As-it-happened: PM confirms England lockdown easing delay

And the key developments in the UK:

• Boris Johnson announced a four-week delay in the final easing of coronavirus restrictions in England planned for next Monday
• Citing a rise in infections of the Delta variant, he said the government now intended to lift the existing curbs on 19 July
• The only restriction being removed is on the number of people attending weddings. More than 30 people will be allowed, but social distancing rules will still have to be observed
• Researchers say a headache, sore throat and runny nose are now the most commonly reported symptoms linked to Covid infection in the UK
• A Public Health England study finds the Astra-Zeneca and Pfizer vaccines are "highly effective" in preventing hospital admission with the Delta variant of coronavirus
• The Welsh government says it has now offered all adults a Covid vaccination
• The Isle of Man says the rise in cases in the UK could pose "significant risks" to the planned reopening of its borders on 28 June

We're bringing our live coverage to a close shortly but before we go here is what has been happening around the world:

• US biotech company Novavax has said its Covid vaccine is more than 90% effective including against coronavirus variants
• Thailand's vaccination campaign has hit problems after at least 20 hospitals in the capital, Bangkok, postponed appointments set for this week, citing delays in vaccine deliveries
• The World Health Organization (WHO) has welcomed the G7's pledge to provide 870 million vaccine doses, but says many more are needed and quickly
• South Africa's president has said the country needs "more assistance" as it faces a third wave of coronavirus

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Theatres and cinemas have reacted with disappointment to the confirmation that they will not be able to welcome full capacity audiences back to venues in England on 21 June.

Julian Bird, who heads the Society of London Theatre-UK Theatre industry group, urged the government to provide more financial support to the sector, saying its decision will have "serious implications".

"This delay not only impacts productions and theatres preparing to open in the next few weeks, but also shows currently running socially distanced, which had planned to increase their capacity - and producers making the difficult decision whether to start rehearsals for shows due to open in late July or August," he said.

His call was echoed by the UK Cinema Association, which said in a statement: "While mindful of the rationale behind today’s decision... many of its members will continue to face significant challenges as they look to recover from the enormous financial impacts of Covid".

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Planning on going to a fesival or this summer? Or to see your favourite band?

Covid rules for gigs will now remain in place - and nightclubs will stay shut - until 19 July.

You can go to an event at the moment - but only if organisers limit attendance and ensure social distancing.

One-thousand people inside (4,000 outside) or 50% of a venue’s capacity - whichever is lower - can currently attend a gig in England.

Rules vary across the UK - take a look at our comprehensive guide.

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The rules on weddings and civil partnerships in England are being relaxed from 21 June.

The current limit of 30 people at a ceremony or reception will be lifted.

However, social distancing and face coverings will be needed.

Before you buy your new hat - read our updated explainer.

Shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth tells Radio 5 Live the delay will "come as a massive blow" to business but "we are in this state because Boris Johnson failed to protect our borders".

The borders were "as weak as a sieve" he says and that let the delta variant in to the country.

Labour will support the restrictions "with a heavy heart" he says but we must be clear that the virus is surging because the PM "left the back door open and allowed the variant to wash up on our shores".

Earlier this afternoon, I joined a government briefing call to help understand the detail about what we have just heard in the news conference.

Here are a handful of things that caught my eye - and the reaction they are provoking:

• The Delta variant of the virus that originated in India is 40 to 80% more transmissible than the Alpha, or Kent variant, we were told; if the final stage of unlocking had gone ahead in England next Monday, there was a possibility of hospitalisations reaching the same level as the beginning of the first lockdown in March of last year
• And so the date at which all legal limits on social contact in England will be removed has been pushed back four weeks until 19 July; a move, it's believed, that could save thousands of lives. By then, two thirds of adults will have had two doses of a vaccine. There will be a review of the data on 5 July, but any change then is thought to be unlikely
• From tomorrow, 23 and 24-year-olds in England will be invited for a first jab. People in their 40s will now be offered a second jab eight weeks after their first, rather than 12 weeks later; a move that matches an announcement in Scotland yesterday
• A few rules in England will be relaxed next week - the restrictions placed on how many people can attend a wake or a wedding. From next Monday, there will be no numerical limit as long as people maintain social distancing. The recommendation that a care home resident should self isolate for a fortnight after being outside the home will also be dropped
• Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove spoke to the devolved administrations in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast this afternoon
• This is a decision that leaves some businesses desperately fearful for their future: the date of their reopening, for nightclubs for instance, pushed back; the date at which many hospitality venues can hope to make a profit, postponed
• Some Conservative MPs are angry; a debate and a vote in the Commons is expected later this week. But Labour have just told us they will support the government - and so this delay will happen

Joe Murphy of the Evening Standard asks Sir Patrick if he would be relaxed if infections went back to January levels?

"How high would they have to go before you called the PM and say 'look maybe it is time to slow things down again?'" he asks.

Sir Patrick says: "Realistically if we ever got a very very large wave there would be a very large number of people in hospital but the plan and the vaccination programme is designed precisely to stop that from occurring."

Murphy points out only 36% of Londoners have had second doses of coronavirus vaccine. He asks Prof Whitty how worried he is about this and what he will do to improve the situation?

Prof Whitty says: "On London, let's start with the glass half full, Londoners as in the rest of the UK have shown great enthusiasm for the vaccine. Overall the rates are higher than many countries would really dream of having at this point in time." But he says they are behind other areas by about 10%.

He says: "You are completely right we do need to concentrate... and find the areas with the lowest rates and really push to get them up whatever the reasons are."

He asks the PM if he envisages nightclubs reopening and dispensing with masks and social distancing on what will be hailed the new Freedom Day on 19 July.

The PM replies there are many businesses that need to move beyond social distancing and people are yearning to get back to that so I'm determined to be able to do that by 19 July.

But to achieve an irreversible roadmap you have to be cautious, he says. And that brings the press conference to a close.

Some good news for couples who are about to get married, but with significant caveats.

From 21 June, the limit of 30 at weddings will be lifted.

Technically there’ll be no cap on numbers. However, in practice there will be.

Venues will have to obey social distancing rules, with table service.

Downing Street has also said that there should not be dance floors.

The prime minister acknowledged it will mean that weddings won’t be quite as many hoped, apologising for the disappointment.

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Jim Pickard from the FT asks about summer holidays and the confusion he thinks many people feel about the advice from the government.

The PM says the most important thing is to follow the red, amber, green guidance and there is not much more he can add at this stage.

He then turns to furlough and says the plan was always to make sure it could continue until September.

He says he doesn't think the rules on that will need to be changed based on vaccine efficacy and what he can see now in the data.

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Scientists have advised ministers that a four-week delay to Step 4 would reduce the peak in hospital admissions by between a third and a half.

Teams at Warwick University, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Imperial College London have crunched the numbers.

All anticipate a “significant resurgence” in people needing hospital treatment if Step 4 goes ahead on 21 June.

However, the size of that surge is wracked with uncertainty as there are still questions about the delta variant, vaccines and our behaviour once the rules are relaxed.

As a result, SPI-M, the group of disease modellers that feeds advice into government, says the size of the third wave “ranges from considerably smaller than January 2021 to considerably higher”.

But it anticipates even a short delay would lead to a “significant drop” in the number of Covid patients in hospital as “more people are vaccinated and as the school summer holidays get closer”.

Jason Groves at the Daily Mail asks Prof Whitty if he is as confident as the PM that 19 July will be the end of all restrictions in England.

He asks the PM if he can give a "cast iron guarantee that this will be the last delay" provided no new variants of concern turn up.

He asks if Andrew Lloyd Webber and other in the theatre industry factor into the PM's calculations on the delay.

The PM says everyone is "heartbroken" at the impact on theatres and says he is in talks with Lloyd Webber over his latest production of Cinderella "to try and make it work".

"On the basis of what we can currently see I'm confident 19 July will be a terminal date not a 'not before' date," Johnson says.

Prof Whitty says: "I completely agree with the prime minister's answer and I'm sure Prof Valance would as well."

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Tom Harwood from GB News asks about the plan for booster jabs in the autumn. Can the media see the plan and when will the jabs actually go in to arms?

The PM says we are seeing a surge in infections now and we must be realistic that people will very sadly continue to lose their lives so a booster plan will be set out very soon.

The health secretary will come forward with a plan, he says.

Sir Patrick says the plan at the moment is to get 18-year-olds and over vaccinated with the Pfizer and Moderna jab soon.

The vaccines really are spectacularly effective, he adds.

Carl Dinnen at ITV News asks the PM: "Some of the support in place for business starts to reduce during this four-week delay, why aren't you keeping support and protections in place it at the level they are now?"

He asks Prof Whitty if we did not have this delay what does the modelling say is the worst that could happen to the NHS?

Johnson says "we are not going backwards" and all the support measures are intended to last through to September.

In terms of business rates local authorities have an extra £1bn to cover those who need it.

He says the 21 June was always a not before date and realistically it'll be more like an extra four weeks rather than two.

Prof Whitty says: "Whatever rate we are seeing now would be significantly increased because it would see more mixing of households indoors."

Sir Patrick says: "The four-week delay should reduce the peak, whatever it would be, by something between 30 and 50%... and actually it's not very obvious that you get much more gain from going on any longer than that."

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England’s lockdown rules won’t change as hoped on 21 June, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed.

It means remaining restrictions - affecting things like clubbing, festivals and capacity in pubs and restaurants - will stay in place until at least 19 July.

It also means that the limits on how many people you can have in your home won’t be lifted. That’s six people or two households indoors. Up to 30 can meet outside.

Read our explainer to see what you can and can’t do.

The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg asks if the PM will rule out any further delay to lifting the restrictions after this one.

The PM says at a certain stage we are going to have to learn to live with the virus and manage it as best we can.

The current delay is to try to reduce this current stage he says and bring down the overall levels of deaths.

By 19 July, he says we will have built up a very substantial "wall of immunity" in the population but he has to be honest with people, there could be a new variant that we cannot foresee at this stage.

We will be in a much better position in July to go forward as a country, he says.

Twice-postponed bride Tessa in Bedfordhire asks why testing and vaccination status cannot be used to open up weddings as they are for football matches.

She says she feels like weddings are the bottom of the priority list despite them being significant life events without which some people cannot progress with their lives.

The PM says he is very sorry to hear that her wedding plans have been postponed twice.

Johnson says he hopes it is of practical consolation to her that from 21 June weddings will be able go ahead with more than 30 people providing social distancing is observed.

Andrew in Worthing asks the first question from the public.

Is there a plan to prioritise vaccinating university students he wants to know?

The PM says 23 to 24-year-olds can start coming forward for jabs.

He says the government is going as fast as it can and will look at what it can do to accelerate things.