The UK also reported a record number of COVID-19 cases as 62,322 people tested positive for the virus. Tuesday’s data had shown 60,916 new coronavirus infections and 830 deaths. The figure is a new high during the second wave of the virus, with 1,041 deaths the highest total since April 21.
It brings the UK total deaths to 77,346.
The figures continue to be affected by a lag in the publication of recent data and will contain some deaths that took place over the Christmas and New Year period.
Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies for deaths where coronavirus has been mentioned on the death certificate, together with additional data, show there have now been 93,000 deaths involving Covid-19 in the UK.
The total number of cases in the UK now stands at 2,836,801.
Britain has been one of the countries worst-hit by COVID-19, with the highest death toll in Europe.
It comes just days after England was plunged into its third national lockdown.
The Prime Minister issued the stay at home order as cases of the virus surged across the country.
Boris Johnson has warned it will take time to ease the restrictions the country has been placed under.
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Mr Johnson said: “Our emergence from the lockdown cocoon will not be a big bang but a gradual unwrapping.”
The regulations run until March 31 “not because we expect the full national lockdown to continue until then but to allow a steady, controlled and evidence-led move down through the tiers on a regional basis”.
“We are in a tough final stretch, made only tougher by the new variant,” Mr Johnson added.
“After the marathon of last year we are indeed now in a sprint, a race to vaccinate the vulnerable faster than the virus can reach them.
“Every needle in every arm makes a difference.”
The Government is currently distributing the coronavirus vaccine.
Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi admitted the target of vaccinating around 14 million people in the highest priority groups – including the elderly, those with clinical needs, care home residents and staff and frontline NHS workers – by February 15 was “stretching”.
Around 1.3 million people have already received either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Oxford/AstraZeneca jab.
The Prime Minister also wants to try to reopen schools after the February half-term.
But that could depend on whether the country has managed to halt coronavirus rapidly spreading across the country.
