Debate is continuing over whether the final stages of unlocking restrictions in England can go ahead on 21 June due to concerns over the spread of the Delta variant first identified in India.
Downing Street has indicated that Boris Johnson still sees nothing in the data to suggest the plan will need to be delayed.
A No 10 spokesman said:
The prime minister has said on a number of occasions that we haven’t seen anything in the data but we will continue to look at the data, we will continue to look at the latest scientific evidence as we move through June towards June 21.
Tuesday’s zero death tally is likely to feed into ministers’ considerations.
They will also consider that the figure followed a bank holiday weekend, so there may be a delay in reporting of deaths.
The NHS Confederation said the ONS figures, which show a 29% fall in coronavirus deaths from the previous week, were reassuring but “the race is not yet won”.
Director of policy Dr Layla McCay said:
Given predictions of a summer wave of…
