Friday 26 / April / 2024
London: Britain has reported another 31,795 coronavirus cases in the latest 24-hour period, according to official figures released on Saturday.
The latest data were revealed as further targeted daily contact testing is being rolled out in England to frontline emergency services and some transport workers in order to avoid any potential disruption to crucial services, according to a statement by Britain's Department of Health and Social Care.
Following clinical trial results, daily contact testing will be rolled out to further critical workplaces in England so that contacts who would otherwise be self-isolating can instead take daily tests, with an expected initial additional 200 testing sites, the statement said.
"As we learn to live with the virus, we must do everything we can to break chains of transmission and stop the spread of the virus. Daily contact testing of workers in these critical sectors will help to minimize any disruption caused by rising cases in the coming weeks, while ensuring staff are not put at risk," said Health Secretary Sajid Javid in the statement.
England recently lifted most COVID-19 restrictions as part of the final step of the roadmap out of the lockdown. Scientists have warned that lifting all restrictions at this stage could increase likelihood of dangerous variants.
More than 46.5 million people in Britain have received their first vaccine, while over 36.9 million people have had their second jab, the latest figures showed.
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.
