UK coronavirus deaths hit 36,393 as 351 more die – lowest Friday total in 8 weeks

A total of 254,195 people have now tested positive for Covid-19 across Britain - up 3,287 cases from yesterday.

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Today's death toll refers to those who have died in all settings - including care homes, hospices and the wider community.

The latest rise in deaths confirmed by the Department of Health is bigger than it was yesterday, when 338 more deaths were logged.

Today's figures are a slight decline from last Friday's 384.

It's the lowest number of deaths recorded on a Friday in the UK for the last eight weeks.

In England, the total number of Covid-19 deaths rose to 25,388 today - up 121 from yesterday.

NHS England confirmed the patients were aged between 41 and 98 years old, and three had no known underlying health conditions.

In Scotland, a total of 2,245 patients have died after testing positive for coronavirus - up by 24 from yesterday.

In Wales, seven more deaths were recorded overnight, bringing the overall tally there to 1,254.

There have been three more deaths in Northern Ireland, bringing their death toll to 504.

It comes as:

• Wetherspoons has revealed plans for reopening its 875 pubs
• Immunity certificates could be given to millions of Brits who have recovered from coronavirus
• British travellers could get home visits from police to check they're complying with self-quarantine rules
• Scotland's care home deaths are more than double that in England
• Business bosses and MPs are calling for a further easing of lockdown to help kick-start the economy
• A Government scientific adviser has claimed thousands of lives could have been saved if lockdown started a week earlier

However, new analysis published today suggests Britain's overall death toll from the virus is far higher than the total reported by the Government so far - and has already passed 45,000.

The number of cases are falling across the country, despite more people being tested for the killer bug.

Today, the number of positive tests for coronavirus went up by 3,287 after 80,297 people were tested.

It is a slight jump from yesterday when the number of positive tests for coronavirus went up by 2,615 after 67,681 people were tested.

During the peak of the crisis, there was a single-day rise of 4,618 cases after 13,839 people were tested.

One of the five tests to lifting lockdown is keeping the 'R' number below one.

The infection 'R' rate has remained steady for a second week in a row, scientific advisers have said today.

The dreaded 'R' number - the average number of people that will contract coronavirus from an infected person - was between 0.7 and 1 across the UK.

It comes as the row over when schools should reopen has continued to divide minister, unions, educators and parents.

Today, a scientific report by the government's SAGE group of top scientists warned that a lengthy lockdown will effect kids' education and work opportunities for the rest of their lives.

Downing Street today published the findings in a move to reassure worried parents and teachers about its plan to re-open schools on June 1.

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The documents - which also confirmed the risk of children catching coronavirus was "much lower" than adults, were released as militant teaching unions and councils prepared to defy the government and refuse to go back.

Only a handful of councils plan to reopen schools on June 1, leaving parents across the country in the dark over their children's education.

The final decision on whether or not to open up classrooms will fall to headteachers and teaching unions.