Coronavirus test and trace stats show 167% rise in positive cases

More than 18,300 people tested positive for coronavirus in the latest weekly data from the government’s test and trace service, an increase of 167 per cent compared to the end of August.

According to the data there was also a 27 per cent increase in the number of people getting tested in the week to 9 September with 571,400 people overall getting a test.

The huge spike in demand has been blamed as one reason why there is a shortage of tests with patients being offered slots hundreds of miles from where they live, or unable to get any test at all.

The number of positive cases in the latest week was 75 per cent compared to the previous seven days in line with a sharp increase seen in recent weeks as the virus continues to spread in the community.