UK records another 4,052 coronavirus cases, 43 deaths

Photo taken on March 31, 2021 shows a view of the National COVID Memorial Wall outside St Thomas' Hospital in London, Britain. Bereaved family members and volunteers are in the process of painting hearts along a half-mile wall opposite to the Houses of Parliament in London in remembrance of those who died of COVID-19. Another 4,052 people in Britain tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,345,788, according to official figures released Wednesday. (Xinhua/Han Yan)

LONDON, March 31 (Xinhua) -- Another 4,052 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,345,788, according to official figures released Wednesday.

The country also reported another 43 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 126,713. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.

Nearly 31 million people have been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine, according to the official figures.

The latest figures came amid warning by British health authorities that Britons should obey the restriction rules and remain cautious over coronavirus as people gathered outdoors to enjoy the sunshine.

Thousands gathered in parks and beaches as temperature in Britain soared this week, prompting concerns of possible breaches of COVID-19 restrictions.

The mercury peaked at 24.5 degrees Celsius at Kew Gardens in west London on Tuesday, with St James's Park in the center of the British capital also hitting highs of 24.3 degrees Celsius.

The figure is only slightly below Britain's hottest ever March temperature of 25.6 degrees Celsius, recorded in 1968 at Mepal in Cambridgeshire in eastern England.

Nottingham closed two parks after "appalling scenes" of overcrowding and lockdown breaches were reported this week.

From Monday, two households or groups of up to six were allowed to meet outside, including in private gardens and outdoor team sports are reopening.

From April 12, non-essential retail, as well as restaurants and pubs, if serving people outdoors, will be allowed to reopen in England.

On Feb. 22, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his roadmap exiting the lockdown, the third of its kind since the start of the pandemic in the country. The four-step plan is expected to see all legal restrictions in England being removed by mid-June.

Experts have warned Britain is "still not out of the woods" amid concerns over new variants and the third wave of pandemic in the European continent.

To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Russia, the United States as well as the European Union have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines.