CORONAVIRUS deaths in the UK today reached another grim milestone of more than 11,000 after 717 more people lost their lives.
Positive cases have also risen to 88,621 – up from 84,279 infections yesterday as Britain enters its fourth week of lockdown.
The Department of Health today confirmed 11,329 people have died in the UK.
But the death toll is expected to rise even more tomorrow as the figures do not include Northern Ireland.
Among the latest deaths is a 21-year-old nursery worker who died after catching coronavirus while waiting for a transplant in hospital.
Katie Horne, from Burgess Hill, West Sussex, battled both Covid-19 and a liver condition for 12 days after the positive diagnosis meant she wasn’t able to go on the transplant list.
And eight more health workers have died from the disease – bringing the total for NHS and care workers to 39.
In England today, the NHS confirmed 667 people aged between 17 and 98 had died – including 40 with no underlying health conditions.
The figure puts total deaths in England at 10,261.
In Scotland today, nine more people have died bringing the death toll to 575.
And there have been 15 further deaths in Wales – with their total now at 384.
While in Northern Ireland, six more people have died – bringing the total number of deaths to 124.
There were 14,506 Covid-19 tests carried out as of 9am this morning – less than yesterday’s number of 18,000.
Yesterday, deaths in the UK reached 10,612 after another 737 people lost their lives to the disease.
But the true total could be higher due to a lag in reporting the figures over the weekend.
Previous weekends have seen official numbers fall, before they start to climb again the following week.
It comes as Boris Johnson praised “unconquerable” medics at London’s St Thomas’ Hospital in an emotional video message after he was released from hospital following a seven-day battle with the killer bug.
The PM said: “The NHS saved my life. No question. Things could have gone either way.”
And he heaped particular praise Jenny McGee, 35, and Luis Pitarma, 29, who watched over him for 48 hours in intensive care giving him vital oxygen.
He posted the video message after a reunion with pregnant fiancee Carrie Symonds at Downing Street
The PM will now spend time recovering from Covid-19 at his country home in Buckinghamshire, Chequers.
Meanwhile Dominic Raab will continue to chair the daily Covid-19 meetings in his absence, and will start reviewing evidence of how the lockdown is working.
Last week he said it was “too soon” to ease the measures and warned they were likely to be extended.
Britain is now entering its fourth week of coronavirus lockdown with the government set to review the rules by Thursday.
Mr Johnson triggered the drastic measures on March 23 – ordering all non-essential travel and public gatherings to stop as well as closing pubs and restaurants.
Brits were also urged to leave home only for exercise, to shop for essential items, for medical care, or when their work could not be done at home.
Since the rules were imposed, the number of people who have tested positive for coronavirus has gone from 6,650 to more than 80,000.
Total deaths in the UK have also risen from 335 on March 23 to more than 10,000 – with fears the death toll has not reached its peak yet.
The Times quoted an unnamed minister as saying it was important not to do “more damage”, and measures could be eased after another three weeks.
Any lifting of the lockdown could see a second wave of cases hit the UK and put the NHS under pressure yet again.
Source: The Sun
