A further 24,405 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the UK and another 274 have died, according to the latest government data.
It comes after 23,065 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday and another 280 deaths were recorded.
It brings the total number of deaths recorded within 28 days of a positive test to 46,229 – and the total number of coronavirus cases now stands at 989,745.
More than 560,000 people have tested positive for the virus in England last week, with the number of infections rising steeply among secondary school children, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggest.
New coronavirus cases increased by around 51,900 in England each day last week, according to ONS estimates.
Meanwhile, the UK’s coronavirus reproduction number has dropped slightly from a maximum of 1.4 to a minimum of 1.3, according to the latest figures.
The latest R number was confirmed by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), which advises the government on its response to the pandemic.
The latest data shows the R number has fallen slightly for the second week in a row.
Government scientists have also said the estimated rate of growth has slowed, this looks at how quickly the number of infections are changing on a daily basis.
The growth rate is currently between plus 2% and plus 4% in the UK.
A breakdown of the R number across regions in England
- East: 1.2 – 1.4
- London: 1.1 – 1.3
- Midlands: 1.2 – 1.4
- North East and Yorkshire: 1.1 – 1.3
- North West: 1.0 – 1.2
- South East: 1.2 – 1.4
- South West: 1.2 – 1.5