Another 412 COVID-19 patients have died in Britain as of Tuesday afternoon, bringing the total coronavirus-related death toll in the country to 37,460, the Department of Health and Social Care said Wednesday.

The figures include deaths in all settings, including hospitals, care homes and the wider community.

As of Wednesday morning, 267,240 people have tested positive in Britain, a daily increase of 2,013, according to the department.

Earlier in the day, a Downing Street spokesperson said the government remains confident of hitting the 200,000 target for testing capacity by Monday, as 117,013 tests have been done on Tuesday.

Appearing before the Commons Liaison Committee, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told senior MPs that the government's novel coronavirus test and trace system will be up and running Thursday.

Anyone in England who has been in close contact with someone who has been infected with COVID-19 will be asked to isolate for 14 days even if they have no symptoms, said the prime minister.

Acknowledging that being told to self-isolate was a "huge imposition", Johnson said people should be aware of why the program was needed, warning that fines could be introduced for people who fail to comply.

"We will be asking people to stay at home. If they don't follow that advice, what we will be saying is we will consider what sanctions may be necessary," he told the committee.

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