Boris Johnson will provide a vaccine rollout update at 5pm - how to watch

Boris Johnson will hold a press briefing on coronavirus this evening.

The Prime Minister is expected to unveil plans for the coronavirus vaccine rollout at the televised event later today.

The briefing will comes as GPs in England start the mass rollout of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine as hospitals across the UK face rising numbers of seriously ill patients.

The jabs are being delivered to sites across the country as the Government commits to offering a vaccine to more than 13 million people in the top four priority groups by mid-February.

What time is today’s press briefing? 

Boris Johnson will address the press at 5pm on Thursday evening.

Who will he be joined by?

Mr Johnson was to be joined by Matt Hancock, but the health secretary will no longer be attending.

The prime minister will instead be joined by Sir Simon Stevens, NHS Chief Executive.

How can I watch?

Boris Johnson's address to the nation will be available to watch live on BBC News.

You can watch online through BBC iPlayer here, while Sky News has a live YouTube stream here.

What’s the current situation in England?

The briefing comes after the UK reported a further 1,041 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Wednesday – the highest daily reported total since April 21.

Record numbers are also currently in hospital with coronavirus, with a further 3,500 admitted in England on Monday January 4.

Boris Johnson, who was given the overwhelming backing of MPs for the latest lockdown, warned that there was now a race between the spread of the virus and the delivery of vaccines to the most vulnerable.