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The UK has recorded a further 598 coronavirus deaths in the past 24-hour period, the highest daily death toll since May 6, government figures show.
It means that during the pandemic a total of 52,745 people in the country died within 28 days after testing positive for COVID-19.
Separate figures from UK statistical agencies for deaths where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate show that there have been 68,000 virus-related deaths.
On Tuesday, it was also announced that there have been another 20,051 coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of infections in the UK to 1,410,732.
On Monday, 21,363 people tested positive for coronavirus and 213 deaths.
England is in the midst of a national lockdown, and in Scotland Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon has put 11 areas in the highest band of measurements for the first time since a regional system of restrictions was introduced.
The areas will enter Level 4 of the country’s COVID-19 measures for three weeks starting at 6pm on Friday, Sturgeon announced during a statement in the Scottish Parliament.
Wales has come out of its temporary “firewall” but continues to prohibit most social mixing in people’s homes, and Northern Ireland has expanded its “circuit breaker” so that there remain stricter limits on what businesses can open .
Previously, weekly coronavirus deaths were revealed to have rose in 1937 in England and Wales – a 40% increase over the previous increase and the second consecutive week in which the total has reached four figures.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS), which counts death certificates where COVID-19 is mentioned, reported an increase of 558 (40.5%) in the previous seven days, when the figure was 1,379.
A COVID-19 vaccine could be ready by Christmas, with the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine, which developers announced was 90% effective after stage three trials, to be administered to the most vulnerable people in the UK. before the end of the year.
The British government ordered 40 million doses of the vaccine, and the prime minister said this will vaccinate a third of the population.
And the Moderna vaccine, which shows almost 95% protection in early data, will provide five million doses to the UK from next spring if successful.
