The official death toll from Covid has exceeded 100,000 in the last 24 hours as the U.K. reported 1,631 deaths in the last 24 hours.
The UK also reported an additional 20,089 cases and that 7,325,773 jabs have been given in the UK so far. The vast majority, 6,853,327, were first doses.
The Prime Minister said at the evening Downing Street press conference that it’s “hard to commute the sorrow” of the 100,000 death toll from coronavirus.
“I offer my deepest condolences to everybody who has lost a loved one”.
He added that “We make this pledge that when we have come through this crisis we will come together as a nation to remember everyone we lost”. and
“when those vaccines are finally freed us from this virus and put us on a path to recovery. We will make sure we learn the lessons and reflect and prepare.”
Replying to questions the Prime Minister said: “I’m deeply sorry for the lives that have been lost. I take responsibility for everything the Government has done. We did everything we could and continue to do everything that we can”.
He was expected to rule on plans for quarantine hotels to protect against new strains of the Covid virus.
It is thought the hotels will be targeted at South Africa, South America and Portugal initially as they look to keep the new variants from entering the UK although some members of the cabinet prefer a more robust system to qquarantine travellers from all countries as is the case in Australia and New Zealand.
Earlier in the day,Nadhim Zahawi, the Government’s vaccine minister, has said it is “too early” to know if summer holidays will go ahead.
The Chancellor Rishi Sunak said he recognised the risks still being faced by companies because of COVID-19 lockdowns, and that he was reviewing support measures ahead of his March 3 budget statement.
