Another 104 people have died within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test. with 5,455 new cases announced.

This makes today’s death toll the lowest since autumn last year, when 102 deaths were recorded on October 26.

Yesterday, 185,900 people received a vaccination first dose bringing the total number to 20,275,451.

Also yesterday, 144 coronavirus deaths were recorded with another 6,035 new infections.

It comes as a further 127 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths reported in hospitals to 83,250, NHS England said earlier today.

Patients were aged between 46 and 99. All but one, aged 58, had a known underlying health condition.

The deaths were between December 9 and February 28, with the majority being on or after February 24.

There were 16 other deaths reported with no positive Covid-19 test result.

Earlier today, Boris Johnson has said that he doesn’t believe the discovery of a concerning variant of coronavirus in the UK will slow down the easing of lockdown.

He was responding to the news that the variant first identified in Manaus, northern Brazil, was found in six cases in England and Scotland.

The variant, which is separate to another variant first seen in Brazil discovered in the UK in January, is of concern as it may be less susceptible to vaccines and more transmissible.

Mr Johnson sought to reassure people, saying: ‘We don’t have any reason at the present time to think that our vaccines are ineffective against these new variants.’

He was asked about comments from a member of SAGE saying that this new variant being found may mean that we need to roll back on opening up society.

Prof Graham Medley told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘It is a variant of concern but we are going to be faced with these in the next six months as we move towards relaxing measures – there are going to be challenges on the way – and there is always a risk that we might have to go backwards, and that’s what nobody wants to do is to actually open up and then have to close down again.’

Mr Johnson said: ‘I haven’t heard that and our whole strategy is to go forward in a way that is cautious but irreversible and we don’t think there’s any reason on this basis to change that.’

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