UK coronavirus death toll reaches more than 26,000 – the second highest in Europe

26,097 people with confirmed coronavirus (Covid-19) have died in hospitals, care homes and elsewhere in the UK, new figures from Public Health England (PHE) show. This puts the UK in second place for most coronavirus deaths in Europe, just behind Italy’s 27,359.

The new UK figure includes 765 deaths reported in the 24 hours to 5pm on Tuesday. And it is the first time data on the number of deaths in care homes and the wider community has been included in the Government’s daily updates.

The new method of reporting includes an additional 3,811 deaths since the start of the outbreak.

Of these, around 70% were outside hospital settings and around 30% were in hospital.

PHE medical director Dr Yvonne Doyle said:

It will remain the case that ONS (Office for National Statistics) data, which publishes every week with data from 11 days ago, includes suspected cases where a test has not taken place.

ONS figures will therefore continue to include more deaths than our daily series.