Another 12,282 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 1,750,241, according to official figures released Tuesday.

The coronavirus-related deaths in Britain rose by 616 to 62,033, the data showed.

Earlier Tuesday, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that Britain has recorded the highest number of weekly coronavirus deaths since May 15.

The latest data from the ONS showed that a total of 3,040 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending Nov. 27 mentioned COVID-19 on the death certificate, marking the highest number of coronavirus-related deaths since the week ending 15 May.

The figures came as a 90-year-old British woman became the first person in Britain to receive the approved coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday.

All 11 areas living under Scotland's toughest level four coronavirus restrictions are to be downgraded to level three, the BBC reported Tuesday.

The new move means that non-essential shops and many other businesses across much of western and central Scotland will be allowed to reopen from Friday.

Meanwhile, Public Health England (PHE) data shows 20 of London's 32 boroughs have infection rates higher than the England average of 148.8 cases per 100,000 population.

London's outer boroughs have an infection rate of 196 cases per 100,000, higher than the current rate in some of the areas that are in Tier 3 restrictions.

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock urged Londoners to stick to the rules. "My message to everybody in London is let's stick by the rules and not push the boundaries of the rules," he told the London-based LBC radio.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also called on people to "continue to follow the rules".

England is currently under a new three-tier system of coronavirus restrictions that replaced the month-long national lockdown in England which ended on Dec. 2. London is currently under Tier 2 restrictions.

Under the new system, shops are allowed to reopen across England, giving a Christmas bonanza to the struggling retail sector, but all bars and restaurants in the toughest Tier 3 areas remain closed. The system put about 98 percent of England into the highest Tier 2 and 3.

To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the United States are racing against time to develop coronavirus vaccines.

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)