ladbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

The Number Of Deaths From Coronavirus In The UK Has Risen To 103

The Number Of Deaths From Coronavirus In The UK Has Risen To 103

The UK death toll rises to 103 while there are 2,626 positive cases

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

The coronavirus death toll in the UK has risen to 103 after NHS England said a further 32 people had died following a positive test in England.

According to the BBC, the NHS said patients were aged between 59 and 94 years old and had underlying health conditions.

A passenger enters Terminal 5 at Heathrow.
PA

According to the latest report from the Department of Health and Social Care, a total of 56,221 people have been tested resulting in 53,595 negative cases and 2,626 positive.

It is also believed that officials are working to increase the number of tests that can be conducted by Public Health England and the NHS to 25,000 a day.

The increased capacity is expected to be ready within 4 weeks, with highest-priority cases being tested first.

The announcement follows a meeting at Downing Street last night (Tuesday 17 March), where the Prime Minister and Health Secretary promised industry leaders that they would be given whatever support they need to help government increase testing capabilities across the country.

The Prime Minister also called on companies to work with the government to rapidly develop a test to establish whether people have developed immunity. This will help get NHS and other critical public sector staff back to work as fast as they can.

Britain's Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
PA

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: "Public safety is my top priority, and radically ramping up testing for coronavirus is a key part of our plan to protect lives.

"We are already among the best in the world for coronavirus testing and today we are launching a national effort to increase our testing capability even further.

"Our aim is to protect life, protect the most vulnerable, and relieve pressure on our NHS - so it is right that we prioritise testing for those most at risk of severe illness.

"We will always do the right thing at the right time, based on the best scientific advice, and will do whatever it takes to protect life."

Scientists are hopeful that they're close to creating a coronavirus vaccine.
PA

A few days ago, scientists from the Imperial College London were hopeful that they could be close to creating a Covid-19 vaccine, after successful tests on mice.

The researchers said that human trials could potentially begin as soon as June 2020.

Researcher Dr Paul McKay told the Daily Express: "We've made a vaccine and already tested it in mice. I've got results from a month after I injected those, and the vaccine works really, really well.

"The next thing is that we need the Government to fund us to do human clinical trials. The responses in the mice were huge so I really can't see that it would be a poor response in people."

Dr McKay told the newspaper the team, led by Mucosal Infection and Immunity head Dr Robin Shattock, had applied for more funding to help get the vaccine up and running.

It's okay to not panic. LADbible and UNILAD's aim with our campaign, Cutting Through, is to provide our community with facts and stories from the people who are either qualified to comment or have experienced first-hand the situation we're facing. For more information from the World Health Organisation on Coronavirus, click here.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: UK News, News, Coronavirus, UK