THE UK HAS recorded its highest number of new confirmed coronavirus cases since late February, new figures have shown.

As of 9am today, there had been a further 7,540 lab-confirmed cases in the UK, the highest single-day rise since 26 February, the UK government said.

Six more people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Wednesday, bringing the UK total to 127,860.

The figures also show one in 10 UK local areas (38 out of 380) are currently recording Covid-19 rates above 100 cases per 100,000 people, which is the highest number of areas above this threshold since 23 March.

They now include places like Blackpool, with 111.2 cases per 100,000, up week on week from 43.7; East Dunbartonshire (110.5, up from 64.4); Staffordshire Moorlands (100.6, up from 32.5); Leicester (100.5, up from 83.3); and Cheshire West & Chester (100.3, up from 31.2).

In total, 309 of the UK’s 380 local authority areas recorded a week on week rise in Covid-19 case rates in the latest figures – the highest proportion since the start of January.

All rates are for the seven days to 5 June.

Although the rising cases could spark some concern, the majority of major hospital trusts in England are continuing to average no Covid-19 admissions, analysis from earlier this month showed.

However, a handful of trusts in virus hotspots, especially where the variant first identified in India is more prominent, are showing a small rise in numbers, including parts of Canterbury and Maidstone in Kent and areas in Bradford, West Yorkshire.

A support package has also been announced for Greater Manchester and Lancashire to tackle a local rise in the variant.

The number of confirmed cases across the UK has been rising since the start of the month, as just 3,165 had been recorded on the first day of June, almost doubling within three days.

But the figures are still lower than earlier this year, as the ONS estimated that 1,122,000 people had Covid-19 in the week to January 2.

Separate figures also published today by the Office for National Statistics show there have been 153,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

In Ireland, public health officials confirmed a further 259 cases of Covid-19 today. 

Today’s cases mark the lowest daily figure since 14 December 2020, when a total of 264 cases were reported.

With reporting by Hayley Halpin