Covid news – live: EU withdraws controversial plan for vaccine export controls at Irish border

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What you need to know about the coronavirus vaccines

The EU has backed down over its controversial plan to use a Brexit clause to stop Covid vaccines crossing the Irish border amid the ongoing row over jab supplies.

Downing Street had demanded an urgent explanation after the European Commission said it would trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol to ensure all citizens of the bloc have access to jabs and maintain transparency.

However the move was widely condemned across the UK and Ireland - with both Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party describing the move as “totally ill judged” and '"an incredible act of hostility".

The Commission later confirmed that it would not trigger Article 16 but warned that it would consider taking action if attempts were made to circumvent export controls imposed on vaccines produced within the bloc. The dispute began after AstraZeneca announced it would reduce its initial supplies of vaccines to the EU by 60 per cent.

It came as the European Medicines Agency granted authorisation for the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for use in adults throughout the EU on Friday.

Meanwhile, a fourth Covid-19 vaccine could be approved for use in the UK in a matter of weeks after clinical trials showed the Novavax candidate was 89 per cent effective in preventing coronavirus.

The Novavax jab, which will be produced on Teesside, will now be assessed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The UK has secured 60 million doses of the vaccine, which is believed to offer protection against emerging variants, such as the new UK and South African strains.

• Tony Blair calls for world to come together to fight Covid
• EU steps up threat to block vaccine exports to UK by exploring ‘all legal means’ to keep supplies
• Dubai joins ‘red list’ with travel ban from UAE
• Does the new coronavirus strain have the same symptoms as the first?
• The vaccine bust-up between Britain and the EU is a lose-lose situation - but is it a sign of things to come?

Key Points

• EU forced to withdraw Northern Ireland threat in vaccines row
• UK demands urgent explanation over export controls at Irish border
• France closes borders to travellers from outside the EU
• Novavax vaccine 89% effective in preventing Covid, preliminary analysis finds
• Macron labels AstraZeneca jab ‘quasi-ineffective’ on older people – hours before EMA approves it
• Covid infections level off across UK, figures show
• UK bans flights from UAE

[29 January 2021 20:51 · Samuel Osborne]

Downing Street warns EU that as ‘friend and ally’ it should not attempt to disrupt vaccine supplies

Downing Street has warned the EU that "as a friend and ally" it should not attempt to disrupt the UK’s vaccine supplies.

A No 10 spokesman said: "The UK government is urgently seeking an explanation from the European Commission about the statements issued by the EU today and assurances as to its intentions.

"The UK has legally-binding agreements with vaccine suppliers and it would not expect the EU, as a friend and ally, to do anything to disrupt the fulfilment of these contracts.

"The UK government has reiterated the importance of preserving the benefits of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and the commitments that have been made to the two communities."

[29 January 2021 20:44 · Samuel Osborne]

France to close borders to people from outside European Union

France is closing its borders to people arriving from outside the European Union starting Sunday to try to stop the spread of new variants of the coronavirus.

The prime minister, Jean Castex, announced the measure after an emergency government health security meeting at the presidential palace, warning of a "great risk" from the new variants.

All those arriving from other EU countries will be required to produce a negative virus test, he said.

[29 January 2021 20:28 · Samuel Osborne]

UK could invoke part of Northern Ireland Protocol in return

The culture minister, Caroline Dinenage, did not rule out the UK invoking Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol in return after the EU's move over vaccines.

She told BBC Radio 4's Any Questions?: "We're in a race but not against each other and everyone needs to keep our heads at the moment.

"We're very confident in our supplies, we're not expecting any changes to this schedule."

Asked if the UK could also trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol in return, she said: "As I say, Michael Gove says we're very carefully considering our next steps."

[29 January 2021 20:00 · Samuel Osborne]

UK records 1,245 more coronavirus deaths

The UK has recorded another 1,245 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test, bringing the total to 104,371.

[29 January 2021 19:56 · Samuel Osborne]

‘Unconscionable folly’ for EU to escalate vaccine row to triggering Northern Ireland Protocol

The chairman of the Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, Simon Hoare, has said it was "unconscionable folly" for the EU to escalate its vaccines row by triggering an aspect of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Mr Hoare said: "Vaccines from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, which account for 100 per cent of Northern Ireland's coronavirus vaccines, will continue so the public have no reason for fear, but it's unconscionable folly to escalate a contract dispute with a supplier to affect the so recently agreed, and still bedding in, NI Protocol.

"We need calm, stability and level-headedness."

Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland secretary, Brandon Lewis, tweeted: "NI receives its vaccines as part of UK-wide procurement - with over 220,000 vaccines administered to date.

"The govt has contracts with AstraZeneca & others to ensure vaccines are delivered on schedule & guarantee reliable vaccine provision across the whole of the UK."

[29 January 2021 19:17 · Samuel Osborne]

UK ‘carefully considering’ next steps after EU uses Northern Ireland Protocol as part of export controls on vaccines

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has told the EU the UK is "carefully considering" the next steps after the bloc triggered an aspect of the Northern Ireland Protocol as part of its export controls on coronavirus vaccines.

It comes after the EU moved to prevent Northern Ireland from being used as a back door to funnel coronavirus vaccines from the bloc to the rest of the UK.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (CDL) spoke to his counterpart on the UK-EU joint committee on Friday, No 10 said.

In a statement, a spokesman said: "CDL Michael Gove just spoke to European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic to express the UK's concern over a lack of notification from the EU about its actions in relation to the NI protocol.

"CDL said the UK would now be carefully considering next steps."

Stormont’s first minister, Arlene Foster, branded the EU's triggering of Article 16 of Brexit's Northern Ireland Protocol to stop unfettered flow of inoculations from the EU into the region an "incredible act of hostility".

Ms Foster said: "By triggering Article 16 in this manner, the European Union has once again shown it is prepared to use Northern Ireland when it suits their interests but in the most despicable manner - over the provision of a vaccine which is designed to save lives.

"At the first opportunity, the EU has placed a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland over the supply chain of the coronavirus vaccine."

[29 January 2021 18:51 · Samuel Osborne]

Expert blames countries’ poor Covid response for new mutations

Highly transmissible variants from the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Brazil have caused concern among health experts due to the potential impact they could have on coronavirus cases worldwide and the long-awaited vaccine, Danielle Zoellner reports.

Dr Ashish Jha, the dean of Brown University School of Public Health, explained why the world was seeing these variants from countries that poorly controlled the spread of the novel virus from the beginning, and how it could impact the public moving forward.

[29 January 2021 18:22 · Samuel Osborne]

Lifting lockdown in April would lead to another ‘enormous wave’ of infections

Lifting lockdown too early this spring would lead to another “enormous wave" of coronavirus infections, a member of the government’s advisory committee on vaccines has warned, Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports.

Professor Adam Finn cautioned against easing restrictions quickly after everyone in the top four ‘at risk’ groups has received at least one jab. 

[29 January 2021 17:59 · Samuel Osborne]

Isle of Man to emerge from circuit-breaker lockdown next week

The Isle of Man will come out of its circuit-breaker lockdown on Monday, chief minister Howard Quayle has said.

Schools and businesses will reopen with residents no longer asked to stay at home and precautions such as social distancing and face coverings will be a matter of personal choice.

In a public briefing, Mr Quayle said: "Today is the 17th day where we have seen no unexplained community cases. This is a remarkable achievement and a cause of real optimism. It is clear we are heading in the right direction.

"I must thank the great Manx public for making the right decisions even though at times I know it was tough."

The Isle of Man entered its second lockdown on 7 January after a rise in Covid-19 cases.

Border controls restricting travel to the island remain in place.

[29 January 2021 17:39 · Sam Hancock]

Fauci warns variants are a ‘wake up call’ and heralds new vaccine

Speaking about the newer variants of coronavirus which have proved harder for some vaccines to fight, Dr Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on Friday: “This is a wake up call for all of us.

“We will continue to see the evolution of mutants. We will have to be nibble to adjust readily to whatever mutation is happening at the time.”

Danielle Zoellner has more on his comments:

And here’s our earlier report on the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which has proven to be 66 per cent effective in preventing moderate to severe cases of Covid-19: