The UK's coronavirus alert level has been downgraded from four to three, its chief medical officers have said.

Under level three, the virus is considered to be "in general circulation" and there could be a "gradual relaxation of restrictions".

Previously transmission was considered to be "high or rising exponentially".

The decision to reduce the alert level followed a recommendation by the Joint Biosecurity Centre, the chief medical officers for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland said.

"There has been a steady decrease in cases we have seen in all four nations, and this continues," the medical officers said in a joint statement.

But they warned it "does not mean that the pandemic is over" and that "localised outbreaks are likely to occur".

The daily UK update provided by the government showed there were 173 coronavirus deaths recorded across the UK on 18 June, taking the total to 42,461, while the number of recorded cases has increase to 301,815.