Zero COVID-19 deaths were reported in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland over the latest 24-hour period; it has been revealed
It is the first time the three nations have registered no reported COVID-19 deaths in a single day since 30 July 2020.
A further four daily deaths were reported in Wales.
Meanwhile, there have been 2,357 further cases reported in the latest 24-hour period.
The numbers from today compare with one death within 28 days of a positive test and 1,649 cases across the UK last Monday.
Total deaths since the start of the coronavirus pandemic stand at 127,609.
This comes after two-thirds of men in the UK have said that they would rather die five to ten years early than give up eating meat, according to a new survey of 2,000 people.
The figures emerged shortly before Boris Johnson announced the planned relaxation of COVID restrictions would go ahead as planned next week.
“With deaths and hospitalisations at their lowest level since last July and the UK’s four chief medical officers today agreeing a reduction in the alert level, the data now support moving to step three in England from next Monday, 17 May,” he told a Downing St briefing.
He said England remained “on track” to end all legal restrictions on 21 June 21 and that an update later this month would set out what role, “if any”, could be played by coronavirus health certificates and social distancing.
He continued by saying:
“This unlocking amounts to a very considerable step on the road map back to normality and I am confident we will be able to go further,” he said.
“Subject to the impact of step three on the data, we remain on track to move to step four on 21 June.
“And to give business more time to prepare we will be saying more later this month about exactly what the world will look like and what role there could be – if any – for certification and social distancing.”
This comes after the Prime Minister is under investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards over his £15,000 trip to the Caribbean island of Mustique.
The latest daily figures from the government also show that another 100,626 people had a first dose of a vaccine for COVID-19 with 187,171 having had their second dose.
It means that 17,856,550 people are now fully vaccinated, while 35,472,295 have had at least one coronavirus vaccine.
The government has said that it will be offering all adults a dose of the vaccine by the end of July, and within England anyone over 40 is now currently eligible.
