Paramedics and ambulance personnel get instructions from a command unit outside the ExCel center, which is being turned into a 4000-bed temporary hospital called NHS Nightingale (Picture: AP)

The UK coronavirus death toll has reached 1,408 after another 180 people were confirmed dead.

The NHS said another 159 patients died in England, and Wales recorded 14 more deaths. A further six people were confirmed dead in Scotland, while Northern Ireland recorded one more death today.

All the patients that died in England were aged between 32 and 98 years old, and all but four, aged between 56 and 87 years old, had underlying health conditions.

Today’s jump in deaths is the latest worrying daily increase, which follows a sharp rise of 209 deaths on Sunday, and a leap of 260 deaths on Saturday.


The UK death toll has jumped to 1,408

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A convoy of military vehicles drive up the M6 as the UK stays in lockdown (Picture: PA)

A total of 22,141 people in the UK have tested positive for coronavirus, while 112,805 have tested negative.



But it comes as a professor said the coronavirus epidemic in the UK appears to be slowing, partly thanks to the government’s sweeping emergency measures.

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Professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London said the rate of hospital admissions suggests social distancing guidance is making a difference.

He added that new antibody tests expected to the UK very soon will be crucial in understanding how the disease works.

He told the BBC: ‘In the UK we can see some early signs of slowing in some indicators – less so deaths because deaths are lagged by a long time from when measures come in force.

‘But if we look at the numbers of new hospital admissions, that does appear to be slowing down a bit now.

‘It has not yet plateaued, so still the numbers can be increasing each day but the rate of that increase has slowed.’

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The Government has told people only to go out if it is absolutely necessary (Picture: PA)

People observe social distancing guidance while queuing at a Sainsbury’s in Colton, on the outskirts of Leeds (Picture: PA)

The professor said a third, or even 40% of people do not get any symptoms, and that 2% to 3% of the UK population had been infected.

But he said the data was not good enough to make any firm conclusions about the UK outbreak.

Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales, who tested positive for coronavirus last week, is now out of self-isolation.

Charles, 71, had developed mild symptoms of Covid-19 and self-isolated at his Scottish home of Birkhall, Aberdeenshire, for seven days.

A medic wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) outside St Thomas’ Hospital in Westminster, (Picture: PA)

The Duchess of Cornwall, 72, who is also staying in Scotland, tested negative for the virus and remains in self-isolation until the end of the week, observing the advice to stay apart for 14 days.

A Clarence House spokesman said: ‘Clarence House has confirmed today that, having consulted with his doctor, the Prince of Wales is now out of self-isolation.’

Charles is now said to be in good health, but while isolating continued to work at his desk and carried out a number of telephone meetings.

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