The number of new daily confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK has topped 60,000 for the first time since the pandemic started.

According to government figures on Tuesday, the number of people who tested positive was 60,916.

One in 50 people in private households in England had Covid last week – and one in 30 in London, according to estimates based on the latest data.

A further 830 people have also died within 28 days of a positive test.

It comes as England and Scotland announced new strict lockdowns, with people told to stay at home.

At a press conference at Downing Street on Tuesday, Boris Johnson said 1.3 million people had now been vaccinated in the UK – including 23% of over 80s in England, some 650,000 people.

But he said more than one million people were currently infected – with the number of patients in hospitals 40% higher than in the first peak.

The government’s chief medical adviser Prof Chris Whitty cited the Office for National Statistics’ random sampling data for England as showing how widespread the virus is.

“We’re now into a situation where across the country as a whole, roughly one in 50 people have got the virus, higher in some parts of the country, lower in others,” he said.

That latest estimates include:

One in 30 for LondonOne in 45 for south-east England, eastern England and north-west EnglandOne in 50 for the East MidlandsOne in 60 for north-east EnglandOne in 65 for the West Midlands and Yorkshire and the HumberOne in 135 for south-west England

BBC