Image copyright Getty Images Ten more people in the UK have died after testing positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of deaths in the UK to 21.
The UK’s chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, said all of the latest to die were patients in “at-risk” groups.
All patients NHS England gave details of had underlying health conditions and were over the age of 60.
The reported deaths were from around England including London, Birmingham and Leicester.
Prof Whitty said: “I understand this increase in the number of deaths linked to Covid-19 will be a cause for concern for many. The public should know every measure we are taking is seeking to save lives and protect the most vulnerable.”
He gave his “sincere condolences” to the friends and families affected, adding “every single one of us has a role to play” in reducing the spread of the virus.
The 10 patients were being cared for by nine NHS trusts in England including Buckinghamshire, Sandwell & West Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Leicester, Barts, North Middlesex and Chester.
The total number of confirmed cases in the UK has reached 1,140. As of 9:00 GMT, 37,746 people had been tested and 21 patients had died.
The government said on Friday it estimated the true number of cases to be around 5,000 to 10,000.
- Live updates as European virus cases and deaths climb
- Scotland sees highest daily rise in virus cases
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been holding meetings with officials at Downing Street to discuss the pandemic.
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Tumblr
RSS