UK: Ex-govt adviser warns of 27,000 excess virus deaths

The UK will likely see a further 27,000 excess deaths by next April if England does not more cautiously lift coronavirus restrictions, a former chief scientific adviser to the British government warned on Sunday.

Sir David King, who now chairs a group of experts rivalling the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), told British broadcaster Sky News that if England continues registering 2,000-3,000 new infections per day until next April, 27,000 excess deaths would follow.

He added that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were "successfully nearing zero" infections and that Britain as a whole should aim for the same.

King's comments were made a day after England’s hospitality sector, including pubs and restaurants, reopened for the first time in more than three months.

Most people appeared to abide by the rules following the easing of restrictions.

Joanne Wright, a 25-year-old woman who is still experiencing exhaustion three months after contracting the coronavirus, said she was worried about family and friends.

She urged people to take the risks of the virus "seriously."

The UK has experienced one of the world’s worst outbreaks so far, with an official coronavirus death toll of at least 44,305 people, the third-highest behind the United States and Brazil.

(Representative Image)