UK records 26,860 new coronavirus cases and 462 deaths
14 November 2020, 18:52
A further 26,860 new coronavirus cases and 462 deaths have been recorded in the UK in a single day.
The figures, down on yesterday, brings the total number of cases in the UK to 1,344,356 as the country struggles through the second wave of the pandemic.
In the last seven days alone, almost 3,000 people have died within 28 days of testing positive as hundreds of thousands continue to be infected with the virus.
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Of today's tally, 24,298 new cases were reported in England, compared to 1,118 in Scotland, 933 in Wales and 511 in Northern Ireland.
Figures show 391 of deaths reported today occurred in England, while 36 took place in Scotland, 20 in Wales and 10 in Northern Ireland.
It brings the UK's total number of deaths to 51,766.
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Case numbers in parts of the North of England have consistently fallen this week, however, with infection rates continuing to drop in the hardest hit areas of the North West.
Blackburn with Darwen in Lancashire, which has the second highest infection rate in the country, has fallen from 731.5 cases per 100,000 people to 686.1 - a significant drop.
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In Greater Manchester, all 10 boroughs have seen dropping rates this week including Oldham, which has the third highest, where it has dropped from 792.5 to 677.7 in recent days.
The average daily number of cases continues to rise across the country, however, as areas in the Midlands, London and the South of England see a second wave of infections.
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But the delayed effects of the virus mean hospitals everywhere continue to be under immense pressure, with several NHS areas cancelling non-urgent care and routine surgeries.
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There are hopes that a Covid-19 vaccine could be ready to roll out by Christmas, but officials have been quick to warn that it would have little impact on the current wave.
Earlier this week, Deputy Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said a vaccine rolled out from the new Year would see cases dramatically reduce going into the spring and summer.
