England reported a record high daily total of 162,572 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, up from 160,276 the previous day, official data showed.
The daily update also showed 154 new deaths from the virus in England within 28 days of a positive test, down from 178 on Friday.
The data normally also includes Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but did not on Saturday because of differences in reporting schedules over the New Year weekend.