A further 671 coronavirus deaths have been reported in the UK, government figures show.
This brings the total number of deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test to 89,261.
Meanwhile, a further 38,598 confirmed coronavirus cases have also been recorded in the past 24 hours – the lowest so far this year.
It takes the total number of coronavirus infections since the pandemic started to 3,395,959.
Figures at the weekend tend to be lower due to a lag in reporting.
Last Sunday (10 January), case numbers were 54,940 and the Sunday before that (3 January) they were 54,990.
The number of people who have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine has now hit 3,857,266 – up from 3,559,179 previously.
Every adult in the UK is expected to receive at least one dose of a vaccine by September, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told Sky’s Sophy Ridge earlier.
He said the government’s target is to give 88% of those most at risk of dying from COVID their first jab by the middle of February, with 99% of this group vaccinated by early spring.
But with deaths and cases remaining high, experts believe we will still be under tight restrictions for the next few months.
The prime minister has refused to put a date on when the current lockdown will end, although said there will be a point in the coming months when the vaccination programme “really starts to take an effect” and will bring down the death rate.
Speaking at a Number 10 news conference, England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said he believes things are going to be a “lot better by spring”, although he has previously warned the virus will not just “disappear”.
Earlier this week, the government announced it would be imposing tougher restrictions on travel to the UK.
The travel corridor system will end from 4am on Monday, meaning all travellers entering the UK will have to self-isolate for 10 days – unless they can produce a negative COVID-19 test at least five days after arrival.
As well as the travel corridors being dropped, all arrivals must test negative for coronavirus up to 72 hours before leaving the country of departure.
