Health

Another 154 people die as UK’s death toll passes 43,000


The UK coronavirus death toll has increased as lockdown restrictions are starting to ease further (Picture: Reuters; PA)

Another 154 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK, health officials have announced.

The figures, released by the Department of Health and Social Care on Wednesday, mean the UK’s official death toll has increased to 43,081, passing the 43,000 mark.

This accounts for deaths across all settings, including in care homes and the community, as of 5pm on Tuesday.

In total, 306,862 people have tested positive for the virus across the country since the start of the pandemic.

As of 9am on Wednesday, there have been 8,542,186 tests, with 232,086 tests carried out yesterday.

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It comes as health leaders warn there is ‘real risk’ of a second wave of coronavirus and are calling for an urgent review to make sure the UK is ready for it.

Ministers have been warned that decisive action is needed to prevent further loss of life and to protect the economy amid growing fears of a renewed outbreak over the winter.

It comes after Boris Johnson announced yesterday the biggest lockdown easing to date in England, claiming the government does ‘not believe there is currently a risk of a second peak of infections that might overwhelm the NHS’.

The UK’s death toll has now passed 43,000 (Picture: Metro)

The Prime Minister said the two-metre social distancing rule would be replaced with a ‘one-metre plus’, paving the way for pubs, restaurants, hotels and cinemas to begin reopening from July 4.

But this morning former chief scientific adviser Sir David King said easing the lockdown is ‘extraordinarily risky’ and called on the the UK to focus on getting rid of coronavirus before the winter.

In an open letter to the leaders of all the UK political parties published in the British Medical Journal, a number of health leaders call for a ‘rapid and forward-looking assessment’ of the state of national preparedness in the event of a renewed flare-up.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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