Lockdown easing to go ahead, as early data suggests vaccines work against Indian variant

The next step in lifting lockdown restrictions across England, Wales and most of Scotland will go ahead tomorrow as planned, despite concerns about the Indian Covid variant which is now spreading in parts of the country.

Ministers say that early scientific data suggests that vaccines are effective against the strain.

But people are being urged to remain extremely cautious about mixing with others, especially indoors.

More than 20 million people in the UK have now had both doses of a Covid vaccine.