Covid: Confirmed UK cases top four million, official figures show

Fatalities and cases continue to decline as 20 per cent of public receive first vaccinations

People walk through a largely empty shopping centre in Victoria, central London (PA)

The total number of lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK has now exceeded four million since the outbreak began, according to the government's dashboard.

The Department for Health and Social Care confirmed the nation’s positive case load had increased by 15,144 in its latest daily update - bringing the overall total since the virus was first observed in the UK a year and 12 days ago to 4,013,799.

The findings means roughly one in 20 people in the UK have tested positive for the virus over the course of the pandemic. Of those, 2.8 per cent have passed away within the following 28 days, according to government data.

Fatalities rose in the latest update to figures by 758, bringing the nation’s total number of recorded deaths to 116,287 contributing to a 27 per cent decline in the 7 day average as the peak of the latest wave of deaths and infections continues to subside.

As the number of cases and deaths has declined in the wake of the UK’s third national lockdown, so too has the virus’ rate of reproduction. Government figures show the R number has fallen below 1 for the first time since July, with the rate of coronavirus transmission across the UK now estimated to be between 0.7 and 0.9.

The amount of vaccinated people in the UK continues to grow, with latest figures stating 14,012,224 first doses of a jab have been given out so far - a rise of 503,116 on the previous day.

The figure means 20 per cent of the UK population are believed to have at least partial immunity from the jabs currently in circulation in the UK. Some 530,094 people have been given second doses, an increase of 5,647 on figures released the previous day.

Based on the latest figures, an average of 329,259 first doses of vaccine would be needed each day to meet the Government’s target of 15 million first doses by 15 February - far below the current seven day rolling average of 434,350.