UK coronavirus cases fall by 25% in a week to 18,662 - the lowest total in more than a month - while ‘data error’ is blamed for doubling fatalities to 398 after 141 deaths were excluded from Saturday's figures

Britain has recorded a further 18,662 coronavirus cases today, marking a 25 per cent drop on last Sunday's figure.

While today's case total is the lowest daily figure in more than a month, the number of deaths recorded skyrocketed by 137 per cent compared to this time last week.

The 398 coronavirus deaths listed on the Government's Covid dashboard today marks highest Sunday total since May 27 when 422 deaths were reported.

But the Government has blamed today's death toll surge on a data processing error which saw 141 fatalities go unreported yesterday.

The deaths excluded from Saturday's data were added on today's, meaning the figure for Sunday alone is 257.

This signals a much smaller rise in the number of Covid deaths compared to last week - with the actual increase standing at 53 per cent.

A Government statement read: 'Due to a processing update, 141 previously published deaths within 28 days in England were excluded from the published data on November 21.

'This issue has now been corrected for data published on November 22, which includes deaths omitted yesterday in today's total and daily number of newly reported deaths.'

Today's case figures came as:

Last Sunday saw the hospital death toll increase by 168, and the Sunday before that, November 8, saw another 161 patients die (pictured: A test in November) 

Scotland today reported a further 844 Covid cases and seven new deaths, while Wales has seen 808 new cases and 11 deaths.

A further 10 people with Covid-19 have died in Northern Ireland, where there were 342 new confirmed cases.

The figures come as Boris Johnson is set to outline a return to the three-level system but with more areas potentially placed into the top Tier 3 than before the November lockdown, ahead of a planned relaxation at Christmas.

Mr Johnson is also planning to relax the much-criticised 10pm pub curfew, easing restrictions to allow drinking holes to call last orders at 10pm and give punters an hour to drink up and finish meals. 

The Prime Minister will set out tomorrow a return to the three-level system but with more areas potentially placed into the top Tier 3 than before the November lockdown, ahead of a planned relaxation at Christmas

Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove had talks with Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and her Welsh and Northern Irish counterparts yesterday, the Cabinet Office revealed this afternoon

But Mr Johnson's plans, which have to be approved in a Commons vote to become law, are facing strident opposition from a hardcore block of his own party, who argue that the restrictions cause more damage than they prevent.   

MPs in the Covid Recovery Group wrote to the Prime Minister last night demanding he give Parliament a full 'cost-benefit analysis' of the new system amid concerns over the ongoing effect on the economy and also people with existing long-term health problems.

In the letter to the PM, the group led by former chief whip Mark Harper and High Wycombe MP Steve Baker, said: 'There is no doubt that Covid is a deadly disease to many and it is vital that we control its spread effectively. But we must give equal regard to other lethal killers like cancer, dementia and heart disease, to people's mental health, and all the health implications of poverty and falling GDP.

In the letter to the PM, the group led by former chief whip Mark Harper and High Wycombe MP Steve Baker, said said: 'There is no doubt that Covid is a deadly disease to many and it is vital that we control its spread effectively. But we must give equal regard to other lethal killers like cancer, dementia and heart disease, to people's mental health, and all the health implications of poverty and falling GDP'

SAGE scientist says Covid rules could be relaxed over Christmas if new Tier system is successful 

Trying to ban Christmas will lead to people breaching coronavirus restrictions so rules could be relaxed if the new Tier system proves effective, a SAGE scientific adviser has warned.

Calum Semple, professor of child health and outbreak medicine at Liverpool University, says that while some restrictions might be needed after the festive period, these might not need to be 'draconian'.

Prof Semple added that regulations could be relaxed over Christmas if the new tier system proves successful following the current lockdown.

Speaking on Sky's Sophy Ridge On Sunday, Prof Semple, who is a member of the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies , said: 'In reality we can't ban Christmas and to do so would simply lead to breaches, and what are you going to do about that?'

When asked whether every day of relaxation would require five days of tighter restrictions, he said: 'Yeah, I think in the round it's right, but it shouldn't be seen that it is going to be draconian restrictions, it's just going to prolong restrictions and higher-level restriction for some areas.'

Prof Semple said that there was now 'really good evidence' on which sectors are responsible for transmission of the virus, including the construction industry. 

He said: 'You would have thought working outside wouldn't be a risk, but many people in construction are actually working inside before buildings are made Covid-safe.

'So the construction industry has turned out to be a risk that I was surprised to see.'

And he warned that even with masks and socially distancing, industries such as pubs and hairdressers were still 'high-risk activities'.

He said: 'It's not just a case of just bang on a mask and a visor, it's about not touching the face mask, it's about washing your hands.

'It's difficult, it takes nurses and doctors years to learn to do this properly.'

When asked if changing pub closing times would make a difference, he added: 'Fiddling at the edges of something like drinking-up times or pubs' closing times is simply not an effective mechanism.

'With pubs and clubs you have to look at the whole human behaviour and take human behaviour into account, and I think that's what was missing when this first came in.

'I think whatever iteration you see next will be better informed by understanding human behaviour, and not driving us into unintended consequence that can increase transmission, such as closing pubs early and everyone coming out into the streets at once.'

'The tiered restrictions approach in principle attempts to link virus prevalence with measures to tackle it, but it's vital we remember always that even the tiered system of restrictions infringes deeply upon people's lives with huge health and economic costs...

'We cannot support this approach further unless the Government demonstrates the restrictions proposed for after December 3 will have an impact on slowing the transmission of Covid, and will save more lives than they cost.'      

Meanwhile a Sage scientist today said trying to ban Christmas will lead to people breaching coronavirus restrictions, so rules could be relaxed if the new Tier system proves effective.

Calum Semple, professor of child health and outbreak medicine at Liverpool University, says that while some restrictions might be needed after the festive period, these might not need to be 'draconian'.

Prof Semple added that regulations could be relaxed over Christmas if the new tier system proves successful following the current lockdown.

Speaking on Sky's Sophy Ridge On Sunday, Prof Semple, who is a member of the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies , said: 'In reality we can't ban Christmas and to do so would simply lead to breaches, and what are you going to do about that?'

When asked whether every day of relaxation would require five days of tighter restrictions, he said: 'Yeah, I think in the round it's right, but it shouldn't be seen that it is going to be draconian restrictions, it's just going to prolong restrictions and higher-level restriction for some areas.'

It came as sources in No 10 said they believed that a wave of vaccines due to be rolled out within moths will allow the country to be 'something close to normal' by Easter. 

However Mr Johnson may face a battle to get the new tiers past MPs. 

If all 70 rebels vote against the new tiers it would wipe out the Government's working majority if Labour also opposed them. However Sir Keir Starmer's party has so far backed Covid legislation.

The Christmas news is likely to bring joy to many hard-pressed families, although critics have warned there is a high price to pay, with a potential lockdown in January to make up for the extra festive freedom

In a statement, the Cabinet Office said 'good progress' had been made in recent days on a Christmas deal across the UK. 

'Ministers endorsed a shared objective of facilitating some limited additional household bubbling for a small number of days, but also emphasised that the public will be advised to remain cautious, and that wherever possible people should avoid travelling and minimise social contact,' it said.

'In respect of Northern Ireland, ministers also recognised that people will want to see family and friends across the island of Ireland, and this is the subject of discussions with the Irish government.'

In response to the rebels Chancellor Rishi Sunak this morning said it was important to look at 'the impact of coronavirus in the round' including the economy. He stopped short of agreeing to the CRG's demands, saying: 'It's very hard to be precise in estimating the particular impact of a one-week restriction.

'What you will see next week when we have the spending review, alongside that will be a set of forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility ... which will show the enormous strain and stress our economy is experiencing, the job losses that you mention, the forecasts of what will happen, and it's right that we consider those in the round as we consider the best way to fight the virus.'

Mr Sunak added: 'It's a tragedy that three-quarters of a million people have already lost their jobs. That's millions of families and people who are impacted by that, and it's a difficult time for everyone.' 

Mr Johnson will on Monday tell the House of Commons and the nation in a televised address that lockdown will end, as promised, on December 2.

He will also set out details of a new winter plan to tackle Covid, including a revised three-tier structure for restrictions. 

The new framework will run until the spring in a move designed to give businesses and the public more confidence and clarity while work continues on approving vaccines and a mass immunisation project.

Mr Sunak today warned that 'Christmas is not going to be normal'. He said the localised tiered system is a 'far better way' to tackle Covid-19 as he confirmed the Prime Minister's plans, which were expected to be approved by the Cabinet on Sunday.

'I think, frustrating as it is for all of us, Christmas is not going to be normal this year,' he told Ridge On Sunday.

'But that said, the Prime Minister and everyone else, we're looking at ways to see how families can spend some time with each other over Christmas period.

'Obviously that's something that we would like to do and it's been a difficult year for all of us, but as I said it's not going to be a normal Christmas this year.'