UK Covid deaths HALVE in a week with 95 fatalities and 6,303 cases recorded in last 24 hours

CORONAVIRUS deaths have today HALVED in a week – with 95 fatalities and 6,303 cases. Today’s figures are significantly lower than last Thursday’s 181 deaths and 6,753 cases. It means a total of 4,280,882 have tested positive for the bug in Britain since the start of the pandemic, while 125,926 have died. Yesterday, another 5,758 new cases […]

CORONAVIRUS deaths have today HALVED in a week – with 95 fatalities and 6,303 cases.

Today’s figures are significantly lower than last Thursday’s 181 deaths and 6,753 cases.

Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates…

It means a total of 4,280,882 have tested positive for the bug in Britain since the start of the pandemic, while 125,926 have died.

Yesterday, another 5,758 new cases of the bug were confirmed – down 54 per cent on the 12,718 recorded four weeks ago.

Meanwhile, the UK’s vaccine rollout continues to go from strength to strength, with all over 50s now being told to book their jabs online.

Almost 26 million Brits have now received their first jab, while more than 1.8 million have been given their second dose.

By the weekend, one in two in this country are expected to have been protected against the virus as the immunisation blitz ramps up.

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It comes as

• Lockdown could last LONGER as the Covid vaccine delay may spark a rise in cases, experts warn
• All adults WILL get a vaccine by July and the roadmap out of lockdown is still on course
• EU chief Ursula von der Leyen threatens to seize Covid vaccines from UK

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The Prime Minister is expected to get his jab this week – insisting it will “certainly be the Oxford AstraZeneca” one as he joins regulators in vouching for its safety.

A total of 18 European nations have now paused use of the Oxford vaccine over unsubstantiated reports it triggers blood clots.

Brussels threatened to seize factories on the continent producing the jab.

But today the EU made a major U-turn on the suspension of the Oxford jab with its regulator saying it’s “safe and effective”.

Emer Cooke, executive director of the EMA, said their “clear scientific conclusion” is that the vaccine is “safe and effective”.

EU TURN

She said: “Its benefits in protecting people from Covid-19, with the associated risks of death and hospitalisation, outweigh the possible risks.

“The committee also concluded that the vaccine is not associated with an increase in the overall risk of thromboembolic events, or blood clots.”

It comes after EU boss Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc could suspend patents on the lifesaving vaccine so anyone could produce it – but critics branded the threats “Stalinist.”

The World Health Organisation recommended countries keep using the AstraZeneca jab.

A statement said: “At this time, WHO considers that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh its risks and recommends that vaccinations continue.”

Meanwhile, the Health Secretary reassured Sun readers they had nothing to fear with the Oxford jab.

He also hit back at the criticism from European nations who have paused the jab, despite their own regulator giving in the green light and promising it is safe.