Matt Hancock says the Delta variant first identified in India now comprises 91% of new Covid cases seen in the UK
His comments came as he defended his handling of the pandemic during four hours of questioning from MPs
He rejects criticism from Dominic Cummings, including that he had lied to the PM about care home testing
Locking down earlier than 23 March last year would have gone against the scientific advice at the time, he says
Hancock says he "bitterly regrets" not overruling scientific guidance the virus could not be spread asymptomatically
And he says he followed clinical advice on patients being released from hospitals to care homes and was told they would be tested
The UK has reported more than 7,000 daily Covid cases for a second day running
The latest government figures also show there were another seven deaths within 28 days of a positive test
The UK's recovery from the pandemic lagged behind other big economies in the first three months of 2021
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has begun answering questions from a committee of MPs over his handling of the pandemic.
Stick with us for all the updates and analysis.
Image source, Jon PhilipsJon Phillips is just one of the hospitality workers finding accommodation is scarce
Hotel worker Jon Phillips has given up trying to rent a home near his job in Cornwall and is now living on his boat.
"My landlord said: 'Look Jon, you're paying me £800 a month for this one bedroom apartment, and I've just found out that I can be charging people on holiday £1,200 a week.'"
He is one of many hospitality workers in British tourist hotspots who are finding accommodation scarce.
It comes as landlords seek to cash in on the UK holiday boom.
Jon moved to Cornwall to take up his job in October 2020, and, after staying in staff accommodation, in January began renting a one-bedroom flat in Newquay for £800 a month.
But at the start of April he had a letter from the agents to tell him his landlord had decided to end the tenancy.
Read more of Jon's story here.
The health secretary is due in front of the joint committee of MPs on Covid at around 09:30 BST.
Matt Hancock will be answering questions from the science and health committees about his handling of the pandemic.
Lucy Webster
BBC News Political Reporter
Image source, PA MediaMatt Hancock has firmly and repeatedly denied claims made by the PM's former top aide, Dominic Cummings, that he lied to Boris Johnson and made a string of mistakes.
The chairs of the joint committee on Covid, Greg Clark and Jeremy Hunt, have written to Mr Cummings , externalto ask for evidence to back up his assertions, before grilling the health secretary later - they have yet to receive a reply.
But with a public inquiry into the pandemic not due until 2022, all eyes will be on Hancock's evidence session.
One of the questions he will be asked is whether he lied about testing in care homes.
This centres around whether people were discharged from hospital to care homes without being tested for Covid, leading to the virus taking hold among vulnerable people.
More than 42,000 care home residents , externalin England and Wales have died of Covid.
Take a look at some of the other questions he is facing here.
Image source, Getty ImagesTravel industry figures have dismissed the latest moves by the US and UK to reopen travel.
A new taskforce will be set up later today to make recommendations on easing restrictions as part of an "Atlantic Charter".
A No 10 statement said the prime minister and US president would "work to relaunch UK-US travel as soon as possible".
But the boss of Virgin Atlantic said the announcement "falls short".
Chief executive Shai Weiss said: "The creation of the Atlantic Taskforce is positive recognition of the importance of the UK-US travel corridor and a first step towards reopening the skies."
But he said the lack of a specific time frame for reopening travel meant airlines, businesses and passengers faced a lack of certainty.
Ahead of the start of the G7 summit in Cornwall, Weiss urged Mr Biden and Mr Johnson to allow trans-Atlantic travel no later than 4 July.
Read more here.
Image source, Getty ImagesDanes will no longer have to use masks as much, but they will need their Covid passes
Denmark is to scrap the use of masks in most public spaces from next Monday, and allow 25,000 fans to watch European Championship matches in the capital, Copenhagen. Under a government agreement, restaurants can stay open until midnight from tomorrow. Masks will still be required on public transport for people who aren’t sitting down.
Moscow’s Covid field hospitals are to reopen after the Russian capital reported the highest number of cases this year. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin says the situation "remains difficult” with a new surge of over 4,000 Covid cases in 24 hours, although he insists no new lockdowns are planned. More than 800 cases were reported on Wednesday in Russia’s second city, St Petersburg, which is hosting seven European Championship matches.
There was anger at the French Tennis Open last night in Paris when 5,000 fans were told they had to go home during Novak Djokovic’s quarter-final tie against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini, because of France’s 23:00 Covid curfew.
The crowd had enjoyed three hours of tennis on the main Philippe-Chatrier court and Djokovic was leading 3-2 in the fourth set. The game resumed at 23:16 local time and Djokovic promptly completed the set and the match.
Portugal has extended its highest state of alert to 27 June but will continue easing Covid restrictions for all areas except Lisbon and three other municipalities. For the rest of the country, remote working is now no longer compulsory and opening hours are back to normal in shops and cafes. Portugal reported no deaths on Wednesday but 890 cases, the highest daily figure for three months.
Cyprus is relaxing Covid restrictions today, allowing nightclubs to reopen for the first time in 15 months. But dancefloors won’t be open – you’ll have to dance around the tables - and bar areas won’t be reopening until 1 July.
The G7 summit features in several of today's newspapers, as world leaders begin to arrive in Cornwall before the official meeting starts on Friday.
The Daily Telegraph reports, external on an aspect of the deal expected to be signed by the president and the prime minister when they meet in Cornwall - the full reopening of transatlantic air travel.
The Telegraph suggests, external that a joint taskforce is to be set up which could give its recommendations next month. The paper believes this offers "the hope of US holidays later this summer being salvaged".
The Daily Mail's front page focuses on the coronavirus lockdown measures which, under the original plan, were due to end in England on 21 June.
Under the headline: "The data's great, now cast off our chains", its leader urges Boris Johnson to stick to his plans.
The Times reports that,, external whether or not restrictions are relaxed later this month, Johnson will lift the 30-person limit on weddings.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock will have the chance to address a number of accusations made about him when he answers questions from MPs looking into the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The session comes after the prime minister’s former chief adviser Dominic Cummings claimed Mr Hancock should have been fired on several occasions for “lying” to the cabinet during the crisis.
Hancock denies the claims and said he has been guided by the science throughout and has worked to protect the NHS and save lives.
Here’s a quick look at some of the main developments this morning:
Welcome to our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
We will be bringing you the latest updates, analysis and explainers throughout the day from the UK and around the world.