A further 533 coronavirus deaths have been announced in the UK today.
This is slightly down on the 616 fatalities recorded yesterday and far lower than the 648 deaths announced last Wednesday.
There were 16,578 new infections declared today, compared with 12,282 yesterday.
It comes after Covid-19 infection rates increased in 75 per cent of London's boroughs, raising the prospect of the capital being moved to Tier 3.
New Public Health England (PHE) figures show the infection rates in 24 of the 32 boroughs are on the rise.
London is currently in Tier 2 but this is set to be reviewed on December 16 and there are fears it could be put into the highest Tier 3.
This would mean shutting pubs and all hospitality except for takeaway.
One public health expert has even warned the capital could be put on full lockdown if the Government does not get the situation under control.
Professor John Ashton, a former regional director of public health for North West England and author of Blinded by Corona, stressed that urgent action was needed.
He told the Guardian: “[The government] needs to decide in the next 48 hours whether to move London into Tier 3 otherwise they really risk a terrible situation for London, with deaths going up during the Christmas period.
“They might have to go to complete lockdown.”
It comes as coronavirus hospital deaths in the UK rose by 426 today, with a 16-year-old among the victims.
England recorded a total of 344 deaths in hospital settings.
Those who died in England were aged between 16 and 100 years old.
All had known underlying health conditions apart from 11 victims aged between 51 and 96.
Scotland announced 39 further deaths, Wales 31, and Northern Ireland 12.
It's the highest figure in the UK in seven days but does represent a significant week-on-week drop on last Wednesday's figure of 648.
