The UK on Wednesday recorded
1,564 daily coronavirus deaths, taking the country’s death tally from the
deadly virus to 84,767. Wednesday’s tally is the worst figure since the
pandemic hit last year.

Meanwhile, 47,525 more
people tested positive for the virus, even as London registered the first fall
in hospitalisations since early December.

Speaking to the House
of Commons Liaison Committee, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had warned there
was a “very substantial” risk of intensive care capacity in hospitals
being “overtopped.” He also said the situation was “very, very
tough” in the National Health Service (NHS) and the strain on staff was
“colossal.”

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He once again appealed
to the public to stay at home and only go out for limited reasons and follow
all the lockdown rules.

Meanwhile, speaking
about the steps that were being taken to monitor a new variant of coronavirus
in Brazil, he said, “We already have tough measures… to protect this
country from new infections coming in from abroad. We are taking steps to do
that in respect of the Brazilian variant.”