More than 100,000 people have died from coronavirus in the UK since the disease first appeared in the country almost a year ago, in what public health experts have said is a sign of “phenomenal failure of policy and practice”. Boris Johnson has told MPs that he is “concerned” about the new variant of coronavirus circulating in Brazil. (See 3.36pm.) But, in evidence to the Commons liaison committee, he refused to make it clear whether or not he was going to impose a ban on arrivals from Brazil. He told Yvette Cooper, the Labour chair of the home affairs committee, that the government was “taking steps to stop the Brazil variant being imported into this country, as we’ve taken steps to stop the South African variant being imported into this country”. But, when challenged, he was evasive as to whether he meant Brazil would be covered by the rule coming into force on Friday saying all international arrivals into England will have to have had a negative test, or whether the government is planning a Brazil-specific ban. Johnson also told MPs the risk of intensive care units being overwhelmed was “very substantial”. He said: If you ask me when do we think that the ICU capacity is likely to be overtopped, I can’t give you a prediction for that. But all I can say is that the risk is very substantial and we have to keep the pressure off the NHS and the only way to do that is to follow the current lockdown. The government is to roll out 24/7 vaccinations centres, Boris Johnson has confirmed, after days of pressure on ministers to step up the programme further. Shops in Scotland have been ordered to stop non-essential click-and-collect services and alcohol consumption is to be banned outdoors, in a further tightening of lockdown measures. The government has been forced into a U-turn over free school meal provision during lockdown, and it has emerged that its guidance on what should be in food parcels is strikingly similar to images circulating on social media that the prime minister described as “unacceptable”. NHS England has ordered a rapid acceleration of care home vaccinations in response to rising Covid outbreaks in which deaths of residents have risen to levels not seen since May. Second shots of coronavirus vaccine could be delayed even further amid growing evidence that spacing out the doses improves their effectiveness. Hospital admissions in London and south-east England have fallen for the first time after rising steadily throughout December, figures show. The UK coronavirus vaccine rollout is constrained by limited supply of the vaccines, but the government is on track to vaccinate the top four priority groups by 15 February, Matt Hancock has said. That’s all from me for today. But our coverage continues on our global coronavirus live blog.