The panel is asked whether differing local rates of infection will lead to a return to the regional tier system.

Matt Hancock says the government doesn't "rule out" taking action in "individual areas" if there are local flare-ups - but the goal is for all areas to "come out together" from restrictions.

He adds that the differences between areas now are "smaller than we saw in the autumn".

Dr Susan Hopkins, senior medical advisor at Public Health England, says they think some of the difference in infection rates relates to different types of jobs between areas.

Prof Van-Tam says his in-box has been “besieged” in the last week by people who say they have had the vaccine and have asked “essentially now can I start to break the rules”.

He says the answer to this is “no”.

“We are not yet collectively as a country in the right place," he says.

He says he reminds all of the patients he vaccinates that the rules still apply to them and everyone else until the country is in a much safer place.

He urges people not to be tempted to think one home visit is all right.

“My key message tonight is, 'look this is going very well but there are some worry signs that people are relaxing, taking their foot of the brake at the exact wrong time'”.

“Do not wreck this now - it is too early to relax. Just continue to maintain discipline and hang on for a few months.”

Now onto questions from the public. Emma from Worthing asks how university students will be supported out of lockdown.

Matt Hancock says the roadmap sets out some details on how a more regular university experience can be returned to. But he says it depends what course people are taking, for example if they need access to a lab.

There are other courses, like arts subjects, where it's easier to have classes online. As with everything else in the roadmap, things will depend on the data, however.

Hannah from Belfast then asks why the government removed guidelines from last summer, saying couples in an established relationship could see each other.

Mr Hancock says the change was made because in the autumn lockdown, and the current lockdown, the government wanted to make sure everything possible was done to stop the virus swapping.

He said he was sure the sacrifices people had made have had an impact. He pointed out that support bubbles are only for people living on their own.

Pointing to another slide, Prof Van-Tam says you can see quite clearly there are quite a few areas in the UK where case numbers are increasing.

“This is not a good sign and reinforces the fact that I’m afraid this battle at the moment is not won,” he says.

Prof Van-Tam mentions that 19 million first doses have been administered.

But he says these are first doses and people need a second dose.

Given that the totality of people in priority groups one to nine is 30 million people, he estimates there are roughly 40 million more doses to be given to these people.

He does says though that the data is encouraging and he is upbeat about how vaccines will change how we live - there is a long way to go, he stresses.

Image source, 10 Downing Street

Prof Jonathan Van-Tam, deputy chief medical officer for England, is the next speaker.

He shows what he calls a couple of “sobering slides”.

He says there are still quite a few areas of the UK that are “burning quite hot” in terms of coronavirus infection rates, and these hotspots are concentrated in the Midlands and from the east to the west coast.

He says there are also hotspots in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Prof Van-Tam says although it is "generally good news" it is better news in some places than others.

"It is not a battle we have won yet," he adds.

Matt Hancock confirms the government will follow the new vaccination priority recommendations from experts announced earlier, which prioritises people by age not by occupation.

He says the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) - which advises the government - said prioritisation by age was the best approach and ministers will follow this advice.

Image source, 10 Downing Street

Matt Hancock says the rate of decease has "flattened entirely" in some areas, and one in five local authorities have in fact reported a rise in the past week.

He says this "stark picture" in the data shows "this isn't over yet".

He confirms the figure announced earlier – that the number of people who have received a first dose of a Covid vaccine has surpassed 19 million, now up to 19.1m.

He says 10 more large vaccination centres are being made operational this week.

Image source, 10 Downing Street

Health Secretary Matt Hancock says the latest Covid data shows "we are moving in the right direction".

The number of cases is now down to 1 in every 145 people, he says - but the speed of the fall is "slowing slightly".

He says there has been a fall of 40% in the number of people in hospital over the past fortnight, but there are still 15,485 hospitalised with Covid and this is "far too high".

The Downing Street coronavirus briefing has just begun.

It is being led by Health Secretary Matt Hancock after it was confirmed earlier today that the next phase of the UK's vaccination programme will be based on age rather than occupation.

England's deputy chief medical officer, Prof Jonathan Van-Tam, and Dr Susan Hopkins, senior medical adviser at Public Health England, are also at the briefing.

A Downing Street coronavirus briefing is to begin in the next few minutes, at 17:00 GMT.

It will be led by Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who will appear alongside England's deputy chief medical officer, Prof Jonathan Van-Tam and Dr Susan Hopkins, senior medical adviser at Public Health England.

We'll be bringing you all of the updates from the briefing.

Helen Catt
Political correspondent

The big debate leading up to today's decision has been whether or not some keyworkers, like teachers or police officers, should be prioritised for vaccinations now that the most vulnerable people have been offered their first dose.

Labour had said they should.

The government in Westminster had signalled there could be a case for it but they'd ask the scientists.

The scientists have now concluded that they shouldn't.

The JCVI's recommendation and its acceptance by all four nations takes most of the political heat out of the discussion on prioritisation.

Now that vaccinating teachers en masse is off the table, the focus in England is likely to shift to what other measures the government is taking ahead of schools reopening to all pupils in 10 days' time.

Image source, Getty Images

British Airways owner IAG has called for digital health passes "to reopen our skies safely" as it posted a record loss for 2020 due to Covid disruption.

IAG posted an operating loss of €7.4bn (£6.5bn) for last year after the pandemic grounded many of its flights.

UK-focused airlines got a boost this week from government plans for travel markets to possibly reopen from mid-May, prompting a flood of bookings.

But uncertainty remains about what routes will be available.

The airline group - which also owns Iberia, Aer Lingus and Vueling - called for "a clear roadmap for unwinding current restrictions when the time is right".

IAG said that the ongoing uncertainty and duration of the pandemic meant that it could not provide a forecast for future profits.

Image source, PA Media

Health Secretary Matt Hancock is to lead a Downing Street briefing at 17:00 GMT.

He is expected to provide an update on the UK's vaccination programme after it was today confirmed that the next phase of the rollout will be based on age rather than occupation.

People in their 40s will be next, once the current phase is completed, followed by those aged 39 to 30 and then 29-18.

The health secretary will be joined by England's deputy chief medical officer, Prof Jonathan Van-Tam, and Dr Susan Hopkins, senior medical adviser at Public Health England.

We'll be bringing you all of the updates once it begins.

The daily figures also show that the number of people to receive one dose of the vaccine has now surpassed 19 million - up to 19,177,555.

There were 1,117 patients admitted into hospital.

The seven-day average for cases is down by 16.8%, deaths are down by 31.3%, while hospitalisations are down 20.6%.

A further 345 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test, according to the latest government figures, external.

There were 8,523 new cases reported.

Kerry Allen
BBC Monitoring, Chinese Media Analyst

Image source, Reuters

Hong Kong began its mass vaccination drive today using the Chinese vaccine, Sinovac.

The vaccine is being offered to priority groups that include medical workers, front-line transportation workers, care home staff and people over the age of 60.

Chinese news website The Paper says that the quota of 70,000 places have been fully booked over the next two weeks. A further quota of 200,000 places will be offered between 12-26 March, and high-risk groups can apply online.

Hong Kong’s leader, Carrie Lam, was vaccinated ahead of the drive on Monday. She was broadcast live receiving her jab, and told media: "I have to assure every Hong Kong citizen that the government is very serious about the safety, efficacy and quality of vaccines."

Currently, Sinovac is the only vaccine candidate available to people in Hong Kong. However, local news website Hong Kong Free Press says that the first shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is expected to arrive on Saturday. , external

Hong Kong will be offering its vaccinations free to all of its 7.4 million residents.

There's been some more reaction to the news that the next to be vaccinated will be those in their 40s, regardless of their occupation or having any health conditions that haven't already prioritised them for a vaccine.

People whose asthma is under control have not been prioritised for the vaccine unless they are formally shielding, regularly take steroid tablets or have ever had an emergency hospital admission.

Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation, said: “The decision not to prioritise all people with asthma, who are not already in group four and six, ignores the evidence that they are more at risk of going to hospital with Covid and more at risk from long Covid.

"There are thousands of people with asthma who will rightly feel anxious, angry and ignored by government."

And the Blood Cancer UK charity said those with blood cancers would feel "let down" that members of their household were not being prioritised.

People with blood cancers are in the clinically extremely vulnerable group and should have been offered their first vaccine by now.

But Gemma Peters, chief executive of Blood Cancer UK said many were anxious about their household members bringing the virus home with them.

"Over the last month, people with blood cancer have made the case for their household members to be prioritised for the vaccine, and many of them will be devastated to learn that this argument has been ignored," she said.

Image source, Getty Images

The streets of London are once again set to be filled with thousands of people taking part in the Pride in London parade.

The event, which usually takes place every summer, was not staged last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The government's recent timetable for easing lockdown restrictions has helped organisers to set a date for the event.

London Pride will return to the capital on 11 September, organisers say.

And organisers of Manchester Pride say they are working on a plan to bring the event back to the city's streets and venues.

Chief executive Mark Fletcher said the government's plan to drop restrictions by 21 June meant an "in-person" event should return in August.

Brighton and Hove Pride has also announced this year's festival will take place in August following its cancellation last year.

Image source, EPA

The Ivory Coast has received its first Covax shipment of vaccines.

The Covax scheme aims to reduce the divide between rich countries and poorer nations unable to buy doses.

The shipment contained 504,000 doses.

"The fight against the pandemic must be done in a democratic manner," Health Minister Eugene Aka Aouele said. "The democratisation of the fight enables our countries to get the right to the vaccines in the same way as the big nations."

Ghana was the first country to receive Covax doses earlier this week.

The programme is planning to deliver about two billion vaccine doses globally by the end of the year.

The doses being sent to lower-income countries such as Ghana are funded by donations. As well as procuring and delivering the vaccines, Covax partners are supporting local authorities in areas such as training people to administer the jabs and helping provide an adequate cold-chain storage and delivery system.

What's hotel quarantine like?

South African Wiehann Meyer, who recently travelled to London, kept a video diary of his experience in hotel quarantine.

Find out how he found it: