Cut back on socialising, says Whitty, as he predicts surge of hospitalisations

Nikki Kanani, medical director for NHS England, said if people were heading to a stadium this weekend, it would be better to go for a booster jab rather than to watch a match.

NHS leaders warned on Wednesday that the health service was already being hit by increasing numbers of staff falling ill with coronavirus.

With new infections rising and the public being advised to take lateral flow tests before attending crowded events or visiting elderly relatives, UKHSA announced that it was doubling the number of test kits it could send out. With the help of Royal Mail, it will be able to dispatch 900,000 kits a day from Saturday, amid reports of some people struggling to order them.

Among the measures they call for are the closure of indoor hospitality and entertainment, and no indoor gatherings between households of any size unless households are in bubbles.