UK coronavirus death toll reaches 1,019

Number of confirmed coronavirus cases surpasses 17,000

The death toll from coronavirus in the UK has risen to 1,019, up from 759 the day before, the Department for Health has said.

A total of 120,776 people have been tested for the virus, with 17,089 positive results as of 9am on Saturday.

The new figures come after Scottish Secretary Alister Jack revealed he had developed mild symptoms of coronavirus and was self-isolating.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is already having to lead the response to the pandemic from Downing Street after he was diagnosed with the disease.

He has been accused of flouting his own social distancing rules after Health Secretary Matt Hancock tested positive and England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty began self-isolating with symptoms.

Dr Simon Clarke, Associate Professor in Cellular Microbiology, University of Reading, said: "The news that we have passed the milestone of 1000 COVID19 deaths, while very sad, is unsurprising. Over the coming weeks we can expect to see the UK's toll of the disease grow substantially, with increasingly large day-on-day numbers of the deceased.

"It is widely anticipated that we will reach a peak of numbers in around a fortnight, but it should be remembered that the strategy of suppressing the peak, will cause it to broaden and we will see peak mortality level off and stay high for some time before it starts to decrease.

"It's therefore essential that people observe social distancing rules in order to start to turn the tide on the coronavirus," he added.

Meanwhile, the NHS is working to convert the ExCel centre in London into a new field hospital to help cope with the growing number of coronavirus patients.

Known as the NHS Nightingale, the new hospital will accommodate 4,000 patients in two new wards and is expected to open this week.

London is the epicentre of the Covid-19 outbreak in the UK, with over 4,600 cases, followed by over 2,000 infections in the Midlands.

The NHS also plans to construct temporary hospitals in Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester and Scotland.

Additional reporting by PA