UK Covid cases above 40,000 for fourth consecutive day

Estimates show the rate of infection is nearing the peak seen in the second wave last winter.

Britain recorded 43,423 new Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours to Saturday, marking the fourth consecutive day that positive test results have topped 40,000.

Estimates from the Office for National Statistics show the rate of infection is nearing the peak seen in the second wave last winter. Around one in 60 people in private households in England had Covid-19 in the week leading to 9 October, up from one in 70 the previous week.

October has so far witnessed a steady increase in the number of cases nationwide. At the start of the month, the number of positive results was lingering around the 30,000 mark, as recorded between 1 to 5 October. On Thursday, cases hit 45,066 — the highest since July.

According to Saturday’s figures, a further 148 people have died within 28 days of a positive test - bringing the total for the last 7 days to 833 deaths.

The number of covid-related deaths in the UK has risen by over 5 per cent in comparison to last week, while positive tests have increased by almost 13 per cent.

Most recent data from Tuesday shows the number of Covid-19 patients admitted to hospital comes in at 915 people daily.

These latest figures come after 43,000 people may have been wrongly received negative PCR test results when they were infected with the virus since the start of September, caused by errors in a private lab which has since been suspended by Test and Trace.

The errors relate to test results given to people between 8 September and 12 October, mainly in the southwest of England, but with some cases in the southeast and Wales.

A negative PCR means people will not have needed to isolate and could potentially have spread the infection to many other people.