Covid: Record UK cases reported as travellers abandon hotel quarantine
Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Wednesday evening. …
The UK has recorded the highest number of daily Covid-19 cases since the pandemic began, with 78,610 new coronavirus cases confirmed. It’s more than 10,000 higher than the previous record number – 68,053 on 8 January – and also represents a jump of more than 20,000 in 24 hours, with Tuesday’s figure having been 59,610 cases. Speaking at a Downing Street news conference, England’s chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said: “Records will be broken a lot over the next few weeks,” adding Omicron is spreading at an “absolutely phenomenal pace”. Earlier, Health Secretary Sajid Javid refused to rule out the prospect of fresh measures over the coming weeks.