Covid UK: Deaths up by 189 in 24 hours as cases rise by 21,000

The UK has recorded more than 21,000 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, government figures show.

Some 189 people also died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19, according to data published by Public Health England – continuing a level of daily fatalities not seen since early June.

It follows a grim record of more than 26,000 people testing positive on Wednesday.

However, England’s chief scientific officer Sir Patrick Vallance warned a Downing Street briefing that modelling suggests between 53,000 and 90,000 people are currently contracting the virus each day.

This means the true number of daily infections in England alone may be more than four times higher than those identified by testing efforts across the UK.

Speaking alongside Boris Johnson, as he defended the government’s regional approach to tackling the virus, Sir Patrick said: “The measures are having an effect, but we do need to do more if the aim is to get R below one and shrink the epidemic.”

He added: “It’s worth remembering the number of infections leads to hospitalisations a week or two later and that in turn has the effect of increasing intensive care unit numbers and of course, unfortunately, the number of people who die as a result of that.”

The potentially vast gap between actual infections and those revealed by testing came as the government’s Test and Trace programme recorded its worst ever performance.

Just 59.6 per cent of the more than 250,000 close contacts identified in the week to 14 October were successfully reached, official figures showed.

The figures showed the continuation of a downwards trend in the £12bn system’s performance, down from 63 per cent last week, and a trend of local health protection teams reaching a vastly greater proportion of contacts (94 per cent) than cases processed online or by call centres (57 per cent).

Furthermore, just 15.1 per cent of people who were tested for Covid-19 that week at a regional site, local site or mobile testing unit – a so-called in-person test – received their result within 24 hours, the data showed. This was down from 32.8 per cent the previous week.

This follows revelations that the service is being forced to draft in untrained staff to carry out clinical assessments of patients infected with coronavirus.

Leaked emails obtained by The Independent show that as of Wednesday, staff from outsourcing firms Serco and Sitel, who have no clinical training, will be working alongside nurses and clinical staff to help assess and contact trace approximately 20,000 cases each day.

Earlier this month, Serco told the stock exchange that profits will come in as much as 20 per cent higher than forecast thanks to booming business during the pandemic – up potentially £200m from its initial predictions.

Thursday’s new figures came as Matt Hancock announced Stoke-on-Trent, Coventry and Slough would move into the Tier 2 “high alert” level of restrictions after midnight on Friday. 

The health secretary also said he was entering formal discussions with local leaders in Warrington on a possible move to the most stringent Tier 3 level, under which pubs and bars must close.

The government is still dealing with the fallout from forcing Greater Manchester into Tier 3 restrictions, after refusing mayor Andy Burnham’s plea for a bare minimum support package of £65m to help firms and workers.

However, chancellor Rishi Sunak on Thursday announced a £2,100-a-month grant to hospitality, accommodation and leisure businesses as part of a £13bn package to help the economy of areas under Tier 2 coronavirus restrictions. 

The scheme will be backdated, and will help northern areas currently in Tier 3 as a result, but northern city leaders have accused the government of only moving to act once London entered the middle tier.