COVID-19: UK reports another 40 coronavirus deaths and 2,678 cases

The UK has reported another 40 coronavirus-related deaths and another 2,678 cases.

This compares with the 18 deaths and 2,729 COVID cases recorded yesterday.

The latest figures also show the UK has now administered 33,388,637 first doses of a coronavirus vaccine, up from the first dose total of 33,257,651 recorded yesterday.

Some 562,056 vaccinations were administered yesterday, with more than 11.6 million people having had two jabs.

Live COVID updates from UK and around world

The total number of shots given now sits at 45,012,308.

The total number of people who have died within 28 days of testing positive for the coronavirus in the UK now stands at 127,385.

And 4,401,109 cases have now been diagnosed since the start of the pandemic.

Earlier it was revealed that the R number in England had risen slightly to between 0.8 and 1.

R represents the average number of people a person with the virus goes on to infect. When the figure is above 1, an outbreak can grow exponentially - but it is shrinking if it is below 1.

It comes as India was added to the UK's travel red list as of Friday morning.

A total of 55 new infections with the coronavirus variant first identified in the country - which has a double mutation on its spike protein - have been been discovered in the UK.

India is currently suffering one of the worst outbreaks of COVID in the world, with hospitals having to beg for oxygen supplies.

Subscribe to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

The double mutation has caused concerned about how effective current vaccines will be at fighting the variant.

Dr Julian Tang, consultant virologist at the Leicester Royal Infirmary and Honorary Associate Professor in the Department of Respiratory Sciences, told Sky News that the mutation "suggests it can well escape vaccine protection".

"However, background protection from the vaccines overall will probably mean they protect against severe disease and death, although we may continue to see transmission from variants like this for some time," he said.