Hertfordshire’s public health chief stressed this week that work is still ongoing to convince some apprehensive groups to take up the Covid vaccine.

During a virtual media briefing last week, Mr McManus appeared happy about the uptake of the vaccine across the county but recognised the roughly 20 per cent of over 16s who have yet to have one dose is higher than other Home Counties.

Around £1.5 million has been spent on pop-up clinics and encouraging harder-to-reach communities to get themselves vaccinated, with more projects planned.

Read more: '70 per cent of my hospital's Covid patients have not been vaccinated'

The public health chief said the vaccination programme had helped restore “normality” to our lives but suggested the work isn’t done yet, especially with Covid still spreading across Hertfordshire.

Watford Observer:

Mr McManus says that less than 1 per cent of Covid patients in hospital in the county are double jabbed - which he indicated was a sign of the vaccine working, otherwise the hospitals would be fuller.

Overall, Mr McManus said it was a “mixed picture in Hertfordshire” because of rising cases and that he and his team were “planning for a difficult winter but hoping for a good winter”.

He stressed that the “best present” people can give themselves and others, is the Covid vaccine.