COVID-19: Almost a million jabs administered over two days as UK records further 610 coronavirus deaths

The UK has recorded a further 610 COVID-related deaths in the latest reporting period, along with another 30,004 cases.

It brings the total number of coronavirus-related deaths in the UK to 97,939 over the course of the pandemic.

Sunday’s data also reveals that 6,353,321 have had at least their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine – a rise of almost half a million on yesterday’s figure.

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Over two days, almost a million people received a first dose, suggesting there is no weekend lag when it comes to dishing out vaccines.

It comes after the UK reported 1,348 coronavirus deaths and an additional 33,552 infections on Saturday.

The R number, which estimates the growth rate of the pandemic, currently sits at between 0.8 and 1 – suggesting the virus may be on the decline as lockdown begins to take effect.

Speaking to Sky News earlier, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said “early evidence” showed tough restrictions around the UK were starting to bring the number of new infections down, but warned the NHS remained under “enormous” pressure.

He also revealed he was “really” worried about new COVID-19 variants not yet discovered and admitted the government is not sure whether schools in England will reopen fully by Easter.

Mr Hancock added that current rules are helping to “bring cases down”, but that the country is a “long, long, long way from them being low enough” to ease the lockdown.

The seven-day rolling average on positive tests shows that infections are now falling, which suggests that lockdown may be having an effect on case rates.

However, there are warnings that hospitalisations and deaths could be yet to peak, due to the time it takes for someone to be admitted to hospital following a positive test.

(c) Sky News 2021: COVID-19: Almost a million jabs administered over two days as UK records further 610 coronavirus deaths