 "United Kingdom coronavirus update: Cases increase by nearly 3,000 a day")
The daily number of coronavirus cases in the UK had increased by nearly 3,000, with another 2,919 new infections recorded, according to the official figures.
Thursday's figure marked an increase of 260 over Wednesday's figure, when 2,659 new infections were officially confirmed, reports Xinhua news agency.
The number of Britons who contracted Covid-19 since the start of the outbreak now stands at 358,138, according to latest data released by the government.
A further 14 deaths were confirmed in the past 24 hours across all settings, taking the official death toll to 41,608.
Meanwhile, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced that travellers arriving in England from mainland Portugal will have to self-isolate for two weeks from Saturday.
No quarantine will be required for those arriving in England from the Portuguese islands, the Azores and Madeira.
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Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday announced a tightening of social distancing rules by banning social gatherings of more than six people in England in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country.
--IANS
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