Over 600,000 people pinged by the Covid app in a week

Latest government figures show there are a further 44,104 daily coronavirus cases in the UK, with 73 coronavirus-related deaths. Britain has the highest Covid death toll anywhere in Europe.

Boris Johnson has warned that cases could rise even more this week, as most legal restrictions have ended in England. However, despite complaints over the NHS Track and Trace app's sensitivity - the same one that he and Rishi Sunak have ignored after Sajid Javid tested positive - the PM says the system will still not be adjusted.

607,486 alerts were sent to app users in England while a further 11,417 were sent in Wales. Shoppers could face empty shelves as the 'pingdemic' has also seen thousands of key workers in supermarkets told to self-isolate.

While Downing Street has denied the suggestion that people will start to ignore the guidance on the Covid app, the fact remains that many are now deleting the app; as the alert is only advisory and not enforceable by law - unlike a phone call from the Test and Trace team - this could see the number of people removing it from their phones increase further.