Coronavirus: Ten more die in UK as COVID-19 cases top 1,100
It is the largest number of UK deaths announced on a single day since the start of the outbreak and brings the total to 21.
Sunday 15 March 2020 02:52, UK
Ten more people have died after being diagnosed with coronavirus, with 1,140 cases now confirmed in the UK.
It is the largest number of deaths announced on a single day since the start of the outbreak and brings the UK's total number of fatalities to 21.
In Ireland, a second patient with the virus died as the number of confirmed cases rose to 129 on Saturday.
The number of people testing positive for the infection in the UK was up by 342 from 798 at the same time on Friday.
Health officials say 37,746 people in the UK have so far been tested.
The 10 new UK victims were all aged over 60 and were in "the at-risk groups", said Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England.
They were being cared for by nine trusts including Buckinghamshire, Sandwell & West Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Leicester, Barts, London, north Middlesex and Chester.
Prof Whitty said: "I understand this increase in the number of deaths linked to COVID-19 will be a cause for concern for many.
"The public should know every measure we are taking is seeking to save lives and protect the most vulnerable.
"Every single one of us has a role to play in achieving this. If you have a new continuous cough or high temperature, please stay at home for seven days. I also encourage everyone to be washing their hands for 20 seconds regularly.
"I offer my sincere condolences to the families and friends who have received this difficult news. I ask that their privacy is respected at this time."
Azra Ghani, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at Imperial College London, who heads up the unit modelling the UK outbreak, said the figures needed to be understood in the context of where testing was taking place.
He said testing has moved from those with travel histories to patients admitted to hospital.
"In particular, in the last seven to 10 days, testing has focused on patients in critical care - i.e. intensive care units and high-dependency units," he added.
"As these patients have a range of underlying health conditions - and some may have been admitted for other reasons - we need to interpret these new numbers with this in mind."
The latest numbers were published as the government plans to ban mass gatherings of more than 500 people as its ramps up measures to tackle the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus.
Emergency laws being brought in could also give police and immigration officers the power to detain people if they are suspected of being infected and the ability to direct schools to stay open, according to reports.
It comes as the World Health Organisation says Europe has become the epicentre of the pandemic.
In other developments:
- Donald Trump confirmed the European travel ban is to be extended to the UK and Ireland on Monday
- Jet2 planes heading to Spain turned back in mid-air as the airline announced it was cancelling all flights to the country
- Travel company TUI cancelled holidays booked in Spain this weekend
- Private hospital beds should be taken over for coronavirus patients, says Labour
- A newborn is believed to be the youngest person in the UK to have caught coronavirus
- Sport, entertainment and political events are set to be affected by the government's plans to ban mass gatherings
Ministers had previously resisted calls to ban large-scale gatherings even though some major sporting events including the London Marathon and all Premier League matches have already been postponed.
But a Whitehall source said officials are "concerned about the burden large events put on public services - including the health service and the police - from dealing with coronavirus".
Meanwhile, the UK's approach to combating COVID-19 has been questioned by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The UK's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said the government was not looking to "suppress" the disease entirely but to help create a "herd immunity in the UK" while protecting the most vulnerable from it.
He told Sky News around 60% of the UK population will need to become infected with coronavirus in order for society to have such immunity.
But WHO spokesman Margaret Harris said not enough is known about the science of the coronavirus, and that while "theories" can be talked about, the current situation demanded "action".
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Elsewhere, the Republic of Ireland is to close all schools and childcare facilities and other public spaces like museums, while Scotland has already banned gatherings of more than 500.
Irish deputy prime minister Simon Coveney criticised the UK government this week for allowing the Cheltenham Festival to go ahead despite the global coronavirus pandemic.