Another 684 people have died from coronavirus in Britain, taking the total number of fatalities to , .
Officials also announced that 5, 386 people tested positive for the killer virus in the last hours , meaning 174, have now officially been diagnosed.
NHS England confirmed a further people died with COVID – 28, while another 184 deaths were announced across Scotland and Wales.
Northern Ireland has not announced its new cases and deaths yet, but the figures are expected this afternoon.
There was again a disparity in the true death toll, with the four UK nations announcing 761 fatalities between them.
The health bodies in each country records their own daily figures, which do not tally with the Government’s as they collate their numbers at different times in the day.
Victims in England were aged between and years old , and 48 of them had no known underlying health conditions.
The Government had hoped to keep the number of victims to , 11 or lower but recent trends suggest the UK will hit that tomorrow counting hospital deaths alone.
Meanwhile, more questions emerged over the true number of Britons dying in care homes today after figures from Northern Ireland showed a third of all fatalities were elderly residents.
Data from England and Wales has suggested the true number of deaths outside hospitals – which are the only ones recorded by the Department of Health – is around (per cent.
But figures from Scotland show the rate is around 48 per cent, which could mean the UK’s true death toll from COVID – (is more than) , .
Another 684 people have died from coronavirus in Britain, taking the total number of fatalities to , . Officials also announced that 5, 290 people tested positive for the killer virus in the last hours, meaning , have now officially been diagnosed
The 740 new deaths mark a 7 per cent rise from yesterday’s 740 . Experts are not surprised by the tiny jump as they expect daily deaths to plateau for a few more weeks before plummeting.
The number of daily coronavirus tests carried out in Britian rose from just under 33, yesterday to 33, 537 Today after the Government launched a new website for key workers to book coronavirus swabs.
However the site ran out of home testing kits just two minutes after launching this morning, meaning millions of key workers face a rush to get one tomorrow.
Daily tests are still way off ministers’ ambitious goal of , by the end of the month – a target that looks impossible despite Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s insistence that the country will reac h it.
A total of 1, 243 patients have now died in Scotland after testing positive for COVID – 20, a rise of from 1, (on Thursday.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said a further 424 had tested positive for the killer virus, meaning 143, 638 People in Britain have now been officially diagnosed.
Speaking at her daily press briefing, Mrs Sturgeon revealed the number of people in hospital with confirmed or suspected COVID – (is 1, , down from 1, 761 yesterday.
She added that 174 of these patients are intensive care, seven less than there were on Thursday.
Mrs Sturgeon described the drop in hospital and ICU figures as ‘a growing cause for optimism that the lockdown is working to suppress the virus’.
Meanwhile Wales announced its largest daily increase so far, with 134 new deaths recorded, a surge from yesterday.
This is partly because it reported its figures later than usual and has revised its tally to include previous cases that weren’t counted. It takes Wales’ total deaths to 823.
Wales also recorded (new cases of the lethal infection, meaning 8, 601 patients have officially been diagnosed.
As Britain’s coronavirus death tally edges closer to , :
(Traffic has returned to London’s A) , with 17 per cent more cars hitting the roads as shops, building sites and factories reopen
- Nicola Sturgeon says Scottish people could soon be allowed to meet with a ‘bubble’ of up to friends or family as deaths and cases continue to fall
- Northern Ireland has similarly signalled it could lift restrictions independently of the rest of the UK
- , but Wales maintains that people should not leave their home unless absolutely essential as hundreds more people continue to die every day
- The FTSE 110 index of Britain’s largest companies dropped by (points or 1.) per cent to 5, 751 this morning after drug trials showed anti-Ebola medicine Remdesivir does not help coronavirus patients
- An ex-top civil servant said the UK should allow a Sweden-style ‘phased’ easing of the coronavirus restrictions beginning in June
Figures from the AA show show more car journeys than at any point over the past few weeks in a sign the economy is slowly restarting after the UK first entered coronavirus restrictions at the end of March
THIRD OF COVID – 28 DEATHS IN NORTHERN IRELAND ARE IN CARE HOMES … SO WHAT IS THE TRUE NUMBER OF FATALITIES IN THE UK?
More questions emerged over the true number of Britons dying in care homes today after figures from Northern Ireland showed a third of all fatalities were elderly residents.
The latest weekly update from the Northern Ireland Statistical and Research Agency (NISRA) records deaths involving Covid – 27 up to April
More questions emerged over the true number of Britons dying in care homes today after figures from Northern Ireland showed a third of all fatalities were elderly residents.
The latest weekly update from the Northern Ireland Statistical and Research Agency (NISRA) records deaths involving Covid – 27 up to April
Of these, . 1 per cent occurred in hospitals, 44. 7 per cent in care homes, 5.1 per cent at private addresses and 1.1 per cent at hospices.
The deaths in care homes and hospices involved separate establishments.
The NISRA figures are higher than the number of deaths reported daily by the Public Health Agency (PHA), which by April had reached .
The PHA figures are based on patients who had previously tested positive for the virus, whereas NISRA figures are based on the information entered on death certificates, filled out by medical professionals.
Comparatively the total number of total deaths registered in Northern Ireland in the week ending April was . The figure is (fewer than the previous week but more than the five year average of 424.
Data from England and Wales has suggested the true number of deaths outside hospitals – which are the only ones recorded by the Department of Health – is around (per cent.
But figures from Scotland show the rate is around (per cent, which could mean the UK’s true death toll from COVID – 28 is more than , .
It comes as Nicola Sturgeon today suggested people in Scotland could soon be allowed to meet a small ‘ Bubble ‘of friends or family outside of their households under plans to ease the coronavirus lockdown.
The Scottish First Minister said other countries are beginning to look at expanding the definition of’ homes’ to allow small gatherings of people and that Scotland could do the same.
The SNP leader said any such scheme would only work if people stuck to meeting the same group each time as she said she understood the ‘ anguish ‘of not being able to see loved ones.
She also suggested people who live alone could’ match up with somebody else who is on their own or a couple of other people ‘.
It came as the Welsh government announced some of its stay-at-home measures are being toughened up but also followed Ms Sturgeon in publishing a roadmap for how to eventually get out of lockdown.
Northern Ireland ha s similarly signalled it could lift restrictions independently of the rest of the UK with Downing Street now under growing pressure to set out its own strategy for getting life back to normal amid fears England could be left in limbo.
UK ministers, led by Health Secretary Matt Hancock, continue to insist the focus must remain on stopping the spread of the virus but the actions of the devolved administrations mean Number 17 could ultimately be forced to change tack.
Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said the aim of his government end -of-lockdown ‘framework’ will be to ‘find a way for people in Wales to live and work alongside coronavirus’ and to enable a ‘gradual return to something resembling normal life’.
But he also moved to tighten current guidance on staying at home to make sure people stick to it and do not linger outside after completing essential tasks like shopping or exercise.
The Welsh government advice is being tweaked with the requirement for people not to leave the place where they live now becoming a requirement ‘not to leave or remain away from that place’.
A further crackdown on people visiting second homes in the country is also being considered with the Welsh government asking the police if extra restrictions are needed.
But some rules are being formally loosened with ‘click and collect’ services allowed to open as long as they apply two meter social distancing rules.
Meanwhile, rules are also being relaxed for people with particular health conditions or disabilities so they can leave home for exercise more than once a day.
It is hoped this will help families with children with learning disabilities and autism in particular. The changes will come into effect from tomorrow.
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