UK coronavirus death toll rises to 71 as chief scientific advisor warns 55,000 could be infected

The number of people who have died from coronavirus has risen to 71 and around 55,000 people in the UK could have Covid-19, the Government’s chief scientific adviser has said.

Sir Patrick Vallance told MPs the hope was to keep the death toll to under 20,000 as he told of the huge amount of strain the health service will be under from Covid-19.

The NHS has cancelled all non-emergency surgery amid the crisis and e discharge of medically fit people will be discharged to free up beds.

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The latest figures come as Prime Minister Boris Johnson told his Cabinet the coronavirus pandemic is a “war” that must be won as he set out plans for a team to tackle the outbreak and economic chaos.

NHS England chief executive, Sir Simon Stevens, also told MPs the NHS would be “flat out” helping coronavirus patients for the next four to six months.

He has sent a letter to hospitals telling them to prepare for a big influx of patients requiring ventilation and ordered moves to cancel non-emergency surgery by April 15 at the latest.

Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson at Tuesday's briefing. Credit: PA

During a hearing of the Health Select Committee, chairman Jeremy Hunt asked Sir Patrick whether the expected death rate was one fatality for every 1,000 cases, which would mean that there are “potentially 55,000 cases” at present.

Asked whether it was hoped that deaths could potentially get below 20,000, Sir Patrick said: “That is the hope that we can get it down to that.

"To put that into perspective, every year in seasonal flu the number of deaths is thought to be 8,000.

Credit: PA Graphics

“If we can get numbers down to 20,000 and below, that’s a good outcome in terms of where we would hope to get to with this outbreak.

“But that’s still horrible, it’s still an enormous number of deaths and an enormous pressure on the health service, and having spent 20 years as an NHS consultant as well as an academic, I know what that looks and feels like.”

He warned that much was still unknown about what would happen once people are released from isolation and no longer told to undertake social distancing.

But he refused to be drawn on suggestions that the Government’s measures could have to be kept in place for 18 months to prevent the virus resurging.