Daily coronavirus cases have risen by 13.7 per cent in seven days in the UK.
In figures released by the Department of Health this afternoon, reported infections over the latest 24 hour period soared by 38,520 - a considerable jump on last Tuesday (September 5) when there was 33,869.
Meanwhile, deaths within 28 days of a positive case reported increased by 181, compared to 166 this time last week.
That's a difference of 9 per cent.
Yesterday's figures showed a total of 40,224 cases and 28 deaths.
The percentage of the population aged over 12 to have been fully vaccinated currently sits at 78.6, with a total of 45,189,181 people having had both jabs.
It comes amid fears of a potential new variant of Covid which could be the cause of strange PCR and LFT results being reported by Brits across the country.
Dozens of people in the South West last week reported testing negative on their polymerase chain reaction tests (PCRs) after getting positive results for their lateral flow test (LFT).
The anecdotal reports have prompted public health officials to start a nationwide inquiry, it has been claimed.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) - responsible for public health - has refused to speculate whether a new variant could be the cause of the strange findings.
But they are working with two theories for what may have caused the false positives.
One theory is that a positive LFT followed by a negative PCR could mean the infected may have been exposed to a variant with a genetic mutation - known as the "S-gene dropout".
The agency is also investigating if the LFTs are producing false negatives because subjects have been infected with a harmless form of the virus.
In other related news, a damning report from MPs claims serious errors and delays at the hands of the Government and even scientific advisers cost lives during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The study, from the cross-party Science and Technology Committee and the Health and Social Care Committee, said the UK’s preparation for a pandemic was far too focused on flu, while ministers waited too long to push through lockdown measures in early 2020.
In a wide-ranging report, MPs said the UK’s pandemic planning was too “narrowly and inflexibly based on a flu model” that failed to learn the lessons from Sars, Mers and Ebola.
