UK records another 10,641 coronavirus cases, 178 deaths in 24 hrs

Another 10,641 people in Britain have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,126,150, according to official figures released on Monday.

The country also reported another 178 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 120,757. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test, Xinhua news agency reported.

The latest figures were revealed as more than 17.7 million people in Britain have been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine.

Also on Monday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his long-anticipated "roadmap" exiting the lockdown.

Schools in England will reopen from March 8 as the first part of a four-step plan, which Johnson said was designed to be "cautious but irreversible"

In the second step, non-essential retail, hairdressers and public buildings like libraries and museums will reopen from April 12, Johnson told lawmakers at the House of Commons, the lower house of the British parliament.

In the third step, from May 17, the "rule of six" will be abolished for outdoor gatherings if the data allows and the gathering of up to 30 people will be permitted.

In the fourth step, from June 21, all legal social restrictions are expected to be removed, with the reopening of the final closed sectors of the economy including nightclubs, said Johnson.

England is currently under the third national lockdown since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country. Similar restriction measures are also in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.