Britain on Sunday passed the milestone of vaccinating 20 million adults with two doses of the coronavirus vaccine, just a day before restrictions are lifted across most of the country.
Government statistics showed 20,103,658 million have received their two vaccine doses, or 38.2 per cent of the adult population.
And 36,573,354, or 69.4 per cent of the adult population, have received a first dose since the start of the UK's campaign on December 8.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the vaccine programme had made "extraordinary strides" in reaching the 20-million mark.
"Receiving a second dose is vital to ensure you have the ultimate protection from this deadly virus," Mr Hancock said.
He encouraged people to book their inoculation as soon as it was offered.
Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said the development was "another incredible milestone".
"It is inspiring to see the incredible public response to our call to arms to get the inoculation," Mr Zahawi said.
"We have one the highest vaccine uptake rates in the world but our work is not done yet."
Britain, one of the first countries in the world to begin a mass Covid-19 vaccine campaign, chose to delay giving the second vaccine dose until 12 weeks after the first, instead of four weeks as was done in clinical trials.
On Monday, most of the UK will take a major step in reopening the economy, with restaurants and bars opening indoors and entertainment venues such as sports stadiums and cinemas reopening with some restrictions.
But the unlocking has coincided with the arrival of a more transmissible coronavirus variant from India.
To counter the new strain, the government said it would accelerate the introduction of second vaccines doses to over-50s and the clinically vulnerable, cutting the interval from the first inoculation to eight weeks.
Data from Public Health England shows the vaccines are already having a significant impact, saving more than 11,700 lives and preventing 33,000 hospital admissions in England by the end of April.
The government has said its goal is to give a first dose to all adults by the end of July.
More on coronavirus
UAE launches Covid-19 vaccination drive for refugees in Iraq and Jordan
India records fewer new Covid-19 cases, but daily death toll still above 4,000
Saudi Arabia says ‘no quarantine for vaccinated travellers’
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
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Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
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Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Scores:
Day 4
England 290 & 346
Sri Lanka 336 & 226-7 (target 301)
Sri Lanka require another 75 runs with three wickets remaining
