UK Covid deaths today rose by 1,725 in what is the second deadliest day of the pandemic.
Another 25,308 cases were also recorded – meaning there have now been 3,715,054 infections recorded across the four nations.
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Last Wednesday, the number of Covid deaths saw its highest ever daily jump, with 1,820 fatalities recorded across Britain.
Today's figures bring the total number of Covid deaths in Britain to 101,887, having passed 100,000 for the first time yesterday.
It comes as Brits were today told lockdown would now last until March 8 after the grim milestone of 100,000 deaths was passed this week.
Boris Johnson extended lockdown for another three weeks as the toll from the bug continued to mount, saying: "I grieve every death.
"I and the Government take full responsibility for all the actions I have taken, we have taken in this pandemic.
"There will be a time to reflect and prepare. I don't believe this is now.
"What the country wants is for us to come together, work to keep the virus under control as we are, and continue to rollout the fastest vaccination programme in Europe."
So far, more than 6.8 million vaccines have been administered in the fight against the bug.
It comes as…
- England's lockdown will now last until MARCH, Boris Johnson announced
- New measures that will mean Brits will have to quarantine in hotels after arriving from certain overseas destinations are set to be imposed
- Schools won't open in February – with hopes classrooms will be able to reopen by March
- Boris Johnson has urged the EU to ditch their threat to block exports of Covid vaccines to UK
Boris told the nation this lunchtime that the UK is on target to deliver vaccines to the most vulnerable Brits by the middle of February as is the Government's goal.
But he admitted that "perpetual lockdown is no answer" as his own MPs press him for a way out of the repeated shutdowns.
Speaking this afternoon, the PM confirmed the government would set out plans in the week beginning February 22 for the “gradual and phased” route out of lockdown.
But he warned MPs it will not be possible to reopen schools “immediately after the February half term”.
Covid-19 has continued to spread across the UK with a new, more infectious variant emerging.
A new study has suggested those infected with the new UK coronavirus variant are less likely to report a loss of taste and smell.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the symptoms were "significantly less common" in patients who tested positive for the new variant compared to those with other variants of Covid-19.
They are more likely to report "classic" symptoms of the virus, such as a cough and a fever.
The ONS also said other symptoms were more common in people testing positive for the new variant, with the largest differences for cough, sore throat, fatigue, myalgia and fever.
The NHS currently lists the main symptoms of coronavirus as a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, and a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste.
The new variant spreading across the UK is more transmissible than previous mutations of the virus, and scientists have said there is some data to suggest it may also be more deadly.
It was first detected in the south east of England in September, but started to cause concern in December when it was thought to be responsible for a rapid increase in Covid-19 cases in the region.
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