UK, US and EU concerned WHO pandemic probe was delayed and lacked access to raw data

The UK, United States and 12 other countries are concerned the World Health Organization report into the origins of the pandemic was delayed and lacked access to complete data, according to a joint statement.

The comments came after the head of the WHO warned that members of the investigation had reported "difficulties" in accessing raw data from during the trip to Wuhan, while the probe into whether a laboratory-related incident played a role in the origins of the pandemic was "not extensive enough".

In remarks given to member states during a briefing on the highly-anticipated report, Dr Tedros insisted that "as far as WHO is concerned, all hypotheses remain on the table".

He added that the report is "a very important beginning, but it is not the end" of investigations.

"We have not yet found the source of the virus, and we must continue to follow the science and leave no stone unturned as we do. Finding the origin of a virus takes time and we owe it to the world to find the source so we can collectively take steps to reduce the risk of this happening again."

But already, international leaders have expressed doubts about the report.

"It is equally essential that we voice our shared concerns that the international expert study on the source of the Sars-Cov-2 virus was significantly delayed and lacked access to complete, original data and samples," a statement from the US, UK and 12 other countries said.

Meanwhile, the EU has said that while a "helpful first step", they regret the delays the report has experienced.

06:00 PM

Today in brief

Today really has been a tale of two halves.

This morning, the headlines were dominated by news that the world's leaders had come together to call for a new "pandemic treaty". This afternoon, reaction to the World Health Organization report into the origins of Covid-19 has caught attention - not necessarily for the right reasons.

Here's an overview of the key stories to be aware of:

• The world needs a global settlement like that forged after the Second World War to protect countries in the wake of Covid, Boris Johnson and other world leaders have said.

• But divisions over the EU’s vaccination crisis have been laid bare after Ursula von der Leyen refused to sign up to a call by more than 20 world leaders for the new global pandemics treaty.

• The US, UK, EU and WHO are all among those to criticised China for withholding information on the origins of the pandemic. Dr Tedros, head of the UN health agency, added that the probe into whether a laboratory-related incident played a role in the origins of the pandemic was "not extensive enough".

• Roughly half of adults in the UK have coronavirus antibodies while weekly registered deaths involving coronavirus in England and Wales have fallen to the lowest level since October, ONS data shows.

• The UK surpassed the grim milestone of 150,000 coronavirus-related deaths in mid-March, according to an analysis of death certificates.

• Planned easing of coronavirus restrictions in Scotland is to go ahead despite cases "plateauing" rather than continuing to decline, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

• In vaccine news, German leaders will discuss the use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine, after several states said they would stop giving the shot to people under the age of 60 following further reports of a rare brain blood disorder.

• Canadian health officials also said they would stop offering AstraZeneca's vaccine to people under age 55, and require a new analysis of the shot's risks and benefits based on age and gender.

• And finally, United States President Joe Biden has urged states to pause reopening efforts and a top health official warned of "impending doom", amid a surge in Covid-19 cases that threaten efforts to quash the coronavirus pandemic.

Scroll down for more of today's developments.

05:48 PM

'Stay at home’ message to end but Scots must stick to local area for at least another three weeks

The planned easing of lockdown restrictions in Scotland is to go ahead, Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed, with the ‘stay at home’ order to be replaced with a ‘stay local’ message on Friday.

This is despite cases “plateauing” rather than continuing to decline, with Scotland currently having the highest infection rate in the UK.

However, residents will still have to remain within their local authority area for the next three weeks at least. It comes as latest traffic data suggests Scots are increasingly tired of ongoing travel restrictions, with car journeys having doubled since early February.

From Monday, hairdressers and barbers will also be able to re-open for pre-booked appointments, click and collect shopping will be allowed, and garden centres can welcome back customers.

University and college students can also return for in-person teaching and outdoor contact sports for 12-17-year olds may resume.

Georgina Hayes explains everything you need to know here.

05:37 PM

Blower's take:

05:24 PM

White House calls for 'second stage' in WHO study of Covid-19 origins

The White House has urged the World Health Organization to take additional steps to determine the origins of Covid-19, after a report on the issue failed to meet expectations of the United States and its allies.

"There's a second stage in this process that we believe should be led by international and independent experts. They should have unfettered access to data. They should be able to ask questions of people who are on the ground at this point in time, and that's a step the WHO could take," White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters.

05:08 PM

Watch: Sir Lenny Henry leads campaign urging black people to get Covid jab

04:50 PM

US, US and EU criticise delays in publishing WHO origins report

The UK, United States and 12 other countries have expressed concerns that the World Health Organization report on the origins of Covid-19 was delayed and lacked access to complete data, according to a joint statement.

"It is equally essential that we voice our shared concerns that the international expert study on the source of the Sars-Cov-2 virus was significantly delayed and lacked access to complete, original data and samples," according to the statement.

It comes from the governments of Australia, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Israel, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Meanwhile, the EU has said that while a "helpful first step", they regret the delays the report has experienced.

"While regretting the late start of the study, the delayed deployment of the experts and the limited availability of early samples and related data, we consider the work carried out to date and the report released today as a helpful first step," the bloc said in a statement.

The EU statement also called on "all relevant authorities" to help with the next stages of the probe, so that "any gaps in data needed to further the investigation can be addressed". It did not name China directly.

04:48 PM

Why the US is facing a new coronavirus wave despite one of the world's best vaccine programmes

Joe Biden, the US President, has urged states to pause their reopening efforts after a senior health official warned of the "impending doom" of a deadly third wave of coronavirus cases.

Despite a hugely successful vaccine programme - one in six Americans is already fully inoculated - cases are rising, hospitalisations are increasing, and deaths are multiplying from the disease that has already killed 550,000 people in the United States.

"We still are in a war with this deadly virus and we're bolstering our defences. But this war is far from won,” said Mr Biden.

Dr Rochelle Walensky, the director of the US public health agency, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), appeared to fight back tears on Thursday as she said: "I'm going to reflect on the recurring feeling I have of impending doom.

“We have so much reason for hope, but right now I'm scared".

As Boris Johnson warns that a third wave in the UK is still a risk, despite a successful vaccine programme, the US may be used as a barometer for how the situation in Britain could evolve.

Jamie Johnson explains why here.

04:40 PM

Italy imposes five-day quarantine for tourists over Easter

Italy will impose a mandatory five-day coronavirus quarantine for people arriving or returning from trips to European Union countries until April 6, the health ministry has announced.

Travellers must also take a Covid-19 test at the end of the quarantine period. Similar measures were already in place for trips to countries outside the European Union.

The decree will be effective the day after its publication either Tuesday night or Wednesday, a ministry spokesman said. It came after the hotel industry complained that while travel between Italy's 20 regions was virtually barred, travel within the EU was allowed with some restrictions.

All over Italy restaurants and bars can only serve takeaways as infections and deaths have risen. In many regions, all but essential shops have been forced to close and people may leave their homes only for work, health reasons or emergencies.

Italian hotel owners blame the government for not offering enough compensation for their forced closures.

"We absolutely did not want to make war against Italians going abroad. ... If the test is valid to go abroad, it must be valid for Italy too," Bernabo Bocca, president of Italy's hotel lobby Federalberghi, told Ansa news agency.

"We thought it was fine that an Italian taking a test could go abroad, but an Italian taking a test should also be allowed to go to a hotel in Venice."

04:29 PM

Watch: Big crowds ignore rule of six in Nottingham park as boozy brawls break out

04:15 PM

Germany could suspend use of AstraZeneca vaccine for under 60s after nine deaths

An update to a story that has been developing all day: Germany is set to suspend the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in people under the age of 60 over concerns it may cause potentially fatal blood clots.

A draft recommendation from the German independent vaccine commission leaked to a local newspaper on Tuesday calls for the vaccine to be limited to the over-60s following a spate of cases of the dangerous brain condition in younger people.

There have been 31 cases of cerebral sinous vein thrombosis in people who had been given the AstraZeneca vaccine in Germany, the country’s medical regulator said on Tuesday. Nine of those affected died.

Local authorities in the cities of Berlin and Munich and the region of Brandenburg did not wait for a national decision but ordered an immediate halt to the use of the jab in under-60s as a “precautionary measure”.

Those affected in Germany have ranged in age from 20 to 63, but the risk is considered to be much lower in the over-60s.

Justin Huggler has the full details here.

04:03 PM

Iran braces for fourth Covid-19 wave, triggered by New Year celebrations

Iran has warned a fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic has taken hold in western and central areas of the country, triggered by widespread travel and celebrations during the current Iranian New Year holidays.

"A fourth coronavirus wave has definitely begun in many parts of the west and centre of the country and is advancing towards the east," Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told state television.

New cases jumped by more than 900 to 10,255 in the past 24 hours, a more-than-three-month high, Lari said. She blamed the surge above all on millions of Iranians travelling or holding family gatherings during Nowruz, the New Year holiday.

Iran, the pandemic's epicentre in the Middle East, has reported a total of almost 1.9 million cases and 62,569 deaths. Authorities have imposed night-time driving curfews in dozens of cities and towns to try to discourage gatherings.

But many Iranians did not stay home during the two-week New Year period that began on March 20, even though authorities banned travel to and from dozens of "red" (high risk) and "orange" (medium-high risk) cities and towns in efforts to limit a further spread of the virus.

03:54 PM

News in brief: International headlines

Following that bumper World Health Organization press briefing on the Covid-19 origins report, here's a broader reminder of the key global developments you should be aware of so far today:

• The world needs a global settlement like that forged after the Second World War to protect countries in the wake of Covid, Boris Johnson and other world leaders have said.

• But divisions over the EU’s vaccination crisis have been laid bare after Ursula von der Leyen refused to sign up to a call by more than 20 world leaders for the new global pandemics treaty.

• The head of the WHO has criticised China for withholding information on the origins of the pandemic and has not ruled out the possibility that the virus escaped from a laboratory.

• German leaders will discuss the use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine, after several states said they would stop giving the shot to people under the age of 60 following further reports of a rare brain blood disorder.

• Canadian health officials also said they would stop offering AstraZeneca's vaccine to people under age 55, and require a new analysis of the shot's risks and benefits based on age and gender.

• Austria is in talks with Russia to buy a million doses of its Sputnik V vaccine, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz's office said.

• Iran said a fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic had taken hold in western and central areas of the country, triggered by widespread travel and celebrations during the current Iranian New Year holidays.

• And finally, United States President Joe Biden has urged states to pause reopening efforts and a top health official warned of "impending doom", amid a surge in Covid-19 cases that threaten efforts to quash the coronavirus pandemic.

03:49 PM

UK: 4,040 new cases and 56 deaths

During the WHO press conference the latest data from the UK was published by the Government. It shows that an additional 56 people died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of 9am, compared to 112 deaths reported last Tuesday.

Official figures now show that 126,670 have died from the coronavirus since the pandemic began, though statistics from the Office for National Statistics suggest this is much higher. According to analysis of death certificates, more than 150,000 people in the UK have died from Covid-19 since the pandemic began, as of mid-March.

Today, a further 4,040 people also tested positive for the virus - down from 5,379 last Tuesday.

And in better news, 30,680,948 people have now had at least one dose of a vaccine.

03:39 PM

WHO: Report is a 'testament to international cooperation'

The scientists are wrapping up by insisting that the study into the origins of the pandemic has been a "testament" to international cooperation.

"This has been an incredible collaborative work", says Dr Peter Ben Embarek.

Dr Peter Dazsak adds: "I think the report is a testament to how, even under very intense situations in very difficult political circumstances, countries can come together to focus on the origins of emerging diseases.

"As you know, viruses don't think about national boundaries and if we really want to defeat pandemics, we have to do this work, we have to come together with other countries... so I hope that spirit of goodwill continues."

And with that the press conference comes to a close. We'll post a summary of what you need to know in the next hour or so - in the meantime, you can find more detail here on Dr Tedros' comments to member states.

03:31 PM

WHO: 'Will take some time' to reach conclusive answers on Covid-19 origins

The final question of this bumper press conference is a fitting one: when does the team expect more concrete conclusions on the origins of the pandemic?

Dr Ben Embarek says it's "always difficult to predict the future", but he expects it "will take some time" to find the precisely how Covid-19 emerged.

He added: "It will also demand, and depend on, the good portion of luck. As always, we are still optimistic that we will discover more and we will get closer to the final answer. But when and how long it will take? That's very hard to predict.

"So be patient and please continue to follow the exciting set of studies that hopefully will come into motion in the coming weeks and months.

"It's an exciting adventure, I think... it's critical, because it's the only way we can understand what happened and, more importantly, try to prevent something similar from happening again."

03:23 PM

WHO: No pressure from China to remove elements from the final report

Dr Peter Ben Embarek, head of the WHO mission, has now been asked about whether the international scientists felt political pressure from China during the investigation in Wuhan.

He said it was "accepted by everybody that there was a lot of attention, a lot of pressure on all this work", because the "whole world was watching".

He added: "I think, as you said, or course there was political pressure from all sides, also outside China. But I think we were able to create a space for the science, spare for the two groups of scientists to work together. We had nothing to hide. So there was no problem, working in an open environment."

Dr Ben Embarek added that the international team were "never pressured to remove critical elements in our report", which was written in collaboration with the Chinese experts.

"As I said, the report is something that all the scientists on the team can stand behind and have supported. And we have all fought for our ideas... and can recognise our footprint in this report."

03:14 PM

WHO: Lab leak was an initial concern, but other leads are now stronger

And next we're back to the lab-leak theory. Some candid comments from Dr Peter Ben Embarek, who headed the WHO team in Wuhan - here they are in full:

But Dr Ben Embarek added that convincing leads in other areas, especially the idea that the virus jumped from humans to animals, suggested the theory was not the most likely possibility.

"We had so many other studies ,so many other concrete and interesting leads to look at that, that of course, naturally, that's where we put our attention, our efforts and our future work."

03:07 PM

WHO: Remember early days of the pandemic in 2019 'extremely difficult' to handle

Dr Dominic Dwyer, a member of the WHO team, has urged people to remember what the early days of pandemic were "difficult" for those in Wuhan.

"I think it's worth remembering that this outbreak was an extremely difficult thing for the people and the medical system and the community to handle and move at that various stage of the early stage of the pandemic. I think we've got to remember how hard it was for them and how they are operating in a system without any information.

"We can argue the toss about data and what I've showed and what it meant. But at the end of the day there are people at the end of all of this data, and I think we need to bear that in mind.

"And I think that certainly us as an international team very much respected the difficulties that people had during this time. So I think that's an important point to remember in all these questions."

03:00 PM

WHO: Lab leak was 'not the key or main focus of our studies'

Asked about Dr Tedros' comments on investigations into laboratory leaks, Dr Peter Ben Embarek said that the WHO team was put together to study the "zoonotic origins" of the pandemic, not a lab-related incident.

"Since this was not the key or main focus of the our studies, it did not receive the same depth of attention and work as the other hypotheses," Dr Ben Embarek said.

He added that the team are "not saying that it was impossible, but not the [hypothesis] we would start initially going deeper into, and focusing our attention on".

Dr Ben Embarek also suggested that the likelihood of the four different theories outlined in the report "should not be seen as a static product".

"It is a dynamic product it will be fed by the result of new studies," he said. "And therefore it's important that the entire world is supporting this work, is contributing constructively into the analysis... so we collectively can can get through it and get to the bottom of these events, and better understand the origin of this virus."

02:50 PM

WHO: Were 'difficulties' accessing raw data in some areas due to privacy concerns

The next question, unsurprisingly, is about the missing data which Dr Tedros flagged during his comments with member states.

Dr Peter Ben Embarek said that there had been "an incredible among of data" generated by China and that the team had access to "quite a lot of data in many areas".

But he added: "Of course there are areas where we had difficulties in getting down to the raw data, and there are many good reasons for that. In China, like in many other countries, there are restrictions on privacy laws that forbid the sharing of data, including private details to outsiders in particular."

He added that the team had recommended that future studies go back and look into these areas.

"Where we did not have full access to the overall data, this has been put as a recommendation for furture studies. So the idea is that, because we didn't have time or because certain authorisation needs to be given before we could get access to the data, all that could be done in the second phase of studies."

Dr Peter Daszak, another member of the team, added that "China has agreed to follow these recommendations" and that "if the current report is anything to go by, we should expect to see significant new amounts of informatino coming out in the future".

02:44 PM

WHO: Possible that virus was seeded internationally in late 2019

We're onto questions. The first asks Dr Peter Ben Embarek to expand on the suggestion in the report that there have been samples found in sewage in countries outside China before December 2019.

"We don't think that the possible findings of indication of earlier circulation elwewhere outside China is incompatible with the current scenario," he said.

"It is perfectly possible that you would have earlier cases, sporadic cases, circulating in and around Wuhan before December, let's say November and potentially also October, 2019, and potentially that some of them were also travelling abroad and seeding and transmitting the disease abroad.

"Don't forget that Wuhan was a major international hub at that time, with direct flights almost every day to most parts of the world... so that earlier move of the virus outside of the area could be explained that way."

But he stressed that the "current thinking is still that we are looking at the start in and around Wuhan."

02:36 PM

WHO: We 'cannot exclude' that smaller outbreaks went 'under the radar' pre December 2019

Dr Thea Fisher, who led the WHO mission on epidemiology, said the team has reviewed "thousands and thousands" of data points based on surveillance, mortality and pharmaceutical data.

"We have looked specifically and zoomed in on the already known early cases from December 2019... trying to get as much information as we could. We were looking for early cases, looking for previous small epidemics that were not yet identified.

"And so far, we have not been able to document any substantial transmission of Sars coronavirus in the months preceding the outbreak in December. However, we cannot exclude that there have been milder cases, and there might have been smaller epidemics, that have gone under the radar."

She added that the team recommends a relative study looking at blood donations from otherwise health people to hunt for traces of the coronavirus in the months leading up to December 2019.

02:30 PM

WHO: 'We've only scratched the surface of these very complex set of studies'

At the media briefing, Dr Ben Embarek - head of the WHO mission - starts by running through the team's key findings (much of which we covered here).

"We've only scratched the surface of these very complex set of studies that need to be conducted, and we have pointed to many additional studies that should be conducted," he says, warning that the pandemic is only a start.

He also notes some of the limitations of the report.

"Remember, the cases we picked up in December 2019 when only the severe cases - at that time Covid case was severe pneumonia, so the mild cases were missed," he said. "Of course they could help us gain a much better understanding of the start of the epidemic if we had access or could take these cases."

But he concludes that the report has "a lot of data, a lot of new information" which will help to inform future studies. The Telegraph understands that the international scientists who took part in the trip expect to be involved in the next stages of efforts to understand how the pandemic began.

02:19 PM

WHO press conference: Watch live

You can watch the WHO briefing on the origins of the pandemic via Twitter, here:

02:08 PM

WHO chief: 'As far as WHO is concerned all hypotheses remain on the table'

During Dr Tedros' comments to member states, he also insisted that "as far as WHO is concerned all hypotheses remain on the table".

He did end by thanking China and those who took part in the study, although it's likely that the Chinese government will be unimpressed by some of Dr Tedros' comments.

02:04 PM

WHO chief on lab leaks: 'I do not believe that this assessment was extensive enough'

The World Health Organization's director general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has suggested that investigations into whether a lab-related incident were "not extensive enough".

In a copy of remarks given to member states during a briefing on the report, which have been published on the WHO's website, Dr Tedros said:

Dr Tedros also hinted that China had not been forthcoming in sharing data. These concerns have been widely reported, following suggestions that raw data from blood banks in Wuhan was not given to the international experts.

01:57 PM

At 3pm: WHO press conference on origins of the pandemic

At roughly 3pm, we're expecting a World Health Organization media briefing officially launching the report on the Wuhan field visit on the origins of the Sars-CoV-2 virus to kick off.

The report has already been widely leaked, and the Telegraph has obtained a copy (read our report here).

It does little to substantially change what we already knew about the pandemic - that the WHO-led team believes the virus most likely jumped from an animal reservoir, to another animal, before spreading to humans. But the 123-page report does add substantial detail to that hypothesis.

It also suggests that a laboratory-related incidence is "extremely unlikely".

The WHO-mission, which has taken part in cooperation with China, has been highly controversial amid growing geopolitical tensions and concerns that the country withheld data.

01:51 PM

Arlene Foster: Police chief's position 'untenable' after funeral ruling

Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster has said the position of the region's chief constable is "untenable" after the Public Prosecution Service announced no prosecutions will be pursed over allegations of social distancing breaches at the funeral of senior republican Bobby Storey last year (see 1:34pm for more details).

In a statement the DUP leader said the organisation, attendance, policing and investigation of the Storey funeral "raise fundamental questions which require deeper examination if public confidence in the institutions of justice is to be maintained".

"Everyone must be equal under the law and equally subject to the law," she said,

"Sinn Fein have acted as though they were above the law. To claim ignorance of the law is no defence when you helped legislate those very same regulations. Hundreds lined the streets dressed in white shirts and black ties and attended a political rally in Milltown Cemetery when the limit on public gatherings was 30.

"There was a complete lapse of leadership and a public display of arrogance by Sinn Fein's elected representatives. Public health rules were undermined and irreparably damaged."

Mrs Foster said the engagement between police and the funeral organisers was a factor in no prosecution being made.

01:42 PM

Hold a Covid inquiry as soon as possible, coroner says, after ruling on pregnant nurse's death

A coroner has called on the Prime Minister to press ahead with a public inquiry into the pandemic "as soon as practicable" after concluding that it is unclear how a heavily pregnant nurse contracted coronavirus.

Coroner Emma Whitting delivered a narrative conclusion at the inquest into the death of sister Mary Agyapong, 28, who died last year at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital where she worked, five days after giving birth to her second child.

She spent at least the last week of her life with coronavirus, a diagnosis initially dismissed by medics at the hospital where she worked, despite collapsing at home and suffering acute breathing difficulties.

In closing the inquest at Bedfordshire and Luton Coroner's Court, the coroner said:

01:29 PM

German vaccination commission suspend use of AZ in those under 60, local media reports

A quick update here on the AstraZeneca vaccine in Germany. Local media, including Focus Online and Augsburger Allgemeine, have reported that they have seen a draft document from the country's vaccination commission recommending that the jab is used only for men and women over 60 years old in Germany.

The Science Magazine reporter Kai Kupferschmidt has been tweeting lots of useful context on the latest developments today, while our German correspondent Justin Huggler has this report from Berlin.

01:23 PM

More Swedes in intensive care as third wave gathers pace

The number of Swedes needing intensive care as a result of Covid infection increased nine per cent compared to last week as the country grapples with a third wave of the virus, health officials have said.

Sweden, which has shunned lockdowns throughout the pandemic, registered 16,427 new coronavirus cases since Friday, up from the 14,063 cases during the corresponding period last week.

A total of 1,552 Covid patients were being treated in hospitals. Just over 300 were admitted to intensive care units during the period, an increase of nine per cent compared to last week.

"The pressure on the healthcare has been high for a long time now," Taha Alexandersson, an official at the National Board of Health and Welfare, told a press conference. "The increased spread indicates it will increase even more."

Earlier today the Health Agency recommended the government postpone a plan to ease some restrictions, such raising the limit on the number of visitors to amusement parks, concerts and football matches.

The country of 10 million inhabitants registered 28 new deaths, taking the total to 13,430. Sweden's death rate per capita is many times higher than that of its Nordic neighbours' but lower than in most European countries that opted for lockdowns.

01:09 PM

Huge drop in concern about Covid-19, from 72 to 49 per cent in UK

Some interesting figures here from the March issue of the Ipsos Mori Issues Index, which asks people what they believe to be the most important issues facing Britain today.

Michael Clemence, assistant director at Ipsos Mori, breaks the trends down in this Twitter thread:

• The number of people who view the coronavirus pandemic as a top concern has fallen from 72 to 49 per cent. This is still a high figure, but last April concern hit a record high of 85 per cent

• But worries about Covid-19 remain "notably higher among those aged 35-54 - both older and younger groups are much less concerned in comparison", Clemende notes.

• Other issues - including poverty/inequality, the economy, housing, immigration and education - have risen up the index. While Brexit has fallen to the joint-lowest level since the referendum in 2016.

01:01 PM

Pandemic in pictures

Cuneo, Italy:

San Juan, Philippines:

Bucharest, Romania:

London, UK:

12:50 PM

Sicily's top health official resigns in investigation over false coronavirus data

The top health care official in Sicily has resigned amid a criminal investigation into allegations he and others knowingly provided false coronavirus data to the Italian government.

Sicily's health assessor, Ruggero Razza, denied having provided false information to avoid the area being placed in the strictest "red zone" lockdown and insisted every case and death was reported, according to a statement carried by the ANSA and LaPresse news agencies. He noted Sicily had often requested and imposed stricter restrictions than the national government.

Citing telephone intercepts, prosecutors allege a half-dozen regional officials worked to spread out Covid-19 cases and deaths over several days, from November to March, to prevent single-day reports from showing spikes that would have resulted in lockdown, the news agencies said.

The Italian government last year created a tiered system of restrictions based on daily reports from regions of new infections, deaths and virus tests performed. Based on that data, hospital capacity and other criteria, individual regions are evaluated on a weekly basis and placed in the corresponding level of restrictions.

12:38 PM

Ursula von der Leyen refused to add her name to world leaders' pandemic plea

Divisions over the EU’s vaccination crisis have been laid bare after Ursula von der Leyen refused to sign up to a call by more than 20 world leaders for a new global pandemics plan.

The European Commission president’s name was notably absent from the list of signatories backing calls for an international treaty. The list included EU leaders such as Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron, and Charles Michel, the European Council president, as well as Boris Johnson.

Other leaders of EU countries, including Mario Draghi of Italy, Pedro Sanchez of Spain, Mark Rutte of the Netherlands, as well as the leaders of Greece, Romania and Portugal, put their names to the call to prevent “isolationism and nationalism” when facing pandemics.

“Indeed the Commission was informed of the op-ed and the scope of the Treaty on Pandemics but chose not to co-sign,” an EU official said.

Mrs von der Leyen’s snub to the call for “universal and equitable access to safe, efficacious and affordable vaccines,” and a global settlement similar to that forged after the Second World War will raise fears she intends to pursue a hardline stance on vaccine export bans.

The Telegraph understands that Mrs von der Leyen was given more than one opportunity to back the pandemic plan. James Crisp has more details here.

12:34 PM

Northern Ireland: Police decide not to prosecute republicans who attended Bobby Storey funeral

Prosecutors in Northern Ireland have not recommended the prosecution of any individuals - including deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill - for alleged breaches of Covid-19 regulations last year at the funeral of a senior republican, Stormont sources have indicated.

Ms O'Neill was among those interviewed by police over the scenes at Bobby Storey's funeral in west Belfast in June.

The Public Prosecution Service has considered police evidence files on 24 people, including several senior members of Sinn Fein.Breaches of Covid-19 regulations are summary offences which are punishable by fines.

The funeral of former IRA leader Mr Storey has been one of the most controversial events of the coronavirus pandemic in Northern Ireland.More than 1,000 people lined the streets for the funeral procession at a time when strict limits on such events were in place.

The attendance of Sinn Fein leaders at the funeral and a subsequent memorial event at nearby Milltown Cemetery sparked a major political row at Stormont, with the republican party accused of disregarding rules they set for the rest of society.

12:24 PM

Facemask tan lines await tourists who get to Spain

If British holidaymakers reach the sandy shores of Spain this summer, they will have to wear facemasks at all times while on the beach, by the pool or strolling the avenues, James Badcock reports.

Spain’s government issued a decree today regarding Covid-19 restrictions, including a new and stricter policy making facemasks obligatory anywhere outside of the home, whether it is possible to observe social distancing or not.

Previously, Spain’s facemask law said that face coverings had to be worn in all closed public spaces, but outdoors only if a minimum distance of 1.5 metres could not be maintained.

This allowed leeway for local authorities to relax the rule in certain outdoor spaces, notably beaches, where visitors to the Balearic Islands and other destinations were allowed to move around without facemasks last summer.

This year, however, facemasks will have to be worn at all times, even when sunbathing on a beach or by a pool. Presumably, common sense will be applied to the necessary transit from towel to water.

The only people exempted from obligatory facemask use are children under six or individuals with respiratory illnesses.

12:18 PM

Indian Covid-19 situation turning from 'bad to worse'

India's coronavirus situation is turning from "bad to worse," a senior government official has said, as infections surge across several states.

"Remember if the cases are more, they will eventually overwhelm the system", senior health official Vinod Kumar Paul told a news conference.

Earlier this week India recorded over 68,000 new infections – a rapid, six-fold escalation in cases since mid-February and the country is now fighting to contain a resurgent outbreak that is increasingly thought to be driven by new, more transmissible variants.

Our correspondent Joe Wallen has this dispatch from Nagpur, in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, which is experiencing the worst of the surge, reporting more cases than at any other point during the pandemic.

Nagpur has become the first major Indian city to return to a lockdown since June and an eerie silence has descended over its usually bustling streets.

“The last three weeks have been unprecedented, with more patients than during the first surge and we are seeing a shortage of beds,” said Dr Prashant Rahate, the chairman of Nagpur’s SevenStar Hospital, “Both the government and private hospitals in Nagpur are flooded.”

Read the full article here.

12:07 PM

Watch: Police use helicopter and drone to disperse party goers under M6 bridge

11:59 AM

Novavax Covid-19 vaccine could be approved by UK in April, Evening Standard reports

Britain could approve Novavax's Covid-19 vaccine next month, the chief investigator for the shot's trial told the Evening Standard newspaper.

“The regulator will do a very detailed and thorough review and will decide in good time,” said Professor Paul Heath, chief investigator for the Novavax jab trial in the UK. “I would hope it would be in the spring, possibly end of April.”

This would be the fourth vaccine to be approved in the UK.

Related: British pharma giant to 'fill and finish' Novavax Covid vaccines amid threat of jabs trade war

11:52 AM

Austria in talks to buy a million doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine

In vaccine news, Austria is in talks with Russia to buy a million doses of its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, which has yet to be approved by the European Medicines Agency, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz's office said today.

Conservative leader Kurz is under fire from opposition parties because his government did not buy as many coronavirus vaccines as it could have under the European Union's collective purchasing scheme.

"There must be no geopolitical blinkers regarding vaccines," Kurz said in a statement issued by his office, adding that Austria is in talks with Russia and Moscow has offered to sell it a million doses as of April. "The only thing that must count is whether the vaccine is effective and safe."

The statement noted that EMA has launched a rolling review of Sputnik V, but it did not repeat Kurz's previous comments that Austria would only use the vaccine if it is cleared by the regulator for the 27-nation EU.

Sputnik V has been approved for use in 58 countries, most recently Mali, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which promotes the vaccine abroad, said on Tuesday.

11:42 AM

Sturgeon: Scotland to replace 'stay at home' rule with 'stay local' from Friday

The "stay at home" order in Scotland will be lifted later this week and replaced with a request for people to "stay local", Nicola Sturgeon has announced.

The change was announced earlier this month and confirmed during a coronavirus briefing this lunchtime.

"The stay at home rule is being replaced for the next three weeks at least with a requirement to stay local," the First Minister said.

"I fully understand how frustrating that is for everybody - I share that frustration - like many of you, my family live in a different local authority to the one I live in, and so like anyone with loved ones in a different part of the country, I desperately want to see them in person."

She added that, as of Monday, further easing of restrictions means barbers and hairdressers will be allowed to reopen, along with more freedoms for non-essential retail and an increase in students in college returning to in-person teaching for practical subjects.

11:31 AM

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister gets country's first vaccine as cases surge

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, James Marape, has received the first Covid-19 shot in the Pacific Island country under a small vaccination programme aimed at curbing soaring infections.

Australia sent Papua New Guinea 8,000 doses of AstraZeneca's jab last week after warning of a worsening humanitarian crisis.

Fears of "vaccine nationalism" in countries producing shots have increased concerns about the need for the nation of about 10 million people, many of them living in impoverished, isolated communities, to receive vaccine supplies quickly.

Marape became the first to be inoculated to try to boost confidence in the vaccine in Papua New Guinea, but priority will otherwise be given to frontline health workers.

Papua New Guinea, which was administered by Australia before gaining independence, has recorded more than 5,600 cases of the virus, according to figures released on Tuesday.

But Australia says that tally vastly underestimates the extent of the crisis as the Pacific country does not do mass testing. The island's biggest hospitals have reported that as many as 80% are coming back positive and Marape has said the virus has “broken loose”.

11:24 AM

Sturgeon: Vaccine rollout better than we 'dared hope for'

Scotland's vaccine rollout has been "better than we could have dared hope for", according to Nicola Sturgeon.

As of Tuesday morning, almost 2.5 million people had received their first dose of the vaccine, while almost 340,000 people have been given a second dose.

Addressing the coronavirus briefing in Edinburgh, the First Minister said: "These figures confirm the very good progress in the last three months. The progress in the vaccination programme is, if anything, better than we could have dared hope for back at the turn of the year."

11:16 AM

Pandemic in pictures

Sale Manchester, UK:

Atlanta, US:

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:

Kolkata, India:

11:06 AM

Today in brief: UK headlines

Just joining us? Here's a quick look at the stories to be aware of this morning:

• The world needs a global settlement like that forged after the Second World War to protect countries in the wake of Covid, Boris Johnson and other world leaders have said (full report).

• Weekly registered deaths involving coronavirus in England and Wales have fallen below 1,000, and to the lowest level since October, according to ONS figures.

• The data shows that roughly half of people in the UK now have antibodies to Covid-19, amid growing signs that the unprecedented vaccination campaign is having an impact.

• The Business Secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, said the UK must focus on vaccinating all of its adults to make sure they are safe before it can to provide any surplus shots to other countries such as its close neighbour Ireland.

• Sir Lenny Henry and Chiwetel Ejiofor are leading a campaign urging black people to have the Covid jab, as new figures reveal huge differences in uptake between ethnic groups.

• The Oxford University institute behind the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine has been awarded $2 million (£1.4m) to develop a jab against the increasing threat of "super gonorrhoea" (full story).

• And later this afternoon, the World Health Organization is hosting a press conference running through a highly-anticipated report into the origins of Covid-19. The Telegraph obtained a leaked copy of the report, concluded that a leak from a laboratory, while possible, is “extremely unlikely” (more details here).

10:58 AM

Israel reopens border with Egypt for the first time since pandemic started

Israel has reopened its border crossing with neighboring Egypt for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Israeli authorities today started allowing 300 citizens per day to enter and exit for the purpose of tourism in the Sinai Peninsula, provided they pass coronavirus tests before each crossing and are have either been vaccinated or survived a Covid-19 infection.

Before the pandemic, Sinai's beaches were a popular destination for Israeli tourists. In March 2020, Israel closed the Taba border crossing to halt the spread of the coronavirus.

Israel's world-leading vaccination campaign has seen over 50 per cet of the population inoculated against the coronavirus and the reopening of the country's economy.

10:45 AM

Germany: Some hospitals halt use of AstraZenenca vaccine for women under 55

A number of major hospitals in Germany have suspended the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for women under the age off 55 over fears it may cause dangerous blood clots, Justin Huggler reports.

The vaccine is currently officially approved for use by all adults in Germany, following a brief suspension earlier this month while the European Medicine Agency (EMA) assessed the risk.

But some of the country’s best known hospitals have now broken with government policy and imposed their own unilateral suspensions. They include Berlin’s Charite teaching hospital, where the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was treated following his poisoning with Novichok, and Cologe University Hospital.

The change in hospital policy was prompted by cases of thrombosis in patients who had been given the vaccine. In the western region of Euskirchen, a 47-year old woman died and a 28-year-old woman is in serious condition. Both developed blood clots in the brain after being given the jab. Doctors are investigating whether there was a link.

In Cologne University Hospital, doctors said they were looking into another case. “We are currently investigation a case of in a patientb given the AstraZeneca vaccination,” Mirko Ristau, a spokesman for the hospital, told Bild newspaper. But he emphasised it was an isolated case, adding: “We are in constant contact with the authorities about vaccination safety and report our findings.”

Use of the vaccine has been suspended in all Berlin’s publicly owned hospitals. It will mainly affect medical staff. Hospitals are not responsible to administering coronavirus vaccines to the general population and Germany’s roll-out has only reached the over-70s.

10:41 AM

'A comprehensive approach to better predict, prevent and respond to pandemics'

The World Health Organization held a press conference with Charles Michel, president of the European Council, this morning to unveil more details about a pandemic treaty to "systematically tackle the gaps exposed by Covid-19".

Twenty-four world leaders, including UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his French and German counterparts Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel, have put their names to a call for such a treaty, as we reported last night here.

Speaking at the press conference Michel, whose name is on the letter calling for a treaty, said the virus had been a "harsh reminder" that "nobody is safe until everyone is safe".

"Covid-19 has exposed weaknesses and divisions across our societies and now it's time to come together as one global community to build a pandemic defence for future generations that extends far beyond this crisis and for this, we must translate the political will into concrete actions."

10:29 AM

Vietnam: Two year jail term for flight attendant for spreading Covid-19

A Vietnam Airlines flight attendant was handed a two-year suspended jail term for spreading the coronavirus, Vietnamese state media said today.

Duong Tan Hau broke his two-week home quarantine requirement and met 46 people after working on a repatriation flight from Japan in November, the country's official government website said.

The 29-year-old was convicted of "spreading dangerously infectious diseases" in a court in southern Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday, according to the metropolis' official mouthpiece, Phap Luat Thanh Pho Ho Chi Minh.

Mr Hau broke quarantine rules a week after arriving home, and a Covid-19 test showed he was positive for the virus several days after.

Before the test, he had met friends and took part in a contest at a Ho Chi Minh City university, media reports said.

He spread the virus to three people, according to the city mouthpiece, which added: "The livelihoods of more than 2,000 city residents were affected, with 861 people put under mandatory quarantine and 1,400 others locked down at home."

Prosecutors said Hau's moves caused a "total material loss" of $190,000.

10:14 AM

Pfizer and Moderna's mRNA vaccines 90 per cent effective in 'real world', US data show

Both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna Covid vaccines appear to be 90 per cent effective at preventing infection in the real-world, according to new data from the United States.

The study backs up similar data from Israel which showed that the Pfizer jab reduced infection by 94 per cent in its national vaccination campaign.

The US study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), among almost 4,000 healthcare and other essential workers, also reinforced the trial data from the vaccine manufacturers.

The CDC said it showed the jabs were "highly effective" even in settings where people are more likely to be exposed to the virus because of their occupations.

Jennifer Rigby has more details here.

10:04 AM

Pubs to become offices in Ireland

The Irish government plans to use pubs as remote workspaces as part of a plan to revive rural areas after the pandemic, writes Daniel Capurro.

A pilot programme will examine whether the drinking venues can function as offices for those working from home during daytime hours when they would usually be closed.

The idea is part of a wide-ranging programme announced on Monday by the Irish government to breathe new life into rural Ireland. It includes plans for superfast broadband, subsidised taxis, tax breaks and grants for people who wish to live and work in small towns and villages and a target of having 20 per cent of public sector employees working remotely.

The Irish countryside has suffered decades of depopulation and decline, but ministers expressed hope that the pandemic offered a chance to reverse that trend.

The Minister for Communications, Eamon Ryan, compared the rural revitalisation programme to the decades-long efforts to bring electricity to every home in the country.

Heather Humphrey’s, the minister behind the new rural development policy, told RTE that the pilot scheme was based on the UK’s Pub is the Hub programme.

"We are teasing out how, maybe, pubs can be used for different purposes during the day. It could be working spaces. It could be community spaces. It could be many different things and we can look at having high-speed broadband there. We have yet to explore it," she said.

09:46 AM

England slightly ahead of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

In Wales, an estimated 79.2% of people aged 80 and over were likely to have tested positive for Covid-19 antibodies in the week to March 14, while in Scotland the estimate is 74.0%, the ONS said.

In Northern Ireland, the ONS uses different age groups due to small sample sizes and estimates 76.4% of people aged 70 and over were likely to have tested positive for antibodies in this period.

All figures are for people in private households.

09:45 AM

Almost nine in 10 over-80s in England likely to have Covid antibodies

Some 86.0% of people aged 80 and over in private households in England were likely to have tested positive for Covid-19 antibodies in the week to March 14, the ONS said.

The estimate for 75 to 79-year-olds is 88.5%, for 70 to 74-year-olds it is 91.3% and for 65 to 69 year-olds it is 89.0%.

The figures do not include people in hospitals, care homes or other institutional settings.

It takes between two and three weeks after infection or vaccination for the human body to make enough antibodies to fight Covid-19.

09:35 AM

Italy to impose mandatory five-day quarantine on EU travel

Italy will impose a mandatory five-day quarantine for all those arriving or returning from trips to European Union countries, health ministry sources said on Tuesday.

Travellers will also need to take a Covid-19 test before leaving the country and a further test after their quarantine period is finished.

Similar measures are already in place for trips to countries outside the European Union. The sources did not say how long the new restrictions would remain in place.

09:26 AM

Half of population have either had Covid or vaccine

Around half of people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were likely to have tested positive for Covid-19 antibodies in the week to March 14, suggesting they had the infection in the past or had been vaccinated, according to the latest ONS estimates.

England had the highest estimate (54.7%), followed by Wales (50.5%) and Northern Ireland (49.3%).

The figures are for people in private households and do not include settings such as hospitals and care homes.

The ONS estimates around two in five people in private households in Scotland (42.6%) would have tested positive for antibodies in the week to March 14.

09:18 AM

Over-80s deaths falls 90pc since second wave

Deaths involving Covid-19 among people aged 80 and over have now fallen by 90% since the second-wave peak, the latest ONS figures suggest.

A total of 536 Covid-19 deaths in the 80 and over age group occurred in England and Wales in the week ending March 12, down from 5,349 deaths in the week ending January 22.

Deaths for those aged 75-79 dropped 88% in the same period, compared with falls of 87% for those aged 70-74 and 83% for both those aged 65-69 and 60-64.

Deaths that occurred in the most recent week of reporting - the week to March 19 - are still being registered.

08:53 AM

Deaths below national average for second week running

The number of deaths registered in England and Wales was below the five-year average for the second consecutive week, the ONS said.

Some 10,311 deaths were registered in the week to March 12, 8.0% below the average for the corresponding period in 2015-19.

Prior to the two most recent weeks, the last time deaths had been below average was in the week to September 4.

08:53 AM

US scientist's emotional plea as America's fourth surge looms

Here is Dr Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease and Prevention in the US.

08:36 AM

Delaying Novavax second dose should be 'fine'

Delaying the second dose of the Novavax Covid-19 jab should be "fine", an expert has said.

Professor Paul Heath, chief investigator for the Novavax trial in the UK, said that separating the doses between the jab for more than three weeks - the interval studied in the trial - would "probably" still be effective.

The jab, which is being assessed by UK regulators, was tested on participants who were given the second dose three to four weeks after the first.

When asked if it would still be effective if the second dose was delayed by up to 12 weeks - as the UK authorities decided would be the case with the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines - Prof Heath told Sky News: "The answer is we don't know because we haven't looked at studies where the two doses have been separated by more than three to four weeks.

"From basic immunological principles I think it probably would be."

08:17 AM

Football from a different angle

After weeks of home workouts and 5k runs, grassroots footballers were able to get back onto the pitch last night for some five-a-side football action.

Here is a stunning shot of the Powerleague venue at Stoke-on-Trent.

07:58 AM

People falling ill after vaccination 'worst case scenario'

Asked if the worst-case scenario was that variants meant people who have been vaccinated may fall ill again, Prof Openshaw said: "I think it's terribly important to emphasise that the evidence that we've got is that the vaccines or immunity from previous infection is very efficient at protecting against severe disease.

"There is virtually no serious disease in those who are re-infected or who become ill after they've been vaccinated, so the vaccines are really, really good at preventing very serious illnesses, and that's the most important news.

"But there is some concern that some of the variants may be able to replicate and pass from person to person, even in people who have been vaccinated with some of these initial vaccines that were developed based essentially on the Wuhan strain.

"So we need to move with all speed with the next generation of vaccines which are now based on what is now proven technology but are using the new sequences of the viruses that are emerging, which are of concern."

07:57 AM

Covid still evolving, Nervtag member says

Professor Peter Openshaw, from Imperial College London and a member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag) to the Government, said coronavirus was evolving and it was difficult to predict what would happen.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "What we really find hard to anticipate is in what way it's going to evolve over the next few months, and particularly over the next winter, and how secure we're going to be in terms of the level of immunity that's been built up not only through vaccination, but also through natural infection in different parts of the world."

07:18 AM

Sir Lenny Henry leads campaign urging black people to get Covid jab

Sir Lenny Henry and Chiwetel Ejiofor are leading a campaign urging black people to have the Covid jab, as new figures reveal huge differences in uptake between ethnic groups.

The actors are among dozens of leading voices from the black community speaking out after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that people of black African origin are five and a half times more likely not to have received a first jab compared to white British.

Those in the black Caribbean community were nearly four times more likely.

The ONS said that while poverty, education and geography played a part, these factors accounted only for a fraction of the difference between ethnicities.

In an open letter to black Britons, Sir Lenny urged people to “trust the facts about the vaccine, from our own professors, doctors, scientists involved in the vaccine's development, GPs, not just in the UK but across the world including the Caribbean and Africa”.

07:03 AM

Watch: First Downing Street press conference at new briefing room

If you missed Boris Johnson's first press conference at the new briefing room - you can catch up with it here.

07:00 AM

Social media misinformation could be to blame for jab hesitancy

Kwasi Kwarteng said there had been "great strides" in reaching out to those who are sceptical over Covid-19 vaccinations.

Asked on Sky News about hesitancy in the black community around taking vaccines, he said: "I think there's possibly a degree of misinformation, people share things on social media. I think there's a wariness sometimes.

"But what I would say on that is that I think at the beginning of the vaccine process there was a lot more scepticism amongst certain communities here in the UK than there is today, I think we've made great strides actually.

"And there's still a way to go, but I think there's been a huge improvement and a huge increase in uptake amongst vulnerable communities and amongst BAME communities as well."

Mr Kwarteng added: "I think that people are sceptical, I think we've got a job as Government, as political leaders, to reach out to as many people in this country as possible.

"The coronavirus doesn't discriminate between people, I think we're all very vulnerable to it and we have a job to do to convince people this is the safe way to go and I think there has been progress made."

06:47 AM

Priority must be to vaccinate in UK, says Cabinet minister

Kwasi Kwarteng indicated that the priority must be to vaccinate as many people in the UK as possible.

He said: "I think our main focus at the moment is to try and vaccinate the whole adult population and we're still a way to go on that.

"And also the other thing we have to stick to is of course the road map and in order to get the road map and towards reopening the economy we've got to vaccinate as many people in our country as possible."

Asked whether the UK could share doses with Ireland, the Business Secretary continued: "I think our focus has to be to try and keep Britons safe, we want to work co-operatively as well with other countries.

"But the main priority is to get the vaccine rollout. Let's just work through our vaccine programme, it's been quite successful. This isn't the time to let up on it.

"And then we can go through the road map and then if there are surplus vaccine doses then we can share them, but there are no surpluses at the moment, we've still got a huge number to vaccinate."

06:44 AM

'It's really important that we work collaboratively, internationally'

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has outlined the importance of countries working together as part of vaccination efforts.

He told Sky News: "I think it's really important that we work collaboratively, internationally, with friends and partners in all countries to deal with what is after all a global problem.

"The pandemic emerged at the beginning of last year and has caused huge amounts of devastation, it's set economies back, it's taken thousands of lives and I think it's absolutely the right thing for us to work internationally and co-operatively."

Mr Kwarteng continued: "What we've tried to do in the UK is roll out the vaccine as widely as possible and we've had something like 30 million people receive the first dose which is more than half the population.

"And we're working as well with European friends and allies to try and make sure that their populations are also vaccinated.

"So I don't think it's a competitive situation, I think that's an unfortunate way of looking at it."

06:39 AM

Bolton Wanderers stadium begins new life as Nightingale court

The home of Bolton Wanderers Football Club will begin a new life as a temporary court this week, joining the national effort to tackle the impact of coronavirus on the criminal justice system.

The £25 million all-seater University of Bolton stadium will swap referees with judges as it transformed into a Nightingale court.

It will host two courtrooms that will hear non-custodial criminal cases and be able to issue fines and community service orders. Any cases deemed serious enough for time in prison will be sent back to a Crown Court for sentencing.

Cases will be heard in rooms beneath the terraces of the Nat Lofthouse Stand (East) and West Stand, which are normally used for conferences.

The venue will help to free up space at the nearby Crown Court for more jury trials – reducing delays and delivering speedier justice for people across the north-west.

06:33 AM

Flight attendant convicted of spreading Covid

A court in Vietnam handed a two-year suspended jail term to a Vietnam Airlines flight attendant on Tuesday after finding him guilty of breaking Covid-19 quarantine rules and spreading the virus to others, police said.

Duong Tan Hau, 29, was convicted of "spreading dangerous infectious diseases" at the one-day trial at the People's Court of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security said in a statement.

Vietnam has been praised for its efforts to contain the virus through mass testing and tracing and strict centralised quarantining. It has recorded fewer than 2,600 Covid-19 infections and only 35 deaths due to the disease.

Hau breached the country's 14-day quarantine regulations and met 46 other people following his flight from Japan in November, according to the indictment posted on a police ministry website.

Hau had mingled with other people during a stint in state quarantine and according to the indictment visited cafes, restaurants and attended English classes while he was supposed to be self-isolating. He tested positive for Covid-19 on Nov 28.

06:17 AM

Today's front page

Here is your Daily Telegraph on Tuesday, Mar 30.

05:52 AM

The flawed technologies behind vaccine passports

Vaccine passports are supposed to be our ticket to freedom, providing a much-longed for route to normality after the tedium of lockdown.

Countries around the world are now rushing to develop the technology to underpin them, with the UK due to launch its Covid 'certification' review in early April.

But in the race to create passports app, experts warn we could be placing our privacy and security at risk.

Read the full story

05:24 AM

India records slight reduction in daily cases

India recorded 56,211 new cases of coronavirus, a slight dip from the country's record-breaking tallies over the last three days, data from the health ministry showed on Tuesday.

The country's tally dipped below the 60,000 mark after three days, a Reuters tally showed, with its richest state, Maharashtra, accounting for more than 31,000 of the 56,211 cases reported in the last 24 hours. Deaths in the last 24 hours stood at 271, and 162,114 have died so far in the pandemic, the health ministry said.

Authorities in Maharashtra were considering whether to impose stricter curbs starting on Thursday to contain the rapid spread of the virus, but opposition parties and industrialists have opposed a lockdown.

03:30 AM

Honduras puts temporary ban on arrivals from South America

Honduras said on Monday it would temporary restrict arrivals from South America, citing fears about the so-called Brazilian variant of the coronavirus entering its territory.

Honduras' national risk management system SINAGER said in a statement that it would curb the entry into Honduras of citizens who had stayed in South America in the last 15 days.

The measure was announced after authorities from neighboring Panama reported a case of the Brazilian variant, which is considered more infectious.

02:11 AM

Trump blasts Fauci and Birx as 'self-promoters'

Former President Donald Trump is slamming two of his most prominent coronavirus advisers. He says Dr Anthony Fauci and Dr Deborah Birx are "two self-promoters trying to reinvent history".

Dr Fauci is the chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, and in a statement released on Monday evening, Mr Trump calls him "the king of 'flip-flops". He accuses Mr Fauci of "moving the goalposts to make himself look as good as possible".

Dr Birx managed the Trump administration's response to the pandemic, and Mr Trump says she "is a proven liar with very little credibility left".

Read the full story

12:04 AM

Canada pauses AstraZeneca vaccine use for under-55s

Canadian health officials said on Monday they would stop offering AstraZeneca's vaccine to people under age 55 and require a new analysis of the shot's risks and benefits based on age and gender.

The moves follow reports from Europe of rare but serious blood clots, bleeding and in some cases death after vaccination, mainly in young women. No such cases have been reported in Canada, with about 307,000 AstraZeneca doses administered.

The National Advisory Council of Immunisation, an independent expert panel, said on Monday that the rate at which the clotting complication happens was not yet clear. So far, 40 per cent of people who have developed it have died, but that may fall as more cases are identified and treated early, it said.

12:01 AM

Brazil health minister seek deal for delivery of 20m doses from US

Brazilian Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga said on Monday that he was pushing Brazilian and US diplomats to get an earlier delivery of 20 million doses of vaccines from the United States to help slow the country's raging pandemic.

Speaking with senators in Brasilia, Queiroga said he would be meeting with US Ambassador Todd Chapman on Tuesday to seek a breakthrough in getting access as soon as possible to the Pfizer vaccine, and had already discussed the issue with Brazil's top diplomat in Washington, Nestor Forster.

Brazil is facing the worst stage of its pandemic, hurt by a lack of federal restrictions on social distancing and other measures, an infectious new variant, and a patchy vaccine rollout.

Brazil has a 100-million dose deal with Pfizer for 2021, but delivery is only scheduled to begin in May with 2 million shots.

Read more: British pharma giant to 'fill and finish' Novavax Covid vaccines amid threat of jabs trade war

11:49 PM

Today's top stories

• The world needs a global settlement like that forged after the Second World War to protect countries in the wake of Covid, Boris Johnson and other world leaders have said.
• Monday saw people in England take the first step on the roadmap to freedom from Covid restrictions with a return of outdoor sports, weddings and small outdoor gatherings.
• Scotland's struggling hospitality businesses have hit out at "self-serving" politicians after it emerged almost £700,000 in taxpayers' cash has been spent on subsidising catering facilities for MSPs since the pandemic struck.
• Boris Johnson has announced a deal with a British pharmaceuticals giant to "fill and finish" 60 million doses of a new coronavirus vaccine onshore, avoiding them having to be transported to Europe amid the threat of a jab trade war.
• Londoners are expected to face a massive tax raid as Sadiq Khan scrambles to protect the city's transport network from a long-term plunge in commuting.
• The bizarre, and, at times, bitter, “Llanymynech Lock-out” concluded in blessed peace on Monday night when the Welsh Government finally permitted the English members to resume playing on the borders course.