UK reports another 5,341 coronavirus cases

London (UK), June 7: Britain reported another 5,341 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,516,892, according to official figures released Sunday.
The country also recorded another four coronavirus-related deaths, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain to 127,840. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.
Earlier Sunday, British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the Delta variant first identified in India is about 40 percent more transmissible, adding that protection against it is just as good with two doses of a vaccine.
Hancock said the Delta variant makes life more challenging, and the British government is "open" to delaying England's planned unlocking on June 21 if needed.
More than 40.3 million people, or more than three-quarters of adults in Britain, have been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine, according to the latest official figures.
The British government is facing increasing pressure to delay the final step of unlocking restrictions in England on June 21 due to concerns over the spread of the Delta variant.
Public Health England (PHE) has said that the Delta variant is now the "dominant" strain in Britain.
From May 17, pubs, bars and restaurants in England were permitted to open indoors, while indoor entertainment resumed, including cinemas, museums and children's play areas.
People were also allowed to travel abroad to a number of "green-list" countries without having to quarantine upon return as the ban on foreign travel has also been lifted.
The British government's roadmap is expected to see all legal limits on social contact to be removed on June 21. It is understood that a final decision on the planned easing of lockdown will not be made until June 14.
Experts have warned that coronavirus may continue to evolve for years to come, and eventually it is likely current vaccines will fail to protect against transmission, infection, or even against disease caused by newer variants.
To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Russia, the United States as well as the European Union have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines.
Source: Xinhua