The UK has recorded another four coronavirus-related deaths – the lowest daily increase since early September.

It takes the total number of people who have died within 28 days of testing positive for COVID-19 to 127,274.

It’s the lowest daily rise since three deaths were reported on 7 September.

Another 2,963 coronavirus cases have also been reported, while the number of people who are fully vaccinated has exceeded 10 million.

Monday’s figures, although often artificially low due to delays in reporting over the weekend, are significantly lower than a week ago.

Last Monday the UK recorded 13 new COVID deaths and 3,568 cases.

Two of today’s deaths happened in England and the other two in Wales.

Coronavirus deaths, cases and hospitalisations have continued to fall since the peak in mid-January.

But scientists are concerned that despite the success of national lockdowns and the vaccination programme, variants of the virus could send cases soaring again.

India was today placed on the UK’s travel red list over concerns about the double mutation that has emerged there.

The variant was only confirmed by the Indian government on 25 March, with 182 cases of it now recorded in the UK. Of those, 162 were from the past five weeks.

It is not yet clear whether vaccines will be effective on it.

The latest figures reveal that one in every five adults in the UK has now had two doses of a COVID vaccine.

Ministers say they were able to surpass the 10 million target after a rapid increase in the pace of distribution of jabs since the end of March.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that “vaccines offer us the best protection from the virus”, while Health Secretary Matt Hancock added: “Second doses are crucial to maximising the strength and duration of your protection from COVID-19 and I’m urging everybody eligible to get their jab as soon as possible.”

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