UK coronavirus death toll surges past 11,000 as 717 more die
13 April 2020, 14:39
The UK has seen another 717 people die from coronavirus bringing the total to 11,329, the Department of Health has said.
According to the latest information from the Government, as of 9am on Monday, 290,720 people have been tested of which 88,621 tested positive.
The figures means 0.4 per cent of the population of Britain have now been tested.
The news comes the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson was released from hospital after being hospitalised with Covid-19.
The UK has now entered its fourth week of lockdown, which has seen people in the country confined to their homes unable to see friends and family.
A review of the lockdown measures will take place later this week to determine whether or not to lift them.
Ministers have said they want to be sure the UK is past the peak of the outbreak before easing the restrictions, but 10 members of the Cabinet are reportedly urging lockdown conditions to be eased amid concerns about the impact on the economy.
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As of 9am 13 April, 367,667 tests have concluded, with 14,506 tests on 12 April.
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) April 13, 2020
290,720 people have been tested of which 88,621 tested positive.
As of 5pm on 12 April, of those hospitalised in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus, 11,329 have sadly died. pic.twitter.com/AijH4hfOV1
The Times quoted an unnamed minister as saying it was important not to do "more damage", and measures could be eased after another three weeks.
Nicola Sturgeon said today that it was ‘unlikely’ that restrictions would be lifted in Scotland, but that there are ‘optimistic signs’ the lockdown is working.
Scientific advisers will meet on Tuesday ahead of the formal review of the strict social distancing measures on Thursday, the deadline set out in law.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who warned during his Budget last month that the UK risks falling into recession as a result of disruption caused by coronavirus, has injected £14 billion from the coronavirus emergency response fund into the NHS and local authorities.
But the Government continues to face pressure over shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline NHS staff, as a growing number of health workers died.
Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers in England, which represents hospital trusts, told BBC Breakfast the supply of gowns - imported from China - was "hand-to-mouth".
He said the NHS ordered "a whole load of stock" weeks ago, but delays have been caused by the product sometimes failing safety tests, while other batches have been mislabelled - meaning the NHS has ended up with additional masks.
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