UK coronavirus death toll jumps 684 to 3,605
The UK’s coronavirus death toll jumped 684 today to 3,605, the Department of Health said.
As of 9am today, a total of 173,784 people have been tested of which 38,168 tested positive, the department said.
As of 5pm yesterday, 3,605 of those hospitalised who tested positive in the UK for coronavirus have died, the biggest daily increase in the UK so far.
Public Health England said 11,764 tests had been carried out in England, and 7,651 people had been tested. Testing capacity for inpatient care currently 12,799 tests per day.
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Hancock sets target of 100,000 tests a day
In the daily press conference yesterday, health secretary Matt Hancock said he hopes 100,000 tests are carried out every day by the end of the month.
The government has come under fire for the level of rates compared to other OECD countries. Hancock said the reason the UK is far behind countries like Germany is because the UK “didn’t go into this crisis with a huge diagnostics industry.”
The increase in coronavirus-related deaths in the UK comes as the Nightingale Hospital at London’s Excel Centre opened today. The facility, which was established in under a fortnight, has capacity for 4,000 patients.
Similar hospitals are due to open at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre and Manchester’s Central Complex. The UK is due to open two more hospitals in Bristol and Harrogate, which will provide 1,500 extra peds for those afflicted by coronavirus.
Earlier today Boris Johnson said he will remain in self-isolation after continuing to exhibit coronavirus symptoms first diagnosed last week.
“Although I feel better and I’ve done my seven days of self-isolation, alas I still have one of the symptoms, a minor symptom. I still have a temperature,” Johnson said in a Twitter video.