Britain records 54,940 new COVID-19 cases and 563 deaths on Sunday

A medical worker transports a patient from an ambulance at the Royal London Hospital amidst the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in London, Britain, January 10, 2021. REUTERS/Simon Dawson

Britain reported 54,940 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, a slight drop from the number on Saturday, and 563 new deaths within 28 days of a positive test, government data showed.

Deaths had been above 1,000 for four consecutive days before Sunday, although the numbers at the weekend are often lower due to delays in collecting the data.

(Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Frances Kerry)