LONDON, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Another 3,402 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,353,668, according to official figures released Friday.
The country also reported another 52 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 126,816. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.
More than 31.3 million people have been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine, according to the official figures.
The coronavirus reproduction number, also known as the R number, in England is between 0.8 and one, the latest official figures showed Friday.
The government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) did not agreed on a Britain-wide estimate of R number this week, saying that "given the increasingly localised approach to managing the epidemic", those figures are "less meaningful than previously and may not accurately reflect the current picture".
When the figure is above one, an outbreak can grow exponentially.
The latest figures came after lockdown restrictions in England further eased on Monday, allowing up to six people or two households to meet outdoors, including in private gardens.
However, thousands were reported gathering in parks and beaches as temperature in Britain soared this week, prompting concerns over breaches of COVID restrictions.
From April 12, non-essential retail, as well as restaurants and pubs, if serving people outdoors, will be allowed to reopen in England.
On Feb. 22, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his "roadmap" exiting the lockdown, the third of its kind since the start of the pandemic. The four-step plan is expected to see all legal restrictions in England being removed by mid-June.
Experts have warned Britain is "still not out of the woods" amid concerns over new variants and the third wave of pandemic in the European continent.
To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Russia, the United States as well as the European Union have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines. Enditem
