The number of coronavirus deaths has climbed by 6 bringing the UK's grim toll in all settings to 41,429. The Department of Health also confirmed the number of new Covid-19 infections was at 1,041 - the fourth day in a row new infections have been more than 1,000 in 24 hours.
The number of lab-confirmed cases in the UK since the start of the outbreak now stands at 325,642. Health authorities are battling to keep the infection rate down amid fears of a second lockdown.
Government scientists have warned the R rate could have risen above 1 in the UK, while England's chief medical officer Chris Whitty said there is little chance of a vaccine breakthrough before Christmas.