UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the country faces a hard winter but that action taken to slow the spread of the coronavirus has prevented the NHS health service from being overwhelmed.
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"We now have reason to hope that by spring, community testing and vaccines will combine to end this era of restrictions," Johnson said at a news conference.
"But to get there, we must first navigate a hard winter, when the burden on our NHS and cold weather favours the virus."
The UK recorded 17,555 new coronavirus cases on Thursday and 498 new deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test, according to official data.
Both measures were lower than on Wednesday, when there were 18,213 new coronavirus infections and 696 deaths.
Australian Associated Press
