London, (Samajweekly) Another 2,381 people in Britain have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,416,623, according to official figures released on Friday.
The country also reported another 15 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 127,517. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test, Xinhua reported.
More than 34.2 million people have been given the first jab of a coronavirus vaccine, according to the latest official figures.
Meanwhile, England’s coronavirus reproduction number, also known as the R number, has risen slightly to between 0.8 and 1.1, up from between 0.8 and one last week, according to the British government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE).
This means that on average, every 10 people infected will infect between eight and 11 other people. When the figure is above one, an outbreak can grow exponentially.
SAGE scientists said the current figure does not suggest that the epidemic is increasing, but the possibility remains that it cannot be ruled out.
About 66,200 people in Britain tested positive for coronavirus in the week to April 24, down from 105,000 people the previous week, Britain’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Friday.
The data suggested only 0.1 percent of Britain’s population, or one in 975 people, tested positive during the week.
The ONS also said infections “decreased” in every major region of Britain, including in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has acknowledged that the majority of scientific experts are of the view that there will be another wave of coronavirus at some stage this year and Britons must learn to live with the virus.
However, he said there was nothing in scientific data to suggest Britain would have to deviate from the roadmap out of lockdown.
In England, restaurants and pubs are expected to resume indoor service on May 17 and most rules on gathering outdoors are expected to be lifted.
The British government’s four-step plan is expected to see all legal restrictions in England being removed by mid-June.
