UK COVID-19 deaths rise to 42,927

Another 171 COVID-19 patients have died in Britain, bringing the total coronavirus-related death toll in the country to 42,927, the British Department of Health and Social Care said on Tuesday.

The figures include deaths in all settings, including hospitals, care homes and the wider community.

As of Tuesday morning, 306,210 people have tested positive for the disease in Britain, a daily increase of 874, according to the department, Xinhua reported.

As of Tuesday morning, there have been 8,309,929 tests of the novel coronavirus in the country, with 237,142 tests on Monday, said the department.

Earlier on Tuesday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the current 2-metre social distancing rule will be loosened from 4 July to “1 meter plus” in England so as to further ease the coronavirus lockdown.

This means staying 1 metre apart, plus mitigations which reduce the risk of transmission, according to a statement from 10 Downing Street.

Meanwhile, Johnson announced that from 4 July, pubs, restaurants and hairdressers, among others, will be able to reopen, providing they adhere to COVID-19 prevention guidelines.