Coronavirus: More than 16,000 new COVID cases and 150 deaths confirmed in UK

Another 16,171 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the UK, with 150 more people having died.

The total number of positive coronavirus cases nationwide now stands at 705,428, according to government figures.

The death toll, which only includes people who have passed away within 28 days of testing positive for the virus, has reached 43,579.

Separate figures from the UK’s statistics agencies, meanwhile, show there have been 58,500 deaths in the UK where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

The latest update came as stricter lockdown measures were implemented across parts of the UK on Saturday to stem the spread of the disease.

Around 5% of England’s population has now been placed within Tier 3 rules – the government’s highest level of restrictions.

London, Essex, York, Elmbridge, Barrow-in-Furness, North East Derbyshire, Erewash and Chesterfield have also been elevated to Tier 2, meaning people can no longer mix inside with those from other households, including in pubs and restaurants, unless they are in a support bubble.

Other data released on Saturday shows there is now 4,814 people in hospital in England with COVID-19, which is up from 3,225 a week ago.

Of those patients, 494 are in ventilation beds. This is a rise of 98 people since last week.

In Scotland, another 15 people who tested positive for the virus died in the 24 hours to Saturday morning, according to government figures.

This brings the Scottish total number of deaths to 2,609.

There were also a further 1,167 new cases reported, bringing the total to 46,399.

Wales, which has banned people travelling over from other COVID hotspots in the UK, recorded another 674 cases in the last 24 hours, along with five deaths.

This brings the total number cases to 34,679, and deaths to 1,708.

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland has recorded a further 1,031 cases and two deaths on Saturday, hours after a partial lockdown was introduced.

Different households are now banned from mixing with each other for the next four weeks, while pubs and restaurants have been forced to reduce their services to takeaways only.

Back in England, local leaders in Greater Manchester are still embroiled in a bitter back-and-forth over the possible introduction of Tier 3 restrictions.

Boris Johnson, on Friday evening, had warned Manchester mayor Andy Burnham that he would intervene if no agreement could be met – and came after the mayor accused the prime minister of treating northern England like the “sacrificial lamb” of coronavirus restrictions.

(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: More than 16,000 new COVID cases and 150 deaths confirmed in UK