Government data up to 20 January shows of the 5,437,284 jabs given in the UK so far, 4,973,248 were first doses – a rise of 363,508 on the previous day’s figures.

Some 464,036 were second doses, an increase of 3,411 on figures released the previous day.

The seven-day rolling average of first doses given in the UK is now 293,571.

Based on the latest figures, an average of 401,070 first doses of vaccine would be needed each day in order to meet the government’s target of 15 million first doses by 15 February.

Northern Ireland’s coronavirus lockdown restrictions will be extended to 5 March.

Stormont health minister Robin Swann proposed the step to help drive down case numbers.

Ministerial colleagues at the Executive in Belfast agreed the move and there are suggestions the curbs could ultimately continue until Easter.

An extended lockdown closing non-essential retailers, keeping schools shut to most pupils and encouraging employees to work from home began after Christmas.

Family gatherings are prohibited and police enforcement has been stepped up.

The UK is continuing its bleak and tragic march to 100,000 Covid deaths after a further 1,290 lives were lost to the disease over the latest 24 hour period.

A total of 94,580 people have now died within 28 days of a positive test.

Samuel Lovett has more details in this breaking news story:

Over in Spain, the country’s public prosecutor is investigating more than 200 cases of potential criminal mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic at nursing homes, where the virus spread almost unchecked during the first wave.

Nearly 43,000 care home residents died of Covid or suspected infection during the March-May first wave, according to official data.

At the time, staff reported shortages of basic protective equipment and army units deployed on disinfection missions discovered unattended bodies at several facilities.

The prosecutor’s office said nearly half of its investigations related to homicide through a neglect of duty of care, while it was looking into 21 cases of deficiencies in medical treatment.

Hospitals in Telford and Wrekin are under “huge pressure” because of the new coronavirus variant, the director of public health has said, with the strain estimated to make up 70 per cent of all cases in the Shropshire borough.

Liz Noakes said: “We face a long and difficult couple of months and we will all need to pull together to support each other and play our part in following lockdown restrictions.

“So far more people in the borough have now died in January than either November or December and sadly deaths continue to increase. We anticipate that pressure on hospitals will only get more intense over the next weeks.”

According to the latest weekly figures, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Telford and Wrekin was around 6 per cent below a peak experienced last week.

An additional 24,962 people had received the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine by 8:30am on Thursday, Public Health Scotland said, taking the total to 334,871.

It added that 4,466 people have received the second dose, an increase of 296.

“We are not all in this pandemic together, for proof look no further than the latest data released by the Office for National Statistics. Stark geographical differences in deaths due to Covid-19 are apparent, the most deprived areas of England have mortality rates two and a half times those of the least deprived.

“Yorkshire and Humber recorded 320 deaths per 100,000 of the population compared to 123 deaths per 100,000 in the South West. The contrast for Wales is just as grim, the most deprived areas recorded 560 deaths per 100,000 compared to 285 per 100,000 in the least deprived.”

Read Prof Ian Hamilton’s piece on inequality’s effect on the pandemic here:

Infection rates in England are decreasing among all age groups, Public Health England has said, with people in their 20s continuing to have the highest case rates.

Among 20 to 29-year-olds, the rate stood at 647.3 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to 17 January, down week-on-week from 923.2.

Among 30 to 39-year-olds, the rate dropped from 804.9 to 628.4, and for 40 to 49-year-olds, it fell from 712.1 to 575.0.

For people 80 and over, the rate has fallen from 622.6 to 515.1.

Northern Ireland’s coronavirus lockdown may be extended to 5 March after the health minister cautioned against relaxing restrictions too early. 

Stormont health minister Robin Swann has proposed the step to help drive down case numbers, it is understood.

Ministerial colleagues at the Executive in Belfast are meeting to discuss the advice.

On Wednesday Mr Swann warned against premature easing of the curbs, adding this is “not the time to open any floodgates”.

The UK could experience a “disastrous” resurgence in Covid-19 if restrictions are lifted too early and not enough vaccine coverage has been provided to the population’s most vulnerable people, new scientific modelling suggests.

Epidemiologists have estimated that even with an uptake rate of 90 per cent among the UK’s top priority groups, up to 1 million people will remain vulnerable to the disease.

A lack of protection among this group may be enough to fuel a third wave of hospitalisations and deaths, potentially burdening the NHS for many more months to come, the scientists warn.