Covid: UK records highest daily death toll since April

The government figures for the last 24 hours are undoubtedly sobering.

The number of deaths recorded was 1,041 – the highest headline figure ever announced by the government, though it retrospectively revised April’s numbers upwards.

The total number of new cases is 62,322, the highest daily figure yet recorded.

The official total for people who have died with the virus has now reached 77,346.

The latest figure for people vaccinated is more than 1.3 million, including 650,000 people over 80.

UK hospitals are now treating over 30,000 patients with Covid, the highest number in the pandemic so far.