The number of coronavirus patients in UK hospitals has surged beyond the peak of the first wave, prompting health officials to express "extreme concern" as a record 53,135 new daily cases were reported on Tuesday.
Public Health England said there had been a "real increase" in infections, while 414 more deaths within 28 days of a positive test were recorded. Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned the NHS was facing "unprecedented pressures" and urged the public to follow restrictions.
Hospitals in England and Wales are now treating more Covid patients than at the height of the first wave in April, according to official data. Dr Susan Hopkins, senior medical adviser at PHE, said the situation was of "extreme concern, particularly as our hospitals are at their most vulnerable".
The surge is being driven in part by a new, more transmissible variant of the virus. Professor Andrew Hayward, a government scientific adviser, said decisive national action was needed to prevent a "catastrophe" in the new year, warning that current tier four restrictions might not be sufficient.
Meanwhile, police in Wales have turned away visitors from London, and people in Scotland have been urged to stay at home for Hogmanay. Northern Ireland's top doctor warned of a third surge expected in mid-January.
