Basingstoke, England (CNN)Last May, Steve Bates' phone rang. The UK was in the midst of its first national lockdown -- there was a stay-at-home order, schools and most shops were closed, and experts were warning that a vaccine could still be years out. At the other end of the line was an old friend, , a pharmaceutical investor who had just agreed to lead the UK's Vaccine Taskforce, a team of private sector experts assembled to secure vaccine doses for the British public. She wanted him to join."She wanted my contacts. She knew that I knew everybody in the industry," Bates, a lobbyist who...…Basingstoke, England (CNN)Last May, Steve Bates' phone rang. The UK was in the midst of its first national lockdown -- there was a stay-at-home order, schools and most shops were closed, and experts were warning that a vaccine could still be years out. At the other end of the line was an old friend, , a pharmaceutical investor who had just agreed to lead the UK's Vaccine Taskforce, a team of private sector experts assembled to secure vaccine doses for the British public. She wanted him to join."She wanted my contacts. She knew that I knew everybody in the industry," Bates, a lobbyist who...WW…

By , Adam Renton, , Florence Davey-Attlee and Ed Upright, CNN 12:00 a.m. ET, January 13, 2021Our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic has 17 PostsThe World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that social distancing measures will need to stay in place "for the rest of this year," even as vaccination rollouts get under way globally, because it takes time to build up herd immunity. WHO’s Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan said herd immunity -- a situation where the majority of a population becomes immune to the virus either because they have become infected and recovered,...…By , Adam Renton, , Florence Davey-Attlee and Ed Upright, CNN 12:00 a.m. ET, January 13, 2021Our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic has 17 PostsThe World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that social distancing measures will need to stay in place "for the rest of this year," even as vaccination rollouts get under way globally, because it takes time to build up herd immunity. WHO’s Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan said herd immunity -- a situation where the majority of a population becomes immune to the virus either because they have become infected and recovered,...WW…

Liverpool, England (CNN)The soldiers of 1st Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment are used to driving armored vehicles in combat for the British Army. Now they've been called up to a new front line -- in the fight against Covid-19.Over the top of their military fatigues they now wear plastic aprons and face shields. They've been trained to administer new rapid tests for the virus on members of the public, shuttling swabs from booths to test tubes to get results in as little as half an hour.The soldiers are among 2,000 military personnel who have been drafted in to help roll out a new mass...…Liverpool, England (CNN)The soldiers of 1st Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment are used to driving armored vehicles in combat for the British Army. Now they've been called up to a new front line -- in the fight against Covid-19.Over the top of their military fatigues they now wear plastic aprons and face shields. They've been trained to administer new rapid tests for the virus on members of the public, shuttling swabs from booths to test tubes to get results in as little as half an hour.The soldiers are among 2,000 military personnel who have been drafted in to help roll out a new mass...WW…