The UK death toll for coronavirus has risen again - to 1,288, after 209 more patients died of the virus known as COVID-19 yesterday (March, 28).
New figures are announced every day, as the country gets to grips with a near-lockdown situation in order to reduce the spread of the virus. The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK is 19,522.
UPDATE on coronavirus (#COVID19) testing in the UK:
As of 9am 29 March, a total of 127,737 have been tested:
108,215 negative.
19,522 positive.
As of 5pm on 28 March, of those hospitalised in the UK, 1,228 have sadly died. pic.twitter.com/Yjy0zQdF8u
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) March 29, 2020
Read more: Coronavirus: Police ask public to shop those breaching lockdown rules
How does the UK coronavirus death toll compare?
However, the 209 figure is smaller than Saturday's rise (March 27), which saw the UK coronavirus death toll add another 260 victims.
Patients to have died in the last 24 hours were aged between 39 and 105 years old. Only four of them did not have underlying health conditions.
Of the deaths reported, 190 have come in England.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has implemented tougher rules, preventing gatherings of more than two people outside (Credit: Cover Images)
Wales has reported 10 new deaths. Meanwhile Scotland's death toll has only increased by one.
Northern Ireland confirmed a further six deaths.
Baby dies
Reports from the US confirmed a baby who was less than one year old has died in Illinois, after testing positive for coronavirus.
The death of the infant was announced by Governor Pritzker in local media on Saturday.
The baby is thought to be the youngest victim of COVID-19 in the USA.
The youngest victim in the USA has been confirmed (Credit: Splash News)
Lockdown until June
Meanwhile, a senior Government advisor has said the UK's coronavirus lockdown must last until June.
Neil Ferguson, who is top epidemiology adviser, believes it will take until at least the summer to beat the bug.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week put strict rules in place in an effort to limit the number of deaths from COVID-19.
Boris announced the UK was locking down last Monday (Credit: SplashNews.com)
He said the lockdown measures will be reviewed after a three week trial.
But Mr Ferguson is certain they will need to stay in place for a minimum of 12 weeks.
He told The Times: "We're going to have to keep these measures in place, in my view, for a significant period of time - probably until the end of May, maybe even early June. May is optimistic."
Read more: Queen's footman tests positive for coronavirus
Boris reaches out
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has written to every household in the UK.
He says things will "get worse before they get better" and has pledged to do "whatever it takes" to help families make ends meet during these unprecedented times.
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