Britain’s coronavirus death toll jumps by 953 to 8,931 

Britain suffered another grim day in its coronavirus crisis today as officials recorded another 953 deaths across the home nations, taking the total victim count to 8,931. 

England recorded 866 new fatalities among patients in hospital, while the other 87 were confirmed in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The preliminary figure – the official toll has yet to be released by the Department of Health – would be the darkest day yet in Britain’s crisis.  

Data also suggests it would be Europe’s bleakest day for countries that only record deaths in hospitals.

It comes after a top government adviser warned today Britain won’t know for weeks whether the draconian lockdown can be eased. 

Experts say it is still too soon to see the impact of the UK’s lockdown – imposed on March 23 – in daily statistics.

But Government advisers last night said the overwhelmed NHS ‘can cope’ with the current situation and intensive care units still have room. 

Experts have insisted the curve is flattening, with the number of new cases and the number of patients being hospitalised having stabilised this week.

Clear figures for the number of cases and admissions have yet to be released today for the UK. They are expected later this afternoon. 

Scientists have also said the death toll will continue to rise for at least another two weeks because a lag in how fatalities are announced.

Deaths announced each day have not, for the most part, happened in the past 24 hours but are spread across the days and weeks that came before.

This makes it impossible to predict where the peak will be – or has already been – or to get a clear picture until around a week to 10 days after the date in question.

Britain has so far managed to avoid the dark milestone of announcing 1,000 deaths in a single day, something that has only happened in the US.

France has also announced more than 1,000 victims on different days – but it takes into account fatalities outside of hospitals, such as in care homes. 

Of the 866 new deaths announced in England, only 117 were recorded as occurring yesterday. The rest were scattered across this week.

Nearly 60 of the victims – the youngest a 40-year-old – had no underlying conditions, NHS England revealed today.

Scotland today announced 48 more victims, taking its total COVID-19 death toll to 495. But it uses a different time cut-off to the Department of Health.

Northern Ireland also has the same issue, recording 10 more deaths today – pushing its victim count up to 92.

For reference, the Department of Health said Scotland and Northern Ireland’s death tolls yesterday were 366 and 78, respectively. 

Wales – whose figure has always matched the same tally collated by the DH – today announced 29 more deaths. It now has 315 known victims.