The EU executive’s vaccine task force chief has said that at least 12 of the bloc’s 27 member states are confident they can vaccinate 70 per cent of their adult population by mid-July.

The European Commission set the target for the end of this summer, depending on a big increase in vaccine deliveries to accelerate its vaccination drive.

European internal market commissioner Thierry Breton told an Irish parliamentary committee said: “We are confident that we will be able to deliver enough doses but it is true also that it is up to member states to organise themselves to be ready for that.

“Today I can tell you that I understand we have at least 12 member states who say they are fully comfortable this 70 per cent figure. This number is increasing on a daily basis.”

Mr Breton did not say which 12 member states were confident or which countries were less comfortable about the target.

It comes after an announcement last week that EU countries will receive 50 million more vaccines produced by Pfizer this quarter has give the executive additional comfort on its delivery targets.

Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon is holding a coronavirus briefing today, where she is expected to give an update on the latest lockdown restrictions.

Ella Glover explains what time her announcement is and what you can expect from it:

Israel and Britain are discussing the possibility of opening a “green travel corridor” between them due to the success of the two countries’ vaccination campaigns, reports Reuters.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that the issue was discussed at a meeting between foreign minister Gabi Ashkenazi and UK Cabinet Minister Michael Gove in Jerusalem.

A statement from the ministry quoted Mr Ashkenazi as saying: “We will promote, together with the UK, mutual recognition of vaccines in order to allow tourists and business people from both countries to safely return to their routines.”

The ministry added that both countries had made “great progress” with vaccinations and therefore opened the “possibility of creating a green travel corridor” – although it gave no timeline for implementing it.

Last week, Israel said it would start allowing the entry of vaccinated tourists groups into the country from 23 May.

The discovery of 77 cases of a new coronavirus variant, which first emerged in India, has caused concern among scientists and the government.

Officials consider it a “variant under investigation (VUI)” rather than a “variant of concern (VOC)”, which includes Manaus, UK and South African variant.

Samuel Osborne outlines everything we know about the new variant:

The discovery of 77 cases of a new coronavirus variant, which first emerged in India, has caused concern among scientists and the government.

Officials consider it a “variant under investigation (VUI)” rather than a “variant of concern (VOC)”, which includes Manaus, UK and South African variant.

Samuel Osborne outlines everything we know about the new variant:

Wearing two face coverings can nearly double the filtering efficiency of the masks against particles the size of the novel coronavirus and reduces the chances of wearer contracting Covid-19, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina found that double masking enhanced filtration by eliminating gaps and poor-fitting areas of masks.

My colleague Vishwam Sankaran has more on this story:

The owner of Primark will repay £121m in furlough money claimed through the government’s job retention schemes and pay out a dividend to shareholders.

This is despite a dip in profits due to stores being closed for more of the autumn and winter period due to lockdown.

Associated British Foods (ABF) said in its 2021 interim results announcement that sales were down 17 per cent to £6.3bn and adjusted operating profits fell 50 per cent to £319m in the six months to 27 February.

But chief executive George Weston said the decision to repay the cash was a reflection of the company’s confidence that Primark will once again become “cash generative” as stores reopen.

He said in a statement: “With most of the Primark stores closed for more than half the period, the management team demonstrated operational agility in response to the measures employed by governments to tackle the pandemic.

“Primark sales after store reopening demonstrate the relevance and appeal of our value-for-money offering. We are excited about welcoming customers back into our stores as the lockdowns ease and are delighted with record sales in England and Wales in the week after reopening on 12 April.

“With our success in a number of new markets, as wide-ranging as Poland and Florida, we are as convinced as we have ever been in the long-term growth prospects for Primark.”

The head of global airline industry body IATA has hit out at the high cost of PCR testing, accusing some companies of profiteering from the COVID-19 tests, and calling for the industry to challenge whether PCR tests are necessary.

“We’re clearly seeing evidence of profiteering by people who have jumped on the testing bandwagon” Willie Walsh, IATA’s new director general, said at an industry conference on Tuesday.

“The cost of testing should be significantly lower than it is. I think we’ve got to challenge whether PCR testing is necessary,” he said.

According to analysis, PCR tests could cost a family of four returning from a country on the government’s to-be-confirmed “green list” about £600.

Prices for the tests vary from £60 to over £200 but average £128 according to Abta. This is double the cost in parts of Europe, where the EU has agreed tests can be zero-rated for VAT and some governments cap the cost.

Travellers from more European countries, as well as Israel and the US, can visit Greece without having to quarantine for seven days if they hold a Covid-19 vaccination certificate or negative PCR test issued within the previous 72 hours.

The Greek Civil Aviation Authority said the countries made exempt from quarantine restrictions are EU member states, the UK, the US, the UAE, Serbia, Israel and non-eu members Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, who are part of a European travel pact.

Government spokesperson Aristotelia Peloni said the new travel rules were a “pilot measure” as Greece prepares to reopen tourism services next month, noting that tourists are also subject to domestic travel restrictions.

A worker in New Zealand’s Auckland airport has tested positive for Covid-19, a day after the country opened the world’s first major “travel bubble” with Australia to allow quarantine-free visits.

Prime minister Jacinda Ardern said the worker was fully vaccinated and had tested positive during routine testing. She said the worker was cleaning planes coming from countries which have a high number of coronavirus cases.

My colleague Akshita Jain reports: