Coronavirus deaths in the UK rise to 137
Written by News on 19/03/2020
The number of people who have died after contracting coronavirus in the UK has risen to 137.
It comes after NHS England confirmed 29 more people in England had died in the past 24 hours, taking the number to 128.
The latest deaths were people aged between 47 and 96 years old and all had underlying health conditions.
London’s death toll went up 16 in the latest figures, and now stands at 52.
So far Scotland has recorded six deaths, Wales has recorded two, and on Thursday morning Northern Ireland recorded its first.
Earlier, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said three people in Scotland had died there in the past 24 hours after testing positive for coronavirus.
She said her country’s death toll had doubled as she addressed MSPs in Holyrood, sending her condolences to those who had loved ones.
The total number of people in Scotland who have contracted COVID-19 stands at 266 – a rise of 39 in 24 hours.
She said the figure was “likely to be an underestimate of the true prevalence of the infection”.
The number of cases in Wales has also increased, with 24 new confirmed cases bringing its total to 170.
Northern Ireland has a total of 77 confirmed cases of coronavirus.
On Thursday morning, the total number of cases across the UK stood at 2,689 but it is expected to change later today.
The virus outbreak has continued to affect people’s lives across Britain.
A partial shutdown of the London Underground started on Thursday as up to 40 stations that do not interchange with other lines were closed “until further notice”.
Elsewhere, the education secretary said students whose exams have been cancelled to stop the coronavirus spread will be given grades so they can still go to college or university.
Gavin Williamson told Sky News the full details including who would decide those GCSE and A-level grades and what appeals process would be available would be revealed on Friday.
:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Up to 20,000 service personnel will be put on standby to help combat the coronavirus, with troops gearing up to drive oxygen tankers, support the police and boost hospital capacity.
On Thursday, reservists will be put on notice to mobilise if required as part of a war-like effort to prepare the armed forces in case the government calls upon them in large numbers.
And supermarkets are expecting to get police support to deter unruly behaviour if London goes into lockdown because of the outbreak.
According to Reuters, retailers are concerned that panic buying could spike if further restrictions are imposed.
On Thursday, there were frenzied scenes in some shops as people sought to buy bottled water, tinned goods and toilet roll.
Environment Secretary George Eustace told the Commons there was “significant resilience in our food supply chain” and no shortage of food.
He said: “There isn’t a shortage of food, the challenge that we’ve had is getting food to shelves in time when people have been purchasing more.”
(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus deaths in the UK rise to 137
