UK reports over 10K Covid cases for 3rd consecutive day

Britain has reported another 10,321 coronavirus cases in the latest 24-hour period, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,620,968, according to official figures released on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported. 

The country also recorded another 14 coronavirus-related death. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 127,970. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test. 

There has been a 79 per cent rise in the highly contagious Delta variant, first identified in India, in the past week and cases have been above 10,000 for three days in a row. 

The increase across Britain is being driven by younger age groups, many of whom have now been invited for a vaccination as the jab rollout extends to anyone aged 18 and over. 

Hospital cases have almost doubled although most of those needing treatment have not had a vaccine. 

Earlier Saturday, a British government advisory scientist said a new wave of infections is "definitely under way" in England. 

"The race is firmly on between the vaccine programme... and the Delta variant third wave," said professor Adam Finn, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). 

Acknowledging the recent surge in infections, Finn told the BBC: "Perhaps we can be a little bit optimistic it's not going up any faster, but nevertheless it's going up -- so this third wave is definitely under way." 

The recent data published by Public Health England showed the AstraZeneca vaccine is 92 percent effective against hospitalization from the Delta variant after two doses, and the Pfizer vaccine is 96 percent effective against hospitalization after two doses. 

More than 42.6 million people have been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine while more than 31 million people have been fully vaccinated with a second dose, according to the latest official figures.