6 January – COVID-19 in the United Kingdom: A survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals that 1.3 million people in the UK are living with long COVID, about 506,000 (40%) of whom caught the virus over a year ago, and still have symptoms such as fatigue, loss of smell, shortness of breath, and difficulty concentrating.5 January – Four defendants (known as 'the Colston 4') accused of pulling down the Statue of Edward Colston in Bristol in June 2020 as part of the Black Lives Matter protests are found not guilty of criminal damage in a jury trial.4 January – COVID-19 in the United Kingdom: The daily infection number exceeds 200,000 for the first time, with a total of 218,724 cases, partly caused by a backlog in reporting over the New Year.3 January – COVID-19 in the United Kingdom: A critical incident is declared at several hospitals in Lincolnshire after the increased spread of COVID-19 causes 'extreme and unprecedented' staff shortages.1 January – The warmest New Year's Day on record is reported, with temperatures of 16.2 ☌ (61.2 ☏) in St James's Park, Central London.Prime Minister – Boris Johnson ( Conservative).
