Covid-19 death toll rises by 280 in UK as further 23,065 test positive for coronavirus

Coronavirus cases continue to increase. Credit: PA

A further 280 people have died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Thursday, the government has said.

This brings the UK total to 45,955.

Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies for deaths where Covid-19 has been mentioned on the death certificate, together with additional data on deaths that have occurred in recent days, show there have now been 61,000 deaths involving coronavirus in the UK.

The government said that, as of 9am on Thursday, there had been a further 23,065 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK.

It brings the total number of cases in the UK to 965,340.

Scotland

Scotland has recorded 37 deaths from coronavirus and 1,128 positive tests in the past 24 hours, Nicola Sturgeon said.

The First Minister said the death toll has risen to 2,791.

Ms Sturgeon said 61,531 people have now tested positive in Scotland, up from 60,403 the previous day.

Nicola Sturgeon wants another referendum on Scottish independence. Credit: Jane Barlow/PA

The daily test positivity rate is 7.1%, up from 6.8% on the previous day.

Of the new cases, 416 are in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 266 in Lanarkshire, 117 in Lothian, and 121 in Ayrshire and Arran.

There are 1,152 people in hospital confirmed to have the virus, up by 35 in 24 hours.

Of these patients, 86 are in intensive care, a rise of one.

EnglandIn England, 214 have died from the virus, which takes the total death toll up to 40,628.

England has had by far the highest number of deaths, almost 38,000 more than Scotland, which has 2,791.

There are fears several regions in England will need to be placed into more severe restrictions.

Wales

In Wales, the death toll has risen by 21, which takes the number of suspected Covid-19 deaths in the nation to 1,848.

Northern Ireland

The death toll has risen by eight in Northern Ireland, where 680 are believe to have died from the virus.