LAST UPDATE | 9 Apr 2020

A FURTHER 881 deaths related to Covid-19 have been reported today in the United Kingdom, bringing the death toll from the virus to 7,978. 

The number was provided this afternoon by Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is continuing to deputise for Prime Minister Boris Johnson who remains in intensive care.  

Raab told a Downing Street briefing that 243,421 people have been tested for the virus, 65,077 have tested positive, and the number of people admitted to hospital with coronavirus symptoms now stands at 16,784.

“And of those who have contracted the virus, 7,978 have sadly died and our thoughts and our prayers are with their family and friends,” Raab said.

The 881 new deaths is fewer than the rise of 938 that was reported yesterday.  

Raab said it was still “too early” to lift the lockdown restrictions in place across the UK.

He added:

It’s been almost three weeks and we’re starting to see the impact of the sacrifices we’ve all made. But the deaths are still rising and we haven’t yet reached the peak of the virus. So it’s still too early to lift the measures that we put in place.

We must stick to the plan and we must continue to be guided by the science.

Providing an update on Johnson’s condition, Raab said: “he’s still in intensive care but he continues to make positive steps forward and he’s in good spirits.”

Asked if he could take major decisions required in Johnson’s absence, Raab replied: “I’ve got all the authority I need to make the relevant decisions – whether it’s through chairing Cabinet updates, chairing Cobra, or indeed the morning meetings of senior ministers.”

He added it was a “team effort”.

Figures

The difference between the number of new deaths announced today by the Department of Health – 881 – and the combined total of new deaths announced today by health authorities in the four nations of the UK – 891 – is due to the difference in how and when the data is collected and reported.

Neither of these figures accurately measures how many deaths have occurred in the UK since yesterday.

For example, 57 deaths of those announced today by NHS England occurred in March, including two on 19 March and one on 16 March.

Earlier today, NHS England had reported a further 765 hospital deaths of patients diagnosed with Covid-19.

Of the 765 new hospital deaths announced today, 140 occurred yesterday, while 568 took place between 1 April 7 and April.

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The remaining 57 deaths occurred in March, including two on 19 March and one on 16 March.

The patients aged between 24 and 103-years old. Some 43 of the 765 patients (aged between 33 and 99-years-old) had no known underlying health condition.

The total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospital settings in England now stands at 7,248.

New figures for Northern Ireland were also released today, with four further deaths, bringing the death toll to 82.

There were 138 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed, bringing the total across Northern Ireland to 1,477.

The UK government has indicated that restrictions may now be extended beyond three weeks.