UK records 881 coronavirus deaths

Britain on Thursday reported 881 more fatalities due to COVID-19, bringing country's total toll to 7,978, as Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said strict lockdown measures in place in UK must continue for more time to ensure re is second wave of coronavirus.

Raab, who is deputising for Prime Minister Boris Johnson while he is in hospital recovering from COVID-19, confirmed that premier's condition continues to improve as he led daily Downing Street briefing.“ Prime Minister remains in intensive care, but he continues to make positive steps forwards and is in good spirits,” said Raab.

senior Cabinet minister revealed ar record increase in daily coronavirus related death toll of 881 to hit 7,978 as he urged British public to continue to follow government’s social distancing guidance, especially over upcoming Easter Bank Holiday weekend.

After chairing an emergency Cobra committee meeting earlier on Thursday, Raab said early signs suggest all lockdown measures are having an impact but it is too early to say that “conclusively”. refore, measures will have to stay in place until re is evidence that shows UK has moved “beyond peak".

“We are t done yet. We must keep going,” he said, in reference to 21-day lockdown anunced by Johnson on March 23 and set to end next Monday.

While government's decision on new timescale on strict stay-at-home measures is t expected until next week, Raab's statement on Thursday indicates likelihood of lockdown to spill over into next month.

He said: "We mustn't give coronavirus a second chance to kill more people. I kw it is tough going but this is a team effort.

"After all efforts everybody has made, after all sacrifices so many people have made let's t ruin it w. Let's t waste gains we've made, let's t waste sacrifices so many people have made. We will only beat virus if we all stay course.”

Sir Patrick Vallance, government’s chief scientific adviser who joined Raab at daily briefing, added that social distancing stops transmission of virus in community and it is clear measures are having an impact.

“We kw that social distancing is working and we kw that people are doing what y're supposed to do and we need to keep doing that,” he said.He expressed some optimism that number of new cases have “t gone sky high” and re might be some “flattening" as well as some early signs of a levelling off in hospital admissions. PTI AK ZH

(Im Credit: AP)