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The number of daily coronavirus cases has risen by 2,988, government figures show, the biggest increase in 24 hours since May.
The increase, up from 1,813 new cases on Saturday, is the biggest daily increase since May 23, when the UK was locked in.
However, government data showed that the death toll remained low, with two deaths reported within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test recorded on Sunday.
It is unclear at this time what has caused the spike in cases, which comes days after schools reopened in England and various areas were added to the government’s Covid-19 watch list.
Leeds, South Tyneside, Corby, Middlesbrough and Kettering were added to the list of “areas of concern” on Friday following a spike in confirmed infections.
Officials have stressed in recent days that the increase in cases comes amid an increase in the number of tests performed each day.
On Sunday, Scotland’s Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon sought to reassure the public after the country recorded its highest number of daily cases since May, with 208 confirmed infections.
“Comparisons to the beginning of the year need a bit of context; back then we were evaluating far fewer people and mainly those who were in the hospital, so it is likely that the numbers of cases reported at that time were a much larger underestimate of the true prevalence, “said Sturgeon.
Professor Devi Sridhar, a public health expert at the University of Edinburgh, warned Sunday morning that the return of schools along with a push for workers to return to offices risked overwhelming the testing system and UK tracking.
“I’m a bit concerned about the drive back to office coupled with the drive back to school,” Professor Sridhar, who is also an adviser to the Scottish government, told Sky News.
“What we have seen in Scotland over the last few weeks is that the testing system has had to race to catch up with the demand from all the children coming home with coughs, colds and fever.”
She added: “If you add to that all the adults who come back to the offices and have them too, your testing system is really under pressure.
“So you need to prepare and get your test system up and running so that people get the results quickly enough and the follow-up teams can get going.”
Additional PA reports
