The UK has reported another 27 coronavirus-related deaths and 2,144 new cases in the latest 24-hour period, according to government data.

The figures are a rise from those on Tuesday when four deaths and 1,946 new infections were announced.

Last Wednesday, 29 deaths and 2,166 cases were recorded.

The latest data takes the total number of deaths in the UK within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test to 127,570. There have been 4,425,940 lab-confirmed coronavirus cases in the country since the pandemic began.

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Meanwhile, another 257,486 people received their second COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, meaning 15,887,493 are fully vaccinated.

Some 127,170 received their first shot on Tuesday, bringing the number who’ve had at least one jab to 34,795,074.

The number of people in hospital with coronavirus continues to fall and stands at 1,285, with 181 on ventilation.

It comes as the government announces that laboratories to test current and new COVID-19 vaccines against variants of concern are to be built at Porton Down.

A total of £29.3m will go towards building the “state-of-the-art” laboratories at Public Health England’s new testing facilities at the Ministry of Defence’s top-secret complex in Wiltshire.

Scientists will be able to test 3,000 blood samples a week – more than four times the current number – for the levels of COVID antibodies generated by vaccines so they can assess their effectiveness against variants of concern.

Meanwhile, India’s foreign minister has been forced to pull out of attending the G7 meeting in London in person after two positive coronavirus cases were detected in the country’s travelling delegation.

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has been participating virtually in the event after coming into contact with the cases, although he has not tested positive.

Although it is not a G7 member, India was among other countries invited to attend the first in-person meeting of the group’s foreign ministers in more than two years in London this week.

The meeting was described as “COVID-secure talks” ahead of this June’s full G7 summit in Cornwall.

Asked whether it had been a mistake to hold the G7 meeting in person, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday morning: “I think it’s very important to try to continue as much business as you can as a government.

“We have a very important relationship with India, with our G7 partners. As I understand it, what’s happened is the individuals concerned they’re all isolating now.”

It is understood the two Indian delegation members were found to be COVID positive on Tuesday from PCR tests as part of Public Health England’s testing programme.

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