Britain’s Covid cases soar by a THIRD in a week with 20,263 people testing positive

Britain’s daily coronavirus cases have risen by more than a third in one week, after 20,263 people tested positive today.

Official figures also revealed 232 people have died after contracting the virus – in a 22.8 per cent spike on the 189 deaths seen on this day last week.

Today’s case total is the highest Monday figure since November 9, when 21,350 cases were reported in the early days of the country’s second national lockdown. 

Monday’s 20,263 cases is 37.6 per cent bigger than the 14,718 recorded on December 7.

Today’s figures come as 10million people in the South East are thrust into Tier 3 shut down with just 30 hours’ notice following a surge in Covid infections in the region. 

The Health Secretary told the Commons that the tough new rules will come into effect in London just after midnight on Wednesday morning, sparking fury that he is sending thousands of businesses to the wall.

It comes as:

• Millions of London parents faced an anxious wait to see if schools are shut early after Labour’s Greenwich Council asked headteachers to shut their gates at the end of today. 
• Islington Council has today advised schools to move to online learning from the end of Tuesday because of a rise in coronavirus cases across the capital. 
• Tens of thousands of residents in low-infection towns and villages had their hopes of ‘decoupling’ from the tiers of surrounding coronavirus hotspots dashed. 
• GP surgeries in England will begin offering coronavirus vaccinations from today, with practices in more than 100 locations having the approved Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine delivered. 

England saw 17,882 new cases today, along with 194 deaths. 

Northern Ireland has recorded 419 cases and five deaths while Scotland has seen 734 positive tests and no further deaths. 

Wales has seen a further 33 deaths and 1,228 cases. 

Large areas of Hertfordshire and Essex will also go into Tier 3 after seeing ‘sharp and exponential’ growth. 

It means around 60 per cent of the population of England will be under the highest level of restrictions – although extraordinarily No10 has insisted that all the curbs will still be relaxed on December 23 as part of the Christmas ‘bubbles’ plan. 

Leading scientists have urged families to exercise caution this festive season and avoid gatherings that could ‘risk infecting the vulnerable and elderly people we love’ – amid fears that the country could see a third wave.  

Under the Government’s plans for a more-normal festive season, families are able to form a ‘bubble’ with two other households between December 23 and 27.

But NHS executive Chris Hopson has urged Mr Johnson to exercise ‘extreme caution’ before putting any region into a lower tier as any relaxing of rules ‘will trigger a third wave’. 

Boris Johnson yesterday admitted in a virtual fund-raising event for Conservative party members that people needed to be cautious over the festive period.

In messages revealed yesterday, he said: ‘My message to everybody is we do have this period of relaxation of measures at Christmas, but I really urge people to think hard about how you choose to enjoy that relaxation. 

‘I really would urge people to err on the side of caution rather than, I’m afraid, have a big blow-out with multiple households.

‘I know the rules say three households, but there is ample scope alas for further increases in this disease during tough winter months.’

Addressing the nation at a televised press conference today, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: ‘We know from experience that the best thing to do in the face of this virus is to act fast, not to wait to see its growth continue – and we do not rule out further action.’ 

But he faced down questions over the wisdom of relaxing some restrictions on family gatherings at Christmas.

In response he said: ‘If you want to see elderly relatives at Christmas the best thing to do is be extremely careful now about who you see.’

Professor Chris Whitty reiterated that people need to be cautious at Christmas and should not meet just because they can.

‘The point of this (relaxation of rules) is for, under certain circumstances, families who wish to, to get together, but they really have to be very, very careful.

‘And in particular, incredibly careful if they’re around people who are vulnerable, who are at very high risk of this virus.’

In another bombshell announcement Mr Hancock said that scientists had identified a ‘new variant’ of the virus that appeared to be influencing the spread in the south of England.

He said initial evidence was that it is growing much faster than the previous strains, although he tried to cool fears by stressing that it did not seem to be more deadly, and there was low risk that it will not respond to vaccines. 

‘We have identified a new variant of coronavirus, which may be associated with the fastest spread in the south-east of England,’ Mr Hancock told MPs this afternoon.

‘Initial analysis suggests that this variant is growing faster than the existing variants. We’ve currently identified over 1,000 cases with this variant, predominantly in the south of England, although cases have been identified in nearly 60 different local authority areas, and numbers are increasing rapidly.’ 

Mr Hancock said the strain had also been identified in other countries and the World Health Organisation had been notified, with tests still being carried out at the government’s Porton Down lab. 

The Tier 3 move drew a furious reaction from local MPs and firms who warned it will devastate businesses. London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey branded it a ‘mistake’ and said individual boroughs should be treated differently. Pubs, restaurants and culture venues will be closed, while shoppers from Tier 2 zones will be barred from shopping in major retail hubs like Oxford Street. 

West End theatres are also readying themselves to close after tomorrow night’s performances. 

Meanwhile there is anxiety that Kent, already in Tier 3, could face a further tightening of restrictions with a surge in cases that has yet to fall.

In an apparent attempt to assuage anger, Mr Hancock indicated that the next review will be on December 23 – rather than December 30 as had been expected. 

However, in a grim statement to the House on the epidemiological situation he said: ‘Initial analysis suggests that this variant is growing faster than the existing variants.

‘We’ve currently identified over 1,000 cases with this variant predominantly in the South of England although cases have been identified in nearly 60 different local authority areas.

‘And numbers are increasing rapidly.’  

The Government agreed to review the tier levels every two weeks at the latest after they were introduced on December 2, in order to pass the legislation needed in the face of a backbench rebellion.  

But the decision was brought forward from Wednesday to today because of the spike in numbers, with a key cabinet committee having met this morning.