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CORONAVIRUS fatalities in the UK have risen to 36,042 after 338 more deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours - including a 14-year-old.

A total of 250,908 people have now tested positive for Covid-19 across Britain - up 2,615 cases from yesterday.

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 The number of deaths in the UK continues to rise as the death toll has surpassed 35,000
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The number of deaths in the UK continues to rise as the death toll has surpassed 35,000Credit: AFP or licensors

Today's death toll refers to those who have died in all settings - including care homes, hospices and the wider community.

The latest rise in deaths confirmed by the Department of Health is smaller than it was yesterday, when 363 more deaths were logged.

Today's figures are a slight decline from last Thursday's 428.

It's the lowest number of deaths recorded on a Thursday in the UK for the last eight weeks.

The number of cases are falling across the country, despite more people being tested for the killer bug.

Today, the number of positive tests for coronavirus went up by 2,615 after 67,681 people were tested.

During the peak of the crisis, there was a single-day rise of 4,618 cases after 13,839 people were tested.

In England, the total number of Covid-19 deaths rose to 25,266 today - up 187 from yesterday.

NHS England confirmed the patients were aged between 14 and 98 years old and six had no known underlying health conditions.

In Scotland, a total of 2,221 patients have died after testing positive for coronavirus - up by 37 from yesterday.

In Wales, nine more deaths were recorded overnight, bringing the overall tally there to 1,247.

There have been seven more deaths in Northern Ireland, bringing their death toll to 501.


It comes as:


However, new analysis published yesterday suggests Britain's overall death toll from the virus is far higher than the total reported by the Government so far - and has already passed 44,500.

Cases and deaths overall are to be falling as six major London hospitals have reported no coronavirus deaths in 48 hours.

Homerton, University College London, Hillington, North Middlesex, Whittington Health and Guy's and St Thomas' hospitals have recorded no coronavirus deaths in the past 48 hours, an analysis by the University of Oxford for The Daily Telegraph has found.

During the peak of the coronavirus outbreak, the hospitals were recording up to 16 deaths a day and have totalled more than 1,000 since the start the crisis.

The declining number of cases and deaths is one of the five tests the UK needs to pass before lockdown is lifted.

Mr Johnson's track and trace scheme is set to be up and running by June 1 and is seen as a crucial to stop the contagion spiking again after restrictions are eased.

Track and trace was abandoned in mid-March due to the lack of capacity, but Mr Johnson now says they will be able to track 10,000 new cases a day.

This morning, Sadiq Khan has said he remains "very cautious" about easing more lockdown measures but the track and trace scheme was "good news".

The London Mayor told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I'm still very cautious, the virus is still out there.

"But what this good news - and it is good news - gives us is a window of opportunity to begin the test, trace, isolate and support programme which we so desperately need.

"Let me tell you why: we know that test, trace, isolate works best when numbers are low and we've got a small window now to be testing everyone that has got symptoms, to be tracing everyone they have been in contact with over the last few days and then to make sure they are tested, isolated and supported.

"Because my fear is that this good news could lead to complacency, which could lead to a second wave that would overwhelm the NHS and be really bad for people's lives, but also their livelihoods."

He added: "We've got to make sure though that we don't inadvertently lead to a second wave that would be catastrophic for people's lives, but also for our economy."

Mr Khan added that he does not want "a car-led recovery".

Piers Morgan accuses Sadiq Khan of making it 'impossible' for many key workers to use their cars by raising congestion charge

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