LONDON (Reuters) – Health officials warned that there was a “definite and sustained” rise in COVID-19 cases in the United Kingdom after more than 17,540 new daily cases were recorded on Thursday, up by more than 3,000 from the 14,162 reported the day before.
A further 77 people died after testing positive for the virus within 28 days, government data showed while the number COVID-19 patients in hospitals in England also rose to 3,044, up from 2,944 on Wednesday and the highest figure since June 22.
“We are seeing a definite and sustained increase in cases and admissions to hospital. The trend is clear, and it is very concerning,” said Dr Yvonne Doyle, Medical Director for Public Health England.
“Numbers of deaths from Covid-19 are also rising so we must continue to act to reduce transmission of this virus.”
Reporting by Michael Holden, Alistair Smout and Andy Bruce; editing by Kate Holton and William James