The UK has recorded its worst ever coronavirus death toll, with 1,325 people reported dead within 28 days of testing.
The grim toll marks the highest number of UK deaths reported on a single day since the outbreak began.
That is 101 deaths higher than the previous highest daily nationwide toll of 1,224 on April 21, during the peak of the first lockdown.
The UK's official death toll within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test now stands at 79,833, reports Mirror Online.
Infection rates also soared by a record 68,053 in the 24 hours to Friday.
The deaths were recorded across all settings including hospitals, care homes, and the wider community.
The news comes as there are currently more people being treated for coronavirus in Wirral hospitals than during the first wave of the pandemic.
As of January 5, 137 people were being treated for the virus in Wirral. That is more than the previous peak of 131, recorded on April 11.
The rise in hospitalisations is very sudden.
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Throughout December, numbers were fairly steady, normally falling between 60 and 70.
On Christmas Day, 64 people were in Wirral’s hospitals with Covid-19.
But by New Year’s Day, this had increased to 87 and in the four days after that the figure had surged again to 137 by January 5, the most recently published figure.
At the same time, the number of coronavirus cases has significantly increased in the borough.
