UK coronavirus death toll rises by 114 to 45,233

18 July 2020, 00:50

By Nick Hardinges

@NHardinges

The UK's coronavirus-related death toll has risen by 114, taking the country's official tally to 45,233.

There have also been a further 687 people test positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of infections in Britain to almost 293,239.

The Department of Health and Social Care said there were 219,621 tests available today, while a total of 165,966 were processed.

Almost 9.7 million tests have now been carried out in the UK.

However, the government's official figures do not include all deaths involving coronavirus across the UK, which is believed to be at least 10,000 higher, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The total number of tests to have been carried out or posted out in Britain now stands above 12.8 million (12,892,406).

However, Friday's tally is more than double (66) higher than last Friday's figure of 48.

The figures include all deaths where a person tests positive for coronavirus in any setting, but does not necessarily mean the death was caused by coronavirus.

It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he hoped for a return to "normality" in time for Christmas as he unveiled changes to the Government's stance on working from home.

Mr Johnson said that from 1 August people should return to work "if it is safe" and "provided employers have done the work they should have done to make their workplaces Covid-secure."

He said it was not for the Government to tell employers if a company's staff should return to their workplaces.

"What we're saying now is that if employers think it would be better and more productive for their employees to come into the office and they can work in a safe way, in a Covid-secure way in the office, then there should be discussions between employers and employees and people should take a decision."

The Government also announced on Saturday that holidaymakers will get their money back if they accept Refund Credit Notes when their package holiday is cancelled and the travel firm later collapses because of coronavirus.

Boris Johnson announces changes in working from home advice from August

Meanwhile, a 50-mile-wide swarm of flying ants that is visible from space has been spotted soaring over southern England.

The giant cloud of insects was picked up by the Met Office's weather radar over Kent and Sussex, with smaller swarms spotted over London.

And in sport, Leeds United were promoted back to the Premier League for the first time in 16 years after West Brom failed to win at Huddersfield on Friday evening.

During their absence, they spent three seasons in the third tier of English football - the first time doing so in the club's history - and survived entering administration.

It comes as Mr Johnson announced that spectators will return to selected sporting events in England later this month, with a view to crowds coming back more widely on a socially-distanced basis from October.

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