UK records 7,108 coronavirus cases and 71 deaths in last 24 hours

30 September 2020, 16:26 | Updated: 30 September 2020, 16:52

The UK has recorded 7,108 coronavirus cases and 71 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the Department of Health.

The number of cases were slightly down on yesterday, when 7,143 cases were recorded - the largest daily increase since the beginning of the pandemic.

The number of deaths - 71 - was the same as yesterday, bringing the UK total to 42,143.

LIVE: Boris Johnson to give coronavirus update as MPs get a say on lockdown rules

Experts have previously warned that describing the daily figure as a record could be "misleading" as it is not clear how many people were actually infected during the height of the first wave due to a lack of community testing at the time.

Separate figures published by the UK's statistics agencies show there have now been nearly 58,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

Caller brands Government handing of 10pm curfew an "omnishambles"

The statistics came as the Prime Minister was set to update the nation on the state of the virus across the country.

He is set to give a coronavirus update later this evening ahead of a vote in the Commons on the Coronavirus Act.

Matt Hancock has told MPs they be able to vote "where possible" on lockdown measures which affect England or the UK as a whole after Speaker Lindsay Hoyle told the government not to treat MPs with "contempt".

The Prime Minister is facing a rebellion from up to 80 of his own MPs over stricter coronavirus measures.

Boris Johnson and Sir Keir Starmer faced off today at Prime Minister's Questions after a chaotic week of rising coronavirus cases and lockdowns at universities.

The Prime Minister was grilled over the support given to students after their return to university after being told thousands cannot leave their accommodation for two weeks.