The number of coronavirus hospital deaths has risen by 353 as infections continue to soar.
England recorded 318 hospital deaths, Wales recorded 15 and Northern Ireland recorded a further 20 deaths.
Scotland will release a full update of deaths over the festive period tomorrow, while there is also usually a weekend lag in reporting over bank holiday weekends, so the true figure could be higher.
Yesterday, a total of 303 patients died in hospital as the number of infections continues to soar.
There are now more patients in hospital with Covid in England than there was in the spring during the first wave.
It has led to increased speculation schools will not reopen in January.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson reportedly told allies he's facing an "enormous battle".
Scientists are calling for a full lockdown (unlike November this would include schools) - with a crunch meeting between officials from Downing Street and the Department for Education being held next week.
Experts have warned that closing schools may be the only way to keep the new mutant coronavirus strain under control.
The mutant strain is feared to be up to 70% more infectious than the original virus.
To try and bring it under control Tier 4 was introduced in England and implemented across swathes of the country, including the capital London.
Before Christmas the government threatened to take local authorities to court if they allowed schools to close early
An army of 10,000 medics and volunteers has also reportedly been drafted in to help deliver Britain's second Covid inoculation, with the first jabs expected to be administered in days.
Regulators could approve the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine on Monday, with Downing Street having already bought 100 million doses in anticipation of a reported January 4 roll out.
It comes after the British-Swedish pharmaceutical firm's boss raised hopes it is more effective than first thought amid the rapid spread of a new mutated strain of Covid-19.
Millions more people across England have been warned they may be thrust into Tier 4 restrictions in a desperate bid to control the variant.
Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove this morning did not rule out the whole of England being moved into Tier 4.
London and most of the South East and the East are currently under strict Tier 4 measures, with people urged to stay at home, and all shops and hospitality closed.
The sudden move from the Government to create a new Tier 4 was made on December 19 in response to a highly contagious new strain of coronavirus prevalent in southern England.
Mirror analysis of latest coronavirus infection rates has found 24 areas in Tier 2 and 3 with infection rates above 300 cases per 100,000 people.
