Huge queues form outside Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium in London

Huge queues formed outside Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium in north London to get vaccinated today as the vaccine programme was opened up to people aged 18 to 20. 

More than 700,000 Covid-19 jabs were booked in one day through the national booking service on Friday which equated to 30,000 an hour or more than eight every second. 

NHS England said this does not include appointments made through local GP-led vaccination services, or people getting jabbed at walk-in centres.

Tottenham was just one of the London football clubs offering a pop-up vaccination centre for young people in the area along with West Ham, Chelsea and Charlton Athletic. 

Everyone aged 18 and over is being urged to arrange a jab if they have not yet had one, as the health service enters the final push to protect the country against the virus.

Public Health England said there has been a 79 per cent rise in one week in cases of the Delta variant, first identified in India, with the increase being driven by younger age groups.

People queue outside a mass vaccination centre for those aged 18 and over at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London

Huge queues formed outside Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium in north London to get vaccinated today as the vaccine programme was opened up to people aged 18 to 20 

The NHS is braced for high demand as anyone in England over the age of 18 can now book a Covid-19 vaccination jab

More than 700,000 Covid-19 jabs were booked in one day through the national booking service on Friday. People queue at an NHS Vaccination Clinic at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium in north London

The NHS is braced for high demand for the jabs as anyone in England over the age of 18 can now book a Covid-19 vaccination jab. Pictured: queues at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium

As people queue at Tottenham’s stadium (pictured), West Ham, Chelsea and Charlton Athletic are also hosting large-scale vaccination pop-up centres for adults aged over the age of 18

Government data up to June 18 showed that of the 73,766,593 jabs given in the UK so far, 42,679,268 were first doses – a rise of 218,636 on the previous day

On Saturday, thousands of jabs were administered after stadiums and football grounds in London were transformed into mass vaccination centres.

Giant jab clinics were set up at the Olympic Stadium, Stamford Bridge, Tottenham Hotspur FC, Charlton Athletic FC, Selhurst Park and Crystal Palace Athletics Centre.

There were also pop up clinics at universities, such as in York and Canterbury.

The bookings surge came at the end of a week which had already seen almost 1.8 million appointments made in just three days, after the NHS vaccination programme opened up to people in their early twenties.

Some 692,299 appointments were made on Tuesday when 23 and 24-year-olds became eligible for a jab, with another 635,478 booked on Wednesday when the programme was extended to those aged 21 and 22.

There were another 456,366 appointments made on Thursday, meaning more than 2.5 million appointments were booked in just four days since booking opened to under 25s on Tuesday.

A Tottenham fan receives a dose of Pfizer BioNTech vaccine at a mass vaccination centre

Pictured: A young woman receives the Covid-19 vaccine at a large pop-up walk-in vaccine clinic taking place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London earlier today

Maisie Ayres, 18, receives a Pfizer Covid vaccine at an NHS Vaccination Clinic at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium in north London

Jia Tian, 40, receives a Pfizer Covid vaccine at an NHS Vaccination Clinic at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium in north London

Anna Solvalag, 18, receives a Pfizer Covid vaccine at an NHS Vaccination Clinic at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium in north London

Humphrey Vocadlo, 20, receives a Pfizer Covid vaccine at an NHS Vaccination Clinic at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium in north London

NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said: ‘This pandemic has been a challenge for everyone but the various restrictions have hit young people particularly hard.

‘That’s why it’s good news that Covid vaccinations are now open to all adults across the country, and already well over three million people in their twenties have now had their first jab.

‘So if you’re 18 and over and haven’t yet had yours, now’s the time. It’s the single easiest way to protect yourself, keep friends and family safe, and hopefully give us all our summer freedoms back.

‘Please encourage your friends and loved ones to do the same, as we’re now in the race to the finish line.

‘The more of us who are vaccinated, the safer we all are, and the sooner freedom can return.’

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: ‘It’s incredible to see the enthusiasm young people are showing for vaccination across the country, and it is a testament to the fantastic work of the team in keeping as many people safe from Covid-19 as possible.

‘If you’ve yet to book your appointment, I urge you not to hesitate in getting your jab and securing this protection for yourself and your loved ones.’

Government data up to June 18 showed that of the 73,766,593 jabs given in the UK so far, 42,679,268 were first doses – a rise of 218,636 on the previous day.

Some 31,087,325 were second doses, an increase of 188,858.