Teenagers in rush for Covid jab as 700,000 vaccines are booked on the first day for those aged 18 to 20 with thousands queuing up at football stadiums turned into mass vaccination centres 

• All over-18s have now been invited to get their first Covid-19 vaccination with invites going out yesterday
• Football stadiums for London clubs Chelsea and Tottenham are among those opening as mass jab centres
• Follows huge queues at community venues and vaccine 'super centre in Twickenham on bank holiday  
• Coronavirus cases yesterday rose by third in a week with 10,321 new infections while 14 deaths were recorded

Over 700,000 Covid vaccination appointments were booked on the first day the jab programme was opened up to 18, 19 and 20-year-olds.

A stunning 721,469 appointments were made by people in England through the national booking service on Friday, more than 30,000 an hour or more than eight every second.

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

And yesterday thousands of teenagers and people in their twenties were seen standing in long queues to get their first shots at centres in London and other parts of the country. 

Jabs were today being administered at stadiums and football grounds in London that had been transformed into mass vaccination centres.

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

Karol, 24, was seen proudly wearing his Chelsea FC shirt as he got a jab at the club's Stamford Bridge stadium.

And at West Ham's Olympic Stadium in Stratford, East London, childhood friends Mila Douglas and Manon Gindal, both 18, were among those in a half-mile queue for their first vaccination.

'I go to France every year for a month with my family and I’m hoping that if I’m vaccinated then I won’t have to quarantine,' said Manon. 

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. 

On Friday the NHS' vaccination programme was finally opened up to every age group - with 18, 19 and 20-year-olds starting to receive text and email invites yesterday.

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.

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.' 

Smaller events are also taking place in local community venues in a drive to vaccinate as many Londoners as possible.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he was 'delighted' to visit Chelsea's ground at Stamford Bridge to see the ongoing vaccination effort.

Chelsea FC had 6,000 Pfizer vaccines to administer on Saturday, with the jab being offered to all adults over the age of 18 yet to receive a first dose, as well as those awaiting a second Pfizer dose. 

Mr Khan said: 'Chelsea FC, West Ham at the London Stadium, Tottenham Hotspur FC, Charlton Athletic FC, are hosting large-scale pop-up clinics, and there are a huge number of events taking place in local community centres, so that as many people as possible get convenient access to the life-saving Covid jabs.

'You do not need to be registered with a GP to get vaccinated.

'It is great news that more than eight million doses of the life-saving Covid-19 vaccine have been given to Londoners, and now all adults over the age of 18 are able to get the jab. 

'We are seeing the big difference that the vaccine is making in our fight against the virus, so I strongly urge all adult Londoners to book their appointments or attend a walk-in centre as soon as possible, and to ensure you get your second dose.'

The 'super pop-ups' are expected to attract thousands of young Londoners on 'super Saturday' who are now eligible to receive their first Covid jab. 

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi tweeted: 'This is an incredible effort by the whole London team. Happening across the City at Spurs, Arsenal, Charlton and West Ham too. Come on London let's get vaccinated!' 

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.

The continued success of the vaccination rollout however came as Covid cases rose by a third in a week with a further 10,321 people testing positive for the infection in the highest Saturday increase since February.

Today's case total - 2,583 more than the 7,738 recorded last week - comes amid fears that the UK will not be able to outpace the Delta variant with the current rate of vaccination. 

It is the third day in a row where the number of infections has exceeded 10,000, and the highest rise on a Saturday since 10,406 cases were recorded on February 20. 

The nation's death toll stands at 14 today, a rise of two on the 12 recorded this day last week, bringing the total to 127,970.