The UK recorded 7,738 new infections on Saturday and 12 deaths as Boris Johnson said he was seriously concerned about the Indian Covid variant.
Last Saturday 5,765 people tested positive for coronavirus, and 13 deaths were reported. On May 29, there were 3,398 infections.
Over the last week 47,868 people had a confirmed positive test result.
Scientists believe that the Indian variant is up to 60 per cent more transmissible than the Kent strain. It now makes up 90 per cent of all cases in the UK.
Earlier on Saturday, Boris Johnson said he would be “cautious” to lift lockdown as reports suggest he will delay Freedom Day on June 21 by up to four weeks.
Speaking at the G7 summit in Cornwall the prime minister said it was clear” the Delta variant is “more transmissible” and that Covid cases and the number of people in hospital is increasing.
“What I can certainly say is we are looking at the data, continuing to do that, but what you can certainly take is… the roadmap was always cautious but irreversible, and in order to have an irreversible roadmap, we’ve got to be cautious,” he told the BBC.
A final decision about whether to proceed with the final stage of the government’s lockdown roadmap will be announced by Mr Johnson on Monday.
Mr Johnson is also facing calls to make the Covid-19 memorial wall in Westminster a permanent fixture.
