Another 2,829 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,457,923, according to official figures released Friday.

Axar.az reports that the country also reported another nine coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 127,710. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.

England's coronavirus reproduction number, known as the R number, is estimated at between 0.9 and 1.1, the latest figures showed.

Last week it was estimated at between 0.8 and 1.1, according to the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE).

The latest figures mean that on average every 10 people infected with COVID-19 will go on to infect between nine and 11 others. If the R number is above one, it means the number of cases will increase exponentially.

Meanwhile, Public Health England (PHE) said it is investigating another new variant after 49 cases were identified, mostly in Yorkshire and the Humber region.