Covid: UK records further 19 deaths as cases rise by 3,862

The UK coronavirus death toll has risen by 19 and cases have increased by a further 3,862, the government has announced.

It brings the total death toll up to 126,592 and total cases to 4,333,042.

Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show there have now been 149,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

The latest rise comes as England has been warned to "hold its nerve" ahead of Covid restrictions easing on Monday.

From March 29, groups of up to six, or two households, being able to socialise in parks and gardens once more as outdoor sports facilities reopen and the stay-at-home order ends in England on Monday.

But health experts said that Covid-19 still has the capacity to “wreak more havoc and ill health on a significant scale”, citing concerns over new variants.

England

A further 23 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths reported in hospitals to 86,176, NHS England said on Sunday.

Patients were aged between 15 and 91 and all except one had known underlying health conditions, although NHS England was unable to provide information about the age of that patient.

The deaths were between March 19 last year and March 27 this year.

There were eight other deaths reported with no positive Covid-19 test result.

Wales

There have been a further 171 cases of coronavirus in Wales, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 209,066.

Public Health Wales reported no further deaths, with the total in the country since the start of the pandemic at 5,505.

Scotland

In Scotland the total confirmed as positive has risen by 422 to 217,127, but no further deaths have been reported, meaning the death toll remains at 7,584.

Northern Ireland

While in Northern Ireland, 116 more people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hours and two more deaths have been reported.

This means the number of positive recorded stands at 116,950 and the number of deaths stands at 2,111.