Covid news – live: Weekly deaths highest since June as England hospital admissions jump 60% in 10 days

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Robert Jenrick: Mass testing in Liverpool will be 'as simple and accessible as possible'

The number of weekly coronavirus deaths in England and Wales is at its highest figure since early June, according to new statistics.  

In the week ending 23 October, a total of 978 registered deaths mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, the Office for National Statistics figures show.  

This marks a 46 per cent increase on the number of deaths reported in the previous week, and is the highest figure on record since 12 June.  

Leaked NHS data, seen by The Independent, has also revealed the number of patients admitted to hospital wards in England has jumped by more than 60 per cent in just 10 days.  

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Key Points

• Liverpool cautiously welcomes plans to mass test entire city
• Weekly Covid deaths at highest rate since early June
• New rapid Covid tests are 99.9% accurate, says scientific adviser
• Covid hospital admissions in England rise by 60% in 10 days
• Liverpool to be regularly offered new rapid tests

[3 November 2020 15:24 · Chiara Giordano]

Even small R number increase could mean  ‘quite serious trouble’

Professor Chris Whitty told MPs that in areas such as Liverpool where hospitals were already under pressure only a small increase in the R number could lead to "quite serious trouble".  

He told the Science and Technology Committee: "So the ability to actually hang on and say 'well, let's wait a couple weeks, let's just see what happens' - the problem is the people who are in hospital now were infected several weeks ago.  

"So it's quite a long lead time between taking an action and having an effect on reducing the number of people going into hospital, going into intensive care and sadly in some cases dying.” 

[3 November 2020 15:48 · Chiara Giordano]

Covid patients in England NHS hospitals breach 10,000

The number of coronavirus patients in NHS hospitals in England has breached 10,000, and some areas would be “in quite serious trouble” within weeks if tighter lockdown restrictions were not introduced on Thursday, the government’s chief medical officer has told parliament.

Read more on his comments to the Commons Science and Technology Committee here:

[3 November 2020 16:00 · Chiara Giordano]

Groups of four allowed to socialise in Wales

Groups of up to four people will be allowed to meet up in cafes, pubs and restaurants in Wales when the country's firebreak ends next week.

First minister Mark Drakeford told the Welsh parliament the 10pm curfew on alcohol sales will remain in place when hospitality businesses reopen from Monday.

Speaking remotely at the Senedd, the Welsh Labour leader said people should visit such places "in as small a group as possible", such as people from the same household in many cases.

[3 November 2020 16:23 · Chiara Giordano]

The “open access” rail operator Grand Central, which runs services on the East Coast main line in competition with state-run LNER, will suspend all services from Saturday 7 November to Wednesday 2 December inclusive, Simon Calder reports.

Richard McClean, Grand Central’s managing director, said: “Unlike most train operators, we rely exclusively on income from ticket sales, with no subsidy from government.

“The new lockdown will bring an inevitable fall in passenger numbers, meaning it is not possible to continue operating during this period.

“Grand Central will be back soon.”