Brandon Lewis restates determination to address problems with Northern Ireland protocol – live

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2021/apr/08/uk-covid-live-matt-hancock-astrazeneca-vaccine-safe-all-ages-moderna-pfizer-boris-johnson-coronavirus-latest-updates

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Latest updates: Northern Ireland secretary makes statement following talks with leaders at Stormont

From the BBC’s Chris Mason

In Belfast Brandon Lewis, the Northern Ireland secretary, is holding a press briefing following his talks with leaders at Stormont. This is from Sky’s Stephen Murphy.

And these are from Newsnight’s Lewis Goodall.

Michelle O’Neill, the Sinn Féin deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, has issued a fresh statement condemning the rioting. She said:

Nicola Sturgeon’s comment about how getting the AstraZeneca vaccine might be “one of the least risky things you do in the day” (see 2.12pm) was echoed by Prof Stephen Reicher on the World at One. Reicher, a professor of social psychology at the University of St Andrews and a member of SPI-B, the Scientific Pandemic Insights group on Behaviour, a government advisory body, said:

More than a quarter of people aged 16 to 49 in England have had their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine, PA Media reports. PA says:

The UK has recorded 53 further coronavirus deaths and 3,030 new cases, according to the latest update on the government’s dashboard. Comparing figures for the past seven days with figures for the previous week, deaths are down 32.5% and new cases are down 37.3%.

Hospital admissions are also down 26.1% week on week (although these figures only go up to last Saturday, the last day for which a UK figure is available).

The figures also show that 408,396 people had their second dose of a vaccine yesterday, the second highest ever daily figure for second doses. Another 99,530 people had a first dose. That means, for the first time, second doses were outnumbering first doses by four to one.

A total of 31,812,141 Covid-19 vaccinations took place in England between 8 December and 7 April, according to NHS England data, including first and second doses, which is a rise of 431,203 on the previous day.

As PA Media reports, NHS England said 26,879,123 were the first dose of a vaccine, a rise of 58,962 on the previous day, while 4,933,018 were a second dose, an increase of 372,241.

The Welsh government would train 12,000 staff to work in the NHS, if the Labour party wins May’s Senedd elections, PA Media reports. PA says:

Nicola Sturgeon has announced plans to trial free breakfasts for secondary school pupils as she reiterated a pledge to offer free breakfasts and lunches to all children at primary school, PA Media reports. The SNP leader revealed the free breakfast scheme will be piloted in secondary schools if her party wins the upcoming Holyrood election.

Two new opinion polls suggest strong leads for the SNP ahead of the upcoming Holyrood election, though analysis differs on how this will translate into MSPs for Nicola Sturgeon’s party, PA Media reports. PA says:

The sister of a man who died from a rare blood clot on the brain after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine has urged the public to “keep saving lives” by continuing to receive the jab, my colleague Helen Pidd reports.

Public Health England has published its latest Covid surveillance report (pdf). Here is a summary of the key points from PHE.

Michel Barnier, the former EU Brexit negotiator, has issued a statement on Twitter condemning the violence in Northern Ireland. Given the importance of Northern Ireland in the Brexit talks, he can claim to be an interested party.