The UK has reported more than 3,000 new COVID-19 cases – the highest since mid-April.

Some 3,180 cases were recorded in the latest 24-hour period along with nine more coronavirus-related deaths.

The last time there were over 3,000 daily cases reported was 12 April, when 3,568 infections were revealed.

It comes as another 186,147 people received their first COVID vaccine dose on Tuesday, taking the total to 38,378,564.

Also, 387,987 people had their second jab on Tuesday, meaning 23,616,498 are now fully vaccinated.

It comes as the Indian coronavirus variant of concern appears to be spreading rapidly with 121 local authority areas in England seeing a rise in growth rates.

The variant – B.1.617.2 – was detected in 151 local authorities in the week ending 15 May, an 18% weekly increase, according to figures from the Wellcome Sanger Institute which sequences a random sample of positive tests in the community.

Meanwhile, Dominic Cummings has made a series of explosive claims against the government over its early response to the pandemic.

The prime minister’s former top adviser said tens of thousands of people died unnecessarily because of the government’s failings and Boris Johnson was “unfit for the job” of PM.

Mr Cummings also said Mr Johnson dismissed the pandemic as a “scare story” or the new “swine flu” in early 2020 as the global crisis loomed and then had to be persuaded to lock down in March.

The PM then ignored scientific advice when faced with calls for a circuit breaker in September, before saying he would rather see “bodies pile high” than announce a third lockdown, according to Mr Cummings.

Mr Cummings apologised to the public, saying that ministers, officials and advisers had fallen “disastrously short” of the standards they should expect in a crisis.

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