[Published: Thursday May 07 2020]
 UK coronavirus deaths pass 30,000 in grim milestone
LONDON, 06 May. - (ANA) - Britain has today become the first country in Europe to record 30,000 deaths from the coronavirus after it announced 649 more victims.
The official death toll now stands at 30,076 dead, with the UK hitting the milestone before either Spain or Italy, which were widely considered to have the worst outbreaks in Europe. Only the US has more deaths, with 72,000.
The latest figures from the Department of Health show that a total of 30,076 people had died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Tuesday, up by 649 from 29,427 the day before.
But the number of deaths involving Covid-19 that have been registered across the UK currently stands at 32,898.
This includes 29,710 deaths that had been registered in England and Wales up to May 2.
The latest provisional figures from NHS England show that 450 hospital patients who had tested positive for Covid-19 died between May 3 and May 5 – which, together with the total figure for registered deaths, suggests the overall death toll for the UK has now passed 33,000.
The number of daily coronavirus tests has fallen below 100,000 for the fourth day in a row since reaching Health Secretary Matt Hancock's target by the end of April – with 69,463 conducted in the 24 hours to 9am on Wednesday, according to Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick.
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth tweeted: "100,000 completed tests a day was pledged.
"Instead testing has gone down for the fourth day in a row.
"Testing should be going up not be on this downward trajectory.
"Ministers need to explain why they are failing to deliver the testing promised."
Death toll in England tops 44,000 from Covid-19 and the lockdown, expert says
More than 44,000 people have now died in England alone from Covid-19 or because of the lockdown, a statistical expert has said.
Statistician Nigel Marriott said data suggests that, on top of almost 33,000 deaths where Covid-19 has been registered on the death certificate, there were a further 11,000 deaths directly or indirectly linked to Covid-19 as of May 1.
He estimates that 44,000 people have now died as a result of Covid-19 or as a result of the lockdown across England.
He said the 11,000 additional deaths may be from people who have actually died from coronavirus but this has not been recorded, or could be down to suicide in lockdown, unhealthy behaviours or people not seeking NHS help.
"We don't know the reason for the 11,000 additional deaths but a number of suggestions have been made," he said.
"This could be because of the lockdown, such as if people are getting depressed and committing suicide or they are drinking too much and reasons like that.
"It could be as a result of people not going to hospital with chest pain or stroke or other symptoms. The worry of course is that the campaign to protect the NHS may have been too successful.
"One possible contributor to this is that the people who would have rung their doctors or who would have gone to A&E and would have called an ambulance didn't do so."
Mr Marriott is using data from the NHS, Public Health England and the Office for National Statistics to make estimates for England.
On Tuesday, figures released by the NHS and the Office for National Statistics showed a total of 26,008 deaths involving Covid-19 had now been registered across the UK as of April 24.
Mr Marriott expects a further 7,000 registered deaths in the following week making 33,000 in total by May 1. - (ANA) -
AB/ANA/06 May 2020 - - -
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