Britain’s coronavirus death toll has gone up by 621 to 4,934 – including 29 patients, who did not have any underlying health conditions.

The patients were between 33 years and 103 years old, with 29 of them, aged between 35 and 95 years old, having no known underlying health conditions.

The level of infections has risen sharply by almost 60 per cent, from 5,903 to 47,806, dashing hopes the rate of people getting the disease was starting to level out.

Just days ago, Stephen Powis, England medical director, said there had been a ‘bit of a plateau’ in the number of people testing positive.

The Department of Health also said that, as of 9am yesterday, a total of 195,524 people have been tested, up from 183,190 the previous day – pushing the amount of tests done daily to more than 12,000.

It comes amid concerns a huge backlog of potential patients awaiting their results could mean infections are far higher than is being reported.

If the backlog for processing the tests is too great, the rate of infections will remain at roughly the same level, with the services already pushed to the brink and only able to carry out a certain number of tests per day.

Matthew Lesh, head of research at the Adam Smith Institute, told MailOnline: “The UK numbers are masked by the inability of the laboratories.”

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NHS England gave the breakdown by region of the 555 deaths of patients in England: – East of England 40 – London 174 – Midlands 74 – North East & Yorkshire 103 – North West 47 – South East 81 – South West 36.

Public Health England reported an extra 555 deaths in England, Public Health Wales recorded 12, and there have been seven in Northern Ireland.

In Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said authorities there had recorded an additional two extra deaths in Scotland, up to 220, but said the number was based on a new way of counting deaths and is “likely to be artificially low”.

It came as Matt Hancock blasted sunbathers for breaking coronavirus lockdown rules as he warned the government will ban “all forms” of outdoor exercise if a “small minority” refuses to stay at home.

The Health Secretary said it was “quite unbelievable” some people are still not following government guidance and stressed the plea not to go outside apart from in very specific circumstances was “not a request, it is a requirement”.

A number of other countries have banned outdoor exercise in a bid to slow the spread of the disease and Hancock said the government is willing to take the same action if people do not comply with existing restrictions.