Another 23,012 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 854,010, according to official figures released Saturday, Trend reports citing Xinhua.
The coronavirus-related deaths in Britain rose by 174 to 44,745, the data showed.
According to the British Office for National Statistics (ONS), the highest COVID-19 infection rates continue to be seen in the North West, Yorkshire and The Humber and the North East while the biggest increase was detected in older teenagers and young adults.
Official figures showed Friday that Britain's coronavirus reproduction number, also known as the R number, has fallen slightly, but the virus is still spreading fast in the country.
The R number is now between 1.2 and 1.4, down from between 1.3 and 1.5 last week, according to the British government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE).
If the R number is above one, it means the number of cases will increase exponentially.