Covid vaccinations will start being given to patients from GP surgeries in the West Midlands as part of the next stage of the rollout of the programme.

Image source, Getty Images

GP practices in more than 100 locations will receive their first deliveries of the vaccine later, the NHS said.

Some will start vaccinating on Monday afternoon, with the majority getting under way on Tuesday.

Tens of thousands of people in the UK received the Pfizer-BioNTech jab last week in hospitals.

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BBC Weather

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The latest news, sport, travel and weather across the West Midlands and south Cheshire.

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Hereford racecourse imposes a limit of 1,000 people and visitors must book a time slot for entry.

Coventry fans may have to stay away even if the city is moved to tier two because their temporary Birmingham could remain in tier three.

Many of Birmingham's hospitality businesses have been forced to close since the second lockdown.

Supporters pay for a Molineux message for Raul Jimenez as he recovers from a fractured skull.

Allen Cook
BBC News

We will return on Monday with the latest updates for the West Midlands from 08:00.

Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull are "pointing in the right direction" to be downgraded to tier two of coronavirus lockdown restrictions, West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has said.

The government is due to make a decision next week regarding any changes to the current tier system and Mr Street said at a regional briefing he "hopes the case can be made to move to tier two".

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In Birmingham and the Black Country it was "more difficult to judge," he said, and Birmingham City Council leader Ian Ward added that he expected the city would remain in tier three.

"I don't think it helps anyone to yo-yo between tier two and tier three," he said.

"In January, if we've driven the numbers down enough, I'd feel confident we could move to tier two and stay there until the spring."

Plans are being made for the return of fans to Coventry City home games if tier restrictions are relaxed next week.

Image source, PA Media

The Sky Blues are currently playing their home games at Birmingham City's ground, St Andrew's.

After lockdown, both Coventry and Birmingham were put into tier three, the toughest Covid restrictions, meaning no fans were allowed at outdoor sports matches.

The government had said it will review the tiers on 16 December and Coventry City said they are preparing for a return of fans., external

If allowed under tier rules, 1,000 supporters will be chosen by ballot as a "test event" at St Andrew's before the number is increased to 2,000.

BBC Radio Shropshire

Staff at an under-fire maternity unit are being urged to come forward and speak confidentially to a review looking into the failures at the hospital.

An interim report has been published this week into Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS (SaTH) trust.

It found mothers were sometimes blamed for their babies' deaths and a large number of women died in labour at the unit.

SaTH has pledged to bring in all the actions recommended by the interim report.

The review is being chaired by senior midwife Donna Ockenden who said she wants to hear from medical staff for her final report.

"It is going to be very important for us to hear staff voices alongside family voices," she said.

"We would like to know from them 'did you raise concerns? Was absolutely no-one aware things were going wrong? Did you try or not?"

BBC Midlands Today

More Covid marshals are patrolling in the West Midlands as part of efforts to ensure social distancing rules are followed in towns and city centres.

A team of 24 are working on the streets of Birmingham along with eight more in the city's public parks while Tamworth has appointed two. , external

All the staff are being paid for from government funding for Covid prevention measures.

BBC Radio CWR

The first person to be given the Pfizer Covid vaccine has had a giraffe named after her.

Image source, Whipsnade Zoo

Whipsnade Zoo said , externalthe baby arrived on the same morning as Margaret Keenan, 90, received the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in Coventry this week.

The Bedfordshire zoo said the infant had been named Margaret "in recognition of the poignant moment" and was doing well.

Image source, PA Media

Mobile phone footage showed a car bonnet and windscreen being struck.

The first doses of the Covid-19 Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine have arrived at hospitals in Birmingham today with the first vaccination planned for tomorrow.

Earlier this week, politicians complained to the government that Birmingham was "overlooked" in the initial vaccine roll-out, despite being badly affected by the virus.

Image source, PA Media

However at the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) regional briefing earlier, Metropolitan Mayor Andy Street confirmed doses of the vaccine had arrived in the city and were due to be administered from tomorrow.

It comes after 91-year-old Margaret Keenan became the first person in the world to receive the vaccine on Tuesday at University Hospital in Coventry. Since then, almost 300 people have been vaccinated at the hospital.