Image source, Reuters

Police have charged a 57-year-old man after a BBC journalist was chased by a group of protesters in Whitehall.

The demonstrators were protesting the extension of England's Covid restrictions for a further four weeks.

A clip, shared on social media, shows them haranguing BBC Newsnight's political editor Nicholas Watt on Monday outside Downing Street.

Martin Hockridge, of Harpenden, will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 29 June.

He is accused under the Public Order Act of using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour with the intention of causing harassment or distress.

The Metropolitan Police says enquiries are ongoing to identify other people involved in the incident.

Chris Ewokor
BBC News, Abuja

Health authorities in Nigeria say they expect to receive nearly four million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine by the end of July.

This will enable to country to proceed with the second phase of its Covid-19 vaccination programme.

Nearly two million people have received their first jabs. And 400,000 of them have now taken their second doses.

Nigeria is expected to exhaust the first batch of the four million doses it received three months ago by the end of June.

Officials of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, who spoke to the BBC, say that the vaccines would come under the Covax program, which aims to ensure equal distribution of among developing countries.

The government says it plans to vaccinate at least 70% of eligible Nigerians between age 18 and above in four phases within two years.

A total of 16 million doses of vaccines will come to Nigeria in batches.

So far the country has recorded 167,000 cases of infection with over 2,000 deaths.

The chairman of the Independent Care Group, which represents care homes in Yorkshire, says "persuasion, rather than coercion or compulsion" is the way to get people vaccinated.

Mike Padgham says he is "disappointed" by the news that vaccinations will become compulsory for staff in care homes for older people in England and that it could put people off the job.

"I do believe people should be vaccinated, every member of staff should take up the vaccine," he tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"But I just think persuasion rather than coercion or compulsion is the way we have to deal with it."

He adds that the government could do more to encourage workers to take it up.

"What I'm worried about is the recruitment crisis already in social care, is that we're frightened that this is going to put more people off coming into social care and that's going to be difficult."

Michelle Roberts
Health editor, BBC News online

Image source, Oxford University

Exactly a year on from the discovery that a cheap steroid drug prevented Covid deaths, researchers say they have found another life-saving therapy.

It is expensive - a potent intravenous infusion of antibodies to neutralise the virus, rather than dampen the body's inflammatory response to it.

Results from the Recovery trial, external suggest it could help one in three of those in hospital with severe Covid.

For every 100 patients treated, experts calculate, it would save six lives.

But only those who have not already made any antibodies of their own to fight the virus should be given the treatment, which costs between £1,000 and £2,000.

Kimberley Featherstone, 37, who received the treatment during the trial, said: "I feel very lucky that the trial was up and running by the time I was taken to hospital with Covid-19 and I was able to receive this ground-breaking treatment."

You can read the full story here.

As we reported earlier, people in England aged 21 and over can now book their vaccine apppointment online, external, or call 119 to do so.

But what about the rest of the UK?

• In Scotland, people aged 30 and over can get their vaccine, external, although in some parts of Glasgow people aged 18 and over can get a first jab
• In Wales, people aged 18 and over can get the vaccine, external
• In Northern Ireland, people aged 18 and over can book online, external or call 0300 200 7813

Got more questions about the jab? Here, health reporter Philippa Roxby takes you through all the key bits of information, including second doses and the types of vaccines available in the UK.

The Daily Telegraph says, external experts are advising the government against ordering the mass rollout of vaccinations for children - until scientists have more data on the risks.

The paper says members of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation are understood to have voiced serious ethical concerns about jabs for children - given they rarely suffer serious illness from Covid-19.

However, the Department for Health and Social Care says no decision has been taken on the matter.

The Metro, meanwhile, splashes on the promise from the NHS England boss that all over-18s in England should be able to book a first Covid vaccine by the end of the week.

Read the full review of today's papers here.

Nick Triggle
Health Correspondent

Low uptake among care home staff was a big concern when the vaccine programme was launched – similar issues are seen with the annual flu jab.

Efforts have been made to convince staff of the need to get vaccinated – there has been advertising campaigns targeting them, webinars held by local health leaders and repeat visits made to homes by vaccination teams.

There are plenty of places where there has been good uptake.

But there are also significant numbers where there are less than 80% of staff who have been vaccinated - the threshold deemed essential to keep the virus out if 90% of residents are also vaccinated.

Those working in the sector say there are a variety of reasons staff have cited – cultural reasons and concerns about safety, one common issue has been (unfounded) worries about its impact on fertility as the workforce is young and predominantly female.

This move raises lots of concerns from individual rights to its potential to force staff out from a sector that is already short of workers.

But the counter argument is that the vulnerabilities of residents and the closed environments they live in require drastic action.

Image source, Getty Images

Covid vaccinations are to become compulsory for staff in care homes for older people in England, the BBC has been told.

Care staff are expected to be given 16 weeks to have the jab - or face being redeployed away from frontline care or losing their jobs.

The move, first reported in the Guardian, external, is expected to be announced by the government in the next few days.

Consultations will begin on a similar rule for other health and care staff.

Care organisations have warned that compulsory vaccinations could cause significant difficulties in a sector that already struggles to recruit enough people.

The government, however, is believed to have considerable concerns about low take-up of the vaccine in some areas, including London.

Read the full story here.

Image source, EPA

The head of Moscow’s main Covid hospital, Denis Protsenko, says more than 200 patients are being admitted every day – a higher rate than in Russia’s first two Covid waves. He’s given an interview in which he’s said vaccination is the only way to stop the pandemic. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has spoken of an explosive growth in infections: on Tuesday alone, Moscow recorded 6,805 new Covid-19 cases while across Russia the number was 14,185.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visits Portugal and Spain today, kicking off a big trip to highlight the EU’s Covid recovery funds. Portugal has submitted plans to receive €16bn (£13.8bn) and Spain €140bn from the €750bn EU fund and Mrs Von der Leyen is due to approve both. The two countries have been badly hit by the pandemic and Spain is set to receive the second biggest package from the rescue fund after Italy.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex leaves seven days of self-isolation today after his wife tested positive last week. He’s had a negative test and will now plunge into an election campaign ahead of a key regional vote on Sunday.

The infection rate continues to fall in Germany, but this morning health authorities say the number of deaths linked to Covid-19 has passed 90,000, with another 137 fatalities reported in the past 24 hours. The seven-day incidence rate is now down to 13.2 cases per 100,000 – last week it was over 20.

Spain has approved vaccinations for children from the age of 12, although health officials say they need to focus on over-40s who have not yet been vaccinated. Over-12s are included in three new groups to be vaccinated – up to the age of 39.

People in England aged 21 and over can now book their Covid vaccines, the health secretary says.

In a tweet, Matt Hancock urged them to book appointments and "help us all get out of the pandemic".

NHS England says around a million text messages will be sent out today inviting people to book their vaccine appointments.

For those of you just waking up, here are the day's main Covid headlines:

• Covid vaccinations are to become compulsory for staff in care homes for older people in England, the BBC has been told
• MPs are going to vote on extending emergency Covid laws in England for another four weeks, amid concern over rising cases
• Researchers say they have found another life-saving therapy to treat coronavirus, which could help one in three of those in hospital with severe Covid
• Arrivals in the Republic of Ireland from Great Britain who have not been vaccinated will have to self-isolate for 10 days under new rules
• The hospitality industry in Scotland is warning of the potential of "another lost summer" as ministers prepare to delay easing coronavirus restrictions
• The number of Americans who have died from Covid-19 has reached 600,012 - the most of any nation - according to data from Johns Hopkins University

Welcome back to our rolling coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.

We'll be bringing you the latest updates from the UK and around the world throughout the day, so stay tuned...