Another 41,385 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, marking the highest daily increase in coronavirus cases since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country, according to official figures released Monday.
The total number of coronavirus cases in the country now stands at 2,329,730, the data showed.
Another 357 have died within 28 days of a positive test, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain to 71,109, the data showed.
The figures were revealed as the number of people being admitted to hospital is nearing the level of the first peak in April with medical experts warning that the problem could get worse through January and February.
The situation is "very tough" and the problem is particularly serious in London but "this could easily spread", Dr Adrian Boyle, from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, told Sky News
"Ambulances keep coming in. We are desperate to offload ambulances, that's always been a priority for us... and you feel terrible and a sense of helplessness when you can't... because your emergency department is full."
According to the London Ambulance Service, Boxing Day was one of its "busiest ever days", with 7,918 calls, up by more than 2,500 compared with the same day in 2019.
Meanwhile, the British government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) has urged all regions of England to be placed in highest Tier Four restrictions, which require residents in the areas to stay at home, with limited exemptions. People are also urged to work from home when they can, and should not enter or leave those areas.
London and many other parts of England have already been under Tier Four restrictions. For those in Tiers One, Two and Three, up to three households were allowed to meet only on the Christmas Day, while in Tier Four, people should not mix with anyone outside their own household, apart from support bubbles.
To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the United States are racing against time to develop coronavirus vaccines.
