A total of 798 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 9am on Friday, up from 590 at the same point on Thursday, the Department of Health said.
A total of 32,771 people have so far been tested for the virus, with 31,973 results coming back negative, the Department of Health said.
Of those patients tested so far, 2.4% have had a positive result.
The number of fatalities remains 10, with no increase since Thursday.
Today’s rise in confirmed cases in the UK from 590 to 798 is the largest day-on-day increase since the outbreak began.
It is a jump of 208, which is 35% up on the equivalent figure for Thursday.
It is the first time the day-on-day increase has been higher than 200.
One week ago, on March 6, the total number of cases stood at 163.
Today’s total of 798 is almost five times greater than the equivalent figure one week ago.
It comes as the UK moves into the next stage of its response to the coronavirus outbreak as experts and politicians accepted it could no longer be contained.