Cooped up Brits flock to parks to enjoy 18C sun – but some still sunbathe and flout social distancing rules
BRITS flocked to the parks today to soak up the 18C sunshine as the UK was treated to another warm day in lockdown.
Dozens of cooped up people packed out green spaces this afternoon but some still flouted the rules to sunbathe.
Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
As the UK is set to enter its fourth week of lockdown the warm weather and blue skies proved too tempting.
Many people appeared to be having their allotted one hour daily slot of outdoors exercise and keeping two metres apart.
But some were caught sunbathing and gathering in groups as they walked around Kensington Palace Gardens.
And people were still snapped cycling through Richmond Park in South West London, which is now banned.
However NHS workers are allowed to bike through the park if they are travelling to and from a shift.
The UK coronavirus death toll today surpassed 16,000 as fatalities increased by 596.
Health authorities confirmed 16,060 people had died in hospitals across the country as infections rose by 5,850 to 120,067.
In just 24 hours, 784 deaths in England were confirmed yesterday, including patients between 26 and 100-years-old, bringing the total to 13,918.
Among those who died after catching the disease was a 44-year-old with no underlying health conditions.
Scotland’s death toll rose to 893 – rising by 56 – while Wales recorded 28 new deaths bringing their total to 534.
In Northern Ireland, the number of fatalities increased by 17 to 193.
Health authorities confirmed as of 5pm yesterday, 114,217 people had tested positive for the bug, up by 5,525 in one day across the UK.
Brits will remain in lockdown for another three weeks to slow the spread of coronavirus – with the UK government reportedly two weeks away from announcing how the country will emerge from the drastic measures.
Give now to The Sun's NHS appeal
BRITAIN’s four million NHS staff are on the frontline in the battle against coronavirus.
But while they are helping save lives, who is there to help them?
The Sun has launched an appeal to raise £1MILLION for NHS workers.
The Who Cares Wins Appeal aims to get vital support to staff in their hour of need.
We have teamed up with NHS Charities Together in their urgent Covid-19 Appeal to ensure the money gets to exactly who needs it.
The Sun is donating £50,000 and we would like YOU to help us raise a million pounds, to help THEM.
No matter how little you can spare, please donate today here
And ministers have been accused of “treating the public like children” after refusing to discuss the exit strategy from lockdown.
There has been growing pressure on the government to outline its plan, with economic paralysis wreaking havoc on jobs and businesses.
It emerged last night that NHS will have to treat coronavirus patients without full-length gowns with hospital set to run out within hours.
Public Health England is set to tell frontline staff to wear a flimsy plastic apron when gowns have run out – which could lead to more hero healthcare workers contracting the virus.
The guidance will be a U-turn on existing advice which told NHS staff that full-length waterproof surgical gowns should be worn for all high-risk hospital procedures, The Guardian revealed.
The NHS launched the world’s largest clinical trial for coronavirus treatments.
Adults diagnosed with the disease are being offered the chance to enroll in the trial when admitted to over 100 NHS hospitals.
Those who agree to take part are randomly assigned to standard care alone or standard care plus one of three existing drugs.
MOST READ IN NEWS
These are Lopinavir-Ritonavir, which is used for HIV, Dexamethasone, used for inflammation, and Hydroxychloriquine, used in malaria.
All have been chosen because the way they work gives researchers hope they may also prove beneficial against Covid-19.
University of Oxford scientists will continually analyse data on each of the participants to see which treatment – if any – is best.