Coronavirus: UK deaths rise by 185 to 769
Written by News on 28/03/2020
Another 185 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK, taking the total to 769.
The new figures were recorded between 5pm on Wednesday and 5pm on Thursday.
NHS England announced there had been 168 more deaths in England, up from 521, taking its tally to 689.
The patients who died in England were aged between 29 and 98, and all but four – who were aged between 82 and 91 – had underlying health conditions.
The number of confirmed cases in England stands at 12,324.
Public Health Wales said another six people had died in Wales, taking its death count from 28 to 34.
There have also been 180 new positive tests for the coronavirus in Wales – taking the total to 921.
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It came after another eight deaths in Scotland were confirmed by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
The total number of coronavirus patients to have died in Scotland now stands at 33, while the number of people who have tested positive in the country has risen by 165 – from 894 to 1,059.
Ms Sturgeon added that 72 patients with COVID-19 symptoms are in intensive care units.
Northern Ireland’s Public Health Agency was the last to update its figures, confirming that three more people had died there after testing positive for the disease – taking its total to 13.
There have also been another 34 cases reported, bringing the total number there to 275.
The regional totals stand at:
- England – 689 deaths
- Wales – 34 deaths
- Scotland – 33 deaths
- Northern Ireland – 13 deaths
Due to the time-frame used by NHS England, the latest figures will not include Prime Minister Boris Johnson or Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who both announced they had tested positive on Friday morning.
The government has said that figures for all four home nations should be announced by around 2pm each day.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the UK remains sixth on the list of countries ranked by how many people have died after testing positive for the coronavirus.
Italy leads the way with 8,215, followed by Spain on 4,858 and China’s Hubei province on 3,174.
Following Hubei is Iran on 2,378, France on 1,696 and then the UK.
But it is the US that has the most number of confirmed cases worldwide after overtaking China on Thursday.
(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: UK deaths rise by 185 to 769
