“This is not the time for the slightest relaxation of resolve,” the prime minister warned today, as he announced new steps to stop any new strains of the virus entering the country.

Health chiefs warned that the number of Covid cases is still “extremely high”, but thanks to the latest lockdown, there are signs that infections at least are levelling off.

In the latest 24 hour figures, there have been another 55,761 new cases across the UK and 1,280 deaths have sadly been recorded, which takes the total number of deaths to 87,295.

But yesterday, 317,000 people got their first dose of the vaccine in a single day, putting the government on track to exceed its goal of two million a week. It also means that yesterday the UK vaccinated in one day only slightly fewer people than France has vaccinated since its programme began on December 27.

Johnson announces strict border controls from Monday