The UK has recorded 20 more coronavirus deaths and more than 2,400 Covid cases.
The country’s official death toll now stands at 127,629, with 151,765 death certificates mentioning Covid. The Government also reported 2,474 new cases on Tuesday.
In the past week 15,895 Covid cases have been recorded, a 15.2 per cent rise on the week before.
However, 86 deaths were recorded over the same period, a 6.5 per cent drop.
Hospitalisations also fell by 18.7 per cent week-on-week, with 767 admitted in the past seven days.
It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the UK would go ahead with the next round of restrictions easing on May 17.
People in England will be able to hug loved ones, dine in restaurants and go on holiday abroad from next week in a “considerable step on the road back to normality”, the Prime Minister said.
While on Tuesday Mr Johnson also committed to a “full, proper” public inquiry into the Government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic within a year.
The Prime Minister committed to setting up the inquiry within the new session of Parliament which started on Tuesday.
Although there is no fixed length for a parliamentary session, they typically run for around a year.
“I can certainly say that we will do that within this session,” the Prime Minister told MPs in the House.
“I have made that clear before… I do believe it’s essential we have a full, proper public inquiry into the Covid pandemic.”
