FIGHTING ON
KATE Garraway's husband Derek Draper is still "unresponsive" to her when she speaks to him every night as he continues to battle coronavirus in intensive care.
Ben Shephard updated Good Morning Britain viewers on Derek's condition after his month-long battle against the deadly virus.
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While he's still in a coma and unresponsive, Kate is keeping her hope alive.
After Ben read out Kate's Twitter update, Ranvir Singh said: "It's a dreadful time and I think she's at home with two children and trying to keep it going.
"It's a total unknown. But as she said, as long as he's here there's absolute hope."
Ben added: "Twenty four hours at a time and she rightly pointed out, he's getting extraordinary care, she gets the chance to phone in the evenings and talk to him."
Ranvir then confirmed he's not able to respond yet: "He's not responding yet, I don't think."
"That's pretty standard with Kate!" Ben joked.
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Kate reassured fans that Derek is "still with us" in her latest update on Twitter.
Sharing a video of her joining her family in clapping for carers on Thursday night, she wrote: "So much to be grateful for tonight. Derek is still with us but what a battle it is.
"So grateful too for our amazing #nhs doing so much for Derek everyday - wonderful to see all the support for them & our key workers every Thursday. We can’t thank them enough can we?
"So brave. Sending love to everyone during this ghastly time, particularly all those struggling for whatever reason- none of this is easy. Thank you so much for your messages - they mean so much to me.
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"Love and so much thanks from me and the whole family. X #staypositive #hope #standtogether #nhs."
Ben told viewers last week that Kate is able to read and play music to Derek while he's in his coma.
Ben said: "She also wanted to share that she's been able to speak to Derek in the evenings in a coma.
"We had some guests on last week and I think a lot of hospitals are doing this, they are offering families the chance to speak to their loved ones who can't respond because their in comas.
"But she's been able to share music with him, to talk to him and just support him."
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The UK's coronavirus death toll rose 674 to 26,771 yesterday.
The data is now combined to include deaths in hospitals, care homes and the wider community.
The rise in deaths is smaller than it was Wednesday, when 765 fatalities were recorded across the UK.
Yesterday, NHS England revealed 20,137 patients had died from coronavirus in English hospitals alone – the first time the toll there has exceeded 20,000.
In the latest tally, patients were aged between 15 and 101 years old, including a 49-year-old with no underlying health conditions.
The rise is among the lowest recorded in England this month - and is considerably lower than any other daily rise recorded by NHS England on a Thursday in April.
In Scotland, 1,475 people have now died after testing positive for the bug - up 60 since Wednesday.
In Wales, 22 more covid-19 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll there to 908.
The total in Northern Ireland is now 347, after nine more deaths were confirmed yesterday.
It comes as researchers at the University of Warwick believe a "rolling age-release strategy" to let younger people out earlier combined with social distancing is the safest way out of the UK's lockdown.
They say over 50's should remain under lockdown for longer than younger Brits and fined if they can't prove their age when they are out.
Others are hopeful a new vaccine will bring the UK out of the lockdown.
British pharma firm AstraZeneca says it could have a vaccine ready in just months and would distribute it on a "virtually free basis", if the trials in Oxford are deemed a success.
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Kate Garraway says husband Derek Draper is 'still with us' but facing huge battle with coronavirus in emotional post