UK: No COVID deaths in past 24 hours
June 1, 2021
The UK Tuesday recorded no deaths from COVID-19 for the first time since March 7, 2020, according to government data.
Monday was the Spring Bank Holiday in the UK. Holidays have previously caused fewer cases and deaths to be reported when compared to surrounding days. Just one death was reported the day before.
The UK reported 3,165 new cases on Tuesday. Overall, it has reported 4.49 million cases.
The latest government figures said 127,782 people died in the country since the start of the pandemic, the fifth highest total in the world.
Though the low death toll is welcoming, there have been some concerns over a potential third wave in the UK. The incidence rate in the country has risen every day since May 17, according to government data. It has gone from 21.6 new infections per 100,000 people on May 16 to 30.3 on May 27, the most recent day that data is available.
'Haven't beaten this virus just yet'
Some of those cases were identified as the Delta variant of concern, which was first found in India. There have been more than 3,000 new infections every day for the past seven days.
"Despite this undoubtedly good news, we know we haven't beaten this virus just yet," UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said in a statement.
Hancock said the vaccination campaign, which began December 2020, was "clearly working." The UK was one of the first nations to begin a mass vaccination campaign, and has administered full inoculations to more than 25 million people, almost half the adult population.
The UK is planning to remove more restrictions on June 21. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said last week that there was nothing that suggested the end of restrictions would be delayed.
"We will continue to assess and monitor the data daily," said a UK government spokesman, saying the decision to remove COVID-19 related measures was "based on data, not dates."
The UK allowed bars to serve customers indoors, and allowed quarantine-free travel to certain countries.
kbd/aw (AFP, Reuters)