LONDON, May 23 — Another 2,235 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,462,538, according to official figures released Sunday (May 23).
The country also reported another five coronavirus-related fatalities, taking the national death toll to 127,721. These figures only include those who died within 28 days of their first positive test.
Nearly 38 million people, or more than 70% of adults in Britain, have been given the first coronavirus vaccine jab, according to official figures.
The latest data were revealed as British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he is “increasingly confident” that England is “on track” for the British government’s roadmap exiting the coronavirus lockdown.
His remarks came after a study by Public Health England (PHE) showed promising results for the two main vaccines being used to fight the virus in Britain.
According to the PHE study, which took place between April 5 and May 16, the Pfizer vaccine was 88% effective against symptomatic disease from the India-related variant two weeks after the second dose, compared with 93% effectiveness against the variant identified in Kent.
Meanwhile, the AstraZeneca jab was 60% effective, compared with 66% against the Kent variant over the same period.
However, they were only 33% effective three weeks after the first dose, the PHE report said.
Experts have warned that coronavirus may continue to evolve for years to come, and eventually it is likely current vaccines will fail to protect against transmission, infection, or even against disease caused by newer variants.
The British government’s roadmap is expected to see all legal limits on social contact to be removed on June 21.
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. (Xinhua) –jlo
