Covid-19 deaths and cases have both risen today compared to last week's figures as infections soar to 32,417.
Lives lost to the virus rose 3.5 per cent today compared to last Sunday with 58 deaths revealed in the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile, last week there were 29,612 new cases and 56 deaths.
The figures come after separate data suggested Covid infections plummeted last week despite fears that the new school term would fuel an autumn surge sooner.
One in 90 people in England had the virus, with around 620,100 infected in total, testing by the Office for National Statistics revealed.
This is down 18 per cent from a fortnight earlier, when one in 70 tested positive and estimated total infections stood at 754,000.
The weekly ONS survey, based on random swab testing of 150,000 people, is seen by the Government as the most reliable measure of the epidemic.
The Government said a further 122 people died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid as of today, bringing the UK total to 136,105.
Separate figures published by the Office for National Statistics show there have now been 160,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.
As of 9am on Saturday, there had been a further 31,348 lab-confirmed Covid cases in the UK, the Government said.
In a further boost for hopes that the pandemic may be over, Government scientists said the R rate – the average number infected by someone with the virus – may have dropped below one for the first time since March. R is between 0.8 and 1 in England, meaning the epidemic is shrinking.
ONS study leader Kara Steel said: ‘Infection levels have decreased in England for the first
