Daily UK coronavirus deaths drop to 616
The daily UK coronavirus death toll has dropped to 616, according to the latest figures.
The figures mark a decrease from the 759 deaths reported yesterday, and take the total to 18,738.
Daily deaths have gradually fallen over the last couple of days, with 823 announced on Tuesday.
It comes after health secretary Matt Hancock said the UK coronavirus outbreak had reached its peak.
As of 9am, 583,496 tests have been carried out, with 23,560 tests concluded yesterday.
Overall, 425,821 people have been tested, of whom 138,078 tested positive, according to the Department of Health and Social Care.
The fall in daily deaths comes amid growing calls for clarity over how and when the UK will ease the coronavirus lockdown.
Chief medical officer Chris Whitty yesterday warned that some social distancing measures would have to remain in place for at least the rest of the year, warning it was “wholly unrealistic” to expect a return to normality soon.
Whitty said the only way out of it was if a widely distributable vaccine or effective drug treatment were available and that there was an “incredibly small probability” of that happening in “the next calendar year”.
Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon today outlined potential options for how her country would gradually lift restrictions, reiterating that social distancing could be a “fact of life” until 2021.
However, backbench Tory MPs have raised concerns about the length of the lockdown, warning that extended restrictions could cause irreparable damage to the economy.
The government has outlined five tests that must be met before it will consider lifting the lockdown.
It is also planning to launch a coronavirus contact tracking app, which is said to be key to a successful easing of restrictions.