'Early indications' vaccine works on new variants of Covid, Matt Hancock tells MPs

outline its plans for easing lockdown later this month. Schools will be the first to reopen from March 8 at the earliest if the data allows, ministers have said.

Matt James is feeling feelings! The Bachelor admitted he was falling in love with contestant Rachael Kirkconnell on Monday night's episode of the ABC dating show, and shared that with her on their first date. After the fairytale day portion of their one-on-one (during which Rachael went home with a designer wardrobe), Matt and Rachael sat down for dinner.

direct to your inboxMatt Hancock has not ruled out tighter lockdown restrictions following the emergence of a new South Africa strain of coronavirus.Speaking at Monday's Downing Street press conference, the Health Secretary said 'further measures' were always possible, but added a 'very strong set of rules' were already in place.Mr Hancock had earlier said the UK has now identified 105 cases of the South Africa variant, 11 of which have no links to international travel.

direct to your inbox Matt Hancock used the latest Downing Street press conference to "put to bed" a myth circulating about the coronavirus vaccine.

direct to your inboxMatt Hancock has revealed the eight postcode areas where the new South African variant of coronavirus has been found.The Health Secretary told a Downing Street briefing this afternoon that door to door testing would be conducted in areas where the new strain of coronavirus has been identified.He urged residents to stay home and get a test, regardless of whether they have symptoms or not, if they live in an area where the new variant has been found.A total of 105 cases of the

direct to your inboxMatt Hancock today set out why the 'facts on the ground' mean that the coronavirus lockdown will not be lifted anytime soon. The Health Secretary was asked to spell out how, and when, the strict lockdown measures will be eased at a Downing Street press conference on Monday.

coronavirus pandemic. Number 10 said Mr Hancock, who came out of self-isolation at the weekend after being contacted by Track and Trace, will lead the press conference.It is not clear yet who will join him on the podiums.

coronavirus cases being low enough to ease restrictions. In an interview this morning with Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Sky News, he said: "There is early evidence that the lockdown is starting to bring cases down."But we are a long, long, long way from that being low enough because the case rate was incredibly high."You can see the pressure on the NHS you can see it every day.

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direct to your inboxMatt Hancock has been challenged on Good Morning Britain on whether teachers could be 'bumped up' the priority vaccine list.The governments aim is to have offered the top four priority groups - including the clinically extremely vulnerable and care home residents - either the Pfizer or Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine by mid-February.

direct to your inboxThe Health Secretary has 'ruled out' removing childcare or support bubbles in a bid to combat spiralling coronavirus cases.Matt Hancock was speaking at a Downing Street press briefing this evening about efforts to keep the current spike of Covid-19 under control.There had been rumours that Number 10 was considering axing the bubbles to try and further reduce the number of interactions between households.But Mr Hancock said: "I can rule out removing the bubbles that we have in