UK records 799 more Covid-19 deaths and 10,625 new infections

Medical workers bring a patient out of an ambulance, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, outside Royal London Hospital
REUTERS
16 February 2021

A further 799 Covid-19 deaths have been recorded in the UK, according to the latest Government figures.

There were also 10,625 new lab-confirmed infections reported on Tuesday.

The latest deaths bring the UK total to 118,195, although separate figures published by the country’s statistics agencies suggest there have been 137,000 deaths involving Covid-19 since the pandemic began.

The total number of cases recorded is 4,058,468.

In the vaccination rollout, Government data up to February 15 shows that of the 16,122,272 jabs given in the UK so far, 15,576,107 were first doses – a rise of 275,956 on the previous day.

Some 546,165 were second doses, an increase of 6,535 on figures released the previous day.

The latest data comes after news that scientists have identified another new variant of coronavirus which has potentially concerning mutations.

Known as B.1.525, the variant contains a genetic change called E484K, also found in the Brazilian and South African variants.

Public Health England (PHE) has said there is no evidence that the mutations in the new variant make the virus more transmissible or cause severe disease.

It said B.1.525 has been classed as a variant under investigation (VUI) and as of Tuesday, 38 cases had been identified in the UK.

The variant has also been seen in other countries, including Australia, Denmark, Nigeria, Canada and the US.

Laboratory studies have shown that viruses with the E484K mutation can escape human defences, making them more efficient at evading natural and vaccine-triggered immunity.

Professor Yvonne Doyle, PHE medical director, said: “PHE is monitoring data about emerging variants very closely and where necessary public health interventions are being undertaken, such as extra testing and enhanced contact tracing.

“There is currently no evidence that this set of mutations causes more severe illness or increased transmissibility.

“The best way to stop the spread of the virus is to follow the public health advice – wash your hands, wear a face covering and keep your distance from others.

“While in lockdown, it is important that people stay at home where possible.”

Reporting by PA

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in

MORE ABOUT