Coronavirus death toll rises by 16 as Scotland and Wales record no new fatalities

6 July 2020, 16:13

The figures come the weekend after England relaxed lockdown rules to allow people to visit pubs for the first time
The figures come the weekend after England relaxed lockdown rules to allow people to visit pubs for the first time. Picture: PA

By Matt Drake

The number of people who have died with coronavirus across the UK has risen by 16, with Scotland and Wales recording no deaths.

As of 5pm on July 5, the number of people who tested positive for coronavirus in the UK is 44,236, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) revealed.

The numbers do not include those who have died outside care settings, which is predicted to be over 50,000.

A further 15 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals to 28,904, NHS England said.

Patients were aged between 42 and 93 years old and all had known underlying health conditions.

There are no new deaths from people who tested positive for coronavirus in Wales for the first time since the country went into lockdown, Public Health Wales said.

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The total number of deaths stands at 1,531, while the total number of cases in Wales increased by eight to 15,898.

Scotland has now gone three days in a row without any new coronavirus deaths, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon revealed.

She said 18,300 people have now tested positive for the virus, up four from 18,296 on Sunday.

The First Minister urged people to comply with measures put in place by bars and cafes, including providing contact information.

"If you are not willing to do that you really shouldn't bother going at all," she said.

"If you see a crowd gathering particularity at a bottle neck point avoid it. These are really risky situations so don't take that risk."

She added: "If you go to a bar or a restaurant outside right now, if it feels totally normal, exactly like it was before this pandemic, then something is wrong."

The figures come the weekend after England relaxed lockdown rules to allow people to visit pubs for the first time.

It comes as economic forecasts predict a significant global recession. But some worry the lockdown is easing too quickly over fears of a second wave.