UK coronavirus cases rise by 3,991 with 20 more deaths due to testing shortage across the country



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ALMOST 4,000 people tested positive for coronavirus in the biggest 24-hour jump in more than 18 weeks.

Another 3,991 cases were recorded overnight in the largest increase since May 8, as health chiefs fight to stem the rise in infections.

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Cases are at the highest rate since May 8
Cases are at the highest rate since May 8
20 more people have died of the virus in the UK
20 more people have died of the virus in the UK
Coronavirus testing centers, like this one in Chessington in southwest London, have been invaded by Britons seeking to be tested.
Coronavirus testing centers, like this one in Chessington, in southwest London, have been overrun by Britons seeking to be tested.

Another 20 people died from the virus in the UK.

A total of 11 people lost their lives in hospitals in England. The victims were between 69 and 98 years old and all had underlying health problems.

In Scotland, one more person died, while the Welsh authorities recorded no new deaths.

Figures for Northern Ireland are not yet available.

Authorities say the increase in cases is due to increased testing.

The number of people taking a test has increased dramatically since May, with the NHS Track and Trace system, meaning that people who are tested are more likely to have been exposed.

In the UK, 901 people are currently hospitalized with Covid-19, and 115 of that number are on ventilation beds.

There are believed to have been fewer hospital admissions, as many of those who tested positive are young and at lower risk.

However, today’s new tolls were reported amid fears that Covid-19 is spreading to nursing homes once again.

It comes as:

And The Sun exclusively revealed today that 740 ALREADY schools have been forced to send children home as a result of a fiasco in which hotspots have run out of tests.

Tens of thousands of children across England are trapped in their self-insulated rooms due to a dire shortage of swabs.

Angry directors warned that young people are being plunged into a second “default lockdown” due to the crisis.

Some 240,000 people are waiting for test results in the UK, and the centers have been filled with huge queues.

Across the country, 740 schools have already been forced to send children home
Across the country, 740 schools have already been forced to send children home
Principals say children are in a 'second lock by default' as not enough tests are available for them to return to class
Principals say children are in a ‘second lock by default’ as not enough tests are available for them to return to class
Despite the increase in positive cases, the British have made the most of the beautiful September weather
Despite the increase in positive cases, the British have made the most of the beautiful September weather.Credit: PA: Press Association
Many flocked to the beaches when the mercury peaked yesterday
Many flocked to the beaches when the mercury peaked yesterdayCredit: London News Pictures

And this week, a new report from Oxford University public policy researcher Toby Phillips suggests that Rishi Sunak’s Eat Out to Help Out may be behind the huge rise in new positive infections in the UK.

He also said it could have “encouraged extravagant levels of dining out” as the restaurants had almost recovered from closure when the plan began.

As cases increase, it was revealed yesterday that there was no test available at 46 of 48 of the worst Covid access points in the country.

Meanwhile, new students appear to be breaking the new “rule of six.”

New crackdowns were introduced across England to reduce the number of people gathering in groups inside and outside.

Under the previous rules, no more than 30 people could meet indoors with even another household, but this has been reduced to just six.

The new rules also stipulate that the six people can be from different households, in an attempt to align the rules with outdoor gatherings.

But as universities reopen, there are concerns that the rules will not be followed.

The return to school has also prompted health chiefs in London to consider curfews to halt a second wave.

About 500,000 students are expected to arrive in the capital, and Professor Kevin Fenton, England’s Director of Public Health in London, warned today that further restrictions could be imposed.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has blamed 17-21-year-olds with a “lack of social distancing” for the rise in infections.

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