The UK has recorded another 18,950 coronavirus cases and a further 136 deaths related to the disease, officials figures show.

This is down from 19,790 positive tests and 151 deaths reported last Monday and fewer than the 23,254 new infections and 162 new deaths yesterday.

The figures are lower than any day last week, though fewer deaths and cases tend to be registered after the weekend.

The new data comes after Britain passed one million cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic on Saturday.

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The vast majority of Monday’s cases and deaths were in England, with 15,860 new infections and a further 125 people reported to have died within 28 days of contracting coronavirus.

This means there have been a total of 41,389 deaths in England and 894,906 cases.

Wales recorded 1,646 cases in the past 24 hours and three new deaths, bringing its total figures to 53,337 and 1,891 respectively.

Scotland reported no virus-related deaths but 951 new cases, bringing the total number of reported infections to 66,012.

In total 2,849 people have died within 28 days of contracting COVID-19 there.

Northern Ireland had 493 people test positive on Monday and recorded eight new deaths.

So far there have been 39,609 cases and 724 deaths there.

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Both Wales and Northern Ireland are in month-long lockdowns, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon failing to rule out the same happening in Scotland.

She told her daily news briefing today: “We can’t rule these actions being necessary at some stage.”

England will enter lockdown on Thursday and is expected to return to the three-tier system of local restrictions on 2 December.

But cabinet minister Michael Gove and several scientists have cast doubt on whether England will be able to get its infection rate down sufficiently to ease restrictions.

Boris Johnson today announced new help for self-employed workers during the second lockdown.

They will be able to claim government support equivalent to 80% of trading profits.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak later said in a Twitter announcement: “We’re increasing the support to the self-employed from 40% of trading profits to 80% for November.

“SEISS is calculated over 3 months so this increases the total grant from 40% to 55% of trading profits for November to January and the max grant increases to £5,160.”

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