Volunteers paint red hearts representing the victims who died of COVID-19 on the National COVID Memorial Wall outside St Thomas' Hospital in London, Britain, on March 31, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua]
Another 3,568 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,373,343, according to official figures released Monday.
The country also reported another 13 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 127,100. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.
More than 32.1 million people have been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine, according to the latest official figures.
As England further eased its lockdown, all shops are reopening from Monday along with hairdressers, beauty salons and other close-contact services.
Restaurants and pubs are allowed to serve food and alcohol to customers sitting outdoors. Meanwhile, gyms, spas, zoos, theme parks, libraries and community centers can all open.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed the latest progress as "a major step forward in our roadmap to freedom".
"I urge everyone to continue to behave responsibly and remember 'hands, face, space and fresh air' to suppress COVID as we push on with our vaccination programme," he said.
British scientists have warned that the government is risking a third wave of COVID-19 by easing the lockdown too soon.
The estimated coronavirus reproduction number in England is unchanged at between 0.8 and 1, according to the latest official data.
However, the number is believed to be above one in some parts of the country, which means the outbreak could grow exponentially.
Experts have warned that despite progress in vaccine rollout, Britain is "still not out of the woods" amid concerns over new variants and the third wave of pandemic in the European continent.
To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Russia, the United States as well as the European Union have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines.
