A further 355 coronavirus deaths have been reported in the UK in the past 24 hours – along with another 23,287 cases.
Friday’s daily deaths figure is 23 lower than yesterday’s 378.
It is also lower than Wednesday’s 492 deaths – which was the highest number of daily deaths since 19 May, when 500 were reported.
Friday’s number of daily cases is 854 lower than Thursday, when 24,141 cases were confirmed.
It comes after government scientists said the UK’s reproduction number remained unchanged at a maximum of 1.3.
The R number is a key indicator used to determine how quickly COVID-19 is spreading, representing the average number of people each person with the virus goes on to infect.
The new reproduction number has been revealed a day after England entered a second national lockdown due to a rise in coronavirus cases.
The nationwide restrictions are due to last until 2 December.
Boris Johnson has said the four-week shutdown will be “enough” to make a “real impact” on coronavirus infection rates.
The prime minister also expressed his hope of “as normal a Christmas as possible” after the month-long restrictions.
It comes as the government has extended the furlough scheme until the end of March.
The scheme, in which employees receive four-fifths of their current salary up to a maximum of £2,500 of hours not worked, was established in March this year and originally scheduled to end last month.