The UK has recorded 113 more COVID-related deaths and 36,572 new coronavirus cases in the latest 24-hour period, according to government data.

This compares with 111 deaths reported within 28 days of a positive test yesterday, and 33,904 cases.

And this time last week, 33,074 cases and 94 more deaths were recorded.

Live COVID updates from UK and around the world

Since the pandemic started in 2020, a total of 131,373 people have died in the UK within 28 days of testing positive for COVID-19, while there have been 6,392,160 lab-confirmed infections, the figures show.

Where COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate, the number of deaths now stands at 154,811.

Another 47,284 people had their first coronavirus vaccine on Wednesday – with 16 and 17-year-old included in this figure for the first time.

This means that 47,460,526 people have now had at least one jab.

With another 169,223 second doses administered yesterday, 41,157,069 people are now fully inoculated against COVID.

However, a University of Oxford study has found that people who are double jabbed can still pass on the coronavirus.

Scientists at the university found levels of the virus could be just as high in people who get COVID despite having both jabs as in those who haven’t been vaccinated.

Dr Koen Pouwels, one of the lead researchers of the study, said: “The vaccines are better at preventing severe disease and are less effective at preventing transmission.

“The fact that you see more viral load (with the Delta variant) hints towards herd immunity being more challenging.”

Scientists found that two doses of the Pfizer jab were more effective against Delta, but their protection waned quicker than the AstraZeneca vaccine.

It comes with the news that coronavirus cases in England rose by 6% last week – after falling for two weeks.

Data from NHS Test and Trace shows that 190,508 people tested positive for COVID in the week to 11 August.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has issued advice stating that, should a rollout of third vaccines happen, it should “be offered to the most vulnerable first, starting from September 2021 to maximise individual protection and safeguard the NHS ahead of winter”.

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The World Health Organisation has criticised countries with high vaccine rates for considering third doses while large parts of the world remain unvaccinated.

Joe Biden announced yesterday the US would start giving out the next round of doses from 20 September.

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