Preliminary data shows virus claimed the lives of 41 hospital patients

UK Covid deaths fall again: Preliminary data shows virus claimed the lives of 41 hospital patients in last 24 hours – including healthy 37-year-old

  • 35 people died in hospitals in England alone, while 6 people died in Wales
  • 41 hospital deaths in England and Wales is down from 61 reported last Sunday 
  • Scotland reported no new deaths, but  532 further cases, figures revealed 

A further 41 people have died after testing positive for Covid-19 in England and Wales, preliminary figures have revealed.

Some 35 people died in hospital in England alone – including a 37-year-old with no underlying health conditions, NHS England figures show.

In Wales, a further six people died after testing positive for the virus. Scotland recorded no new deaths.

The 41 hospital deaths seen across England and Wales is down from the 61 reported last Sunday.

Wales has seen 196 positive tests, while 532 cases were reported in Scotland. England’s case figure will be revealed later today. 

Britain’s all settings figures – which cover deaths in hospitals, care homes and the wider community – will be published on the Government’s Covid-19 dashboard at 4pm.  

In other developments: 

  • Policing minister Kit Malthouse has been accused of breaching Covid-19 protocol at the Home Office after he tested positive at his place of work; 
  • EU doubled down on its threat to block jab exports to the UK – as the British Government warned Brussels that ‘the world is watching’;  
  • Scottish Health Secretary Jeane Freeman defended Nicola Sturgeon, claiming the First Minister has ‘led by example’ while accusing her critics of playing ‘partisan politics’ amid growing calls for her resignation;
  • Plans for ‘Alfresco April’ gathered pace with Marston’s brewery saying 700 of its pubs would open on April 12;
  • Experts predicted a £11.5 billion wedding bonanza once restrictions eased, while some hairdressers reporting full appointment books until early summer; 
  •  Japan announced that in a ‘great sacrifice’, international fans would be barred from attending the Tokyo Olympics later this year.

A further 41 people have died after testing positive for Covid-19 in England and Wales, preliminary figures have revealed (file image)

As Britain’s coronavirus vaccination drive continues, the EU today doubled down on its threat to block jab exports to the UK – as the British Government warned Brussels that ‘the world is watching’. 

European Commissioner for financial services Mairead McGuinness said ‘everything is on the table’ and the EU’s focus is on ‘protecting our citizens’.

She also said there is a need for both sides to ‘calm down’ amid the escalating war of words over vaccine supply but her decision to repeat Ursula von der Leyen’s threat is unlikely to dampen tensions.

Meanwhile, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace warned Brussels that going ahead with an export ban would ‘damage the EU’s reputation globally’.

He said the EU is ‘under tremendous political pressure’ because of its botched vaccine rollout and insisted ‘the rest of the world is looking at the Commission about how it conducts itself’.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace warned Brussels that going ahead with an export ban would 'damage the EUu00BFs reputation globally'

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace warned Brussels that going ahead with an export ban would ‘damage the EU’s reputation globally’

Tensions with the EU continued to increase as the UK yesterday smashed its record for the number of daily inoculations.

In a dramatic move, Ms von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, threatened to join forces with the French and German governments to hold hostage more than 19 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine due to be shipped to the UK over the coming weeks.

The EU continues to face criticism over the glacial speed of its vaccination programme and many of its members have been plunged into fresh lockdowns as Covid-19 cases soared.

Meanwhile, policing minister Kit Malthouse has been accused of breaching Covid-19 protocol at the Home Office after he tested positive at his place of work.

Mr Malthouse took a lateral flow test on his way into work last Monday – but the minister reportedly went into the Home Office without waiting for the results.

According to the Sunday Times, Mr Malthouse was asymptomatic and was alerted to his positive test result 30 minutes after taking the test. 

European Commissioner for financial services Mairead McGuinness said 'everything is on the table' and the EU's focus is on 'protecting our citizens'

European Commissioner for financial services Mairead McGuinness said ‘everything is on the table’ and the EU’s focus is on ‘protecting our citizens’

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has threatened to join forces with the French and German governments to hold hostage more than 19 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine due to be shipped to the UK over the coming weeks

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has threatened to join forces with the French and German governments to hold hostage more than 19 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine due to be shipped to the UK over the coming weeks

The 54-year-old immediately asked those working in his department to wear masks and drove himself home to self-isolate after receiving the diagnosis.

In January, Mr Malthouse told LBC that it is ‘preposterous’ to think anyone would be ‘ignorant’ of the rules during the third national lockdown.

He said: ‘It seems preposterous that after 10 months anyone could be ignorant to the rules.

‘Also, it is frankly ignorant to the perilous state that we find ourselves in with the NHS rammed to capacity, with numbers of infections rising on a daily basic and sadly deaths following them.’

Government guidance states that workers must remain socially distanced at work until they receive their negative test result.