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The number of deaths and daily cases of Covid virus in the United Kingdom fell to its lowest level in five months.
On Monday, the government reported another 65 deaths within 28 days of the coronavirus test result, taking the total number for the UK to 124,566.
This is the lowest total since 60 on October 4. About 4,712 new infections were also reported, the lowest daily number since September 28.
Despite the promising data, Boris Johnson has been resisting calls from many of his own seats to speed up his own “ roadmap ” to exit lockdown, which has seen millions of schoolchildren return to class on Monday for the first time this year.
It comes as Nightingale hospitals in England prepare to close next month as services are no longer at risk of burnout, according to the NHS.
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Fewer than 10,000 patients are currently being treated for Covid-19 compared to 30,000 in January.
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Nicola Sturgeon to ease restrictions on outdoor dating
Nicola Sturgeon could announce the easing of restrictions on outdoor meetings in her latest coronavirus update.
The Prime Minister is set to make a statement on the ongoing battle against Covid-19 for Members of Parliament in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday afternoon.
She has already indicated that a rule change regarding outdoor gatherings – which currently only allows two people from two different families to meet – may be on the way.
On Friday, Sturgeon said that the “good progress” in the vaccination program and the decrease in the number of infections could mean that “the return of normalcy is strongly on the horizon.”
She said at the time that she “hoped” that the Scottish government would be able to make “relatively minor changes, but I think they are important, in our ability to meet outdoors and also in the way young people can… interact with their friends outdoors.”
Deputy Prime Minister John Sweeney confirmed Monday that Ms Sturgeon will introduce any changes to the current foreclosure system.
He added, “The prime minister has made it clear that we will try to ease the closure as soon as possible, but we must do so in a sustainable manner.”
“This means taking the right steps, in the right order, to make sure we don’t risk escaping the virus from us again.”
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