UK announces 134 more coronavirus deaths taking Britain’s official toll to 34,770

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UK announces 134 more coronavirus deaths taking Britain’s official toll to 34,770

  • Department of Health chiefs have yet to reveal the final daily COVID-19 death toll, which is likely to be higher 
  • The preliminary tally is calculated by adding up the individual counts announced by each of the home nations
  • NHS England today recorded 122 more deaths in hospitals – but this does not take into account other settings
  • Across all settings, Scotland announced only two more deaths, while Wales had four and Northern Ireland six
  • Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

By Stephen Matthews Health Editor For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

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Britain today announced 134 more coronavirus deaths, taking the UK’s official number of COVID-19 victims to almost 35,000. 

Department of Health chiefs have yet to reveal the final toll, which is likely to be higher. The preliminary tally is calculated by adding up the individual counts of each of the home nations. 

NHS England today recorded 122 more deaths in hospitals. Elsewhere in the UK, Scotland announced only two more deaths, while Wales had four and Northern Ireland six. 

Officials yesterday declared 170 new deaths, the lowest tally since March 24 – the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the lockdown. 

Numbers released on Sundays are usually smaller due to a delay in processing over the weekend. And the NHS warned the notification system used by hospital trusts did not operate for a period of time on Saturday. 

In other developments to Britain’s coronavirus crisis today:

  • Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary launched a savage attack on the government’s plans for 14-day quarantine on arrivals to the UK;
  • Thousands more people have gone back to work as the transport network capacity is ramped up to help social distancing;
  • People should self-isolate if they lose their sense of taste or smell because it is now an official symptom of coronavirus, the government announced; 
  • Unions were asked to work with ministers to reopen schools amid fears poor children are doing less home learning every day than their better-off counterparts.

Department of Health chiefs have yet to reveal the final toll, which is likely to be higher. The preliminary tally is calculated by adding up the individual counts of each of the home nations

Figures showed Italy's peak occurred on March 27, with almost 15,000 fatalities that week. Analysis showed the total number of deaths was 103 per cent higher than the average for the same week in previous years. Data also revealed England hit the peak two weeks later, which chimed with claims throughout the early outbreak that Britain was a fortnight behind Italy. It showed there were almost 20,000 deaths in the week ending April 10, a 109 per cent jump on the same week in years before. Figures are the most recently available from the national statistical bodies of each nation

Figures showed Italy’s peak occurred on March 27, with almost 15,000 fatalities that week. Analysis showed the total number of deaths was 103 per cent higher than the average for the same week in previous years. Data also revealed England hit the peak two weeks later, which chimed with claims throughout the early outbreak that Britain was a fortnight behind Italy. It showed there were almost 20,000 deaths in the week ending April 10, a 109 per cent jump on the same week in years before. Figures are the most recently available from the national statistical bodies of each nation

This chart shows the excess death rate of ten European nations as calculated by EU-backed monitoring project EuroMOMO, with England in a clear lead. The figures are for Week 16, which ended April 19

This chart shows the excess death rate of ten European nations as calculated by EU-backed monitoring project EuroMOMO, with England in a clear lead. The figures are for Week 16, which ended April 19

Department of Health’s final official death toll announced yesterday was 34,636. This included 28,000 fatalities in hospitals – the rest occurred in other settings, such as care homes. 

Officials counted only 170 new deaths, which was the lowest daily count since March 24 (149). The count does not reflect how many people succumbed to the illness in the past 24 hours.

Instead, it relates only to how many deaths were registered over the last day. This process can take several weeks because of a recording lag. 

NHS England – whose tally is not always the same as the figure the DH reports for hospitals because of a difference in how fatalities are recorded – today announced 122 more deaths. 

In comparison, yesterday the organisation announced just 90 COVID-19 fatalities. Officials said this was because the Covid Patient Notification System ‘did not operate for a period of time on Saturday’.

As a result, NHS England admitted today’s toll – which included seven patients who had no underlying conditions – would be slightly higher to reflect that.