Coronavirus death toll in UK jumps to double figures as 590 cases confirmed

The UK death toll for coronavirus has risen to 10 with 590 cases.

It has jumped from the previous figure of 456 at the same point yesterday, marking a leap of 134 in just 24 hours.

The death toll has also risen from eight, the Department of Health said.

One of the patients was aged 89 with underlying health conditions. They died at Charing Cross Hospital.

The other was a woman in her 60s, who died at Queen's hospital in Romford.

A spokesperson for Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust said: “We can confirm that, sadly, an 89-year-old patient who was very unwell with underlying health conditions has passed away at Charing Cross Hospital.

“The patient had tested positive for coronavirus. Our thoughts and condolences are with the patient’s family.”

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Tony Chambers, Interim Chief Executive, Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust said: “We can confirm that a patient, who was in her sixties, and who tested positive for COVID-19 has sadly died at Queen's hospital. She had been very unwell with significant other health conditions.

“Our thoughts and condolences are with the patient’s family at what is undoubtedly a very distressing time.

“We ask that the family’s privacy is respected”.

On Wednesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak a pandemic.

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Prime Minister Boris Johnson is today expected to announce increased measures to combat the outbreak which began in Wuhan, China, at the end of last year.

Earlier today, BBC's medical correspondent, Fergus Walsh, warned there could be up to tens of thousands of cases of coronavirus in the UK already.

He told Radio 5 Live: “There will be hundreds, probably thousands, potentially tens of thousands of people with the virus.

“And in any health care system – South Korea has done extraordinary efforts and Singapore in terms of upping the number of testings compared to the UK.

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“But that is why we’re going to get this advice very soon about people with respiratory symptoms, a cold or a fever, or flu-like symptoms to stay at home for a week.

“And yesterday it was announced that the number of tests being done will be up from 1,500 to 10,000 a day.

“So we’ll get a clearer picture as to how much the virus is spreading within the UK within a matter of days.”

• Coronavirus
• NHS

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