Britain's daily Covid cases have risen by 9.4 per cent in a week but deaths and hospitalisations have both fallen by around a fifth, today's official statistics shows.
Some 34,526 positive tests were recorded across the UK, up from 31,564 last Monday, Department of Health data reveals it is the eleventh day in-a-row that infections have increased week-on-week.
Another 167 Covid deaths were recorded, down by 17.7 per cent compared to the 203 fatalities recorded one week earlier.
And hospitalisation data shows 706 infected people came forward for NHS care on Friday, a drop of 18 per cent drop on the 741 reported on September 17.
Both measures lag several weeks behind cases because of how long it can take for infected patients to become seriously ill.
The rising number of cases come amid fears Britain could be on the cusp of a fourth wave, with data suggesting that cases have started to spill over from children to their parents.
No10's top scientists have always warned another wave of infections would strike this autumn following millions of pupils returning to classrooms.
Meanwhile, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published data today which showed the UK breached 1,000 in mid-September for the first time since March.
The coronavirus contributed to 1,049 fatalities in the seven days leading up to September 17, up 5 per cent on the previous week, its report revealed.
Meanwhile, 48.7million Britons aged over 16 have had at least one dose of the vaccine (89.7 per cent), while 44.7million are double-jabbed (82.4 per cent).
The ONS data today showed Covid fatalities reached the highest weekly toll since the week ending March 12 (1,637), when the devastating second wave was beginning to recede.
The figure includes any fatalities with Covid mentioned on the death certificate, including cases where it was not the main cause of death.
Meanwhile, official data also revealed more than 70,000 extra deaths have occurred at home in both England and Wales since pandemic began.
Despite the slight uptick in Covid deaths for the UK as a whole, the number of fatalities registered dipped slightly in England and Wales (851). But this was skewed by last week's count (857), which was higher than usual due to a lag in registering deaths on the August bank holiday, which fell in the previous seven-day spell.
The UK-wide rise was fuelled by Scotland, which saw the number of deaths rise by 80 per cent. It suffered an explosion of Covid cases following the return of schools in mid-August.
Deaths lag behind cases by several weeks because of the time it takes for someone to become seriously unwell after they catch the virus.
The rest of the UK didn't send pupils back until the start of September. But separate data now suggests that the reopening of classrooms in England may have finally triggered another Covid wave.
Department of Health shows infection rates have been rising among youngsters for a fortnight, fuelled by children returning to classrooms at the start of the month. But rates are trending upwards in 35 to 39-year-olds, 40 to 44-year-olds and 45 to 50-year-olds, suggesting that children may have taken the virus home to their parents.
SAGE, the Government's scientific advisers had always warned a fourth wave was inevitable, but when the country will see a peak in infections, hospitalisations and deaths and how high the numbers will go is unclear.
But the success of the vaccine rollout is expected to suppress a fresh wave, with experts insisting that the UK is in a much better position than it was last winter.
Ministers have vowed not to implement tougher restrictions — such as the return of face masks indoors and work from home guidance — unless the NHS comes under unmanageable pressure.
Weekly Covid deaths in the UK breached 1,000 for the first time since March, data from the Office for National Statistics shows. The virus contributed to 1,049 across the four nations in the seven days leading up to September 17, the highest number in six months and 5.3 per cent more than last week
