Covid-19: UK records 30,000 new cases and 316 deaths

A further 30,501 positive tests for coronavirus were reported on Sunday, as hospitals in parts of the UK warn they are at risk of being overwhelmed. Another 316 people died within 28 days of a positive test, bringing the total to 70,752. The true numbers are likely to be higher as some parts of the UK are not reporting data over Christmas. It comes as doctors in Scotland warned that the health system was 'severely stretched' and a Welsh hospital made an urgent appeal for help with Covid-19 patients on Saturday night.