Yahoo Finance Coronavirus deaths fall to single figures for first time in seven months
Watch: UK deaths rise by seven
Deaths from coronavirus in Britain fell to just seven on Sunday, the first time the UK has reported single figures for nearly seven months, and the lowest number since mid-September.
The low figure came ahead of non-essential shops and outdoor hospitality opening on Monday and demonstrates that lifting restrictions has, so far, not led to a rise in cases.
Britain has not seen such a low figure since five cases were reported on Sept 13, which was also a Sunday. It is the first time the UK has recorded single figures since Sept 14.
The death figure is likely to be artificially low because of the weekend effect, and is expected to rise early next week.
The number of people testing positive for coronavirus has also fallen by more than 30 per cent in a week, with just 1,730 lab-confirmed cases reported on Sunday, the lowest figure since August.
The total number of deaths where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate is now 149,968, while those who died within 28 days of a test is 127,087.
The Government said that, as of 9am on Sunday, there had been a further 1,730 lab-confirmed cases in the UK. It brings the total to 4,369,775.
It was also another record day for second vaccine doses, with 475,230 receiving their booster jab on Saturday. Government data up to April 10 shows that of the 39,587,893 jabs have been given in the UK so far, of which 32,121,353 were first doses.
It means around 61 per cent of adults have now received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to official figures stating that 32 million people have received a jab.
No hospital admissions data was published over the weekend.
Restaurants will also be able to serve dinners outside from Monday, and hairdressers, indoor gyms, swimming pools, nail salons and zoos also reopen in another stride back towards normality.
Both the 10pm curfew rule and the requirement to order a substantial meal with a drink have been scrapped, but social distancing and masks remain in place with scientists warning that failing to abide by the rules could trigger a rebound in cases.
Professor Peter Horby, chairman of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), told Times Radio: “The watchword has got to be caution really.
“I think, inevitably [there is] going to be a bit of a rebound in the number of cases when things are relaxed.”
The University of Oxford academic said the vaccination programme will minimise the extent of hospital admissions and deaths but warned it will not be completely effective.
“Now the extent of it really depends on how well we comply with the ongoing restrictions so we really have to take this step by step,” he added.
“I think we can be joyful and enjoy the freedoms but we've still got to realise there's still a large number of people who've not been infected or vaccinated and so they will be at risk.”
The next significant roadmap date is May 17, when socialising indoors will be permitted under the "rule of six" if the Prime Minister judges that the vaccination programme is safely breaking the link between infections and deaths.
Watch: What's opening in England?
