Coronavirus: Number of COVID-19 deaths in UK rises by 53 to 233

The number of coronavirus deaths in the UK has risen to 233 after 53 more fatalities were announced in England.

Wales’s death toll has risen to five, Scotland’s now stands at seven and Northern Ireland’s remains at one.

NHS England said patients were aged between 41 and 94 and all had underlying health conditions.

The latest figures come after Boris Johnson ordered the shutdown of cafes, pubs, restaurants and gyms as efforts were ramped to halt the spread of coronavirus.

It coincided with a warning by the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) that young people are “not invincible” and can still be killed by the infection or be confined to hospital “for weeks”.

Schools across the UK have also now closed, except for children of key workers, in the battle to contain the pandemic.

In a bid to help the economy survive the pandemic, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced the government would step in to pay people’s wages, with grants that will cover 80% of the salaries of retained workers – up to £2,500 a month.

He also said he would defer the next quarter of VAT payments for businesses until the end of June, in a £30bn injection into the economy.

In a further step, Mr Sunak pledged £1bn for renters by boosting housing benefit and Universal Credit, and added that the welfare payments’ “generosity” would be increased to allow the local housing allowance to cover at least 30% of market rents.

Economists have said the cost of the plan to cover most of the wages of workers whose jobs are under threat could run into billions of pounds a month.

The move has been largely welcomed by trade unions and employers in the face of growing concerns about a major economic recession and mass job losses.

Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “As a sector employing nearly one million people, the chancellor’s support package… on staff wages will safeguard thousands of livelihoods and help closed pubs try to get through this difficult period.”

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said it was a “breakthrough” and praised the chancellor for showing “real leadership”.

But shadow chancellor John McDonnell argued Mr Sunak had not gone “far enough or fast enough”.

The government has also faced criticism that its rescue package did not cover freelancers, contractors and the self-employed.

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Treasury Chief Secretary Stephen Barclay has said providing protection for the incomes of the self-employed would be “operationally” difficult to deliver.

But he said they would benefit from measures such as the deferral of self-assessment tax requirements, the holidays for mortgage payers and the strengthening of the welfare “safety net”.

(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: Number of COVID-19 deaths in UK rises by 53 to 233