ondon’s over-70s may have to wait longer for their Covid-19 jab because of the slow start made in the capital to the vaccinations rollout, it was revealed today.

The Government announced on Sunday that jabs will be offered to nearly five million over 70s and clinically “extremely vulnerable” people from this week.

But, on Monday morning, Nadhim Zahawi, the Vaccine Deployment Minister, clarified that letters to over-70s and clinically vulnerable people would only begin in areas where “the majority of the over-80s” have been successfully vaccinated.

That appeared to exclude London, where only 29.5 per cent of over-80s had been treated according to the first regional statistics published last week. By contrast the North East and Yorkshire had hit 44 per cent, and the North West was at 36 per cent.  

Asked on Sky News to confirm that letters would only go out in places that had vaccinated over half of their over-80s, Mr Zahawi said: “Correct. Absolutely right.” 

He said some “amazing” areas had vaccinated 90 per cent of over-80s, while Darlington had completed all their care homes residents. Other areas would get more vaccine supplies and more help “to make sure that they're able to vaccinate the majority of the over-80s and finish their care homes, and then move to the over-70s as well”. By