COVID-19: UK records another 15,450 coronavirus cases and 206 deaths

The UK has recorded another 15,450 coronavirus cases and 206 deaths in the last 24 hours.

These new cases bring the total number from the past seven days to 40,504 infections, which is a 23% drop on the week prior.

Monday's figures also show that the number of new COVID-19 cases had fallen by 3,212 compared with the 18,662 seen on Sunday.

An overall number of 1,527,495 have now tested positive for the virus in the UK.

Deaths, meanwhile, are up by 6% when comparing the last seven days with the previous week.

The seven-day total has reached 3,084, including the 206 people who died in the last 24 hours, and brings the overall number of deaths within 28 days of testing positive to 55,230.

When including deaths where COVID-19 has been mentioned on the death certificate, along with additional data released in recent days, there have been more than 71,000 deaths involving the disease in the UK, according to separate figures from national statistics agencies.

The latest figures were released on Monday as Boris Johnson laid out his COVID Winter Plan - revealing how he sees England exiting its second lockdown.

Starting on 2 December, the country will return to a "tougher" version of the tiered system seen earlier this year, which the prime minister has warned would see more regions "fall at least temporarily into higher levels than before".

The tiering for various regions is expected to be announced on Thursday.

In the meantime, non-essential shops, hairdressers, gyms and leisure centres are set to reopen from next week, while collective worship, weddings and outdoor sports can resume.

People will be able to meet in groups of six - a return of the prior "rule of six" - and the curfew for bars and restaurants will be extended by an hour to 11pm.

Praising advances in testing, treatment and vaccines, Mr Johnson then said his winter plan was "designed to carry us safely to spring", which he said he hopes would lessen the need for future lockdowns.

"By the spring these advances should reduce the need for the restrictions we have endured in 2020 and make the whole concept of a COVID lockdown redundant," he added.