THERE were an additional 279 positive Covid cases in the North East and North Yorkshire.

In other coronavirus related news:

  • A further 35 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths reported in hospitals to 85,765, NHS England said on Sunday. Patients were aged between 37 and 98 and all except two, aged 37 and 88, had known underlying health conditions. The deaths were between May 18 and March 20. There were 20 other deaths reported with no positive Covid-19 test result.
  • A record 756,873 Covid jabs were recorded in England on Saturday at the end of a week which saw the highest number of doses delivered since the vaccination programme began, NHS England said. The record 756,873 Covid jabs given in England on Saturday included 686,424 first doses, NHS England said. Dr Emily Lawson, NHS England’s chief commercial officer and senior responsible officer for vaccine rollout, said: “It is remarkable that because of the sustained hard work of NHS staff and all those involved in delivering jabs up and down the country, the vaccination programme has once again topped its own success with its busiest week to date. I could not be more proud of all those involved who have helped us to achieve this latest milestone. This week we moved on to offering vaccines to those aged 50 and above, and we are making great progress so we urge anyone in this group to make use of the huge range of sites you can book in to across the country and get your jab.” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Yesterday was a record-breaking day for the vaccine rollout, with 873,784 people receiving a jab. A huge thank you to everyone involved and please come forward to get your jab when you are invited to do so.”
  • NHS England data shows a total of 3,040,250 jabs were given to people in London between December 8 and March 20, including 2,830,964 first doses and 209,286 second doses. This compares with 4,593,106 first doses and 266,422 second doses given to people in the Midlands, a total of 4,859,528.
  • The breakdown for the other regions is:
    – East of England – 2,802,771 first doses and 171,370 second doses, making 2,974,141 in total
    – North East and Yorkshire – 3,667,743 first and 285,797 second doses (3,953,540)
    – North West – 3,008,425 first and 195,861 second doses (3,204,286)
    – South East – 3,876,901 first and 268,798 second doses (4,145,699)
    – South West – 2,675,817 first and 186,059 second doses (2,861,876).
  • Public Health Wales said a total of 1,258,769 first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine had now been given in Wales, an increase of 26,939 from the previous day. The agency said 338,959 second doses had also been given, an increase of 9,429.
  • There have been a further 196 cases of coronavirus in Wales, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 207,842. Public Health Wales reported six further deaths, taking the total in the country since the start of the pandemic to 5,488.
  • Vaccine supply issues could result in the UK’s vaccination programme being “delayed slightly”, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has said. However, Professor Jeremy Brown said due to the vaccination programme being “ahead of schedule” it will likely only fall back to the original timetable. He told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme: “It does look like we have been making a vaccine programme that is doing almost five million a week, which would be a fantastic result if we could maintain that. But it has always been the supply of vaccine that has been the concern that might delay things, and, yes, I suspect our vaccine programme will be delayed slightly compared to where we thought it might have been a few weeks ago. But then we are then ahead of schedule, so we are probably going to fall back to the original schedule and end up with everyone who is an adult being offered a vaccine by towards the middle to end of the summer.”
  • Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has defended the Government’s plans to extend coronavirus lockdown powers in England for another six months in a Commons vote this week. Mr Wallace told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme: “The final mile is the most important thing for us all, make sure we buckle down, get through the different stages the Prime Minister set out. At each stage we will be taking assessments from the science, from where we are in the pandemic, and take the steps required. It is not a one-way street. Just because we are seeking to extend the powers doesn’t mean we are deaf to how facts change on the ground.”
  • People who received the Pfizer vaccine for their first dose should get the same for their second, professor Jeremy Brown has said. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation member told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme: “I’m not an expert on supply, but everyone who got the Pfizer the first time will get the Pfizer the second time, and AstraZeneca (will be) the same. The supply has been matched to allow that to happen, so that should happen.”
  • A “very large number” of at-risk people could develop a “serious” Covid-19 infection if restrictions are lifted now, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has said. Professor Jeremy Brown said between 90% and 95% of people who are at high risk have been vaccinated, but mostly with one dose, which does not provide full protection. He told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “Until we have done the second dose and everyone has been vaccinated, there is a little degree of infection that still occurs. If you completely lift all restrictions there will be a wave of infections across the country and those who are not protected, either because the first vaccine hasn’t worked very well in them and they need their second dose, or because they have not had a vaccine at this point in time but are still vulnerable, they will get infections and they will end up in hospital and die. So, if you lift restrictions, even though most people who are at risk have been vaccinated, the proportion who have not still represent a very large number of people who could end up with serious infection.”