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671 more Covid-19 deaths as grim UK toll approaches 90,000

<p>A member of the medical team administers a coronavirus Covid-19 vaccine shot at the NHS vaccination centre in Robertson House in Stevenage</p> (AFP)

A member of the medical team administers a coronavirus Covid-19 vaccine shot at the NHS vaccination centre in Robertson House in Stevenage

(AFP)

The UK Government has recorded 38,598 new cases of coronavirus giving the country a total of 3,395,959 people infected so far in the pandemic.

They also reported 671 further deaths, giving a toll of 89,261 - of those new deaths 598 occurred in England.

The number of infections is 30 per cent lower than last Sunday (54,940) and also the lowest number of new COVID-19 cases since December 27.

The figures come as Boris Johnson hailed the vaccine roll-out effort that sees a vaccine being administered at a rate of 140 jabs a minute.

The NHS completed a total of 3,857,266 vaccinations in England between December 8 and January 16.

Of those, 3,365,492 were first doses of the vaccine and 426,102, were second doses.

The Government revealed plans to offer a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine to every adult in the UK by September, Dominic Raab claimed.

The Foreign Secretary added it would be "great" if the rollout could be faster but that the Government was working to the early autumn target.

In an interview on Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Mr Raab said: "Our target is by September to have offered all the adult population a first dose. If we can do it faster than that, great, but that's the roadmap."

He said that he hoped by the "early spring" some restrictions can be lifted "gradually" so the country can "get back to normal".

It follows Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s announcement that half of all over-80s have been vaccinated against coronavirus.

He tweeted: “I’m delighted that over half of all over-80s have been vaccinated. Each jab brings us one step closer to normal.

“Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.”