Another 110 people have died of the coronavirus in the UK in a big drop in daily deaths compared to last week.
Today's death toll is less than half that of a week ago, when 231 fatalities were confirmed, and a third of the 343 figure a fortnight ago.
In the last seven days 893 people have lost their lives to the virus, which is a third fewer than the seven days before that.
In total 125,690 people have lost their lives in the UK to the coronavirus since the pandemic began.
Yesterday a further 64 people lost their lives, the lowest Monday death figure since October 5, when 19 people were confirmed to have died within 28 days of contracting the virus.
A month ago, on February 15, there were 799 deaths announced.
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Although the figures continue to go in the right direction, the presence of highly infectious mutant strains in the UK suggests the country is not out of the woods yet.
Yesterday new cases of the South Africa variant were found in London, resulting in targeted testing in three areas of the capital
The postcodes are SE5 in Southwark and HA2 and HA3 in Harrow.
People living in those postcodes are being invited to get a Covid test, even if they don't have any symptoms of the virus.
More than 300 cases of the South Africa variant have been found in the UK so far.
As the virus continues to infect people across the world, more mutant strains will emerge.
A new one was found late last month in an infected traveller who arrived in Japan from the Philippines, according to health officials.
The man in his 60s was asymptomatic when he arrived in Narita Airport near Tokyo on February 25.
He tested positive for Covid-19 during mandatory quarantine, authorities say.
Japanese health officials said this coronavirus variant is "distinct" from those discovered in Brazil, South Africa, and the UK – but it is believed it could pose a similar threat to variants that are more deadly and contagious than the original strain.
This variety may be better equipped to neutralise antibodies – including those gained from vaccination – as the South African and Brazilian variants appear to be, the Japan Times reports.
