UK coronavirus death toll rises by 121 up to 36,914 - the second-smallest increase since March

A further 121 people in the UK have died with coronavirus, bringing the total to 36,914.

The deaths - which were recorded in the 24-hours to 5pm on Sunday - took place in hospitals, care homes and the wider community.

The increase in deaths announced on Monday is the second-lowest 24-hour increase since March, and while Covid-19 deaths and cases are declining, there is often a lag in the figures reported at the weekends and on bank holidays, meaning they do not always offer a full picture of deaths in the period they are from.

In the 24-hour period up to 9am on Monday, 73,726 tests were carried out or dispatched, with 1,625 positive results.

The Department of Health said "technical difficulties" meant it was unable to provide a figure for the number of people tested in the 24 hours to 9am on Monday.

On its website, some 17,473 people were said to have been tested under pillar one of the testing strategy - swab tests at Public Health England labs and NHS hospitals - but the figure for essential worker swab tests, including those posted out, was not given.

This is the third instance in as many days that the Government has been unable to provide the figure.

Overall a total of 3,532,634 tests have been carried out and 261,184 cases have been confirmed positive.

Fifty-nine of the coronavirus deaths took place in England, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 25,750.

Of the 59 new deaths announced on Monday:

  • 19 occurred on May 24

  • 28 occurred on May 23

  • five occurred on May 22

  • The remaining seven new deaths took place between May 16 and 21

Three people died in Scotland on Sunday, taking the nation's death toll to 2,270, Nicola Sturgeon said.

The number of people who have died after testing positive for coronavirus in Northern Ireland has risen to 514 after eight more deaths were reported by the Department of Health.

Seven deaths were reported in Wales.

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