Coronavirus cases increase by nearly 4,000 in highest rise since May

Coronavirus cases have risen by nearly 4,000, with a further 20 people dying with COVID-19.

In total 3,991 new infections were recorded on Wednesday which was the highest daily rise since the beginning of May, according to official figures.

This week has seen a sharp increase in the UK’s overall infections.

Watch: Boris Johnson says second national lockdown 'would be completely wrong'

As of Tuesday, the seven-day average of new cases was 3,018, as compared to 1,215 on 15 August and 489 on 15 July.

Cases were above 3,000 on three consecutive days over the weekend, with 3,330 reported in the UK on Sunday and 3,497 on Saturday – the highest daily rise in four months.

The overall UK tally has now risen to 378,219 infections, with 41,684 deaths.

It has been reported the government will wait until the end of September to see if its “rule of six” coronavirus law works before it implements tougher lockdown measures.

The “rule of six” bans most social gatherings of more than six people in England.

ITV’s Robert Peston quoted a Downing Street insider as saying: “There is no possibility of us waiting for the death rate to rise before we act.”

School closures are apparently the only measure that will not be considered.

It comes as the number of people in hospital in England with coronavirus has doubled in the past two weeks alongside a sharp rise in confirmed cases.

Figures published on Tuesday showed that 884 people are currently being treated in hospital for the virus compared with just 425 a fortnight ago.

UK’s daily death count remains relatively low: 27 on Tuesday, compared to a high of 1,166 on 21 April.

Coronavirus: what happened today

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