One of England's top public health chiefs has painted a bleak picture of the second wave of coronavirus as efforts are stepped up to save lives and protect the NHS.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam and two other experts warned that hospital deaths will rise in the coming weeks as cases soar, infection rates in the South are climbing to worrying levels, and temporary Nightingale hospitals are put on standby to cope with a surge in patients.
They gave an update on the latest Covid-19 data in England before Prime Minister Boris Johnson reveals details of the new three-tier lockdown system.
They said there had clearly been a "marked pick-up" in cases - with 40 per cent of all current confirmed infections in the North