UK records another 231 Covid-19 deaths and 17,272 cases
6 December 2020, 17:16 | Updated: 6 December 2020, 17:20
The UK has recorded another 231 Covid-19 deaths and 17,272 cases in the past 24 hours, the Government has announced.
The number of cases is slightly up from yesterday - unusual for a Sunday - but deaths are down 166 from the previous day.
It takes the total number of deaths in the country to 61,245 and cases to 1,723,242.
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The rolling 7-day death toll is 3,002 - down by 7% on last Sunday.
Hospitalisations are down 12% this week compared to last week as the country comes down from the peak of the second wave.
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It comes as NHS hospitals prepare for the first phase of the "largest-scale vaccination campaign" in British history.
The first Covid-19 vaccines will arrive at hospitals by Monday, with the first jabs being administered on Tuesday.
GP surgeries in England have also been told to start staffing Covid-19 vaccine centres by 14 December.
Images from Public Health England show specialist Covid-19 vaccine freezers lined up, containing Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine doses awaiting distribution to the NHS.
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The pictures were taken at a secure location in England and do not include any images of the vaccine vials due to the problems associated with opening the packaging.
The vaccine needs storage temperatures of minus 70C to minus 80C.
