Coronavirus UK death toll climbs by another 215 ahead of more lockdown easing

Ewan Somerville30 May 2020

Britain has recorded a further 215 deaths linked to coronavirus as the country braces for another easing of lockdown next week.

It brings the UK-wide death toll across hospitals, care homes and the wider community to 38,376.

A total of 272,826 people have now tested positive for Covid-19 in the UK after 2,445 more confirmed cases were recorded on Friday, the Culture Secretary told the Downing Street briefing.

Oliver Dowden also said a further 127,722 tests were carried out on Friday, bringing the total to 4,171,408.

NHS England has announced 146 new deaths of people who tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 26,529.

The coronavirus death toll has risen again
PA

Scotland recorded a further 22 fatalities, Wales 14 and Northern Ireland one.

​Public Health Wales said another 86 people have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 13,913.

A further 13 positive cases of the virus were confirmed in Northern Ireland, bringing that tally to 4,709.

The regional figures take the current UK-wide death toll to 38,344, but it is the lowest daily jump since March 21, two days before the country entered lockdown.

The Department of Health and Social Care will release the UK-wide fatalities across all settings, including care homes, along with testing data later this afternoon.

It comes as England braces for another wave of freedoms on Monday, when people will be allowed to meet in socially-distanced groups of six.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the latest easing of lockdown rules on Thursday.

However, three top Government scientific advisers have come out this weekend warning it could be too soon to relax the rules.

Professor Peter Horby, of the University of Oxford, joined scientists Sir Jeremy Farrar and Professor John Edmunds, all members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), broke ranks to warn that ministers are taking risks.

Hundreds of sun worshippers descended on Durdle Door beach, near Lulworth in Dorset
PA

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that from Monday in England, friends and families can meet in parks and gardens in socially distanced groups of six.

Asked if he agrees it is too soon to ease more of the lockdown, Prof Horby told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Actually, I do. We have still got 8,000 cases a day.”

He added that although measures taken so far “have been very successful in… decreasing the numbers”, it is vital “we don’t lose control again”.

It came as thousands of sunseekers flocked to beaches and parks on another scorching Saturday, defying warnings not to jump the gun on the new freedoms.

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