LONDON (Reuters) – The United Kingdom reported 33,470 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, the highest daily total to date, as the government struggles to control a second wave of infections going into the winter.
The death toll in the United Kingdom is higher than the other worst-affected countries in Europe and the number of people killed by coronavirus is only higher in the United States, Brazil, India and Mexico.
Thursday’s data on the number of deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 were not immediately available.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ordered England back into a month-long national lockdown amid concerns that a rising number of infections could overwhelm the health service.
The government has been criticised by political opponents for moving too slowly into the two national lockdowns, for a shortage of personal protective equipment and for failing to protect the elderly in care homes.
(Reporting by William James. Editing by Andrew MacAskill)
