More than 7 million confirmed Covid-19 cases have been recorded since the pandemic began, official figures show.

Additional 41,192 positive tests were reported on Monday, along with 45 Covid-related deaths.

But the real number of people infected during the pandemic is expected to be higher, partly due to the lack of testing in the early stages.

Covid-19 has been named on the death certificate of 156,119 people.

The most recent figures show that there are 7,606 Covid-19 patients in hospital, with 1,034 on ventilators.

The milestone of seven million cases comes as pupils across the UK have returned to school, with many in England and Wales resuming classes on Monday.