UK registers 210 more COVID-19 deaths, the number of cases rises to 34,693

People walk through Oxford Circus while stores remain closed under Tier-4 restrictions amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in London, UK, December 26, 2020. REUTERS / Henry Nicholls

LONDON (Reuters) – The United Kingdom recorded 210 COVID-19 deaths on Saturday, up from 570 the day before, while the number of cases increased by 1,968 to 34,693, the government said, citing partial data.

The latest R number is estimated at 1.1 to 1.3, the government said.

The United Kingdom has recorded a death toll of 70,405, defined as those who die within 28 days of a positive test. By that measure, it has the world’s sixth largest toll, after the United States, Brazil, India, Mexico and India.

A broader measure of those who died with COVID-19 on their death certificate, estimates the death toll in the UK at 79,349.

Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; edited by John Stonestreet

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