LONDON (Reuters) – Britain reported on Saturday its lowest number of new daily coronavirus infections since the beginning of the year, adding to signs that a national blockade is slowing the spread of a more infectious variant of coronavirus disease.
However, the effect of the recent increase in cases remains clear in the number of deaths, which was the third highest recorded. Health experts have warned that it will still increase.
Government figures showed that the number of people who tested positive was 41,346, compared to 55,761 on Friday. It was the lowest daily reading since December 27, when fewer people were tested during the holiday season.
However, deaths continue to rise rapidly, with another 1,295 recorded on Saturday, bringing the total number of fatalities recorded in the 28 days following the positive test to 88,590.
Britain has the highest number of deaths in Europe, although more have died in Italy and Belgium per capita. Chris Witty, the government’s chief medical officer, warned on Friday that daily death tolls had not yet peaked.
The country has been closed since Jan. 5, when schools for most students were closed, businesses not essential to the public were closed, and people were ordered to work from home whenever possible.
In its latest move to control infections, the government has ordered all travelers to Britain from Monday to present a certificate proving they have no coronavirus, in addition to having to observe a quarantine for 10 days in the arrival.
Britain is hoping for a speedy launch of vaccines for people over the age of 70 and other vulnerable groups. Government data showed on Saturday that almost 3.6 million people had received a dose of vaccine, most in Europe and an increase of 324,000 the day before.
The country claims to have given the first doses of vaccines to 15 million people in high-risk categories in mid-February.
Report by David Milliken; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Mike Harrison