Dailynewsun Desk:
More than 100,000 people have died with Covid-19 in the UK, after 1,631 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were recorded in the daily figures.
It means a total of 100,162 deaths have been recorded in the UK, the first European nation to pass the landmark, reports BBC.
The UK is the fifth country to pass 100,000 deaths, coming after the US, Brazil, India and Mexico. It follows a surge in cases last month, leaving the UK with one of the highest coronavirus death rates globally.
The number of cases in the UK has been falling in recent days, but the number of people in hospital remains high, as do the UK’s daily death figures.
Earlier, figures from the ONS, which are based on death certificates, showed there had been nearly 104,000 deaths since the pandemic began. The government’s daily figures rely on positive tests and are slightly lower.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is leading a Downing Street press conference with England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty and NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens shortly.
Dr Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England, said it was a “sobering moment in the pandemic”.
“These are not just numbers,” she said. “Each death is a person who was someone’s family member and friend.
“This virus has sadly taken millions of lives across the world, but we have learnt a lot about this coronavirus over the past year. The best way to slow the spread is to follow the rules and right now that means staying at home.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it was “heartbreaking” that the UK’s coronavirus death toll has passed 100,000.
“My thoughts are with each and every person who has lost a loved one – behind these heartbreaking figures are friends, families and neighbours,” he said.
“The vaccine offers the way out, but we cannot let up now and we sadly still face a tough period ahead.”
More than 6.8m people in the UK have had their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, according to the latest figures.
