(Bloomberg) -- The U.K. is reporting numbers of new coronavirus cases not seen since the summer as the government comes under pressure to reimpose restrictions.
Just over 52,000 tests were reported to have come back positive on Thursday, the most since July 17. While the number of people in hospital with the disease crossed 8,000, more than a thousand more than a week earlier.
A strong vaccine rollout in the U.K. means daily deaths still remain relatively low compared to more than 1,800 recorded at the beginning of this year.
The government is coming under pressure to enact “Plan B”, which could require face masks in public, encourage work from home and enforce social distancing.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid has warned that new daily virus cases could rise to 100,000, urging eligible citizens to receive booster jabs, instead of imposing new restrictions.
“We've all got a role to play,” Javid said at a Downing Street press conference on Wednesday. “This pandemic is not over.”
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