Britain has recorded another 5,177 of the coronavirus, marking a 14 per cent decrease on last week’s figure of 6,040.
And deaths have gone down 43 per cent when compared with last week’s figures as 82 people were reported to have died in the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile a total of 23,335,514 have received a Covid vaccination – 22,213,112 having their first dose and 1,122,402 having their second.
The figure marks a rise of 416,834 vital shots in the arm being administered yesterday overall. The positive news comes the day before schools go back as lockdown measures are eased for the first time.
Boris Johnson said he is ‘very hopeful’ the return will go to plan as he warned the risk of keeping classrooms locked outweighed a school-led spike in Covid cases.
The PM echoed the warnings of education experts that more damage was being done to pupils by keeping them at home than having them back in class.
Gavin Wiliamson this morning denied pupils face chaos over mask and testing rules when they get back to classrooms.
The Education Secretary insisted schools in England have been given clear guidance ahead of the first phase of lockdown easing.
But one Public Health England poured hot water over the lifting of restrictions, saying the nation should prepare itself for a ‘hard winter’ with the threat of Covid-19 and a flu surge still a possibility.
Dr Susan Hopkins, who advises the Government, said the NHS will have to be ready for a potential rise in respiratory viruses as people wait to discover if there is a strong level of immunity in the population.
Elsewhere in the pandemic:
- Boris Johnson rejected the fury over an ‘insulting’ 1 per cent pay rise for NHS staff, pointing to the UK’s huge Covid debt;
- Popular holiday destinations could be reopened to British tourists this summer through a traffic light system that lifts travel restrictions to low-risk countries;
- A staggering 57 million test kits have been sent to schools in BorisMr Johnson’s bold first step out of lockdown
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