New Covid cases halve in eight days but coronavirus deaths highest since mid-March
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The number of new daily Covid-19 infections has fallen for the seventh day in row, however, the number of deaths is at the highest since mid-March.
A total of 23,511 new positive tests were reported in the UK in the last 24 hours to 9am, close to half of the figure last Tuesday - 46,558.
Cases have been falling steadily for the past week, with scientists positing the downward trend to the end of the Euro 2020 tournament and the shutting of schools for the summer.
Meanwhile, deaths are the highest since March 12 when 175 deaths were recorded, with authorities reporting 131 more Covid-related deaths in the last 24 hours. This is the number of people who died within 28 days of a positive test result for Covid-19.
Separate data by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggest 154,661 deaths have now occurred in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.
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The number of coronavirus patients in hospital is also steadily increasing.
As of Monday, 5,918 people were in hospital with Covid-19 and 820 were on ventilation. This is a 28% increase from last Monday's number of 4,615.
Downing Street said on Monday the fall in cases was "encouraging" but numbers were still expected to rise and Boris Johnson believes "we're not out of the woods yet".
Education minister Vicky Ford also said that while the sustained drop in coronavirus cases was "very good news", she warned against complacency saying cases can go back up again very quickly.
The latest figures come as critical workers - including those in the food sector and the emergency services - were made exempt from self-isolation if they tested negative for Covid-19.
Although, from August 16, it is expected that all fully vaccinated people will not need to self-isolate after coming into close contact with a positive case.
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England
In England, 20,290 more Covid-19 infections were reported in the last 24 hours on Tuesday - bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 5,013,664.
Of the 131 deaths reported in the UK, 121 were in England.
The death toll in the nation is 113,667.
Wales
About 704 new coronavirus cases were recorded in Wales. The country now has a total of 238,707 infections since the start of the pandemic last year.
There were no further deaths reported and the Covid-19 death total remains at 5,597.
Scotland
There were seven more Covid deaths reported in Scotland, which has a death toll of 7,866.
In terms of new daily cases, authorities have reported 1,044 more infections. It brings the total since the start of last year to 342,059.
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, there were 1,473 more coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 151,096.
Meanwhile, there were three more deaths reported. The country has a Covid death toll of 2,173.