Health minister Matt Hancock warned the United Kingdom was at a “perilous moment” as more than 17,540 new daily Covid-19 cases were recorded on Thursday, up by more than 3,000 from the day before.

A further 77 people died after testing positive for the virus within 28 days, government data showed while the number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals in England rose to 3,044 from 2,944 on Wednesday, the highest figure since June 22.

“We are seeing a definite and sustained increase in cases and admissions to hospital. The trend is clear, and it is very concerning,” said Dr Yvonne Doyle, Medical Director for Public Health England.