The UK agreed to purchase two new treatments to combat Covid-19 as it continues to resist pressure to avoid a further wave of the pandemic by introducing another lockdown.

The government signed a deal for 250,000 courses of Pfizer's Ritonavir and 480,000 courses of Merck Sharp and Dohme's Molnupiravir — antivirals that the government said in a statement had cut the risk of hospitalisation or death for at-risk adults with mild to moderate Covid by 50% in clinical trials.