Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned that there will be more hospitalisations and deaths as lockdown eases despite the vaccination programme.
Mr Johnson applauded the fact that the first nine priority groups had been vaccinated by the deadline of April 15, but warned that the lockdown was behind the reduction in cases, rather than the vaccine rollout.
Speaking to reporters at Downing Street Mr Johnson said: "It's great that we have managed to achieve the target of getting everyone in the one to nine (priority) groups vaccinated by the deadline, by the timetable - a little bit ahead actually, 32 million people now have got their first dose, which is terrific.
"We are going now to the 45-49 group, they are being asked to come forward."
But he warned that, although the numbers of infections, hospital admissions and deaths are down, the reduction "has not been achieved by the vaccination programme" but rather the lockdown.
He said: "Of course the vaccination programme has helped, but the bulk of the work in reducing the disease has been done by the lockdown.
"So, as we unlock, the result will inevitably be that we will see more infection, sadly we will see more hospitalisation and deaths.
"People have just got to understand that."
But despite his warning Mr Johnson insisted that the roadmap out of lockdown was still on track.
The next "waymarks" on England's road map out of lockdown are due on May 17 and June 21.
He said: "At the moment I can't see any reason for us to change the road map, to deviate from the targets that we have set ourselves.
"But it is very, very important that, if we are to get there in the way that we all want, people continue to be cautious and they continue to exercise restraint and just do the basic things to stop the spread of the virus - washing your hands, giving people plenty of space, doing things in fresh air."
