UK Covid-19 cases could rise exponentially, warns medical advisor

England is on track for about 50,000 coronavirus cases a day by mid-October and a surge in the number of deaths unless the public gets serious about preventive action, top UK advisers warned on Monday.

Rates of infection in England are replicating the strong resurgence of Covid-19 seen in France and Spain, roughly doubling every seven days, government chief medical officer Chris Whitty said.

"We are seeing a rate of increase across the great majority of the country," he told a media briefing, urging the public to respect stricter guidelines on social distancing after widely shared pictures of young revellers out in British cities.