UK Coronavirus deaths increase by 621 to 4,934

A total of 4,934 patients have died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Saturday, the Department of Health said, up by 621 from 4,313 the day before.

The number of deaths is down on the previous day's figure of 708 in a 24-hour period.

The Department of Health also said that, as of 9am on Sunday, a total of 195,524 people have been tested of which 47,806 tested positive.

The number of new people tested daily in the UK for coronavirus is back above 10,000, the latest figures revealed.

A total of 12,334 new people were reported as being tested in the 24 hours to 9am April 5.

The equivalent figure for yesterday had slipped below 10,000, having previously been above 10,000 for two days in a row.

The total number of people in the UK tested since the outbreak began – 195,524 – is the equivalent of around 293 people in every 100,000, or 0.3% of the population.

The figures come as Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced that public sunbathing is banned.

Sunday's nice weather has seen members of the public travelling to parks in order soak up the rays but Mr Hancock says this is flouting the rules and will encourage the spread of coronavirus.

Mr Hancock warned if similar behaviour continues then further restrictions will be put on people's rights to exercise.

The number of people tested for coronavirus has risen above 10,000 a day. Credit: PA

Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK has taken 15 days to go from just over 5,000 (5,018 as of 9am March 21) to nearly 50,000 (47,806 as of 9am April 5).

Deaths of people who tested positive for coronavirus in hospitals in England has risen to 4,494, NHS England said, up by 555 on the previous day’s update.

The patients were aged between 33 years and 103 years old, with 29 of the 555, aged between 35 and 95 years old, having no known underlying health condition.

The number of people who have died in Northern Ireland after contracting coronavirus has risen by seven to 63, health officials said.

Testing has resulted in 91 new positive cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the region to 1,089.

Nicola Sturgeon says the figures in Scottish could be Credit: PA

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said two more people have died after testing positive for coronavirus in Scotland, bringing the total deaths there to 220.

The First Minister said this figure, up from 218 on Saturday, should not be taken as being “truly representative” of the number of deaths, as the way Covid-19 deaths are being notified is changing.

She said the figure is “likely to be artificially low”.

Twelve more people have died in Wales after testing positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of deaths to 166, Public Health Wales (PHW) said.

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