UK registers over 30,000 new coronavirus cases

LONDON -- Another 30,305 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 9,301,909, according to official figures released Sunday.

The country also reported a further 62 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 141,805. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.

There are currently 9,160 patients in hospital with COVID-19.

The latest data came as almost 10 million people in the UK have received their booster vaccines, with three million extra invites being sent next week, according to Britain's Department of Health and Social Care.

"I strongly urge everybody who is eligible for a COVID-19 booster or flu vaccine to take up the offer as soon as you can," Britain's Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said.

"This truly is a national mission. If we all come together and play our part, we can get through this challenging winter, avoid a return to restrictions and enjoy Christmas," Javid added.

The latest evidence from Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) shows that protection against symptomatic disease falls from 65 percent, up to three months after the second dose, to 45 percent six months after the second dose for the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, and from 90 percent to 65 percent for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

Protection against hospitalization falls from 95 percent to 75 percent for Oxford/AstraZeneca and 99 percent to 90 percent for Pfizer/BioNTech.

More than 87 percent of people aged 12 and over in Britain have had their first dose of vaccine and more than 79 percent have received both doses, the latest figures showed. Meanwhile, more than 17 percent have received booster jabs, or third doses of a coronavirus vaccine.

To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the United States have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines.