UK Reports Over 18,000 New COVID-19 Cases Amid Delta Variant Spread

On the 20th, people waiting for vaccination were lined up at the COVID-19 vaccination center set up at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the home ground of the English Premier League football team Tottenham Hotspur. [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] The daily number of new COVID-19 cases in the UK has reached its highest level since February.

According to UK health authorities, on the 26th (local time), the number of new COVID-19 cases in the UK was recorded at 18,270. This is the highest daily number of new cases since February 5, when 19,114 cases were reported.

The number of new cases in the UK surged to 81,521 on December 19 last year amid the pandemic that began at the end of last year. However, the number of cases steadily declined afterward, and by the end of April, daily cases had dropped to the 1,000s, suggesting the outbreak was subsiding due to the effects of vaccination.

However, with the recent rapid spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant (Indian variant), the number of cases is sharply increasing again. The Delta variant is known to account for more than 90% of recent cases in the UK.

Nevertheless, due to the effects of vaccination, the number of new deaths has remained steady in the 20s.

As of the 26th, according to UK health authorities, 83.7% of adults aged 18 and over in the UK have received their first dose of the vaccine. The full vaccination rate, including the second dose, is 61.2%.