Figure is a 175% increase on previous 24 hours, and 50,023 new cases are recorded
The UK recorded 981 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test on Wednesday, the highest daily death toll since April.
The figure, which is likely to be partially attributable to a lag in reporting deaths over the Christmas period, is the highest since the 1,010 recorded on 24 April, and is an increase of 175% compared with the previous 24 hours.
