BRITAIN HAS TODAY announced another 917 deaths in hospital of people testing positive for coronavirus, bringing the country’s total toll close to 10,000.

The number of new infections from the disease climbed by 5,234, leaving Britain with 78,991 confirmed COVID-19 cases, the health ministry said in its daily update.

It brings the total number of coronavirus fatalities in British hospitals to 9,875.

It is the second consecutive day in which Britain recorded deaths above 900 people, mirroring the impact of the spread of the virus in other countries like Italy and Spain. 

The latest figures come as Prime Minister Boris Johnson was spending his second full day out of intensive care at London’s St Thomas’ Hospital, where he has been able to take short walks between periods of rest, according to Downing Street. 

Johnson was making “very good progress” in his recovery in hospital from coronavirus, officials said.

“The Prime Minister continues to make very good progress,” a Downing Street spokeswoman said in a short statement.

He was hospitalised on Sunday over concerns he still had a cough and high temperature after spending 10 days in self-isolation with the virus. A day later he was transferred to the intensive care unit as his condition deteriorated.

Johnson left the unit on Thursday evening in “extremely good spirits” and waving at staff “in gratitude”, his spokesman has said.

His time in hospital was unprecedented for a British prime minister during a national emergency in modern times, rattling the country.

Britain, which went into lockdown on 23 March, continues to be hit hard.

Despite Johnson’s improving condition, it remains unclear when he might be discharged from hospital and how quickly he would return to work once out.

His spokesman stressed Friday that his recovery was “at an early stage” and he would act only “on the advice of his medical team”.