Coronavirus: UK death toll rises by 187 to 1,415

James Morris
Senior news reporter, Yahoo News UK
The coronavirus death toll now stands at 1,415 in the UK. (Hollie Adams/Getty Images)

The number of coronavirus deaths in the UK has risen to 1,415.

It’s a jump of 187 from Sunday’s death toll of 1,228.

Overall, there have been 1,284 deaths in England, 62 in Wales, 47 in Scotland and 22 in Northern Ireland.

According to each country’s health authority, a further 159 people died in England, with 14 in Wales, six in Scotland and one in Northern Ireland. This adds up to 180, meaning seven deaths are unaccounted for in the day-to-day figures.

The patients in England were aged between 32 and 98 years old. All but four, aged between 56 and 87 years old, had underlying health conditions.

Monday’s figure is the third highest day-on-day increase in deaths since the COVID-19 outbreak began. The biggest jump, of 260, happened on Saturday.

The latest UK death toll came after Downing Street said police officers should use “their own discretion” in enforcing the coronavirus lockdown measures.

Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said: “The police will exercise their own discretion in the use of the powers which we have given to them, and will take whatever steps they consider appropriate to disperse groups of people who are flouting the rules.”

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Asked whether shops could continue to sell non-essential items, amid a row over Easter eggs, the spokesman said: “We have set out which shops can remain open. If a shop is allowed to remain open, then it will of course sell whatever items it has in stock.”

In response to some forces moving people on in parks, the spokesman was asked whether it was permissible to “take a breather” on a bench during daily exercise.

The spokesman said: “The rules set out what you need to do, there shouldn’t be any gatherings of more than two people from outside any individual household and that people need to remain two metres apart.”

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