Britain records highest number of Coronavirus cases since May

Britain has recorded its highest daily number of new coronavirus cases since May, with 2,988 new infections announced on Sunday.

Like other European countries, the UK is seeing the number of infections rise as society reopens after lockdown.

Some of the increase can be accounted for by expanded testing, which is identifying people who have mild or no symptoms.

The number of hospital admissions and deaths has so far not shown a corresponding rise. Two new deaths were reported Sunday.

The sharp rise in COVID-19 cases is “concerning,” Health Secretary Matt Hancock said, although he added that the majority were younger people.

“The rise in the number of cases that we’ve seen today is concerning,” he said. “The cases are predominately among younger people, but we’ve seen in other countries across the world and in Europe this sort of rise in the cases amongst younger people leading to a rise across the population as a whole.”

He said everybody had to follow social distancing rules to prevent the spread of infections.

The increased number of cases comes as British schoolchildren return to class, a milestone in the resumption of normal life.

Britain’s confirmed coronavirus death toll stands at 41,551, the highest in Europe.