Another 671 die with Covid as 38,598 test positive
Another 671 people have died with Covid-19 in the UK, bringing the overall death toll to 89,261.
Today’s death toll, which includes fatalities recorded across all settings in hospitals, care homes and the wider community, is significantly lower than yesterday’s 1,295.
However, figures published on a Sunday are lower due to a lag in recording deaths and test results over the weekend.
A further 38,598 positive test results have been returned in the last 24 hours, according to the Department of Health and Social Care. This figure is down by more than 22% on last Sunday’s numbers.
This brings the total number of people who have tested positive since the start of the UK’s outbreak to 3,395,959.
The latest figures come after it was confirmed the global Covid-19 death toll surpassed the grim milestone of 2 million on Friday.
Johns Hopkins University’s map, widely viewed as perhaps the most accurate worldwide tally, showed a new figure of 2,000,905 – equal to the population of Brussels, Mecca, Minsk or Vienna.
The latest figures come after the foreign secretary today said the Government ‘hopes to make decisions’ on gradually lifting lockdown restrictions by March.
In further updates, Dominic Raab confirmed that every adult in the UK should be offered their first Covid-19 jab by September.
Mr Raab said the Government is first aiming to have 88% of those in the priority group receiving their first jab by mid-February, and to have reached 99% by early spring.
So far, more than half of Britain’s over-80s have received a coronavirus jab, the health secretary said.
The latest Government data shows that 3,857,266 people have been given their first dose of a Covid vaccine, while 10 new mass vaccination sites are set to open next week.
It will come as welcome news after NHS Chief Executive Sir Simon Stevens earlier warned one Covid patient is being admitted to hospital every 30 seconds.
He told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show this morning: ‘The facts are very clear and I am not going to sugar-coat them. Hospitals are under extreme pressure and staff are under extreme pressure.
‘Since Christmas Day, we have seen another 15,000 increase in the in-patients in hospitals across England. That’s the equivalent of filling 30 hospitals full of coronavirus patients.
‘Staggeringly, every 30 seconds across England another patient is being admitted to hospital with coronavirus.’
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