Over 10m people in the UK now under new Covid restrictions

Around 10m people across the UK are now living under tighter coronavirus measures, ranging from 10pm to 5am curfew, travel bans from leaving their areas to households banned from mixing.

Scotland has seven area with measures, Wales has two, whilst England now has 25 regions under new government-imposed restrictions.

The UK are experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases sweeping across the country, and England’s positives cases has risen by 167% between the end of August and 9 September.

Official figures revealed that 18,371 new people were confirmed to be infected across England in the six days between the 3 September and 9 September, which is an increase of 167%.

Testing has been described as shambolic by opposition leaders, and the NHS Providers deputy chief executive Saffron Cordery says there has been a 75% hike recorded in the week to 9 September has left the organisation “deeply concerned.”

Cordery said, “As not everyone is able to access a test, the actual number of cases may well be higher than the figures show.”

Cordery added, “Trust leaders are increasingly concerned with the current testing shortages impacting on NHS service recovery and winter preparations due to staff and their family members being unable to access a test resulting in increasing NHS staff absences.

“Additionally, with the number of positive COVID-19 cases increasing, but a reduction in the proportion being contact traced, we are looking at renewed pressure on the NHS. 

“Trust leaders are concerned that they do not have the detail on why there are shortages, how widespread they are or how long they will last. 

“We are a long way off where we need to be with testing.”

However, the Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg seems to think the testing system should be celebrates after the government’s alleged “phenomenal success.”

Rees-Mogg told MPs on Thursday afternoon, that people have been told to stop their “endless carping” over the lack of tests.

Dr Lincoln Sargeant, Director of Public Health for North Yorkshire said, “There are significant limitations with laboratory capacity nationally, as demand for tests increases.

“We know that Government is working to address this situation but, in the meantime, it means that fewer test appointments are available and test results are taking longer to be processed.

“This issue is a national one and outside of our control. We have escalated our concerns nationally and we are targeting our local testing facilities towards the communities and people in greatest need.”