Scientists have issued a fresh warning that Britain is following France and Spain - which have both seen an alarming rise in coronavirus deaths.
On Friday 154 fatalities were recorded in France, the highest in four months, as the country is plunged into a second wave of cases.
And in Spain 239 deaths were announced on Thursday, the deadliest day since July.
This morning Sir Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific advisor warned that Britain is on the same path - with the UK feared to be two weeks behind both countries.
Sir Patrick said that if cases numbers continue to double every seven days, as is happening at present, the daily death toll could be over 200 by November.
Referring to France and Spain, he said: "We've seen an increase in the number of cases which started with younger people in their 20s and spread to younger people.
"That increase in case numbers has translated into an increase in hospitalisations, and as hospitalisations have increased we see sadly deaths are also increasing."
On Friday France recorded 154 deaths, the highest in four months, with 13,215 new confirmed cases.
Yesterday a further 25 fatalities were reported.
French health authorities have warned they are at a "tipping point", with demand on hospital beds rising at the highest rate since the end of lockdown.
The picture is equally bleak in Spain, where on Thursday there were 239 new deaths reported - the deadliest day since July.
On Friday a further 162 fatalities were announced, followed by 90 the following day.
Coronavirus cases and deaths in Spain last week
- Monday - 6,052 cases, 55 deaths
- Tuesday - 4,749 cases, 31 deaths
- Wednesday - 3,022 cases, 19 deaths
- Thursday - 11,193 cases, 239 deaths
- Friday - 11,291 cases, 162 deaths
- Saturday - 14,389, 90 deaths
Coronavirus cases and deaths in France last week
- Monday - 7,101 cases, 6 deaths
- Tuesday - 5,893 cases, 34 deaths
- Wednesday - 7,720 cases, 48 deaths
- Thursday - 9,138 cases, 43 deaths
- Friday - 10,468 cases, 50 deaths
- Saturday - 13,084 cases, 154 deaths
- Sunday - 13,465 cases, 25 deaths
On Friday Boris Johnson said: "We're looking very carefully at the spread of the pandemic as it evolves over the last few days and there's no question, as I've said for several weeks now, that we could expect (and) are now seeing a second wave coming in.
"We are seeing it in France, in Spain, across Europe – it has been absolutely, I'm afraid, inevitable we were going to see it in this country."
Hans Kluge, European director at the World Health Organisation, warned that more than half of countries had seen the number of cases double in a month.
"We have a very serious situation unfolding before us," he said.
He continued: "In June cases hit an all-time low.
"The September case numbers, however, should serve as a wake-up call for all of us."
