Health

UK records 26 Covid deaths and 2,762 new infections


T

he UK has recorded 26 more coronavirus deaths, official government figures show.

A total of 2,762 new people had a confirmed positive test result reported on Easter Monday.

Last week 24,455 people had a confirmed positive test result marking a decrease of 33.5 per cent compared to the previous seven days.

The total number of officially recorded Covid deaths for the UK now stands at 126,862.

However, separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show there have been more than 150,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

A further 15 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths reported in hospitals to 86,422, NHS England said on Monday.

Patients were aged between 51 and 90 and all had known underlying health conditions.

No deaths of recent coronavirus patients were recorded in Scotland for the third day running as hairdressers were among places reopening in the latest lockdown easing.

It comes as people across the country enjoyed a sunny Easter Weekend after lockdown measures were eased.

People are now able to meet up to six people from different households as long as they are outside.

The latest data comes ahead of a Downing Street press conference where Boris Johnson is expected to announce the further loosening of lockdown restrictions.

He is also expected to outline plans for a Covid certification scheme that will allow mass gatherings to take place.

The certificates will show if people have been vaccinated, had a recent negative test or antibodies from prior infection in order to access hospitality venues such as theatres, nightclubs and stadiums.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said he worried that introducing vaccine passports would make people feel they were being forced into having a jab, and would be “counterproductive”.

The senior Labour MP told BBC Radio 4’s World At One: “My concern is that if you want to drive up vaccination rates further – and to be fair, vaccine hesitancy has fallen in this country and we are doing very well.

“But all the evidence has always suggested that if you want to maintain confidence in vaccination, that you don’t make it compulsory, don’t force people to be vaccinated – you encourage people, you persuade people.

“And my worry with what the Government are suggesting is they are effectively trying to force people into taking a vaccine and I think in the end that will be counterproductive.”



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