COVID-19: UK records another 58 coronavirus-related deaths - as infections rise by 15% in a week

Watch: COVID-19: UK records another 58 coronavirus-related deaths - as infections rise by 15% in a week

The UK has recorded 32,417 further COVID-19 cases and 58 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to the latest government figures.

There have been 239,342 cases over the past seven days - an increase of almost 31,974, equivalent to 15.4% - data published on the government's coronavirus website showed.

A total of 965 deaths have been recorded over the past week, 38 less than last week, equating to a 3.8% reduction.

On Saturday, 122 deaths were recorded as more than 31,348 people tested positive across the UK.

Meanwhile, another 22,540 people received their first vaccine dose, taking the total number of people who have had one jab to 48,722,414.

A further 46,517 people received their second dose, taking the total of fully vaccinated people in the country to 44,739,473.

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It comes as leading experts said COVID-19 would resemble illness as mild as a common cold by spring next year.

Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert - one of the British scientists behind the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine - and Sir John Bell both believe the UK "is over the worst" of the virus.

And COVID hospital admissions are projected to decrease across the UK in the coming weeks - other than Scotland, where they look set to rise to more than 200 a day, according to the latest government models.

Data released by the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M-O) looks at what could happen in all UK nations and regions up to early October.

Using the midpoint of the projections as a comparison, figures show hospitalisations are expected to decrease in England, and all English regions, as well as in Wales and Northern Ireland between now and 3 October.

However, in Scotland, admissions could continue to rise to more than 200 a day.