Covid capital: Cases in UK now five times higher than in France, Germany and Spain
The UK has become the Covid capital of Europe with daily case numbers soaring above 36,000 according to the latest government figures.
Rates of infection in the UK are five times higher than neighbouring countries in Western Europe with only a handful of European countries, such as Romania and Serbia, registering worse infection levels.
In Britain daily cases per million people have shot above 500 while in Germany, France and Spain the figure remains below 100. The gap is less stark when it comes to deaths, however, the UK still leads the pack. Daily deaths per million people have risen above 1.5 in Britain, but remain below one person per million in France, Germany and Spain.
The fact that Britain has managed to keep deaths down despite a sharp rise in cases is a testament to the success of the Covid-19 vaccination programme which has seen more than 78 per cent of the adult population receive two jabs so far.
Nonetheless, the UK could still face a tough Winter if case numbers do not come down as Britain lags behind its neighbours when it comes to hospital beds. The UK has just 246 hospital beds per 100,000 people while Germany has 800, France has 591 and Italy 314.
Despite cases in the UK being significantly higher than in the rest of Europe, with infections rising fastest amongst under 19-year-olds in schools, the government has hinted at plans to scale back free Covid tests.
Read more: Rise in Covid infections in England driven by secondary pupils as Coronavirus cases near 800,000