Thanks for following our live coverage today. We'll be back tomorrow to bring you more coronavirus updates from the UK and around the world.
Today's live page was brought to you by: Francesca Gillett, Jen Meierhans, Alex Therrien, Joshua Nevett, George Bowden, Sam Tonkin, Chris Clayton and Claire Heald.
Kenya has run out of ICU beds as the country deals with a surge in Covid-19 cases, a doctors' union has said. A recent study found Kenya has about 537 ICU beds and just under 300 ventilators
There have been 123,964,077 global coronavirus cases, according to Johns Hopkins University, with 2,728,117 reported deaths
What happened in the UK today?
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media
It's been another busy day. Here's a recap:
Thousands took to their doorsteps to remember those lost during the pandemic after a minute's silence to commemorate a year since the first lockdown saw UK parliaments stand still
A further 112 people died within 28 days of a positive test, while another 5,379 cases were reported
Some 329,897 people received a first vaccine dose - over 28.3m have now had a jab
More pictures of doorstep candles and buildings lit up
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media
Health care assistant Chellen Chellamboye lights a candle outside the Old House at Home pub in Dormansland, SurreyImage caption: Health care assistant Chellen Chellamboye lights a candle outside the Old House at Home pub in Dormansland, Surrey
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media
Further along the street, residents came out with their candles and dogsImage caption: Further along the street, residents came out with their candles and dogs
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media
Trafalgar Square was among the landmarks lit up on Tuesday eveningImage caption: Trafalgar Square was among the landmarks lit up on Tuesday evening
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media
St Mary's Lighthouse in Northumberland was also illuminatedImage caption: St Mary's Lighthouse in Northumberland was also illuminated
PM says UK got vaccine 'because of capitalism and greed'
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs that the UK had got a successful vaccine quickly because of "capitalism" and "greed".
Sources at the meeting said the PM then very insistently withdrew the comments and it is also understood Mr Johnson spent much of the discussion emphasising the fact that drug giant AstraZeneca is providing the Oxford vaccine at cost.
A Downing Street spokesman declined to comment on a private meeting.
Politicians including Nicola Sturgeon light candles
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and former health secretary Jeremy Hunt are among the public figures who have shared pictures of burning candles tonight.
It's part of the "beacon of remembrance" event which has encouraged people to light candles at their windows and doorsteps to commemorate those who have died from the virus.
Ms Sturgeon shared a photo on Twitter, as did Mr Hunt who addressed the families of the 126,284 people who have died, saying: "Our thoughts and prayers are with you tonight."
Other MPs also lit candles, including Labour shadow cabinet office minister Rachel Reeves who tweeted: "Tonight, I’ve lit a candle to connect with those grieving, and remember those sadly lost in the pandemic."
As landmarks and buildings were illuminated, so too were doorsteps as thousands lit candles to remember those lost during the pandemic.
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Neighbours spoke to each other over a glass of wine in Fulham, west LondonImage caption: Neighbours spoke to each other over a glass of wine in Fulham, west London
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
People had been encouraged to light up their doorsteps on Tuesday eveningImage caption: People had been encouraged to light up their doorsteps on Tuesday evening
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media
Holly Wilson, whose grandmother Ada Wilson passed away during the pandemic, lit a candle at Belfast CathedralImage caption: Holly Wilson, whose grandmother Ada Wilson passed away during the pandemic, lit a candle at Belfast Cathedral
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media
There was a sombre reflection for those lost during the pandemic in Dormansland, SurreyImage caption: There was a sombre reflection for those lost during the pandemic in Dormansland, Surrey
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
A woman lit a candle outside an illuminated Lichfield Cathedral in StaffordshireImage caption: A woman lit a candle outside an illuminated Lichfield Cathedral in Staffordshire
Candle of remembrance on doorstep of No 10
At No 10 Downing Street, a staff member was seen placing a candle on the doorstep for the 20:00 vigil.
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Landmarks across the UK light up in remembrance
As millions remember those who have died as a result of the pandemic in the UK with candles, torches and phones on the doorsteps, buildings across the country have also been lit up in remembrance.
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Sunderland's Northern Spire Bridge looked striking as it was lit up at nightfallImage caption: Sunderland's Northern Spire Bridge looked striking as it was lit up at nightfall
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media
The iconic Kelpies sculpture in Falkirk is also lit upImage caption: The iconic Kelpies sculpture in Falkirk is also lit up
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
In the capital, the London Eye was among the landmarks illuminatedImage caption: In the capital, the London Eye was among the landmarks illuminated
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Meanwhile, the outside of Lichfield Cathedral bore the words "Reflect, Support, Hope". Inside the cathedral, candles were litImage caption: Meanwhile, the outside of Lichfield Cathedral bore the words "Reflect, Support, Hope". Inside the cathedral, candles were lit
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
In Cardiff, the castle in the city centre was lit upImage caption: In Cardiff, the castle in the city centre was lit up
BBCCopyright: BBC
And the clock tower at Cardiff's Roath Park lake was also lit up in yellowImage caption: And the clock tower at Cardiff's Roath Park lake was also lit up in yellow
The moving tributes to those who have died
BBCCopyright: BBC
The focus of today has been looking back on the past year and remembering those who have died with coronavirus.
Earlier, Boris Johnson said there will come a moment where the UK can create a permanent memorial to the dead. But this evening, buildings are being lit up and people will stand on their doorsteps and light up their windows with candles and torchlight.
If you want to read about some of the people we are remembering ahead of tonight's vigil, then we've got a tribute page here.
To see tributes to all of the people who have died would take more than 312 hours. So we have gathered words of remembrance from friends, family and colleagues to remember more than 750 of those who have died.
People to light candles and shine torches from houses at 20:00
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media
Candles have already been lit at places of worship across the country, including Lichfield CathedralImage caption: Candles have already been lit at places of worship across the country, including Lichfield Cathedral
Remembrance events are set to continue in cities across the UK tonight to mark the anniversary of lockdown and commemorate all those who have died with the virus.
This evening people are being encouraged to stand on their doorsteps with candles, torches or light shone from their phones.
It's due to happen at 20:00 - the same time that people used to stand at their doorsteps for the clap for carers - and it's been called a "beacon of remembrance".
Buildings across the UK are also going to be illuminated at nightfall.
London's skyline will turn yellow with landmarks including the London Eye, Trafalgar Square and Wembley Stadium lighting up.
Cardiff Castle and Belfast City Hall will also be lit up, while churches and cathedrals will toll bells, light thousands of candles and offer prayers.
Covid surging 'dangerously' across Brazil
EPACopyright: EPA
Intensive care units in Brazil are struggling to cope with a new influx of patientsImage caption: Intensive care units in Brazil are struggling to cope with a new influx of patients
Coronavirus continues to
surge "dangerously" across Brazil, the World Health
Organization's regional director for the Americas has warned.
Carissa
Etienne urged all Brazilians to adopt
preventative measures to stop the spread of the virus.
"Unfortunately, the dire situation in Brazil is also
affecting neighbouring countries," Etienne, director of the Pan
American Health Organization, said in a briefing.
She
said cases have risen in Venezuela's Bolivar and Amazonas
states, and in border regions of Peru and Bolivia.
It said intensive care units in hospitals were running out of capacity.
Vaccine passports: What are they and will I need one?
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Covid "certificates" could be used to help people return to large gatherings such as sporting events, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has previously said.
But what are they?
In the UK, anyone who has had a jab receives a vaccination card and the details go on their medical records.
Now, the UK is among a number of countries considering whether to introduce other ways of confirming that people have been vaccinated. It's been suggested a passport feature could be added to the existing NHS app.
People could use it to prove they have been vaccinated or recently tested negative.
European officials have announced plans for a "Green Digital Certificate". This would allow anyone vaccinated against Covid, or who has tested negative, or recently recovered from the virus, to travel within the EU.
Officials hope it will be in place before the summer tourist season.
The vaccination programme is going well, but once again we
are being reminded of the threat of a third wave.
Both the prime ministers and his senior advisers made
reference to it.
With restrictions lifting, cases are likely to go up –
although there is hope the change in seasons will help limit those rises.
Over half of adults are vaccinated, but that still leaves
many millions susceptible.
Some will be in the vulnerable groups – either because they
have chosen not to take up the vaccine or because it has not worked.
That means people will still die just as they do from flu
each year.
In a bad winter, there can be more than 20,000 flu deaths.
Modelling suggests with the vaccine rollout and a careful
lifting of restrictions there could be 30,000 Covid deaths by summer 2022.
But the government’s advisers made clear there really is no
other option, saying there is “close to zero chance” of zero Covid for a virus
that spreads so easily, often undetected because so many do not even develop
symptoms.
The challenge now is managing that risk.
Signs of hope in Newcastle - despite the shuttered streets
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
BBC Radio 4 Today presenter Nick Robinson is in Newcastle upon Tyne, where the BBC is hosting Lockdown Live: What Next? - a special programme that marks a year since the first UK lockdown was announced. Here's what he's got to say:
Stay safe the Toon. See you soon! That message above the entrance to the Everyman cinema on Newcastle's historic Grey Street is a reminder of what we're all missing. So too are the posters outside the Theatre Royal: "There will be a short interval."
It is, however, the closed shutters on bars and cafes and restaurants that are really stark reminders. This street in a city that takes pride in its reputation as a party town would normally be filled with people having fun long into the night.
There are signs, however, of a city preparing to open again. Come 12 April, people will be able to eat out and drink outside again, providing they're willing to wrap up warm and huddle beneath an outdoor heater.
Bar Luga's owner Ollie Vaulkhard, a well-known entrepreneur in the city, is preparing to welcome people back on to his outdoor terrace. A third of people are still terrified of Covid, he tells me. A third couldn't care less and a third are persuadable. That, he believes, adds up to plenty of business.
This pandemic has, he says, weeded out good businesses from the bad. He compares it to the meteorite that wiped out the dinosaurs but left others to take over the planet.
England’s chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty was
asked about the one thing he wished he had done differently.
In the early stages of the pandemic, he said that they had
much less of an understanding about how widespread the virus was in Europe - “we
now know the amounts of importation there were from Spain, from France and from
bits of Italy…but at the time we didn’t have that information and that would
almost certainly have led to slightly different approaches to how we did
things.”
Between January and mid-March 2020, the
focus was on quarantine measures on people arriving from Wuhan in China.
But a study subsequently found that the virus was
introduced to the UK "well over a thousand times in early 2020", with
a third of transmission chains brought in from Spain, followed by 29% from
France, neither of which faced any restrictions at the time.
China accounted for just 0.4% of imported cases.
Early in the pandemic, the Sage group of scientists which
advises the government, did not think that blocking international travel was a
feasible option.
At a meeting in February 2020, Sage suggested that
cutting the number of infections entering the UK by half would only delay the
epidemic by five days. It estimated that a 95%
reduction in imported cases, requiring "draconian" travel
restrictions, would have pushed things back by a month.
Analysis: Tone on foreign holidays not hugely optimistic
Jessica Parker
BBC political correspondent
As we inch towards summer many
people want to know whether they can realistically look to head off on
holiday abroad.
Boris Johnson repeated the ministerial mantra that it’s "too
early" to say. However, he also said he hoped to give an update by 5 April - although it’s not clear how significant an announcement that will be.
The
taskforce looking at international travel wasn’t due to report until 12 April.
Either way, the overall tone wasn’t hugely optimistic as the prime minister
also said that things looked “difficult” for the time-being due to rising case
rates in parts of Europe.
Deaths are below the usual levels for March, according to the most-recent weekly UK death registrations.
BBCCopyright: BBC
The number of patients in hospital with coronavirus is continuing to fall, too.
The most recent data showed there were 5,461 Covid patients in hospital, a number not seen since October.
BBCCopyright: BBC
There were 112 new deaths within 28 days of a positive test reported on Tuesday, with 5,379 new cases.
Another 329,897 people received a first vaccine dose.
BBCCopyright: BBC
Watch: 'This country is on the path to reclaiming our freedom'
Video content
Video caption: PM: UK is 'on the path to reclaiming freedom'PM: UK is 'on the path to reclaiming freedom'
Earlier, in his No 10 press conference, Boris Johnson said it was "thanks to all of you that we can continue on our roadmap to freedom".
He repeated the government's pledge to offer a vaccine dose to everyone aged over 50 by the middle of April, and to all adults by the end of July.
"And cautiously but irreversibly, step by step, jab by jab, this country is on the path to reclaiming our freedoms," he said.
What have we learnt?
The prime minister has just finished giving a coronavirus
briefing from Downing Street on the anniversary of the first lockdown. Here’s what was covered:
Boris Johnson started by paying tribute to the "epic of endurance and privation" that the nation has weathered together over the past year
He says the pandemic has been like "fighting in the dark against a callous and
invisible enemy until science helped us to turn the lights on and to gain the
upper hand"
At the right time we will come together as a country to build a fitting and permanent memorial to the ones we’ve lost and to commemorate this whole period, he says
There will most likely be a need for booster jabs in the autumn, Sir Patrick Valance says
And·Prof Chris Whitty agrees that if the virus changes a
lot, there will be a need for re-vaccination
Asked whether foreign travel will be able to go ahead this summer, the PM
says the taskforce will report back on 12 April but he hopes to have more to
tell us by 5 April
"We are seeing distinct signs of a third
wave on the continent," he says but "the UK have very tough measures at our
borders already"
Asked what one thing
they wish they had done differently, Johnson says "that misunderstanding
about the reality of asymptomatic transmission certainly led to real problems
that we then really had to work very, very hard to make up ground"
Prof Valance says he wished they had "much
better data on what was happening"
Prof Whitty says in retrospect we now know about the importation of the virus from Europe
Live Reporting
Claire Heald and Chris Clayton
All times stated are UK
EPACopyright: EPA -
Germany has extended its lockdown for three weeks, imposing an almost complete halt over the Easter holiday in response to a third wave of coronavirus infections
-
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been vaccinated against Covid-19 behind closed doors, partly to encourage other Russians who remain deeply reluctant to get the jab
-
Kenya has run out of ICU beds as the country deals with a surge in Covid-19 cases, a doctors' union has said. A recent study found Kenya has about 537 ICU beds and just under 300 ventilators
-
Some South Africans have been turning to "rage rooms" to help them cope with the stress of the pandemic
-
There have been 123,964,077 global coronavirus cases, according to Johns Hopkins University, with 2,728,117 reported deaths
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media -
Thousands took to their doorsteps to remember those lost during the pandemic after a minute's silence to commemorate a year since the first lockdown saw UK parliaments stand still
-
Boris Johnson said the country has endured a year-long "epic of endurance and privation" since last March
-
A £5,000 fine for anyone in England trying to travel abroad without good reason is due to come into force next week as part of new coronavirus laws
-
Deaths in the UK fell below the five-year average for the first time since the summer
-
Cineworld has announced it will reopen UK cinemas in May, after signing a deal with Warner Bros to show films in theatres before they are streamed
-
And ITV's Kate Garraway has said she has a "fear of the reality" of becoming her husband's primary carer after his months-long battle with Covid
-
A further 112 people died within 28 days of a positive test, while another 5,379 cases were reported
-
Some 329,897 people received a first vaccine dose - over 28.3m have now had a jab
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media Health care assistant Chellen Chellamboye lights a candle outside the Old House at Home pub in Dormansland, SurreyImage caption: Health care assistant Chellen Chellamboye lights a candle outside the Old House at Home pub in Dormansland, Surrey 
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media Further along the street, residents came out with their candles and dogsImage caption: Further along the street, residents came out with their candles and dogs 
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media Trafalgar Square was among the landmarks lit up on Tuesday eveningImage caption: Trafalgar Square was among the landmarks lit up on Tuesday evening 
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media St Mary's Lighthouse in Northumberland was also illuminatedImage caption: St Mary's Lighthouse in Northumberland was also illuminated View more on twitterView more on twitter View more on twitterView more on twitter 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters Neighbours spoke to each other over a glass of wine in Fulham, west LondonImage caption: Neighbours spoke to each other over a glass of wine in Fulham, west London 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters People had been encouraged to light up their doorsteps on Tuesday eveningImage caption: People had been encouraged to light up their doorsteps on Tuesday evening 
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media Holly Wilson, whose grandmother Ada Wilson passed away during the pandemic, lit a candle at Belfast CathedralImage caption: Holly Wilson, whose grandmother Ada Wilson passed away during the pandemic, lit a candle at Belfast Cathedral 
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media There was a sombre reflection for those lost during the pandemic in Dormansland, SurreyImage caption: There was a sombre reflection for those lost during the pandemic in Dormansland, Surrey 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters A woman lit a candle outside an illuminated Lichfield Cathedral in StaffordshireImage caption: A woman lit a candle outside an illuminated Lichfield Cathedral in Staffordshire 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters Sunderland's Northern Spire Bridge looked striking as it was lit up at nightfallImage caption: Sunderland's Northern Spire Bridge looked striking as it was lit up at nightfall 
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media The iconic Kelpies sculpture in Falkirk is also lit upImage caption: The iconic Kelpies sculpture in Falkirk is also lit up 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters In the capital, the London Eye was among the landmarks illuminatedImage caption: In the capital, the London Eye was among the landmarks illuminated 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters Meanwhile, the outside of Lichfield Cathedral bore the words "Reflect, Support, Hope". Inside the cathedral, candles were litImage caption: Meanwhile, the outside of Lichfield Cathedral bore the words "Reflect, Support, Hope". Inside the cathedral, candles were lit 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters In Cardiff, the castle in the city centre was lit upImage caption: In Cardiff, the castle in the city centre was lit up 
BBCCopyright: BBC And the clock tower at Cardiff's Roath Park lake was also lit up in yellowImage caption: And the clock tower at Cardiff's Roath Park lake was also lit up in yellow 
BBCCopyright: BBC 
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media Candles have already been lit at places of worship across the country, including Lichfield CathedralImage caption: Candles have already been lit at places of worship across the country, including Lichfield Cathedral 
EPACopyright: EPA Intensive care units in Brazil are struggling to cope with a new influx of patientsImage caption: Intensive care units in Brazil are struggling to cope with a new influx of patients 
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images 
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images 
BBCCopyright: BBC 
BBCCopyright: BBC 
BBCCopyright: BBC Video caption: PM: UK is 'on the path to reclaiming freedom'PM: UK is 'on the path to reclaiming freedom' -
Boris Johnson started by paying tribute to the "epic of endurance and privation" that the nation has weathered together over the past year
-
He says the pandemic has been like "fighting in the dark against a callous and
invisible enemy until science helped us to turn the lights on and to gain the
upper hand"
-
At the right time we will come together as a country to build a fitting and permanent memorial to the ones we’ve lost and to commemorate this whole period, he says
-
There will most likely be a need for booster jabs in the autumn, Sir Patrick Valance says
-
And·Prof Chris Whitty agrees that if the virus changes a
lot, there will be a need for re-vaccination
-
Asked whether foreign travel will be able to go ahead this summer, the PM
says the taskforce will report back on 12 April but he hopes to have more to
tell us by 5 April
-
"We are seeing distinct signs of a third
wave on the continent," he says but "the UK have very tough measures at our
borders already"
-
Asked what one thing
they wish they had done differently, Johnson says "that misunderstanding
about the reality of asymptomatic transmission certainly led to real problems
that we then really had to work very, very hard to make up ground"
-
Prof Valance says he wished they had "much
better data on what was happening"
-
Prof Whitty says in retrospect we now know about the importation of the virus from Europe
Latest PostThat's it from us
Thanks for following our live coverage today. We'll be back tomorrow to bring you more coronavirus updates from the UK and around the world.
Today's live page was brought to you by: Francesca Gillett, Jen Meierhans, Alex Therrien, Joshua Nevett, George Bowden, Sam Tonkin, Chris Clayton and Claire Heald.
What happened around the world today?
What happened in the UK today?
It's been another busy day. Here's a recap:
More pictures of doorstep candles and buildings lit up
PM says UK got vaccine 'because of capitalism and greed'
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs that the UK had got a successful vaccine quickly because of "capitalism" and "greed".
Sources at the meeting said the PM then very insistently withdrew the comments and it is also understood Mr Johnson spent much of the discussion emphasising the fact that drug giant AstraZeneca is providing the Oxford vaccine at cost.
The comments were first reported by the Sun newspaper.
A Downing Street spokesman declined to comment on a private meeting.
Politicians including Nicola Sturgeon light candles
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and former health secretary Jeremy Hunt are among the public figures who have shared pictures of burning candles tonight.
It's part of the "beacon of remembrance" event which has encouraged people to light candles at their windows and doorsteps to commemorate those who have died from the virus.
Ms Sturgeon shared a photo on Twitter, as did Mr Hunt who addressed the families of the 126,284 people who have died, saying: "Our thoughts and prayers are with you tonight."
Other MPs also lit candles, including Labour shadow cabinet office minister Rachel Reeves who tweeted: "Tonight, I’ve lit a candle to connect with those grieving, and remember those sadly lost in the pandemic."
Candlelight vigils held across the UK
As landmarks and buildings were illuminated, so too were doorsteps as thousands lit candles to remember those lost during the pandemic.
Candle of remembrance on doorstep of No 10
At No 10 Downing Street, a staff member was seen placing a candle on the doorstep for the 20:00 vigil.
Landmarks across the UK light up in remembrance
As millions remember those who have died as a result of the pandemic in the UK with candles, torches and phones on the doorsteps, buildings across the country have also been lit up in remembrance.
The moving tributes to those who have died
The focus of today has been looking back on the past year and remembering those who have died with coronavirus.
Earlier, Boris Johnson said there will come a moment where the UK can create a permanent memorial to the dead. But this evening, buildings are being lit up and people will stand on their doorsteps and light up their windows with candles and torchlight.
If you want to read about some of the people we are remembering ahead of tonight's vigil, then we've got a tribute page here.
To see tributes to all of the people who have died would take more than 312 hours. So we have gathered words of remembrance from friends, family and colleagues to remember more than 750 of those who have died.
People to light candles and shine torches from houses at 20:00
Remembrance events are set to continue in cities across the UK tonight to mark the anniversary of lockdown and commemorate all those who have died with the virus.
This evening people are being encouraged to stand on their doorsteps with candles, torches or light shone from their phones.
It's due to happen at 20:00 - the same time that people used to stand at their doorsteps for the clap for carers - and it's been called a "beacon of remembrance".
Buildings across the UK are also going to be illuminated at nightfall.
London's skyline will turn yellow with landmarks including the London Eye, Trafalgar Square and Wembley Stadium lighting up.
Cardiff Castle and Belfast City Hall will also be lit up, while churches and cathedrals will toll bells, light thousands of candles and offer prayers.
Covid surging 'dangerously' across Brazil
Coronavirus continues to surge "dangerously" across Brazil, the World Health Organization's regional director for the Americas has warned.
Carissa Etienne urged all Brazilians to adopt preventative measures to stop the spread of the virus.
"Unfortunately, the dire situation in Brazil is also affecting neighbouring countries," Etienne, director of the Pan American Health Organization, said in a briefing.
She said cases have risen in Venezuela's Bolivar and Amazonas states, and in border regions of Peru and Bolivia.
Last week, Brazil's leading health institute, Fiocruz, warned of an historic collapse of the country's health service.
It said intensive care units in hospitals were running out of capacity.
Vaccine passports: What are they and will I need one?
Covid "certificates" could be used to help people return to large gatherings such as sporting events, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has previously said.
But what are they?
In the UK, anyone who has had a jab receives a vaccination card and the details go on their medical records.
Now, the UK is among a number of countries considering whether to introduce other ways of confirming that people have been vaccinated. It's been suggested a passport feature could be added to the existing NHS app.
People could use it to prove they have been vaccinated or recently tested negative.
European officials have announced plans for a "Green Digital Certificate". This would allow anyone vaccinated against Covid, or who has tested negative, or recently recovered from the virus, to travel within the EU.
Officials hope it will be in place before the summer tourist season.
However, some EU members have expressed concerns the certificate could be discriminatory. And in the UK, a petition asking the government not to introduce vaccine passports will be considered for a debate by MPs.
Read more
Analysis: No chance of 'zero Covid'
Nick Triggle
Health Correspondent
The vaccination programme is going well, but once again we are being reminded of the threat of a third wave.
Both the prime ministers and his senior advisers made reference to it.
With restrictions lifting, cases are likely to go up – although there is hope the change in seasons will help limit those rises.
Over half of adults are vaccinated, but that still leaves many millions susceptible.
Some will be in the vulnerable groups – either because they have chosen not to take up the vaccine or because it has not worked.
That means people will still die just as they do from flu each year.
In a bad winter, there can be more than 20,000 flu deaths.
Modelling suggests with the vaccine rollout and a careful lifting of restrictions there could be 30,000 Covid deaths by summer 2022.
But the government’s advisers made clear there really is no other option, saying there is “close to zero chance” of zero Covid for a virus that spreads so easily, often undetected because so many do not even develop symptoms.
The challenge now is managing that risk.
Signs of hope in Newcastle - despite the shuttered streets
BBC Radio 4 Today presenter Nick Robinson is in Newcastle upon Tyne, where the BBC is hosting Lockdown Live: What Next? - a special programme that marks a year since the first UK lockdown was announced. Here's what he's got to say:
Stay safe the Toon. See you soon! That message above the entrance to the Everyman cinema on Newcastle's historic Grey Street is a reminder of what we're all missing. So too are the posters outside the Theatre Royal: "There will be a short interval."
It is, however, the closed shutters on bars and cafes and restaurants that are really stark reminders. This street in a city that takes pride in its reputation as a party town would normally be filled with people having fun long into the night.
There are signs, however, of a city preparing to open again. Come 12 April, people will be able to eat out and drink outside again, providing they're willing to wrap up warm and huddle beneath an outdoor heater.
Bar Luga's owner Ollie Vaulkhard, a well-known entrepreneur in the city, is preparing to welcome people back on to his outdoor terrace. A third of people are still terrified of Covid, he tells me. A third couldn't care less and a third are persuadable. That, he believes, adds up to plenty of business.
This pandemic has, he says, weeded out good businesses from the bad. He compares it to the meteorite that wiped out the dinosaurs but left others to take over the planet.
Read the full piece here.
Reality Check
Should the borders have shut earlier?
England’s chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty was asked about the one thing he wished he had done differently.
In the early stages of the pandemic, he said that they had much less of an understanding about how widespread the virus was in Europe - “we now know the amounts of importation there were from Spain, from France and from bits of Italy…but at the time we didn’t have that information and that would almost certainly have led to slightly different approaches to how we did things.”
Between January and mid-March 2020, the focus was on quarantine measures on people arriving from Wuhan in China.
But a study subsequently found that the virus was introduced to the UK "well over a thousand times in early 2020", with a third of transmission chains brought in from Spain, followed by 29% from France, neither of which faced any restrictions at the time.
China accounted for just 0.4% of imported cases.
Early in the pandemic, the Sage group of scientists which advises the government, did not think that blocking international travel was a feasible option.
At a meeting in February 2020, Sage suggested that cutting the number of infections entering the UK by half would only delay the epidemic by five days. It estimated that a 95% reduction in imported cases, requiring "draconian" travel restrictions, would have pushed things back by a month.
Read more here.
Analysis: Tone on foreign holidays not hugely optimistic
Jessica Parker
BBC political correspondent
As we inch towards summer many people want to know whether they can realistically look to head off on holiday abroad.
Boris Johnson repeated the ministerial mantra that it’s "too early" to say. However, he also said he hoped to give an update by 5 April - although it’s not clear how significant an announcement that will be.
The taskforce looking at international travel wasn’t due to report until 12 April.
Either way, the overall tone wasn’t hugely optimistic as the prime minister also said that things looked “difficult” for the time-being due to rising case rates in parts of Europe.
Read more about the new travel rules here.
Charts: Today's key coronavirus data
Deaths are below the usual levels for March, according to the most-recent weekly UK death registrations.
The number of patients in hospital with coronavirus is continuing to fall, too.
The most recent data showed there were 5,461 Covid patients in hospital, a number not seen since October.
There were 112 new deaths within 28 days of a positive test reported on Tuesday, with 5,379 new cases.
Another 329,897 people received a first vaccine dose.
Watch: 'This country is on the path to reclaiming our freedom'
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Earlier, in his No 10 press conference, Boris Johnson said it was "thanks to all of you that we can continue on our roadmap to freedom".
He repeated the government's pledge to offer a vaccine dose to everyone aged over 50 by the middle of April, and to all adults by the end of July.
"And cautiously but irreversibly, step by step, jab by jab, this country is on the path to reclaiming our freedoms," he said.
What have we learnt?
The prime minister has just finished giving a coronavirus briefing from Downing Street on the anniversary of the first lockdown. Here’s what was covered: