The vaccines minister has hailed the jab programme as a massive success, as three in five adults across the UK have now received both doses.

Nadhim Zahawi said the Government had been right to delay the lifting of all Covid restrictions by a month to allow more people to be fully vaccinated.

Dereham Times: Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said the Government had been right to delay the lifting of all Covid restrictions.Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said the Government had been right to delay the lifting of all Covid restrictions. (Image: Getty Images)

At a Downing Street press conference, Mr Zahawi said: "Our mission is now to get as many people protected as we can and to protect them as quickly as we can.

"Last week we took the difficult but I think essential decision to pause Step 4 in our road map for four weeks with a review of the data after two weeks - and we will absolutely have that review and share the data with the nation.

"We're going to use these four weeks to give our NHS that bit more time so we can get those remaining jabs in arms of those who really do need them."

Dereham Times: Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said the Government had been right to delay the lifting of all Covid restrictions to allow more people to be fully vaccinated.Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said the Government had been right to delay the lifting of all Covid restrictions to allow more people to be fully vaccinated. (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

He said there had been more than two million people aged over 50 in England who had been given a first dose but not a second. But, in the past two weeks, that figure had been brought down to 900,000.

This comes as the latest figures show that 16,000 more people have tested positive for the virus - the highest reported daily toll since February 6.

The government also said a further 19 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Wednesday, bringing the UK total to 128,027.

Separate figures published by the Office for National Statistics show there have been 153,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

But locally - as of June 18 - Norfolk's rate is 17 per 100,000 people, slightly down on the previous week and it compares with a national average of 98.4.

The area with the highest rate in Norfolk is Norwich with 22.8 per 100,000 and the lowest is Great Yarmouth with 5.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “The vaccination team have been working incredibly hard to provide people with much-needed protection from this life-threatening disease.

Dereham Times: Health Secretary Matt Hancock.Health Secretary Matt Hancock. (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

“With more and more evidence emerging on just how effective two doses of our vaccines are in protecting against the Delta variant, it’s a great to see three in five adults have been double jabbed, so we’re well on our way to the whole country getting the fullest possible protection.

“We’re so close now to ensuring the entire adult population is protected – now everyone aged 18 and above can make an appointment, so make sure you book in for your first and second doses as soon as possible.”