The number of people who have died with coronavirus in the last 24 hours has risen to levels not seen since the first wave of the pandemic in early April.
The government said the daily number of UK deaths in all settings had more than doubled on the previous day's figures to 981.
This was considerably higher than the 458 deaths recorded across the UK on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the number of positive cases recorded in the UK also hit at a record high - at 50,023 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours.
It comes as Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced Tier 4 restrictions for a swathe of areas, including Greater Manchester and Warrington as three-quarters of the country is now under the highest restrictions from one minute past midnight tonight.
The number of positive cases in the past seven days has increased to 283,337 across the UK (up 47,062) or 19.9 per cent.
Despite the hike in numbers today, the overall seven-day trend on UK deaths is down slightly, to 3,497 (34 fewer than seven days ago) - or one per cent less.
Today, the UK has approved a new Covid-19 vaccine from Oxford University and AstraZeneca as millions more people were plunged into the toughest Tier 4 lockdown restrictions.
The jab, described as a “game changer”, was given the green light by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
