Covid UK: Only 1 death recorded in 24 hours but 3,383 more cases amid fears June 21 freedom will be pushed back

THE UK has seen just one new coronavirus death reported in the last 24 hours - while cases have risen 40% in a week as the Indian Covid variant continues to spread.

A further 3,383 more people have tested positive for the killer bug, according to the figures released by the government.

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It means the number of infections has increased by 40% after 2,439 cases were recorded this time last week.

And today is the fifth day in a row daily infections have topped 3,000.

The one death reported today occurred in Scotland, while England, Wales and Northern Ireland reported zero fatalities.

As a whole the UK has seen a total of 4,487,339 cases and 127,782 deaths over the course of the pandemic

It's hoped the low death toll means the UK's jabs rollout has severed the link between infections, hospitalisations and deaths - despite the super-infectious new variant taking hold.

But ministers are reportedly preparing to row back on 'freedom day' next month, with face masks and the work from home order set to stay in place for weeks to come.

Brits will be told of the decision on June 14, Vaccines Minister Nsdhim Zahawi confirmed.

Meanwhile, NHS chiefs have warned that hospitals are under "worrying" pressure.

It comes as:

• Cases of the Indian variant diagnosed in Bolton have fallen more than 10 per cent in four days after health chiefs deployed surge testing
• Brit spies are ‘recruiting Chinese whistleblowers on the darkweb’ for intel on fears Covid leaked from a Wuhan lab
• Fully-vaccinated people who catch Covid may STILL be able pass on variants, it's feared
• Half of adults in the UK will have been vaccinated with both jabs by the end of the week
• NHS staff ‘to be legally required to have the jab’ under Government plans to crack down on transmission in hospitals

There's uncertainty over the transmissibility of the Indian variant - and it's believed hospitalisations are starting to rise again, although they remain well below the peak in January.

Between May 19 and 25, 870 people went into hospital with coronavirus, an increase of 23.2 per cent compared with the previous seven days.