UK’s coronavirus daily death toll stays below 800 for fourth day in a row: 761 new fatalities recorded – including a healthy 20-year-old – take total to almost 13,000 as number of new infections drop 12% to 4,600
- Department of Health officials announced 761 new coronavirus deaths today, taking the total to 12,868
- The number is slightly lower than that provided by each of the home nations – which tallies up to 12,958
- Individual counts from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland saw 801 deaths declared today
- But the four governments all record their own data at different times so it does not match the official one
- Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID
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Britain’s coronavirus daily death toll today stayed below 800 for the fourth day in a row, sparking hopes that the UK’s draconian lockdown is working.
Health officials announced just 761 more COVID-19 victims in hospitals across the home nations, taking the overall number of fatalities close to the 13,000-mark. It is slightly down from the 778 recorded yesterday.
NHS England announced 651 more COVID-19 deaths, including an unidentified 20-year-old who had no known underlying health condition. Another 110 were declared in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
But because the four governments all record their own data at different times these daily statistics do not line up – and the Department of Health tally is slightly lower than the true official picture.
Scotland today announced 84 more deaths, Wales 60 and Northern Ireland six – a total of 150. It means the true number of deaths in the UK is at least 12,958 – not the 12,868 figure provided by the Department of Health.
Fears were yesterday raised that the true size of Britain’s coronavirus death toll could be 50 per cent higher than the public is being told because of a backlog in recording deaths in hospitals and the failure to include fatalities in care homes and hospices.
In other developments to the UK’s coronavirus crisis today:
- Care homes were ordered to allow grieving relatives a last chance to say goodbye to loved-ones before they die from coronavirus amid shocking reports of elderly victims dying alone;
- Ministers were under huge pressure to come up with an ‘exit strategy’ from coronavirus lockdown after the scale of the looming economic meltdown became clear;
- World War II hero Captain Tom Moore, 99, has raised more than £6million for the ‘brave nurses and doctors’ of the NHS by marching around his garden on a zimmer frame;
- Oxford University scientists announced trials of a coronavirus vaccine would begin on humans next week, after they claimed they were confident a jab would be ready for millions to use by the autumn;
- Chinese leaders reportedly covered up the coronavirus crisis for six days, as it was claimed Beijing knew it was likely dealing with a major health crisis on January 14 but President Xi only warned the public on January 20;
- The US and Europe could be hit by up to four waves of coronavirus if it is allowed to ravage Africa, a WHO expert warned as he said the virus is ‘about to march through the continent and India like an avalanche’;
- The pandemic has now infected more than two million people around the world, the latest figures revealed today – but experts believe that the true figure is much higher with many people never tested because their symptoms are mild.
Paramedics are pictured taking a patient into St Thomas’ Hospital in Central London today
The Department of Health announced 778 victims yesterday, which was an eight per cent jump day-on-day – 717 were declared on Monday.
Scientists have repeatedly warned the death toll will peak after the cases because it can take weeks for a coronavirus patient to succumb to the infection.
Government advisers have cautioned against pinning too much hope to the death numbers provided each day.
This is because they date back up to two weeks and do not represent the situation on the day they’re published.