Coronavirus-related deaths in UK reach 30,615 after 539 more die
Written by News on 07/05/2020
Another 539 people who tested positive for COVID-19 have died in the UK, bringing the total to 30,615.
The latest daily figure released by the Department of Health is for coronavirus-related fatalities in all settings, including hospitals, care homes and the community, as of 5pm on Wednesday.
The previous total number, released yesterday, showed the UK had passed 30,000 deaths after a rise of 649 – the first European country to do so.
Experts have urged caution over international comparisons as nations record COVID-19 deaths differently.
In England, there have been 383 new deaths in hospitals, taking the total to 22,432.
In Scotland, there have been 59 further fatalities, with the total now 1,762.
In Wales, 18 more people have died after testing positive for coronavirus, taking the total number to 1,062.
And in Northern Ireland, four further coronavirus deaths have been reported, bringing the total number of fatalities to 422.
Also, the number of daily COVID-19 tests being carried out in the UK has fallen below 100,000 for the fifth day in a row.
The latest figures show there were 86,583 tests in the 24 hours to 9am today, up from 69,463 the day before.
The last time the government passed 100,000 a day was on 2 May. The target was set by Health Secretary Matt Hancock for the end of April and was reached but with some criticism.
The government’s deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries told today’s Downing Street news briefing that there had been a “technical hitch” in a laboratory.
Boris Johnson is planning to ramp up testing to 200,000 tests a day by the end of May.
It comes as his spokesman confirmed lockdown changes in England from next week will be “very limited”.
The prime minister will use “maximum caution” when starting to ease some of the strict social distancing measures that have been in force for seven weeks during the coronavirus crisis, his spokesman said.
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Mr Johnson revealed at Prime Minister’s Questions this week that he wants to “get going” with tweaking some lockdown measures from Monday.
But Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said the stay-at-home message will be extended for another three weeks.
She insisted she will not be pressured into changing anything too early that would be “very, very risky”.
Measures in Wales and Northern Ireland will be decided by the devolved governments in each nation.
The Department of Health’s fatality figures only include people who have tested positive for COVID-19.
An alternative measure is from the Office for National Statistics, which is based on all mentions of COVID-19 on a death certificate, including suspected COVID-19.
The ONS has said 29,710 deaths involving COVID-19 were registered in England and Wales up to 2 May.
Together with the latest equivalent numbers for Scotland (2,795 deaths registered up to 3 May) and Northern Ireland (393 deaths registered up to 29 April), it means a total of 32,898 deaths involving COVID-19 have now been registered across the UK.
(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus-related deaths in UK reach 30,615 after 539 more die
