UK coronavirus cases rise by more than 3,000 for third day in a row
13 September 2020, 16:24 | Updated: 13 September 2020, 18:17
The UK has recorded a further 3,330 cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours, the third day in a row that the tally has increased by more than 3,000.
Another five people have died after testing positive for Covid-19 within the past 28 days, according to official figures, taking the country's death toll to 41,628.
In Scotland, the number of people to test positive for the virus hit a four-month high for the second day in a row after a further 244 infections were announced.
However, there were no new deaths in Scotland and Wales, with all five occurring in England. The patients were aged between 67 and 86, all had known underlying health conditions, and they died on 11 and 12 September.
Wales' cases rose by 162, while its death toll stayed at 1,597. In Northern Ireland, there were another 87 infections.
There have been a total of 368,504 cases in the UK.
Disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci on UK's coronavirus response
However, separate figures published by the UK's statistics agencies show there have now been more than 57,400 deaths registered in Britain where coronavirus was mentioned on the death certificate.
Data released on Friday by the Government Office for Science and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) shows the estimate for R across the UK is between 1.0 and 1.2.
London and the North West each have an R rate of 1.1 to 1.3, meaning cases of the virus are expected to continue to increase.
Meanwhile, around three in 10 Scots are now living under tougher coronavirus restrictions, with measures on visiting other households also in place for Glasgow, East and West Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire.
Professor Gabriel Scally on UK's coronavirus response
Speaking to reporters on Saturday morning, Sage adviser and former Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Mark Walport, warned that the UK is “on the edge of losing control” of the virus.
Government scientific advisors have described the figures as a "wake-up call", saying additional measures such as local interventions may be needed to control the spread of the virus.
From Monday, across England, Scotland and Wales, social gatherings of more than six people will be illegal indoors, as well as outdoors for England and Wales.
Meanwhile, in a measure affecting around 1.6 million people, those living in Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull will be banned from meeting others from outside of their household from Tuesday, in the UK's latest local lockdown.
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