Coronavirus: UK death toll in hospitals alone rises by 938 in one day

Death toll passes 7,000

The number of people to have died in hospital after contracting coronavirus has increased by 938 over the space of 24 hours, the government has confirmed.

The UK death toll for coronavirus patients has risen to 7,097, the Department of Health and Social Care said on Wednesday.

The total number of confirmed infections has jumped to 60,733 after a rise of more than 5,400.

Around 232,700 people have been tested for the virus as of Wednesday morning, according to the latest figures.

Nearly 13,000 people were tested in a day, the health ministry said.

Professor Angela McLean, the deputy chief scientific adviser, said the spread of the virus is not accelerating.

“This count of new cases in the UK, day by day over the last few weeks, is not accelerating out of control,” she said.

“Yesterday, there were 5,492 new cases and the spread of the virus is not accelerating and that is good news.”

The national medical director of NHS England urged people to keep following government restrictions on movement and socialising during the outbreak, and said the UK is “beginning to see the benefits”.

“The really critical thing,” said Stephen Powis, “is that we have to continue following instructions, we have to continue following social distancing, because if we don’t, the virus will start to spread again.”

Professor Powis added: “This not the time to become complacent, it’s not the time to think that the job is being done.”

Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, said on Wednesday the prime minister remains in intensive care at St Thomas’ Hospital but is “improving” and has been sitting up in bed and engaging with his clinical team.

Boris Johnson was moved to intensive care earlier this week after his coronavirus symptoms worsened.

The PM is “responding to treatment” and remains in a stable condition after his third night in hospital in London, according to Downing Street.

Additional reporting by Press Association