Experts fear the second wave of coronavirus will be more deadly than the first, it has been reported.
A projection provided by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) has heaped more pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to implement new lockdown measures.
According to the analysis, more people will die in the second wave of Covid-19 as hospitals and other health services struggle to cope with the winter surge in cases, the Telegraph reports.
Under the SAGE scenario, daily deaths from Covid-19 would remain lower than the worst days in spring but could remain elevated for weeks or even months until early next year.
Current figures shows that the true virus death toll now stands at 61,000 across the nation.
Sir Patrick Vallance and other Government advisers for the Prime Minister have urged No10 take drastic action now, it has been claimed.
A Government spokeswoman said ministers were receiving advice from a "wide range of scientific and medical experts" and that the latest figures are "concerning".
“It’s going to be worse this time, more deaths,” a source told the Telegraph.
“That is the projection that has been put in front of the Prime Minister and he is now being put under a lot of pressure to lock down again.”
The group's latest modelling suggesting 25,000 people will be in hospital by the end of next month, exceeding the amount during the pandemic's peak in April.
Yesterday there were 9,199 Covid-19 patients in England's hospital, while the UK saw its highest daily death toll since May 27 with 367 fatalities.
On Wednesday morning, asked if the second wave was predicted to be worse than the first, Cabinet minister George Eustice told LBC: “It’s always been recognised there was a very high probability of a second wave.”
He said “we don’t rule anything out” on a second national lockdown, but insisted the three-tier system was the “right approach”.
Mr Eustice added a national lockdown would cause “economic harm for no gain at all” in places like Cornwall where infections are low.
Dr Yvonne Doyle, medical director of Public Health England, warned the rising death toll from Covid-19 was likely to "continue for some time".
Around 200 deaths each day have been put down to the virus in Britain over the last week, a figure the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said wouldn't be reached until the middle of November.
Most people should expect Christmas this year to be different from previous ones due to the coronavirus outbreak, a Cabinet minister has said.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Stephen Barclay said last week he hoped families could be together over the festive season.
Asked how he would describe the chances of people having a "normal Christmas" despite Covid-19 restrictions, Mr Barclay told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I would describe it as a shared endeavour for all of us.
"All of us want to be able to enjoy Christmas with our families. And that's why there is a common purpose here to get the virus down."
