In a first since March 2020, the UK Department of Health figures today (June 1) reported no new COVID-19 deaths.

The Department saw the daily death toll undergo a sharp decline over the Spring Bank Holiday with six deaths reported on Sunday (May 30), one on Monday (May 31) and zero today, June 1.  

Noting that “virtually all cases are aged under 50 or unvaccinated”, Professor Tim Spector, a King’s College London epidemiologist, stated “vaccines work”.

Speaking on a similar note given the tumbling death toll, Professor Kevin McConway, Open University statistician added: “When you think that only two months ago we were averaging over 30 a day, and a month before that at the start of March it was over 200 a day, you can see we’ve come a really long way.”

He continued: “A lot of that huge fall must be because of vaccines protecting against serious illness and death.”

Despite the notable decrease in deaths, members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) have called for the June 21 ‘Freedom Day’ to be postponed by a few more weeks or another month, to buy more time to vaccinate others.

It’s a position that has led Tory members of parliaments (MPs) to accuse SAGE of “moving the goalposts”.

Conservative MP Desmond Swayne said: “The disease is now endemic and we must have a proper sense of proportion learning to live with it.”

He added: “There will be new variants from now until kingdom come, we cannot go on suppressing human interaction and economic activity as a response or we will live in fear and penury.”

The decline of death numbers, combined with low hospital admissions, offer confidence that vaccines are protecting people from the coronavirus and hopefully working well enough to prevent a massive third wave. 

Nevertheless, scientists continue to remain divided on whether the June 21 ‘freedom day’ total removal of lockdown restrictions can go ahead because of rising cases caused by the predominant Indian COVID-19 variant.

According to the Health Department’s data, the UK recorded 3,165 new cases of the virus on Monday (May 31).