CASES of Covid-19 soared by 110 per cent over Christmas to their highest levels since the summer, new data reveals.
It comes as the NHS faces the worst flu season for a decade and ambulance handover delays at hospitals are at a record high.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has warned a new Omicron variant XXB. 15, dubbed 'Kraken', could prove to be the most transmissible yet.
A total of 2.9 million Brits had Covid in the week to December 28, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
That's 110 per cent higher than the week up to December 9, when there were close to 1.4million cases - and marks the highest total since mid-July.
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Around one in 20 people in England caught the bug as families mixed indoors over the festive period, along with one in 18 in Wales, one in 16 in Northern Ireland and one in 25 in Scotland.
The surge in cases is adding extra pressure on an already overwhelmed NHS, which is facing "one of its hardest winters" on record, bosses warned.
NHS medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis thanked staff "for all their hard work in caring for and treating so many patients while dealing with record demand on services, including the enormous pressure from flu and Covid".
NEW THREAT
While the new Omicron subvariant, XXB.1.5 has become dominant in parts of the US, it is estimated to make up around five per cent of UK cases at the moment.
Jonathan Ball, professor of molecular virology at Nottingham University, said there is "no evidence" the 'Kraken' strain is more dangerous than other variants.
He added: "It might be able to escape antibodies, but that's not the only immunity we have.
"Our immune system is used to adapting to viruses.
"We'd better get used to the emergence of new variants, at least for the foreseeable future.
"Yes, they will lead to new waves of infection, but vaccination is still proving to be a very effective weapon to protect the most vulnerable from serious disease."
GET JABBED
Prof Powis echoed Prof Ball's plea for people to get vaccinated, urging the public to help ease pressure on the health service.
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He said: "It remains vital that people make the most of 111 online as ever, and only use 999 in an emergency.
"It's also crucial that those who are eligible come forward for flu and Covid vaccines as soon as possible."
UNDER PRESSURE
As flu and Covid run rampant, NHS bosses said staff at NHS 111 had been inundated with calls, with levels of demand not seen since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
New stats published today show in the week between Christmas and New Year, there were 5,105 patients with flu in general hospital beds - up 47 per cent from 3,479 the previous week.
Patients in critical care beds with flu also increased by 26 per cent, and equates to 336 patients.
During the same week last year there were just 38 patients in general and acute beds and two in critical care.
Meanwhile, the number of patients with Covid in hospital rose by almost 1,200 on the previous week, with an average of 9,390 patients in hospital with Covid every day.
NHS 111 answered the second highest number of calls ever in a week, with 410,618 calls answered, up from 365,258 last week and 382,021 last year.
Hospitals in general remain packed, with more than nine in ten beds being occupied.
Figures show that 12,809 beds a day are being taken up by patients who were medically fit to be discharged.
That's up a third on last year, the NHS states.
Data from the report also revealed the impact the crisis is having on ambulance handovers.
On January 1, around 10,785 patients arrived via ambulance to hospitals in England.
Delays hit a new high, with more than a quarter (26 per cent) of patients waiting over an hour to be handed to A&E teams and around four in 10 (44 per cent) waiting at least 30 minutes.
This compares with 10 per cent waiting over an hour at this point last year while 23 per cent waited at least half an hour.
Prof Powis said plans previously announced to safeguard the service would help the NHS continue to care for patients at an "incredibly challenging time".
He said extra call handlers are in place and community services have been established to help people out of hospital where possible.
"We’re also continuing to make good progress to put the equivalent of 7,000 extra beds in place by March," he added.
The latest NHS data comes after the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) last night said the number of flu patients in hospital had hit the "highest level in a decade".
Admissions stood at 8.3 per 100,000 of the population in the week to January 1, down from 14.8 the previous week.
Amid the rise in cases, medics have called on eligible Brits to get vaccinated against Covid and the flu.
The Sun has urged readers to 'Do the Double' in a bid to protect yourself against both viruses.
Speaking to broadcasters during a visit to a school in London, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “The NHS is obviously under enormous pressure as we recover from Covid and I have enormous admiration for all the people working incredibly hard in the NHS right now to help get us through that."
He added that the Government is supporting the health service with billions of pounds of extra funding.
"But in particular this winter what we want to do is make sure we move people out of hospitals into social care, into communities – that is one of the most powerful ways we can ease some of the pressures on A&E departments and ambulances that are waiting too long," he added.