A new study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has made some sobering predictions for 2021 without a 'substantial vaccine roll-out'.
Infections, hospitalisations and deaths could outstrip 2020 without a massive vaccine effort and tougher restrictions, reports the Mirror.
The UK must vaccinate two million people a week to avoid a devastating third wave and it should delay the reopening of schools, a study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) has found.
The study warned: "The most stringent intervention scenario with Tier 4 (restrictions) England-wide and schools closed during January and two million individuals vaccinated per week, is the only scenario we considered which reduces peak ICU (intensive care) burden below the levels seen during the first wave.
"In the absence of substantial vaccine roll-out, cases, hospitalisations, ICU admissions and deaths in 2021 may exceed those in 2020."
The study has yet to be peer-reviewed.
A further 365 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths reported in hospitals to 49,225, NHS England said on Tuesday.
Patients were aged between 26 and 101. All except 12, aged between 43 and 92, had known underlying health conditions.
The deaths were between December 12 and 28.
There were 11 other deaths reported with no positive Covid-19 test result.
There have been a further 2,510 cases of coronavirus in Wales, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 144,425.
Public Health Wales reported another 33 deaths, taking the total in Wales since the start of the pandemic to 3,416.
