A total of 666 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending 8 October mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

That figure is down 15% on the previous week.

It is the lowest number of deaths since the week to 3 September.

Those 666 deaths account for 6.2% of all deaths registered in England and Wales in the week to 8 October.

Jim Reed
Health reporter, BBC News

In September, the government's scientific advisers recommended that everyone over 50 should be offered a third dose of a Covid vaccine, along with frontline medical staff and younger adults with some underlying health conditions - but is that happening quick enough?

Latest data from the NHS, external shows 3.7 million people in England have been given a third jab under the programme, offering them the fullest protection against the virus this winter.

According to calculations from the actuary John Roberts, from the Covid-19 Actuaries Response Group, which has been tracking the vaccine rollout, there are 8.5 million people now eligible for a booster if they want it.

That leaves 4.8 million who have had their second dose at least six months ago, but have not yet received that top-up.

He says that shortfall has been growing by about 800,000 a week as more people become eligible.

Read the full analysis here.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

The emergence of a new sub-variant of the Delta strain that is dominant in the UK and around much of the world is not "disastrous", a geneticist has said.

Scientists have identified a variant called AY.4.2.

Francois Balloux, the director of the UCL Genetics Institute, tells the Today programme it is "potentially a marginally more infectious strain" than Delta.

But he says the difference in transmissibility is "nothing" compared to that between Delta and Alpha - the previously dominant strain in the UK - which was 50 to 60% more infectious.

Balloux says it is likely this new variant is up to 10% more transmissible than Delta, but more research is needed.

"At this stage I would say, wait and see, don't panic, it might be slightly, subtly more transmissible, but it's not, let's say, something absolutely disastrous like we saw previously."

Image source, Getty Images

As well as speeding up booster vaccines, the UK should increase vaccination rates in teenagers to help tackle rising case numbers, Prof Neil Ferguson says.

He points out that case numbers in the UK are currently highest in teenagers.

Ferguson also says teenagers should be given two doses, rather than one as they are currently.

He says "most" European countries have higher vaccination rates of teenagers than the UK and are giving them second doses.

Ferguson tells the Today programme: "Two doses really are needed to block infection and prevent transmission, so I think that's the other problem, keep pushing on, getting coverage rates up higher in the teenagers, who are driving a lot of this infection."

Hospital admissions resulting from Covid in Scotland and Northern Ireland have been falling steadily since early September, but many parts of England - including the Midlands, the North East and the North West - have seen sharp rises in October.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Prof Neil Ferguson - who is a member of the government's scientific advisory group for emergencies (Sage) - is asked if there is a danger that we're "letting our guard down too early" by dropping social distancing measures such as compulsory mask wearing in indoor spaces.

He tells Today it is "notable" that other European countries have kept more measures, including vaccine mandates and compulsory mask wearing. He says they tend to have lower case numbers - "and certainly not cases numbers which are going up as fast as we've got".

He adds: "Clearly, people need to be aware that we have currently higher levels of infection in the community than we've almost ever had during the pandemic."

Prof Ferguson says more than 1% of the population has been infected at any given time during the last three of four months.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Prof Neil Ferguson says case numbers and hospitalisations in the UK are currently doubling roughly every five weeks.

He says that while the UK needs to be "on the case" and prioritise its vaccination programme, it is not in the same position as last year.

He tells the Today programme: "I don't think it's a reason to panic right now but I would certainly like to see vaccination booster doses accelerated, vaccination of teenagers accelerated."

He also explains that people being given booster vaccines do not need to have the same make they received the first time, with the Pfizer jab the main vaccine being given for boosters.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Image source, Imperial College London

We've got more from Prof Neil Ferguson, who says there is "good data" from Israel that shows people given a third booster jab have higher levels of immunity than those given two.

"I do think it's critical we accelerate the booster programme," he tells the Today programme.

He also points out that infection rates are highest in teenagers at the moment.

Most other European countries are ahead of the UK in vaccinating teenagers, he says, and are giving them two doses rather than one, as the UK does.

"We know two doses really are needed to block infection and prevent transmission."

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

The UK is no longer in the "top rank" of European countries for vaccination rates, the scientist whose modelling led to the first nationwide restrictions has said.

Asked why the UK's coronavirus case numbers are higher than in other European countries, Prof Neil Ferguson tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme there is “lower functional immunity” here in the population.

This, he says, is because the UK vaccinated earlier than other countries - meaning there has been more time for immunity to wane in vaccinated people - and because the UK has relied more heavily on the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab.

While the AZ jab is good at preventing severe disease, it is less effective than some other vaccines at reducing coronavirus transmission, he says.

He adds the UK has “slipped behind” some other European countries in vaccination rates.

“We’re no longer at the top rank of European countries in terms of overall vaccination coverage, particularly vaccinating teenagers.”

As we've been reporting, Covid-19 cases in the UK are at the highest point since the summer, with the seven-day average now standing at 44,145 cases per day.

At present, more than 7,000 people are in hospital with Covid-19 in the UK.

With regards to deaths, the latest seven-day average figure - which is more accurate than the daily figure, which can be subject to fluctuations - is now 124 deaths per day.

Image source, PA Media

The UK government has warned of "challenging" months ahead as daily Covid cases in the UK hit their highest daily level since mid-July.

On Monday, 49,156 cases were reported across the UK, as were a further 45 deaths within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus.

Government adviser Prof Andrew Hayward says the situation is "concerning" and there is "huge potential for the NHS to come under a lot of pressure".

But Downing Street says an increase in cases had been expected over the winter and the government will keep a "close watch" on the situation.

We'll bring you more updates and reaction as the day goes on.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.

We’ll be bringing you the main Covid developments from the UK and around the world.