LONDON (Reuters) – The United Kingdom reported 3,497 confirmed new cases of COVID-19, according to government data published on Saturday, compared with 3,539 a day earlier.

It also reported a further nine new deaths from the coronavirus.

Friday’s figure was the largest number of daily cases to be reported since mid-May, and Britain is to bring in a new ban on social gatherings on Monday in a bid to curb the increasing rise in infections.

(Reporting by Michael Holden, Editing by William Maclean)

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