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The UK has reported 35,383 more daily COVID-19 cases and 532 additional deaths.
That’s an increase of 10,222 infections the day before; However, Thursday’s figures also include a backlog of around 11,000 cases that had not been previously reported due to a technical delay in Welsh.
Maintenance work was carried out on Public Health Wales’ computer systems late last week, meaning that the daily infection count fell short of official figures between December 9-15.
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Matt Hancock revealed to the Commons which areas would go into Level 3
A total of 1,948,660 people have tested positive for the disease in the UK.
The 532 deaths recorded in the last 24-hour period mark a drop of 80 from 612 deaths on Wednesday.
A total of 66,052 people have died within 28 days of testing positive for COVID-19.
With just over a week to go on Christmas Day, infections have continued to rise in many parts of the UK.
Two-thirds of England’s population are now under the hardest Level 3 measures, with large swaths of the southeast moving to Level 3 on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Wales has reduced the number of households Allowed to meet at Christmas at two.
People across the UK are urged to keep their holiday gatherings to a minimum this year to prevent the spread of the coronavirus among their loved ones.
In a joint statement Wednesday night, the four nations warned that “a smaller Christmas is a safer Christmas and a shorter Christmas is a safer Christmas.”
COVID-19 updates live from the UK and around the world
The latest figures also come amid reports that several health trusts were forced to divert routine procedures to other locations due to large numbers of COVID-19 patients.
Barts Health NHS Trust, which serves around 2.5 million people in East London, said the postponements were made due to “high pressure” on its winter plan, while the Mid and South Essex NHS Trust said that it would also postpone some non-urgent operations.
In some parts of South Wales, all non-urgent surgeries, outpatient clinics and skilled nursing services are on hold.
