet whether Covid-19 booster vaccines will be needed to maintain protection, until further data is collected.

05:48 PM

Dutch reinforce Covid-19 measures after spike in cases

The Netherlands has reimposed restrictions on nightclubs, restaurants and music festivals just weeks after they were lifted, in an effort to halt a sudden surge in Covid-19 infections, mostly among young adults.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the measures would take effect from Saturday morning and remain in place until August 14.

Bars will have to close at midnight again as of this weekend and for much of the summer, while discotheques and clubs will have to fully close. Social distancing will also be reinforced. "No fun, but necessary," said Rutte.

Positive tests have specifically increased among the young, raising questions whether a system whereby youngsters had to test before entering a club has worked.

"We could dance together," said Rutte, "but it led to big outbreaks."

05:42 PM

'Phenomenal achievement' as Britain passes 80 million jabs milestone

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has hailed a "phenomenal achievement" as more than 80 million vaccines have been administered across the UK.

A total of 80,072,121 doses have been given in the UK, with 45,697,875 people receiving a first dose (86.8 per cent) and 34,374,246 people receiving both doses (65.3 per cent).

This includes over half of young people aged 18 to 24 in England who have received a first dose - following rapid uptake after the programme was opened to this age group.

Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi added: "This is an astonishing accomplishment - in around seven months the NHS in every corner of the country has administered 80 million vaccines.

"The success is down to the incredible dedication of NHS staff, GPs, pharmacists, volunteers, local authorities, civil servants and the armed forces - the country applauds your commitment to saving lives.

"As we begin to fully reopen society, it's absolutely crucial everybody gets their first and second jabs so we can return to normality as quickly as possible."

05:33 PM

Covid infections highest in five months as delta variant cases surge

Coronavirus infection rates in England have climbed to their highest level in five months, according to Office for National Statistics estimates.

Around one in 160 people had Covid-19 in the week to July 3, the latest ONS survey of private households shows, the highest since February 19.

This means case rates are up 50 per cent in a week, from one in 260, but the vaccines are still weakening the link with hospitalisations and deaths, which remain very low.

In Scotland, the cases figure was the highest since mid-January at one in 100 people in private households. Levels in Wales and Northern Ireland are lower, at one in 340 and one in 300 respectively.

Elsewhere, the latest data from Public Health England (PHE) show cases of the dominant delta variant rose by a third in the past week.

A total of 216,249 confirmed and probable cases of the strain, first identified in India and which now accounts for approximately 99 per cent of confirmed Covid cases across the UK.

But hospitalisations from delta were mostly in the under-50s, and just 4 per cent in this group were fully vaccinated.

04:55 PM

Watch: Indonesia battles with Covid crisis as fears grow over deaths among fully vaccinated doctors

04:25 PM

Mandatory face masks to be ditched in Welsh schools

Face coverings will not be routinely recommended in classrooms across Wales from September, the Welsh Government has announced.

Currently, guidelines state that face coverings should be worn anywhere on the school estate - including in the classroom - by secondary school pupils if social distancing cannot be maintained.

Covid bubbles will also not be required for school pupils or full-time learners in colleges.

Education minister Jeremy Miles announced the change in a letter to headteachers in Wales on Friday.

"By the end of September all adults in Wales will have been offered both vaccinations, providing greater protection for our education workforce," he said.

"A growing body of evidence also shows that children and young people are more at harm from missing school than from Covid."

04:14 PM

France could soon ease Covid restrictions for British travellers

France could soon ease rules for British travellers entering the country, the French transport minister has said.

Restrictions have been progressively lifted in France after months of lockdowns as vaccination speeds up, despite a rise in cases fuelled by the more infectious delta variant.

"With the vaccination campaign advancing well in both France and UK there could be a co-ordinated decision soon to lift the UK from the orange list," Jean-Baptiste Djebbari told the BBC during a visit to Toulouse, south-western France, on Thursday.

Speaking ahead of a planned meeting with Grant Shapps, his British counterpart, he added: "We are looking at the evolution of the health situation and want to make a decision as quickly as we can."

• Anna Pujol-Mazzini has more from Paris

03:59 PM

South Africa’s wine industry on ‘cliff edge’ after Covid-19 alcohol bans

South Africa’s domestic ban on alcohol to combat the spread of Covid-19 is threatening to force hundreds of local wine producers to close, according to a survey by industry organisation Vinpro.

The report found that more than 20 per cent of producers predict they will not survive the pandemic and almost 60 per cent said they would have to make drastic changes to overcome Covid-related challenges.

The negative impact of the ban is far worse for smaller and black-owned brands and farms which are heavily reliant on domestic sales, the report added, with firms "at the edge of a cliff".

South Africa introduced its fifth alcohol ban in June amid a nationwide lockdown that aims to curb rapidly rising Covid-19 cases, fuelled by the delta variant. Most of the 549 respondents said they would only be able to pay 51 per cent of their monthly salaries if the ban continues for another six weeks.

03:35 PM

Latest UK daily Covid figures

A further 35,707 lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases in the UK as of 9am on Friday, the Government said, the highest daily increase since January 22.

A further 29 people had died within 28 days of testing positive, bringing the UK total to 128,365.

Government data up to July 8 shows that of the 80,072,121 Covid jabs given in the UK so far, 45,697,875 were first doses - a rise of 96,430 on the previous day.

Some 34,374,246 were second doses, an increase of 175,467.

02:50 PM

Pfizer outlines Covid-19 booster jab plan – but is it necessary?

Pfizer/BioNTech has become the latest vaccine manufacturer to outline its plans for a Covid-19 booster jab – but scientists, regulatory bodies and the World Health Organization (WHO) say booster programmes may be jumping the gun, with no evidence yet that they are needed.

A number of wealthy countries, including the UK, are planning booster campaigns for vulnerable adults as soon as the autumn. Russia has already begun giving booster shots, and Israel has lined up doses, too.

On Friday, Indonesia – where the situation is dire – said it would begin giving a “top-up” of the Moderna vaccine to health workers who had had the Chinese vaccine.

However, experts said it remained unclear how necessary the jabs would be, either to tackle variants – as the vaccines are currently standing up against them – or because of waning immunity post-jab.

Several also said it was morally and scientifically questionable to offer boosters in rich nations while millions remain entirely unprotected globally, a scenario that will not only lead to millions more needless deaths but offer a perfect breeding ground for new and potentially more dangerous variants.

• Jennifer Rigby has this analysis of whether boosters are beckoning

02:36 PM

Coronavirus around the world, in pictures

02:21 PM

Covid vaccines offer 'high levels' of protection for immunosuppressed

Covid-19 vaccines offer high levels of protection for most people with underlying health conditions or who are immunosuppressed, Public Health England has said.

New data from more than one million people in at-risk groups found that overall vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic disease was around 60 per cent after one dose of either the AstraZeneca or Pfizer/BioNTech jabs, and did not fall substantially with age.

After two doses for those aged 16 to 64 in at risk groups, AstraZeneca offered 81 per cent protection. No data was available for this group from Pfizer.

For those aged 65 and over, two doses of Pfizer/BioNTech offered 89 per cent protection while AstraZeneca offered 80 per cent.

For people who are immunosuppressed, vaccine effectiveness after a second dose was 74 per cent, with similar protection to those who are not in an at-risk group. This rises from 4 per cent after a first dose, showing the importance of a second dose.

Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at PHE, said: "This real-world data shows for the first time that most people who are clinically vulnerable to Covid-19 still receive high levels of protection after two doses of vaccine.

"It is vital that anyone with an underlying condition gets both doses, especially people with weakened immune systems as they gain so much more benefit from the second dose."

01:52 PM

Spanish tourist hotspots seek return to curfews as youth infections rage

Spain's Canary Islands and its Mediterranean region of Valencia have asked the government to bring back curfews to counter a soaring Covid-19 infection rate among unvaccinated youngsters that is threatening to scupper the vital summer tourism season.

National cases had been dwindling over recent months but began to surge from the middle of June, propelled by the more contagious delta variant and more socialising among younger groups.

Germany designated Spain a high-risk area on Friday and France had already warned its citizens from visiting.

Hospital admissions have begun to edge up but remain far below levels seen earlier this year, while intensive care occupancy is less than 7 per cent. Daily deaths have been declining since April as the most vulnerable groups have been vaccinated.

Since a state of emergency expired in May, regional authorities have been responsible for the Covid-19 response but need court authorisation or a government decree for strict lockdown measures.

The Canaries' regional government said late on Thursday it would ask its Supreme Court to authorise a 12:30am to 6am curfew on Tenerife, which has the islands' highest Covid incidence.

01:30 PM

Covid-19 vaccine rates plummet as roll-out hits young and hard-to-reach

The Covid-19 vaccination programme is hitting a “demand ceiling” as the daily numbers of people getting their first jab has almost halved in the last fortnight.

On Thursday, just 87,000 first doses were administered, as the roll-out gets to younger, more hesitant and harder to reach groups.

The seven-day average has dropped by 49 per cent since 20 June, from 205,668 daily doses to 105,781 as of 4 July, according to the latest government data.

John Roberts, from the Covid-19 Actuaries Response Group, which has been tracking the roll-out, said: “Among the over-30s, it feels as though everyone who put their hand up first time has been done.”

He said it was “inevitable” that as the programme reached the end it would be slower.

“If fewer people are putting their hands up in areas where hesitancy is high, we are getting to the point where there are not that many people left to do,” he said. “Then the process of trying to get round to those people on a very manual basis, using whatever techniques they use, is inevitably going to be slow.”

• Here's a full report on this growing issue

01:15 PM

Indian region still battling Covid surge now grapples with Zika

India's southern Kerala region, which recorded the highest number of new Covid infections anywhere in the country on Friday, is now also on alert for Zika virus after one case was confirmed, Jennifer Rigby reports.

A further 13 suspected cases were being investigated, state health minister Veena George said, and a statewide alert has been issued.

A 24-year-old pregnant woman was found to be infected with the mosquito-borne disease and was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Thiruvananthapuram city.

Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable and can transmit the infection to their newborns which can result in life-altering conditions such as Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare auto-immune disease.

The virus is mainly spread through mosquito bites but can be sexually transmitted. India also saw Zika outbreaks in 2017 and 2018, with hundreds of cases reported in western Gujarat and Rajasthan as well as central Madhya Pradesh state, but the latest infection is the first in Kerala.

The state is currently a battling a surge in Covid-19 cases, with more than 13,000 infections recorded on Friday.

12:59 PM

All talk, no jabs: the reality of global vaccine diplomacy

If you believe the @sputnikvaccine Twitter account – a feed tweeting apparently on behalf of the Kremlin – Russia is single-handedly inoculating the world.

A relentless stream of pictures and videos shows Sputnik deliveries arriving in almost every corner of the globe, from Paraguay and Argentina to Mauritius and Egypt.

But lurking beneath the social media onslaught are less impressive figures; the reality of Russia’s vaccine diplomacy campaign simply does not match the rhetoric.

According to data from the analytics company Airfinity, just 24 per cent of the 1.14 million doses of Sputnik V pledged by Russia have been delivered – roughly 278,000 vaccines have been donated to nine countries including Angola, Moldova and Zimbabwe.

Russia isn’t alone. Almost no government has lived up to their grandiose vows to donate Covid-19 shots and “vaccinate the world”.

• Sarah Newey, Anne Gulland and Jennifer Rigby have this deep dive

12:32 PM

WHO: Question open on need for Covid boosters

The World Health Organization says it is not clear yet whether Covid-19 booster vaccines will be needed to maintain protection, until further data is collected.

Pfizer plans to ask US regulators to authorise a booster dose of its Covid-19 vaccine within the next month, the drugmaker's top scientist said on Thursday, based on evidence of greater risk of reinfection six months after inoculation and the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.

The UK Government is also planning on bringing in booster jabs for over-50s from September.

But the WHO said in a statement: "We don’t know whether booster vaccines will be needed to maintain protection against Covid-19 until additional data is collected, but the question is under consideration by researchers.

"There is limited data available on how long protection from current Covid-19 vaccine doses lasts and whether an additional booster dose would be beneficial and for whom."

12:10 PM

Lobby latest: No 10 has 'no stats' for many people are deleting the NHS Covid app

Number 10 has urged people to isolate if they are ‘pinged’ by the NHS Covid app, while admitting they "don’t have the stats" for how many people have deleted it from their phones.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister said it was a "valuable tool to break the chain of transmission for those who have come into contact with someone who has a positive test”.

He added: "Throughout the test and trace and app programme, it’s been the case that if you have been contacted directly it’s a legal requirement and if you are contacted through the app it is guidance… it is important that people continue to isolate if they are asked to do so."

He declined to comment on the specific plan to reduce the sensitivity of the app, beyond pointing to the words of the Transport Secretary this morning.

• Read more: NHS staff deleting Covid app as calls grow for doctors to be exempt from self-isolation

12:00 PM

Lobby latest: Four tests will still have to be met for July 19 reopening

Number 10 has confirmed that the four tests will need to be hit before the Prime Minister is able to confirm the July 19 reopening next week.

Boris Johnson is expected to confirm the final stage of his roadmap will go ahead on Monday, a week before the unlocking takes place.

The four tests - the vaccine programme continuing, hospitalisations and deaths are falling as a result, infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisation and that no new variants of concern change the outlook - have formed the basis of all stages so far.

A spokesman said: "As we have done throughout, the decision will be based on four tests we set out at the start of the roadmap process. The Prime Minister continually receives updates and data from experts... He has always based decisions on the scientific evidence and data provided."

11:56 AM

Lobby latest: No 10 mulling isolation exemptions for frontline workers

Downing Street is mulling additional exemptions for NHS staff, to avoid high levels of frontline workers having to isolate this summer.

There are already some exemptions in place for "some clinical staff, where they are wearing appropriate clinical grade PPE", the Prime Minister’s spokesman said today.

But he confirmed that a further carve out - for those who are pinged because of contact in their daily activities - is "something we are looking at ahead of step four".

He added: "Self isolation and breaking the chain of transmission has been an important tool that has been used throughout the pandemic, but we are aware of the impact self-isolation has had on people and businesses.”

Pressed on whether there could be other sectors exempted, such as lorry drivers, he said: "I am not going to get into particular professions."

11:33 AM

Latest regional Covid positivity rates

The percentage of people in private households testing positive for Covid-19 is estimated to have increased in all regions of England, the Office for National Statistics has said.

North-east England and north-west England had the highest proportion of people of any region likely to test positive for coronavirus in the week to July 3: around one in 80.

Eastern England had the lowest estimate: around one in 350.

Around one in 160 people in private households in England had Covid-19 in the week to July 3 - up from one in 260 in the previous week, according to the ONS national estimates, the highest level since the week to February 19.

In Scotland, around one in 100 people are estimated to have had Covid-19 in the week to July 3 - up from one in 150 in the previous week, and the highest level since the week to January 16.

11:12 AM

US donation of 1.4m Covid vaccine doses arrives in Afghanistan

US donations of more than 1.4 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine arrived in Afghanistan on Friday, the first of two shipments this month, the UN children's agency UNICEF said in a statement.

A second shipment of vaccines donated by the United States through the COVAX global sharing program will bring the total to 3.3 million doses, UNICEF said. The US vaccine donations come as US military forces withdraw from Afghanistan, ending a 20-year war in the country.

The deliveries are part of President Joe Biden's pledge to share 80 million vaccine doses globally, most through COVAX, which is run by the Gavi Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, the World Health Organization and UNICEF.

"These vaccines arrive at a critical time for Afghanistan as the country faces a difficult surge in Covid-19 infections," said UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan, Hervé Ludovic De Lys.

Less than four percent of the Afghan population is vaccinated, UNICEF said.

10:50 AM

Rishi Sunak tells workers to get back to the office

The Chancellor is rallying Britons to return to the office as soon as the Government’s “work from home” guidance lifts, declaring it “really important” for younger staff.

Rishi Sunak conceded that operating remotely via Zoom during the pandemic had been “not great” for workers at the beginning of their careers, who find face-to-face interaction particularly “valuable”.

Signalling his strong support for workers to return to the office at step four of the Prime Minister’s roadmap out of restrictions, scheduled for July 19, he said: “I think for young people, especially, that ability to be in your office, be in your workplace and learn from others more directly, is something that's really important and I look forward to us slowly getting back to that.”

• Lucy Fisher has the full story

10:33 AM

Delta variant is reinfecting people who have already had Covid-19

People who have previously caught Covid are now more likely to be reinfected because of the delta variant, a study has found.

Laboratory analysis revealed that the mutation that originated in India is four times more able to overcome protective antibodies from a previous infection compared to the UK’s alpha variant.

The study also found that a single dose of either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines provided just 10 per cent protection against the delta variant.

The variant was already thought to be up to 60 per cent more infectious than the version which swept the UK last winter.

• Henry Bodkin has more on these findings

10:20 AM

Almost all Delta variant hospitalisations under 50 were not fully vaccinated

Just 4 per cent of the 1,283 people under 50 who have been admitted to hospital in England with the Delta variant of Covid-19 were fully vaccinated, Public Health England has said.

Of those hospitalisations up to June 21, 987 (77 per cent) were unvaccinated, 106 (8 per cent) were less than 21 days after their first dose of vaccine, 118 (9 per cent) 21 or more days after their first dose of vaccine and 48 (4 per cent) were fully vaccinated.

There were a total of 1,904 hospitalisations with the variant, 1,283 of whom were under the age of 50 and 615 were 50 or over.

Of the 615 aged 50 or over, 195 (32 per cent) were unvaccinated, 11 (2 per cent) less than 21 days after their first dose of vaccine, 140 (23 per cent) 21 or more days after their first dose of vaccine and 265 (43 per cent) were fully vaccinated.

10:01 AM

Public warned not to ignore NHS Covid app as virus cases continue to rise

People have been urged not to ignore the NHS Covid app if they are advised to self-isolate, after cases of the dominant Delta variant rose by a third in the past week.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said it is important that people continue to use the app, amid concerns about the increasing numbers being "pinged" as restrictions are rolled back.

Rules governing travel for people in England are due to be eased on July 19 but measures on self-isolation for the fully vaccinated will remain in place until August 16, raising fears that people will delete the app rather than risk having to cancel a holiday.

Mr Shapps told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "You shouldn't ignore this (the app) because it is vital information. People should want to know if they have been in contact with somebody with coronavirus.

"You don't want to be spreading it around. It can still harm people."

09:11 AM

Pictured: Coronavirus around the world

08:53 AM

Delta variant cases in UK rise by 34pc in a week

A total of 216,249 confirmed and probable cases of the Covid-19 delta variant have now been identified in the UK, according to the latest figures from Public Health England - up by 54,268 from 161,981 cases in the previous week, a rise of 34pc.

Of the 216,249 cases, 180,643 have been in England, 28,559 in Scotland, 3,666 in Wales and 3,381 in Northern Ireland.

The delta variant currently accounts for approximately 99pc of confirmed cases of coronavirus across the UK.

08:36 AM

Delta variant is reinfecting people who have already had Covid-19

People who have previously caught Covid are now more likely to be reinfected because of the delta variant, a study has found.

Laboratory analysis revealed that the mutation that originated in India is four times more able to overcome protective antibodies from a previous infection compared to the UK’s alpha variant.

The study also found that a single dose of either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines provided just 10 per cent protection against the delta variant.

The variant was already thought to be up to 60 per cent more infectious than the version which swept the UK last winter.

The findings, published in the journal Nature, help explain why the virus is spreading so quickly, particularly among younger adults, fewer of whom are double-vaccinated.

• Read the full story from Henry Bodkin

08:21 AM

Delta variant to account for most new Covid cases in France from this weekend, says health minister

The highly contagious Delta variant of Covid-19 will probably account for most of the new coronavirus cases in France from this weekend, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Friday.

The Delta variant now represents nearly 50pc of new Covid-19 infections, Veran told France Inter radio station.

08:07 AM

Grant Shapps urges people not to ignore NHS Covid app if they get 'pinged'

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps urged people not to ignore the NHS Covid app if they are "pinged" and advised to self-isolate.

Travel restrictions for people in England are due to be eased on July 19 but rules on self-isolation for people who are fully vaccinated will remain in place until August 16, raising fears that people will delete the app rather than risk having to cancel a holiday.

However, Mr Shapps said it is important that people continue to use the app.

"You shouldn't ignore this because it is vital information. People should want to know if they have been in contact with somebody with coronavirus. You don't want to be spreading it around. It can still harm people," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

07:53 AM

Spain is safe despite rising cases, insists Spanish minister

Spain is a safe destination for tourists even though Covid-19 cases are rising, Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto said on Friday, citing its vaccination programme and the number of hospitalised patients being kept under control.

"Governments must not raise alarms," she said in an interview with RNE radio station. "We cannot measure the epidemiological situation only based on cumulated incidence," she said.

Maroto's comments come after French Junior European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune advised French people on Thursday to avoid Spain and Portugal for their summer holidays.

07:44 AM

Holidaymakers warned of additional queues before entering back into UK

The Transport Secretary has warned that holidaymakers should expect additional queues when they check in for their flights home due to the need for coronavirus checks.

Mr Shapps told BBC Breakfast: "Before you board a plane you would need to show you have completed your passenger locator form, that you have carried out a pre-departure test, that you have got your test booked for day two and all of that needs to be checked by the carrier - the airline usually - before you travel.

"So the place to expect queues is the airport you are coming from. Once you get back to the UK all of that is starting to be automated.

"People should expect more disruption than usual but I know that everyone is working very hard to minimise those queues."

07:24 AM

Government 'actively working' on plans to accept vaccine certificates from other countries

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has said the Government is "actively working" on plans to accept vaccination certificates from travellers who receive a coronavirus jab in other countries.

On Thursday Mr Shapps announced that travellers from amber list countries who were fully vaccinated in the UK would no longer have to self-isolate from July 19.

Speaking on Sky News, he said he expected to be able to make an announcement "in the next couple of weeks" on extending it to people who receive a World Health Organisation-approved vaccine in other countries.

"The next thing is to be able to recognise apps from other countries or certification from other countries," he said.

07:05 AM

'Sensitivity' of NHS Covid app is being kept under review, says Transport Secretary

Grant Shapps has said the "sensitivity" of the NHS Covid app is being kept under constant review.

Mr Shapps said it was important that it remained a "useful tool" in the fight against the disease amid concerns about the increasing numbers of people being "pinged" as restrictions are eased.

"As the overall nationwide levels for things like the amount of social distancing and other rules are looked at so we will look at the way that app performs with regard to the new standards being in place," he told Sky News.

"We keep a very close eye on those things. I did speak to the Health Secretary about it yesterday. He is very aware of this and we will keep it under constant review because we want the app to be a useful tool in our armoury.

"We will keep the sensitivity of it under review with the new guidelines that come in on July 19."

06:37 AM

Pfizer wants third shot approved in US to boost immunity

Pfizer is about to seek authorisation in the United States for a third dose of its Covid-19 vaccine, saying that another shot within 12 months could dramatically boost immunity and maybe help ward off the latest worrisome mutant.

Research from multiple countries shows the Pfizer shot and other widely used Covid-19 vaccines offer strong protection against the highly contagious delta variant, which is spreading rapidly around the world and now accounts for most new US infections.

Two doses of most vaccines are critical to develop high levels of virus-fighting antibodies against all versions of the coronavirus, not just the delta variant - and most of the world is still desperate to get those initial protective doses as the pandemic continues to rage.

But antibodies naturally wane over time, so studies are also underway to tell if and when boosters might be needed.

06:35 AM

UK economy rebounds in May following the easing of restrictions

The UK economy rebounded further in May following the latest easing of lockdown restrictions but recorded a slow-down in growth, according to official statistics.

The Office for National Statistics said gross domestic product - a measure of economic growth - grew by 0.8pc in May, as it slowed from a 2.3pc rise in April.

Analysts had predicted that the economy would report a 1.5pc increase for the month.

06:19 AM

Charities call for more support for 500,000 immunocompromised

Sixteen health charities have joined forces to urge the Government to support around 500,000 people for whom the Covid-19 vaccines may give less protection.

With most of England's Covid rules due to be scrapped on July 19, including the wearing of masks, charities such as Versus Arthritis, Anthony Nolan, Blood Cancer UK and the Cystic Fibrosis Trust said more needs to be done for those who are immunocompromised or immunosuppressed.

The charities want better communication from the Government and the NHS to inform patients, the wider public and employers about the potentially higher and continued risks that Covid-19 poses to immunocompromised people.

They also want employment protection and access to workplace adjustments for immunocompromised people, including the duty to consider working from home wherever possible and flexibility in start and finish times so as to avoid peak-time travel.

06:06 AM

Today's front page

Here is your Daily Telegraph for Friday, July 9.

05:56 AM

Japanese cabinet 'in chaos', says shocked restaurateur

The operator of the "Kill Bill" restaurant in Tokyo said on Friday he was shocked by comments from a government minister that he would ask banks to pressure eateries that don't comply with stricter coronavirus measures.

Kozo Hasegawa, the president of Global-Dining Inc that runs 43 restaurants including one that inspired the movie "Kill Bill: Volume I", said that "the cabinet seems to be in chaos" and that it seemed the minister "doesn't know much about our constitution".

Mr Hasegawa was responding to comments from economy minister Yasutoshi Nishimura who on Thursday said he would ask banks to share information on restaurants that refuse to respond to requests to follow anti-Covid-19 curbs.

Mr Nishimura said on Friday he did not mean to imply that loans should be limited for restaurants that do not abide by new state-of-emergency curbs in Tokyo.

05:44 AM

Sri Lanka batting coach tests positive ahead of India series

Sri Lanka batting coach Grant Flower is in isolation after testing positive for Covid-19 ahead of a home series against India, the cricket board in Colombo said Friday.

Flower, 50, had returned from England where Sri Lanka played a one-day and Twenty20 international series and was preparing for next week's India games when he showed coronavirus symptoms.

"Immediately upon identification, Flower was isolated from the rest of the team members who are undergoing quarantine following their return from England," the board said.

It said Flower showed "mild symptoms", prompting a Covid-19 test. Soon after the Sri Lanka team's return, three players and four support staff members of the England team tested positive for Covid-19.

05:08 AM

All children to be offered flu jabs this winter

All children will be offered flu jabs this autumn – amid fears Britain could be facing one of the worst seasons on record.

The rollout will be extended to everyone under the age of 16, as well as all over 50s, and millions of others with common health conditions, The Telegraph can reveal.

It means the programme will be the biggest in history, covering more than half the population.

Sources close to the programme said it would be expanded this year, to cover all pupils at secondary school.

Read the full story

04:30 AM

Restrictions tighten as Southeast Asia battles records rises

Having escaped the worst when the pandemic erupted last year, Southeast Asia is now suffering record rises in deaths and cases, while vaccination shortfalls and highly contagious variants have derailed containment efforts.

As countries like Britain, Germany and France prepare to remove most remaining restrictions after devastating outbreaks, governments in Southeast Asia have been tightening measures, hoping targeted lockdowns will act as circuit-breakers in arresting dramatic spikes after cases started rising in May.

Indonesia, the region's hardest hit and most populous country, recorded 38,391 cases on Thursday, six times the number a month earlier, in a week when its daily death toll as much as doubled from the start of July.

Hospitals on the most populous island Java are being pushed to the limit, oxygen supplies are low, and four of five designated Covid-19 burial grounds in the capital Jakarta are close to full.

03:57 AM

Seoul faces toughest restrictions in 'maximum crisis'

South Korea will raise coronavirus curbs to their highest level in the Seoul metropolitan area, the country's prime minister said on Friday, warning a record spike in new cases had reached "maximum crisis level".

The country had previously been held up as a model of how to combat the pandemic, with the public largely following social distancing and other rules, but it was slow to start its vaccine rollout due to supply shortages.

On Friday it recorded 1,316 cases, its highest daily rise since the pandemic began, with most new infections in the capital Seoul and its surrounding areas, home to almost half the South Korean population.

Cluster infections have surfaced in areas including schools, offices and shopping malls, with people in their 20s and 30s - most of whom are not yet eligible for vaccinations - driving up the numbers, according to health authorities.

03:25 AM

PM declares 'no jab, no job' as Fiji battles Delta outbreak

Fiji has announced plans to make the coronavirus vaccine compulsory for all workers as it battles a runaway outbreak of the Delta variant, with the prime minister issuing a blunt message: "no jabs, no job".

Frank Bainimarama said all public servants in the South Pacific nation of 930,000 must go on leave if they have not had their first injection by August 15 and would be dismissed if they did not receive their second by November 1.

Private sector employees must have their first jab by August 1, with individuals facing hefty fines if they fail to comply and companies threatened with being shut down.

"No jabs, no job - that is what the science tells us is safest and that is now the policy of the government and enforced through law," Mr Bainimarama said in a national address late on Thursday.

02:51 AM

Pandemic one of 'three lethal Cs' in world hunger spike

World hunger rose steeply in 2020, with six times more people living in "famine-like conditions" than in 2019, rights group Oxfam said Friday.

The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated existing crises sparked by conflict and climate change - the "three lethal Cs" - according to the group.

"Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, vulnerable communities around the world have been sending a clear, urgent and repeated message: 'Hunger may kill us before coronavirus'. Today, deaths from hunger are outpacing the virus," it said in a statement.

Oxfam calculates that 11 people a minute are likely dying from acute hunger, compared to seven people a minute from Covid-19.

Read more: Millions across the globe are ‘one step away from starvation'

02:15 AM

Sydneysiders told to stay home or risk even longer lockdown

Australian authorities on Friday pleaded with Sydney residents to stay at home, warning a three week lockdown may be extended as they struggle to control a Covid-19 outbreak, with the city reporting its the biggest rise in local cases for the year.

Hundreds of extra police patrolled parts of Sydney to enforce the city's lockdown orders imposed to stamp out an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant, which has increased to more than 400 cases.

"New South Wales is facing the biggest challenge we have faced since the pandemic started," state Premier Gladys Berejiklian said. "At the moment the numbers are not heading in the right direction."

"Please do not leave your house. Do not leave your home, unless you absolutely have to."

01:49 AM

Civic rewards urged to ward off 'epidemic of loneliness'

The Government should create a National Civic Service for young people to help ward off an "epidemic of loneliness" exacerbated by the pandemic, a new report recommends.

Adults up to age 35 should be encouraged to participate in the community through "civic rewards" that could be redeemed against student loan costs or go towards training courses, the Onward think tank said.

The centre-right group said the Government should introduce the voluntary expectation that young adults volunteer for 10 days each year or for one paid year of service between the ages of 18 and 35.

It is also calling for a Social Spaces Act so underused community assets, such as town halls and sports pitches, can be automatically opened up for community use and empty high street shops can be temporarily used for young people.

01:21 AM

Australian PM promises earlier delivery of Pfizer shots

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Pfizer will increase Covid-19 vaccine delivery to about one million doses a week from July 19, more than tripling shipments, as Sydney battles its worst outbreak of this year.

As many as 4.5 million Pfizer doses expected to arrive in September will become available next month, Mr Morrison said on Friday.

"So that's ramping up ... and so we are really hitting our marks now. I know we've had challenges over the course of the last four months but we're hitting those marks now," he said.

Mr Morrison said Australia should vaccinate all its eligible residents by the end of the year, if medical advice on Pfizer's vaccine is not changed and supply remains uninterrupted.

01:03 AM

Health charities urge better support for vulnerable

Sixteen health charities have joined forces to urge the Government to support around 500,000 people for whom the Covid-19 vaccines may give less protection.

With most of England's Covid rules due to be scrapped on July 19, including the wearing of masks, charities such as Versus Arthritis, Anthony Nolan, Blood Cancer UK and the Cystic Fibrosis Trust said more needs to be done for those who are immunocompromised or immunosuppressed.

The charities want better communication from the Government and the NHS to inform patients, the wider public and employers about the potentially higher and continued risks that Covid-19 poses to immunocompromised people.

They also want employment protection and access to workplace adjustments for immunocompromised people, including the duty to consider working from home wherever possible and flexibility in start and finish times to avoid peak-time travel.

12:07 AM

Portugal holidaymakers faces stricter rules as cases surge

Scrambling to bring under control a worrying Covid-19 surge, tourism-dependent Portugal imposed stricter rules on Thursday, requiring holidaymakers to show a negative test, a vaccination certificate or proof of recovery to stay in hotels.

Portugal's new daily case numbers have been rising steadily in recent weeks, returning to levels last seen in February when the country was under a strict lockdown to tackle what then was the world's worst coronavirus surge.

Almost 90 percent of cases are of the more infectious Delta variant and, as it quickly spreads, the country is left in a tight spot, finding it tough to salvage the usually busy summer season.

Negative tests, vaccination certificates or proof of recovery will also be required to eat indoors at restaurants in 60 high-risk municipalities, including Lisbon and the city of Porto, on Friday evenings and at the weekend.

11:35 PM

Today's top stories

• The Chancellor is rallying Britons to return to the office as soon as the Government’s “work from home” guidance lifts, declaring it “really important” for younger staff.
• People who have previously caught Covid are now more likely to be reinfected because of the delta variant, a study has found.
• Grant Shapps is facing a backlash over mandatory PCR tests for children as young as five as part of plans to scrap quarantine for fully vaccinated holidaymakers visiting amber countries from July 19.
• As many as 1,000 fans from Italy will descend on Wembley on Sunday despite the fact that English supporters were effectively banned from Rome for their Euro 2020 quarter final.
• A fifth of Britons believe a 10pm curfew should be enforced even after the Covid pandemic is over, according to a new poll.