UK records another 40,701 coronavirus cases

It's the first time that the UK's daily coronavirus cases have topped 40,000 in a month, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the official data.

The country also recorded another 122 coronavirus-related deaths. 

The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in the UK now stands at 137,417. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.

There are currently 6,817 patients in hospital with Covid-19.

The latest data came as the number of countries on the travel red list has been slashed to just seven. 

The destinations that remain on the red list are Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Haiti and Dominican Republic.

It means vaccinated travellers will be able to visit 47 more countries without quarantining on return. Unvaccinated people will still have to self-isolate for 10 days in a mandatory quarantine hotel.

British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps also added 37 countries to the list of locations with approved vaccine programmes, with travellers from those non-red list countries no longer having to quarantine for 10 days on arrival from Monday.

More than 85 per cent of people aged 12 and over in Britain have had their first dose of vaccine and more than 78 per cent have received both doses, the latest figures showed.