Copyright: PA Media
With each passing day, it becomes increasingly clear that the UK is winning its battle against Covid. Science, as Boris Johnson said, is on the rise.
It is easy to forget that this virus originated just over a year ago.
But now the UK has approved three vaccines for use, two of which are already starting to roll out quickly. Two more are being judged by the regulator on promising trial results.
There is confidence that the mutations, although challenging, can be overcome. It is already planned to update the vaccines if necessary to work better against new variants.
No vaccine is 100% effective, and some people prefer not to take it, which is why it is also important to make progress in treatment.
An inexpensive steroid, dexamethasone, is widely used to improve the survival rates of the sickest patients. Last week it appeared that an arthritis remedy, tocilizumab, could also further improve the chances of survival.
There is still a long way to go, but there is a cautious belief in both Westminster and among scientists that every step taken from now on should not be forward, not backward.