Coronavirus latest news: Thousands rush back to UK from Pakistan as 'red list' deadline looms

• NHS cancels vaccine appointments for under-30s

• Britain set to achieve herd immunity on Monday

• I was too risk-averse on churches, admits Justin Welby

• Scottish under-30s may have to travel further for jabs

• Astrazeneca Q&A: What we know about blood clots, risks and side effects

Thousands of Britons are rushing back from Pakistan in the final hours before the country is added to the Government's travel 'red list'.

Planes flying in from Islamabad via locations including Russia, Spain and Bulgaria are arriving at Birmingham and other airports in significant numbers.

British Airways and Virgin are among the airlines to have laid on extra services ahead of 4am tomorrow morning, when Pakistan will join the 'red list' along with Kenya, Bangladesh and the Philippines.

From this point onwards any international arrivals will be refused entry, while British or Irish passport holders will have to pay £1,750 for a ten-night hotel quarantine stay.

At least 30 additional flights from Pakistan have reached the UK in recent days, according to an analysis by the Independent newspaper.

Follow the latest updates below.

05:54 PM

Thirtysomethings could be asked to take an alternative jab to Astra Zeneca

Thirtysomethings could be asked to take an alternative jab to Astra Zeneca, members of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) have said.

The Government’s independent scientific advisors said a fresh risk/benefit assessment of the vaccine in different age brackets will be made before the rollout reaches those below the age of 40.

Professor Anthony Harnden, deputy chairman of the JCVI said that safety data will be examined “in scrupulous detail” before the programme is rolled out to the under 40s.

The scientist said “everybody should remain confident” in the vaccine programme which he said was going “full steam ahead”, saying any link with blood clots was a “very, very rare, extremely rare safety signal”.

And he said the latest change in the medical advice - that those under 30 should be offered Pfizer or Moderna - in preference to AstraZeneca, is unlikely to change.

Laura Donnelly and Henry Bodkin have more.

05:43 PM

AstraZeneca chief must do more to defend vaccine, says investor

AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot has come under fire from investors for failing to defend its coronavirus vaccine amid questions about its safety.

Investors said that the Frenchman, who has been in Australia visiting his wife and children since Christmas, had not adequately communicated the benefits of AstraZeneca’s vaccine following fears it could be linked to rare brain clots.

Ketan Patel, a fund manager at EdenTree Investment Management, which has a stake in AstraZeneca, said Mr Soriot’s absence from the UK “did not give the right signal or message”.

“If we were grading the PR effort, they could do better,” he said. “If you look at the data, and see that the chances of getting a blood clot with this vaccine is about four in one million, compared to four in 10,000 for the contraceptive pill, that perspective needs to be highlighted.”

Julia Bradshaw has the story.

05:39 PM

UK news briefing: NHS begins cancelling Covid vaccine appointments for under 30s

The NHS has begun cancelling vaccine appointments booked for under 30s, with those due to have jabs told they may now have to wait longer.

Although the vast majority of those aged between 18 and 30 were not due to start receiving vaccinations until later this summer, some were given earlier access because of jobs as health or care workers.

It comes as the deputy chairman of the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation (JCVI) suggested advice on vaccines for those in their 30s could change during the rollout after the UK medicines regulator decided under 30s will be offered an alternative jab.

Chris Price has all the headlines you need this evening.

05:23 PM

Juries to hear cases remotely for first time in England and Wales

Juries are to be allowed to hear cases remotely for the first time in England and Wales as the backlog of trials rose to a record 57,000, reports Charles Hymas.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is to change the law to allow criminal courts to ditch jury boxes and allow jurors to hear cases via a video link from another “socially distanced” venue.

The move has already proved effective in Scotland where juries have been able to hear evidence and give their verdict on cases remotely from a cinema.

The move is seen as a “last resort” measure if other tactics fail to bring down the soaring backlog of crown court cases.

MoJ figures on Thursday showed the crown court backlog has risen by 47 per cent since the beginning of the pandemic to 57,625, overtaking the previous high of 55,000 in 2015. It has led to concerns that cases are being delayed for as long as three years, with some scheduled for 2023.

Read more: Concern as cases delayed by up to three years

05:08 PM

Covid cases plummeting in all age groups with levels not seen since July

Covid cases are now plummeting in all age groups, official figures show, with separate data suggesting rates are at levels not seen since July.

Latest Public Health England (PHE) figures show rates falling across the board, while latest findings from King's College’s Zoe Covid Symptom study show a 54 per cent drop in a week.

PHE figures for the week ending last Sunday show rates have halved among children, and fallen by more than a third in all other groups.

The Zoe Covid symptom study found the current daily average of symptomatic infections is 1,924, down 98 per cent from a peak of 69,000 at the start of January. One in every 1,394 Britons currently has the virus, the study estimates, with a national R rate of 0.7.

"Admissions and deaths are also continuing to decline, putting the UK in a similar place to July last year," said Professor Tim Spector, the lead scientist behind the study app.

Laura Donnelly has all the details.

05:02 PM

How Bhutan managed to vaccinate more than half its citizens in a single week

As Ninda Dema folded up her sleeve and placed her hands together in prayer, she gave a nervous smile to the surrounding television cameras, aware that the entire population of the Himalayan nation of Bhutan was watching her from their homes.

On March 27, Ms Dema, a 30-year-old bureaucrat, received Bhutan’s first Covid-19 vaccine - kickstarting the world’s fastest immunisation programme.

Some 62 per cent of eligible Bhutanese citizens were vaccinated in just one week, outstripping both the UK and the United States.

“Let this small step of mine today help us prevail through this illness,” said Ms Dema.

Bhutan, one of the world’s least developed countries, best known in the west for measuring progress via its unique Gross Domestic Happiness index rather than purely through economic output, is an unlikely global vaccination outlier.

Certainly, Bhutan’s small population size is a major advantage over many other countries. But its success can also be attributed to its dedicated citizen volunteers, known as "desuups", as well as robust public healthcare planning.

Joe Wallen has this must-read report.

04:58 PM

Justin Welby says he was 'too risk-averse' on church closures in first Covid lockdown

The Archbishop of Canterbury has admitted he "got quite a few things wrong" on the closure of churches during the first Covid lockdown, saying he was "too risk-averse".

The Church of England came under fire as churches remained closed last Easter, with many parishioners frustrated that the Archbishop did not fight harder to keep them open and the Church's rules going beyond those of the Government in barring clergy from their church buildings.

"I got quite a few things wrong at the beginning and I learnt quite quickly," the Most Rev Justin Welby said in an interview with the Financial Times.

"I didn't push hard enough to keep churches available for at least individual prayer in the first lockdown. We also said clergy couldn't go in, and personally I feel I made a mistake with that.

"I can make all kinds of excuses. I still think I was too risk-averse." Asked when he had realised that, he said: "May, June. May."

Gabriella Swerling and Victoria Ward have more.

04:53 PM

Italy and Greece risk post-pandemic debt crunch

Italy, Greece and other heavily indebted eurozone countries risk a financial crunch after the pandemic because of the cost of fighting Covid, analysts have warned.

Mounting debts risk spooking investors and driving up borrowing costs once normal conditions resume, particularly if post-pandemic austerity sparks a new wave of political populism, according to M&G fund manager Eric Lonergan.

Countries have been able to borrow hand over fist because the European Central Bank is buying €1.85 trillion (£1.6 trillion) of bonds under its Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme, while financial markets have backed spending to get through the lockdowns.

Mr Lonergan said: “Europe is ironically vulnerable to recovery because it seems you only get temporary elimination of credit risk in European sovereigns when you are in an emergency, in which case the ECB underwrites your bond market.

Tim Wallace has the full piece.

04:45 PM

Dog thefts soar after lockdown puppy boom

Dog thefts have risen by a fifth in the last year following the lockdown puppy boom, new figures have revealed.

Data from Britain's 45 police forces shows that 2,438 dogs were reported stolen last year – a 19 per cent increase on 2019 when there were 2,026 thefts.

Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, was accused of not doing enough to combat the crimes following her commitment in February to look at new measures that could be put in place.

Dog ownership has soared since the first lockdown began last March, with 2.2 million people taking ownership of a dog in the first six months of the pandemic.

The rise in dog thefts is the equivalent of seven dogs being reported stolen every day, with thefts up by 31 per cent from 1,774 in 2016. Only 22 per cent of stolen dogs were reunited with their owners.

Charles Hymas and Mason Boycott-Owen have more.

04:16 PM

Covax backs Astrazeneca vaccine as jabs delivered to 100 territories

The Covax scheme has reiterated its support for the Astrazeneca vaccine as it marked shipments of doses to 100 different countries across the world.

The 100th country was the Caribbean island of St Lucia, 42 days after the first shipment landed in Ghana on February 24.

"The AstraZeneca vaccine remains an important public health tool against the Covid-19 pandemic and is effective at preventing severe cases, hospitalisation and death," a spokesman for Gavi, which co-leads the scheme, told the AFP news agency.

It came as German regulators reiterated their earlier advice that under-60s who have had a first jab of the AstraZeneca vaccine should be given a second dose of a rival vaccine.

04:04 PM

EU ministers fail to agree on AstraZeneca policy in 'exasperating' meeting

Italy and Spain have moved to restrict the use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to the over-60s, writes Sam Morgan.

health ministers failed Wednesday to agree a joint EU policy despite fresh advice from the bloc’s medicines regulator on potential links to blood clotting.

EU ministers held a meeting after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) revealed findings from an ongoing review of the vaccine, but were unable to translate the regulator’s advice into a common approach regarding which age groups should be targeted.

Germany previously restricted the use of the jab to the over-60s, while Belgium and France will stick to its over-55s bracket. Finland and Sweden have a higher cut-off point with the over-65s and Denmark will continue with its total ban pending an inquiry.

According to EU diplomats, the meeting of health ministers was "exasperating" as no consensus was possible.

• Full story: Italy and Spain will limit vaccine to over-60s

• Daniel Hannan: We should still be generous to petulant EU

03:39 PM

Under-30s may have to travel further for Covid jabs after AstraZeneca advice

Scotland's vaccine rollout to the under-30s might be forced to slow down thanks to them not receiving the AstraZeneca jab, medical chiefs admitted on Thursday, as the death toll north of the Border passed 10,000.

While Scotland’s national clinical director insisted that the change will not delay the target of offering all adults a vaccine by the end of July, the pace of rollout “might slow in those middle weeks”.

Due to both the Moderna and Pfizer jabs being freezer rather than fridge vaccines, Professor Jason Leitch said younger people might be asked to travel further for appointments because the logistics are “slightly more difficult”.

However, he said modelling suggests this “will not delay” the end of July target despite Nicola Sturgeon saying earlier this week that such changes would “self evidently” have an impact on the rollout, and urged people to take up the offer of a vaccination.

Georgina Hayes has the full story.

03:25 PM

Co-op boss defends decision to keep £66m business rates relief

The boss of Co-op has defended its decision not to repay £66m of business rates relief it received from the Government during the pandemic despite rises in annual sales and profits.

Steve Murrells, chief executive of the group, said: "What the board has done is completely in line with our values and ethics. The decision was completely supported by the members' council, we haven't paid a dividend and we don't have the same access to capital markets as others might."

The mutual, which also has funeral, legal services and health divisions, posted sales of £11.5bn for the year to Jan 2 - £600m higher than 2019. Meanwhile, pre-tax profits rose from £67m to £92m.

The firm said it had to spend £84m to cover costs directly associated with the pandemic.

Mr Murrells added: "We have chosen to repay the furlough money, and I have already said, the business rates relief was something that was given for all businesses."

Laura Onita has the story.

03:07 PM

'Watch the data', says Hancock in response to herd immunity predictions

Matt Hancock has insisted the Government must "watch the data", as he responded to predictions Britain will reach herd immunity as soon as next week.

Some scientists do not believe that the threshold will be reached in the next phase of the roadmap, the Health Secretary said, claiming that some believe it will take until June.

“I think we have taken the right course in plotting our way to freedom and doing it carefully because we want it to be irreversible,” he told LBC.

Dynamic, real-time modelling by University College London (UCL), which is informed by the most recent data, has predicted that herd immunity will be reached on Monday.

According to the UCL results that were published this week, the number of people who have protection against the virus, either through vaccination or previous infection, will reach 73.4 per cent.

03:03 PM

Further 3,030 cases and 53 deaths confirmed

A further 3,030 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 9am today, the Department for Health has confirmed.

A further 53 deaths within 28 days of a positive test have also been announced across all settings.

In the last seven days, deaths are down by 32.5 per cent, and cases by 37.7 per cent. This is despite more than five million tests being carried out in the last week.

03:00 PM

AstraZeneca: What we know about blood clots, side effects and risks for under-30s

The UK medicines regulator has said that although the benefits of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine continue to outweigh any risks, under-30s will be offered an alternative jab.

Meanwhile, in a separate update on its investigations, the European medicines watchdog has ruled that unusual blood clots were "very rare side effects" of the jab.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said people should follow the regulator's advice and keep getting their jabs.

The Telegraph's Global Health Security Editor Paul Nuki has answered your questions.

02:44 PM

The 'British Holiday Experience' is regressing to Fawlty Towers levels

How much do you think you should be charged for an empty paper cup? asks Rob Crossan.

Read more: British hospitality workers are allowing petty habits to return

02:41 PM

70% of care home staff have received at least one vaccine dose

Seventy per cent of staff in England working in independent younger adult care homes and domiciliary providers have now received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

It comes as NHS England data also showed that 88.0 per cent of residents at younger adult care homes had received their first dose of a vaccine by April 4.

02:35 PM

I won't hesitate to get Astrazeneca jab, says Sturgeon

Nicola Sturgeon has said that she will "not have any hesitation" about getting the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine when she gets her first jab next week.

"I don't know which vaccine I will get offered, but if I am offered the AstraZeneca vaccine I will take the AstraZeneca vaccine and I will not have any hesitation in doing so," she says.

"I will be absolutely happy to take the AstraZeneca vaccine, if that is what is offered to me.

"The risk - if I can call it that - that has been assessed and led to the advice yesterday is very, very, very, very small. The blood clotting issue is very, very, very rare."

02:22 PM

How to find true isolation: By the seaside, 90 minutes from London

High on the chalky sward switchback of the South Downs, the skylarks are rejoicing once more, writes Paul Miles. Violets and celandines peep through the grass. Spring is here and from April 12 self-catering holidays are allowed.

Where better to celebrate your new freedom than a little place that feels like the middle of nowhere but is only a grassy stroll from the beach – and some nice food shops – and where the hiking is superb? Oh, and London is just 90 minutes away.

For the past fortnight, my father and I have been the first guests in the only self-catering accommodation on Beachy Head. Black Robin Farm cottages are three early 20th-century farmworkers’ quarters nestled in a fold of the South Downs, hidden from any roads.

Our stay is ‘essential’ as my octogenarian father would otherwise be homeless, mid house-move. So here we are in what must be one of the most spectacularly sited council houses in the country. Yes, Black Robin Farm holiday cottages – and the farm – are owned by Eastbourne Borough Council.

Dispatch: The spectacular council house on sea which is 'essential' accommodation

02:16 PM

What we learnt from yesterday's blood clot briefing

It was the press conference nobody wanted to give, writes Sarah Knapton.

After weeks of poring over case reports of blood clots in people following the AstraZeneca vaccine, the medicines regulator was finally forced to concede that it was possible the jab is causing a rare but deadly brain condition.

Both the Department of Health and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have been at pains to downplay any causal link in case it increased vaccine hesitancy and put off younger people from getting the jab.

But 19 deaths cannot be ignored, and for all those organisations' good intentions the public has a right to know about rare, yet potentially lethal, side-effects so they can make up their own minds.

While the chance of suffering a deadly blood clot from the AstraZeneca jab remains very small, the risk from Covid for young people is also very small – and when the prevalence of coronavirus is low in the community, it seems it is no longer a risk worth taking.

Here is what we learnt from Thursday's briefing.

02:02 PM

Vaccine appointments for under 30s cancelled

The NHS has begun cancelling vaccine appointments which were booked for under 30s, with those due to have jabs told they may now have to wait longer, Laura Donnelly and Bill Gardner report.

The vast majority of those aged between 18 and 30 were not due to start receiving vaccinations until later this summer, as the last cohort of adults in the programme.

But some were given earlier access to jabs, because of jobs as health or care workers, or roles as unpaid carers for the vulnerable.

Regulators ruled yesterday that those under 30 should be offered the Pfizer or Moderna jabs, instead of the AstraZeneca vaccine, after the latter was linked to blood clots.

• Read more: GPs told to cancel all under-30 appointments

01:45 PM

England vaccines rise by 431,203

A total of 31.81 million coronavirus vaccinations have now taken place in England, according to NHS data.

This marks a rise of 431,203 on yesterday, with 58,962 first doses administered and 372,241 second doses given, as the balance continues to tip towards fully vaccinating Britons who have already had their first jab.

In Scotland there were 14,899 first doses and 21,137 second doses, there were 17,119 first doses and 9,169 second doses in Wales, and Northern Ireland saw 7,682 first does and 5,421 second doses.

01:40 PM

The lockdown rules from April 12: what you can and can't do

The next milestone date of Boris Johnson's roadmap to ease lockdown restrictions is April 12, which will see the reopening of outdoor dining, non-essential shops and hairdressers.

Lockdown measures were first eased on March 29, when millions in England saw the stay-at-home order end and the rule of six return.

On Easter Monday, the Prime Minister confirmed that the roadmap dates he had initially set out will remain unchanged.

India McTaggart has all the details on the UK's reopening.

01:18 PM

BMW surges as car sales rev up ahead of reopening

The car industry is revving up for a post-pandemic recovery as manufacturers and dealers report booming sales, Alan Tovey reports.

BMW has become the latest car maker to reveal record demand, with sales accelerating by more than a third in the first three months of the year.

The German luxury marque, which also owns Rolls-Royce and Mini, sold 636,606 vehicles in the quarter, partly driven by huge demand in Far East.

Mercedes-Benz is also surging and said on Wednesday it sold 590,999 cars in the quarter - up more than a fifth on the same period a year ago.

On the same day, Volvo said global sales jumped 40pc to a record 185,698 cars.

Read more: UK dealers prepare for retail boom

01:04 PM

Covid memorial wall 'has to stay', bereaved families say

A Covid memorial wall has "got to stay", bereaved families said today as volunteers completed the installation.

Around 150,000 red and pink hearts have been painted along the Thames Embankment opposite the Houses of Parliament.

The National Covid Memorial Wall, stretching almost 500 metres between Westminster and Lambeth bridges, will be added to as the Covid-19 death toll keeps climbing.

While Lambeth Borough Council did not give its approval to the tribute, it told The Telegraph that it will not be removed.

Alison Weetman, who lost her father to the virus last spring, told PA: "It's got to stay, it's got to be a memorial for everyone that's passed away from Covid. They should never be forgotten.

"I think it's fantastic what's happening with the vaccine programme but the Government needs to remember that there's a lot of people that died, thousands have died and they can never ever be forgotten, and I won't let my dad be forgotten either."

12:58 PM

Covid passports could be time-limited to avert Tory rebellion

Covid passport laws being considered could have "sunset" clauses to reassure Tory rebels that the measures will be temporary, The Telegraph understands.

Michael Gove's review into domestic Covid status certificates is looking at time-limiting any legal changes potentially needed to require the checks in certain settings. The move would underscore the Government's insistence that the measures should not become a feature of life beyond the pandemic.

A source familiar with the review's work said consideration was being given to making clear that the changes would be "explicitly temporary", possibly through the use of "sunset clauses".

Businesses are free to bring in checks themselves, provided they do not breach equality laws. But the Government is likely to go further, encouraging theatres, festivals, nightclubs and events with large crowds to adopt them.

Ben-Riley Smith has more.

12:49 PM

Sturgeon pledges free breakfasts amid costs of pandemic

Free breakfasts for secondary school pupils will be trialled in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has announced, as she reiterated a pledge to offer free breakfasts and lunches to all children at primary school.

The SNP leader revealed the free breakfast scheme will be piloted in secondary schools if her party wins the upcoming Holyrood election.

"The Covid-19 pandemic has been tough for everyone - that's why so much of our focus in government has been to help families get by in tough times," Ms Sturgeon said.

"All children in primaries 1 to 3 already benefit from access to free school meals, saving families around £400 per child per year. But if re-elected, we will go much further.

"An SNP government will provide free school breakfasts and lunches to every primary school pupil in Scotland, all year round, and for all children in state-funded special schools in Scotland. This will eventually save them an estimated £650 a year per child."

12:37 PM

Scrap costly tests for those returning from 'green list' countries, Boris Johnson told

Costly tests for holidaymakers returning from "green list" countries must be abandoned, Tory MPs have told Boris Johnson.

The Prime Minister's global travel taskforce is due to announce on Friday that travellers from "safe" countries will have to take a gold standard PCR test on or before the second day of their return – a move that would add £480 to the cost of a holiday for a family of four.

This is said to be the preferred option, with holidaymakers allowed to use the cheaper rapid lateral flow tests only to confirm their Covid status before they leave their destination to return home.

The move comes despite Mr Johnson's pledge on Tuesday to make foreign travel "as easy as possible" by prioritising faster and cheaper tests for holidaymakers.

The two-test model, before and after arrival, is part of the Government's proposed traffic light system where only arrivals from "green list" countries will be exempt from having to quarantine for 10 days.

Charles Hymas and Harry Yorke have the story.

12:19 PM

FTSE 100 achieves new Covid peak

The FTSE 100 has climbed to a new post-pandemic high, hitting 6,926 points earlier today, reports Simon Foy.

It marks the FTSE 100's highest intra-day level in more than a year. It went on to settle 0.42pc higher at 6,913 points in the early afternoon. In the eurozone, Paris advanced but Frankfurt turned flat after an earlier advance.

"UK equities entered 2021 at a big discount to peers but have not enjoyed the same bounce as US or some European markets," noted Markets.com analyst Neil Wilson.

"At last UK equities are bouncing strongly on a combination of strong UK growth expectations, ongoing monetary policy support and expectations for a strong global recovery."

12:09 PM

Covid origins: Researchers call for new inquiry not 'tainted by politics'

A joint China-World Health Organization (WHO) study into the origins of Covid-19 has provided no credible answers about how the pandemic began, and more rigorous investigations are required, a group of international scientists and researchers have said.

In an open letter, 24 scientists and researchers from Europe, the United States, Australia and Japan said the WHO study, published last week, was “tainted” by politics.

“Their starting point was, let’s have as much compromise as is required to get some minimal cooperation from China,” Jamie Metzl, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council think tank, who drafted the letter, told Reuters.

The letter said the study’s conclusions were based on unpublished Chinese research, while critical records and biological samples “remain inaccessible”.

The long-awaited WHO study concluded that the virus most likely emerged in an as-yet unknown animal before jumping into bats and then into humans. It said it is “extremely unlikely” that Sars-Cov-2 escaped from a lab.

Anne Gulland has more here.

11:58 AM

Vaccines advice could still change for those in their 30s, JCVI suggests

Advice on vaccines for those in their 30s could change during the rollout of the programme, the deputy chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has suggested.

Professor Anthony Harnden said that safety data will be examined "in scrupulous detail" before the programme is rolled out to the under 40s.

The scientist said "everybody should remain confident" in the vaccine programme, which he said was going "full steam ahead," adding that any link with blood clots was a "very, very rare, extremely rare safety signal".

He said that the latest change in the medical advice - that those under 30 should be offered the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines in preference to AstraZeneca jab - is unlikely to change.

However, he said scientists would be looking closely at the safety data for those in other groups, and should have "much more clear" data by the time the programme moves to people in their 30s.

Laura Donnelly has more here.

11:39 AM

Under-60s who have received first AstraZeneca dose should get different jab, says Germany

Under-60s who have received their first dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine should get a different second dose, German officials have recommended.

Germany restricted the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine to under-60s a week ago.

At the time the country's' Standing Commission on Vaccination (STIKO) recommended those who had been already been given the jab should get a second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

The head of the panel told German television on Thursday that recommendation is unchanged. It follows a small number of people developing a rare and sometimes fatal blood clot in the brain after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine.

German government talks on whether to adopt the recommendation on second jabs were inconclusive yesterday, and a final decision has been deferred until next week.

The Stiko said its advice that the vaccine be restricted to under-60s also remains unchanged, despite the European Medicines Agency insisting it is safe for use in all ages.

Carolina Darias, the Spanish health minister, said that a decision is yet to be made on the two million Spaniards who have received their first dose of AstraZeneca.

11:21 AM

Nicola Sturgeon pledges to increase NHS activity to pre-pandemic levels

Half of all spending on frontline NHS care will go to GPs and community services if the SNP is re-elected in May, Nicola Sturgeon has pledged, as she outlined her pandemic recovery plan.

In a bid to reduce waiting times, the SNP leader also vowed to increase inpatient, outpatient and day-case treatment activity by ten per cent above pre-pandemic levels within the first year of the new parliament.

However, the First Minister’s pledges have been dismissed as “too little, too late” by opposition parties, who point out that the SNP has repeatedly failed to meet its own waiting time targets even before the pandemic.

As part of a “full-scale post-pandemic remobilisation of the NHS”, Ms Sturgeon promised that her party will set up an expanded network of 10 centres doing diagnostic work and elective surgery.

This would include a renewed Edinburgh Eye Pavilion, as well new elective treatment centres in Ayrshire and Cumbernauld.

Georgina Hayes has the story.

11:11 AM

Why under-30s will be offered alternative to AstraZeneca Covid vaccine

Healthy young people aged 18 to 29 should be offered the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines instead of the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab, it has been recommended amid ongoing fears over blood clots.

On April 7, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said more work was needed to establish a definite link between the AstraZeneca jab and rare brain blood clots, and that the benefit still outweighed the risk for the majority.

However, the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation has recommended that under-30s be offered an alternative vaccine.

Our Science Editor Sarah Knapton explains all.

11:05 AM

Long Covid could 'essentially ruin your life', Hancock warns under-30s

Under-30s should not hesitate to take the coronavirus vaccine amid a "course correction" and updated guidance, the Health Secretary has insisted - going as far as to warn that long Covid could "essentially ruin your life".

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Matt Hancock said the UK's range of coronavirus vaccines is safe and that it would be "fine" for young people to have the Pfizer or Moderna jab if they wished to avoid the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.

"Long Covid affects people in their 20s just as much it seems as any other age group and can have debilitating side effects that essentially ruin your life," he said.

"The safety system that we have around this vaccine is so sensitive that it can pick up events that are four in a million - I'm told this is about the equivalent risk of taking a long-haul flight."

• In case you missed it: Hancock 'very worried' about long Covid

• 'My long Covid symptoms overlap with fibromyalgia'

10:59 AM

Captain Van-Tam manned the bridge over troubled water

The course of vaccination never did run smooth, especially for poor old AstraZeneca, writes Madeline Grant. EU leaders alternated between questioning its effectiveness, blocking exports of it, accusing greedy Britain of hoarding the vaccine they so despised, while millions of vials lay unused.

Yesterday came a staggering last-ditch plot twist. First, the European Medicines Agency gave a press conference recommending the vaccine for all age groups.

Then just minutes later, it was the turn of UK regulators to advise against the vaccine, but only for the under-30s, for whom the risks of Covid were minuscule enough not to outweigh the – still minuscule – risk of rare blood clots.

Into this rhetorical quagmire sailed deputy chief medical officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, armed with his trademark homespun metaphors (last time it was trains, on Wednesday ships). And as it turned out, he was the perfect navigator.

Full piece: JVT and his crewmates sailed through public health message

10:52 AM

'It’s inhuman we're left at the mercy of Sage’s models'

The modellers have been at it again, writes Jonathan Sumption. The modelling committee of Sage has produced a report projecting the consequences of ending restrictions in accordance with the Government’s Covid Roadmap.

• Jonathan Sumption: Social interaction is not a luxury

• Letters: 'Government campaign of fear has been incredibly successful'

10:45 AM

Number testing positive falls by one-fifth

The number of Britons testing positive for coronavirus in the week ending March 31 has fallen to its lowest figure since September.

29,293 people tested positive for the virus across the week, a rate that has not been seen since September 16 and a decrease of 21 per cent from the previous week.

Around 5.5 million lateral flow tests were conducted, while 90.2 per cent of all those transferred to Test and Trace were reached in order to provide details of their close contacts.

10:38 AM

Virgin Voyages to offer 'staycation-at-sea'

Virgin Voyages, the new adult-only cruise line from Sir Richard Branson, will finally make its debut with a series of cruises in British waters this summer, The Telegraph can reveal.

Six sailings will be on offer in August aboard Scarlet Lady – the cruise coming more than a year since the £500 million, 2,770-passenger ship was due to take her maiden voyage, which was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The three- and four-night itineraries, which will all depart from Portsmouth, are only available to UK residents who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

There won't be any ports of call but instead each cruise along England's southern coast will be a "staycation-at-sea", according to the operator. Cabins can be booked from Tuesday, April 13.

As well only permitting vaccinated passengers to board, capacity will be limited on the ship, with additional testing and health protocols confirmed closer to departure date.

• Full story: Virgin Voyages joins other cruises in scrapping overseas plans

• ​The latest advice on domestic and foreign travel

10:29 AM

Turning over a new leaf as lockdown eases

Staff at the London Library have made their final preparations ahead of its reopening on Monday in line with step two of the Government's roadmap.

In a sign of the times, visitors will be required to book slots in advance and use designated reading rooms, which will have social distancing and other coronavirus measures in place.

"We are extremely appreciative of the support and encouragement our members have provided during lockdown and we are thrilled to be able to welcome you back," the Library said in a statement.

10:19 AM

UK Covid cases fall to levels not seen since July

Coronavirus cases in the UK have plummeted to levels that have not been seen since July 2020, new data show.

The current daily average of symptomatic infections is 1,924, according to the ZOE Covid Symptom Study, down 98 per cent from a peak of 69,000 at the start of January.

One in every 1,394 Britons currently has the virus, the study estimates, with a national R rate of 0.7 which falls to just 0.5 in Wales.

"Admissions and deaths are also continuing to decline, putting the UK in a similar place to July last year," said Tim Spector, the lead scientist behind the study app.

"These figures are among the lowest in Europe. It’s unlikely that cases will continue to fall at this pace, but with the vaccinations programme and the weather improving, it’s likely they will remain low."

It comes as new Test and Trace data revealed that the number of Britons testing positive for coronavirus fell to its lowest figure since September.

10:05 AM

Keep taking the AstraZeneca vaccine, say family of first named blood clot victim

The family of a solicitor who died from a blood clot on the brain after taking the AstraZeneca vaccine has urged the public to "keep saving lives" by continuing to take the jab.

Neil Astles, 59, was given his first dose on March 17 but died in hospital on Easter Sunday after suffering from 10 days of worsening headaches and loss of vision.

Mr Astles, a married solicitor at Warrington Borough Council, is the first named person in the UK suspected to have died from side-effects linked to the Oxford jab.

Bill Gardner and Sarah Knapton have the story.

08:57 AM

More than 700,000 AstraZeneca vaccines sent to Australia from UK despite shortage

Australia’s vaccine rollout was boosted by a shipment from Britain that was kept quiet to avoid controversy, according to reports in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock did not deny the 717,000 doses manufactured in the UK had been sent to Australia but said it was not the Government who made the shipment.

Australia has entered the vaccine row with the European Union in recent weeks after the bloc placed tough export controls on jabs.

Read the full story here.

08:26 AM

Northern Ireland's vaccination programme to be expanded to 40-44 year olds

People in that age bracket will be able to book a jab from noon on Thursday.

Health Minister Robin Swann described the expansion as "very welcome news to people in this age group".

"Vaccination is by far our best defence against Covid-19 and is essential to our goal of getting Northern Ireland out of lockdown on a sustainable basis," he said.

The Department of Health described the rollout of the vaccination programme as dependent on the availability of vaccine supplies.

08:03 AM

Britain will achieve herd immunity on Monday

Britain will pass the threshold for herd immunity on Monday, according to dynamic modelling by University College London (UCL), placing more pressure on the Government to move faster in releasing restrictions.

According to the UCL results, published this week, the number of people who have protection against the virus either through vaccination or previous infection will hit 73.4 per cent on April 12 – enough to tip the country into herd immunity.

The number is in stark contrast to the modelling released by Imperial College this week, which suggested there was just 34 per cent protection by the end of March.

Sarah Knapton has more here.

07:43 AM

Oxford professor: 'I'm more worried about Covid-19 than the AstraZeneca vaccine'

Professor Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford vaccine group, said "this is not the time to waver" over rare blood clots linked to the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine because coronavirus cases are rising in Europe and other nations around the world.

"We have brilliant haematologists here in the NHS who are looking out for any patients to make sure they get the best possible treatment, which is being worked out by them if one of these very rare cases were to happen," he said.

"What I did wake up this morning worrying about, is the pandemic. It's not over, it really does continue to threaten the whole of humanity - today about 12,000 people around the world will be confirmed dead as a result of coronavirus."

07:03 AM

Health Secretary: There is 'more than enough' vaccine doses to cover under-30s

Matt Hancock said there is "more than enough" Pfizer and Moderna doses to cover the remaining 18-29 year olds.

"There are 10.16 million people aged 18-29 in the UK, 1.6 million of them have already had their first jab," he said.

"Anybody who's had the jab should continue with the second jab because there's no evidence of this affect after a second jab and we have more than enough Pfizer and Moderna vaccine to cover all of the remaining 8.5 million people aged between 18-29 if necessary."

He insisted the UK remained "on track" to hit the target of all adults being offered the jab by the end of July.

06:27 AM

'We don't know if AstraZeneca vaccine causes thrombosis'

Prof Beverley Hunt, medical director at the charity Thrombosis UK, said: "We started noticing these very unusual cases of quite unusual sites of thrombosis in the body associated with the low platelet count.

"We don't know whether [the vaccine] is causal or not. There is a time relationship between when we see people with this very odd thrombosis and having their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. We've seen patients who have been presenting with thrombosis in the head or abdomen from about day four after the vaccine.

"I think it's very important to tell people that lots of people get side effects from the AstraZeneca vaccine and they usually settle down by day four or five. What we've seen is people presenting with the worst headache they have ever had on day four and they have proved to have thrombosis in the large vein of the head."

05:45 AM

Drinkers urged to take cash to the pub to beat indoor payments rules

Drinkers should take cash to the pub with them next week to avoid falling foul of new rules that say staff should take payments for drinks outside, writes Tony Diver.

Guidelines have been drawn up that ban pubs from taking payments indoors – potentially shutting out a third of the sector from Monday's reopening.

The Telegraph understands ministers will attempt to change the rules before Monday so customers can go inside as a "last resort", but drinkers have been urged to bring cash so they can pay safely outdoors. Industry leaders met officials on Tuesday to push for a U-turn.

Read the full story here.

05:30 AM

Complaints against Covid-19 test supplier after quarantined travellers left waiting days for kits

East Yorkshire-based Latus Health has been accused of providing an "appalling" service, with customers claiming they received their £175 coronavirus tests late - potentially delaying their exit from quarantine.

The healthcare firm, which is on the Government's official list of test suppliers, said there had been "some delays" with Royal Mail and that it pays for a 24-hour next day delivery service.

However, some 70 people have joined a Facebook group to complain about the firm, which is listed as a test provider on the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) website.

People returning to the UK from non-red list countries are required to quarantine for 10 days at home and take two Covid-19 tests - one on day two and another on day eight - before they can leave, depending on a negative result.

05:08 AM

Indonesia says arrival of 30m AstraZeneca vaccine doses delayed

Indonesia's health minister said on Thursday that the country would receive 20 million doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine via a bilateral deal in 2021, instead of the 50 million doses that had been initially agreed.

The remaining 30 million doses will be shipped in 2022, minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin told a parliamentary hearing.

Indonesia is also slated to receive 54 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in phases via the COVAX global-vaccine alliance scheme, though Budi said Indian export restrictions would delay shipments in April.

04:35 AM

Venezuelan mayor marks homes of virus patients with red symbol

A mayor in central Venezuela has begun placing red warning symbols on the homes of people with Covid-19 and also threatened to cut welfare handouts for those breaking quarantine, prompting the country's chief prosecutor to open an investigation.

Telling local radio radical measures were needed as Venezuela tackled a second wave of the coronavirus, Mr Duque said benefits including food handouts and cooking gas could be cut if people did not comply with quarantine orders.

The move by Mr Duque, a member of President Nicolas Maduro's ruling Socialist Party, brought accusations of discrimination from the country's opposition and prompted Chief Prosecutor Tarek Saab to open an investigation.

Read more: Beijing colour-codes buildings based on how many staff members have been vaccinated

03:33 AM

New Zealand suspends entry for travellers from India

New Zealand on Thursday temporarily suspended entry for all travellers from India, including its own citizens, for about two weeks following a high number of positive cases arriving from the South Asian country.

The move comes after New Zealand recorded 23 new positive coronavirus cases at its border on Thursday, of which 17 were from India.

India is battling a deadly second wave with daily infections this week passing the peak of the first wave seen last September.

02:31 AM

South Korea reports surge in cases, more restrictions expected

South Korea reported 700 new coronavirus cases, its highest daily figure since early January, and the Prime Minister reiterated warnings on Thursday that new social distancing rules would likely be needed.

Wednesday's tally compares with an average of 477 cases last week, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and will fuel fears that the country may be facing a fourth wave of infections.

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun told a government meeting a new wave of infections could disrupt South Korea's vaccination programme which has been suffering delays as the international vaccine-sharing scheme COVAX struggles to provide promised doses on time.

South Korea also said on Wednesday it will temporarily suspend providing AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to people below 60 as it undergoes reviews in Europe.

01:42 AM

Brazil detects first case of South African variant

Brazil has recorded its first confirmed case of the highly contagious variant discovered in South Africa, a fresh danger sign for a country already ravaged by the world's worst daily death toll and scrambling to make space for burials.

Scientists warned on Wednesday that yet another new variant could be emerging in Brazil's inland city of Belo Horizonte.

The Federal University of Minas Gerais said in a statement that two samples taken in the city included a previously unseen set of 18 mutations, including some in the same genes modified by the South African variant and Brazil's already prevalent variant, known as P.1.

The detection of additional variants adds to concerns that a brutal Covid-19 wave battering Brazil may keep breaking grim records for weeks to come.

01:36 AM

Venezuela claims sanctions blocking vaccine purchases

Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza claimed on Wednesday that without economic sanctions against the government of President Nicolas Maduro, the country would already have purchased all 30 million coronavirus vaccines it needs.

The US, one of many countries not to recognise MMr aduro's reelection in 2018, has frozen millions of dollars of Venezuelan money in US bank accounts.

It views the election as fraudulent, and along with European and other countries recognises opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's acting president. Washington has handed control of the frozen funds to Mr Guaido.

01:21 AM

Kent variant most dominant 'lineage' in US

The highly infectious Kent variant of Covid-19 is the most dominant "lineage" of the virus in the US, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

Dr Rochelle Walensky, director of CDC, said hospitals are seeing more younger adults being admitted with severe disease, which can be attributed to increasing prevalence of variants.

The Kent variant, known as B117, was first identified in the US in December after it swept across the UK at the end of last year before spreading across the world.

01:17 AM

Music helped UK listeners get through lockdown

Music helped listeners in the UK get through the pandemic-enforced lockdowns, new research has suggested.

More than a quarter of those surveyed said they had increased their listening time compared to before the country shut down, according to a survey from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).

Only 11 per cent of those asked said they listened to less or no music at all, the BPI said, and a jump in consumption was most pronounced in the 16-24 age group.

The BPI, the UK record labels association, said 45 per cent of respondents in this age group listened to more music since the first national lockdown in March last year.

And the survey suggested people relied on their favourite songs for a boost while separated from their friends and loved ones.

Read more: The 30 best calming and relaxing songs to listen to

01:11 AM

Today's top stories

• The family of a solicitor who died from a blood clot on the brain after taking the AstraZeneca vaccine has urged the public to "keep saving lives" by continuing to take the jab.
• Young people who have received their first Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine dose should get the second despite fears over blood clotting, officials said on Wednesday night.
• Britain will pass the threshold for herd immunity on Monday, according to dynamic modelling by University College London, placing more pressure on the Government to move faster in releasing restrictions.
• Drinkers should take cash to the pub with them next week to avoid falling foul of new rules that say staff should take payments for drinks outside, The Telegraph has been told.
• Covid passport laws being considered could have "sunset" clauses to reassure Tory rebels that the measures will be temporary, The Telegraph understands.
• The French Tennis Federation is expected to announce on Thursday that the next grand-slam event – the French Open – will be delayed by a week because of the tougher Covid-19 measures announced by President Macron last week.