Coronavirus: UK circumstances rise to 163, authorities confirms

The variety of coronavirus circumstances within the UK has now reached 163, the federal government has confirmed.

It’s a leap of 48 circumstances since Thursday – the most important enhance in someday. Greater than 20,000 individuals have been examined.

In the meantime, samples taken from an aged man who died at Milton Keynes Hospital are presently being investigated for coronavirus.

The BBC understands the person, in his 80s, had underlying well being points however extra assessments for the virus are ongoing.

The UK’s first death linked to the virus got here on Thursday, after a lady with underlying well being situations in her 70s died in hospital in Studying.

In addition to her loss of life within the UK, a British man additionally died from the virus final month after being contaminated on the Diamond Princess cruise ship off the coast of Japan.

The Division of Well being mentioned as of 9:00 GMT on Friday, 20,338 individuals had been examined.

The most recent variety of confirmed circumstances contains 147 circumstances in England, 11 in Scotland, three in Northern Eire and two in Wales.

Of the circumstances in England there are:

• 29 in London
• 24 within the South East
• 22 within the South West
• 21 within the North West
• 13 within the North East and Yorkshire
• 12 within the Midlands
• 11 within the East of England
• 15 not but confirmed

In Scotland, there are three circumstances in Grampian, two in Fife, two in Forth Valley and one every in Lothian, Tayside, Ayrshire & Arran and Better Glasgow & Clyde.

About 45 of the confirmed circumstances have been self-isolating at house, whereas 18 individuals have recovered.

Earlier, the UK government pledged to spend £46m on pressing work to deal with the coronavirus – together with extra money to develop a vaccine and money to assist a number of the most weak nations put together for an outbreak.

The cash will fund work on eight doable vaccines that are already in growth in addition to a lab in Bedford to attempt to create a check that might present outcomes inside 20 minutes.

Presently, assessments take a few days to supply outcomes.

In different developments:

• Fb is closing its London workplace for the weekend after it was found {that a} Singapore-based worker who visited final week has been identified with the virus. Employees members have been advised to work at home till Monday
• British Airways mentioned two members of their workers at Heathrow Airport – believed to be from the luggage staff – had examined constructive for the virus, which causes the illness Covid-19. The 2 staff are actually self-isolating at house
• Greater than 140 British nationals – together with 21 crew members – are stranded on a cruise ship which has been prevented from docking in San Francisco whereas assessments are carried out
• Guests to a hospital in Northampton have been stealing hand sanitising gel each day, with bottles taken from sufferers’ beds and dispensers from partitions
• Supply firm Hermes introduced £1m to assist assist their self-employed couriers if they should self-isolate. The transfer has been praised by the GMB Union
• A church in Devon has been closed for a deep clear after a parishioner tested positive and a Hare Krishna temple close to Watford has also closed due to a coronavirus case amongst its congregation
• The most recent drive-through coronavirus check centre has opened, this time in north-east Wales, the place individuals don’t want to go away their automobiles to be examined
• Starbucks branches and practice operator LNER have temporarily banned reusable cups in response to the outbreak

On Thursday, Well being Secretary Matt Hancock advised a BBC Query Time viewers he was “completely assured” meals provides wouldn’t run out, amid…