MORE than 1.3 million people in the UK have received the vaccine for Covid-19, the Prime Minister has said.

Boris Johnson has said that 1.3 million people in the UK - including 1.1 million in England - have received the coronavirus vaccine as of yesterday evening..

Mr Johnson told a No 10 press conference the figures includes 650,000 people over the age of 80, 23 per cent of all the over 80s in England.

He said: “That means nearly one-in-four of the most vulnerable groups will have in two to three weeks a significant degree of immunity.

“That is why I believe the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation was right to draw up a programme saving the most lives the fastest.”

In London an estimated one in 30 people in private households had Covid-19 between December 27 and January 2, the ONS said.

The figure for south-east England, eastern England and north-west England is estimated to be one in 45. For south-west England the estimate is one in 135.

The figures are from the latest update of the ONS Covid-19 infection survey.

Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer, said that one in 50 people being estimated to have Covid-19 across the UK is “really quite a large number indeed”.

England’s chief medical officer told the Downing Street press conference, citing ONS estimates, said that the second lockdown brought down rates.

He added: “But then we had the problems with the new variant and the worst period of winter combining to lead to a significant increase since that time.

“And we’re now into a situation where, across the country as a whole, roughly one in 50 people have got the virus. One in 50 is really quite a large number indeed.”

The government’s aim is to offer a first vaccine dose to all care home residents, over-70s, frontline health and social care workers, and those extremely vulnerable by mid-February. Prof Whitty said the timetable was “realistic but not easy”.