Christmas may be difficult as COVID not over, England's deputy medical officer says

FILE PHOTO: A swab sample tube together with self-test instructions is seen inside a car at a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) drive through test site amidst the spread of the disease, in London, Britain, in this illustration picture taken October 30, 2021. REUTERS/Toby Melville/Illustration

LONDON (Reuters) -Christmas may be difficult as the COVID-19 pandemic is not over, England's deputy chief medical officer warned on Wednesday, urging people to behave with caution and come forward for booster shots.

Britain reported 293 deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday, the highest daily figure since March, and there have been an average of around 40,000 new cases each day in recent weeks.