Summary

  • Test and Trace figures show positive tests in England are down by 34% in a week

  • Surge testing for the South African Covid variant is taking place in six London boroughs in a bid to halt its spread

  • Surge testing is also being carried out in parts of Smethwick in the West Midlands

  • Around 4.7 million people were waiting for routine operations and procedures in England in February - the highest since 2007, NHS England figures show

  • Nearly 388,000 were waiting more than a year for non-urgent surgery compared with just 1,600 before the pandemic

  • Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised to give the NHS "all the funding that it needs" to tackle the backlog

  • Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she was "glad" she received the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine

  • More than 200,000 new daily cases have been confirmed in India as the virus spreads

Live Reporting

Edited by Emma Harrison and Vanessa Barford

  1. 82% of positive rapid tests 'were correct'

    Jim Reed
    Health reporter, BBC News

    A woman taking a swab testGetty Images

    Most positive rapid coronavirus tests taken since 8 March appear to have returned a correct result, according to data seen by the BBC.

    Analysis of data from Public Health England shows 82% sent off for a confirmatory PCR test returned the same positive result.

    All secondary school pupils in England have been asked to carry out two tests a week since schools reopened.

    There had been concerns that many would have to self-isolate needlessly.

    But this data suggests these fears may be unfounded.

    Read more here

  2. Good morning and welcome

    Welcome to our daily live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic in the UK and around the globe.

    We’ll bring you the latest updates throughout the day.

    Here are the main headlines this morning:

    • Surge testing for coronavirus is taking place in four London boroughs - Wandsworth, Lambeth and some parts of Southwark and Barnet - after cases of the South African variant were found
    • Most positive rapid coronavirus tests taken since 8 March seem to have given a correct result, according to data seen by the BBC
    • Introducing Covid status certificates to help reopen society risks discriminating against some groups, the UK equality watchdog has warned. The Equality and Human Rights Commission says certificates to prove who is vaccinated could create a "two-tier society whereby only certain groups are able to fully enjoy their rights"
    • More than 32.3 million people in the UK have now had their first vaccine dose, and more than 8.1 million have had their second, according to the latest government figures