UK registers record rise in coronavirus cases as Tier 4 comes into force
The number of coronavirus cases jumped by the most since the start of the pandemic on Sunday, with 35,928 new instances of Covid recorded as of 9am.
A further 326 people have died within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus in the UK, the government said.
It was down from the 534 recorded on Saturday. But it means 67,401 people have now died in the UK within 28 days of a positive test.
The government has put London and much of the east and south east of England under a strict new Tier 4 lockdown to try to halt the spread of the virus. Mixing between households is banned, including on Christmas, and non-essential stores have had to close.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday said a new, more contagious variant of coronavirus was a major part of the problem.
Johnson also tightened the rules on Christmas gatherings. He said people should only travel on Christmas day to mix with two other households.
UK coronavirus cases jump on Sunday
The almost 36,000 cases recorded on Sunday was up from 18,477 recorded a week ago.
It means 190,744 people tested positive for coronavirus in the UK in the seven days to 20 December, up 51.2 per cent from the previous week.
Johnson yesterday said the emergence of a new variant of coronavirus was a key factor behind his decision to tighten lockdowns in England.
He said the government’s scientific advisers think the new strain could be as much as 70 per cent more transmissible than the old variant.
However, he said: “There is no evidence to suggest that it is more lethal or causes more severe illness.
“Equally there is no evidence to suggest the vaccine will be any less effective against the new variant.”