Coronavirus: Sharp rise in COVID-19 deaths in UK as care homes included in total for first time

It is the first time the government figures have included deaths in care homes and in the community as well as those in hospitals.

(Sky News) – The number of coronavirus deaths in the UK has risen sharply to 26,097 as those in care homes and the community were included in the government’s figures for the first time.

The total is up from 21,678 coronavirus deaths announced in UK hospitals on Tuesday.

The latest deaths included a 14-year-old in England who had no known underlying health condition.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he wanted to “bring as much transparency as possible” to the coronavirus death figures by including those in care homes and the community.

A government graph comparing the nation’s death rate to countries across the world indicated that, once community and care home deaths were factored in, the UK could end up with the highest casualty rate in Europe.

Foreign Dominic Raab – standing in for Boris Johnson following the birth of the prime minister’s son – said there was a “joint horror” across the House of Commons at the number of people killed in the outbreak.

Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance had suggested in March that keeping the UK’s death total below 20,000 would be a good outcome.

At Prime Minister’s Questions, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: “We’re clearly way above that number and we’re only part way through this crisis and we’re possibly on track to have one of the worst death rates in Europe.”

He took issue with Mr Johnson’s comments about the “apparent success” of the UK’s strategy, adding: “Far from success these latest figures are truly dreadful.”

Earlier on Wednesday, it was announced that another 445 hospital patients with coronavirus had died in England, taking the total to 19,740.