The number of deaths in hospitals due to Covid-19 has surged by 553 over the past 24 hours. That compares to 403 a week ago on December 18.
In England there were 401 deaths were the patient had tested positive for the virus and 33 where it was mentioned on the death certificate.
None of the deaths were under 40 years old. In Wales they have recorded a further 63 deaths in hospitals over the past 24 hours, taking the total to 3,263 with another 2,161 infections.
Scotland have recorded 1,314 new cases and 56 deaths. Is allowing household mixing today a good idea? Let us know in the comments below. The case positivity rate has decreased from 5.3% to 4.3%.