Covid-19 cases are still on the rise across the UK as the average daily number of infections has shot up to almost 700 — the highest toll for more than three weeks.
Government statistics today revealed 581 more Brits have tested positive for the life-threatening disease, 30 per cent higher than the 445 cases diagnosed last Tuesday.
It means the rolling average number of new infections, which takes into account figures recorded over the past seven days and has been on the up since July 8, is now 697 — up from 678 yesterday.
Despite cases being on an upward trajectory after the relaxation of strict lockdown rules, the UK’s death curve has barely changed in the past eleven days amid fears of a resurgence.
Britain today recorded another 119 deaths, slightly up on the 110 posted this time last week. It means 65 people are succumbing to the illness each day, on average, up from 64 yesterday.
Separate government figures today revealed Covid-19 deaths have dropped again to 17-week low in England and Wales — but are on the rise in the South East and South West.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) report also showed deaths from all causes were below average for the fifth week in a row and that the overall number of confirmed or suspected victims is around 56,000.
Department of Health officials say the laboratory-confirmed death toll — which only includes victims who have tested positive for the disease — stands at 45,878.
In other coronavirus developments in Britain today:
- Ministers decided to reimpose quarantine travel restrictions on Spain after it emerged 10 Brits had returned from the country with coronavirus and Professor Chris Whitty said ‘doing nothing isn’t an option’;
- Boris Johnson admitted there are ‘signs of a second wave’ of coronavirus in Europe as he insisted it is up to Brits to decide whether to travel abroad this summer amid mounting uncertainty;
- Teachers were warned not to travel abroad at the end of the summer holidays because they face potentially losing pay if they are put into quarantine during term time;
- Ex-Supreme Court judge Lord Jonathan Sumption called on Britain to learn to live alongside Covid-19 because ‘there have been far worse diseases’;
- Downing Street was urged to toughen up its ‘back to work’ message after a string of top firms said they would not be encouraging staff back to offices for months;
- Selfridges told staff it plans to cut 450 jobs – around 14 per cent of its total headcount – in the latest UK jobs carnage with the tally of layoffs now above 66,000 since the coronavirus crisis began.
Covid-19 deaths dropped to another low across England and Wales since the lockdown. Figures show nearly five times as many people are now dying from the flu and pneumonia than coronavirus
While Covid-19 deaths decreased or remained the same across all English regions, the South East and South West have seen an increase of 57 and 11 per cent, respectively, in one week
Statistics show the number of fatalities from all causes has been below the five-year average for the past five weeks in a row
Department of Health figures yesterday showed almost 113,500 tests were carried out or posted the day before. The number includes antibody tests for frontline NHS and care workers.
But bosses again refused to say how many people were tested, meaning the exact number of Brits who have been swabbed for the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been a mystery for a month — since May 22.
Health chiefs reported 685 more cases of Covid-19. Government statistics show the official size of the UK’s outbreak now stands at 300,111 cases, less than 12 weeks after they tipped 200,000.
But the actual size of the outbreak, which began to spiral out of control in March, is estimated to be in the millions, based on antibody testing data.
It means the rolling average of daily cases stands at 678 — 8 per cent higher than the 628 average cases figure recorded last Monday.
The daily death data does not represent how many Covid-19 patients died within the last 24 hours — it is only how many fatalities have been reported and registered with the authorities.
The data does not always match updates provided by the home nations. Department of Health officials work off a different time cut-off, meaning daily updates from Scotland as well as Northern Ireland are always out of sync.
And the count announced by NHS England every afternoon — which only takes into account deaths in hospitals — does not match up with the DH figures because they work off a different recording system.
For instance, some deaths announced by NHS England bosses will have already been counted by the Department of Health, which records fatalities ‘as soon as they are available’.
More than 1,000 infected Brits died each day during the darkest days of the crisis in mid-April but the number of victims had been dropping by around 20 to 30 per cent week-on-week since the start of May.
Sixty-four Britons are dying with Covid-19 each day, on average. By contrast, the rate last Sunday was 69 and has barely changed in the past seven days.
It comes as ONS figures today revealed there were a total of 295 Covid-19 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week to July 17. Of these, 192 actually occurred that week, while others happened in the weeks before.
‘Registered deaths’ relate to when they are recorded as opposed to when they occurred, and are the lowest since the week ending March 20, when 103 were registered.
They have dropped by almost a fifth (19.4 per cent) in one week and for the 17th consecutive week.
ONS revealed Covid-19 accounted for just 3.3 per cent of the all deaths over England and Wales registered that week, which compares to the 16.4 per cent caused by the flu or pneumonia.
At the height of the pandemic, in the week ending April 17, 8,758 Covid-19 deaths were registered.
But actual death occurrences are the lowest since the week ending March 13 — 10 days before Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced lockdown — confirming the virus is petering out.
The 192 that occurred is down from 323 in the previous week, and 422 the week before that.
But while today’s data shows England is recovering from the Covid-19 crisis, two of the nine regions have shown a slight uptick in deaths from the disease.
In the South East, Covid-19 deaths rose by 57 per cent — from seven in Week 28 to 11 in Week 29. For the South West, the figures rose from 62 to 69.
All nine regions had fewer overall deaths than the five-year average, meaning no ‘excess deaths’ are being recorded — those which are above what is expected for this time of year.
Excess deaths shot up by thousands during the pandemic, and the fact they have fizzled out is a positive sign the darkest days of the crisis are over.
For much of the worst days of the outbreak Covid-19 deaths far outstripped those linked to flu or pneumonia, dementia, heart disease or other common causes of death.
But the gap has narrowed gradually and those illnesses have once again become more common than the coronavirus.
The provisional number of deaths registered in England and Wales increased in Week 28 is three per cent below the five-year average — the fifth consecutive week this pattern has been observed.
There were 270 fewer deaths than the five-year average in the week ending July 17.
This can be explained by the fact Covid-19 has had a larger impact on those most vulnerable, for example, those who already suffer from a medical condition and those at older ages.
Experts say some of these people who would have likely died over the duration of the year have already died because of Covid-19.
Flu and pneumonia deaths have also been lower than average during Britain’s epidemic, likely because of the measures introduced to curb the spread of Covid-19, meaning other infections were also strangled.
The number of deaths in care homes and hospitals in the week to July 17 was also below the five-year average (140 and 862 deaths lower respectively).
However, the number of deaths in private homes was 766 higher than the five-year average.
There have been excess deaths in private homes every week of this year, and rates are declining much slower than in other settings.
It comes amid fears Britain’s coronavirus outbreak may be growing, after several different sets of data suggested cases are rising again.
The most up to date figures show the number of new cases is rocketing upwards in Spain. It announced 6,361 new cases over the weekend, up from 4,581 the previous weekend. France announced 2,551 new coronavirus cases on Monday
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has claimed that tourists are safer in his country than the UK. These are the worst coronavirus hotspots in each country and the number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 people
The rolling daily average number of new cases was 15 per cent higher yesterday than it was three weeks ago, Department of Health statistics showed.
Health bosses yesterday revealed another 685 people have tested positive for the life-threatening virus, meaning the official size of the outbreak now sits at over 300,000 cases.
The seven-day rolling average of new cases is now 678 — higher than the 590 recorded on July 6 and the highest since July 4 (711).
Between July 6 and July 16, the daily average was always below 600 except for one day, giving hope cases were on a downward trend. But they have been above 600 for 11 days in a row now.
LOCAL AUTHORITY | DEATHS | LOCAL AUTHORITY | DEATHS | LOCAL AUTHORITY | DEATHS | LOCAL AUTHORITY | DEATHS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Birmingham | 1216 | Tower Hamlets | 188 | Lewes | 115 | Mansfield | 75 |
Leeds | 706 | Westminster | 185 | Maidstone | 115 | Oxford | 75 |
County Durham | 704 | Epping Forest | 184 | Chorley | 114 | Harlow | 74 |
Liverpool | 574 | Reigate and Banstead | 181 | Elmbridge | 113 | Rugby | 74 |
Sheffield | 573 | Hertsmere | 180 | South Derbyshire | 112 | Monmouthshire | 74 |
Cheshire East | 550 | Sutton | 179 | Welwyn Hatfield | 112 | Runnymede | 73 |
Bradford | 499 | Bedford | 173 | Havant | 111 | Broadland | 72 |
Croydon | 495 | South Gloucestershire | 169 | Hartlepool | 110 | Allerdale | 71 |
Brent | 490 | Tendring | 169 | Slough | 110 | Hambleton | 71 |
Barnet | 455 | Hammersmith and Fulham | 169 | Colchester | 110 | Bassetlaw | 71 |
Wirral | 436 | York | 168 | Winchester | 110 | Bracknell Forest | 70 |
Manchester | 415 | Mid Sussex | 168 | Wychavon | 110 | Eastbourne | 70 |
Ealing | 408 | Swindon | 167 | High Peak | 107 | Lancaster | 70 |
Cheshire West and Chester | 407 | Stratford-on-Avon | 167 | Portsmouth | 105 | South Kesteven | 69 |
Buckinghamshire | 400 | Barking and Dagenham | 166 | Erewash | 105 | Sedgemoor | 69 |
Harrow | 398 | Reading | 165 | South Staffordshire | 105 | Tamworth | 69 |
Enfield | 390 | Southampton | 165 | Mole Valley | 105 | Wellingborough | 68 |
Walsall | 387 | South Tyneside | 164 | Tewkesbury | 104 | Arun | 68 |
Cardiff | 381 | Newport | 162 | Hinckley and Bosworth | 104 | Gwynedd | 68 |
Sandwell | 369 | Dorset | 161 | Kettering | 104 | North West Leicestershire | 66 |
Wiltshire | 366 | Ashford | 161 | Warwick | 104 | Craven | 66 |
Stockport | 362 | Camden | 161 | Peterborough | 103 | Torfaen | 66 |
Wakefield | 349 | Brighton and Hove | 160 | Broxtowe | 103 | Merthyr Tydfil | 65 |
Wigan | 348 | Nuneaton and Bedworth | 159 | Denbighshire | 103 | Oadby and Wigston | 64 |
Bromley | 344 | East Staffordshire | 158 | Neath Port Talbot | 103 | Blaenau Gwent | 64 |
Sunderland | 337 | North Tyneside | 155 | Vale of Glamorgan | 103 | Burnley | 63 |
Rotherham | 329 | Thanet | 152 | Telford and Wrekin | 102 | Copeland | 62 |
Bolton | 321 | Richmond upon Thames | 152 | Amber Valley | 102 | Uttlesford | 62 |
Salford | 321 | Stockton-on-Tees | 151 | East Hertfordshire | 101 | Worcester | 62 |
Kirklees | 318 | Wokingham | 151 | North Lincolnshire | 100 | South Cambridgeshire | 61 |
Wolverhampton | 316 | Chelmsford | 151 | Sevenoaks | 100 | Hyndburn | 61 |
Hillingdon | 315 | Islington | 151 | Eastleigh | 99 | Harborough | 61 |
East Riding of Yorkshire | 314 | South Lakeland | 150 | Fareham | 98 | Redditch | 61 |
Derby | 312 | North Somerset | 149 | North Hertfordshire | 98 | Babergh | 59 |
Redbridge | 312 | Thurrock | 148 | East Northamptonshire | 98 | Stevenage | 59 |
Dudley | 311 | Gloucester | 145 | Conwy | 98 | Torbay | 58 |
Newham | 308 | Ashfield | 145 | Castle Point | 97 | Cotswold | 58 |
Leicester | 306 | Knowsley | 144 | Gravesham | 97 | South Norfolk | 58 |
Rhondda Cynon Taf | 300 | Blackpool | 142 | Blackburn with Darwen | 95 | South Northamptonshire | 58 |
Sefton | 298 | North East Derbyshire | 142 | Fylde | 95 | South Holland | 57 |
Tameside | 297 | King’s Lynn and West Norfolk | 142 | Spelthorne | 95 | South Somerset | 57 |
Lewisham | 292 | Waverley | 141 | Guildford | 94 | Gosport | 56 |
Lambeth | 289 | Newcastle-under-Lyme | 140 | Bridgend | 94 | Bolsover | 55 |
Coventry | 284 | Folkestone and Hythe | 139 | Tandridge | 93 | Rother | 54 |
Northumberland | 280 | Bromsgrove | 135 | Powys | 93 | Rossendale | 53 |
Central Bedfordshire | 278 | Flintshire | 135 | Bath and North East Somerset | 92 | East Lindsey | 53 |
Solihull | 277 | Redcar and Cleveland | 134 | Rochford | 92 | North Norfolk | 53 |
Havering | 275 | Cheltenham | 134 | Stroud | 92 | East Cambridgeshire | 50 |
Northampton | 274 | Caerphilly | 133 | South Ribble | 92 | Corby | 50 |
Haringey | 272 | Canterbury | 132 | Breckland | 92 | Richmondshire | 50 |
Doncaster | 262 | West Berkshire | 131 | Darlington | 90 | Malvern Hills | 50 |
Shropshire | 259 | New Forest | 131 | Plymouth | 90 | East Devon | 49 |
Oldham | 259 | Preston | 131 | Surrey Heath | 90 | Hart | 49 |
Bristol, City of | 252 | St Albans | 131 | Brentwood | 87 | Great Yarmouth | 49 |
Southwark | 250 | Kingston upon Thames | 131 | Three Rivers | 87 | Forest of Dean | 48 |
Barnsley | 249 | Windsor and Maidenhead | 130 | Wrexham | 87 | Somerset West and Taunton | 47 |
Waltham Forest | 249 | Huntingdonshire | 130 | Rushcliffe | 86 | Selby | 45 |
Newcastle upon Tyne | 247 | Carlisle | 129 | Chesterfield | 85 | North Kesteven | 44 |
Trafford | 242 | Dover | 129 | Carmarthenshire | 85 | Eden | 43 |
Bury | 241 | Halton | 127 | Rushmoor | 84 | Pembrokeshire | 42 |
Gateshead | 237 | Herefordshire, County of | 126 | North Warwickshire | 84 | Adur | 40 |
Hounslow | 235 | Ipswich | 126 | East Hampshire | 83 | Exeter | 39 |
Nottingham | 234 | Kensington and Chelsea | 126 | Scarborough | 83 | North East Lincolnshire | 35 |
Bexley | 234 | Watford | 125 | Cambridge | 82 | Boston | 35 |
Warrington | 229 | Dacorum | 124 | Chichester | 82 | Maldon | 34 |
Rochdale | 228 | Dartford | 122 | Isle of Wight | 81 | Isle of Anglesey | 34 |
Greenwich | 227 | Swale | 122 | Tunbridge Wells | 81 | Teignbridge | 33 |
Hackney | 225 | Charnwood | 122 | Epsom and Ewell | 81 | Ryedale | 31 |
East Suffolk | 220 | Vale of White Horse | 122 | Fenland | 80 | Melton | 28 |
Wandsworth | 215 | Gedling | 120 | Blaby | 80 | Lincoln | 28 |
Kingston upon Hull, City of | 214 | Stafford | 120 | Cannock Chase | 80 | Mendip | 28 |
Luton | 213 | Horsham | 120 | Barrow-in-Furness | 79 | Ribble Valley | 27 |
Basildon | 212 | Wealden | 119 | Worthing | 79 | North Devon | 26 |
Cornwall | 208 | West Oxfordshire | 119 | Derbyshire Dales | 78 | Norwich | 25 |
Middlesbrough | 205 | Lichfield | 119 | Staffordshire Moorlands | 78 | Rutland | 23 |
Southend-on-Sea | 205 | Braintree | 118 | Crawley | 78 | West Lindsey | 23 |
Merton | 204 | West Lancashire | 118 | Pendle | 77 | Torridge | 20 |
Swansea | 204 | Basingstoke and Deane | 117 | Newark and Sherwood | 77 | Mid Devon | 17 |
Stoke-on-Trent | 200 | Wyre | 117 | Mid Suffolk | 77 | West Devon | 17 |
Harrogate | 198 | South Oxfordshire | 117 | Woking | 77 | South Hams | 12 |
Milton Keynes | 197 | Calderdale | 117 | West Suffolk | 77 | Hastings | 10 |
St. Helens | 197 | Test Valley | 116 | Tonbridge and Malling | 76 | Ceredigion | 7 |
Medway | 192 | Cherwell | 116 | Daventry | 76 | City of London | 4 |
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | 188 | Wyre Forest | 116 | Broxbourne | 75 | Isles of Scilly |
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