Coronavirus: Daily infections up 60% in England, government data shows

Average of 3,200 positive cases estimated to have been reported between 30 August and 5 September, says ONS

The number of new daily coronavirus infections in private households in England has increased by 60 per cent, according to the latest data.

An average of 3,200 positive cases were estimated to have been reported between 30 August and 5 September, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

This is up from an average of 2,000 people per day between 19 and 25 August.

The ONS survey estimates that around one in 1,400 people outside of hospitals and care homes  had coronavirus in the week up to 5 September.

The new figures are slightly higher than the current official numbers of new cases being reported across the whole of the UK. 

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On Thursday, there were 2,919 new daily confirmed cases of Covid-19, and 2,659 confirmed new cases on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, the government introduced new restrictions to combat the rising number of infections. 

Groups of more than six people have been banned from meeting, while some businesses have been ordered to close in certain parts of the country.

In Wales, an estimated 1,200 people in private households had Covid-19 between 30 August and 5 September - the equivalent of 0.04 per cent of the population or around one in 2,600 people.

The estimate compares to an estimated 1,400 people the previous week - or around one in 2,200 people.

The ONS said its modelling does not indicate an increase of Covid-19 cases in Wales.

Separately, the reproduction number, or R value, of coronavirus transmission across the UK has risen above 1.

Data released by the Government Office for Science and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) shows the estimate for R is now between 1.0 and 1.2. 

The growth rate of coronavirus transmission, which reflects how quickly the number of infections is changing day by day, has increased slightly. 

For the whole of the UK, the latest growth rate is between minus 1 per cent and plus 3 per cent per day, a slight change from between minus 1 per cent and plus 2 per cent last week. 

The growth rate means the number of new infections is somewhere between shrinking by 1 per cent and growing by 3 per cent every day.