The UK has had its highest number of daily Covid deaths reported since late February, as another 293 people have died within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test.

The amount has been distorted by data from NHS England which was not provided on Monday, giving an artificially low number of deaths – 38 – but today’s figure is the largest amount since 21 February, when 325 deaths were recorded.

Separate figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show there has now been more than 166,000 deaths registered with Covid-19 on the death certificate.

Another 33,865 new coronavirus cases were confirmed earlier on Tuesday.

Member of UK advisory body Sage quits
A scientist has quit the UK government’s pandemic advisery body Sage, saying that the Covid crisis is “a long way from over”.

Sir Jeremy Farrar, quit the body at the end of October, Sky News has reported.

It said that he was advocating for a “vaccine plus” strategy to deal with the high levels of Covid cases in the UK.

Sir Jeremy, who is the director of the Wellcome Trust, a charity foundation health research, advocated for more mask wearing, ventilation and testing to tackle rising case numbers. Yet the government has not yet deviated from its current plans.