Queen and Duke ‘set example’ by getting vaccinated

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh have been vaccinated against the coronavirus as UK hospitalisations reached a record high and infections passed three million.

Doctors have warned that pressure on the health system could get worse in coming weeks amid criticism that the current lockdown measures are not strict enough.

As the nation’s horror death toll passed 80,000, medics warned the full impact of social mixing over the Christmas period was yet to be seen.

The Government has doubled down on its “stay at home” message by launching a new advert, urging everyone in England to “act like you’ve got” coronavirus.

A royal source confirmed the the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were administered injections by a royal household doctor at Windsor Castle.

The pair, both in their 90s, are among the priority groups to be vaccinated in a rollout which aims to see all the most vulnerable receive a jab by mid-February.

The BCC reports the Queen and Duke normally do not reveal their medical details but a spokesperson had said they wanted to ‘set an example’.

Government figures showed a further 1035 people had died of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the UK total to 80,868.

The total number of lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK has reached 3,017,409, after a further 59,937 fresh cases.

Cases were estimated to have been as high as 100,000 per day at the peak of the first wave in April.

But scientists advising the Government estimate there are currently more than 100,000 new infections per day and possibly higher than 150,000, which they believe puts the current number of daily cases at a higher level than ever during the pandemic.

They believe the current lockdown may lead to a plateau of cases of coronavirus across the UK rather than the dramatic cut seen following the March and April lockdown.

Medics have warned things are likely to get worse before they get better for the health service.