No COVID-19 deaths reported in England for first time in a year

Most of the United Kingdom reported zero deaths due to COVID-19 Monday, the first time this has happened in more than a year.

While Wales reported a total of four deaths on May 10, 2021, there were none reported in England, Northern Ireland or Scotland, according to official statistics posted on the U.K. government’s website.

The last time England reported zero COVID-19 deaths was in March 2020.

The announcement came as U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the U.K. would be beginning to lift restrictions on public gatherings by May 17. People will soon be able to go to pubs and sporting events, he said. The government has also lowered the country’s COVID-19 alert level.

In a statement, the medical officers said social distancing and the rapid vaccine rollout had helped to bring coronavirus cases and daily deaths down sharply.

According to government statistics, 67 per cent of the population has received at least a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and 34 per cent has received both doses.

According to Johns Hopkins data, Britain has the fifth-highest death toll in the world from COVID-19 with 127,609 fatalities.

—With files from Reuters

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