Scientists say Covid variant is spreading across UK – but no evidence it is more dangerous

Scientific experts have said that the coronavirus variant has spread from the east and south east of England to the rest of the country.

But they have been trying to reassure people that there is no evidence yet suggesting that it poses a greater danger to people who are infected.

The latest 24-hour figures show there have been an extra 33,364 people testing positive for coronavirus and there have been another 215 deaths recorded.

The official number of people in the UK who have died from Covid-19 now stands at 67,616.

More than half a million people here have now been vaccinated.