UK health authorities have recorded the country’s highest number of daily coronavirus cases since late March while infections in India ease.
The UK reported 6238 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, the highest number in three months and up from 5274 on Thursday, government data showed.
There were 11 deaths reported within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test, down from 18 on Thursday.
The prevalence of infections in England almost doubled in the last week of May and the estimated reproduction “R” number crept up as the “delta” variant became more widespread.
More than three quarters of adults in the UK – 39,949,694 people – have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine while just more than half have received both doses, according to the data.
India reported another 132,364 coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, a declining trend with recoveries exceeding new cases this week, and prompting several state governments to ease some of the restrictions.
The latest update from the Health Ministry on Friday raised the country’s total to more than 28.6 million, the second-highest in the world after the United States.
The ministry said 2713 more people died in the past 24 hours, driving the overall toll to 340,702.
The decline in daily confirmed infections prompted state governments, like New Delhi and Maharashtra, to announce measures to exit lockdowns.
The western state of Maharashtra, home to financial hub Mumbai, is planning to lift most restrictions across half of its districts this month, officials said.
New Delhi has already reopened manufacturing and construction activity.
