Image source, UK government

On the number of people who have received a Covid vaccination, Prof Van-Tam highlights that the peak of a third virus wave was around 24 January - when at that point the UK "didn't really have very many people vaccinated at all".

He says it is epidemiologically true to say that "most of the steady decline that we've seen, the disappearance of our third wave has been down to efforts of the British people in following lockdown".

He says the vaccine has "undoubtedly helped in the later stages", with good evidence showing among other things that the death rate had dropped faster in the older age groups than in the young.

He says it is important to note that the vaccine rollout is the way out of getting out of "trouble" of the same size and magnitude ever again.

Image source, UK government

Turning to a slide showing the number of people in hospital with Covid up to 26 April, Van-Tam says 1,634 people were in hospital with the disease on 26 April.

Looking at the number of deaths of those with Covid, he says "thankfully" deaths have decreased from the first peak, with the most recent seven-day average showing 22 deaths a day related to the Covid.

He says deaths are "still regrettable" but that the UK is in a "very different place" to where it was in those "dark first few weeks of 2021".

Image source, UK government

England's deputy chief medical officer Prof Jonathan Van-Tam is explaining a series of data slides on the coronavirus situation in the UK.

The first slide is on the number of people testing positive for Covid-19 in the UK up to 28 April. Prof Van-Tam says the country is now seeing "very low levels" of the virus, which are comparable to where we were in September last year.

He adds that the UK is seeing a seven-day average of just over 2,000 people testing positive per day.

Van-Tam adds that the UK is probably "at or close to the bottom" in terms of the level of the disease circulating.

Nick Triggle
Health Correspondent

These extra supplies are not about speeding up rollout now - they are an insurance policy ahead of next winter to ensure the UK has enough supplies to offer people a booster jab.

But there is still much to be resolved about such a programme.

Who will get it, whether it will be given at the same time as the flu jab and how many doses will be needed has still to be decided.

But perhaps the biggest question of all is whether the current vaccines will need to be tweaked to tackle the new variants.

These extra Pfizer doses are for the same version of the vaccine that is currently being used – although if a new version of the jab is made the UK could get that.

The deal done for one of the other vaccines on order - CureVac - is specifically aimed at new variants.

But even that may not be needed. Despite all the focus on new variants, there are still plenty of reasons to think the current vaccines will offer good protection.

It is why any booster programme is only likely to be aimed at the most vulnerable.

After announcing the extra 60 million Pfizer doses, Hancock says: "We have a clear route out of this crisis, but this is no time for complacency, it's a time for caution."

He finishes his opening comments by saying: "If like me, you get the call, join me and get the jab."

The health secretary says he's looking forward to getting his jab first thing tomorrow morning, as the vaccine rollout continues.

People aged 42 in England, which includes Hancock, can now book their jab.

"Every vaccination brings us hope," he says.

Image source, UK government

The health secretary says "the evidence is stacking up that the vaccine protects you and your loved ones".

Matt Hancock says uptake of the first dose among the over-50s is "phenomenally" high at over 95%.

He says the UK is making "great progress" in its vaccine rollout.

An extra 60 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine have been secured by the government to help support a booster vaccination programme beginning in the autumn, Health Secretary Matt Hancock says.

Image source, PA Media

Matt Hancock begins by talking about the Covid situation in India, which is seeing soaring infections.

"We've all seen the harrowing pictures of what's happening in India," he says, adding that it "pains each one of us" who has seen the scenes.

He says more medical supplies will be arriving in India from the UK, including large-scale oxygen production equipment donated from Northern Ireland.

He adds that everyone from the UK stands "side-by-side" with the people of India.

The UK government's press conference on coronavirus is now starting, with Health Secretary Matt Hancock making his opening remarks. We will bring you updates here.

Image source, Reuters

We're expecting a Downing Street press conference to start in about five minutes.

It will be led by Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who'll be joined by England's deputy chief medical officer Prof Jonathan Van-Tam and NHS England's Dr Nikki Kanani.

Image source, PA Media

People who have received two doses of a coronavirus vaccine are being told to continue social distancing partly because of British culture, a senior health official has said.

Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at Public Health England, told MPs on the Science and Technology Committee there was a desire for the population to "move as a whole" - in contrast to the US, where those who have been fully vaccinated are allowed to meet indoors without social distancing.

Dr Ramsay said the UK's decision to leave 12 weeks between doses - which she said had saved lives - means the UK has less fully vaccinated people than the US, which is perhaps why they are able to be less cautious.

However, she added: "Our data is now coming through showing that even one dose is very good [against transmission], so I think we can begin to look at those factors and we are looking at those factors.

"I think the other thing is we have a slightly different cultural perspective in this country in that we tend to do everything together.

"We are trying to say that this is about the population as a whole rather than the individuals, those privileged individuals who have had two doses, being somehow able to do things that other people cannot."

Image source, Reuters

A single dose of a coronavirus vaccine can reduce household transmission of Covid-19 by up to half, a study shows.

Those given a first dose of either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines - and who became infected three weeks later - were between 38% and 49% less likely to pass the virus on than unvaccinated people, Public Health England found.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock described the study's results as "terrific news" and urged "everybody to get their vaccines as soon as they are eligible".

In the study, protection against Covid was seen from about 14 days after vaccination, with similar levels of protection regardless of age of cases or contacts, PHE said in a statement.

The study, which has yet to be fully peer-reviewed, included more than 57,000 contacts from 24,000 households in which there was a lab-confirmed coronavirus case that had received a vaccination, compared with nearly one million contacts of unvaccinated cases.

Read more.

Image source, EPA

Spain has said it hopes to open up to overseas travellers from June, as plans for an EU-wide digital certificate go before the European Parliament.

Tourism minister Fernando Valdés said a pilot test would take place in May so that Spain would be ready to receive travellers the following month.

The EU has been working on a digital pass in time for the summer holidays.

It would cover anyone who is either vaccinated against Covid-19, has a negative test or recently recovered.

Overseas leisure travel will be allowed from the UK from 17 May at the earliest, under the government's roadmap for easing lockdown.

Read more.

Another 29 people died in the UK within 28 days of testing positive for the virus bringing the UK total to 127,480, according to the latest government figures., external

A further 2,166 people tested positive.

A further 379,265 people have been given their second dose of the vaccine, bringing the total number of people who've had both doses in the UK to 13,581,076, the figures show.

Almost 34 million people - 33,959,908 - have now had their first jab.

Image source, Reuters

As we mentioned, India's death toll due to Covid has now passed the 200,000 mark and it has seen more cases in the past seven days than any other country in the world.

People have died waiting for beds, oxygen supplies are running low and hospitals are under immense strain from new patients.

The UK has pledged to offer further support and equipment to India in response to the spiralling crisis.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his government continues to "work closely" with its Indian counterparts to "determine what further help they may need".

Foreign Office minister Nigel Adams has told MPs there is "more to come in terms of equipment and support" and highlighted ongoing talks with Indian officials.

He said the first shipment of 200 ventilators and 95 oxygen concentrators arrived in India on Tuesday, with a further 400 concentrators following on Wednesday and Thursday.

Follow the BBC's special day of coverage which includes a man whose wife and unborn child died on the same day.

And read more here about how British Indians are helping family abroad.

While we wait for the press conference to start, here is an update of today’s main coronavirus stories:

• The official coronavirus death toll has surpassed 200,000 in India, but experts believe the actual number may be higher. Government officials say the health system has been overwhelmed by a second wave
• Health officials have welcomed a new study that suggests that a single dose of a Covid vaccine can cut transmission by up to half
• Sainsbury's has slumped to a £261m loss despite bumper food sales during the pandemic. The supermarket said in the past year Covid costs "to help keep our colleagues and customers safe" had been "high"
• The most common side effects of the Covid-19 vaccines are pain or tenderness at the injection site - in other words, a sore arm - a UK study has suggested
• Spain has said it hopes to open up to overseas travellers from June, as plans for an EU-wide digital certificate go before the European Parliament

Welcome to our live coverage of Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s Downing Street press conference.

He will be joined by England's deputy chief medical officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam and NHS England's Dr Nikki Kanani.

It’s due to start at 17:00 BST. We will bring you all the updates here.