Coronavirus UK death toll hits 104 with 33 more deaths in single day as killer bug takes hold

CORONAVIRUS deaths today hit 104 in Britain with 33 more killed in a single day by the deadly bug.

Ten deaths were recorded in London alone today as UK fatalities jumped by 46 per cent in just 24 hours.

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As the killer bug grips Britain, the number of patients to test positive for coronavirus jumped by 676 cases from 1,950 to 2,626.

The country is now on the brink with schools in Scotland and Wales to close by the end of the week and Boris Johnson to make a decision ";imminently" on England.

NHS England today announced the death toll had climbed by 33 deaths with victims, all who had underlying health conditions, aged between 59 and 94.

A nine-month-old boy in Manchester is just one of the latest people to test positive for coronavirus this week while a baby in Norfolk was confirmed with the virus.

London is the epicentre of the UK outbreak, with North Middlesex Hospital believed to have admitted more coronavirus patients than any other NHS trust.

The hospital has to date treated 25 patients with the infection.

A spokesman said three of the patients had died – one being treated in intensive care has died and two being treated on general wards.

Across the globe, the number of coronavirus cases today surged past 200,000.

Meanwhile, coronavirus is continuing to spread across the UK, with patients including babies to pensioners in their 90s.

Myroslava and Callum Caotes, the parents of nine-month-old Cassian were left shocked when a doctor told them "it's the coronavirus strand" after he was tested in Manchester.

Cassian, who is just nine-months-old, was then assessed by a doctor who confirmed he had the symptoms and said: “Yeah, it’s the coronavirus strand.”

Meanwhile, the UK’s youngest coronavirus victim was last night named as 45-year-old Craig Ruston - as his devastated wife paid an emotional tribute.

The "amazing" father-of-two, from Kettering, Northants, who had motor neurone disease, succumbed to the killer bug in hospital yesterday.

'WAR-TIME'

Boris this week announced drastic new measures in an attempt to slow the spread of the bug - with confirmed cases worldwide today topping 200,000 worldwide.

The PM last night promised a £350bn 'war-time' bailout to stop coronavirus from wrecking the economy.

His people’s bailout will be the biggest rescue package in peacetime.

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The PM has warned the nation to avoid pubs, theatres, restaurants and all social gatherings.

And he cautioned last night: "I stress that although the measures announced are already extreme, we may well have to go further and faster in the coming days to protect lives and the NHS."

No10 sources also said they were in discussions about whether to postpone crucial exams.

Downing Street suggested there could be a skeleton service where the kids of key workers such as NHS staff will continue to be taught to allow their parents to carry on working.

Sainsbury's will today limit sales of every item in its stores in an attempt to stamp out panic-buying.

Last night, Tesco began cutting opening times for hundreds of 24-hour stores, which will now operate from 6am to 10pm.

It came as a fresh wave of panic-buying set in across the country with supermarket shelves stripped bare in minutes.