Coronavirus: UK death toll rises by 180 in one day, to 1,408

Official figures could be pushed further upwards by a change in how numbers are gathered

The number of people in the UK who have died after testing positive for coronavirus has risen to 1,408 after it claimed 180 more lives.

NHS England said the number of people who have died in England had risen by 159, bringing the total to 1,284.

The patients were aged between 32 and 98 years old and all but four, aged between 56 and 87 years old, had underlying health conditions.

The number dead in Wales rose by 14 to 62, health officials said, while Nicola Sturgeon announced six more had died in Scotland, taking the total to 47.

In Northern Ireland, The number of people who have died has risen by one to 22, health officials said.

Official figures for deaths from coronavirus could be pushed further upwards on Tuesday by a change in the way numbers are gathered.

The figure released by the Office for National Statistics will include cases where patients die in their own homes, as well as those who are being treated in hospital at the time of their deaths.

Prime minister Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said: “Daily figures are for those deaths which take place in hospitals in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

“From tomorrow, the ONS will be publishing weekly data for death registrations which would include people who die in the community.

“It would be necessary for a medical professional to be satisfied that one of the contributory factors for a death was coronavirus in order for it to be registered that way.”

The increase comes amid questions about whether the official toll accurately reflects the number of deaths seen in hospitals.

On Sunday, England’s deputy chief medical officer, Dr Jenny Harries, said there is a “time lag” in the number of deaths tallied up as officials check the numbers and speak to families.

For example, a tally of the NHS data updated on Sunday said 11 people had died after testing positive for Covid-19 in hospitals run by King’s College Hospital trust, but the trust’s own website, updated on Friday, said 33 patients who had tested positive had died.

Asked about disparities in figures at a press conference in Downing Street, Dr Harries said: “We have to make sure that when we’re reporting the family is content and knows and all our data is absolutely accurate.”

She added: “There is always a time lag for us to check and evaluate that the data across the system is linked.

“We do not want to be misreporting data and then having to correct it. The public would not have confidence if we were doing that.

“As we have sadly had to register more deaths, that time period takes longer.”