UK coronavirus death toll rises to 31,241

But real number of fatalities has passed 36,000, other statistics suggest

Another 626 people with coronavirus have died in the UK, bringing the official government death toll to 31,241.

But the real number of deaths involving Covid-19 is thought to be more than 36,000.

According to the Office for National Statistics, deaths registered across the UK up to 24 April stand at 33,021.

But new figures from NHS England show that a further 3,417 hospital patients who had tested positive for Covid-19 died between 25 April and 7 May. Added to the 33,021 registered deaths, this suggests the overall death toll for the UK has now passed 36,000.

The government is setting up a £16m fund to support frontline food charities.

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“The fund will be used by FareShare and WRAP to continue and support and increase the food redistribution work that they already do and will significantly expand their sourcing capacity,” said Mr Eustice.

“They will be delivering food to around 5,000 frontline charities. These include refuges, homeless shelters and rehabilitation centres.”

He said more than a million food parcels had so far been delivered to the clinically vulnerable in society.

The number of tests for Covid-19 rose by more than 10,000 on Thursday but still fell below health secretary Matt Hancock‘s 100,000 target for a sixth day in a row.

George Eustice, the environment secretary, said 97,029 tests were conducted in the 24 hours to 9am on Friday, up from 86,583 the day before.

The number of people testing positive in the UK had risen by 4,649 on the day before.

More than 1.6 million tests had been carried out in all, he said, and more than 11,788 people were in hospital with Covid-19, down from more than 12,000 24 hours earlier.

Asked how the contact-tracing app will work when a lot of the elderly do not have smartphones, Mr Eustice said: “The work that we’ve done suggests that if we got around 60 per cent of the population on this app it would become highly effective.”

He went on: “But even at lower rates than that it would be effective. We do recognise that some elderly people may not have a mobile phone ... but many will have family who will be able to support them to get such an app.”

Prof Steve Powis, the NHS medical chief for England, added: “I know from my experience in healthcare not to underestimate the benefits that technology such as smartphones can bring to the older generation and many do indeed use this technology.

“It’s absolutely correct that the app will not be the only way in which we will be able to monitor and track down contacts of people who have coronavirus going forward.

“It will be an important part but not the only part.”