Forty Covid deaths have been recorded in Britain on Monday - a rise of 54 per cent from a week ago.
Twenty-six deaths were registered seven days before, stats show.
A further 31,914 cases were also reported in the last 24 hours, according to government data.
The totals on a Monday tend to be lower than other days, due to a lag in reporting.
Covid deaths in Britain have fluctuated over the past seven days - peaking at 170 last Tuesday.
This was followed by 111 on Wednesday, 113 the day after and 114 on Friday.
Deaths then dropped slightly on Saturday, to 104, before plunging further to 49 on Sunday.
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The latest numbers come as, in other Covid news, it emerged that experts are taking a "very cautious" approach to the advice on vaccinating younger children and are always reviewing the latest evidence, according to one professor who advises the Government.
More than 89.5million vaccines have been administered across Britain to date.
But the public can be reassured that those in charge are not rushing their decisions and that they will make "good, safe, careful and evidence-based" recommendations over the child jab decision, said Professor Adam Finn.
The rollout is open to 16 and 17-year-olds but experts are still considering evidence around when is best for that age group to get a second dose of vaccine.
They are also still considering whether to extend the vaccine programme to include healthy 12 to 15-year-olds.
"At-risk" children in that age group are already being invited for jabs ahead of their return to school in September.
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As for any wider rollout, Prof Finn, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), said the group is looking "very carefully" before giving recommendations.
He told Sky News: "We're very confident that for first doses for healthy 16 and 17-year-olds, that benefit/risk ratio is overwhelmingly in favour of receiving that first dose, but people can be reassured that we're taking this cautiously, we're not rushing forward, and we very much don't want to be in a position of later discovering we made the wrong decision.
"So, the benefits are clear for the first dose for this age group.
"We will be looking very carefully before taking any further steps into younger children, or second doses."
The professor of paediatrics at the University of Bristol said the JCVI "always review evidence going forward", adding: "And so this whole situation is under constant re-evaluation, if you like."
He said the UK has the benefit of being able to look at how rollouts to younger children in other countries are working.
Prof Finn added: "Of course we've got new vaccines coming through as well, so additional choices becoming available over the coming months, and we can make a good, safe, careful and evidence-based decision as we go forward."
He said that while he thinks fewer young people are likely to get a coronavirus vaccine compared to older age groups, he is "optimistic" the majority will want to get a jab.
The expert said: "Of course we don't have compulsory vaccines in this country, people don't have to have them if they don't want them, and we will see some people not coming forward.
"But it will contribute to the effort to bringing this pandemic to an end, if a majority of people do receive this vaccine. And I think that's what we're going to see."
