COVID-19: UK reports another 95 coronavirus deaths and 6,303 new cases as 25.7m have had first jab
UK coronavirus deaths reported on Thursday are nearly half those announced this time last week - cases are also down slightly.
Thursday 18 March 2021 18:12, UK
There have been a further 6,303 COVID-19 cases and another 95 people have died with coronavirus in the UK, according to latest daily figures.
That compares with 6,753 cases and 181 deaths reported this time last week.
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Government figures show another 462,246 people have had their first dose of a vaccine, taking the total to 25,735,472.
A further 119,609 people have had a second dose, taking it to 1,879,054.
It comes as the prime minister said that, despite a drop in the number of jabs available next month, there would be "no change" to England's lockdown easing roadmap.
Total coronavirus-linked deaths in the UK since the start of the pandemic now stand at 125,926 (within 28 days of a positive test).
The latest seven-day rolling average of deaths is 108.3, down from 163.3 a week before.
Average cases have flattened out since the start of March - the average is 5,600.7 - down slightly from 5,760.1.
The number in hospital with COVID has continued to fall, with 7,218 being treated on 15 March - the most recent day available - down from 9,464 the week before.
That compares with more than 38,000 in the mid-January peak.
In other coronavirus developments, the EU's medicines regulator has ruled that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is "safe and effective".
Some European countries have paused using the jab after reports of blood clots emerged.
The regulator said the benefits outweigh the risks - and that the vaccine is not linked to an "overall risk" of clots.
Italy is among the nations to have already announced a resumption of their AstraZeneca rollout since the European Medicine Agency's announcement.