The United Kingdom has now surpassed 150,000 coronavirus-related deaths during the pandemic.
The latest update from the UK Health Security Agency shows there have now been 150,057 people who have died within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test.
Over the past 24 hours the UK recorded another 313 deaths.
Separate figures published by the Office for National Statistics show there have now been 174,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.
The latest government figures also show another 146,390 lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases have been recorded in the UK as of 9am.
However a total of 51,919,815 first doses of Covid-19 vaccine had been delivered in the UK by January 7, Government figures show.
This is a rise of 22,526 on the previous day.
Some 47,632,483 second doses have been delivered, an increase of 32,455.
A combined total of 35,273,945 booster and third doses have also been given, a day-on-day rise of 207,801.
It comes as a leading scientist warned the Omicron coronavirus variant could make the virus endemic.
Dr Mike Tildesley, from the University of Warwick and a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Modelling group told Times Radio: “The thing that might happen in the future is you may see the emergence of a new variant that is less severe, and ultimately, in the long term, what happens is Covid becomes endemic and you have a less severe version. It’s very similar to the common cold that we’ve lived with for many years.
“We’re not quite there yet but possibly Omicron is the first ray of light there that suggests that may happen in the longer term. It is, of course, much more transmissible than Delta was, which is concerning, but much less severe.
“Hopefully, as we move more towards the spring and we see the back of Omicron, we can get more inter-relationship of living with Covid as an endemic disease and protecting the vulnerable.
“Any variant that does emerge which is less severe, ultimately, in the longer term, is where we want to be.”
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea
