Britain reported 7 143 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, the highest single figure to date, and 71 deaths, the biggest toll since July.
Lockdown measures are being imposed across the country as the government tries to limit the spread of the virus.
The 71 deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test is the highest level since 97 fatalities were recorded on July 1.
Meanwhile, the chief executive of GlaxoSmithKline, the world’s largest maker of vaccines, said she was optimistic the industry will be able to make an immunisation against COVID-19 widely available next year.
“I share the optimism that we will have solutions next year.The challenge here is getting to the scale that is required,”GSK CEO Emma Walmsley said at an online event of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) on Tuesday.
GSK is contributing adjuvants, efficacy boosters that play a vital role in many vaccines, in several development alliances for potential future vaccines against the novel coronavirus that has claimed more than a million lives globally.
The group’s most advanced project is with French partner Sanofi and the two have said they hope to get approval for their candidate next year.
Walmsley stressed the industry’s unprecedented speed of developing an immunisation did not compromise safety because trials were not smaller than usual and regulators and companies were taking steps in parallel that were previously done consecutively.
