Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
The number of people who have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus has risen to 30,615 – an increase of 539 over 24 hours.
This is the second week the government’s daily announcement has included people in care homes and the community, rather than just in hospital, who have died.
But only those who had tested positive for Covid-19 are included, meaning anyone who died with a suspected case won’t be recorded.
The figures cover the period up to 5pm on Thursday.
It comes after the number of people who have died in hospitals after contracting the virus rose by 464 in 24 hours.
That increase consisted of 383 in England, 59 in Scotland, 18 in Wales and four in Northern Ireland.
Of those who died in England, 58 deaths actually took place yesterday, with the remainder dating back as far as March 19. The day with the most newly recorded deaths was Tuesday, with 120.
Patients in England were aged 28 to 100, with 41 having no known underlying health conditions – including a 28-year-old.
Two of Northern Ireland’s four deaths took place yesterday. The other two devolved authorities, Wales and Scotland, do not supply data broken down in this way.
Meanwhile, in the 24 hours up to 9am on Friday, 86,583 tests were carried out for coronavirus – the fifth day in a row that the government’s target of 100,000 tests a day has been missed.