Another 29,079 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in the UK , according to government figures.

It brings the total number of cases seen in the UK to 3,772,813.

And the total number of people who have had the first dose of a vaccine has risen to 7,891,184, with 478,254 second doses dispensed.

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The government has said that, due to a “data processing issue”, the latest release does not include an update to the number of people who have died with COVID-19, adding that figures will be added later today.

The new number of cases is a slight rise compared to the 28,680 new infections recorded yesterday.

But it is still down in comparison to the 40,261 cases added on Friday last week.

This change comes amid revelations including updates on potential new vaccines, a drop in the number of hospital admissions with the coronavirus, and the slight lowering in the range of the R number.

It is now estimated by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) that the coronavirus reproduction number is between 0.7 and 1.1 for the UK – meaning that for every 10 people who have the virus, seven to 11 others will get infected.

Elsewhere, the single shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been found to be 85% effective at preventing the most serious systems of the virus according to new trials.

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The Novavax inoculation is being assessed by the UK medicines regulator for use after it scientists discovered it was 89% effective in preventing the coronavirus.

Statisticians from the Office for National Statistics revealed today that, for the week ending 24 January, the rate of people being admitted to hospital with the coronavirus was at 33.51 per 100,000 people.

This was a fall from 35.64 per 100,000, and is the lowest rate of the year so far.

Over three nights, Sky News will host a series of special programmes examining the UK’s response to the pandemic.

Watch COVID Crisis: Learning the Lessons at 8pm on 9, 10 and 11 February.

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