BREAKING: UK COVID-19 Death Toll Hits 980 In 24 Hours

Britain suffered another grim day in its coronavirus crisis today as officials recorded another 980 deaths in the home nations, taking the UK’s spiralling victim count to 8,958. 

A further 5,706 people have been diagnosed with the disease in the past 24 hours, meaning a total of 70,783 have now tested positive. Officials managed a record 19,116 tests yesterday, a marked increase in its daily effort from 10,713 yesterday.

A total of 980 deaths makes today the worst day on record for hospitals in any country in Europe, with the previous high 950 in Spain on April 3. France, however, is recording higher death tolls – up to 2,000 in a day – because it is routinely recording deaths that happen in care homes as well as hospitals, something most nations aren’t doing.

England recorded 866 new fatalities among infected patients in hospital, while another 114 were today confirmed in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Government is pleading with British people to stay at home this bank holiday as the country looks set for summer weather. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said in today’s coronavirus briefing that people must do their part to help NHS staff who are ‘battling day and night’ to save desperately ill people. ‘They need you to stay at home,’ he told the daily briefing in Downing Street.

Data presented by deputy chief medical officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, in today’s conference showed that hospitalisations and intensive care admissions in London, the centre of the UK’s outbreak, have fallen in the past day.

Professor Van-Tam said: ‘It’s impossible to say that we’ve peaked but I suggest to you that the curve is starting to bend and your hard work is beginning to pay off… but this is not over.’ He added: ‘We have to take the pain now to make the gain in a few weeks’ time.’