London, Sep 13 : Another 29,173 people in Britain have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 7,226,276.
The country also recorded another 56 coronavirus-related deaths, according to official figures released Sunday.
The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 134,200. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test, Xinhua news agency reported.
The latest data came as the British Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that coronavirus infection rates have remained level in England but increased in Wales and Scotland.
Rates have skyrocketed in Scotland, where schools reopen earlier than the rest of the country, and there are fears a return to the classroom could push up infections across the rest of the areas in Britain.
Meanwhile, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved the use of Pfizer and AstraZeneca as Covid-19 booster vaccines.
"We know that a person's immunity may decline over time after their first vaccine course.
I am pleased to confirm that the Covid-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and AstraZeneca can be used as safe and effective booster doses," said Dr June Raine, chief executive of MHRA.
"This is an important regulatory change as it gives further options for the vaccination programme, which has saved thousands of lives so far."
It will now be for Britain's vaccine advisory body, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), to advise on whether booster jabs will be given and if so, which vaccines should be used.
More than 89 per cent of people aged 16 and over in Britain have had their first dose of vaccine and more than 80 per cent have received both doses, the latest figures showed.
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.
--IANS
int/shs.
Source: IANS
