The UK reported no daily coronavirus-related deaths for the first time since the pandemic started

• The UK on Tuesday reported zero coronavirus-related deaths over a 24-hour period.
• It was the first time the UK reported no coronavirus-related deaths within 28 days of a positive test.

The United Kingdom on Tuesday reported zero COVID-19-related deaths over 24 hours, marking the first time since the pandemic started that the country reported no deaths from the virus.

The number of deaths reported represents people who died within 28 days of testing positive for COVID-19.

The UK reported one death from COVID-19 on Monday, down from six on Sunday and seven on Saturday. It reported 3,165 coronavirus cases on Tuesday, compared with 3,383 on Monday and 2,493 on May 25.

The last time there were zero deaths from COVID-19 reported within 28 days of a positive test was July 30 - but the UK was counting deaths differently until mid-August, so it did report deaths that day, according to the BBC and The Guardian.

The Guardian and Sky News noted that lags in reporting because of the bank-holiday weekend could affect the data.

There have been concerns about a rise in cases linked to a variant of the virus. Matt Hancock, the UK's health secretary, said last week that "as many as three-quarters of all new cases are now of this variant," according to the BBC.

Reuters reported on Saturday that though lockdown measures across the UK had eased amid falling cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, authorities in England had softened on a lockdown lifting planned for June 21.

Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccines minister, said authorities would share key metrics on June 14, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson cautioned that the variant could delay reopening, according to Reuters.