Britain could face 50,000 new Covid-19 cases a day by mid-October leading to 200 daily deaths a month later, government scientists have warned.
The stark prediction was made during a briefing by the government's Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance.
He warned that the epidemic in Britain is doubling roughly every seven days.
If it continues to do so there would be about 50,000 new cases per day by the middle of October, Sir Patrick said.
"At the moment we think the epidemic is doubling roughly every seven days," he said during a televised briefing.
"If that continues unabated ... by mid-October you would end up with something like 50,000 cases per day".
Sir Patrick said that this would lead to more than 200 deaths per day.
"As it spreads across age groups we expect to see an increase in hospitalisations and unfortunately those increases in hospitalisations will lead to an increase in deaths," he added.
Sir Patrick said coronavirus cases were rising across Europe - and that was leading to a mounting daily death toll.
The scientific adviser added that in Spain and France "it started with younger people in their 20s and spread gradually to older ages as well".
"That increasing case number has translated into an increase in hospitalisations," he said.
"As the hospitalisations have increased... very sadly, but not unexpectedly, deaths are also increasing."
There was a "simple message" that "as the disease spreads, as it spreads across age groups, we expect to see increasing hospitalisations and unfortunately, those increasing hospitalisations will lead to increasing deaths".
