UK records another 3,150 coronavirus cases, 60 deaths

LONDON, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Another 3,150 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,365,461, according to official figures released Friday.

The country also reported another 60 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 127,040. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.

More than 31.9 million people have been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine, according to the official figures.

Earlier Friday, British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said Britons can start thinking about booking foreign holidays again this summer.

He also gave more detail on the traffic light system which will see countries graded on their risk as foreign holidays would resume on May 17 at the earliest.

According to Shapps, passengers will have to take the tests before leaving and on returning, even from low-risk "green" countries.

"This is the first time I'm able to come on and say I'm not advising against booking foreign holidays," he told the BBC.

"Yes, you'll want to check what the situation is in two or three weeks' time when that list -- the green, amber, red, is produced -- you'll want to know that you've got good holiday insurance and flexible flights and the rest of it," he said.

"But for the first time I think there is light at the end of the tunnel and we'll be able to restart international travel, including cruises by the way, in a safe and secure way, knowing about the vaccinations, everything we know about the disease this year, and of course that abundance of caution -- having the tests in place."

Experts have warned that despite progress in vaccine rollout, Britain is "still not out of the woods" amid concerns over new variants and the third wave of pandemic on 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.