Coronavirus vaccine offered to people aged 56 and over

Those aged between the ages of 56-59 in England will be encouraged to book a test for the Coronavirus vaccine.

They will be informed of this by a letter being sent to them starting from the 7th of March. This has been encouraged as NHS England said that eight in 10 people aged between 65 to 69 have taken the offer of the vaccine.

Although England still have a while to go until we are given the all-clear, more than 18 million people have already had one dose of the vaccine.

Dr. Nikki Kanani, NHS England national medical director for primary care, said: "The NHS vaccine program is committed to protecting the country against coronavirus, and it is testament to our incredible staff that we can now move on to the next age group."

There has been a decline in the number of cases in the UK, with the most recent figures, reported on Saturday, showing a further 6,040 positive tests.

The number of deaths in the UK has also been decreasing, with a further 158 within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test.

An infectious disease expert said the "next few weeks are going to be crucial" for keeping infection rates down with the full reopening of schools on the 8th of March.

Dr. Mike Tildesley, a member of the government's SPI-M modelling advisory panel, told Times Radio the R number - which shows the rate at which coronavirus is spreading - would rise when children go back to their classrooms, but the continuing progress of vaccinations would cause it to reduce.