UK records another 38,046 Covid cases

The country also reported another 100 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 132,243. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test, Xinhua news agency reported. 

Meanwhile, the latest figures showed that infections were higher in the week leading up to August 20 than in the corresponding week of the second wave. 

Around one in 70 people in private households in England had Covid-19 in the week to August 20, up from one in 80 in the previous week, according to the latest estimates from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). 

"Cooler autumn weather, leading to increased indoor social mixing, is likely to drive further increases in the coming weeks. The end of summer holidays and return of people to work and education, without clear guidance on physical measures to avoid transmission such as mask wearing or social distancing, is also likely to push up infection rates," said Dr Simon Clarke, associate professor in University of Reading. 

"This time, the vaccine programme is keeping down the number of hospitalizations and deaths but increasing numbers of community infections still translate into growing numbers of very sick Covid patients, and an unnecessarily high burden on the NHS (National Health Service)," said the expert in cellular microbiology. 

More than 88 per cent of people aged 16 and over in Britain have had their first dose of vaccine and about 78 per cent have received both doses, the latest figures showed.