Covid news - live: UK orders 5 million doses of Moderna vaccine as Hancock refuses to promise pay rise for NHS

Follow the the latest developments

Hancock: NHS will have 40 'long-Covid' centres in place by end of month

The UK has bought 5 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine developed by the US-led biotech firm Moderna, hours after the company reported promising results in its ongoing trial. 

The company’s coronavirus vaccine candidate has been shown to be more than 90 per cent effective in preventing disease among infected individuals.

Interim results from Moderna’s ongoing phase three study returned an efficacy rate of 94.5 per cent, which British scientists have hailed as “tremendously exciting” news.

Meanwhile, clinical trials of a new potential coronavirus vaccine developed by Janssen, part of Johnson &Johnson, are set to begin in the UK, with 6,000 volunteers from across the country taking part.

The Scottish Government could place Glasgow and parts of the west of Scotland under the toughest restrictions in an effort to lower the “stable but stubbornly high” prevalence of the virus.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said a “final decision” will be announced on Tuesday. If placed under the highest level of restrictions, these areas would have to close hospitality, non-essential shops and gyms, as well as a ban on all contact between households.

• Moderna coronavirus vaccine is 94% effective, early data suggests - but UK has ordered no doses
• ‘Mega labs’ to open early 2021, doubling government’s testing capacity
• Johnson in quarantine but declares himself fit, working

Key Points

• Moderna vaccine candidate is ‘94.5% effective’, according to interim data
• UK secures 5 million doses of Moderna vaccine
• New UK vaccine trial starts crucial next stage
• Boris Johnson self-isolating after coming into contact with infected MP
• Glasgow and western Scotland to face toughest Covid measures yet, Sturgeon warns
• Five Tory MPs, including Johnson, now self-isolating

[16 November 2020 09:26 · Kate Ng]

PM self-isolating because ‘people can catch it twice’, says Matt Hancock

Boris Johnson is self-isolating, despite having suffered from coronavirus before, because there is insufficient evidence on how likely it is that those who have already had the virus could catch it a second time.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock was asked why Mr Johnson was not considered to have immunity, as he became seriously ill with Covid-19 and had to be hospitalised in the spring.

Mr Hancock told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The answer is because some people do get it again.

“I’ve had it but I follow all of the rules because people can catch it twice.

“We haven’t yet got the rigorous evidence we need on how likely people are to catch it twice, although we are working very hard on that.

“The Prime Minister is following exactly the same rules as every other person in the country,” he added.

[16 November 2020 09:02 · Kate Ng]

Vaccination priority list ‘may need to be modified’

The head of immunisation for Public Health England has said that the Covid-19 vaccination priority list “may need to be modified”.

Dr Mary Ramsey told BBC Breakfast that the NHS has put in place plans to start delivering jabs this year, but it “will depend on having the vaccine supply”.

Interim vaccine guidance set out by government advisers have placed care home residents and staff at the top of the priority list, followed by people over the age of 80, and health and care workers.

Dr Ramsey said: “We are not entirely sure when [the vaccine] is going to arrive. It will depend on the safety checks that are done and the approval process through the independent regulator, the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency).

“But obviously, if something comes up that the vaccine works differently in different age groups, [the priority list] may need to be modified.

“But at the moment, based on first principles, we would start with the oldest and most vulnerable people in the population,” she added.

[16 November 2020 08:43 · Kate Ng]

Specialist ‘long Covid’ clinics to be launched

The NHS will launch more than 40 specialist clinics in England to treat those suffering from the long-term effects of Covid-19.

The condition, dubbed “long Covid”, is thought to affect more than 60,000 people in the UK. Patients report symptoms such as persistent fatigue, brain fog, breathlessness and pain, according to the NHS.

Sir Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said 43 clinics will be set up to bring together NHS staff to assess those experiencing the symptoms.

My colleague Emma Bowden reports:

[16 November 2020 08:30 · Kate Ng]

Govt aims to allow care home visitors to get tested to see loved ones before Christmas

The Health Secretary has said it was the Government’s aim for care home visitors across England to be able to take a Covid-19 test and see their loved ones in care homes before Christmas.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Matt Hancock said he understood “how important” it was for people to have the chance to see their relatives in care homes before the festive period.

“And yes, our goal is to ensure that we have the testing available in every care home by Christmas - to make sure that people can take a test and therefore see their loved ones safely. That is the goal,” he said.

“We’re working closely with the social care sector to try to make that happen.

“We’ve rolled it out in a small number of parts of the country, Devon and Cornwall in the first instance, and then our goal is to have this by Christmas so people can see and be close to their loved ones.”

[16 November 2020 08:15 · Kate Ng]

Boris Johnson self-isolating after coming into contact with infected MP

The prime minister has been told to self-isolate after coming into contact with an MP who tested positive for Covid-19, it emerged on Sunday night.

Boris Johnson was notified by NHS Test and Trace he must self-isolate for at least 11 days to see if he develops symptoms.

He met with a small group of politicians on Thursday morning, including Lee Anderson, MP for Ashfield, who has since tested positive for the virus.

My colleagues Vincent Wood and Jon Stone have the story:

[16 November 2020 08:03 · Kate Ng]

Government’s testing capacity to more than double with ‘mega labs’

The government has announced the opening of two new “mega labs” in early 2021 which it says will more than double the UK’s daily coronavirus testing capacity.

The labs will be able to process up to 600,000 samples a day when operating at full capacity, the Department of Health and Social Care has said.

On Sunday, official figures from the government’s coronavirus dashboard showed capacity was at an estimated 519,951. Of that, 379,955 tests were actually processed.

Read our report:

[16 November 2020 08:00 · Kate Ng]

New UK vaccine trial starts crucial next stage

Global pharmaceutical company Janssen will begin the next stage of vaccine testing today with 6,000 volunteers from across the UK.

The UK will be the first country to run the final-stage trials of the vaccine by Janssen, which is owned by Johnson & Johnson.

Recruitment into the study will complete in March 2021, and researchers are aiming to get people at 17 sites throughout the country, including Southampton, Bristol, Cardiff, London, Leicester, Sheffield, Manchester, Dundee and Belfast.

Find out more below:

[16 November 2020 07:49 · Kate Ng]

Good morning, and welcome to The Independent’s liveblog covering the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic.