Covid cases rise by almost 19,000 in the UK as 80 more deaths are announced

A further 18,804 cases of coronavirus cases and 80 deaths have been announced in the UK. It brings the total number of cases in the UK to 741,212 and confirmed deaths to 43,726. Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show there have now been 58,500 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate. The number of cases remains high as the government pushes for more areas of England to be put under Tier 3 lockdown while Wales has announced it is entering a 'circuit break' lockdown. The two-week lockdown in Wales will see many hospitality venues closed, secondary schools will only be open to years seven and eight and, people will be told to stay at home as much as possible.