More than 15,000 people have died from coronavirus in UK hospitals, figures from the Department of Health and Social Care show.

The death toll rose by 888 from 14,576 on Friday, taking the total to 15,464 as of 9am on Saturday.

The figures refer only to deaths in hospitals, excluding those in the community. While the government estimated this week that the death toll inside care homes stood at 1,400, the care sector’s leading charity warned on Saturday that it could be more than five times higher.

Scotland recorded a further 56 deaths, bringing its total death to 893, according to the Scottish government. In Wales, a further 28 deaths brought the total to 534, Public Health Wales said, and deaths in Northern Ireland also increased by 17 to 193.

England accounts for 13,918 of the UK death toll, following an increase of 784 since Friday. However, NHS England said that the some of the newly recorded deaths occurred as early as 14 March.

Excluding Northern Ireland, 357,023 people have been tested in the UK, of which 114,217 proved positive. Overall, 460,437 tests have been completed, with 21,389 tests taken on Friday. The discrepancy between the number of tests conducted and the number of people tested can arise from same person being tested more than once, the Department of Health and Social Care said.

Despite the rising death toll, the rate of transmission within the community was falling, as were hospital admissions, the local government secretary, Robert Jenrick, said at Saturday’s coronavirus briefing.

“It is absolutely correct that the hard work, the forbearance, the fortitude of the British public is paying off,” he said. “The rates of transmission in the community are falling, and there’s a number of positive indicators which give us cause for hope, and to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

Q&A How can I protect myself and others from the coronavirus outbreak? Show Hide The World Health Organization is recommending that people take simple precautions to reduce exposure to and transmission of the coronavirus, for which there is no specific cure or vaccine. The UN agency advises people to: Frequently wash their hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or warm water and soap

Cover their mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue when sneezing or coughing

Avoid close contact with anyone who has a fever or cough

Seek early medical help if they have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, and share their travel history with healthcare providers

Advice about face masks varies. Wearing them while out and about may offer some protection against both spreading and catching the virus via coughs and sneezes, but it is not a cast-iron guarantee of protection Many countries are now enforcing or recommending curfews or lockdowns. Check with your local authorities for up-to-date information about the situation in your area. In the UK, NHS advice is that anyone with symptoms should stay at home for at least 7 days. If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home.

He added: “But nonetheless, the number of deaths that I’ve announced today remains extremely sobering, and more and more of us I think across the country know somebody who has been unwell. More of our lives have been touched by this virus as every day goes by, and I think that just reinforces to us all the need to consider this moment as the one to keep going.”

He urged the British public not to “lose what’s been hard won over the last few weeks”.

He said: “Keep adhering to the measures, keep respecting the advice from the clinicians and, if we do that together as a society, then in the weeks to come there may be opportunities to begin very cautiously to ease the lockdown measures.”