Another 8 people die with coronavirus in UK bringing total to 46,574

A further eight people have died with coronavirus in the UK, bringing the total number of deaths to 46,574.

The number of people testing positive for the virus has risen by 1,062 in the past 24 hours to a total of 310,825.

The numbers released by the Department of Health cover fatalities in all settings, including hospitals, care homes and the wider community. 

Earlier NHS England announced the deaths of 10 people who had tested positive for Covid 19 in hospitals, bringing the total number to 29,411.

Patients were aged between 45 and 89 years old and all had known underlying health conditions, the NHS said. There are often discrepancies between the two figures due to reporting delays.

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All of the deaths reported today were in England, with no new deaths in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales. There were 26 new cases in Wales, 48 in Scotland but zero in Northern Ireland.

The death toll was updated in the UK as the United States passed the grim milestone of five million confirmed coronavirus cases.

The country now accounts for almost a quarter of all cases in the world. More than 56,000 new cases of Covid-19 were reported on Sunday with more than 1,000 deaths, bringing the total to 162,000 Americans dead in just over six months.

Meanwhile, the country hit second-hardest by the virus – Brazil – has exceeded 100,000 deaths and three million confirmed cases.

Infections continue to rise in some parts of the UK. Blackburn in Lancashire has topped a government ‘watch list’ for the second week in a row.

It is the area with the highest infection rate in the country with 80.6 people per 100,000 displaying symptoms between July 27 and August 2.

Oldham came in at number two with an infection rate of 65.4, while Leicester’s is 57.1 – though that figure has been falling since it became the first city to go into local lockdown in July.

Areas on the list also suffering tighter restrictions include: Bradford, Calderdale, Pendle, Trafford, Manchester, Rochdale, Tameside, Salford, Kirklees, Stockport, Burnley, Bolton, Bury, Hyndburn, Rossendale and Wigan.

The Prime Minister Boris Johnson has insisted he will press on with plans to reopen schools in September, calling it a ‘moral duty.’

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, he said there were ‘spiralling economic costs’ of parents and carers unable to work with their children not in school.

A Downing Street source also echoed Johnson’s words and said schools would only close as a last resort if a second lockdown occurs. They said: ‘The PM has been clear that businesses including shops, pubs and restaurants should be forced to close first, with schools remaining open for as long as possible.’

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