The UK's coronavirus death toll in hospitals has risen by 556 as millions more in England face being plunged into Tier 4. There have been a further 494 deaths in England, 43 in Scotland, 6 in Northern Ireland and 13 in Wales.
The latest grim figures come as the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine was approved for rollout in the UK, with tens of millions to receive the jab in the coming weeks.
But the positive news has been tempered by soaring rates of coronavirus, with more than 53,000 cases recorded yesterday, a new daily high.
A further 494 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths reported in hospitals to 49,719, NHS England said on Wednesday.