Over-70s and others who are clinically extremely vulnerable will be offered coronavirus vaccines from Monday, the government has announced.

People from the third and fourth priority groups will be invited to get their Covid-19 vaccine, if the vaccination sites have enough supply and capacity.

Prime minister Boris Johnson 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.”

Matt Hancock, West Suffolk MP and health secretary, added: "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 one and two, they can now start opening up the programme to groups three and four.

“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 Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) decided that people aged over 80 along with care home residents and staff and NHS frontline staff, should be the first to receive the vaccine. Then followed by those aged 70 and over and clinically extremely vulnerable people.

However, the guidance from the government and the NHS to local vaccination services remains that they should still offer the vaccine to each of the priority groups in the order set out by the JCVI.