UK’s daily death rate hits record number

THE UK has reported the highest number of daily deaths since the pandemic started, as new data showed one in eight people are likely to have had the virus in England.

Public Health England (PHE) said a further 1,610 people have died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 – the highest number of UK deaths reported on a single day since the outbreak began. The new record brings the UK total for those who have died after contracting coronavirus to 91,470.

But the true number of those who have lost their lives to the virus has already reached the 108,000 mark, once cases where Covid-19 has been mentioned on the death certificate are taken into account.

After the latest death figures were revealed, Labour shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth tweeted: “Awful. Horrific. Devastating. And it didn’t have to be like this.”

Dr Yvonne Doyle, PHE’s medical director, said the country should be braced for further deaths and urged people to keep to current social restrictions.

“Each death is a tragedy and the number of Covid-19 related deaths within 28 days of a positive test will continue for some time throughout this second wave,” she said.

“Whilst there are some early signs that show our sacrifices are working, we must continue to strictly abide by the measures in place. By reducing our contacts and staying at home, we will see a fall in the number of infections over time.”

The Government also said that, as of 9am yesterday, there had been a further 33,355 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK, bringing the total to just shy of 3.5 million.

The stark mortality record comes after antibody data on infection in private households suggested that one in eight people in England would have tested positive for antibodies to Covid19 by December last year, up from one in 14 in October. One in ten in Wales had also been infected by December, alongside one in 13 in Northern Ireland and one in 11 in Scotland.

The figures come from the Office for National Statistic’s Covid-19 Infection Survey in partnership with the University of Oxford, University of Manchester, Public Health England and Wellcome Trust. They are based on the proportion of the population who are likely to have tested positive for antibodies to Covid19, based on blood test results from a sample of people aged 16 and over, but do not reflect all the people who have had coronavirus and do not take account of antibodies waning over time. Elsewhere:

Health Secretary Matt Hancock is self-isolating until Sunday, after being prompted by the NHS Test and Trace app that he came into close contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus.

Lockdown restrictions are to be extended until at least the middle of February in Scotland, with schools remaining closed to most pupils.

Up to 2,000 people working in roles in the Covid-19 vaccine supply chain will be offered jabs to help ensure the UK gets the doses it needs to protect the most vulnerable, the Government said.

NHS England said 400 military personnel were now working alongside doctors and nurses in hospitals across London and the Midlands.

The vaccine programme continues to gather pace, with 4,133,720 people in England, Scotland and Wales reported to have received a first dose of vaccine.