Coronavirus news - live: UK sees highest case increase since May amid warning of further nationwide rules

Further nationwide restrictions have not been ruled out if coronavirus cases continue to soar two to three weeks after the imposition of Boris Johnson’s “rule of six”, government sources have confirmed, including the use of curfews in London to prevent late-night drinking.

As nearly 4,000 new cases were identified - the highest total since May - justice secretary Robert Buckland admitted the government faces "real challenges" with the testing system, suggesting schoolchildren and their parents would be the next testing priority after NHS and social care workers.

Meanwhile, the Royal Bolton Hospital has warned people to stay away from its emergency department unless they have a life-threatening illness or injury as surging coronavirus cases across the region begin to translate into rising hospital admissions, with the facility’s medical director suggesting failures in the testing scheme were responsible for the surge of people turning up to the hospital seeking tests.

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