Covid in top 10 causes of death and UK orders more Pfizer

Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Monday evening. We’ll have another update for you tomorrow morning.

Covid-19 was the ninth biggest cause of death in England in July, having been the 26th most common cause in June. In Wales it was the 22nd leading cause of death, having been too low to rank the previous month. The total number of people dying rose back above the average levels for 2015 to 2019 in July. Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, Covid has been the number one cause of death in England and Wales for six months (April, May, November and December 2020 and January and February 2021). Our Reality Check team takes a look at the figures.

The UK has ordered 35 million more doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which will be delivered in the second half of 2022. The government says it is preparing for a programme of Covid boosters to protect the most vulnerable this year. Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid says the move is intended “to future-proof our vaccine programme”. The UK has now ordered more than 540 million doses of eight different Covid vaccines and four have so far been approved for use.

Pfizer’s two-dose Covid-19 vaccine has received full approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – the first jab to be fully licensed in the nation. It had initially been given emergency use authorisation. The approval of the vaccine for those aged 16 and older is expected to set off more vaccine mandates by employers and organisations across the country. Acting FDA commissioner Janet Woodcock says the public “can be very confident” the vaccine meets high safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality standards.

Walkers on Snowdon have been urged to respect the mountain amid a spike in visitors. John Harold, director of the Snowdonia Society, which helps maintain the mountain, says while beauty spots in the park had always been busy, they were dealing with a “perfect storm” with Covid travel rules prompting more people to holiday in the UK. In July there were reports of 45-minute queues to the summit. Watch more in the video below.

What questions do you have about coronavirus?

In some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.

Use this form to ask your question:

If you are reading this page and can’t see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.