The British government announced late Sunday that another 22,961 people in the UK had tested positive for the novel COVID-19.
However, a government statement above its online coronavirus dashboard said: “An issue was identified overnight on Friday 2 October in the automated process that transfers positive cases data to PHE [Public Health England]. It has now been resolved.”
“The cases by publish date for 3 and 4 October include 15,841 additional cases with specimen dates between 25 September and 2 October — they are therefore artificially high for England and the UK.”
This means that almost 16,000 cases were delayed in being added to the official figures.
The total number of positive cases in the UK is currently at 502,978 as things stand.
Meanwhile, 33 people across the UK died from the coronavirus over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 42,350.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Boris Johnson admitted in an interview with the BBC that some members of the public were “furious at me” and “furious at the government” for continuing to implement coronavirus restrictions.
“I’ve got to tell you in all candour it’s going to continue to be bumpy through to Christmas; it may even be bumpy beyond,” he added.
