The UK has recorded its highest ever total 58,784 coronavirus cases in 24 hours, while 407 more deaths have been linked to Covid.
Meanwhile in the space of a day there were 3,145 people admitted to hospital with Covid-19 or newly diagnosed while there – surpassing the previous high of 3,099 on April 1.
The figures for people who have died within 28 days of a positive test are accurate as of 9am on Monday in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and 5pm on Sunday in England and Wales.
It comes as Boris Johnson is set to address the UK at 8pm on Monday, with pressure mounting for a national lockdown.
Nicola Sturgeon has already placed Scotland in lockdown from midnight, and Labour leader Keir Starmer is among those calling for schools to be shut and England to be locked down.
Some 75,431 people in the UK have now died within a month of testing positive for Covid-19, and 2,713,563 have tested positive since the pandemic hit in March.
Last week saw daily Covid cases top 50,000 for the first time on December 29, since when they have never dropped below 50,023. Meanwhile, the following day saw 981 deaths reported – the most since April.
