Boy, 11, dies with coronavirus as UK death toll rises 917 to 9,875 – 63 lower than day before

An 11-year-old boy with no underlying health issues is among a further 917 patients who have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus, bringing the total fatalities to 9,875.  

It is a drop from yesterday’s 980 deaths, which remains the highest recorded in a single day so far. 

NHS England reported a further 823 patients had died in their hospitals in the past 24 hours.

Those who had lost their lives were aged between 11 and 102, and 33 of these – aged between 29 and 94 – had no underlying health conditions.  

Scotland today confirmed a further 47 deaths, bringing the nation’s total fatalities to 542.  

The rise in deaths came as ministers ramped up their calls for Britons to remain indoors on a warm Easter weekend. 

But some of the public flouted these instructions and flocked to the nation’s parks, forcing police patrolling on horseback to intervene.

On another grim day in Britain’s coronavirus epidemic:

• A row erupted between Health Secretary Matt Hancock and a top nurse over his claims that medics were overusing personal protective equipment; 
• Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer led the backlash over the Health Secretary’s claim that NHS staff were ‘wasting’ PPE; 
• Downing Street said the Prime Minister was making extremely good progress with his recovery from coronavirus;
• Former Home Secretary David Blunkett blasted ‘Sermon on the Mount’ coronavirus briefings by ministers and accuses officials of ‘hectoring’ people;
• Scientists said coronavirus can spread 13 FEET from sufferers – more than twice the 6ft social distancing gap demanded by government – and that isolating infected people at home is not a good strategy