Coronavirus deaths in the UK today pushed past the 12,000 barriers after 744 more people died in England alone.
NHS England confirmed the latest victims were aged between 34 and 102 – including 58 with no underlying health conditions.
The latest number of deaths in hospitals in England means at least 12,073 people have died from the disease in the UK.
In Scotland, a further 40 people have died – bringing the total death toll to 615.
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The figures for the rest of the UK will be released by the Department of Health later today.
Among the latest deaths is a 65-year-old nurse who contracted the disease while treating patients with just a paper mask, plastic gloves and a pinny.
Gareth Roberts, 65, had come out of retirement and was working extra shifts before he died at Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales last weekend.
At least 40 frontline NHS staff have died from COVID-19 in the UK.
It comes as official new figures revealed the coronavirus death toll could be 15 percent higher as 793 hidden fatalities outside of hospital in England were recorded.
The figures from the Office for National Statistics also revealed more people died England and Wales in the week up to April 3 than any other week since records began – with one in five deaths down to COVID-19.
The ONS collects figures where COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19 is mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, including in combination with other health conditions.
If the trend of deaths outside hospital continues, the real UK death toll today could be more than 13,000.
Yesterday, deaths in the UK reached 11,329 after 717 more people died from the killer virus.
But the true total could be higher due to a lag in reporting the figures over the weekend.
