More than 200,000 lab-confirmed daily Covid-19 cases were recorded in England and Scotland for the first time on Tuesday. NHS England said a total of 15,044 people were in hospital with Covid-19 as of 8am on January 4, up 58% from a week earlier and the highest number since February 18. In Northern Ireland, New Year’s Eve saw a further 7,215 cases, a record daily total since the beginning of the pandemic. There are restrictions on the amount of people who can attend events in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Among those declaring critical incidents were Morecambe Bay NHS Trust and Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Source: The Times January 04, 2022 22:48 UTC