LONDON, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Another 8,523 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,163,085, according to official figures released Friday.

The country also reported another 345 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 122,415. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.

The latest figures were revealed as more than 19.1 million people in Britain have been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine.

Earlier Friday, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) announced the next phase of COVID vaccinations will continue to prioritize people by age and not their occupation.

People aged 40-49 will be the next in line to get a vaccine after the over-50s and all vulnerable groups are vaccinated, according to the JCVI.

This would provide "the greatest benefit in the shortest time", the JCVI said.

Prioritising occupational groups such as teachers and police, as some suggested, could make the vaccine rollout more complex and leave some vulnerable people at higher risk for longer, it added.

England is currently under the third national lockdown since outbreak of the pandemic in the country. Similar restriction measures are also in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the United States have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines. Enditem

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