ANOTHER day has passed with no more coronavirus-related deaths confirmed at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

As of this afternoon, 646 people have died at the hospital after testing positive for Covid-19 in the previous 28 days since the start of the pandemic.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned the easing of lockdown restrictions will "inevitably" lead to more infections and deaths as the NHS moved to the next stage of vaccine rollout by inviting people aged between 45 and 50 to book an appointment.

He has urged people to continue to "exercise restraint" as beer gardens were packed and shoppers flocked to high streets after government's rules were lifted on Monday.

Mr Johnson said although vaccines helped, restrictions had done "the bulk of the work" in reducing infections.

The start of "Phase 2" of the vaccination programme, which involves offering vaccines to healthy adults aged under 50, came after the government met its target of offering the vaccine to all those in the highest risk groups.