Buckingham Palace announced that Queen Elizabeth II of Britain and her husband, Prince Philip, received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine today, Saturday.
A spokesperson stated that the queen (94 years old) and her husband (99 years old) received their COVID-19 vaccine today, joining approximately one and a half million people who have received their first dose in the United Kingdom. The Office for National Statistics in Britain announced on Friday that more than 1.1 million people have contracted COVID-19 in the past week, which equates to one infection for every 50 individuals in the country, while the rate rises to one in every 30 in London with the spread of a rapidly transmissible new variant.
The Office for National Statistics estimated that 1.1 million people in England have been infected with the coronavirus in the week ending January 2. The office stated, "London, the East of England, and the Southeast have seen the highest rates of positive cases matching the new variant of the virus."
London Mayor Sadiq Khan described the spread of the coronavirus in the city on Friday as "out of control," as hospitals in the British capital are on the verge of reaching maximum capacity. Britain is the most affected country by the pandemic in Europe, with nearly 80,000 deaths, including 1,325 reported on Friday.
