UK reports 68,214 COVID cases, 276 deaths

UK has recorded another 68,214 coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, up from 66,183 on Tuesday.

While another 276 people have died with the virus – exactly half the number of deaths recorded last Wednesday – down from 314 on Tuesday.

The latest official figures, released by the Department for Health this afternoon, show a 26% decrease on confirmed infections from this time last week. Last Wednesday (February 2) saw a total of 92,594 cases recorded.

Deaths, meanwhile, decreased from 552 – a difference of exactly 50%.

However, figures show there is still a high prevalence of the virus across the country, with infections remaining well above pre-Christmas levels.

Around one in 19 people in private households in England had Covid-19 in the week to February 5, or 2.8 million people – up from one in 20, or 2.6 million people, in the week to January 29.

Case numbers have substantially dropped since peaking around New Year’s – with 245,182 recorded on January 4.