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The UK has recorded another 215 coronavirus deaths and 33,364 new cases in the last 24 hours.
Last Monday the UK saw 20,263 new cases and 232 new deaths, but on Sunday it saw a spike in cases to a new high of 35,928.
The second-largest increase in coronavirus cases on record took place last Thursday, when 35,383 new infections were announced.
However, this included 11,000 additional cases that had not previously been reported due to system maintenance in Wales.
The coronavirus situation in the UK has significantly worsened in recent weeks.
(Image: Getty Images)
In a seven-day period, 173,263 new cases were reported in the UK last week, an increase of 38% compared to the previous week.
Boris Johnson attributed the rise in infections to a mutated form of the coronavirus that has led to tighter restrictions for London, Essex and other parts of south-east and east England.
All were placed under new Level 4 restrictions on Sunday.
The news comes when it was revealed today that a third of the major hospitals in England currently have more Covid-19 patients than at the peak of the first wave of the virus.
(Image: Press Association Images)
New analysis shows that in both the East of England and South West England regions, more than half of trusts are above their first wave peak.
Other trusts have seen their numbers rise so rapidly that they could surpass their first wave peak in the coming days.
The analysis found that of the 127 acute hospital trusts with an emergency department and 24-hour services in England, 42 (33%) had more Covid-19 patients on December 18 than at the peak of the first wave in the spring.
Coronavirus cases are skyrocketing in London, Kent and parts of Essex due to the new strain of the disease, which Health Secretary Matt Hancock said is “out of control”.
(Image: Getty Images)
The news also prompted countries around the world, including France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Austria, Denmark and Finland, to close their borders with the United Kingdom.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will hold a press conference tonight to address the growing Covid-19 crisis.
The prime minister will appear in Downing Street, but the time of the briefing and details of who will appear with him have not yet been confirmed.
Johnson is expected to chair an emergency meeting of the COBRA committee, after France closed its borders to the UK following the identification of a mutant strain of the virus.
Overnight, France closed its border to the arrivals of people and trucks from the United Kingdom, closing one of the most important commercial arteries with continental Europe.
Earlier, Labor leader Keir Starmer asked the prime minister to address the nation on the current crisis.
He said: “The news of the last 24 hours has been deeply disturbing. The number of coronavirus cases has almost doubled in the last week.
“More than 67,000 people have now tragically died and hospital admissions are increasing. We cannot have any doubt: the virus is now out of control. “
Citing the closure of international borders and the “severe disruption” in Britain’s ports, he said: “Make no mistake, this is now a true emergency.”
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