Coronavirus UK: Covid Cases Pass half a Million as 22,961 Reported in a Single Day

The number of official ‘lab-confirmed’ cases of COVID-19 in the UK has just passed half a million after 22,961 positive tests were reported in the last 24 hours.

Based on the latest government data, the total number of Covid-19 cases in the UK now stands at 502,978. A computing error has been blamed for the surge in daily cases across the weekend, with a message on the government’s coronavirus dashboard warning Sunday’s figures are “artificially high for England and the UK”.

Before yesterday, the previous highest figure for a single day since the start of the pandemic was 7,143 cases, while case numbers being announced in the next few days are likely to be larger than the actual daily figure. It comes after NHS England said on Sunday that a further 28 people who tested positive for coronavirus had died in hospital in England, which brings the total number of confirmed deaths reported by hospitals to 30,166.

A total of 15,841 cases were recorded between September 25 and October 2 but not included on previous daily updates because of ‘technical issues‘. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has admitted: “There was a failure in the counting system which has now been rectified.” The glitch means the total reported coronavirus cases over the coming days will include some additional cases from the period between 24 September and 1 October. This would lead to an increase in the overall number of cases reported, said the government.

Boris Johnson released a statement today saying the UK is in for a ‘bumpy ride up to Christmas and beyond’

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