Another 41,278 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 9,019,962, according to official figures released Saturday. The country also reported a further 166 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 140,558. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test. There are currently 8,983 patients in hospital with COVID-19. The latest data came as coronavirus infections in England have increased to their highest level since the beginning of the year, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Around one in 50 people had the virus in the week ending Oct. 22, the highest level since Jan. 2, the ONS reported. The pandemic appears to be growing in England, as the coronavirus reproduction number, also known as the R number in England is estimated to have risen to between 1.1 and 1.3. The R number indicates the average number of people each COVID-positive person goes on to infect. More than 86 percent of people aged 12 and over in Britain have had their first dose of vaccine and more than 79 percent have received both doses, the latest figures showed. Meanwhile, more than 13 percent have received booster jabs, or third doses of a coronavirus vaccine. To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the United States have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines.
