THE Government has announced that the over-70s and people who are shielding will begin receiving invitations for coronavirus jabs this week.

More than 3.8 million people have already received the vaccine so far, including over-80s, care home residents and NHS and social care staff.

Now, the programme is being expanded to cover people aged over 70 and those who are shielding, in what the Government is hailing a 'significant milestone' in the fight against Covid.

The Government says it will remain the priority to vaccinate those in the first two groups, but that sites which have enough supply and capacity to vaccinate more people will be allowed to offer jabs to the next two cohorts.

Boris Johnson has pledged to offer vaccinations to the first four priority groups by the middle of next month, while Dominic Raab said on Sunday that all adults would be offered a first dose by September.

It comes as a new mass vaccination centre for Cheshire and Merseyside opened its doors in St Helens today, January 18.

Northwich Guardian:

The Prime Minister said: “Today is a significant milestone in our vaccination programme as we open it up to millions more people who are most at risk from Covid 19.

“We are now delivering the vaccine at a rate of 140 jabs a minute and I want to thank everyone involved in this national effort.

“We have a long way to go and there will doubtless be challenges ahead – but by working together we are making huge progress in our fight against this virus.”

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Now that more than half of all over-80s have had their jab, we can begin vaccinating the next most vulnerable groups.

“Where an area has already reached the vast majority of groups 1-2, they can now start opening up the programme to groups 3-4.

“We are working day and night to make sure everyone who is 70 and over, our health and social care workers and the clinically extremely vulnerable are offered the vaccine by the middle of February and our NHS heroes are making huge strides in making this happen.

“This measure does not mean our focus on getting care homes, healthcare staff and those aged 80 and over vaccinated is wavering – it will remain our utmost priority over the coming weeks to reach the rest of these groups.”

The Totally Wicked Stadium, in St Helens, joins the mass vaccination site at the Etihad Campus, in Manchester, as an option for Cheshire residents getting the jab.

Locally, there are sites in Kingsmead, Winsford, Middlewich and Wilmslow, while Leighton, Macclesfield and the Countess hospitals also have hubs for Covid vaccines.