COVID-19: Another 533 deaths reported and 16,578 new cases
Since the pandemic started, there have been 1,766,819 confirmed coronavirus infections in the UK.
Wednesday 9 December 2020 17:24, UK
The UK has reported another 533 deaths with COVID-19 and 16,578 new cases of the virus in the last 24 hours.
That compares to 12,282 cases and 616 deaths on Tuesday, according to government data.
It means the total number of people who have died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus is now 62,566.
Live updates on coronavirus from the UK and around the world
Deaths where COVID-19 has been mentioned on the death certificate, together with additional data on deaths that have occurred in recent days, show there have now been 78,000 deaths involving COVID-19 in the UK.
Since the pandemic started, there have been 1,766,819 confirmed coronavirus infections.
It comes as the chief medical officer for England has said the coronavirus vaccine being rolled out across the UK will "substantially" reduce deaths.
Professor Chris Whitty also said the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine will drastically reduce hospital admissions from COVID-19 and that there will be up to four vaccines to use by the middle of next year.
One group being told to avoid the first one is people who have a history of "significant" allergic reactions.
The advice from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) comes after two NHS staff members who had the jab yesterday experienced allergic reactions.
They developed "anaphylactoid reaction" symptoms shortly after being injected, and are now understood to be recovering.
Canada has become the latest country to approve Pfizer and BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine - describing it as "safe, effective and of good quality".
In a statement, Health Canada said the authorisation was a "critical milestone" in the fight against COVID-19 - and stressed that the review process had been "rigorous".
The country is set to receive 249,000 doses this month, and four million doses by the end of March.
Overall, it has a firm order for 20 million doses of this vaccine with an option to buy 56 million more, meaning Canada has purchased more shots per head than any other country.
Grandmother Margaret Keenan, 90, the first person in the world to have the Pfizer vaccine has been discharged from hospital.
She was given the coronavirus jab at University Hospital Coventry on Tuesday.