Brits are being urged to avoid seeing elderly relatives if they have a cough or the flu as NHS chiefs fear this could be their "darkest Christmas to date".
Health chiefs noted a rise in cases for both illnesses as people mix more indoors, while the number of people in hospital in England with Covid-19 has jumped to its highest level in almost two months.
They fear gatherings over the festive period could put the most vulnerable at risk, as hospitalisation rates increase "dramatically" in those aged 75 and over in the past week.
