COVID-19: UK reports 9,055 new cases – highest daily total since February – and nine more deaths | UK News

The UK has reported 9,055 new cases of COVID, the highest daily total since February.

There have also been nine other coronavirus-related deaths in the past 24-hour period, according to the latest government data.

The figures are to be compared with 7,673 cases and 10 deaths announced on Tuesday, while 7,540 infections and six deaths were recorded at this time last week.

Today’s number of cases is the highest since February 25, when 9,985 new infections were reported.

This comes as another 190,033 people received their first dose of a COVID vaccine on Tuesday, bringing the total to 42,021,089.

Additionally, 230,666 had their second vaccine, meaning 30,440,373 have now been fully vaccinated in the UK.

Yesterday marked a key milestone when the government announced that more than 30 million adults had received the two injections as the country grapples with the spread of the Delta variant, first detected in India.

Around one million people aged 21 and 22 are now eligible to reserve their coronavirus vaccination.

Some 972,000 text messages were sent, inviting them to make an appointment for the two doses via the national reservation system.

And 18-20 year olds should be invited to make an appointment by the end of this week.

There were concerns that young people, who face a much lower risk of serious illness from COVID-19, would hesitate to get vaccinated.

But Sir Simon Stevens, chief executive of the NHS, said the response saw those fears “blow out of the water”.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock also confirmed vaccinations against the coronavirus will be made compulsory for nursing home staff, and the government is consulting on the implementation of the same policy for NHS workers.

Meanwhile, Public Health England’s COVID-19 Strategic Director of Response has revealed there are 25 variants of the coronavirus “on watch”.

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