22 new Covid cases in Milton Keynes today

This makes a total of 95 new cases since Friday evening and it brings the MK total to 1,610 since the start of the pandemic.

On Friday Milton Keynes Council leader Pete Marland warned the rising figures could lead to the city entering a higher alert level with much tighter restrictions,.

He said in his weekly Covid-19 update: "We are seeing worrying trends this week. Early indications are that as many as 40 people tested positive in a single day. If this rate of increase in our numbers continues unchecked, it's inevitable we will enter a higher alert level and further restrictions will be imposed."

Nationally, today shows a rise in cases from 18,804 to 21,331. Covid-linked deaths have also risen significantly from 80 to 241 in the past 24 hours.

Currently 6,431 patients are in hospitals throughout the UK with Covid and 629 of them are in ventilator beds.

Over the past 24 hours, 860 new patients have been admitted.