a lesson in primate parenting — bonobos have been seen for the first time adopting babies outside their family groups. we'll hear from the scientists behind the research later this afternoon. a number of eu countries have started using the oxford astrazeneca covid vaccine again — after the european medicines agency confirmed it is safe and effective. germany, france, italy and spain are among the countries that halted its use earlier this month, after concerns about blood clots. but with cases and deaths rising now across europe — and millions of people in france being placed under lockdown at midnight tonight — there's been a stark warning from germany's health minister — who said there isn't enough vaccine supply in europe to prevent a third wave. our europe correspondent nick beake reports. paris in the spring, a city where the mood is darkening. the french capital is descending into another lockdown, part of the effort to stop a third wave of the virus taking hold across europe. translation: i would say i am more pessimistic, - but that's just because we don't have an end date. the curfew is the same. we've been living like this for almost two months and it's like it's normal now, when it's not. it's all a bit sad. translation: when is this going to end? - what if next year we haven't found a way out of this? what if next year, we have lockdown number eight? that's what scares me. the rise in cases comes as europe faces a vaccination crisis. france and other big countries are once again using the astrazeneca jab after the eu drugs regulator confirmed its long—held belief that it is safe for use. at a news conference in berlin, the german health minister warned there is not enough of the astrazeneca vaccine in europe to prevent a third wave by itself. he also said a rise in the number of cases could mean not only a delay in reopening the country but that some restrictions may have to be reimposed. back in paris, there are now more people in intensive care beds than during the second wave, last november. doctors warn the system is reaching breaking point. translation: you can always expand, but the elastic is getting _ tighter and tighter. we're not at the breaking point yet but we are coming very close, so, yes, that limit is not far away. and the worsening picture in europe could have an impact on the uk, the government made clear. i think what's going on in europe is a real wake—up call to us and a warning. people that say we could ease restrictions sooner, we just need to look at what's happened in the past, rises in europe have led to rises in the uk. i am hopeful it won't happen this time, not least thanks to the vaccine, but we really do have to stick by the rules to prevent this happening. in a sign of how the fates of nations are intertwined, the uk variant is now the most common strain in poland. it will soon account for 80% of cases. the prime minister said schools and leisure facilities would now have to close and if that didn't work, everything would have to be shut down. this morning, the husband and wife team behind the biontech pfizer vaccine received germany's highest civilian honour. their creation has given hope and has helped to offer a pathway out of the covid nightmare. but in europe at least, the pandemic is taking a worrying turn. i asked nick beake earlier why there seems to be a rise in covid cases in so many european countries. on the one hand, you've got the increase in the number of cases that we were talking aboutjust then in poland, for example, a 30% rise over the past week. we saw the picture in paris and other parts of france. so you've got the number of cases increasing, but also this problem of the shortage of vaccines. this week, the european commission said that the number of vaccines coming from astrazeneca was much fewer than they were hoping for, more than 100 million fewer. so that is a real worry. and then, of course, there's this reluctance we've been hearing about people willing to take the vaccines that are in europe. and one thing that is actually complicating things news from france, jane, in the past half an hour or so, although france is one of many eu countries to now resume the use of the astrazeneca vaccine after the regulator in europe yesterday saying it was absolutely fine to use that the benefits outweigh the risks. we're hearing that in france they're only going to be giving it to the over 55s. now, that is because of a very small part of the finding yesterday, saying that they want to look in more detail, the european regulator at that lower age group. and i think that sort of mixed message is really difficult when it's so vital that there needs to be public confidence in the vaccines we've got to try and take us out of this covid nightmare. here, borisjohnson is to receive his first dose of the oxford—astrazeneca vaccine later today. ministers and health officials are reassuring the public that it is safe, as the rollout continues. and new figures show that last week coronavirus infections continued to fall across england and wales, levelled off in northern ireland, and increased in scotland. here's our health correspondent anna collinson. the message to the more than 11 million people in the uk who have received the oxford astrazeneca vaccine, and the millions more waiting, is clear. from the regulator to the prime minister and scientists. the oxford jab is safe and the pfizerjab is safe. the thing that isn't safe is catching covid. there is no difference that blood clots in veins are occurring more than would be expected in the absence of vaccination. the risk benefit is really strongly in favour of getting vaccinated. l while vaccine confidence in the uk is very high, doctors are concerned some younger patients may be missing appointments because they think they are less at risk of the virus. and despite strong messaging from scientists there are concerns, unfounded fears about blood clots circulating in europe are damaging confidence here. we have had people calling us because they have concerns and they say, i have had a clot before so should i have it? it's taking the time, and you have to talk to them and try and reassure them. this morning, another grim reminder of why the vaccine roll—out is needed. with 89,000 lives lost to coronavirus last year, new data suggest the uk was one of the top ten worst hit countries in europe in 2020. the uk did have one of the highest death rates in the first half of the year but as this graph shows, it has since been overtaken, most notably by poland. but the pandemic is of course ongoing and these figures do not take into account the pressures and loss seen at the start of this year. as we move firmly into spring, the picture is much more hopeful. a survey suggests coronavirus infections have continued to decrease across england and wales, levelled off in northern ireland, although they increased in scotland. the government has insisted a drop in supply would not disrupt the schedule of vaccinating all adults by the summer but scientists warn the pace will reduce. i think the slightly lower amount of astrazeneca vaccine we are hearing about over the coming months will mean the roll—out of the second phase, which is people under the age of 50 without risk factors, will go more slowly and may even be delayed in terms of its start. one of those in line to get their astrazeneca vaccine today is the prime minister. borisjohnson knows the dangers of covid all too well after he was treated in intensive care for the virus last year and will be hoping his jab will encourage others. anna collinson, bbc news. we can speak now to professor martin marshall, chair of the royal college of gps. good afternoon. a couple of points there, we have talked on the last week about the issues and other european countries that concerns about blood clots, i am interested whether you are those you present have had people not even turn up for vaccine appointment or say they do not want one because of that issue. we are hearing isolated stories from gps that there might be a little bit of a drop off and taking up appointments. that does not surprise me greatly, be do not have data that is a major problem at the moment and in my experience as a gp and east london sometimes patients roll say unusual it is safe but they will have turned up and in fact taken off theirjumper and exposed their arm their jumper and exposed their arm ready for the jab theirjumper and exposed their arm ready for the jab when asking the question so they are not very concerned and almost all going ahead and it seems a level of confidence and it seems a level of confidence and the vaccine and the uk is much higher than we had healing and other european countries. we higher than we had healing and other european countries.— european countries. we are talking about the expected _ european countries. we are talking about the expected disruption - european countries. we are talking about the expected disruption to i about the expected disruption to supply the month, how concerned are you about that and the degree to which edible sloth things down? the which edible sloth things down? tue: disruption which edible sloth things down? tte: disruption and supplies is disappointing for people under the age of 50 who are looking forward to getting vaccinated, disappointing to the teams and clinicians and non—commissions around the country who have gained a great deal of momentum and pushing through at a rapid pace. but it is only disappointed, i don't think it is a major setback. over the next two weeks we have good supply, we will continue vaccinating the groups over the age 50, the higher risk people but come april we have enough supply to ensure we give the second dose to the people who receive the first dosein the people who receive the first dose injanuary and february the people who receive the first dose in january and february so the people who receive the first dose injanuary and february so the people who will miss out may be delayed for three or four weeks under the age of 50 who looks like a have to wait until may before they get their vaccines. t have to wait until may before they get their vaccines.— have to wait until may before they get their vaccines. i am interested how it is progressing _ get their vaccines. i am interested how it is progressing the - get their vaccines. i am interested how it is progressing the pace, - get their vaccines. i am interested | how it is progressing the pace, you are in east london, how it is progressing and groups that have been underrepresented, members of communities that had not and the early stages been coming forward for the jab, have improvements been made in that regard? slaw the jab, have improvements been made in that regard?— in that regard? slow uptake and articular in that regard? slow uptake and particular peeple _ in that regard? slow uptake and particular people from - in that regard? slow uptake and particular people from bame . particular people from bame communities was a real worry going back a month or so, the most recent data suggest that is picking up particularly and asian groups who are receiving about 75% of the level of vaccination seen in white communities a month ago, that is up to about 93% that has improved greatly. uptake and black communities as a little less, more of a concern but there are a lot of initiatives going on at a local level to improve uptake by getting into communities and using community leaders and making the vaccine more accessible, addressing concerns that all of those initiatives seem to be bearing fruit which is good news. t5 bearing fruit which is good news. is that even more that central government could be done on as at one of those things that is best tackled at local level? it is people like you, public health officials and the region who know what is going on and who needs to perhaps have a conversation with. tt is have a conversation with. it is both, and _ have a conversation with. it is both. and we _ have a conversation with. it is both, and we must _ have a conversation with. te 3 both, and we must uptake a foot off the pedal because any deduction and uptake amongst groups we know from the data are at higher risk of picking up the virus are being admitted to hospital and of dying, any reduction in uptake is going to be a great concern so we need to keep depression up, need to support people and over communities, address their concerns full on and it seems we are getting the and at national and local level and local action is probably going to be most effective. thank you. latest figures from the ons infection survey suggest that infections have "continued to decrease" across england and wales and have "levelled off" in northern ireland and increased in scotland in the week to 13th march 2021 let's talk to our head of statistics robert cuffe. you might about geographic variation. the level of i this is about one and 330 people have: a virus and the uk according to estimates, you little bit higher in england, a little law and and northern ireland but that ballpark. and the falls are probably driven by wales, portions of england like the south—west and london and flight and the rest of england and northern ireland and slight rises in scotland. one thing that has been to be said as they do not reflect the effect of school openings and england last week because they only grab too much i3th. moscow is on the 8th of march. —— most schools in the 8th of march. —— most schools in the 8th of march. if second the school pupils bring an infection and pass it around and make not sure funny couple of days and not move the numbers some probable another week until we see any effect of that. so perhaps next friday we would reflect on that little or even after. the scientist to have been advising governments say maybe we should calm down about the infection numbers, ease of that because infections don't matter unless they lead to people getting sick and the person who is infected getting sick on spreading extra someone who does. but they are saying we should focus on more and more as people going into hospital, the death rate and the numbers which have been unequivocally positive for a long time, they have been coming down and continue to come down so even though maybe there is a hand of the infection rate for slowing it is not time to get too worried and even fa move up a little bit that is not time to pull the ripcord either. we have been reflecting on europe because france for example people going into lockdown at midnight, a different picture and a what of continental europe and there are figures that tell us how the uk compares to much of the rest of europe in terms of death rate. this is building back to last year, but one thing to say as the infections we are seeing in europe at more risk because that is most vaccination and europe, it is vaccination that breaks the link between infection and serious sickness and the uk is kind of ahead of that so we might be less worried about it but not on the continent. africa back to last year there is another analysis out today which says around june orjuly the uk had probably one of the worst death rates in europe have not the world from coronavirus but by the end of the year that was not long in the case, a number of countries with a new look past the uk, cut like poland or bulgaria that were not hurt at all when the first wave had had a very bad wave and autumn. spain or belgium that one end and are owned not looking great and the summer and have continued to get a bit worse so no one has had a good time, the epidemic has not been good for everyone but that was a very clear pattern that the uk was one of the how to set countries in the world and many other countries have joined that club towards the end of the year and that is a long way to go because that is until the end of 2020 and with the pattern we have been discussing and how that is going to play out to go with the very long story of this epidemic. thank you. the headlines on bbc news... countries in europe resume giving astrazeneca jabs — but the german health minister warns there may not be enough vaccine to stop a coronavirus third wave. borisjohnson will be given the astrazeneca covid jab today — after reassuring the public the vaccine is safe. calls for first minister nicola sturgeon to resign — as reports say msps have concluded the first minister misled the committee investigating the handling of allegations against her predecessor alex salmond. the scottish conservative leader at holyrood, ruth davidson, says nicola sturgeon should resign if she has a "shred of integrity". a majority of the committee investigating the scottish government's handling of harassment claims against alex salmond are understood to have voted last night that ms sturgeon had not given them accurate information. she's insisted she told them the truth. a report about whether the first minister broke the ministerial code is expected within the next week. our political correspondent nick eardley reports. scotland's first minister is facing significant pressure, just weeks ahead of the scottish parliament election. for some time, she's faced claims she's not told the full story about what she knew when about harassment allegations against alex salmond. i solemnly, sincerely and truly declare... now, a committee of msps has concluded she misled them about meetings she had with mr salmond three years ago. by a narrow majority, split along party lines, the committee decided ms sturgeon�*s account to them had not been accurate. the first minister says she stands by her evidence and that some on the committee had made their minds up before she appeared. i do not believe the first minister should resign. i do not believe she has misled parliament and i have absolute confidence in her veracity of what she said in those eight hours of evidence to that committee, in her integrity and in her professionalism. and i am not going to comment on unattributed briefings about a report which has not yet been published. this row between two first ministers is reaching its climax, the most bitter battle between two former allies. alex salmond has said his one—time protege has broken the rules that ministers have to follow. ms sturgeon has said he's peddling false conspiracy theories. but this crisis couldn't come at a worse time for the snp. there's just seven weeks until scotland goes to the polls and opposition parties are claiming ms sturgeon can't be trusted. the parliament was misled by the first minister. now, that is, to me, a clear breach of the ministerial code and i think that, if she had a shred of integrity, nicola sturgeon would be considering her position. she has every opportunity to resign. on a campaign visit, labour's leader said the allegations were serious and could be a resignation matter. if the report suggests that the first minister has misled parliament and potentially breached the ministerial code, then that is incredibly serious. obviously, the focus is very much on the individual, nicola sturgeon, but actually, it's bigger than that, it's about the integrity of the scottish parliament, it's about the integrity of the office of first minister. the full committee report will be published on tuesday. as well as accusing ms sturgeon of misleading msps, it's expected to criticise other parts of the account she gave. and nickjoins us now live. more to come, this is not over, what more could there be when bc the report. as well as concluding that nicola sturgeon misled the committee and her evidence we expect that report will question some of the accounts she has given of meetings she held with alex salmond and also to raise some concerns about why she took so long to record those meetings as official government business. she did not do th