British coronavirus death toll passes 12,000 after a further 778 die in one day
14 April 2020, 14:30
A further 778 people have died from coronavirus in Britain, bringing the total to 12,107
According to statistics from the Department of Health and Social Care, 302,599 people have been tested of which 93,873 tested positive.
There were 14,982 people tested yesterday.
But the latest figures on the death toll is unlikely to be the true figure, as it only includes people who have died whilst receiving treatment in hospital.
There have been warnings that deaths in care homes in particular have "gone under the radar", and it is feared that thousands of elderly people could have passed away in homes around the country.
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As of 9am 14 April, 382,650 tests have concluded, with 14,982 tests on 13 April.
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) April 14, 2020
302,599 people have been tested of which 93,873 tested positive.
As of 5pm on 13 April, of those hospitalised in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus, 12,107 have sadly died. pic.twitter.com/xK3AdMiVZC
Yesterday, Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said 13.5 per cent of all care homes have reported cases of Covid-19.
A total of 406 registered deaths took place outside hospitals, according to provisional figures from the Office for National Statistics.
These include: 217 deaths registered in care homes, 33 in hospices, 136 in private homes, three in other communal establishments and 17 elsewhere, while 3,716 deaths occurred in hospitals.
Other communal establishments include places such as prisons, homeless shelters, and shared dormitories, while "elsewhere" could be anywhere not at home, for example in a car or public transport.
But the NHS Confederation, which represents organisations across the healthcare sector, warned that the spread in care homes "has largely gone under the radar" due to the way data on deaths has been collected.
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Including deaths that occurred up to April 3 but were registered up to April 11, the number involving Covid-19 was 6,235.
The ONS overall total for England, 5,979 deaths, is 15% higher than the total reported by NHS England for the same period (5,186 deaths in hospitals).
This is because the ONS figures include all mentions of Covid-19 on a death certificate, including suspected Covid-19, and in combination with other health conditions, as well as deaths in the community.
The latest figures also follow the news that one in five deaths in England and Wales is linked to coronavirus.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has previously promised to have 100,000 tests carried out each day by the end of April, but not even a quarter of that has yet to be achieved casting doubts on the promise.
