An alarming graph shows how UK Covid cases are soaring above those of its European neighbours and the US.
Latest figures show the UK is recording more than five times more cases per million people than Germany, and a whopping 17 times more than Spain.
It comes after the Department of Health announced the largest daily rise in coronavirus cases since July 20 yesterday, with more than 45,000 people testing positive in 24 hours.
It has sparked calls for the government to bring in its 'Plan B' in England - bringing back compulsory mask wearing indoors, encouraging working from home and introducing controversial vaccine passports.
Research by Our World In Data found that in the seven days to Friday, the UK had a rate of 589.68 infections per million of the population.
This compares to 104.20 in Germany, 71.02 in Spain, 40.68 in Italy and just 32.91 in Spain, where stricter coronavirus measures are in place.
The UK is also recording more than three times more deaths per million people than Spain, Italy and France, researchers found.
Martin McKee, professor of public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told the Financial Times that England "should immediately be activating” stronger measures.
He said: “These small measures like mask-wearing, distancing, ventilation and an emphasis on homeworking are greater than the sum of their parts.
“It really doesn’t take an awful lot to bring this down, as France, Italy and others have shown.”
Latest Department of Health figures show the number of people testing positive for the virus has risen by more than 15 per cent in a week.
Yesterday 45,140 cases were confirmed, bringing the seven day total to 300,081.
Experts have warned that health services could once again be overwhelmed over the winter.
In the past seven days there have been 852 Covid deaths across the UK, an 8.5 per cent week-on-week increase.
Our World in Data found that the UK has a rate of 1.76 deaths per million people, compared to 0.74 in Ireland, 0.71 in Germany, 0.60 in Spain, 0.57 in Italy and 0.55 in France.
More than 7,000 people are in hospital with Covid-19, of which 783 were in ventilator beds, the government said yesterday.
There were 5,559 admissions with the virus in seven days.
Earlier today The Mirror reported that experts had warned the Covid booster programme may be moving too slowly to prevent hospitals from becoming overcrowded this winter.
Only half of eligible over-80s have received a third dose of Covid vaccine one month into the programme, NHS figures suggest.
Of the 2.2 million people over 80 who had a second jab more than six months ago, fewer than 1.2 million have had the booster.
The number of people aged 65 to 84 admitted to hospital has risen 19 per cent in the past week; admissions are up 8 per cent among people over 85.
Delays to the booster programme will have to be “resolved immediately” to avoid unnecessary pressures on the NHS, said Duncan Robertson, of Warwick University.
“Booster vaccinations are there to prevent hospitalisations and ultimately to save lives. Delays matter,” he said.
Those who are currently eligible for getting a third dose of the Covid vaccine are people are “most at risk from Covid-19 who have had a second dose of a vaccine at least six months ago,” according to the NHS.
About 25 million people over the age of 50 and vulnerable adults will be offered boosters by the end of winter, but at the current rate of 175,000 a day, some in their early fifties may not have booster jabs until mid-February – about eight months after most received their second dose.
Face masks could be made mandatory by law and vaccine passports demanded for nightclubs at a week's notice under a winter ‘Plan B’ unveiled by government last month.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced England's Covid Plan A through to March, telling MPs there will be five pillars to keep the virus at bay and avoid another lockdown.
They are vaccination and boosters; testing, tracing and self-isolation; money for the NHS and care; general advice like meeting outside or with windows open and wearing face masks in indoor crowded spaces; and taking an international approach.
