England has reported a record number of daily coronavirus infections, with official data showing an additional 162,572 new cases in the last 24 hours.

The latest figures are a slight increase on the 160,276 reported yesterday. There were also a further 154 coronavirus-related deaths, down from 178 on Friday.

The Government figures usually include data from all four home nations, but Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have not reported their numbers today.

The UK as a whole reported a record 189,846 new cases on New Year’s Eve.

The update comes after the Health Secretary Sajid Javid said further restrictions on freedom ‘must be an absolute last resort’.

Writing in the Daily Mail, Mr Javid said England had ‘welcomed in 2022 with some of the least restrictive measures in Europe’, with the UK Government at odds with the devolved nations in choosing to keep nightclubs open and to allow hospitality to operate without further measures for new year celebrations.

He continued: ‘Curbs on our freedom must be an absolute last resort and the British people rightly expect us to do everything in our power to avert them.

‘Since I came into this role six months ago, I’ve also been acutely conscious of the enormous health, social and economic costs of lockdowns.

‘So I’ve been determined that we must give ourselves the best chance of living alongside the virus and avoiding strict measures in the future.’

The Daily Telegraph reported that work-from-home guidance, which is in place as part of England’s Plan B measures that also include widespread mask-wearing in public places and mandatory Covid passes for large events – could be set to roll on for another three weeks.

The most recent restrictions are set to expire six weeks after implementation, with a review after three weeks, which is expected on or close to Tuesday January 4.

One NHS chief has warned the ‘next few days are crucial’ in the fight to reduce the impact of the Omicron variant.

Chris Hopson, the chief executive of NHS Providers, said the Government ‘must be ready to introduce new restrictions at pace if they’re needed’.

He added that staff were working ‘flat out’ and that the NHS was under ‘arguably more pressure’ compared with this time last year.

Figures showed that hospital admissions in England have risen to their highest level since January 2021, while the number of NHS hospital staff absent due to the virus nearly doubled in a month.

Meanwhile, NHS England data showed 24,632 staff at NHS hospital trusts were ill with coronavirus or having to self-isolate on Boxing Day, up 31% from 18,829 a week earlier and nearly double the 12,508 at the start of the month.

The British Medical Association (BMA) also called for further public health measures ‘urgently to prevent the health service being completely overwhelmed’.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chairman, said it was ‘wholly erroneous to talk about the risk of the NHS becoming overwhelmed’, adding that the new year began with the NHS ‘already overwhelmed, in a parlous state, and with patient care suffering’.

He described staff as ‘exhausted’, and added: ‘A key priority for the Government this year must be to properly invest in doctors’ wellbeing, recognising that the NHS cannot afford to lose any more of its workforce without dangerously jeopardising patient care.’

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