The UK's coronavirus death count has increased by 12, with the number of daily cases reaching the highest level since June.
Britain recorded 1,522 new cases today - the highest number since June 12 and up from 1,048 cases yesterday.
Today's increase in fatalities is the lowest Thursday rise since lockdown was announced in March.
The total number of deaths in the UK now stands at 41,477, while the overall number of cases has reached 330,368.
The UK's hospital death toll went up by nine today, with seven fatalities in England.
Northern Ireland and Wales each recorded one death, while none were reported in Scotland in the last 24 hours.
It comes as new data for infections in England shows spiking cases in the south and Midlands.
Public Health England figures reveal that Redditch, in Worcestershire, has seen its rate treble in the seven days to Sunday.
Kettering, in Northamptonshire, also experienced a sharp rise, with the number of new infections nearly doubling in a week, while the current rate in Mid Devon is ten times higher than it was the previous week.
Oxford, where 46 infections were confirmed, has seen its rate rocket from 19.7 cases per 100,000 to 30.2 - prompting warnings of lockdown measures.
The latest figures come after the number of weekly coronavirus cases in England fell for the first time in six weeks, according to new testing data.
Some 6,115 people tested positive for Covid-19 in the week up to August 19 - a fall of 8% on the previous week and the first decrease in infections since the beginning of July.
However the new NHS Test and Trace figures also show the beleaguered contact tracing service was still failing to meet a Government target of reaching 80% of people who had been in touch with Covid-19 patients.
Around 75.5% of close contacts were reached in the week ending August 19 - the ninth week running where the 80% target had been missed.
Some 2,091 contacts could not be reached up to August 19, accounting for 23% of the 7,941 people referred for contact tracing.
An effective test and trace programme is widely seen as a way of managing further outbreaks and the Government is under pressure to get the scheme up to scratch ahead of fresh spikes in the winter.
