Covid: Further 1,401 people die from virus, bringing UK death toll to 95,981
A further 1,401 people have died after testing positive for Covid-19, which brings the total number of UK fatalities to 95,981.
The Department of Health also confirmed another 40,261 people have tested positive for the virus in the past 24-hour reporting period.
Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show that more than 111,000 deaths involving coronavirus have now occurred in the UK.
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The latest figures come as the Covid-19 reproduction number, or R value, of transmission across the UK has now dropped significantly to between 0.8 and 1.0.
England
A further 993 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths reported in hospitals to 65,104, NHS England said on Friday.
Patients were aged between 23 and 102. All except 47, aged between 32 and 96, had known underlying health conditions.
The deaths were between December 12 and January 21.
There were 68 other deaths reported with no positive Covid-19 test result.
A total of 5,100,475 Covid-19 vaccinations had taken place in England between December 8 and January 21, according to provisional NHS England data, including first and second doses, which is a rise of 359,897 on Thursday’s figures.
Wales
There have been a further 801 cases of coronavirus in Wales, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 185,836.
Public Health Wales reported another 67 deaths, taking the total in Wales since the start of the pandemic to 4,459.
PHW also confirmed a total of 212,317 first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine had now been given, an increase of 21,882 on the previous day’s figure.
The agency said 415 second doses were also given, an increase of 19.
In total, 30.2% of those aged over 80 have received their first dose of the vaccine, along with 59.9% of care home residents and 69.8% of care home staff.
Health minister Vaughan Gething previously said he expected 70% of the over-80s, care home residents and care home staff to have received their first jab by January 25.
Scotland
Scotland has reported another 71 deaths from coronavirus on Friday, as 161 people are currently in intensive care units in the country with the virus.
A further 1,480 people have tested positive for coronavirus, according to the latest data from the Department of Health.
The figures come as Public Health Scotland said 358,454 people in the country had received the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine by 8.30am on Friday January 22, an increase of 23,583 from the previous day.
It added that 4,689 people have received the second dose, an increase of 223.
Northern Ireland
A further 12 people, who tested positive for coronavirus in Northern Ireland, have died, according to the Department of Health - 10 of them in the last 24-hour reporting period.
This brings the official death toll as reported by the department to 1,704, although that figure is expected to rise significantly when deaths in all community settings have been accounted for.
According to the latest daily Department of Health figures, there have also been 865 new positive cases, out of 4,329 individuals tested.
It comes as Northern Ireland has recorded its highest weekly death toll since the coronavirus pandemic began.
The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency reported 156 deaths between 9-15 January.
The dates 7 and 11 January saw the joint highest number of Covid-related deaths occurring in one day since the start of the pandemic last year.