THE UK has recorded its highest daily death toll since the end of April and a record rise in cases for the second day running.

There were 744 deaths coronavirus deaths reported yesterday, which is the highest daily figure since April 29.

More than a dozen of those deaths were in Sussex. Ten deaths happened at the East Sussex Trust and five happened at Western Sussex Hospitals Trust.

The number of deaths within 28 days of a positive test nationwide has reached 69,051.

The grim statistic comes as the country reported another 39,237 cases, which is the highest since the start of the pandemic.

The rise in cases has been blamed on the new and more contagious variant of the virus in South East England.

The total number of infections since the start of the pandemic in the UK now stands at 2,149,551.

Cases continued to rise dramatically across Sussex over the past 24 hours.

West Sussex’s total increase by 243 to 12,826.

East Sussex’s total increased by 458 to 10,831.

Brighton and Hove’s total increased by 230 to 5,392.