COVID cases have risen by the highest-ever daily amount today with 35,383 new infections as 11,000 missing positive tests are added after an IT glitch.
There were 532 deaths recorded in the past 24 hours.
Today’s figures are the highest single day jump since the pandemic began.
The previous daily high was 33,470 on November 12.
There has been a spike today as 11,000 missing Welsh Covid tests have now been added to the figures.
They vanished due to a computer problem – an issue which has been described as “staggering” by opposition MPs.
Yesterday, another 25,161 were diagnosed with the virus, an increase of just under 7,000 from the day before.
In the past week, there have been 160,878 positive cases of the bug – an increase of 41.6 per cent compared to the previous seven days.
Over the same period, there have been 2,970 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test, a 0.5 per cent decrease on the previous week.
Today’s figures come as:
- Millions more people are plunged into Tier 3 – but Bristol and North Somerset come out of the strictest restrictions
- Manchester stays in Tier 3 despite falling cases and being under the harshest rules since July
- The furlough scheme is extended by an extra month until April next year
- School holidays are “set to be extended by a week” for some secondary pupils
- Health Secretary Matt Hancock says everyone in Kent “should behave as if they have coronavirus”
Today, Mr Hancock revealed a string of areas including Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Peterborough and Surrey would be bumped up into the top level of restrictions.
Schools, shops and gyms can stay open in the top Tier, but restaurants, pubs and indoor activities have to shut down under the harsh restrictions.
Today’s changes move around five million more people into Tier 3 at 12.01am on Saturday – facing a near lockdown in all but name.
Around 38million people will be in the highest level of lockdown rules, totaling more than two-thirds of the population.
There will be 678,420 lucky people who will get extra freedoms as they move down a Tier.
‘PLAY YOUR PART’
Mr Hancock gave a gloomy update to the nation as he announced the changes – just a week before Christmas.
He warned: “Everyone has a personal responsibility to play their part.
“We’ve come so far – we must not blow it now.”
In the South East of England, cases are up 46 per cent in the last week alone.
He added: “Where we’ve seen the virus get under control and come out of Tier 3, it’s where everyone has taken responsibility on themselves to make that happen.
“We’ve seen case rates fall across large parts of England, I know many places in Tier 3 have seen rates reduce.
“But in most places we are not quite there yet.
Mr Hancock acknowledged that it would be “tough” to force businesses to close just before Christmas, after a horrible year of lockdowns.
