Another 498 people have died with coronavirus in the UK, just a week before England comes out of lockdown. 

But today’s official figure is a significant drop from yesterday, when 696 people were reported to have died. It brings the death toll since the pandemic began to 57,031. Separate figures suggest some 66,713 people have died with Covid-19 on their death certificate.

Meanwhile, there were 17,555 new UK cases of the virus in the last 24 hours, meaning some 1,574,562 people are confirmed to have been infected since the outbreak started.

It comes as England was told that it would emerge from lockdown next Wednesday, December 2, to a new, harsher tiered system. All but three remote areas are being placed in tier two or above, banning indoor socialising between households. 

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NHS England said earlier that a further 351 deaths had been reported in the country’s hospitals over 14 dates.

346 were reported last Thursday, 317 two weeks ago and 236 three weeks ago.

In Scotland, a further 51 deaths and 1,225 positive tests have been recorded in the past 24 hours, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said.

That brings the death toll under this measure – of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days – to 3,639. Some 92,186 people have now tested positive in the country.

Wales has seen another 1,251 cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 75,986.

Public Health Wales also reported another 28 deaths, taking the total to 2,474.

A further eight people with Covid-19 have died in Northern Ireland, its Department of Health said, bringing its total to 962.

There were also another 442 confirmed cases of the virus recorded in the last 24-hour reporting period, bringing the total to 51,118.

Meanwhile, millions of English people will be plunged into tier three restrictions next week, Matt Hancock said earlier as he outlined the rules after lockdown.

Just three places – The Isle of Wight, Cornwall and the Scilly Isles – will be in tier one. 

To check which tier you will be in, click here. 

More to follow.

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