BRITAIN has now geared-up the vaccine drive by opening gates to over-18s today as the country breached 11,000 coronavirus cases on Friday (18) for the first time since February.

About 1.5 million texts are expected to have gone to people aged 18 to 20 in a single day today, in what the NHS has described as a "watershed moment", inviting them to book their vaccine slots. 

Prime minister Boris Johnson said the speed of the programme is "one of our country's greatest collective achievements". He is set to lift Covid restrictions on July 19 after delaying them by four weeks in the view of rising Delta variant cases. 

While ministers believe a July 19 reopening remains the most likely option, Daily Mail cited a government source saying that lockdown may end two weeks early, if Covid data shows improvement.

“The decision to delay reopening was so finely balanced – probably the most difficult decision of the whole pandemic – that the PM wanted a review point built in so that if things did change we could move sooner,” the source told the media. “No-one wants these restrictions in place for a day longer than necessary.”

Quick look at UK Covid figures

Meanwhile, the country reported 11,007 positive tests, up by 48.9 per cent on last Thursday's figure of 7,393 and the highest daily total since February 19. The hospitalisation is also on the rise as it spiked by 45 per cent in the space of the week, putting the pressure back on some parts of the NHS where the mutant strain is spreading quickest. 

Deaths have more than doubled in a week, with 19 victims today compared to seven last Thursday. The “65 per cent more transmissible” Delta variant, which was first reported in India, now accounts for almost 99 per cent cases in the country. The rise in cases is said to be mostly driven by young people.

Scientific advisers in Wales believe the UK is at the “pre-peak stage of a third wave”, as per Mark Drakeford, adding that Wales may be two to three weeks behind what is happening in England.