Coronavirus cases hit 29,312 as the UK death toll passed 130,000 after today's tragic milestone was announced.
It showed 119 new deaths reported in the latest figures, a 30 per cent per rise in a single week.
Cases soared to just under 30,000 - nearly 1,500 up from the number reported last Wednesday.
UK deaths increased by 28 from the 91 tragically announced one week ago.
It gives a total of 5,952,756 cases, with fatalities now officially at 130,000.
On Tuesday, coronavirus deaths in England and Wales increased by 50 per cent in a week to the highest total since April.
Yesterday, a total of 327 deaths were registered in the week ending July 23 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics.
The number of new cases has fallen in recent weeks, but this is yet to be reflected in the data for deaths, due to the length of time between someone getting Covid-19, becoming seriously ill and then dying.
The highest number of deaths to occur on a single day was 1,484 on January 19.
During the first wave of the virus, the daily toll peaked at 1,461 deaths on April 8, 2020.
The number of new cases has fallen in recent weeks, but this is yet to be reflected in the data for deaths, due to the length of time between someone getting Covid-19, becoming seriously ill and then dying.
It comes as the Joint Committee on Immunisation and Vaccination has issued new guidance, announcing that people aged 16 and 17 will now be offered vaccines.
The move that will see an additional 1.4 million young people eligible for the jab.
They expected to receive more than 80 per cent protection and said that side effects were 'extremely rare'.
Ministers have accepted the recommendation and preparations are underway to start giving first doses to youngsters within weeks.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid says the vaccines are "building a wall of defence against the virus and are the best way to protect people from serious illness".
Today's news arrives after Tory minister Gillian Keegan said the UK could now be past the peak of the third coronavirus wave.
Remaining lockdown restrictions were lifted on July 19, with ministers braced to see if infections would rocket as people returned to greater normality.
