Scientists say the NHS will soon be unable to cope unless the spread of the disease is stemmed – Professor Neil Ferguson, warned that there were currently 8,000 people in hospital with coronavirus

Professor Neil Ferguson, whose modelling led to the original lockdown in March, said the NHS would soon be unable to cope unless the spread of the disease was curbed.

He said there were currently 8,000 people in hospital with coronavirus – around a third of the peak earlier this year – and that numbers were continuing to rise.

Meanwhile research suggests the nation might not be able to “get on top of” the spread without resorting back to virtual education for older pupils.