An NHS boss has warned the number of hospital admissions has skyrocketed in barely over a week. The latest NHS data revealed that the number of hospital beds in England occupied by confirmed coronavirus patients climbed by 33% between Christmas Day and January 2.
Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, told Sky News the increase was the equivalent of "12 extra full hospitals, full of Covid patients" in just eight days.
His comments came as a further 454 people died with Covid-19 in the 24 hours to Sunday, bringing the overall UK death toll to 75,024.
Sunday marked the sixth consecutive of 50,000 daily cases, as 54,990 new infections were recorded. Boris Johnson's Government is under fire as schools are ordered to open on Monday,