UK records another 1,280 coronavirus deaths and 55,761 cases

The UK has recorded another 1,280 coronavirus-related deaths, bringing the total to 87,295, latest government figures show.

As of 9am on Friday, there had also been a further 55,761 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK – bringing the total number to 3,316,019.

Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies for deaths where COVID-19 has been mentioned on the death certificate, together with additional data on deaths that have occurred in recent days, show there have now been 102,000 deaths.

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Earlier, SAGE estimated that the coronavirus R number in the UK had remained largely unchanged since last week, with it now between 1.2 and 1.3. Last week it was estimated to be between 1 and 1.4.

R – or the reproduction number – indicates how quickly COVID-19 Is spreading, with regional variations of the R number indicating where the virus is spreading fastest.

It comes after the country recorded 1,248 deaths and 48,682 cases on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the number of people in the UK to have been given a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine is 3,234,946 as of 14 January, according to government data published on Friday – marking a rise of 316,694 from Thursday’s figures.

Some 114,567 first doses have been given in Northern Ireland, on top of the 2,769,164 in England, 126,375 in Wales and 224,840 in Scotland.

So far, 443,234 second doses have been administered in the UK, including 420,510 in England, 129 in Wales, 19,264 in Northern Ireland and 3,331 in Scotland.

In Northern Ireland there was a day-on-day rise of 11,866 first doses and 254 second doses.

The total number of jabs administered in the UK, including both first and second doses, is 3,678,180.

Earlier, a leading virologist said one of two Brazilian COVID-19 variants had been detected in the UK.

Speaking at the launch of a new variant research group, Professor Wendy Barclay said the one picked up in Britain is not the one “of concern”.