UK coronavirus hospital death toll rises to 12,868

98,476 people have now tested positive for Covid-19

The coronavirus death toll in UK hospitals has risen to 12,868 after a further 761 people have died, the Department for Health has said.

The number of people who have tested positive for the disease is nearing 100,000, with an additional 4,605 pushing the total up to 98,476 on Wednesday.

The UK has the fifth highest death toll in the world, behind the US, Italy, Spain and France.

651 of the 761 new deaths occurred in England, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 11,656.

As the country enters its fourth week of lockdown restrictions, the European Commission has cautioned against easing the measures too quickly.

The new figures come as a leaked Public Health England report reveal that NHS staff may have to resort to reusing PPE to cope with shortages.

According to the BBC, the document states that protective masks and gowns could need to be washed and reused when stocks run low. It also admits there is currently a “reduced ability to re-supply” PPE.

The leaked document said some of the last-resort measures would need to be reviewed and approved by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

He also said the total number of those who have died "are substantially underestimated" because the government has only been providing a figure of how many people have died in hospital so far.

Four Seasons Health Care chief executive Jeremy Richardson told Sky News : "The numbers are much higher than being reported at the moment. I think the number (of care homes having an outbreak or suspected outbreak) is probably up at 60 or 70 per cent. We're running at a similar number. I think the numbers are substantially underestimated."