Another 41,299 coronavirus cases and 217 deaths have been reported in the UK, according to the government’s official daily figures.

It compares with 33,865 COVID-19 cases and 293 deaths within 28 days of a positive test reported on Tuesday, and 43,941 and 207 this time last week.

The latest weekly average for cases is 39,691, a fall from mid-October when it reached over 47,000.

Live COVID updates

Another 296,670 daily booster shots take the total to 8,652,842, while 45,752,487 have now had two doses of a vaccine.

There are 9,517 people in hospital with coronavirus, according to the latest count. That compares with 6,468 a month ago and under 1,000 at the start of June.

Total deaths within 28 days of a positive test since the start of the pandemic stand at 141,181.

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The latest weekly average for COVID deaths is 163 – this figure has increased slowly since it started to pick up at the end of July, when it was around 70.

However, it’s far lower than last winter’s peak average of over 1,200 daily deaths.

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