The UK’s coronavirus death toll has increased by 439 to 5,373.
The latest figure reflects deaths up to 5pm last night and is limited to hospital patients who have tested positive for the virus.
Some 51,608 people in the UK have been diagnosed with the disease, with 208,837 people tested in total.
Officials have also revealed for the first time that 252,958 tests have taken place overall.
The UK’s death toll stood at 4,934 yesterday, with the highest daily increase recorded on Saturday when 708 deaths were announced.
Earlier today NHS officials said 403 people – aged between 35 and 106 – died in hospitals in England in just 24 hours. Of those, 15 had no known underlying health condition.
Another seven people later died from coronavirus in Northern Ireland, Stormont ministers said. A further 27 died in Wales, and two in Scotland.
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The grim increase came as Prime Minister Boris Johnson was treated in a London hospital for coronavirus, the UK’s first carer to die of Covid-19 was named as mum-of-two Carol Jamabo from Greater Manchester, and fresh tributes rolled in for NHS nurses who have succumbed to the disease.
Another 403 hospital patients in England who tested positive for coronavirus have died, taking the total number to 4,897, NHS England said.
London has recorded the most deaths – 129. The Midlands has seen 75 and the North East and Yorkshire 67.
(Image: PA)
(Image: Getty Images)
Just over half of coronavirus-related deaths announced by hospitals in England so far have been people aged 80 and over, according to NHS England.
Earlier today, Public Health Wales said 302 new cases have tested positive for Covid-19 in Wales, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 3,499, although the true number of cases is likely to be higher.
It comes after Boris Johnson was being kept in hospital for observation, with the official description of his symptoms shifting from “mild” to “persistent”.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman today insisted he was in “good spirits” after a “comfortable night” in St Thomas’ Hospital with a cough and fever from Covid-19.
He is still working – and has even taking the extraordinary step of working with physical documents from a red box at his hospital bed.
But his spokesman refused to confirm or deny reports he has received oxygen treatment after being taken to the London hospital for tests at 8pm last night.
