UK coronavirus cases are up by more than 27,000 today as the seven-day average for infections rises for the first time since Freedom Day.
A further 27,429 cases have been recorded today, up from 24,470 last Sunday.
The seven-day average for new infections is now 191,019, which is a 1.9% increase on the previous week.
Meanwhile the UK's death toll has increased by 39 today.
While this was way down on the 65 fatalities logged last Sunday, the weekly average for deaths is still up by almost 15%.
However, the number of patients being admitted to hospital with coronavirus is falling.
Officials announced the admission of 742 patients today, which is down on the 912 taken in last Sunday.
The weekly number of admissions is also down by almost 16%.
The latest rise in weekly infections comes after England experienced a surge in cases in mid-July following the Euro 2020 tournament.
However, experts were left baffled when this spike suddenly stopped and figures started to fall, with the number of new daily cases halving from July 17 to August 2.
It sparked a wave of optimism with one Tory minister saying the UK could be past the peak of its third wave.Skills
Minister Gillian Keegan said the situation looked "very, very promising".
She told LBC: "We all look at the data with hope but we have seen how this virus can turn at several points.
"Obviously we have got many people double vaccinated.
"The more people we get double vaccinated, which is why we have got this August 16 date to say, 'Everybody get vaccinated.' Of course that gives young people the chance to get double vaccinated as well.
"It looks very, very promising."
The UK has now fully vaccinated more than 39 million people, which equates to 75% of the adult population.
Although a senior minister previously said the UK had effectively reached coronavirus herd immunity, experts say the country is still a long way off or may never get there.
The more contagious Delta variant has raised the threshold for herd immunity and some experts believe as much as 98 per cent of Britons would need to be vaccinated for it to be achieved.
Others have estimated that between 70-90% of the population would need to be protected for herd immunity to be achieved.
Yesterday it was revealed the Government had put "contingency plans" for further lockdowns in place in case the NHS becomes overrun.
The majority of Covid restrictions were lifted in England on July 19 - which was dubbed 'Freedom Day' by some.
But it has now emerged that social distancing rules could be reinforced over winter if doctors and nurses are put under pressure.
A source told the i that ministers and experts remain confident that the vaccine roll-out has broken the back of the pandemic.
But they said that Boris Johnson has authorised planning for a "firebreak" lockdown, for if the situation worsens.
It is thought that a staffing crisis within the NHS and the rise of other diseases - previously beaten back by Covid restrictions - could hamper the health service, along with the potential rise of a vaccine-beating strain.
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But a government advisor told the outlet: "Should more lockdowns be necessary, the plan is for them to be short, and preferably during the school holidays in late October and over Christmas.
"Firebreaks rather than lasting for months at a time."
No.10 confirmed contingency plans were in place and did not rule out the prospect of further lockdowns.
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