Another 1,564 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test, the highest increase in daily fatalities since the pandemic began in the country early last year. The new figure increased the country's overall death toll to 84,910, Xinhua news agency reported.

The previous highest daily rise of the coronavirus-related deaths was 1,325, which reported on January 8. In the last 24 hours, at least 47,525 people tested positive for the virus in the country, bringing the total infection tally to 3,220,953, the figures showed.

London had the most reported deaths at 202. London Mayor Sadiq Khan confirmed that the British capital's total number of coronavirus deaths has topped 10,000.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Wednesday that there was a "very substantial" risk of intensive care capacity in hospitals being "overtopped". The situation was "very, very tough" in the National Health Service (NHS) and the staff were under "colossal" pressure, Johnson told the Commons Liaison Committee.

The Prime Minister once again appealed to the public to follow lockdown rules which require Britons to stay at home and only go out for essential reasons.

Johnson also told British lawmakers that the NHS will launch a 24/7 vaccination service as soon as possible, noting "at the moment the limit is on supply" of the vaccine.

According to Yvonne Doyle, Public Health England's medical director, there have now been more deaths in the second wave of the pandemic than the first.

"With each passing day, more and more people are tragically losing their lives to this terrible virus, and today we have reported the highest number of deaths on a single day since the pandemic began," she said.

"There have now been more deaths in the second wave than the first."

England is currently under the third national lockdown since the pandemic began in the country. Similar restriction measures are also in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

<em>(IANS)</em>.