UK records another 1,730 coronavirus cases, 7 deaths

LONDON, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Another 1,730 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,369,775, according to official figures released Sunday.

The country also reported another seven coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 127,087. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.

More than 32 million people have been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine, according to the official figures.

From Monday, non-essential shops will reopen and pubs and restaurants will reopen outdoors as Britain moves to step two of the roadmap out of the COVID-19 lockdown.

Meanwhile, hairdressers and barbers as well as gyms can reopen, along with zoos, theme parks, libraries and community centers.

British scientists have warned that the government is risking a third wave of COVID-19 by easing the lockdown too soon.

The estimated coronavirus reproduction number, also known as the R number, in England is unchanged at between 0.8 and one, according to the latest official data.

However, the number is believed to be above one in some parts of the country, which means the outbreak could grow exponentially.

Experts have warned that despite progress in vaccine rollout, Britain is "still not out of the woods" amid concerns over new variants and the third wave of pandemic on the European continent.

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.