UK reaches vaccination milestone
Saturday saw a record number of coronavirus vaccines administered in the UK, with more than half a million people receiving their first dose in one day.
New mass vaccination centres in aberdeen and edinburgh open for the first time today as the Scottish Government continues the roll-out of its plan. In Scotland, 566,629 people have now received the first dose while 7,794 have been given the second.
The figures were released on the day it emerged that 100-yearold charity fundraiser Captain Sir Tom Moore is in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus.
record number of coronavirus vaccines were administered in the UK on Saturday, with more than half a million people receiving their first dose in one day.
In Scotland, 566,629 people have now received the first dose of a Covid vaccine while 7,794 have been given the second.
The news comes as the Scottish Government is set to rollout the second phase of the plan, with new mass vaccination centres in Aberdeen and Edinburgh set to open today. They will have the capacity to inoculate 27,000 people a week.
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed that four fifths of those aged over 80 in England had received their first dose of the vaccine, alongside three quarters of those aged between 75 and 79.
Meanwhile, politicians and celebrities sent their best wishes to NHS fundraiser Captain Sir Tom Moore, who was in hospital last night after testing positive for coronavirus.
Government figures show a record 598,389 first doses were administered in the UK on Saturday, bringing the total number of people to have received their first dose to 8,977,329.
In a video on twitter, mr ha na cock said: "Yesterday, Saturday, 598,000 people received their coronavirus vaccine, and I'm just so grateful to everybody who is involved in making this happen.”
He added: "It's a massive effort and I'm very, very grateful to everybody involved."
Targets have been set of getting the first dose to 15 million people in the top priority groups, including all over-70s, by 15 February.
Based on the latest figures, an average of 401,512 first doses of vaccine would be needed each day for this target to be met.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson was among those to send his well wishes to 100-year-old charity fundraiser Sir Tom, who was taken to Bedford Hospital yesterday.
A statement posted on the veteran's Twitter page said he has been receiving treatment for pneumonia and tested positive for the virus last week.
His family said: "He was at home with us until today when he needed additional help with his breathing. He is being treated in a ward although he is not in ICU."
Mr Johnson tweeted that his thoughts were with Sir Tom and his family, adding: "You've inspired the whole nation, and I know we are all wishing you a full recovery."
Six deaths from coronavirus were recorded in Scotland in the previous 24 hours yesterday. A total of 6,106 people have now died after testing positive for the virus in the previous 28 days.
A further 1,003 positive tests were also recorded, taking the number to 179,685 since the beginning of the pandemic.
The daily test positivity rate is 8.1 per cent, up from the figure of 5.8 per cent from the previous 24 hours.
The new centres in Aberdeen and Edinburgh add to the NHS Louisa Jordan in Glasgow, which has been vaccinating between 1,000 and 5,000 per day since early December and has the capacity to go to 10,000 a day, according to the Scottish Government.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also said last week the government would publish deeper data on vaccinations being carried out in Scotland.
Last month, a row broke out between SNP ministers and Westminster, who claimed figures published were commercially sensitive, prompting their removal from the Scottish Government website.
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said yesterday it was important that historical data about vaccination be published, particularly relating to the supplies available to the Scottish Government. Of the new cases reported yesterday, 291 are in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 176 in Lanarkshire and 121 in Lothian.
There are 1,941 people in hospital confirmed to have the virus, down by 11 in 24 hours, and 143 patients are in intensive care, up by one.
Meanwhile a study has suggested hundreds of doctors from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds (BAME) do not feel fully protected from Covid-19 at work.
Some 72 per cent of BAME respondents said they felt only partly protected, or not protected at all from infection, compared with 60 per cent for white respondents, according to the British Medical Association (BMA).
The results are from a survey of 7,776 doctors and medical students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the BMA Council, said: "We should not have a situation in this country where health and social care workers, BAME or otherwise, are feeling unsafe or at risk from death or disease in their workplace, especially in the NHS where that work is to save the lives of others.
"It is untenable that a year into his pandemic we are seeing results like this."
The BMA survey also found that fewer than half (46 per cent) of BAME respondents said their employers had assess ed their level of risk from the virus and felt confident the necessary safety adjustments had been made to their role.
The findings show 14 per cent of BAME respondents said they had not been assessed and thought adjustments are needed, while 15 per cent said they had been assessed but their safety measures needed updating.
More than half (55 per cent) of white respondents indicated they had been properly risk assessed, with just 7 per cent saying their adjustments needed refreshed.