Daily Covid cases fall 3% week-on-week to 5,605 while deaths plunge 30% to 98 – with a record 170,000 second vaccine doses dished out
- Positive news that Covid cases remain level and low despite schools reopening and huge numbers of tests
- Second dose vaccinations are rising as UK meets three-month point after rollout began in December
- But supply issues are still prickly subject with the EU doubling down on threats to throttle exports in April
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The UK confirmed another 5,605 coronavirus cases today along with 98 deaths, with both figures down on last Wednesday’s.
Positive tests fell by 2.7 per cent from 5,758 this time last week and deaths were down 31 per cent from 141.
The positive news was accompanied by a record number of second vaccine doses being dished out by the NHS, with 170,000 people getting their booster.
Coronavirus cases have continued to stay level and low despite huge numbers of people getting tested now, with often a million or more people getting tested per day. If this continues it offers hope that keeping schools fully open is safe.
Today’s good vaccine news is tinged with concern, however, as supply issues loom larger and Europe doubles down on its threat to throttle exports.
Despite anxiety in many member states about undermining legal contracts, vice-president Valdis Dombrovkis complained at a press conference this afternoon that the EU had exported 43million doses to 33 countries since January – including 10million to the UK.
He said exports could be restricted to destination countries that limit their own exports of jabs or raw materials – whether by law or through other means.
