UK coronavirus death toll rises by 85
A further 85 people have died from coronavirus in the UK, the government announced today.
It brings the total number of coronavirus associated deaths in the UK to 45,053, according to official Department of Health figures.
There have been 538 lab-confirmed UK cases in the past day, bringing the total number to 291,911.
It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson committed to an “independent inquiry” into the pandemic today after a question by the Lib Dem’s Ed Davey.
He said it was not right to devote a huge amount of time to an inquiry while the UK is still in the middle of a pandemic. But the government would seek to learn lessons and “certainly we will have an independent inquiry in to what happened”.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also pushed Johnson on a report which warned about 120,000 new coronavirus deaths in a second wave this winter.
“One of the key recommendations in this report commissioned by the government’s office for science, is that testing and tracing capacity will need to be significantly expanded to cope with increased demands over the winter,” said Starmer. “The reality is this – trace and track is not working as promised as it stands today.”
“Our test and trace system is as good as or better than any other system in the world and yes, it will play a vital part in ensuring that we do not have a second spike this winter,” Johnson replied.
This week the government toughened its stance on face coverings, making them mandatory in shops and supermarkets. Those who refuse to comply will face a fine of up to £100.
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