Huge strides are being made locally this week - well over 58,000 residents in Rutland and Melton have now received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine - which passes the incredible milestone of three-quarters of adults in our constituency. This is a remarkable achievement, which has only been made possible through the hard work and dedication of the pharmacists, NHS staff and volunteers.

Nationally, we have now vaccinated 3 in 5 adults across the United Kingdom and more than 1 in 10 adults have now been fully vaccinated. Along with the announcement of the Moderna vaccine which were given to patients in the UK for the first time last week. That’s makes this, far and away, the single most important and most successful vaccination campaign in this country’s history. But there are worrying increases in some local authority areas, notably Corby and Leicester which are above the average COVID-19 infection rates compared with the UK average. 

What this amounts to is an improving picture for us nationally and locally, but it is clear that we must remain cautious as we have seen rising cases across Europe. The sacrifices made by the British public and the success of our vaccine programme take use closer to defeating this dreadful virus every day – but the virus is still circulating in our community so please continue to behave responsible and take the vaccine as soon as it is available to us.