The UK has reported more than 50,000 new COVID-19 cases for the second day in a row.

According to official data, another 50,584 infections have been recorded in the latest 24-hour period.

This follows Thursday’s 53,945 – which was the highest daily figure since mid-July.

Last Friday, there were 50,091 cases reported.

The data also shows a further 143 people have died within 28 days of a positive COVID test, taking the total number of coronavirus-related deaths in the UK since the pandemic began to 145,424.

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There are currently 7,373 COVID patients in hospital, including 895 on ventilation beds.

Another 25,848 people have had their first COVID vaccine dose in the latest 24 hours, taking the UK total to 51,046,133, the government’s dashboard states.

Also, 30,976 others have received their second, meaning 46,462,638 have now been double jabbed.

And 420,910 boosters or third doses have been administered, bringing the total to 19,436,885 (33.8% of people in the UK aged 12 and over.

It comes as the UK Health Security Agency (HSA) announced that of 22 Omicron cases confirmed in England by 30 November, 12 were more than 14 days after they received at least two doses of vaccine.

The analysis also showed two cases were more than 28 days after a first dose of vaccine, while six were unvaccinated, and two had no available information.

None of the cases are known to have been hospitalised or died, but the HSA said “most of the cases have a specimen date that is very recent and that there is a lag between onset of infection and hospitalisation and death.”

Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in the UK is expected to rise sharply later today, according to Sky’s science correspondent Thomas Moore.

He wrote: “An update of genetic sequencing data by the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium, which does the bulk of the variant analysis, reveals there have been 56 cases of Omicron in England.

“Currently the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) puts the total in England at 29.

“A source confirmed that there will be an official update to UKHSA figures ‘shortly’ and the UK total ‘won’t be less’ than 66.”

Moore added: “COG-UK currently puts the number of confirmed cases in Scotland at 10, but First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed more infections, bringing the total for the nation to 29.

“The UKHSA takes data from a couple of sources when compiling totals.”

Your Omicron questions answered: Watch a special programme with COVID experts on Sky News at 7pm

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