UK Covid: 'too early' to decide to ease measures in March, says Hancock; Oxford jab 'protects against UK variant' – as it happened
Health secretary says NHS still under pressure; Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine as effective against UK variant as original virus, research suggests. This live blog has now closed - please follow the global coronavirus live blog for updates
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5.22pm GMT
Here the latest developments at a glance:
5.05pm GMT
The government's top scientific advisers warned last month that a complete, pre-emptive closure of borders" was needed to fully prevent new coronavirus strains being imported into the UK.
PA reports:
Minutes from a meeting of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) held on 21 January revealed that the experts said the only other method of stopping any variants arriving was for all travellers to be quarantined in designated facilities.
Prime minister Boris Johnson announced six days later that only people arriving from countries on a red list" will be required to self-isolate in a hotel for 10 days.