UK coronavirus death toll jumps by 48
The number of people who have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus has jumped by 48.
This is the lowest death toll reported on a Friday since lockdown began, according to the Department of Health and Social Care's figures.
This follows Thursday's figure of 85 deaths, which was also the lowest number of deaths reported on a Thursday since lockdown began.
22 of those deaths incurred in English hospitals. Of those deaths, the patients were aged between 52 and 99 and all of them had known underlying health conditions.
The DHSC said 160,970 Covid-19 tests were processed, of which 512 were positive.
It comes as the growth rate of Covid-19 transmission in the UK has dropped slightly in the last week.
Data released by the government on Friday revealed the growth rate has dropped to between minus 5% and minus 2% per day, compared with a rate of minus 6% to 0% per day last week.
The growth rate reflects how quickly the number of infections is changing day by day and, as the number of infections decreases, it is a way of keeping track of the virus.
If the growth rate is greater than zero, and therefore positive, then the disease will grow, and if the growth rate is less than zero, then the disease will shrink.
However, there is some regional variation between the figures.
In the East of England, the growth rate rose from between minus 5% to 0% last week, to between minus 4% and plus 1%, indicating the rate of spread of the disease is growing in the area.
The figures come as beauty salons, outdoor pools and outdoor performances gear up to open in the next few days.
In London, the growth rate is between minus 5% and plus 1%, compared to between minus 4% and plus 2% last week.
