Daily death toll drops but public must remain vigilant

THE UK’S daily figure for coronavirus deaths has dropped to 113 – the lowest since the day after lockdown.

Latest figures show 113 deaths reported yesterday, bringing the death toll to 38,489. At its peak in mid-april, the pandemic saw almost 1,200 deaths in Britain daily.

Yesterday’s figure is the lowest since 24 March, when 149 deaths were reported. The evening before that, Prime Minister Boris Johnson had introduced the lockdown.

However, weekend figures are typically much lower than those recorded during the week.

Last Sunday saw 118 deaths recorded in the UK – but during the week the figure jumped back up to 412.

The overall death toll at 38,489 remains the highest in Europe. And statistics from the Office for National Statistics are still higher, with more than 47,000 cases recorded on death certificates from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Jenny Harries said the latest figures were “significantly better in terms of those affected and their families than we were much further back in April, where you can see the peak.”

Questioned about concerns death numbers are plateauing as we begin to lift the lockdown, she continued: “If it’s still plateauing we should be very concerned and that is the reason we need to be really, really careful, not only watching the numbers but actually watching what we’re doing.

“So we have to keep applying the social distancing measures to limit the number of interactions we have to very carefully, sensibly, pick up those easements to make our lives better, but not to overdo it so limit the number of interactions.”

“I think we need to be watching them for a longer period than a few days to get a sense, and that is of course why we have the rolling average,” she said, warning, “it is a critical time, we need to be very careful.”

In the 24-hour period up to 9am yesterday, 115,725 tests were carried out or dispatched with 1,936 positive results.