LONDON | The United Kingdom, the country most bereaved in Europe by the pandemic, exceeded the bar of 500,000 positive coronavirus cases on Sunday, after an increase in the number of contaminations due to the catching up of a technical problem.
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In their latest report issued on Sunday evening, the British health services counted 22,961 positive cases for the virus in the last 24 hours, a difference of more than 10,000 cases with the daily contaminations of the day before, which amounted to 12,872.
This figure already contrasted with those of the rest of the week, on average between 6,000 and 7,000 new cases each day.
Authorities said on Saturday that the unusually high figures were the result of a now-resolved technical issue that had delayed the release of a number of cases over the period from September 24 to September 1.er October.
These will be added gradually in the next reports, making, according to experts, “misleading” the trend of new daily contaminations.
The United Kingdom now has 502,978 cases of people tested positive since the start of the epidemic, British health services said.
Hoping to avoid a national reconfinement, the British government is stepping up local actions to try to control the spread of the virus, which has already killed more than 42,350 there (including 33 in the last 24 hours), the heaviest toll in Europe.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned, Sunday morning, in an interview with the BBC, that winter would be “harsh” and that “eventful months” still awaited the British, before a possible improvement in the health situation in the spring.