The UK's coronavirus death toll is higher than previously announced, new figures reveal this morning. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) says the killer bug contributed to 40 additional deaths before March 20.
The new figures include Covid-19 victims who did not die in hospitals. A report published this morning says 210 deaths mention Covid-19 on the death certificate by that date.
This is 23% higher than the 170 coronavirus-related deaths NHS England and Public Health Wales had announced up to that point.
If this pattern has been replicated in the 10 days since, the true death toll could be significantly higher than the 1,408 announced yesterday by the Department for Health and Social Care.