The UK has surpassed one million confirmed cases of Covid-19, official figures show.
The most recent statistics shared by the Department of Health and Social Care show that almost 22,000 people have tested positive for the virus in the past day alone.
The the total number of cases in the UK now stands at 1,011,660.
Commenting on the news Dr Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England, said: “For many among this million, getting infected has meant serious illness and even death.
“We have all already made huge sacrifices and we are in an increasingly precarious situation as hospital admissions grow each day.
“But we can all continue to play our part in bringing this virus under control and must abide by the restrictions in place, socially distance, wear a face covering and regularly washing our hands.
Saturday’s figures also showed a further 326 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hour period – the third time this week that the toll has topped 300.
The UK’s total death toll now stands at 46,555.
Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies for deaths where Covid-19 has been mentioned on the death certificate, together with additional data on deaths that have occurred in recent days, show there have now been 62,000 deaths involving Covid-19 in the UK.