UK coronavirus death toll passes 29,000 as 366 patients die in hospital in England but the true figure is - The Sun

THE UK's coronavirus death toll has passed 29,000 after England recorded another 366 deaths in hospital today.

The official number of people in Britain who have died after testing positive for coronavirus has risen to 29,100 after NHS England announced the new deaths - but the real total may be much higher.

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A nurse seen at Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert, Falkirk in the midst of the pandemicCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

England's death toll now sits at 21,750 while Scotland today confirmed 44 more deaths to bring their total to 1,620.

Meanwhile in Wales, another 26 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus, taking the total number of deaths to 1,023.

Northern Ireland today recorded another 17 deaths - with the total there hitting 404.

According to NHS England statistics released today, the youngest patient killed by the deadly bug was just 29-years-old, with a 49-year-old with no underlying health conditions among the latest fatalities that brought the toll to 29,100.

However, new statistics revealed the real coronavirus death toll could be a third higher than initially reported.

Coronavirus was recorded on 29,648 death certificates in England and Wales up to April 24, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) revealed today.

That is 33.7% higher than the 22,173 coronavirus deaths the Department for Health revealed at the time.

As of yesterday, the Department for Health has only announced 28,734 coronavirus deaths across the entire UK.

If that figure is under-reported by the same level, it could mean more than 36,000 have died of coronavirus in Britain already.

It comes as...

The Sun today revealed radical measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus could be in place for up to a year.

Screens between desks, staff sitting back-to-back and a ban on hot desking and sharing of equipment are among moves employers must introduce when lockdown is lifted.

The new measures — proposed in draft documents on a return to workplaces — also require staggered shift times to avoid crowding on public transport.

Handwashing kit must be at entry and exit points, with regular cleaning of worktops. Yellow and black tape will tell people where to stand in lifts.

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Credit: ONS

Today, shock figures revealed more than 6,000 people have died of coronavirus in care homes across England and Wales.

Almost a third of all coronavirus deaths were in care homes after the deadly bug hit some of the most vulnerable in our society.

In the space of just a week, care home deaths linked to coronavirus increased by more than 2,500.

And it comes as it was revealed half of adults are being paid by the state.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak's furlough scheme to pay 80 per cent of wages up to £2,500 a month cost an eyewatering £8billion in the first month - just shy of the NHS monthly budget of £11billion.

It means a staggering 27million adults are now dependent on the state for at least part of their income.

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Yesterday's figures showed another 250,000 out-of-work Brits have made claims for Jobseeker's Allowance as the economy is ravaged by the Covid-19 lockdown.

The jaw-dropping numbers come on top of 1.2million people who were already unemployed, 5.4million public sector workers and 12.6million people who receive a state pension.

It means more than 27 million people from an adult population of just over 52million - or around 53 per cent of the country - is now state-funded.

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Health Secretary Matt Hancock on how firms will be forced to make work safe when coronavirus lockdown ends

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2020-05-05 15:36:58Z
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Another 453 dead from coronavirus in hospitals across UK - Metro.co.uk

The UK now has the highest coronavirus death rate in Europe, ONS figures have confirmed (Picture: PA)

Another 453 people have died from coronavirus in hospitals across the UK.

The toll was updated after England recorded another 366 deaths in hospitals, Wales another 26, Scotland another 44, and 17 in Northern Ireland.

The Government is due to announce its official death toll later today, which will include deaths in care homes and the wider community.

The latest hospital figures were released after new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed the UK now has the highest coronavirus death rate in Europe.

An intensive care worker treats Covid-19 patients at Craigavon Area Hospital in Co Armagh, Northern Ireland (Picture: PA)

Coronavirus latest news and updates

The ONS confirmed more than 32,000 people in the UK have died with suspected Covid-19, which is more than Italy, previously Europe’s worst hit country.

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There were 29,648 Covid-19 deaths in England and Wales, as of April 24. Including deaths for Scotland and Northern Ireland, the toll now stands at 32,313.

That is higher than Italy’s current count of 29,079, although its toll does not include suspected cases.

Ministers dislike comparing death tolls between countres, saying that excess mortality – the number of deaths from all causes that exceed the average for the time of year – is a more meaningful metric.

Graph shows the number of Covid-19 deaths registered in England and Wales, as of April 24 (Picture: ONS)

The ONS also confirmed there were 7,713 deaths involving Covid-19 outside hospitals in England and Wales, as of April 24.

The equivalent number for hospital deaths over this period is 19,643.

A total of 5,890 people died in care homes, while 301 died in hospices. The ONS said 1,306 died in private homes and a further 216 died in communal establishments and other locations.

It is important to note that ONS figures are based on mentions of Covid-19 on death certificates, whether or not the deceased had tested positive for coronavirus.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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2020-05-05 13:35:21Z
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Scientists urged Boris Johnson to tell people to stop shaking hands - Daily Mail

Scientists urged Boris Johnson to tell people to stop shaking hands the SAME DAY the PM was boasting he was still using the greeting on 'everybody' - and he later became infected with coronavirus

• Documents showing science advice to the government on coronavirus released
• On March 3 behavioural group said people should be told not to shake hands 
• Boris Johnson told press briefing that day he was shaking hands with 'everybody'
• Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

By James Tapsfield, Political Editor For Mailonline

Published: 11:00 BST, 5 May 2020 | Updated: 12:48 BST, 5 May 2020

Scientists were urging Boris Johnson to tell people to stop shaking hands the same day the PM was boasting about shaking hands with 'everybody', it was revealed today. 

Newly-released records on the advice given to the government as the coronavirus crisis erupted show Mr Johnson seemingly flouted the recommendations from his own experts.

A meeting of the behavioural group that feeds into SAGE on March 3 concluded that 'Government should advise against greetings such as shaking hands and hugging, given existing evidence about the importance of hand hygiene'. 

'A public message against shaking hands has additional value as a signal about the importance of hand hygiene,' the Independent Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours (SPI-B) said. 

'Promoting a replacement greeting or encouraging others to politely decline a proffered hand-shake may have benefit.'

Mr Johnson told a press conference in Downing Street on March 3 (pictured) that he 'continued to shake hands' and the important thing was washing them

A meeting of the Independent Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours (SPI-B) that feeds into SAGE on March 3 concluded that 'Government should advise against greetings such as shaking hands and hugging, given existing evidence about the importance of hand hygiene'

Boris Johnson and his partner Carrie Symonds speak with heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on Commonwealth Day on March 9

However, that evening Mr Johnson told a press conference in Downing Street that he 'continued to shake hands' and the important thing was washing them.   

He said: 'I was at a hospital the other night where I think there were a few coronavirus patients and I shook hands with everybody, you will be pleased to know, and I continue to shake hands. 

'People obviously can make up their own minds but I think the scientific evidence is… our judgement is that washing your hands is the crucial thing.' 

Over subsequent days Mr Johnson was seen shaking hands with celebrities and dignitaries. 

Among other revelations in the huge SAGE document dump today: 

• Scientists warned on the day lockdown became official that the advice was not working and there had to be a 'hard-hitting emotional messaging' to convey 'personal threat'. They said talk of 'herd immunity', fueled by the government's own advisers, might be partly to blame; 
• There are serious concerns that 'immunity certificates' will be socially divisive if an effective test for coronanvirus antibodies is developed. Employers could shun those without immunity, and desperate people could try to get infected deliberately, according to a paper last month; 
• As late as March 26, experts were predicting the death toll might be just 10,000 - but it is now over 30,000; 
• On February 3, SAGE estimated that the number of cases in China was ten times that being officially confirmed. 

Immunity certificates 'could cause social divisions' 

Employers could shun workers who have not had coronavirus after lockdown, prompting people to actively try to catch the disease, the government's science experts warned ministers. 

Secret documents prepared by the independent Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours (SPI-B) last month outlined the potential drawbacks of introducing widespread antibody testing and so-called 'immunity certificates'. 

Such tests would show if someone has had the disease and if they have some degree of immunity with accompanying digital certificates then showing employers the health status of staff.

Antibody tests are viewed as one of the key pieces in the puzzle when it comes to getting the UK back to work. 

But SPI-B, a sub-committee of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), said introducing the tests could result in people trying to 'game' the system. 

The documents suggest workers who do not have antibodies could be discriminated against, effectively creating two classes of employee, with those who have had the disease prized because of a belief that they will not get ill again. 

Those who are antibody negative could then turn to trying to obtain fake test results or even trying to get ill on purpose to boost their chances of returning to work.

Meanwhile, the documents also warned positive tests could result in people wrongly thinking they no longer need to wash their hands, risking an increase in the transmission of the disease.  

Mr Johnson dismissed the trend for coronavirus 'elbow bumps', and insisted he was following scientific advice. 

At the press conference that night, he asked Sir Patrick Vallance for confirmation, and the chief scientific adviser nodded and said: 'Wash your hands.'  

Mr Johnson used the greeting with Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby as he appeared on This Morning on March 5.

On March 9 he shook hands with boxer Anthony Joshua at Westminster Abbey.

But he subsequently came down with coronavirus, needing hospital treatment. 

There has been heavy criticism of the lack of social distancing in Downing Street and Whitehall, where a series of senior figures have been infected.

There are claims that meeting rooms were crowded well into the crisis, despite social distancing being crucial.  

The SAGE evidence published today shows that at a meeting shortly before the Prime Minister ordered the UK's coronavirus lockdown on March 23, scientists warned that previous guidance was not tough enough.

It said there had to be 'hard-hitting emotional messaging' and convey 'personal threat'.

The paper drawn up by behavioural science experts said: 'The perceived level of personal threat needs to be increased among those who are complacent, using hard-hitting emotional messaging.

'To be effective this must also empower people by making clear the actions they can take to reduce the threat.'

The document suggested that 'communication strategies should provide social approval for desired behaviours and promote social approval within the community'.

It also noted that 'social disapproval from one's community can play an important role in preventing anti-social behaviour' but 'this needs to be carefully managed to avoid victimisation, scapegoating and misdirected criticism'.

He shook hands with Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby as he appeared on This Morning on March 5

Mr Johnson shaking hands with Byron Davies as he arrives at the Welsh Conservative Party Conference on March 6

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2020-05-05 12:05:54Z
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'Very significant cyber security' built in to new coronavirus contact-tracing app, says Matt Hancock - The Telegraph

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1. 'Very significant cyber security' built in to new coronavirus contact-tracing app, says Matt Hancock  The Telegraph
2. Coronavirus: Key workers to trial NHS tracing app  BBC South East Wales
3. Matt Hancock confirms 'test, track and trace' trial will begin on Isle of Wight  Guardian News
4. Towards a Trustworthy Coronavirus Contact Tracing App  RUSI Analysis
5. Coronavirus: UK contact-tracing app is ready for Isle of Wight downloads  BBC News
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2020-05-05 10:13:58Z
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Coronavirus: Number of UK deaths decline from peak - Sky News

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1. Coronavirus: Number of UK deaths decline from peak  Sky News
2. UK now has highest coronavirus death rate in Europe  Metro.co.uk
3. UK coronavirus death toll rises above 32,000 to highest in Europe  The Guardian
4. UK now has highest number of coronavirus deaths in Europe as toll soars above Italy  Mirror Online
5. How does furlough affect your mortgage? From first-time buyers to remortgaging  The Sun
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2020-05-05 11:06:22Z
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Coronavirus: Glimmer of hope as total number of UK deaths decline from peak, new figures suggest - Sky News

There was a slight fall in the total number of deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending 24 April - driven by a decrease in the number of hospital deaths, according to new figures.

In the seven days to 24 April, there were 21,997 deaths registered in England and Wales - 11,539 more than the five-year average, according to the Office for National Statistics.

However, that week saw the first decrease in the weekly total number of registered deaths since 20 March.

The number of deaths registered in the week to 24 April was 354 less compared with the previous week.

Previous figures have shown deaths in Scotland also falling, although rising in Northern Ireland that week.

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This suggests it may be the week the UK came through its peak mortality rate amid the coronavirus crisis.

Deaths occurring in hospitals in England and Wales decreased by 12.6% in the week to 24 April compared to the previous week, from 9,434 to 8,243.

More from Covid-19

But there was a different picture in care homes, where the number of registered deaths increased by 8.1% from 7,316 deaths to 7,911.

And deaths in private homes increased by 5.8% from 4,570 to 4,834.

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2020-05-05 09:15:20Z
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What is the NHS Covid-19 contact-tracing app and how can I download it? - The Sun

LOCKDOWN restrictions could soon begin to ease - and human guinea pigs are supporting the fight to return to normality by testing out the new NHS coronavirus contact-tracing app.

Officials hope the pioneering tech will help the UK overcome the deadly virus - and experts believe high uptake will ensure fresh outbreaks are quickly snuffed out, preventing a second deadly peak.

⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates

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A new tracing app is currently being trialled on the Isle of WightCredit: EPA

A trial of the voluntary app – provisionally called “NHS – Covid-19” – will start on the Isle of Wight from Tuesday, May 5, when NHS staff on the island will be able to use it before being rolled out to its citizens.

Experts say daily infections would still have to fall further – ideally below 1,000 - before it could work effectively across Britain.

But England's excess death rate is one of the worst in Europe, new figures show.

The government is hiring a team of 18,000 to trace the contacts of anyone infected with the virus.

What is contact tracing?

Contact tracing is a method used by scientists to slow the spread of infectious outbreaks.

During the pandemic, anyone sufferers might have been in prolonged contact with will be traced.

Those contacts may then be asked to self-isolate.

However, there's some disagreement about what "close contact" might look like.

The Government recommends staying two metres away from others - but the World Health Organisation advises people to stay a metre apart.

The app will capture just distance, rather than time spent with a person and the setting.

Contact tracing is already being used in Hong Kong, Singapore and Germany.

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A raft of measures will be introduced to control the virus, and social distancing is likely to remain a key methodCredit: Getty Images - Getty

How the new app works

The app will work by using Bluetooth to log when another user’s smartphone has been in close proximity - but will not use up much of your phone's battery life.

If a person develops Covid-19 symptoms, they can report their symptoms to the app and immediately organise a test.

Join our George Cross campaign for NHS staff

We are urging Sun readers to sign a petition calling for our NHS staff to be awarded the George Cross.

We are backing a proposal by Lord Ashcroft to honour our health heroes with the gallantry gong given for acts of bravery that did not take place in battle.

A No10 spokesman said: “The NHS is doing a fantastic job and the nation will want to find a way to say thank you when we have defeated this virus.” SAS hero Andy McNab added: “The award of a George Cross would show an emotional appreciation.”

We are asking our readers to please sign the petition below.

The tech automatically sends out an anonymous alert to other users they may have been infected, urging them to self-isolate if necessary – thus stopping further spread.

They will then have the ability to book a coronavirus test.

Experts estimate if 60 per cent of Brits used the app on their phone, then future outbreaks could be prevented.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said in the press briefing on May 4 that the app does not hold any personal information, with privacy paramount and has been cleared for cyber security.

When can Brits download the app?

Currently, the app is being trialled, and it's not yet available to members of the public.

A national roll-out is expected in mid-May, when it can be downloaded for free.

NHS bosses say Brits will be able to start using it towards the end of May.

Hancock said people living on the Isle of Wight have been written to with details on how to download the app to their phones.

Residents will test out the tech first.

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Contact tracing was important when it came to lifting restrictions in other countries, but only when combined with other measures.

South Korea did not go into lockdown thanks to an early strategy of extensive tracing, combined with mass testing.

If adopted widely enough, contact tracing might help ease UK restrictions.

The government first attempted contact tracing early on in the outbreak, before there were too many cases for it to be effective.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock reveals details about the new coronavirus contact-tracing app and Isle of Wight plan

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2020-05-05 08:36:49Z
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