UK coronavirus death toll rises by six

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Kit Heren23 August 2020

Six more people have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus, with England's hospital death toll the lowest since the start of lockdown.

The Government said 41,429 people had died in the UK within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Sunday, an increase of six on the day before.

As of 9am on Sunday, there had also been a further 1,041 confirmed cases of coronavirus.

Overall, 325,642 cases have been confirmed.

Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show there have now been 57,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

Three more deaths have been announced in UK hospitals 
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Two of the deaths came in Wales, while NHS England confirmed one further death and Scotland recorded none. Northern Ireland has not yet published updated figures.

Public Health Wales said a further 20 people had tested positive for the virus, while the Scottish government said that 83 more people were confirmed to have been infected in the country.

Of the new cases in Scotland, 37 were in the NHS Tayside area, where there has been an outbreak at the 2 Sisters food processing plant in Coupar Angus.

Some 16 of the new cases were in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area with 11 in NHS Lothian. NHS Grampian reported another three confirmed cases.

The numbers reported by regional authorities differ from the figures given by the Government later in the day, as they only include deaths in hospitals.

The new daily coronavirus death toll comes after a leaked dossier revealed the Government's emergency planning to protect the UK if a second coronavirus wave coincides with a no-deal Brexit.

A Cabinet Office “reasonable worst-case scenario” document shows the military may be drafted in to airdrop food to the Channel Islands.

The document, leaked to The Sun, also warned the Navy may be needed to stop British fishermen clashing with illegal European fishing boat incursions.

The death toll in hospitals in England was the lowest since the start of lockdown 
PA

It says parts of the UK may face power and petrol shortages if thousands of lorries are stranded in Dover while shortages of medicines caused by port blockages could lead to animal diseases spreading through the countryside.

The classified document, dated July 2020, further warns that if trade restrictions triggered by a no-deal Brexit are combined with floods, flu and another coronavirus wave, then hospitals may be overwhelmed.

A Government spokeswoman said: “This is not a forecast or prediction of what will happen but rather a stretching scenario. It reflects a responsible Government ensuring we are ready for all eventualities.”