UK coronavirus death toll rises by 286 to 40,883

No new fatalities in Northern Ireland for third day

The UK’s official coronavirus death toll has risen by 286 to 40,883.

That figure was accurate up to 5pm on Monday, the Department of Health and Social Care said in a statement. It includes people who have died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive.

Overall 289,140 people have tested positive for Covid-19.

However, the government figures do not include all deaths involving Covid-19 across the UK, which is thought to have passed 51,000.

In Northern Ireland no new deaths were reported on Tuesday – the third day running. But Robert Swann, the Stormont health minister, sounded a note of caution.

He told a briefing: ”Whilst that, along with the low number of daily reported cases, is encouraging I would urge people to remain mindful of the serious threat that this virus continues to present.’’

In England Gavin Williamson has conceded that primary schools will not be able to bring back all pupils for a full month before the summer holiday.

Confirming the government’s target had been dropped, the education secretary said he would ”work with the sector” to return as many pupils to classrooms as possible before the break.