UK sees highest daily rise in coronavirus cases

ANKARA

The UK on Tuesday reported 7,143 new cases of the novel coronavirus, the highest daily spike since the outbreak began in the country, according to the health authorities.

Seventy-one people lost their lives due to the virus, the government figures showed, bringing the death toll to 42,072.

A total of 446,156 people in the country have tested positive for the virus since the start of the pandemic.

Some 2,049 COVID-19 patients are currently being treated in the hospitals across the UK, with 297 of them on ventilator beds.

The number of virus cases are rapidly increasing in the UK since August. The previous highest daily cases in the country were recorded last week, with 6,874 people.

Last week, UK’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Officer Sir Patrick Vallance warned that Britain could see 50,000 coronavirus cases a day by mid-October if swift action is not taken.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also announced new measures to halt the spread of the virus, urging employees to work from home where possible, requiring pubs and restaurants to close down at 10 p.m. local time, limiting numbers of attendees at weddings to 15 and at funerals to 30, and a cancellation of the planned partial reopening of sports stadiums that was due on Oct. 1.