A total of 27,125 people have tested positive to coronavirus in the UK in the last 24 hours.
That is down from the number recorded on Thursday, which was its highest since January peak, with 27,989 cases.
There were 27 more deaths recorded in the past 24 hours, bringing the overall death toll to 128, 189.
Thursday's peak represented a weekly surge of more than 70 per cent, with the sharp rise in cases being attributed to the spread of the Delta variant.
The Delta variant was the main cause for Prime Minister Boris Johnson announcing a four-week delay to ending lockdown.
So-called 'Freedom Day' is now set for July 19 as the immunisation programme is accelerated to get more people a second dose of a vaccine of the jabs as soon as possible to protect from hospitalisation.
More than 85 per cent of adults now having had at least one jab, while a total of 45million people had received a first dose of a vaccine against coronavirus by July 1 and 33.2 million people had received a second dose.
It comes amid reports of England's coronavirus reproduction rate dropping slightly despite a surge in the number of Delta variant cases.
The figure is now estimated to be between 1.1 and 1.3, the latest government figures show.
This means that on average, every 10 people infected will infect between 11 and 13 other people.
Last week, the R number was between 1.2 and 1.4 across the country - the same as the previous weekly estimate.
The daily growth rate of infections was estimated between 2% and 5%, compared with 3% and 5% last week.
The rate shows the South West has the highest growth rate, with the value estimated to be between 1.3 and 1.6, according to data released this afternoon.
Boris Johnson is tipped to unveil a series of announcements next week about what life will look like after the delayed 'Freedom Day'.
The rule of six indoors, rule of 30 outdoors, one-metre social distancing in pubs, ban on nightclubs and at least some legal face masks laws are all likely to be dropped, according to the Daily Mail.
One Whitehall source told the Guardian: "Any advice on masks is likely to be guidance rather than regulations.. Our hope is that all legal restrictions can go."
But reports also claim guidance on wearing masks and being cautious on public transport could remain - as could self-isolation laws. And the government could stop short of actively encouraging workers back to offices.
Talks have been held about scrapping 10-day self-isolation for school pupils and double-jabbed people who come into contact with an infected person. But that doesn't mean self-isolation will be axed completely, reports the Mail.
Final plans will only be announced on July 12 - but they will start being "dripped" out next week, according to multiple reports.
