UK records 21,952 new COVID cases and 24 more deaths

The UK has recorded 21,952 new COVID-19 cases and 24 more coronavirus-related deaths in the latest 24-hour period, according to government data.

The figures compare with 24,470 infections and 65 fatalities reported yesterday, and 24,950 cases and 14 deaths announced this time last week.

The seven-day average for infections is 27% down from the previous week, while fatalities are up by 20.2%.

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According to the latest data, 912 COVID patients were admitted to hospital on 27 July and there were 6,326 admissions in the last seven days – a weekly rise of 14.8%.

Since the pandemic began, there have been a total of 5,902,354 coronavirus cases in the UK, and 129,743 people have died within 28 days of positive COVID test.

Meanwhile, 21,266 people had their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine in the UK on Sunday, taking the total to 46,872,411.

And 118,184 people had their second jab, meaning 38,464,025 are now fully vaccinated.

It comes as the government plans to roll out booster shots later this year, in the same way that flu shots are given out.

Like the initial vaccine efforts, the first nine priority groups will be offered their top-up first.

Some 60 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine have been ordered – although it is not clear if this will be the only jab available.

Earlier today it was revealed that tests carried out at four of England’s largest railway stations and intercity services found no traces of COVID.

National Rail swabbed escalator handles, ticket machines and benches, and took hour-long air samples to detect the virus.

London Euston, Birmingham New Street, Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly station underwent two rounds of testing in January and June, with tests repeated on trains running between stations.

But no contamination was found by scientists at Imperial College London.

This follows an easing of coronavirus travel restrictions at 4am today, allowing fully vaccinated travellers arriving from the US and amber-list EU countries to enter the UK without needing to self-isolate.

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However, figures from the travel industry and some Conservative MPs are putting pressure on Boris Johnson to further open up travel among rumours of a new designation being added to the watchlist.

John Redwood MP said: “Time for a new travel plan. The travel industry needs greater certainty about what the rules are going to be. Let the vaccines do more of the work of controlling the virus.”

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The theorised amber watchlist would denote countries about to move to the red list – which require a 10-day quarantine at a cost of £1,750 per adult at a government-approved hotel upon arrival back in the UK.

Government minister Matt Warman told Sky News: “The most important thing that the government can do is make sure that people have as much information as they possibly can, that they have information about which direction a foreign country might be going in so that they don’t inadvertently find themselves having to quarantine when they get back.”

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