UK coronavirus death toll rises to 30,076 after 649 more people die

6 May 2020, 17:12

The UK has the highest total number of deaths of any country in Europe. Picture: PA

By Asher McShane

@ashermcs

The UK’s official death toll at this point in the coronavirus crisis now stands at 30,076 after 649 more people died.

Housing Minister Robert Jenrick confirmed the total today at the government’s daily briefing on the virus.

6,111 new cases of the virus were recorded in the past 24 hours - bringing the overall total to 201,101.

The UK has the highest death total in Europe and the second highest in the world behind the US.

In Italy, 29,315 people have died and in Spain the figure stands at 25,817.

The UK figures consist of deaths recorded in hospitals, care homes and the wider community of people who tested positive for coronavirus. Yesterday the figure stood at 29,427.

However, the number of deaths involving Covid-19 that have been registered across the UK currently stands at 32,898.

This includes 29,710 deaths that had been registered in England and Wales up to May 2.

The latest provisional figures from NHS England show that 450 hospital patients who had tested positive for Covid-19 died between May 3 and May 5 - which, together with the total figure for registered deaths, suggests the overall death toll for the UK has now passed 33,000.

Earlier today, Boris Johnson said lockdown measures could start being eased from Monday.

The Prime Minister marked his return to the Commons by setting an ambition for creating the capacity for 200,000 coronavirus tests a day by the end of the month.

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In his first Prime Minister's Questions since recovering from Covid-19 and the birth of his son Wilfred, Mr Johnson said he "bitterly" regrets the Covid-19 crisis in care homes and expressed frustration about problems supplying personal protective equipment (PPE).

Mr Johnson will set out plans for easing the lockdown in a speech on Sunday, with some measures possibly being introduced the following day.

"We have to be sure the data is going to support our ability to do this," Mr Johnson said.

"That data is coming in continuously over the next few days. We want, if we possibly can, to get going with some of these measures on Monday.

"It would be a good thing if the people had an idea of what's coming the following day, that's why I think Sunday - the weekend - is the best time to do it."