UK coronavirus death toll rises to 4,313 after surging a record 708 in 24 hours

A further 708 people in UK hospitals have died after contracting coronavirus in 24 hours, bringing the country’s death toll to 4,313.

The latest figure, which covers 5pm on Thursday to 5pm on Friday, is just the latest record daily rise in fatalities, in line with a continuing upward trend.

A total of 684 people died over a 24-hour period between Wednesday and Thursday.

As of 9am on Saturday, a total of 183,190 people were tested for the virus, of whom 41,903 were positive, Department of Health officials said. ​

It comes as data compiled by the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre showed more than half of those admitted to intensive care with Covid-19 are dying.

Of a sample of 690 patients whose care outcomes were known, 346 (50.1%) had died, while 344 were discharged.

Worldwide, there are now more than a million confirmed cases and 58,955 Covid-19-related deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

However, that is likely to be a significant underestimate due to a lack of testing, people having the virus without symptoms, and suspicions some countries such as China and Iran may be concealing the extent of their outbreaks.

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