UK coronavirus death toll hits 10,612 as another 737 die in 24hrs

THE coronavirus death toll in the UK went past the grim milestone of 10,000 today as another 737 people lost their lives.

A total of 10,612 people have now died from the disease, according to official figures - a leap from Saturday's total of 9,875 as the country remains in lockdown battling against the virus.

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New figures released today by the Department of Health revealed that there are now 84,279 confirmed cases of the virus across the UK.

As of 9am on 12 April, a total of 352,974 tests for the virus have been concluded, with 18,000 tests completed on 11 April.

Of the 737 to have most recently died, there were 42 patients aged between 30 and 98 who had no known underlying health conditions.

But the true death toll could be significantly higher, because the figure released only includes those who have died in hospital. The number of deaths was recorded at 5pm yesterday.

Speaking at today's Government coronavirus press briefing, Heath Secretary Matt Hancock said passing the grim milestone of 10,000 deaths "marks a sombre day in the impact of this disease".

He was later asked if it was still possible to keep the UK death toll below 20,000, which the UK's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance previously described as a "good outcome".

Mr Hancock said: "The future path of this pandemic in this country is determined by how people act.

"That's why it's so important that people follow the social-distancing guidelines.

"Predictions are not possible, precisely because they depend on the behaviour of the British people."

On Friday, Britain's coronavirus death toll jumped by 980 in 24 hours - making it the biggest rise yet and more deadly than Spain's worst day of their outbreak (961).

Numbers dipped on Saturday and again today, but this could be down to a lag in reporting due to the Easter weekend.

Previous weekends have seen official numbers fall, before numbers start to climb again the following week.

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According to the Scottish Government, a further 24 patients died from COVID-19 in Scotland, bringing the total deaths there to 566.

A further 18 patients have died after testing positive for coronavirus in Wales, bringing the total number of deaths  to 369, health officials said.

Public Health Wales said a further 367 people had tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 5,297.

The number of people with coronavirus who have died in a hospital setting in Northern Ireland has risen to 118, with 11 further deaths reported on Sunday.

There were 89 new cases of the virus, bringing the total of confirmed positive tests in the region since the outbreak began to 1,806, officials said.

Some of the figures differ to those put out nationally by the Department of Health and Social Care due to the different ways in which devolved health administrations publish their data.

The new figures came as Prime Minister Boris Johnson left hospital today, and praised the “magnificent NHS” in a candid video message to the nation.

But it was also suggested that social distancing could be in place indefinitely, while the government works to battle the killer virus causing chaos across the world.

More than 108,000 people have now died from coronavirus worldwide, with more than 1.7 million contracting the bug.

Yvonne Doyle, medical director of Public Health England, said at today's briefing that the UK is “somewhere in the middle” in global death comparisons, “tracking France and close to the Italian trend” but added that “it’s still early days”.

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Although plans show the lockdown is likely to be in place for a few more months at least, a careful return to classrooms could be the first stage in the virus exit strategy.

Whitehall officials in the Department for Education are thought to be considering plans which would start different age groups going back to school between June and July, after the break.

But this is said to all hinge on when the peak of the pandemic arrives for the UK.

Scientists modelling the outbreak believe tough social distancing measures have slowed the spread of the bug.

Hospital admissions are now predicted to start falling in around a fortnight, if Brits continue to stay at home.

Last week it was confirmed schools would not reopen after Easter after one minister suggested reopening schools after Easter could “kick-start the economy”.

The unnamed minister was quoted calling for kids to be allowed back to school after the Easter holidays in a fortnight.

Brits could live with coronavirus restrictions until a vaccine is developed which could take "around 18 months", according to reports.

More severe restrictions will be gradually phased out but some, such as remote working and isolating if you have symptoms of the virus, will remain in some form next year.

 

Scientists say the discovery of a vaccine is the only genuine "exit strategy" from the virus, meaning the country will have to adjust to a 'new normal', the Daily  reported.

It comes after foreign secretary Dominic Raab told the nation that it was "too early" to lift the lockdown, and that the country "must stick to the plan" in place.

The Sun is raising funds through our  It pays for crucial services for NHS staff — from providing food and care packs to giving them somewhere to rest.

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