UK daily Covid deaths plunge 34% in a week with 63 fatalities and 6,397 cases in the past 24 hours

UK Covid deaths today grew by 63 - down 34 per cent on the rise recorded this time last week.

Another 6,397 cases were reported in the last 24 hours, meaning a total of 4,319,128 have now tested positive for the bug in Britain.

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This time last week, there were 95 fatalities - more than a third higher than today's rise.

The number of new cases is also smaller than it was last Thursday (6,303) although it remains higher than yesterday.

New infections in the UK were today up for the fifth day in a row.

Yesterday, 5,605 new cases were recorded - 792 new cases fewer than today.

On Tuesday, cases were up by 5,379 and on Monday the figure was 5,342.

On Sunday, new infections stood at an even smaller 5,312.

Today's figures mean a total of 126,445 people have now died from coronavirus in Britain since the start of the pandemic.

It comes as:

• Last year's much-mocked "stay alert” slogan will not return when we stop being told to "stay at home" next week
• Brits can visit family and friends in private gardens when lockdown eases on Monday - and they can go inside to use the loo too
• Emmanuel Macron has admitted he completely bungled the EU's vaccine rollout as the bloc heads for a u-turn on the jab export ban
• Boris Johnson today insisted vaccine passports might not come in until after everyone has been offered a jab appointment - and the plans won't stop pubs opening outside in April as planned
• Matt Hancock today admitted he can't promise emergency Covid powers will definitely end in six months - as MPs gear up for a crunch vote on extending them until September

The Prime Minister is ditching the 'stay at home' rule next week, although holidays are banned, and anyone caught trying to leave the country for a non-essential reason faces a fine.

Millions of Brits were ordered to stay at home under the third national lockdown, working from their own house and unable to meet up with friends in an attempt to stop the spread of Covid.

But Boris Johnson's roadmap out of lockdown has now started to unfold, with the next phase to take place from March 29.

The Rule of Six will return to let Brits meet up with six mates outside while outdoor sports will be back on.

And the next phase also means the "Stay Home" slogan will be axed in England.

Under the current rules, many Brits had been fined for not having a reasonable excuse for heading outside.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland's lockdown rules differ due to their devolved governments, but they are also lifting lockdown restrictions.

Nicola Sturgeon already allowed groups of four from two households to meet outdoors earlier this month, and will ditch the "Stay Home" message for Scots from April 2.

Meanwhile Wales lifted the "Stay Home" order on March 13, but told people to stay local. Four people from two households can also meet outside.

Northern Ireland is set to reintroduce the Rule of Six outdoors from April 1, with the "Stay Home" order lifted on April 12.