Britain announces 84 more Covid-19 deaths in the lowest increase on a Friday since March 20, taking the UK’s preliminary total to 41,381
Britain’s coronavirus death toll rose by just 84 today, taking the total number of victims to 41,381.
The preliminary figure is calculated by adding up coronavirus deaths across the UK, but it does not take into account fatalities in care homes in England.
It means that the total figure announced later today by the Department of Health has the potential to be significantly higher.
Broken down, the total of 84 includes 70 more deaths in hospitals in England, 10 in total across Wales, three in Scotland and just one in Northern Ireland.
Today’s death figure marks the lowest rise on a Friday since March 20, three days before the country went into lockdown, when there were just 36 coronavirus fatalities.
In another massive boost for the UK’s fight against Covid-19, the Office for National Statistics believes just 33,000 Britons currently have the disease.
The data, based on testing of almost 20,000 people in the community, shows the number of people with the virus outside of hospitals and care homes is tumbling.
When hospital and care home cases, of which more than a thousand are still being diagnosed every day, are included the total is higher, but the virus is fading among members of the public.
