Prime Minister Boris Johnson will hold a Downing Street press conference at 5pm today.

NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens will join Mr Johnson. 

It comes as GPs in England are to begin the mass rollout of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine as hospitals across the UK face rising numbers of seriously ill patients.

The vaccines are being delivered to sites across the country as the Government commits to offering a vaccine to more than 13 million people in the top four priority groups by mid-February.

As of January 4, there were 30,451 people in UK hospitals with coronavirus, much higher than the April 12 peak of 21,684.

On Monday night, Mr Johnson announced a third national lockdown for England as coronavirus cases soar. 

Yesterday, four Dorset and New Forest MPs voted against the latest coronavirus measures.

Poole MP Sir Robert Syms, South Dorset MP Richard Drax and New Forest West MP Sir Desmond Swayne voted against the new Covid regulations following a debate in the House of Commons on Wednesday, January 6.

More follows.