Covid: UK records 1,248 deaths as 48,682 test positive for virus
A further 1,248 people have died, within 28 days of developing Covid-19, according to the latest figures from the government.
This brings the UK coronavirus death toll to 86,015.
The grim figures come as another 48,682 people have tested positive for coronavirus.
Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show that more than 99,000 deaths involving coronavirus have now occurred in the UK.
England
A further 884 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths reported in hospitals to 58,712, NHS England said on Thursday.
Patients were aged between 27 and 101. All except 48, aged between 38 and 101, had known underlying health conditions.
The deaths were between December 4 and January 13.
There were 45 other deaths reported with no positive Covid-19 test result.
Wales
There have been a further 1,644 cases of coronavirus in Wales, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 176,056.
Public Health Wales reported another 54 deaths, taking the total in Wales since the start of the pandemic to 4,117.
Scotland
A further 64 people have died after contracting coronavirus in Scotland as the country reports 1,707 new coronavirus cases on Thursday.
The number of people hospitalised with the virus has risen to 1,829, with 142 of those being treated in intensive care.
Northern Ireland
A further 16 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in Northern Ireland, according to the Department of Health – 13 of them in the last 24-hour reporting period.
It brings the official death toll to 1,533, although that figure is expected to increase significantly when deaths in all community settings have been accounted for.
The latest figures show there have also been 973 new positive cases, out of 3,596 individuals tested.
In the last seven days, there have been 7,769 cases - including 1,332 in the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon area.