Covid cases: UK coronavirus death toll increases by 194 over 24 hour period

Deaths up 28.6 per cent on previous seven day period

The UK’s coronavirus death toll has increased by 194 over a 24 hour period, with the number of new cases rising by 21,350

The rise in fatalities brings the total to have passed away within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test to 49,238 - with 2,385 of those observed over the last seven days.

Deaths in relation tot he virus are currently 28.6 per cent higher than the previous seven day period.

Separate figures published by the UK's statistics agencies for deaths when Covid-19 has been mentioned on the death certificate, together with additional data on deaths that have occurred in recent days, show there have now been 65,000 deaths involving coronavirus in the UK.

Meanwhile the increase to the case tally has brought the number of infections observed in the UK since the beginnings of the outbreak to 1,213,363.

Some 159,502 were observed over the last 7 days, an increase of 0.2 per cent on the week before.

It comes as officials warn any vaccine that could come into use will be too late to mitigate a second wave of coronavirus cases.

Governments across the world have expressed hope after it was revealed an immunisation developed by pharmaceutical firm Pfizer had a 90 per cent efficacy rate - and could be rolled out in the coming months once additional tests are conducted.

However Deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam told the Downing Street press conference “I don’t see the vaccine making any difference in the wave we’re now in”.