The Department for Health and Social Care has published the latest coronavirus hospital death figures for the UK. There have been 847 new deaths, taking the total to 14,576.
All of these deaths occurred in hospitals across the UK. They do not take into account the people dying at home, in care facilities, hospices, or other locations outside of hospitals.
This is down slightly on yesterday’s grim figure, which was 861.
The Department of Health confirmed today that 108,692 people have tested positive for the deadly bug – up 5,599 from yesterday’s figures.
In England, 738 more deaths were recorded today, bringing England’s total death toll to 13,134.
Vaccine
UK volunteers could be given the first dose of a potential coronavirus vaccine within the next week, researchers say.
Experts at the University of Oxford are working hard to develop a vaccine that could prevent people from getting Covid-19.
They hope to have a candidate ready for clinical trials soon, and as part of their preparations the team aims to have at least a million doses available by about September.
Sarah Gilbert, a professor of vaccinology at Oxford University, who is leading the team said a vaccine could be available for use by the general public by the autumn.
However, she said there is always an unknown and scientists can never be sure that vaccines are going to work.
Prof Gilbert explained previous comments in which she said she was 80% confident of the vaccine’s success.
She said: “Personally, I have a high degree of confidence.
“This is my view, because I’ve worked with this technology a lot, and I’ve worked on the Mers vaccine trials, and I’ve seen what that can do.
“And, I think, it has a very strong chance of working.”
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