The vaccine rollout is a real bright spot in the news right now

More than 12 million people in the UK have now had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, which is excellent to hear, writes Chris Stevenson

The government is on track to hit its target of 15 million first vaccinations by 15 February (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

It has sometimes been a struggle to find positive news over the past year as the Covid-19 pandemic has gripped the UK, so I find the vaccination rollout heartening.

The prime minister, Boris Johnson, and his government have quite rightly faced scrutiny – and much criticism – over the handling of a number of aspects of the crisis, from the death toll to the test and trace system and decisions made last year over the opening of areas of the economy and the winter lockdowns.

That is present is our latest collection of letters from readers, but there is also one from John Simpson, who says he has had to reassess his opinion of Nadhim Zahawi in light of the job he is doing over the vaccine rollout. That got me thinking – ministers have tended to get short shrift from many of our readers, but the rollout is worth praising.

More than 12 million people in the UK have now had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, with 550,000 first jabs administered on Saturday. The aim is to give 15 million people in the top four priority groups their first jab by 15 February, and on the current trajectory that number will end up being closer to 16 million. I’m very glad to see the government on track to hit that target.

An increase in testing in the workplace is also good news. Businesses with more than 50 employees will be able to access lateral flow tests, which can produce results relatively quickly. The government also have to make sure that workplaces have provisions to keep people safe. After the debacle over test and trace, it is important that programmes like this are rolled out swiftly and implemented well.

There will no doubt be plenty of other elements of the Covid-19 response that will not run as smoothly and we will be here to hold the government to account – just as you will be sure to let us know how you feel about how things are going.

Yours,

Chris Stevenson

Editor, Voices