Covid-19: UK 'must come down hard' on South Africa variant, and summer optimism

Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Monday evening. We'll have another update for you tomorrow morning.

Mass testing is being rolled out for people in some select postcodes in England to spot cases of the South Africa variant. It comes after 11 cases without any links to previous cases or travel were discovered, prompting fears people may have caught it in the UK. Around 80,000 people in eight postcodes in Surrey, London, Kent, Hertfordshire, Southport and Walsall will be offered tests, with officials going door-to-door. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it was vital that people in those areas minimise contact. He told a No 10 briefing "we need to come down on it hard". There's more about the variant here.

Earlier, Boris Johnson said he was "optimistic" people will be able to get away for a holiday this summer - but warned it depends on certain things going well. Mr Johnson is not expected to set out his plan for lifting lockdown until 22 February. He said "some things have got to go right" for the UK to enjoy holidays - including the success of the vaccine rollout, the level of cases and the spread of new variants. It comes as the boss of Ryanair predicted "a strong return" for European beach holidays this summer.

Vaccines are in the news again today, after the UK put in an order for an extra 40 million doses of a jab from French pharmaceutical company Valneva. It's not expected to be available until later in the year but the government said it will help if people need revaccinating next winter or beyond. It takes the total number of doses secured by the UK up to 407 million - more than enough for the entire population. In other positive vaccine news, the NHS announced that all older residents at eligible care homes in England have now been offered a jab.

There's good news for people living on the Isle of Man - Covid social distancing rules have been scrapped, as the island's 25 day lockdown ended at midnight last night. Healthcare services have returned to normal, schools have reopened, and all shops and pubs have been allowed to welcome customers again. The island is now the only place in the British Isles with no social distancing measures in place - but the border remains closed to non-residents except for key workers and those with a compassionate exemption.

Imagine logging on to a family Zoom catch-up and a goat unexpectedly joins the call. That was the idea of Lancashire farmer Dot McCarthy. For £5, people can hire a goat, who then joins a scheduled meeting with a little help from farm staff. Ms McCarthy, 32, said the response has been "insane" and has helped her keep her staff on full-time. Her goats have now appeared in virtual meetings all over the world, including in the US, Russia, China and Australia.

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You can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page. Meanwhile, why won't vaccinating the vulnerable bring an immediate end to lockdown? Our health correspondent explains why.

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